Chapter 1368 - Discouraged/There Are Traces in Any Crime
Chapter 1368: Discouraged/There Are Traces in Any Crime
Translator: Exodus Tales Editor: Exodus Tales
Chapter 1491: Discouraged
Jing Xiaolu did not hide from Zhou Jiajia but talked about how she and Liu Jifei incurred hatred. Although this past was not glorious, Jing Xiaolu did not want to deceive Zhou Jiajia. After all, they might become sisters and live together in the future. So if Jing Xiaolu deceived her at this time, Zhou Jiajia would definitely look down on her when she eventually knew the truth.
Although this past was not glorious, it was nothing too extraordinary. At the very least, she had kept the bottom line and did not sell her body. Zhou Jiajia would most probably understand her difficult situation.
Sure enough, after listening to Jing Xiaolu’s words, Zhou Jiajia didn’t show much resentment. Instead, she had a dumbfounded look, apparently sympathizing with Jing Xiaolu but also declining to comment on what she did.
“Jiajia, do you think I was a bad girl in the past?” Although Jing Xiaolu saw no contempt in Zhou Jiajia’s expression, she still asked uneasily.
“Bad girl? This is not the case. It is already not easy for you to keep your hands clean!” Zhou Jiajia shook her head with a sigh, “But I don’t agree with the things that you did. No matter what, it’s still illegal… But, Ai. You are a girl, you are alone, and you have to make money to support your family. Without having any background, it is not easy.”
Zhou Jiajia didn’t agree with Jing Xiaolu’s method of deceiving to get money. But she also knew that if Jing Xiaolu had other methods of earning a living, she would not resort to such means. Everything she did was completely without a choice.
Jing Xiaolu heard what Zhou Jiajia said and felt better in her heart! She did not expect Zhou Jiajia to agree with her past approach. If Zhou Jiajia said that she agreed with Jing Xiaolu’s actions, she would not believe it! Because that would be too ridiculous, right?
Now, although Zhou Jiajia did not agree with it, she had understood her helplessness. Therefore, Jing Xiaolu was very grateful to Zhou Jiajia. At least Zhou Jiajia did not dislike her.
Jing Xiaolu nodded, “Jiajia, thank you for understanding.”
“It’s not just me. I believe Yang Ming understands you too, otherwise, he wouldn’t be good friends with you and help you out when Liu Jifei looks to trouble you.” Zhou Jiajia smiled. Yang Ming doesn’t mind, so why would I mind? Moreover, Zhou Jiajia’s personality was a bit conservative, thinking that a woman should only be faithful to one man. Since Jing Xiaolu could avoid being immoral, Zhou Jiajia would naturally not have any more opinions about her. However, if Jing Xiaolu had intimate relationships with other men before, Zhou Jiajia’s attitude might not be as good. She wouldn’t want Yang Ming to touch her after having touched such a woman.
“Then, I will continue to talk about this contract.” Jing Xiaolu said, “Actually, this contract trap is the result of Liu Jifei’s revenge.”
“I’ve already guessed that it should have something to do with him, otherwise you wouldn’t spend so much time talking about the enmity between the two of you.” Zhou Jiajia nodded.
Jing Xiaolu was surprised by Zhou Jiajia’s cleverness, but it was natural. If this matter had nothing to do with Liu Jifei, why would she spend so much time talking about him?
Jing Xiaolu explained the events leading to the contract trap in detail to Zhou Jiajia. When she started talking about the incense, Zhou Jiajia couldn’t help but be a little surprised, “Do such things exist?”
“Yes, if I could think of it earlier, I would not fall into this contract trap. But this method of contract fraud is unheard of. No matter whether it is online or elsewhere, you can’t find similar cases. So unknowingly, we were fooled this time. “Jing Xiaolu sighed.
“If that’s the case, you can’t be blamed for this.” Zhou Jiajia waved her hand, “This kind of thing that only appears in novels, who would think that it could exist in reality? I think if anyone else was in your position, they also couldn’t do anything about it.”
After listening to Zhou Jiajia’s words, Jing Xiaolu was relieved. Actually, why wouldn’t I understand this? It is not unjust to be tricked under such unheard-of methods. It’s just like what Zhou Jiajia said, this method is invincible against anyone.
“Xu Xiaobin’s negotiation with the Liu Family failed. The Jiangyan Group does not plan to change the contract,” said Jing Xiaolu helplessly.
“In that case, if you continue to cooperate, what are the benefits for the Jiangyan Group? Has their president lost their mind?” Zhou Jiajia frowned, wondering, “It’s impossible for them to not realize that the contract has no use if you cooperate in this situation where both sides are hostile.”
“I also wonder about this.” Jing Xiaolu smiled bitterly, “However, according to Xu Xiaobin, the Liu Family is worried that once there is a precedent set for changing the contract, more people will look for the Jiangyan Group in the future to change their contracts. Therefore, they will not set this precedent, but would rather go on like this…”
“This cannot be compared with ordinary contracts, right?” Zhou Jiajia said. “They have completely distinct natures.”
“I’m also very skeptical, but now the Jiangyan Group has made it clear to favor Liu Jifei.” Jing Xiaolu said. “The only thing I can think of is to go through legal procedures to fight for contract changes.”
“The previous phone recording was the evidence you collected, right?” Zhou Jiajia asked after hearing it.
“Yes, thank you Jiajia.” Jing Xiaolu had thanked Zhou Jiajia more than once; but if it weren’t for Zhou Jiajia, this evidence might not have existed.
“Don’t be so polite to me in the future.” Zhou Jiajia waved her hand, “If you are really with Yang Ming, we are family. Also, for me to help you now is equivalent to helping Yang Ming. After all, this is the company’s matters.”
Jing Xiaolu looked at Zhou Jiajia in surprise; she did not expect that Zhou Jiajia actually said such a thing. For a moment, Jing Xiaolu was excited. Did Zhou Jiajia accept me?
A surprised delightful look flashed across Jing Xiaolu’s beautiful eyes. Although Zhou Jiajia was not as important as Chen Mengyan, she was the first of Yang Ming’s women to show her support to Jing Xiaolu. This was of great significance. It could be regarded as her first step to success. Anyway, with Zhou Jiajia, a supporter who could give advice and pass on the news, she was invincible.
However, this joy was soon after diluted by the endless sorrow in her heart. At the moment, there was still another difficulty. The contract matters were not handled well, so it was meaningless to talk about other things.
“Ai…” Jing Xiaolu sighed softly. If she heard what Zhou Jiajia said to her at another time, she might yell ecstatically. But now, she couldn’t be happy.
“Xiaolu, is there any other evidence in your hands besides this phone recording?” asked Zhou Jiajia.
“Besides this…” Jing Xiaolu hesitated, and there was gloom in her eyes, “Besides this, there is nothing else. Jiajia, you also know that the other party’s action is too weird. It is extremely difficult to find key evidence under these circumstances.”
“Since that is the case,” Zhou Jiajia frowned after hearing, “Xiaolu, you have to be mentally prepared. I’m not trying to rain on your parade, but this evidence is not critical at all. If you use this evidence to report Liu Jifei on drugging and raping Wang Lixia, you might still win, but it is a bit far-fetched to be used as a basis for changing the contract.”
“Jiajia, I understand what you are saying… But now, I don’t have any other trump cards.” Jing Xiaolu smiled bitterly. How could she not understand what Zhou Jiajia was saying? The odds of winning were low even though Ming Yang Security Company was a company attached to the police and had strong social relationships in Song Jiang. It could be said that Jing Xiaolu was not normally afraid of a lawsuit in Song Jiang with this layer of relationships.
But even with such a strong network, it was still difficult to win this lawsuit without possessing any strong evidence. Thinking of this, Jing Xiaolu was a little discouraged. Am I really going to lose this time?
Chapter 1492: There Are Traces in Any Crime
“Xiaolu, don’t be discouraged.” Zhou Jiajia saw a trace of despondence flashing across Jing Xiaolu’s face. Fearing that she would be discouraged, Zhou Jiajia quickly persuaded, “Think about the entire signing process again, and see if there were any details ignored that could be used as key evidence?”
“Details ignored that could be used as key evidence?” Jing Xiaolu seemed to be optimistic for a moment but then she turned gloomy immediately. “Jiajia, I have thought about this signing process many times, but…”
Although Jing Xiaolu had not finished her words, Zhou Jiajia could understand that there was nothing that could be used as evidence. However, Zhou Jiajia was not discouraged, and said, “Xiaolu, although I don’t know much about signing a contract, there’s this principle where everything can be solved. Take the computer hacking skills that I am good at as an example. No matter how top-notch the hackers are, they will leave a few clues that can be used as evidence when they commit crimes. Even if they are erased, there are still traces in the eyes of similarly skilled hackers. Although most of the investigation is very difficult, there are no traces of crime that can not be found.”
” Oh? ” Jing Xiaolu listened to Zhou Jiajia’s words and was in somewhat good spirits. She seemed to catch onto something in her mind. However, the idea was very ethereal; it was something that she couldn’t grasp at present.
“Of course, I’m just giving an example. Any crime will leave traces. I believe this contract trap you encountered is no exception.” Zhou Jiajia said. “I don’t believe Liu Jifei is a master criminal. I think he thought about this contract scam at the last minute. It’s just that this criminal tactic is too weird, so we couldn’t find the breakthrough through ordinary means. However, if we pay attention, we may find something.”
After listening to Zhou Jiajia’s words, Jing Xiaolu could not help but be lost in thought. She wanted to hold on to the inspiration from before, but it was fleeting l. After a while, Jing Xiaolu shook her head slightly, “Indeed, there will be traces left for any crime, but I was one step too late. When I found that the contract was not right and rushed to the Huihai Business Club’s conference room where the contract was signed, everything there was already cleaned up by Liu Jifei’s people. Even the windows were opened, completely removing the scent of the incense in the conference room without any trace. In the conference room, nothing was left behind…”
“Nothing… not necessarily…” Zhou Jiajia lowered her head and thought for a moment, then said, “Isn’t there still a fake contract that has been changed? Isn’t that contract in our hands?”
Contract… Right, the contract! Jing Xiaolu patted her smooth forehead and finally caught the ethereal thought from before. That’s right, what I thought of before was the contract!
In the midst, there seems to be a voice telling me that this contract will be the key to victory and defeat this time, and it will become my ultimate trump card!
“Contract!” Jing Xiaolu’s voice was a little surprised. “Jiajia, thank you!”
“Xiaolu, did you think of a solution?” Seeing Jing Xiaolu’s delightful look, Zhou Jiajia was a little surprised. She thought that Jing Xiaolu had found a breakthrough and so asked quickly.
“Not yet.” Jing Xiaolu shook her head. Although she had not thought of how to use the contract, she had a firm conviction in her heart. Zhou Jiajia is right, there are traces left behind in any crime, and it is up to whether I can find this crucial trace. “But I have a feeling that the contract will be the breakthrough for this matter!”
“That’s good!” Seeing Jing Xiaolu’s self-confidence restored, Zhou Jiajia was happy for her from the bottom of her heart. She was really afraid that Jing Xiaolu would give up.
“Jiajia, I’m going back. I want to take a good look at the contract. We’ll finish our meal here. When things are resolved, how about I treat you to a big meal?” Jing Xiaolu was eager to return to the company, and her confidence had never been so great. She firmly believed that she could find something this time.
“Okay.” Zhou Jiajia’s appetite was not big. In fact, she was already almost full when they were talking. She also knew that Jing Xiaolu must have put all of her thoughts on the contract, so she was too occupied to continue to eat. Therefore, Zhou Jiajia didn’t stop her, “Next time, I’ll treat you. I can’t always ask you to treat me, right?”
“That’s good. It’s a deal.” Jing Xiaolu didn’t decline. It didn’t matter whether she or Zhou Jiajia treated. Both of them were not short of money; they were eating together just to develop their relationship. Jing Xiaolu naturally would not be entangled with these small details.
Zhou Huojian did not expect Jing Xiaolu and Zhou Jiajia to finish eating so quickly. Jing Xiaolu said that she had something to talk about just now, so Zhou Huojian thought that they would talk for several hours. But they walked out of the private room less than half an hour later.
“President Zhou, how much was it?” Jing Xiaolu saw Zhou Huojian standing in the front desk of the lobby, so she opened her bag, took out the voucher, and asked.
“Vice President Jing, are you… are you dissatisfied with anything?” Zhou Huojian saw that Jing Xiaolu and company had finished eating so quickly, and thought that she was dissatisfied with the restaurant. He was even more in fear and trepidation when he saw that she wanted to pay the bill. I’ve already shown through my attitude that I will pay for their meal; there is no need for Jing Xiaolu to spend money. However, now Jing Xiaolu wants to pay the bill. What does this mean?
Jing Xiaolu was slightly stunned by Zhou Huojian’s words. She asked, “President Zhou, why do you say this? I’m very content with your service, so there aren’t any dissatisfactions.”
“But you’re leaving so soon … Also, you want to pay the bill?” Zhou Huojian saw Jing Xiaolu startled look that didn’t seem to be fake and suddenly felt a little puzzled.
“Ah?” Jing Xiaolu raised her eyebrows, and her face suddenly showed a strange look. She was somewhat dumbfounded, “President Zhou, mealtime is determined by the guests, right? I can eat quickly and naturally, I can leave quickly too. Also the checkout… It seems natural to pay the bill after a meal, right? Am I supposed to eat and not pay?”
What Jing Xiaolu said was all normal. How could Zhou Huojian not understand this? But because it was today, at this time, and at this place, Jing Xiaolu’s normal approach made Zhou Huojian think that she was not happy with him.
“Vice President Jing, so you are really not angry?” Although Zhou Huojian saw no anger on Jing Xiaolu’s face, he still asked uneasily.
“What would I be angry for?” Jing Xiaolu gave a helpless look to Zhou Huojian. “President Zhou, I had come here for a light meal. I still have to go back to the company. Have you misunderstood something?”
At this point, Zhou Huojian was completely reassured that Jing Xiaolu was not dissatisfied with the restaurant. So he said, “Vice President Jing, I’m sorry. It is my fault for overthinking. Then, as atonement, I’ll treat you to this meal!”
It was not strange that Zhou Huojian would be like this. Before opening this restaurant, he had opened a Cantonese restaurant in Mount Jing. As a southerner who did business in the north, he had no backer and foundation. He made the business bigger through his own efforts and diligence. However, because of a trivial matter, he had offended Mount Jing’s local tyrant, the Sui Family. Zhou Huojian thought that it was a small matter and didn’t take it seriously after offering an apology, so trouble ensued. First, the supplier he cooperated with for many years refused to take credit and only accepted cash. That was nothing. The strength of Zhou Huojian at that time meant he did not lack money. However, after that, some officials came to the restaurant to conduct checks every day. Although Zhou Huojian had done a good job before, these people came to the restaurant to be picky. Fortunately, there were no major problems in Zhou Huojian’s restaurant, so these people could not find anything to be used against him. After many tries, they backed out.