Chapter 1836: Back on Track

With the police's help, he used computer resources to retrieve the personal file of the man in black. Chen Ping quickly locked onto the target; the man in black was precisely the younger brother of the suspect in that case from years ago.

The man in black was named Liu Zhihao, a local. His parents were still alive, and he had an older brother named Liu Zhijie. Liu Zhihao's mother had died early; his father had raised the older brother alone, funding his education, marriage, and children.

Due to the family's superior financial condition, the older brother's personality had become somewhat extreme and reclusive. After graduating, Liu Zhijie went abroad to study; after returning a few years ago, he still spent his days in nightclubs and drinking heavily.

After the older brother returned, Father Liu had tried to advise him, but it was utterly useless. The older brother not only refused to listen but also insulted Father Liu in every way, even threatening to seize the company Father Liu had worked hard to build. In anger, Father Liu quit his job to focus solely on caring for his son.

Whenever the older brother caused trouble while drunk, Father Liu would always step in to block him or take the blame for him.

In a fit of rage, Liu Zhihao struck his father with lethal intent, injuring Father Liu.

As Father Liu's condition worsened to critical, Liu Zhihao's arrogance grew even more rampant. He hired online trolls to spread rumors, slandering Father Liu for corruption and embezzling group assets. He even bribed media outlets online to fan the flames and smear the company's image.

The company was ruined; shareholders left one by one, and the board's composition changed quietly. Liu Zhihao had effectively become the company's actual controller. It was only at this point that Father Liu's will was finally drafted and undergoing notarization at the notary office.

But Liu Zhihao was unwilling to let the will take effect, so he secretly sent people to kidnap Father Liu and tore up the will. The instant the will was torn, he had someone release news online about the company's irregular operations.

The company was thoroughly disgraced, and shareholders dumped their stocks in large numbers. Liu Zhihao then took the opportunity to acquire several small companies, successfully rising to the ranks of the city's leading enterprises.

Chen Ping knew the mastermind behind all this was Liu Zhihao. However, he currently had no way to deal with the other man. After all, he did not yet have the strength to confront him head-on, so he could only endure.

He planned to wait until his strength was sufficient, then settle the score with Liu Zhihao slowly!

On the other side, Wang Meng and Du Yueming, the two women, were still under house arrest in the apartment. They constantly pressured the police, hoping the authorities would solve the case quickly. Whether for their own revenge or to seek justice for their deceased parents, they both wanted the killer caught as soon as possible.

However, these police officers did not act according to their wishes; they not only restricted their movements but also placed them under strict protection, forbidding any outside contact.

Wang Meng and Du Yueming were frantic but completely powerless. They had tried various escape plans, but every plan was thwarted. At this moment, they truly felt despair.

Wang Meng sat on a chair on the balcony, arms crossed, silent, as if lost in some grief. Du Yueming sat beside her, quietly keeping her company.

Shortly after, Wang Meng's phone rang; it was Zhao Kangning. After hesitating for a moment, Wang Meng answered, saying "Hello."

"Where are you?" Zhao Kangning asked gently.

"I am at the police station now," Wang Meng said flatly.

"Oh, I have something to discuss with you; let's meet," Zhao Kangning invited.

"What is it?" Wang Meng frowned.

"Come to my company to talk; there is a coffee shop near your company."

After hanging up, Wang Meng turned to look at Du Yueming and said, "Kangning invited me to meet; I need to go over there."

"I'll go with you," Du Yueming proposed.

"Hmm, that works too," Wang Meng said after thinking for a moment, and then the two of them went out.

Zhao Kangning's company was not far from the residential area where Wang Meng lived, so they arrived at the destination quickly. Zhao Kangning had been waiting in the coffee shop; seeing Wang Meng and Du Yueming enter, he immediately stood up to welcome them.

"Zhao Zong, why did we run all the way here?" Wang Meng said somewhat unwillingly.

"Mengmeng, don't talk like that; this is my territory," Zhao Kangning smiled slightly, then offered seats to Wang Meng and Du Yueming.

"Here is the situation: I called you here today to discuss how to completely crush Liu Zhihao," Zhao Kangning said.

"Do you know we are restricted by police protection and cannot go out?" Wang Meng said irritably.

"Oh my, that doesn't stump me; as long as you two want to come out, I can let you out anytime," Zhao Kangning said proudly.

"Then speak quickly; what is your plan?" Wang Meng urged.

"My plan is to destroy him from within his own company!" Zhao Kangning said viciously.

"What do you mean?" Wang Meng and Du Yueming both looked at Zhao Kangning with puzzled expressions.

"Actually, it is very simple: originally, Liu Zhijie wanted to return to the country to develop, but lacked funds, so he returned to ask Liu Zhihao for financial support."

"Although Liu Zhihao agreed on the surface, he secretly colluded with a group to set a trap, opposing Liu Zhijie in the stock market. They first quietly purchased a large amount of stock representing Liu Zhijie's shares, then suppressed the price of these stocks through various channels."

"Why do that?" Wang Meng asked, confused.

"Doing so allows them to buy these stocks at a low price and then sell them at a high price, profiting from the difference!" Zhao Kangning explained.

"Afterwards, Liu Zhijie, under this pressure, saw his company's capital chain break and declared bankruptcy. At that moment, that group dumped the Liu Zhijie shares they held, causing the stock price to plummet. Liu Zhijie was unable to repurchase the shares and has been unable to recover ever since."

"That company, due to Liu Zhijie's bankruptcy, became a shell and was finally acquired by Liu Zhihao at an extremely low price."

"You mean all of this was Liu Zhihao's doing?" Wang Meng and Du Yueming, hearing this, finally understood Zhao Kangning's meaning.

"Yes; as long as you two can step forward, I can have you rebuild the company in the name of senior management. Then we will use legal channels to drive Liu Zhihao out of the company!" Zhao Kangning said with full confidence.

"That sounds very simple; why don't you step forward yourself?" Wang Meng asked, puzzled.

"This... this..." Zhao Kangning was momentarily speechless.

"Is it because the police are issuing a warrant for your arrest, so you dare not show your face?" Wang Meng guessed.

"Since the police are already issuing a warrant for your arrest, you should trust me even more! We are both victims, aren't we?" Zhao Kangning finally found a reason to convince himself.

"Do you think Liu Zhihao will easily give up power? He is not an opponent that is easily dealt with," Du Yueming said worriedly.

"Rest assured on this; I have some good things in my hands, so I am not afraid he won't compromise! If that really doesn't work, we will hold a press conference and expose everything he has done to the public!" Zhao Kangning clearly already had a complete plan.

"Very well, we two will not go back for now; we will wait for your good news!" Wang Meng said after considering for a moment.

"Excellent! There is no time to lose; let's start the operation right now!" Zhao Kangning said excitedly. He then began discussing the specific plan with Wang Meng and Du Yueming.

On the other side, Liu Zhihao was preparing to go to the Shenglong Group headquarters for the signing ceremony when he suddenly received a phone call from his secretary, Su Xiaoxiao.

Su Xiaoxiao told him that his parents had been kidnapped and their current status of life or death was unknown.

Liu Zhihao was instantly extremely shocked; he never expected that his parents would be kidnapped.