Chapter 19: Sinister Schemes to Harm Others

When the video was released, it was only natural for Aunt Qiong to face suspicion. After all, to prove that Gong Shenxi had killed someone, one would have to admit that her own daughter had set a trap in Sand City, captured Gong Shenxi, and intended to kill her as well. Given these circumstances, Gong Shenxi turning the tables and killing her captor was a matter of course.

Not wanting to be further questioned, Aunt Qiong's eyes hardened and she shouted angrily, "Gong Shenxi, it was you who killed my daughter! Don’t you dare deny it!"

"Aunt Qiong, you really do love to play the victim," Shen Chaoxi lifted her gaze, "Before coming to demand justice from me, did you even bother to investigate? What exactly did your daughter do to end up killed by my hand?"

The headquarters building was now surrounded, an unbroken sea of men in black as far as the eye could see. The video had just been played in public; many had seen Gong Shenxi, bloodied from torture, and were naturally unwilling to take Aunt Qiong's words at face value. What shocked them even more was that the group’s second young lady, Gong Xia Li—Aunt Qiong’s daughter—had dared to set a trap to harm the eldest miss.

"Gong Shenxi, you certainly have a silver tongue," Aunt Qiong’s venomous gaze flickered with cunning. Her crimson lips curled up, and upon hearing Shen Chaoxi’s words, her expression turned fierce, her powerful aura radiating outward. "It’s a pity, though—even if you are the old master’s granddaughter, A Li was my daughter. Since you killed her, you’ll have to pay for her death!"

Aunt Qiong was not one to be trifled with. She had survived many years in W Group, certainly not by being weak. With Gong Xia Li dead, there was no way she’d let the matter rest. True to her character, she declared, "I will tell the old master about this, but before that, I will kill you myself to avenge my daughter."

Everyone knew how much the grand matriarch favored the eldest miss of W Group. Outwardly, she seemed to treat everyone the same, but if not for that favoritism, how could Gong Shenxi have been entrusted with so many of the group’s most profitable enterprises? The assets she controlled were things others could only dream about, all in the old lady’s hands and only ever given to her most trusted confidants.

Aunt Qiong would never be foolish enough to bring this matter before the grand matriarch and hope for justice—she knew she wasn’t entirely in the right. Not only had she helped plot the trap in Sand City, but she had also contributed her own ideas. She couldn’t allow the matriarch to discover any of it, knowing all too well the old lady’s temperament. Yet she could not let her daughter’s death go unavenged.

Under the harsh, glaring lights, Aunt Qiong’s eyes grew cold. Instantly, countless men behind her raised their guns, aiming at Shen Chaoxi and her people. The tension in the air was palpable as the group’s buildings filled with black-clad figures converging on the scene.

Aunt Qiong and her people blocked Shen Chaoxi’s path, but Shen Chaoxi’s own people drew their guns as well, and the two sides faced off. The standoff was tense.

Yu Mo’s gaze was as sharp as a wolf’s, predatory and lethal. At the moment of being surrounded, his dark eyes radiated a murderous intent that landed squarely on Aunt Qiong and her followers. Most of the other employees had long since been frightened out of their wits—the situation inside the headquarters seemed on the verge of an all-out war.

Who could have imagined it? This wasn’t just a routine conflict—these two were both titans of W Group: Aunt Qiong, who had worked tirelessly for years, and the eldest miss herself. No one dared take sides lightly.

Aunt Qiong was effectively the group’s second-in-command, having served W Group for many years. She was the old matriarch’s adopted daughter in name, and a large portion of the group’s assets was under her management. She held real sway with the matriarch, and few in the group would ever dare provoke her.

But now, a direct clash had erupted between the eldest miss and Aunt Qiong right here within the company, causing the greatest upheaval in W Group’s history. While most were too afraid to choose sides, Aunt Qiong’s subordinates were bolder—fearless, loyal, and ready to follow orders without question. They cared nothing for Shenxi’s status as the eldest miss; a single command from Aunt Qiong was all it took.

“Well, eldest miss, it looks like you won’t be leaving this building today.” Aunt Qiong sneered, her eyes glinting with malice and her expression triumphant. Her crimson lips curled in a victor’s smile as she looked at Shen Chaoxi. Today, she had come prepared, intent on avenging her daughter, Gong Xia Li.

Scenes like this, where black eats black, were common enough in places like Ying Du, infamous for its extravagance and vice. Fights broke out frequently in such dens, but to see such a power struggle at the very heart of W Group was unprecedented.

“Is that so?” Shen Chaoxi’s laughter was soft and chilling, her eyes fixed fearlessly on the countless gun barrels pointed her way, her gaze unwavering as she met Aunt Qiong’s eyes.

The next instant, Aunt Qiong’s expression changed dramatically. “What are you doing? Lower your weapons—!”

Suddenly, chaos broke out. Many of the guns shifted, now aimed at a man. Shen Chaoxi smiled, her eyes alight with amusement as she looked at Aunt Qiong, who now had a gun pressed to her head.

“Gong Shenxi, playing dirty, are you?” Aunt Qiong’s face fell, ugly with rage.

A moment before, one of Shenxi’s men had quietly circled to Aunt Qiong’s right side while all her attention was on Shenxi, and now held a gun to her head.

“Weren’t you just saying I wouldn’t leave this building alive?” Shen Chaoxi smiled lightly. “If that’s the case, shouldn’t I make sure someone shares my fate?”

Aunt Qiong’s face darkened, her body tensing with fear. She dared not move; the gun pressed coldly against her skull. Yu Mo’s gaze was heavy with menace and death. As Gong Shenxi’s chief bodyguard, his reputation for lethality was well known throughout W Group. Even though Aunt Qiong’s rage turned her face a sickly green, all she could do was glare at Shen Chaoxi in frustration.

Both sides were at a stalemate, their numbers substantial. Yu Mo held a gun to Aunt Qiong’s head, while her own men now aimed their guns at him. The rest kept their guns trained on Shen Chaoxi. If a shot were fired, the resulting crossfire would surely be disastrous—everyone present would suffer.

“Gong Shenxi, if you have any guts, stop playing dirty tricks. What do you call this?” Aunt Qiong was seething.

Shen Chaoxi arched a brow, unbothered and even amused. “Aunt Qiong, all is fair in war—deceit and cunning are my style.” She showed no shame in admitting it, instead smiling with pride. “If you’re not satisfied, why not have your people open fire?”

Was that even remotely reasonable? Aunt Qiong glared so hard she nearly cracked her teeth. She had always known Gong Shenxi was unpredictable and ruthless, but then again, everyone in this company had to be ruthless to reach their positions. What she hadn’t realized was just how sly and devious Gong Shenxi could be.

And now she was being told to open fire, as if the man beside her with the gun to her head was dead already? “What’s wrong, Aunt Qiong? Are you afraid?” Shen Chaoxi feigned surprise, laughing. “Didn’t you want to kill me, to avenge your daughter? Go on, have them shoot—you could kill me right now.”

Suddenly, the young woman stepped forward, her smile curving like a crescent moon. But she was no moon, shrouded as she was by black clouds—she was a rose blooming in the night, her face radiant, her voice edged with thorns.

Aunt Qiong, startled by her sudden movement, frowned as if looking at a monster. Shen Chaoxi paused, her expression turning cold.

“Aunt Qiong,” she said, her demeanor now calm and chilling, as if she were not the same feverish, manic girl from moments before. “You say I killed Gong Xia Li. I admit it. Not only did I kill her, I smashed her head with an iron bar so she couldn’t even crawl away, just as she had planned for me. And since my temper is bad and my emotions unstable, I set the place ablaze and burned her alive, so she couldn’t escape…”

With every sentence Shen Chaoxi uttered, Aunt Qiong’s face grew colder, her hatred so deep she wished she could tear Gong Shenxi apart herself. But right now, she could do nothing.

Shen Chaoxi smiled at her, an innocent look in her eyes. “But Aunt Qiong, you know better than anyone—it was she who tried to kill me first. I had no choice but to kill her.”

“If you want revenge for your daughter, fine. Since you want to settle this privately with me, I’ll give you that chance.”

“Let’s make a wager, shall we?”

Aunt Qiong glared at her, murderous intent in her eyes. “What kind of wager?”

“Life and death.”

Aunt Qiong’s expression changed instantly.