## Locking On
The night was like a heavy curtain, isolating our small Rented Apartment from the bustling yet cold world outside. The only light in the room came from a dim Desk Lamp, its glow barely illuminating the "Plan B" folder spread open on the table. Su Qing's slender fingers were steady, like a surgeon preparing for a delicate operation, as she gently brushed over the printed documents. Fatty Zhao had squeezed onto a small stool next to me, a lollipop in his mouth, his eyes wide open, looking just like a hamster waiting to be fed.
"So, this is your Plan B?" I looked at the dense charts and text, feeling my brain struggle to keep up. There was an organizational chart of Wang Hao's company, "Tianyu Real Estate," their financial statements for the past three years, and even detailed analysis reports for several key projects. How much effort must it have taken to gather all this? I looked at Su Qing's focused profile; the lamplight cast a small shadow on her eyelashes, and my heart felt both warm and sour.
"Directly targeting Wang Hao himself is too risky and easily leads to endless entanglement," Su Qing's voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable force. "But if we attack his company, his foundation, that's a different story. For someone like Wang Hao, money is his life, more important than his own life."
She pulled out a file from the pile, with several large words printed on the cover—"Yunlu One Project Feasibility Report."
"This is Tianyu Real Estate's flagship project for this year. They've invested most of their liquid capital in it. Wang Hao has staked his entire fortune on it. If the project succeeds, he can secure his position in the local real estate circle; but if it fails..." Su Qing didn't finish, but the chill in her eyes said it all.
Fatty Zhao took the lollipop out of his mouth and asked, muffled, "But this project looks pretty awesome. Great location, great planning. How are we going to mess with it? We can't just sneak onto the construction site and steal a couple of bricks, can we? That's too lame."
"Of course not." A cold smile curled Su Qing's lips. She flipped to the appendix of the report and pointed to a corner of a geological survey map. "I spent two days cross-referencing all the data sources cited in this report. Most of them are fine, except for this one."
I leaned in for a closer look. It was a supplementary Soil Test Report on the stability of the project's land parcel. The report's conclusion was "soil structure is stable, suitable for high-rise building development." But Su Qing's finger was pointing at the name of the organization that issued the report.
"This 'Huanyu Testing Center,' I've looked into it. They had their license revoked last year for issuing false reports, then reopened under a new name. Their reputation in the industry is terrible. More importantly," she paused, pulling up another file on her computer, "this is a technical update notice issued by the Municipal Bureau of Planning and Natural Resources last year, which clearly stipulates that for mountainous geology projects, the latest 'triaxial shear test' must be used for soil stability assessment. But the method used in this report from 'Huanyu Testing Center' is an old, obsolete one."
My heart leaped. This... this was a compliance bomb! It usually seems insignificant, but if it's discovered halfway through the project, the lightest consequence would be a stop-work order for rectification; the heaviest would be the project being scrapped entirely. By then, with Funding Chain Issues, banks calling in loans, and investors pulling out, the scene would be spectacular just to imagine.
"You mean, as long as I say something about this project..." I was so excited my voice trembled, "'This project will absolutely not have any problems because of a tiny little test report'?"
"Exactly." Su Qing looked at me, her eyes shining with trust. "Your ability is the most precise scalpel. We don't need a big commotion; we just need to prick it at the most critical spot."
"Damn!" Fatty Zhao slapped his thigh, and his lollipop fell to the floor. "That's brilliant! Lin Fan, you're basically a walking causality weapon! That bastard Wang Hao would never dream that the report he spent a fortune on would become his own death warrant!"
I looked at Su Qing. She was like a general devising a strategy, and I was the most peculiar soldier in her hands. The flame of revenge burned fiercely in my chest, no longer the previous anger and helplessness, but an excitement at the prospect of controlling everything.
Just then, Fatty Zhao, who had been quiet, suddenly scratched his head as if remembering something important. "Wait... this 'Yunlu One' project... why does it sound so familiar to me?"
Su Qing and I both looked at him.
"I remember!" Fatty Zhao slapped his forehead. "I have a distant cousin, I think he works in the engineering department at Tianyu Real Estate. At a family gathering a while ago, he complained to me while drunk that there was a problem with this project from the start. It seems an experienced Engineer discovered something wrong with the geology, raised an opinion, and even wrote a whistleblower letter. The result... the letter disappeared into a black hole, and that Engineer was transferred shortly after on the grounds of 'incompetence.' My cousin said the higher-ups forcibly suppressed the matter; anyone who brought it up again would be fired."
The air instantly fell silent.
Su Qing and I exchanged a look, seeing both shock and ecstasy in each other's eyes.
What Su Qing had found was a technical compliance loophole, an "accident" that could be exploited.
But the news Fatty Zhao brought proved that behind this loophole, a deliberately concealed truth was hidden. This was no longer a simple accident; it was a man-made disaster! It was the greed and foolishness of Wang Hao and his crew, who, eager to save time and cut costs, knowingly walked into the tiger's den!
"Qingqing," I took a deep breath, feeling all the blood in my body boil, "it seems our target is more fragile than we imagined."
Su Qing slowly closed her laptop. In the dim light, her smile was as bright as a star.
"No," she corrected, "not fragile. It's already riddled with holes. We just need a gust of wind to blow it over."
And my mouth is that strangest, most unpredictable gale. Wang Hao, are you ready? For the cause you've sown, prepare to reap the effect you'll never see coming.
## The Curse on the Construction Site
I stood across the street, separated by a dusty road, staring intently at the massive construction site like a peeping tom. On the site, the four gilded characters "Yunlu One" dazzled my eyes under the sun, as if mocking my overestimation of myself. This was Wang Hao's pride and joy, his family company's cash cow for the next few years, and also the first battlefield of our revenge plan.
To be honest, my heart was pounding. My palms were sweaty, sticky, and felt worse than moving bricks on a construction site all day. I, Lin Fan, an ordinary designer, was now moonlighting as a con artist, the kind who specializes in screwing over his nemesis. How should I put it? It was both thrilling and nerve-wracking, like cheating on an exam for the first time, terrified that a single look from the teacher would nail me to my seat.
I took a deep breath, the air full of the strange mix of cement and gasoline. Su Qing's calm and trusting face flashed through my mind. No, I couldn't chicken out. For her, and for the dignity Wang Hao had trampled underfoot, this had to be done.
I pretended to be a bored passerby, slowly strolling to the fence surrounding the construction site. Machines roared on the site, and workers in hard hats were as busy as ants. My gaze traveled past the skeletons of rebar and cement, landing on the building's foundation. Su Qing's information was clear: the problem was underground. That Soil Test Report from "Huanyu Testing Center" was the first time bomb Wang Hao had buried.
Now, all I had to do was light the fuse myself.
I took out my phone, pretending to be on a call. My voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for me to hear, but not so much as to seem deliberate. I cleared my throat and, in a tone full of envy and admiration, began my performance for the half-finished building.
"Tsk tsk, this 'Yunlu One' is so magnificent," I shook my head, looking like a country bumpkin who'd never seen the world. "Look at this location, this scale, it's definitely going to be a city landmark. For a big project like this, the foundation must be as solid as a mountain, the Soil Test Report absolutely flawless, without any problems. Even the Regulatory Authorities would have to give it a thumbs-up and say 'perfect'."
With every word, my heart trembled. The feeling was too bizarre, like I was defying fate itself. I was saying the most beautiful words, but praying for the worst outcome in my heart.
After the last word, I immediately stuffed my phone back in my pocket and turned to leave. A sudden, inexplicable chill shot from the soles of my feet to the top of my head, making me shiver. It wasn't the cold; it was a... a premonition that things had slipped out of control and were starting to move on their own. It was as if, in some unseen place, a giant net had quietly tightened because of my sentence.
Did it work?
Just as I was wondering, a harsh voice suddenly came from the corner to my side.
"Ahem!"
My whole body froze, my blood seemingly congealing instantly. I slowly turned my head and saw a middle-aged man in a security uniform, his hands behind his back, scrutinizing me from top to bottom. He had been hiding behind a concrete pier smoking, and I hadn't noticed him at all!
Crap!
My first instinct was to run, but reason told me that running now was tantamount to admitting I was a thief. My brain raced, but I squeezed out a smile uglier than crying.
"Sir, hello, I was just... just passing by, admiring how fast this building is going up." I pointed at the construction site, explaining incoherently.
The security guard squinted, took a step forward, his gaze as sharp as an eagle's. "Admiring the building? You've been standing here for ages, sneaking around. What were you muttering?"
"N-nothing! I was just... I'm a designer, learning from such a grand project!" I blurted out the first thing that came to mind, using my own profession as an excuse.
The security guard obviously didn't believe me. He frowned, walked a few steps closer, as if to get a better look at me. My heart pounded like a drum, and my palms started sweating again. If he remembered my face, traced me through the surveillance cameras, then Wang Hao would know immediately that I was behind it! The first step of the plan could fail right then and there.
No, I couldn't let him see me clearly!
I abruptly lowered my head, pulled up my collar to cover half my face, and then, as if suddenly remembering something urgent, I waved hastily at the security guard.
"Uh... Sir, I have something to do, I have to go now!"
With that, I didn't dare stay another second, practically speed-walking away with my arms and legs moving in awkward unison. I didn't dare run, just walked as fast as I could, but my back felt like it was being pricked by needles, the security guard's gaze glued to me.
After walking several dozen meters, I couldn't resist it and casually glanced back.
The security guard was still standing there, holding a walkie-talkie, staring in the direction I was leaving and saying something.
My heart sank to the bottom of my shoes.
Just then, his voice drifted over on the wind. Though faint, those words exploded in my ears like thunder.
"Hey! What are you doing! Stop!"
## The Storm Arrives
That shout was like a clap of thunder in my mind, and my legs instantly went weak. It was over, completely over. My career as a "master of spoken word," not even fully vested, was about to come to an end. I stiffly turned around, forcing a smile uglier than crying, preparing for a violent storm.
But the security guard just walked up to me, looked me up and down, his eyes full of suspicion and a hint of... awe? He frowned, gripping his walkie-talkie tightly, but didn't yell again.
"You... you're really a designer?" he asked suspiciously.
My heart was racing, but my mind was unprecedentedly clear. It had come to this; cowardice was a dead end. I straightened my back, trying to look like someone of status, cleared my throat, and said in what I thought was a professional tone, "What? Don't I look like one? I came here specifically from out of town to inspect 'Yunlu One.' I heard it's this city's landmark building and wanted to learn from your company's advanced experience."
As I spoke, I pointed at the building, my eyes revealing a contempt of "this pathetic thing is a landmark?" then quickly switching to a tolerance of "but for the sake of learning, I'll endure it."
The security guard was stunned by this combo. He probably had never seen a designer with such volatile emotions and a peculiar temperament. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but finally just clipped the walkie-talkie to his waist and waved his hand.
"Alright, alright, get going. This is no place for you. Don't let me catch you sneaking around here again!"
I was granted a reprieve and quickly said "okay, okay," then turned and left, my steps fast and steady, afraid he might change his mind. It wasn't until I was far away that I dared to look back. The security guard indeed hadn't chased me, but was still standing there, talking to someone on his walkie-talkie.
I let out a long sigh, my back soaked in cold sweat. Damn, this ability was useful, but the risk was too high. It was like dancing on the tip of a blade.
I practically ran back to the small Rented Apartment Su Qing and I shared. As soon as I pushed the door open, I saw Su Qing sitting on the small sofa, holding a book. Sunlight streamed through the window, bathing her in its glow, making her look as beautiful as a painting. Seeing my disheveled state, she immediately put down her book and stood up.
"What's wrong? Did you run into trouble?"
I slammed the door shut, leaned against it, panting, then grinned, a little maniacally. "It worked! Qing, we did it!"
I recounted the thrilling experience with embellishments. Su Qing's face turned pale as she listened, and she kept pounding my chest. "You scared me to death! What if he had actually arrested you?"
I grabbed her hand and held it tight. "He wouldn't, because I'm a 'Crow's Mouth Master' now! Don't worry, I can already feel it. That building's foundation report has definitely turned into a pile of waste paper, just waiting for a group of people to dig it out."
The next few days were the most agonizing wait of my life. I was like an ant on a hot pan, restless in the small Rented Apartment. I would refresh the news on my phone one minute, then run to the window to look outside the next, always feeling that a police car would come wailing by the next second.
Su Qing was much calmer than I was. She went to work as usual, made me delicious food after getting off work, and then watched boring TV shows with me to distract me.
"Don't worry," she would always say gently, "we've planted the seed. We have to give it some time to sprout. I believe in your ability."
Her trust was my only sedative. But deep down, that unease grew like a wild vine. I always felt that what I said that day wasn't just about the "stable foundation." That feeling of being out of control, the chill, would creep up from the bottom of my heart from time to time, making me palpitate for no reason.
Finally, on the morning of the fourth day, the storm arrived.
Su Qing and I were having breakfast when the TV was broadcasting morning news, the anchor reporting on some trivial matters in a clear, standard accent. I was absentmindedly poking at the fried egg in my bowl with my chopsticks when suddenly, the TV screen was interrupted by urgent music, and the words "Breaking News" appeared.
Su Qing and I exchanged a look, both stopping what we were doing.
The scene switched to an aerial shot. Below it was none other than the "Yunlu One" construction site. Long police lines had been set up around it, and more than a dozen law enforcement vehicles marked "Housing Bureau" and "Safety Administration" were parked on site. A group of staff in uniform was busy inside.
"Our reporter has just received news that this morning, the Municipal Housing and Urban-Rural Development Bureau, jointly with multiple Regulatory Authorities, conducted a surprise inspection of the city's key real estate project, 'Yunlu One.' According to sources, the inspection was triggered by a whistleblower letter, which detailed serious foundation safety hazards and quality issues in the project and alleged the forgery of a test report..."
My heart skipped a beat, almost leaping out of my throat. It's here! It's really here!
Su Qing grabbed my arm tightly, her eyes fixed on the screen, trembling with excitement.
Next, the scene cut to an on-site interview. A Reporter held a microphone, with the chaotic construction site behind him. Just then, a familiar figure rushed into the shot. It was Wang Hao!
He was wearing an expensive suit, but it was wrinkled now, his tie askew, his hair messy as a bird's nest. His usually arrogant, fat face was now the color of a pig's liver, and he was roaring at the camera, spittle flying.
"Frame-up! This is a commercial frame-up! Someone is jealous of our Wang family and is maliciously slandering us! Our project has absolutely no problems. All procedures are legal and compliant! You are suppressing us!"
As he yelled, he tried to break through the staff's blockade, looking like an enraged, stupid pig.
The calm voice of the news anchor came again: "According to reports, the project manager, Mr. Wang Hao, is agitated but refused to comment on the specific allegations in the whistleblower letter. Currently, the Regulatory Authorities have completely sealed off the project site and have seized all engineering documents. An insider revealed that as early as the initial stages of the project, an Engineer had raised geological risks, but the opinion was not adopted, and the relevant Engineer has since been transferred. We will continue to follow the truth of this matter."
On the TV screen, Wang Hao was still screaming hysterically, but no one was paying him any attention. He was like a clown, performing a manic monologue for the entire national Audience.
Looking at his pathetic state on the screen, an unprecedented sense of pleasure surged through me. So satisfying, so incredibly satisfying! Was this the despair he wanted me to feel when he crushed me under his foot? Now, I was giving it back to him in full!
I excitedly slapped my thigh and was about to say something when Su Qing suddenly spoke, her voice tinged with an imperceptible tremor.
"Lin Fan, look at the date on the news."
I was stunned for a moment and looked at the bottom-right corner of the screen. It was today.
"What's wrong?" I asked, confused.
Su Qing turned her head and looked at me deeply, her eyes a mix of excitement and a worry I'd never seen before.
"In our plan, weren't we supposed to wait at least a week for them to discover the problem during an internal review, and then bring out the whistleblower letter? How did the Regulatory Authorities show up with a whistleblower letter in just three days? And it was a real-name report... Lin Fan, don't you think... all of this happened too fast? Too fast... it's a bit abnormal."
Her words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing my excitement.
That's right. Too fast. As fast as if a giant, invisible hand had given it a hard shove from behind, pushing the plot that was supposed to ferment slowly straight to its climax. What I said at the construction site that day, did it not just trigger the "unstable foundation" result? Did it also... accelerate the entire process?
I looked at Wang Hao's completely broken face on the TV, and that familiar, out-of-control chill shot from the soles of my feet to the top of my head once again.
## The Livid Face
Su Qing and I squeezed onto the sofa, our eyes glued to the TV screen without blinking. The room was terrifyingly quiet, with only the noisy voices from the television and the sound of our own increasingly loud heartbeats. On the screen, in the most luxurious five-star hotel ballroom in the city, the lights were bright, but the atmosphere was as oppressive as lead. This was the emergency press conference called by Wang Hao's family.
Wang Hao sat in the center of the long table. Today he was wearing a crisp Armani suit, his hair meticulously styled, trying to maintain the facade of a Rich Second Generation. But his bloodshot eyes and trembling fingers completely betrayed the storm raging within him. In front of him, a row of microphones was arranged like the dark muzzles of cannons, all aimed at him.
"Friends from the media, thank you all for coming today." Wang Hao cleared his throat, trying to make his voice sound steady, but that blustering tone, trying to hide his fear, made me want to laugh even through the screen. "Regarding some... some minor technical disputes surrounding the 'Yunlu One' project recently, I am here, on behalf of the Wang family, to make a statement to the public."
"Minor technical disputes?" I scoffed internally. You call foundation subsidence and structural forgery "minor technical disputes"? The thickness of his skin was truly an eye-opener.
Before he could finish, the room erupted. A Reporter with black-rimmed glasses and a thin build was the first to jump up. Like a shark that had smelled blood, he shoved his microphone almost into Wang Hao's face.
"Mr. Wang! The report issued by the Regulatory Authorities clearly states that 'Yunlu One' has serious foundation safety hazards and quality issues, and confirms the allegation that your company forged a test report. Can this also be called a 'minor technical dispute'? Does this mean the Wang Corporation is engaged in systemic fraud?"
This question was like a sharp dagger, instantly piercing the fragile facade Wang Hao was trying to maintain. His face flushed to the color of a pig's liver, the veins on his temple throbbing.
"You... you're talking nonsense! That's the construction contractor's fault! We have already initiated accountability procedures!" Wang Hao's voice rose sharply, sounding a bit shrill.
Another Reporter stood up. "Mr. Wang, we understand that this surprise inspection was triggered by a real-name whistleblower letter. Do you know the identity of the whistleblower? What is your view on this kind of 'internal traitor' behavior?"
The words "internal traitor" were like two loud slaps across Wang Hao's face. He completely panicked, his eyes darting, sweat dripping from his temples and soaking his expensive collar. He looked at the aggressive faces in the audience, at the incessantly flashing camera lights, as if seeing countless pairs of mocking eyes.
Suddenly, he slammed the table and stood up, roaring like a mad tiger. "It wasn't me! This isn't my problem! Someone is sabotaging me! My project has been tampered with! This is a premeditated frame-up!"
The whole hall fell silent for a second, then erupted into an even bigger commotion. The sound of camera shutters was like a machine gun, and the Reporters were flushed with excitement; this was a hundred times more exciting than any prepared PR statement!
Just then, a calm, cold voice came from the side door.
"Shut up."
Everyone turned to look. A man with graying temples, dressed in a dark suit, walked in surrounded by a group of Bodyguards. He didn't walk fast, but each step seemed to land on a person's heart. He was Wang Hao's father, the helmsman of the Wang Corporation, Chairman Wang.
Chairman Wang's face was livid, a color mixed with anger, disappointment, and extreme humiliation. His gaze was as sharp as an eagle's. He swept it across the room, finally landing on his good-for-nothing son.
"You good-for-nothing! You've completely disgraced the Wang family!" Chairman Wang's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unquestionable authority. Every word was like a piece of ice smashing onto Wang Hao's heart.
Wang Hao froze. The arrogant and domineering man from moments ago instantly became like a chicken with its neck wrung, unable to say a word in front of his father.
Chairman Wang walked to the front of the stage and spoke coldly into the microphone. "The 'Yunlu One' project is suspended indefinitely, effective immediately. The company will establish a special investigation team to cooperate with all investigations by the Regulatory Authorities. We deeply apologize for the negative impact on the public. As for those responsible," he paused, his gaze gouging into Wang Hao like a knife, "they will be shown no mercy."
With that, he didn't even glance at Wang Hao again, turning and leaving, a resolute and cold back view.
Wang Hao stood there dumbfounded, like a statue struck by lightning. All the cameras focused on him, capturing the ugly mix of humiliation, anger, and bewilderment on his face. This press conference had become a public execution, and the executioner was his own father.
I let out a long sigh, a rush of exhilarating pleasure surging from the bottom of my heart, almost making me laugh out loud. Wang Hao, you finally have today!
However, just as I was basking in the pleasure of revenge, the TV screen gave Wang Hao a close-up. In his dazed eyes, the humiliation and anger were slowly fading, replaced by a cold, viper-like suspicion. His lips moved slightly, as if silently mouthing two words.
"Sabotage..."
He was starting to suspect. This spoiled madman, after experiencing public humiliation and his father's rejection, his paranoid personality was beginning to warp. He would no longer believe this was an accident. He would, like a mad dog, search for the "Mastermind" he imagined.
The smile on my face froze. A chill shot from the soles of my feet to the top of my head. I had defeated him, but it also felt like... I had awakened a more dangerous monster. This revenge, I was afraid, had only just begun.