At that moment, in a private villa, Zhang Maosheng was furiously dialing numbers on his backup phone, but all he got was a cold mechanical voice:
"We're sorry, the number you have dialed is currently powered off. Please try again later."
"Hah! A bunch of opportunistic snakes! When I was riding high, they were all calling me 'brother.' Now that I'm in trouble, not a single one's willing to help. No way am I going down like this!"
Zhang Maosheng had been making calls to sound out his former connections, hoping there might be a chance for a comeback. But all he got were automated messages—each one crushing his last shred of hope.
After venting, he grabbed his small backpack and left the villa, ready to flee overseas.
Earlier that morning, the moment he saw the whistleblower video trending online, Zhang Maosheng had already begun making his escape arrangements.
He had it all figured out: as long as he could board the smuggler ship owned by that boat boss, he could lie low abroad and continue his life of indulgence.
Yes, Zhang Maosheng had stashed money in foreign banks, and this time he didn't intend to bring the burden that was Zhang Kexin with him.
But just as he was sneaking toward the ship anchored off the coast, the surrounding searchlights suddenly blazed on, turning night into day.
A group of special forces soldiers in bulletproof vests instantly surrounded him. Behind them stood the boat boss—already in handcuffs.
In that moment, Zhang Maosheng understood everything. His plan had been exposed ahead of time.
It was over. His life had reached a dead end. And it was all because of that wretched daughter who insisted on causing trouble in public. If not for her, how would he have ended up like this?
Captain Zhou, who led the arrest, was in high spirits. Just two hours earlier, the authorities had received an anonymous tip signed by "a justice warrior who can't stand cyberbullying."
This tip had been taken seriously by higher-ups. A team was immediately dispatched to stake out the location, leading to the arrest of not one, but two major targets.
Meanwhile, during the day, Zhang Kexin was lounging at home in utter boredom. Due to her recent actions, she had been banned from using any electronic devices.
So, at this point, she hadn't yet received any news.
Some of the Zhang family's servants were aware of what had happened, but considering how arrogant and tyrannical their young lady usually was, they were secretly pleased to see her downfall. Naturally, no one was kind enough to warn her.
Even the assistant assigned to watch her had long been worn down by her tantrums. Once he realized the Zhang family was finished, he made himself scarce, unwilling to sink with a doomed ship.
He was just an employee—he hadn't been involved in the family's crimes and didn't want to end up on the evening news because of them.
Zhang Kexin, unaware of all this, was actually in a better mood simply because she no longer had to deal with that annoying assistant. At this moment, she was happily browsing her long-lost phone.
Suddenly, she scrolled past the trending topics and saw the explosive headline. Out of curiosity, she clicked on it.
After just reading the beginning, her face turned deathly pale, her lips trembled, and her eyes were filled with terror and panic.
She had only one thought:
Run. Don't get caught. I can't go to jail.
But as she turned her wheelchair to make a getaway, she discovered the door to her room had been locked from the outside. She couldn't open it at all.
Outside stood the butler and several servants. After seeing her with the phone, they had immediately locked the door, fearing she would try to escape once she learned the truth.
Everyone now knew the Zhang family was done for. None of them wanted to help anymore. In fact, they saw this as the perfect chance to get revenge on the young lady for all the abuse over the years.
This time, Officer Xu once again stepped into the familiar villa. But unlike before, no one could stop him or threaten him with suspension. Now, he could proudly wear his uniform and do what was right.
When they spotted Zhang Kexin on the balcony about to jump, Officer Xu and his team were momentarily stunned.
By the time they rushed to the balcony, Zhang Kexin had already leaped. Seeing her legs limp like noodles, they knew immediately—she was going to be permanently disabled.
A few minutes earlier, while Zhang Kexin had been anxiously pacing in her room, she'd heard the sound of sirens. Panic-stricken, she bolted toward the balcony, thinking only of escaping. She had completely forgotten that her legs were still injured.
When the Zhang father and daughter and Director Li were captured, the official website immediately released a full video of the arrest to cleanse the government's image tarnished by "Tiger Li."
As soon as the public saw it, they applauded and cheered, impressed by the swift justice.
"This operation really showed me what true government power looks like."
"Yeah! The criminals are finally behind bars. I can sleep better tonight."
"Scum like them needs to be wiped out. Way to go, national daddy!"
"I hope the National Police thoroughly investigates and wipes out this whole criminal ring."
Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Jiang Yuqi was secretly watching all this unfold and couldn't help but curl her lips into a smile.
Of course—once there was enough evidence, just one online exposé was enough to prove Zhang Kexin's "protection" was nothing more than a paper tiger. The state would strike hard and fast.
What Jiang Yuqi didn't know was that in her previous life, the Zhang family's crimes had eventually come to light as well. But justice had come too late—too late for the original Jiang Yuqi to see it happen.
During the day, Jiang Yuqi had been busy with team training. As the team leader this time, she had more responsibilities than before. What's more, their group's opponent happened to be Li Yuan's team.
In fact, this arrangement had been Li Yuan's idea. She wanted a fair, head-on showdown with Jiang Yuqi. As a strong competitor, she looked down on bullying weaker teams.
Faced with a formidable opponent, Jiang Yuqi didn't back down. On the contrary, she was curious to see what kind of sparks this match-up would create.
When the netizens learned that these two groups would go head-to-head, they were instantly fired up.
"Yes! This is how it should be—queen vs. queen. Now I'm excited!"
"I love watching battles between strong contestants! Who's everyone rooting for?"
"I love them both. Who do I vote for??"
"Ugh, this is so hard. I adore fairy-like Jiang Yuqi, but her opponent this time is really strong..."
"…"
It wasn't just fans who were hyped. Even the production staff were gossiping on the sidelines. Some even made bets with their friends—loser buys dinner.
At that moment, in the emergency room of the city hospital, the chief surgeon looked helplessly at Zhang Kexin's legs. Given the current situation, the only way to save her life was to act quickly and perform an amputation.