Chapter 36: Crushing Victory

Her tone remained nonchalant, the dimples in her snow-white cheeks still cradling a faint smile, but only her pair of amber eyes held a trace of chill. It seemed as though, at the slightest command from their mistress, they would instantly freeze into icy blades and strike, deadly and unerring.

The air of a consummate dictator that Song Mi carried had indeed been forged intensively in recent years, yet it was never merely the product of external forces. Otherwise, the old Master Shen would not have chosen her in the first place.

Fulfilling her promise to Master Shen—driving all twelve Shen siblings out of Jinzhou, banishing them as far as possible—was her utmost priority.

During the confrontation, Song Mi's gaze shifted ever so slightly, as if she gently twirled a thread, and then a hint of amused anticipation flickered in her eyes.

It was this effortless air of dominance that thoroughly enraged Shen Ruoming. "Song Mi, you set your sights on me at least three months ago."

"I'm no longer at Four Seas Group, and the shares I hold can't threaten you." As she spoke, Shen Ruoming strode forward in her high heels. "Is it truly worth making me your first target?"

"Even a cornered rabbit will bite back!" The Seventh Miss Shen, when she hardened her expression and fought ruthlessly, possessed a truly intimidating presence. "Surely you know the wisdom of leaving a line for others to cross."

Song Mi watched as she lifted the corner of her eye, a smile hiding a blade.

To be fair, Song Mi couldn't help but admire Shen Ruoming somewhat. Her biological mother had been a singer at a nightclub, and Ruoming had grown up in the city’s underbelly, only found and brought back by Master Shen at the age of five, when she was finally recognized as part of the Shen family.

Once perched on a higher branch, not only did she avoid squandering her newfound fortune, but she started searching for other paths early on.

Jiaxing Media was not Shen Ruoming's first investment, but it was her most successful. The importance she placed on Jiaxing, having tasted its rewards, was self-evident.

Regrettably, as a mere tool, Song Mi understood better than anyone that compassion was unnecessary for her. "I intend to leave no survivors—what can you do about it?"

...

A loud bang.

The door slammed behind her with a resounding crash.

Shen Ruoming cast a cold glance at the man leaning against the wall nearby, biting down hard, "A dog wielding power at its master's side!"

After uttering her double-edged curse, she strode away in her high heels, head held high.

As she exited, the porter drove her car over. Just as she reached for the keys, her phone rang.

Even while fuming, Shen Ruoming answered the call with patience, only to discover it was the best news she could hope for—an unexpected boon, as timely as rain in drought. "Are you certain?"

The reply came: "Absolutely!"

Shen Ruoming pulled open the car door and got in. "Bring the documents to me now!"

Half an hour later, Shen Ruoming received a lab report from the emergency room at Jinzhou Second Hospital. When she read the results herself, she whispered with both lips and heart, "Heaven helps me!"

...

The next day was Monday. At eight fifty in the morning, the Phantom stopped punctually at Four Seas Tower.

Song Mi stepped out of the car, and nine minutes later, she was seated in the conference room.

She had already called Xu Yu in person to ensure strict confidentiality about the accident in the Imperial Capital; not a word was to be spoken, inside or outside the company, and all visitors were refused immediately.

This included visits to both the driver and Lin Shen.

In other words, if the crash really was orchestrated, the mastermind still wouldn’t know her exact injuries.

Eliminating the possibility of being monitored around the clock, her whereabouts should remain unknown to them.

Anyone who saw her at Four Seas today could report the incident to the person behind the scenes at any moment.

Therefore, Song Mi had already instructed Ye Zhao to station several experts at nearby communication hubs, prepared to copy all information traffic from the thousands of people coming and going at Four Seas Tower.

At noon, Ye Zhao delivered the filtered data to her desk.

—There truly were many eyes watching her from top to bottom!

Song Mi scanned through the list rapidly, taking a full half minute.

She didn’t expect to find the key information on her first attempt. After all, those lurking in the shadows had no reason to contact their spies directly.

Still, she marked several numbers for Ye Zhao to follow up.

Big fish, small fish, crooked fish—they were all fish.

Whether they watched her or she planned to drive them out, none would be allowed to stir up trouble right under her nose.

Otherwise, how could she justify the freedom she lost day by day?

As Ye Zhao picked up the folder and turned to leave, Song Mi’s phone rang—a strange number calling for the first time.

Yet she immediately matched the string of digits to its owner. "Attorney Wen..."