Chapter 1131: Identity Exposed, A Fight to the Death 2

First, she posted a statement online with a very clear stance, explicitly stating that she and Hong Yileng had no relationship whatsoever; the two had only met twice, were basically strangers, and had no interaction.

Shi Ran summarized the cause and process of the matter in just a few simple words.

It wasn't a big deal to begin with, so how much was there to say?

While posting the statement, Shi Ran also displayed a subpoena; she had officially sued Hong Yileng in court.

She sued him for defamation and demanded the restoration of her reputation!

This move was fast, accurate, and ruthless.

The voices online quickly shifted from being one-sided in sympathy for Hong Yileng to producing different sounds, with people starting to question him and take Shi Ran's side.

Although netizens are easily agitated, they are not all brainless; soon, some discovered problems and raised questions online.

They questioned Hong Yileng for riding on Shi Ran's coattails and having impure motives!

This person published a long-winded post that was very inflammatory, and it quickly set the tone.

More and more people online were sympathizing with Shi Ran.

Although Shi Youxuan and Sheng Hanyu had returned home, they were constantly monitoring their daughter's situation.

Seeing that their daughter was handling this matter very well, they were relieved and went back to their own affairs.

When raising their children, the couple had been very strict when they were young, but as the children grew up, they gradually let go; now that Shi Ran was this old, the couple basically wouldn't boss her around.

As long as the general direction was correct, she could fly wherever she wanted!

As long as she didn't commit major mistakes, minor ones were fine; what did it matter if she fell and got hurt? She just needed to climb back up and keep running.

The direction of public opinion on the internet was also orchestrated by Shi Ran.

As for schemes and plots, it's not a matter of whether one can do them, but whether one wants to!

"Bang!"

Hong Yileng picked up his computer and smashed it hard against the floor.

The more he looked, the angrier he got; it would have been better not to look at all.

The computer was unusable, but the rage in his heart did not diminish because of it; he was still very angry.

Repeated failures.

His seemingly perfect plans had not succeeded in a single instance, which was completely unacceptable to someone as proud and arrogant as him.

He could not wait any longer.

He knew his identity was already in jeopardy; if he continued to wait, once Shi Youxuan and Sheng Hanyu realized what was happening, he wouldn't have a single chance of winning.

He took a bottle of water from the refrigerator, twisted it open, and poured it all into his mouth; only then did his overwhelming anger finally subside a little.

He dialed Shi Ran's number.

"Beep, beep, beep—"

It was an unknown number, so Shi Ran didn't answer.

He was very patient and kept dialing again and again; she would answer eventually.

Sure enough, on the fifth attempt, the call connected, but it wasn't Shi Ran on the other end, but Qi Heng: "Who is this?"

"It's me, Hong Yileng."

"Where are you? Let's meet." Qi Heng didn't lose his temper; he requested a meeting in a very calm tone.

"Fine, bring Shi Ran with you; I have something to say to her."

A flash of ruthlessness crossed his eyes.

Qi Heng: "She doesn't need to go; men's business should still be settled by men. At three o'clock this afternoon at..."

"If Shi Ran doesn't come, I won't show up; I have nothing to say to you." Hong Yileng refused flatly.

He insisted that Shi Ran must go, but he didn't object to Qi Heng following; however, the meeting place was chosen by him, a very remote location in the countryside.

"I want to go too; I'll protect you guys," Liu Min said.

Qi Heng: "You'd better forget it; he's just one person, and there are two of us, it'll be fine."

Qi Heng thought that the guy surnamed Hong was tall and thin, and looked like a pretty boy at first glance; he couldn't cause any danger!

Then he looked at Liu Min; good heavens, she was dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, high-waisted riding boots, her long hair tied into a ponytail, and wearing sunglasses—she looked heroic and spirited.

Those who knew would know they were going to meet a scheming minor actor; those who didn't might think she was going to participate in a martial arts tournament.

Firearms are prohibited in Jiangzhou.

But there was a bulge at Liu Min's lower back, and Shi Ran was alert: "You didn't bring that, did you?" She extended her right hand, thumb slightly bent, making a 'gun' gesture.

"No."

Liu Min denied it flatly: "I am a law-abiding good foreign citizen. When I left home, I knew that I represented not just myself, but the face of the people of L Country. I won't mess around; I want to win glory for my countrymen, not lose face for them..."

Before she could finish, Yun Qitian also arrived: "The three of you are going to see Hong Yileng? I'm going too."

Shi Ran: "... You two don't follow; we're going to solve a problem, not start a street fight. Why do so many people need to go?" But the two of them insisted on following and wouldn't take no for an answer, so they went together.

The four of them got out of the car and followed the navigation to the address Hong Yileng had given.

At this moment, Shi Ran's phone rang; it was her mother calling.

Shi Youxuan: "Ranran, your father and I re-investigated Hong Yileng and found that this person has problems. For the past six months, his whereabouts have been a mystery; no one knows where he went or what he did."

"But his current behavior is vastly different from what it was half a year ago; he's practically a different person, so..."

Shi Ran took over: "So you suspect he isn't the original Hong Yileng?"

"Yes."

The mother and daughter's conversation was simple; in just a few words, they had conveyed all the important information.

Shi Ran told her mother that she was on her way to see Hong Yileng, so this call had come just in time.

Shi Youxuan was very worried and told her daughter not to go see him, but to return immediately!

She refused, telling her mother that she was not alone, as she had three teammates going with her; four against one, she would not lose in either force or intelligence!

Shi Youxuan still wanted to stop her, but she was beyond reach.

Her daughter had a strong will and would not easily change her mind; if pushed too hard, she would only lie rather than turn back.

Seeing that her daughter had made up her mind not to turn back, Shi Youxuan could only acquiesce, urging her to be careful and then careful again.

Shi Ran did not tell Yun Qitian or Liu Min about this matter, only quietly telling Qi Heng.

Not telling the two of them was not out of a lack of trust, but because those two could not keep their composure, so it was better not to say anything for now.

The four of them had been walking in the rapeseed fields for over an hour, and they still hadn't reached the destination.

Yun Qitian complained as he walked: "What kind of lousy place did he pick? Why not stay in the perfectly fine city center instead of arranging to meet in this desolate wilderness? Has Hong Yileng gone insane from being unable to handle the stimulation?"

Shi Ran and Qi Heng looked at each other, and neither of them spoke.

Liu Min walked up with a grin and took Yun Qitian's arm: "Stop being angry. Don't you think this place is very romantic? It's so poetic and picturesque, as beautiful as a painting."

She was right; this place was actually quite beautiful.

Rapeseed flowers covered the mountains and plains, a stretch of golden yellow and lush green.

The weather was clear, the breeze was gentle, and the temperature was neither cold nor hot; it was a good place for an outing.

It was precisely because of this environment that Qi Heng and Shi Ran relaxed their vigilance a little; although they sensed it was not simple, they still continued toward the place he had mentioned.

Liu Min, on the other hand, was very excited and kept pulling Yun Qitian to take pictures.

Yun Qitian forced a smile; his feet were sore, and he was thirsty and hungry. Now he just wanted to stop and rest his feet, eat something, and drink something, instead of continuing to walk aimlessly as if they were going to walk until the end of the world.