Chapter 176: The Final Madness

Cheng Feng was always acting like he owned the place, and when he first got locked up, he was all "this and that," refusing to bow to anyone.

The guards knew full well what was going on—such a huge fortune gone missing, some extreme behavior was normal. But normal didn't mean he could defy discipline, break rules, or recklessly challenge authority. The guards had seen it all—this fallen rich kid? Easy to control.

After struggling for a while, Cheng Feng realized he was powerless—no one would indulge his nonsense. To escape this hell and return to the glittering world, he finally had no choice but to obey orders and follow instructions.

As for his conduct, Cheng Feng was always good at pretending, so in the end, his good behavior earned him a three-month sentence reduction.

Heart pounding, hands trembling, legs shaking as he walked out.

Walking out through the prison gates, the north wind whipped snowflakes straight into his face—he was already numb.

Standing at the prison entrance, he looked up at the chaotic, swirling snowflakes filling the sky, breathing in the crisp air, and for a moment, he was spellbound.

Around him, he felt something so familiar—it was what he had dreamed of day and night: freedom.

He felt freedom embracing him, and without thinking, he foolishly opened his arms to embrace it.

He never realized how much it meant before, but after two years in prison, he now understood how precious it was.

For this moment, he had waited over two years…

Suddenly, a cold wind blew, and Cheng Feng shivered back to reality, smiled, lowered his arms, and looked at the figure standing by the car nearby.

"Lao Wu."

Cheng Feng shouted loudly.

Wu Di had arrived early, but seeing Cheng Feng standing there lost in thought, he didn't disturb him. Only when Cheng Feng stood motionless for a long while did Wu Di step out of the car, deciding it was time to leave. Though this moment was hard-won, what was the point of lingering by the prison gate? Besides, it was the dead of winter—catching a cold would be miserable.

Wu Di laughed as he stepped forward and hugged Cheng Feng tightly, slapping his back hard. His laughter grew quieter as he said: "You're out—that's all that matters, you're out…"

"Alright, alright, that's enough. What's with all this emotional crap? You're a grown man."

Wu Di's gesture, combined with the gloomy snowfall, stirred the mood. Thinking of prison life, Cheng Feng felt his own emotions rising. This was a day of joy—crying like this was ridiculous. He quickly cut Wu Di off.

Wu Di was sentimental—he couldn't control it. Hearing Cheng Feng say that, he immediately stopped: "Yeah, yeah, it's all my fault. It's freezing—let's not stand here. Get in the car. What do you want to eat? Let's celebrate your return—we're not stopping until we're drunk."

"Do we even need to ask?"

Both said in unison: "The old place!"

As soon as the words left their lips, they locked eyes and burst out laughing…

After a moment of laughter, Wu Di said: "It's freezing—get in the car."

Cheng Feng hugged his arms, snatched back the snot about to drip, and pointed at Wu Di's small car: "Turn around. I'll get in after."

Before Wu Di could ask, Cheng Feng explained: "The guards told me—don't look back when you leave. Just walk straight out."

"Then I guess I should've brought you a brazier."

Wu Di rolled his eyes, got in the car, and turned around.

Only then did Cheng Feng get in, and the two drove off to the old place, chatting and laughing.

The school had moved, but Tong Chui hadn't—he stayed because his past was here.

This was where Shi Xiao Meng and the others began their dreams—and where Tong Chui began too. He saw wave after wave of students leave, and each wave sent him a wife, children, a peaceful home.

So he couldn't bear to leave this land—the place where he'd witnessed so many young lives' joys and sorrows, and where he and his wife had walked together.

Of course, he still made money—he opened a branch of the old place near the new campus, but most of the time, he and his wife stayed here.

When the kids grow up, he'll hand the new campus location to them—because their future lies there.

Honestly, though, he didn't leave because he still made plenty here. After years of accumulation, he'd always offered great value for money—his loyal customers alone kept him fed.

When Wu Di and Cheng Feng arrived, the place was already packed, bustling with noise and heat.

Tong Chui greeted customers with a smile, heard the little welcome cat by the door say "Welcome," and turned to see them walk in.

Seeing Cheng Feng behind Wu Di, Tong Chui paused, then smiled warmly and stepped forward: "You're here, Wu Di." He clapped Cheng Feng on the arm: "You've lost weight…"

He knew about Cheng Feng's imprisonment—though even if he hadn't, diners sometimes mentioned it. After all, during college, Cheng Feng had been the talk of the campus—a rich second-generation who drove sports cars, lived recklessly, loved freedom, had musical talent, formed a band that swept the hearts of romantic female students across three graduating classes.

The heartbroken girls he'd broken, now a crowd of bitter singletons, all sighed in relief when they heard—he got what he deserved, you jerk, you showed off, now you're locked up. Especially when news spread that Cheng Cheng Shengen'en had been literally driven to death by Cheng Feng, his name became a nationwide sensation.

Cheng Feng smiled and nodded: "Brother Tong."

Tong Chui chuckled: "Enough standing at the door—come in, sit down. Cheng Feng, order whatever you want—today's on me. Welcome home. I'll join you for a drink once I finish this rush."

Wu Di said: "Alright, Brother Tong, it's settled. What do you say, Crazy?"

He didn't refuse—money didn't matter, none of them were short on cash. But today, Cheng Feng was out, and only Wu Di came to welcome him. Wu Di knew Cheng Feng, even if silent, would feel something. Over the past year, Wu Wei was dead, Wu Mei was gone—he'd drifted numbly alone since. He understood this loneliness, this absence of friends or family.

Cheng Feng nodded: "Thanks, Brother Tong."

"Bah, no thanks needed. Tell me what you want to eat—I'll tell the kitchen to hurry. You two start drinking."

"I want to eat…………"

Tong Chui nodded: "Got it. Drink some tea to warm up—food's coming right away." Then he dashed off to the kitchen.

Wu Di poured two cups of hot tea, pushed one toward Cheng Feng, took a sip, sighed deeply, then asked: "What are your plans now?"

He didn't ask about prison life—he visited once a month, and Cheng Feng had already told him everything.

Cheng Feng blew his nose with a napkin, cupped the warm mug in both hands: "I'll see… I don't know what I can do. Maybe… I'll sing."

"Hmm… take your time. Things are so advanced now—you won't starve."

Cheng Feng nodded and sipped his tea.

"You won't starve"—the words sounded ironic. When had Cheng Feng ever worried about being hungry? Before, it was unimaginable.

One night's spending might equal someone else's yearly salary. A single bottle of ordinary wine might cost what others worked a month for—maybe even more.

Whether he could accept it or not, in countless sleepless nights in prison, the snores, the grinding teeth, the flatulence, the drunken curses—all reminded him: he had nothing. He was nothing. Just a failed, homeless dog, a complete pauper, a laughingstock to all.

Noticing Cheng Feng's gloom, Wu Di made small talk, saying random things. He didn't want to force him—he just knew that now, Cheng Feng had to face reality. In prison, he could survive, ignore the chaos—but now he was out. He was practically penniless, and he couldn't escape it.

Tong Chui, as always, delivered—before long, the table was piled high with dishes.

Wu Di opened a bottle of Erguotou, poured two glasses, placed one before Cheng Feng, raised his, and said: "Come on, Crazy—drink up. To your new life."

Cheng Feng clinked his glass against Wu Di's, tilted his head back, and drained it.

"Hey, drink slower, damn it…" Seeing Cheng Feng empty his glass, Wu Di gritted his teeth and downed his own.

Eyes wide, holding his breath, suppressing the churning in his stomach until the wave passed, Cheng Feng let out a long breath and took another bite: "Ah… so refreshing…"

Wu Di coughed for a long time, "*cough cough*," then wiped his mouth with a napkin after recovering: "Drink slower—I don't have your alcohol tolerance, you know? If you keep this up, I can't keep up."

Cheng Feng poured himself another drink: "No need for you to keep up. I haven't had a drop in over two years—today, I'm going to drink properly."

"Fine, drink if you want…"

Wu Di knew he couldn't stop him, and Cheng Feng truly needed to get drunk.

After chatting aimlessly for a while, the alcohol rose, and their tongues loosened.

Cheng Feng asked: "Where's Fei Si? Why isn't he here?"

When he first went to prison, Fei Si occasionally visited with Wu Di, but over time, the visits faded away. He knew why—but he still wanted to ask.

"Dunno. I haven't contacted him in ages—about a year, I think. Just… no word at all."

Wu Di used to mention updates about everyone during visits, but after Fei Si went silent, he stopped bringing him up—it was an unspoken adult understanding.

"Everyone's gone…"

Cheng Feng drank half a glass, then started eating.

Wu Di silently sipped a small mouthful, unsure what to say—now, he was the only one still paying attention to Cheng Feng. Looking back, it was all Cheng Feng's own doing.

Since Wu Mei left, besides missing the good old days, he wondered what had happened to their group of friends. Once he stepped back, viewed from the outside, everything became clear.

As for his role in Cheng Cheng Shengen'en's death, he bore some responsibility, but not much—the real issue was Cheng Feng's own failure.

Human nature is complex; even gratitude can turn to resentment, let alone minor guilt toward others. Even if it were truly his fault, so much time had passed—it had long worn away.

After a silence, Cheng Feng drank and asked: "What about Xiao Meng? Do you still keep in touch? How's he doing?"

Wu Di gave him a skeptical look: "Still thinking about Shen Bing?"

In the past, during visits, he rarely told Cheng Feng anything about Shi Xiao Meng. When Cheng Feng asked, he'd just silently change the subject—because Shi Xiao Meng was damn impressive, and even Wu Di felt a bit shaken, let alone Cheng Feng.

Now that he was out, even if Wu Di didn't say anything, Cheng Feng would find out in a couple of days anyway—so it didn't matter.

"No… no…" Cheng Feng lied.

Wu Di rolled his eyes—any three-year-old could tell it was a bald-faced lie. But honestly, Cheng Feng was surprisingly loyal. As far as Wu Di knew, Cheng Feng and Shen Bing had barely met since then, yet he still thought of her after all this time.

"I advise you to stop thinking about her. They've been married a long time—deeply in love." Wu Di shook his head and sighed: "Besides, I recently spoke to Xiao Meng on the phone—Shen Bing is pregnant. She's already seven or eight months along. She'll give birth soon."

"And Xiao Meng—he's really something now." Wu Di took a sip and continued: "He worked with Wang Yan, right? Then Wang Yan made him general manager of a subsidiary—Pīn Yī Dāo. You know that one?"

"Yeah, I know. Then what?"

"The month you were detained, Pīn Yī Dāo raised its funding—then Series B, Series C, all the way to now. I read online that Pīn Yī Dāo might go public soon. Do you know its current valuation?"

Before Cheng Feng could answer, Wu Di answered himself: "Over twenty billion U. S. dollars. Even if Xiao Meng owns just 0.5% of shares, that's at least a hundred million U. S. dollars—not Chinese yuan. After the IPO, given its user base and revenue potential, it'll be even higher—easily double. In just three years, he's reached this point. Truly… life is unpredictable…"

Wu Di was genuinely envious, jealous, and bitter. He'd known Xiao Meng was about to take off, but he never imagined he'd fly this high. Who could've thought that a guy who wore the same pair of underwear for four years, starved at his poorest, ate instant noodles as his main meal, and relied on Wu Di's handouts would end up like this?

When Cheng Feng heard "a hundred million U. S. dollars," his hand holding the glass trembled involuntarily—then his knuckles turned white from gripping too tightly.

"He's like this now… good…"

Cheng Feng's voice was bitter. He was where he was today because of Shi Xiao Meng. How could he spend over two years in prison while Xiao Meng got to hold the woman Cheng Feng longed for, the one he could never have, and enjoy success? It wasn't fair. It was just dumb luck. What was Shi Xiao Meng? A contestant he once watched for entertainment, a man who showed him how poor a person could be—did he deserve this?

"What about Lin Xia?"

Wu Di shook his head: "No news. No contact at all."

Cheng Feng said nothing, poured himself a full glass, and drank it down in one gulp.

Seeing this, Wu Di could do nothing but sip a little himself. He wasn't Cheng Feng, but he could imagine his inner pain—now, he was the only one left with nothing, and Wu Di was his only remaining friend. Who wouldn't suffer like this?

After that, Cheng Feng said no more. The two sat again, staring at the wall covered in sticky notes, reminiscing about when everyone was still around—each memory made them sadder, and the sadder they got, the more they drank.

When Tong Chui finished his work, Wu Di could still walk straight, but Cheng Feng was completely drunk, acting out—laughing, crying, mumbling curses now and then…

Tong Chui hired a driver and asked the restaurant staff to help put Wu Di and Cheng Feng into the car and send them home…

The next day, Cheng Feng woke up rubbing his head, staring at the unfamiliar surroundings, unsure where he was.

Wu Di brought over a glass of water: "Awake? Here, drink some water."

Cheng Feng grabbed the glass, gulped it down, and looked around: "Your place?"

"Yeah. The one I told you about—I bought it later."

After Wu Wei died, he left Wu Di a lot of money. With no other way to earn, Wu Di invested part of it and bought his current house with the rest. He quit his old, painful job—since he had enough to eat and drink, he took a new 9-to-5 job just to pass time. Mostly, he had no one to talk to, and being alone was too lonely. Salary didn't matter—he just wanted to chat with coworkers after work.

"Hmm… nice. Good."

Cheng Feng felt even more bitter inside—all the others had done well, and now he was reduced to this.

Wu Di sensed Cheng Feng's despair and knew he had nowhere to go: "Fengzi, you can stay here from now on. This big house is boring alone—you can keep me company. Oh, by the way."

As he spoke, Wu Di turned and left, returning a moment later with a bank card: "Here. This is Xiao Meng's repayment to you. I checked—it's over thirty thousand. Should last you a while. If you need more, tell me—I've got some."

He wanted to refuse, but thinking of his empty wallet, he hesitated, then gave a bitter laugh and took it: "Thirty thousand…"

Seeing him accept, Wu Di smiled: "I took the day off. Let's go out, shop for some new clothes. Things have changed too fast—you won't recognize half of Jingcheng. I'll tell you about the last two years' changes."

Cheng Feng nodded: "Okay."

"Get ready. We'll grab breakfast and head out…"

The next day, Cheng Feng spent ten thousand yuan to hire someone to get Shi Xiao Meng's home address.

The third day, because the neighborhood was too upscale, he couldn't sneak in—he waited outside all day, to no avail.

The third day, waiting…

The fourth day, waiting…

The fifth day, waiting…

On the sixth day, Cheng Feng finally saw again that face that made his heart tremble, the vision that kept him awake for nights—after over two years, he saw again the sweet, pure woman who had haunted his sleepless nights, buried deep in his memory. But as he looked closer, his brow furrowed…

Shen Bing was seven months pregnant, her belly swollen, and under pressure from both sets of parents, she'd gained more than a few pounds.

Now, she walked slowly, hands supporting her waist. Shi Xiao Meng walked beside her, carefully supporting her, afraid of any accident.

Seeing Xiao Meng's nervousness, Shen Bing smiled: "I'm fine—I can manage."

"No way. As long as the baby hasn't been born, we can't let our guard down." Shi Xiao Meng said: "You're the same—there's so much space in the compound, isn't it enough for you to walk around? Why do you insist on going out to wander?"

"I've been inside too long—I'm sick of it. Besides, I've seen other pregnant women keep doing their normal things, not like me, stuck with 'you can't do this, you can't do that' the moment you're pregnant. Oh, and these two moms… damn…" Shen Bing unconsciously pinched her cheek, looked down at her figure: "I don't care. Today you eat all that stuff—I'm not eating a single bite."

Shi Xiao Meng bowed and nodded: "I'll eat it, I'll eat it all. You know, girl, elders have their own ideas—we can't argue with them."

"Didn't you hear the doctor at your last prenatal checkup? Too much nutrition makes delivery harder." Shen Bing rolled her eyes: "It's not you giving birth, really…"

"Hmm… this way." Shi Xiao Meng thought for a moment: "Next checkup, bring both our moms along. Let the doctor tell them. We say nothing, but they'll listen to a doctor, right?"

"You're kidding. My mom's been there before—still the same."

Shi Xiao Meng chuckled, saying nothing.

Shen Bing couldn't stand his dumb look—she gave him a light smack, annoyed.

The house they bought later was inside the Third Ring Road, in an excellent location, with hospitals, malls, and all other facilities fully equipped. Just outside the compound gate, a few hundred meters' stroll led to a mall. This time, Shen Bing had a sudden urge to go shopping—to look at tiny baby clothes for the unborn child. It was the favorite thing every expectant mother and father loved to do: the happiness of welcoming new life.

Just after leaving the compound gate, Cheng Feng couldn't help walking over to the two laughing together.

Shi Xiao Meng didn't recognize him at first—Cheng Feng had changed too much. His once stylish long hair was gone, replaced by a three-millimeter buzz cut. He'd also grown much thinner; without close attention, you'd never recognize someone you hadn't seen in a while.

Only when Cheng Feng walked straight toward them did Shi Xiao Meng look closely—and finally realize it was Cheng Feng.

Without hesitation, Shi Xiao Meng immediately shielded Shen Bing behind him, eyes locked on Cheng Feng: "What do you want?"

No greeting, no warm words about old friendship—Shi Xiao Meng didn't care about useless formalities. He only cared about the woman beside him and his unborn child.

Cheng Feng sneered, didn't answer, just stared fixedly at Shen Bing, hidden behind Shi Xiao Meng: "Looks like… you're doing well."

Shen Bing, watching Cheng Feng's seemingly devoted gaze, nervously tugged at Shi Xiao Meng's sleeve.

Shi Xiao Meng frowned: "What exactly do you want?"

Seeing the faint authority in his brow, Cheng Feng mocked: "Just a lucky peasant. Shen Bing should've been mine."

He'd originally planned to speak calmly, but standing face-to-face, he couldn't stay composed. They weren't mortal enemies, but they'd certainly never speak again.

After over two years, he thought he could let go of the past, could face Shi Xiao Meng normally. But seeing the two clinging together, the more he looked, the angrier he got.

He would never forgive Shi Xiao Meng—for ruining his life, for stealing Shen Bing. Never.

"She's always been mine, Shi Xiao Meng. Stop dreaming, Cheng Feng."

After saying this, Shi Xiaomeng turned back and gave Shen Bing a look, signaling for her to leave first. He felt that Cheng Feng had gone crazy; a normal person wouldn't do something like this.

【143】 After speaking, Shi Xiao Meng glanced back at Shen Bing, signaling her to leave first. He thought Cheng Feng had gone mad—no sane person would do this.

Seeing Shen Bing about to leave, Cheng Feng tried to step forward, but Shi Xiao Meng blocked him.

Unable to break free, Cheng Feng shouted: "Shen Bing, don't go! I have something to say to you, something to say! Shen Bing…"

Shen Bing dared not respond—she walked straight back toward the compound gate without looking back. She feared Shi Xiao Meng might get hurt, so she planned to find security guards, then stay put so her unborn child wouldn't be disturbed.

Watching Shen Bing walk away without turning back, Cheng Feng's hysterics proved useless—he exploded, swinging a punch straight into Shi Xiao Meng's face.

Shi Xiao Meng saw stars, but he couldn't fight back—if he let Cheng Feng escape and scare Shen Bing, what then? He gritted his teeth, gripping Cheng Feng tightly to stop him from chasing after Shen Bing.

Cheng Feng beat Shi Xiao Meng relentlessly: "It's all you, Shi Xiao Meng! All your fault! If you'd given Shen Bing to me back then, would I be like this now? When my dad came to you about that matter, why did you refuse? Fine, refusing was one thing—but why did you tell Wu Di? Why did Wu Di tell me? If I hadn't known, I wouldn't have argued with my dad—he wouldn't have died! If he hadn't died, I wouldn't have gone bankrupt, wouldn't have spent two years in prison! Shi Xiao Meng, it's all your fault…"

"Oh, and that idiot Wang. Why is he everywhere? Why did he help you? Why the hell did he help you? And he even took Lin Xia? Why? Why is he always everywhere? He's also a culprit—he can't escape either."

"How could such a good girl end up with a peasant like you? Look in the mirror—do you even deserve her? You ungrateful dog! When you couldn't even afford food, who gave you money and said you didn't have to pay it back? When you didn't have enough for the house, did I complain? Did I ask you to repay me? How much did I help you, Shi Xiao Meng? Touch your conscience—do you even have one left? Your conscience was eaten by dogs—is this how you repay me?"

"Pay me back? Why didn't you pay me back sooner? Why wait until I went bankrupt, until I had no money? You just wanted to humiliate me, to watch me laugh, right? You think repaying the money ends it? You kept saying 'we had a bond'—where's your bond? Is it my father's death? My bankruptcy and prison?"

"You destroyed me, Shi Xiao Meng. I have nothing—no money, no car, no house, no job, no father, no Shen Bing. Everything—I lost everything because of you. You bastard—I'll kill you."

At first, Shi Xiao Meng didn't fight back for Shen Bing's sake; later, he simply couldn't. He was just an ordinary man, average physical condition, terrible pain tolerance. Cheng Feng's barrage had already knocked him senseless.

When security guards arrived upon Shen Bing's message and pulled Cheng Feng off, Shi Xiao Meng, covered in blood, couldn't get up at all.

Supported by the guards, Shi Xiao Meng came to his senses and saw the crowd gathered around—many even recording with their phones. He knew with his toes: they were going to post this video everywhere.

He ignored them, rubbed his face, spat out a mouthful of blood, and grinned through the pain at Cheng Feng, still being held by security and thrashing wildly: "You're insane. This beating's my payback. Go now…"

Hearing this, Cheng Feng struggled harder, screaming hysterically: "Payback? Fuck you, Shi Xiao Meng! A beating pays it all back? How do you pay for my father's death? How do you pay for my lost money? How do you pay for my two years in prison? How do you pay for the fact that I should've been with Shen Bing? How? How?"

His hoarse, desperate screams were truly heartbreaking. The onlookers began pointing at Shi Xiao Meng. Everyone knew the compound's price tag—and with Cheng Feng's words and Shi Xiao Meng's bloodied face, the conclusion was obvious: Shi Xiao Meng was the villain—he'd killed the man, ruined his fortune, stolen his girlfriend, and soared to success. The crowd buzzed, pointing fingers at Shi Xiao Meng.

Shi Xiao Meng didn't care about the crowd's pointing—it was a minor issue.

He stared at Cheng Feng's wild thrashing for a moment, then curled his lips into a faint smile, gazing deeply at him: "Take care of yourself."

With that, Shi Xiao Meng let the guards lead him away. He'd been badly beaten—he needed medical treatment, and above all, he had to calm Shen Bing, make sure she didn't go into labor prematurely.

The guards, still dragging the still-yelling Cheng Feng, heard the retreat order over their radios, shook their heads, and let him go.

Cheng Feng wasn't done. At this point, he had no pride left—he walked to the compound gate and started shouting. He even waved down a bystander filming enthusiastically and told him to keep recording.

If he couldn't be happy, then no one else would either…

The next day, Zhongguancun.

Wang Yan looked at Shi Xiao Meng, his head wrapped in bandages, and sighed: "You're like this—just stay home and rest. Why come to work?"

Shi Xiao Meng put down his teacup, instinctively grinned—and winced as the wound on his face pulled: "Just surface injuries, nothing serious. Yesterday's scene with Cheng Feng got interviewed—it really hurt our reputation. Worse, he exposed a lot about you. And we're right in the middle of our IPO—can't afford any slip-ups. It's my mess—I have to fix it. Also, I just heard several reporters are lining up to interview Cheng Feng… damn…"

He knew Wang Yan's nature—never said a word about trouble or inconvenience. Problems were solved, not complained about. Wang Yan wouldn't listen to empty words.

Wang Yan waved his hand, speaking calmly: "It's a minor issue. As soon as it happened yesterday, someone already started gathering Cheng Feng's entire life history. Don't you have confidence in him?"

Shi Xiao Meng chuckled—he had total confidence in Cheng Feng. That guy's own life was a pile of shit—he thought he could smear them?

"Just release the info through a newspaper or something. Oh, if you're interested, open an account on Douyin. Tell the story, let people know what really happened. If you don't want to show your face, fine—it's not essential."

Shi Xiao Meng shook his head, self-deprecating: "What do I care about showing my face? The whole internet's full of pictures of me getting beaten up—who doesn't know Shi Xiao Meng? I'll post one right now, explain everything, let people judge."

"By the way—is Shen Bing okay?"

Mentioning Shen Bing made Shi Xiao Meng furious: "She was startled, had some fetal disturbance—the doctor said rest and she'll be fine. All Cheng Feng's fault. Thank god Shen Bing and the baby are okay—if not, I'd have killed him."

After chatting a bit longer, Shi Xiao Meng went to post his video. Wang Yan sat alone, quietly sipping tea.

Cheng Feng had gone too far this time—maybe prison had broken him, turned him truly insane. He could rant all he wanted, but why drag Wang Mou into it? This mysterious internet tycoon already attracted attention—now Cheng Feng was spilling everything, and basically the whole country knew Wang Mou had two women, like some joke. He didn't need to guess—everyone was watching, some even secretly stoking the fire.

Wang Yan could understand Cheng Feng's state now. After all, Cheng Feng was so self-centered—he still refused to look inward, blaming everyone else, convinced he was blameless. As he said: if Shi Xiao Meng had given Shen Bing to him, none of this would've happened. He blamed Shi Xiao Meng for not cooperating, blamed Wang Mou for interfering, ruining his chances.

When normal tactics were too unequal, he'd rather go for a mutual destruction. Companies rely on reputation—if the boss is this scumbag, how can the company be good? That's Cheng Feng's goal: simple—he wants to ruin them. And right now, they're at a critical IPO stage—any rumor has massive impact, let alone revelations from founders and managers.

Wang Mou had seen too much—he understood every person who'd ever clashed with him. But as always: understanding didn't mean forgiveness. He'd planned to leave Cheng Feng alone. Now this bastard had thrown himself right into his path—then don't blame Wang Mou.

These past few days Cheng Feng had been behaving himself. Though he seemed like a different person, Wu Di figured it was the reformative effect of his time behind bars. As for Cheng Feng going out early every day and coming back late, he assumed Cheng Feng was seriously looking for work, or just wandering around the vast, ever-changing Jingcheng.

But he hadn't expected that Cheng Feng, damn him, couldn't let go of his obsession and went to stalk Shi Xiao Meng and Shen Bing, even stirring up such a huge commotion. Seeing those online photos of Cheng Feng brutally beating Shi Xiao Meng, Wu Di really wanted to give Cheng Feng the same beating.

Was there something wrong with Shi Xiao Meng? What kind of talk was that? If things are the way they are today, is it all because of others? Won't he think about his own reasons? Blame everything on others? Did he sit those two-plus years in prison for nothing? He didn't reflect on his own flaws, but instead blamed others even more aggressively. If that's the case, then back when Cheng Cheng Shengen'en died, when Cheng Feng said it was all his fault, that without him Cheng Cheng Shengen'en wouldn't have died—was that also serious, and he still damn remembers it to this day?

Wu Di was deeply disappointed in Cheng Feng, feeling he was completely beyond saving, a hopeless case, a total madman.

But after all they had once been good friends, good brothers, he still wanted to try to save him. So that very day Wu Di called Shi Xiao Meng, hoping Shi Xiao Meng could rein things in, not let the matter escalate, and once it cooled down naturally everyone would be fine.

Shi Xiao Meng graciously said he'd defer to Cheng Feng—as long as Cheng Feng didn't keep causing trouble, there'd be no problem on his end.

Honestly, Wu Di was very grateful to Shi Xiao Meng; he knew what Cheng Feng's outburst meant for Shi Xiao Meng. He just hadn't expected Cheng Feng to not cooperate at all. After things escalated a bit that evening, Cheng Feng accepted an interview from a reporter who came to him, making it clear he wanted to take everyone down with him.

Wu Di desperately tried to stop him, but it was useless—Cheng Feng simply wouldn't listen. He even had a huge fight with the two of them, straight up broke off ties with them, saying they also bore inescapable responsibility, and moved out of Wu Di's place on the spot.

With things said to that point, Wu Di simply stopped giving a damn. A rotten person—let him live or die for all he cared. He had never denied he had his own problems, but that wasn't a reason for Cheng Feng to hold such a grudge. Honestly, with Cheng Feng this crazy now, he was even afraid that one day Cheng Feng would lose it and, catching him off guard while he slept, just take him out in one go…

Cheng Feng left Wu Di's place and tagged along with the reporters who needed him, mooching food and drinks off them. Once he was comfortably set up, he went wild spilling secrets—about Shi Xiao Meng, and about Wang Yan. He didn't care anymore, said everything. He didn't know much about Wang Yan's affairs, but that didn't matter—where there was nothing, he just made stuff up; the more explosive the better.

Anyway, he had nothing left now, didn't care about anything, and didn't give a damn about the consequences. Whatever he said, he was determined to tear off a few pieces of Wang Yan and Shi Xiao Meng along with him.

After more than two years in prison, how could he not have reflected on his own problems? But every time he thought that everything was his own fault, he was overcome with agony.

He didn't want to admit it, didn't want to admit it was all because of him. Because he had set his sights on his brother's girlfriend, because he was useless enough—for a woman—to anger his own father to death. Because of his greed—greedy for more money, even greedy to take complete control of Dade Group, to kick out every last one of those damn directors, and so he believed the slander of evildoers and was swindled into bankruptcy. Then he damn sat in prison for over two years, regretting for a lifetime.

For him—a child who had never weathered any great storms, always living under a protective umbrella—these things were too cruel, a burden borne he could not carry.

In prison, he often dreamed of his mother, dead for many years, looking at him with disappointment; dreamed of his father, whom he had driven to death, pointing at him and repeatedly saying, "Get out of my sight."

It was because of this that he could only attribute all the fault to others, to obtain the peace of mind he imagined, to sleep a little more comfortably.

The moment he saw Shen Bing, he couldn't stop himself from thinking. He knew it was all because of his own momentary greed that today's fruit had been borne. So he lost control, brutally beat Shi Xiao Meng to vent, frantically shifted the blame—just to escape self-condemnation.

He wouldn't own up to it. He wasn't wrong. He wouldn't accept it…

Thanks to big brother (Fu Xinwen) for the 1500-coin tip and continued support.

Thanks to reading user big brother (Yuming Clothing) for the 100-coin tip and continued support.

Thanks to big brother (Invincible Da Qin) for the 100-coin tip and support.

Thanks to big brother (Creator Nüwa) for the 100-coin tip and support.

Thanks to the eight big brothers (Tongxiao Aoye) (Iron Blood Heavenly King) (Little Mantou abc) (Ni Hui Ge) (A Boy Who Loves Reading and Learning) (Qing She) (Don't Want to Change Nickname) (zhengjinzong) for their continued support.

Daily thanks to the good brothers who cast monthly tickets for their support,

Thanks to all the brothers who cast recommendations for their support,

Thanks to the big brothers who quietly read for their support.