I Was Fixing My Neighbor’s Pipes When I Saw My Wife - Chapter 1

It was a perfect Saturday afternoon, the sun shining brightly, and I was on the balcony tending to my beloved succulents. My wife, Lin Wan, always said that for a big man, I was more meticulous than a girl, caring more about these “useless” plants than I did about her. I’d just smile and say nothing, then hand her the thickest leaf I’d just trimmed. She’d push it away dismissively, but a smile would play at the corners of her lips.

This was our life: simple, warm, like a glass of lukewarm plain water—not exciting to drink, but the most thirst-quenching. We’ve been together for almost ten years, ever since we started dating in college. I’m an IT engineer, living a two-point-one-line life every day. My biggest hobby is keeping our ninety-square-meter little home meticulously organized. Almost every piece of furniture, every bit of plumbing and electricity, was bought or installed by me. Lin Wan often said that marrying me saved her a fortune in renovation and repair costs.

“Brother Chen! Brother Chen, are you home?”

A clear, slightly anxious shout came from the courtyard. I poked my head out. It was Bai Lu, our next-door neighbor.

Bai Lu moved in half a year ago with her husband, Wang Hao. They were a recognized golden couple in our community. Wang Hao was an executive at a financial company, always in a suit, driving a black Porsche, while Bai Lu was a full-time housewife who kept their home spotless. She was also gentle and charming, polite to everyone.

“I’m here, Xiao Bai, what’s wrong?” I replied.

“Oh, Brother Chen, please come quickly and help me! The pipe in my kitchen burst, there’s water everywhere, and Wang Hao is on a business trip. As a woman, I’m almost crying!” Bai Lu stood downstairs, her delicate face tear-streaked, looking utterly helpless.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be right down!”

For those of us in tech, a neighbor’s plea for help, especially from a beautiful neighbor, always sparks an inexplicable sense of responsibility. I said hello to Lin Wan, who was wearing a face mask, and told her not to wait for me for dinner. Then, I grabbed my toolbox and headed downstairs.

Bai Lu’s house had the same layout as ours, but the interior design was completely different. Our home was warm, with a natural wood style, while hers was minimalist black, white, and gray—immaculate, almost cold.

The kitchen was indeed flooded. Without a word, I turned off the main water valve, took out my tools, and quickly got to work. Bai Lu, like a startled little rabbit, stood by, constantly handing me towels and wrenches, praising me non-stop.

“Brother Chen, you’re amazing! If it weren’t for you, I don’t know what I’d do.”

“It’s nothing,” I said, tightening a screw without looking up. “The joint wasn’t properly installed when this pipe was put in, and the quality is just average. You’d best replace the whole set later.”

About half an hour later, the leaking pipe was perfectly repaired. I wiped the grease from my hands and let out a long breath.

“Done.”

“Thank you so much, Brother Chen! You’re truly a great benefactor to our family!” Bai Lu was so grateful she almost bowed. She pulled me, insisting I sit in the living room. “Please rest for a bit, I’ll get you some water! Wait, I’ll make you our best Da Hong Pao tea!”

I couldn’t refuse her enthusiasm, so I sat on the sofa in the living room. Her living room was large, and opposite the sofa was a huge LCD TV. Next to the TV was a smart home control screen, which displayed real-time footage from several cameras—it must have been the home security system.

Bai Lu came running out of the kitchen with water, her face beaming with an eager smile. She placed the water glass in front of me, then plopped down beside me, picked up the remote control, and opened the control screen interface.

“Brother Chen, drink some water. Oh, let me see if our ‘Mocha’ did anything naughty last night.” “Mocha” was the name of her black cat.

She said this, but her finger swiped across the touchscreen, opening a folder labeled “Living Room Surveillance,” then selected the “Playback” function.

She casually dragged the timeline, eventually stopping at “Last night 22:30.”

I was initially just being polite, glancing casually at the screen.

However, with that one glance, my entire world, in an instant, collapsed silently.

On the screen, in the high-definition surveillance footage, was the familiar living room, the familiar sofa, and that… imported yoga mat that I had helped Lin Wan choose just a few days ago.

On the yoga mat, two figures were intertwined and rolling wildly, in the most primal and debauched postures.

I knew the man. It was her husband, Wang Hao, who she said was “on a business trip.”

And the woman…

The woman with long black hair, wearing the silk pajamas I personally bought for her, the ones she said she liked the most…

It was my wife.

Lin Wan.

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

My mind went blank, all sounds vanished, leaving only the sound of my own heart beating like a drum and the buzzing roar of blood rushing to my head.

I stared at the screen, like a statue nailed to the spot.

The surveillance camera’s angle was cunning and cold, like an emotionless eye of God, recording everything happening on that yoga mat in clear detail.

I saw Lin Wan’s face.

The face I had kissed countless times was now contorted with extreme desire, flushed crimson. Her eyes were half-closed, her lips slightly parted, and her moans and gasps, even through the screen, were like poisoned daggers, piercing my heart.

I saw Wang Hao’s self-satisfied, triumphant face. He was on top of my wife, like a beast claiming its territory, each thrust of his body a malicious, public humiliation directed at me.

I even saw the necklace around Lin Wan’s neck.

It was the gift I gave her last month for our wedding anniversary. That tiny diamond, at that moment, was swaying on her fair skin with their movements, reflecting an obscene and dazzling light.

“Oh dear, these two little animals are fighting again.”

From beside me came Bai Lu’s feigned surprise.

I snapped back to reality and stiffly turned my head.

She was pointing at a small corner of the screen, where her black cat, “Mocha,” was wrestling with a stray cat that had entered.

She seemed to have completely missed the main “battlefield” in the center of the screen, full of vivid, explicit action.

Her acting was so realistic, so flawless.

If I weren’t currently in hell, I might have actually believed that she was just a simple hostess who had accidentally selected the wrong playback time.

“Brother Chen? What’s wrong? You look so pale?” She finally “noticed” my abnormality, looking at me with concern. “Are you tired? Oh, it’s all my fault for making you busy for so long.”

I looked at her face, filled with “innocence” and “concern,” and a bone-chilling coldness spread from my spine all the way to the top of my head.

I suddenly understood.

None of this was a coincidence.

The pipe didn’t just happen to burst.

The surveillance wasn’t “accidentally” turned on.

She did it on purpose.

She intentionally let me see all of this.

This seemingly gentle and harmless woman hid a calculation colder than a venomous snake deep in her heart.

My throat went dry, I opened my mouth but found I couldn’t utter a single word. I could feel my body trembling uncontrollably, my fingernails already digging deep into my palms.

I had to leave here.

Immediately.

Otherwise, I was afraid I would lose control on the spot, like a rampaging beast, and tear everything in front of me to shreds.

“N-nothing.” I used all my strength to squeeze out a few words from between my teeth, my voice hoarse, unlike my own. “Maybe… maybe I’m a bit heat-stroked. I… I’ll go back first.”

I practically stumbled up from the sofa.

“Oh, Brother Chen, are you leaving already? Stay a bit longer, you haven’t even had tea yet.” Bai Lu also stood up, a perfectly balanced expression of retention and worry on her face.

“No, no. I… have something to do at home.”

I dared not look into her eyes, nor did I dare to look at the screen that was still playing the silent movie. Like a defeated soldier, I fled in disarray from this execution ground that had just drawn and quartered me.

I rushed out of her house, practically scrambling up the stairs.

Opening my front door, the familiar entryway, the familiar living room, everything was as I had left it.

But everything, too, had become so unfamiliar and dirty.

This home, which I had once been so proud of building with my own hands, now looked like a huge joke in my eyes.

I rushed into the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and washed my face repeatedly with cold water.

I wanted to wash away the unbearable scene from my mind.

But it was useless.

Lin Wan’s contorted face, Wang Hao’s smug smile, that swaying necklace…

These images were etched into my retina; no matter how hard I tried, they wouldn’t disappear.

They played repeatedly, cyclically, in my mind.

Again and again.

Crushing my reason, my dignity, my love, into smithereens.

I looked at the man in the mirror, his eyes bloodshot, his face pale, drenched in sweat.

Was that me?

Was that still Chen Ye, the gentle, family-oriented man content with his small life?

No.

It wasn’t.

That Chen Ye had died half an hour ago in my neighbor’s living room.

The one alive now was a vengeful demon, crawled out of hell.

I stayed in the bathroom for a long time until my body’s trembling slowly subsided.

I dried my face, changed into clean clothes, and then, as if nothing had happened, walked back into the living room.

I needed to calm down.

Right now, what I needed most was to calm down.

Impulsiveness wouldn’t solve any problems. It would only put me in a more passive situation.

I sat on the sofa, forcing myself to review everything that had just happened.

Bai Lu, this woman, was undoubtedly the mastermind behind the whole affair. She had known for a long time that her husband was having an affair with my wife, but she didn’t expose them. Instead, she waited for an opportune moment.

What was she waiting for?

She was waiting for me, this “knife.”

She knew I was an IT engineer, and she probably thought I’d have a way to get more complete, more damning evidence. She might also want to use my anger to deal with Wang Hao.

It’s normal for a woman betrayed by her husband to want revenge.

However, she chose to use such a cruel method, dragging me into it, making me witness everything with my own eyes. This devious and ruthless heart chilled me to the bone.

This woman was far from simple.

She was definitely not the gentle, virtuous full-time housewife she appeared to be on the surface.

So, what about Lin Wan? My wife?

We had ten years of affection. From our innocent days in college to the complexities of society. We had suffered together and shared good times. I thought our relationship was unbreakable.

Was I too naive?

Wang Hao was rich, handsome, and successful in his career. He drove a Porsche and lived in a big house. These were all things I couldn’t give her.

Was I too ordinary? Was I not ambitious enough?

So, she got tired of this plain water and wanted a taste of something more exciting, a strong liquor?

I covered my face with my hands in agony.

I dared not think further. Every extra second of thought felt like cutting my own flesh with a knife.

Just then, the door opened.

Lin Wan was back.

She was carrying large shopping bags, a satisfied smile on her face.

“Honey, I’m back! Look what I bought? Your favorite Boston lobster! I’ll make you steamed lobster with garlic and vermicelli tonight, okay?” She chirped like a happy bird, showing me her spoils.

She was wearing a beautiful dress and exquisite makeup. She looked so beautiful, so pure and flawless.

If I hadn’t seen that video.

I would have surely been melted by her appearance at this moment. I would have walked over, taken the bags from her hands, and then, dotingly, kissed her forehead.

But now, looking at her smiling face, I only felt immense disgust.

I could imagine what debauched expression that very face had shown last night, beneath another man.

I could imagine what obscene sounds that very mouth had made last night.

“What’s wrong, honey? Aren’t you happy?” Lin Wan noticed my lack of reaction and walked over, habitually trying to link her arm through mine.

I instinctively dodged.

Her hand froze in mid-air. The smile on her face also solidified.

“Chen Ye, what… what’s wrong with you?” She looked at me with some unease.

“Nothing.” I took a deep breath, suppressed the surge of disgust in my heart, and forced out a smile that was uglier than a cry. “Just… a little tired.”

“Tired?” She looked at me suspiciously. “Weren’t you helping Xiao Bai fix a pipe? How could you be so tired?”

She mentioned Bai Lu.

Her tone was so natural, so flawless.

As if there was truly just a simple neighborly relationship between her and that woman.

“Yeah, her pipe burst, took a while.” I lowered my gaze, not daring to look into her eyes, afraid she’d see the towering hatred within them.

“Oh, then you should rest. I’ll make dinner.” Lin Wan said, seemingly relieved. She walked over and thoughtfully massaged my shoulders. “Our Brother Chen is so capable. Everyone in the community comes to you when they have problems. You’re almost like the living Lei Feng of our community.”

Her words were like poisonous thorns, piercing my heart.

Living Lei Feng?

Yes, I was a complete fool, a living Lei Feng.

I was helping my neighbor fix a pipe, while my wife was helping the neighbor “warm his bed.”

I endured immense pain, feigning civility with her.

I watched her walk into the kitchen, tie on her apron, and skillfully handle the wriggling lobster.

Her back was still so virtuous, so familiar to me.

But I knew that from today on, this woman, to me, was already a complete stranger.

And this home had also become my battlefield.

A war that only I knew had begun.

I watched her busy back, slowly clenching my fists.

Lin Wan, Wang Hao, and Bai Lu.

All of you, just wait.

Since you’ve started this game.

Then how it ends, must be up to me.

That night’s steamed lobster with garlic and vermicelli was incomparably delicious.

Lin Wan’s cooking had always been excellent.

I sat at the dining table, expressionless, sending mouthfuls of lobster meat into my mouth, chewing slowly.

Each bite was like chewing my own internal organs.

Bloody and painful.

Lin Wan sat opposite me, constantly serving me dishes, a perpetual gentle smile on her face.

“Eat more, you’ve lost weight lately. Are you working too hard?”

“Honey, next month for our annual leave, how about we go to Iceland to see the aurora? I’ve read a lot of guides, and they all say it’s especially romantic.”

“Oh, right, Brother Wang and Xiao Bai also said they wanted to go. How about the four of us go together? We can look out for each other on the way.”

She actually mentioned Wang Hao and Bai Lu without batting an eye.

As if they were truly just two sets of harmonious neighboring couples.

Listening to her words, full of “love” and “concern,” my stomach churned.

But I didn’t react.

I just smiled and nodded.

“Okay,” I said. “Whatever you want.”

Seeing me agree, Lin Wan seemed very happy. She thought I had recovered from my “fatigue” from the afternoon.

She didn’t know that the person sitting opposite her was no longer the husband who had always listened to her every word.

But a wolf in human skin, ready to devour its prey at any moment.

After dinner, she went to wash the dishes.

I, using work as an excuse, went into my study.

Closing the door, I opened my computer.

As a seasoned IT engineer, if I wanted to know someone’s secrets, I had plenty of ways.

Before, I had always disdained using such methods to pry into my wife’s privacy.

Because I trusted her.

Now, that trust was gone.

I needed evidence.

More direct, more private, more irrefutable than that surveillance video.

First, I tried to log into Lin Wan’s social media accounts.

I knew all her passwords. They were our anniversary dates.

How ironic.

Her朋友圈 (Moments) was all tranquil and beautiful.

Food, travel, selfies, and occasionally, displays of affection with me.

She seemed like a little woman immersed in a happy marriage.

But on her Weibo, I found a small account she followed.

That small account had no personal information and barely posted anything.

It had only reposted a news article about financial investment half a year ago.

And that small account’s only follower was Lin Wan’s main account.

This was too unusual.

I had a strong intuition that there was something fishy behind this small account.

I tried various methods to crack the password of this small account.

But I failed.

The other party was clearly a master.

I wasn’t discouraged.

I changed my approach.

Since I couldn’t break through online, I would start offline.

I opened a small program I had written myself.

This program could silently synchronize all call records, text messages, and location information from another phone.

I just needed to find an opportunity to install it on Lin Wan’s phone.

After doing all this, I leaned back in my chair and let out a long breath.

I knew I was slowly sliding into a dark abyss.

I was becoming the kind of person I had once despised the most.

But I had no choice.

My dignity trampled. My love betrayed.

If I didn’t get justice for myself.

Then I, Chen Ye, would be a husband in vain!

In the following days, I acted no different from usual.

I went to work on time and came home on time.

I was considerate to Lin Wan.

Whatever she wanted to buy, I agreed. Whatever she wanted to do, I supported.

I even proactively invited Wang Hao and Bai Lu to our house for dinner.

At the dinner table, four people with ulterior motives put on a performance worthy of movie stars.

Wang Hao, high-spirited, talked voluminously. He lectured me on his “life experiences” from the perspective of a successful man, his words filled with disdain and contempt for me, the “IT worker.”

Lin Wan, like a virtuous hostess, constantly served him food, and her eyes, when she looked at him, were filled with undisguised admiration and affection.

And Bai Lu played the role of a gentle wife. She just smiled, watching her husband, occasionally adding a few words. But her eyes were like poisoned ice, chilling to the heart.

As for me.

I was the most loyal audience.

I smiled, listening to Wang Hao’s bragging, and watching Lin Wan’s flattery.

In my heart, I was calmly calculating how to send them, this adulterous pair, along with their hypocritical, glamorous lives, to hell.

After dinner, I found an opportunity, pretending that Lin Wan’s phone was lagging and needed my help to clean it up.

Naturally, I got her phone.

It took no more than thirty seconds.

That small program was already installed, without a trace.

After doing all this, I returned the phone to her.

“Done,” I said.

“Thank you, honey.” She took the phone and kissed me on the cheek.

That warm touch, however, made me feel a wave of nausea.

The game had officially begun.

Now, I just needed to wait quietly.

Wait for the prey to walk into the trap I had carefully laid for them.

The first day after installing the surveillance program was calm.

Lin Wan’s daily routine was the same as usual: work, home, shopping, yoga. Her call log, apart from a few girlfriends and delivery guys, showed no one else.

She was very cautious.

Or rather, she and Wang Hao already had a very sophisticated anti-surveillance routine.

I wasn’t in a hurry.

The more cunning the fox, the more patient it is.

And I, now, was a hunter more patient than a fox.

On the second day, an opportunity arose.

In the afternoon, I received a synchronized text message alert.

It was from an unknown number, sent to Lin Wan.

The message content was very simple, just four words:

“Meet at the old place.”

My heart pounded.

I immediately opened the positioning system.

Lin Wan’s location showed she was leaving the company and moving in a certain direction toward the city center.

And in that direction, there was a five-star hotel.

—The Hilton.

I was almost certain that the “old place” was there.

A surge of anger rushed to my head.

I wished I could rush to that hotel immediately, kick open that door, and catch that adulterous couple red-handed.

But reason stopped me.

Going there now would only make me seem like a frantic lunatic, and then I’d be kicked out by hotel security. It would be meaningless.

What I needed was evidence.

Irrefutable proof that would ruin them in the future.

I forced myself to calm down.

I opened my computer, my fingers flying across the keyboard.

The Hilton Hotel’s security system in the country was top-notch.

Trying to invade it from the outside to get their check-in records and surveillance footage would be an almost impossible task.

But even the strongest fortress always has a weak point.

And what I was best at was finding that weakest point.

I didn’t attack the hotel’s official server.

I focused my target on an inconspicuous supplier management system within the hotel.

This system was usually the weakest point in terms of security.

After nearly two hours of attempts and breakthroughs.

In the virtual world, I was like a ghost, bypassing one firewall after another.

Finally, when a “Welcome” interface popped up on the screen, a cold smile appeared at the corner of my mouth.

I was in.

I had gained the highest privileges for the entire hotel’s backend system.

I could view the check-in information of any room.

I could view real-time surveillance from any corner.

I was like a god, controlling everything.

A vengeful god.

Without hesitation, I immediately pulled up all the check-in records for today.

Then, I saw that familiar name.

Wang Hao.

He was the one who checked in.

The room number was 1808.

It was an executive king room with the best view.

My finger moved to the surveillance system.

I found the surveillance footage of the 18th-floor corridor.

The time was 3:35 PM.

A familiar figure appeared in the surveillance footage.

It was Lin Wan.

She was wearing sunglasses and a mask, completely covering herself.

She walked to room 1808 and skillfully pressed the doorbell.

The door quickly opened.

Wang Hao, wearing a bathrobe, appeared at the doorway.

He pulled Lin Wan inside.

Then, the door closed heavily.

My eyes stared fixedly at that closed door.

I didn’t even need to look at the surveillance inside the room.

I could imagine the obscene scene playing out behind that door at this very moment.

I downloaded and saved this corridor surveillance footage along with Wang Hao’s check-in record.

After doing all this, I leaned back in my chair and lit a cigarette.

Smoke swirled.

My face was flickering in and out of the smoke.

My heart, however, was clearer than ever before.

I had been hesitant.

Still holding onto a ridiculous fantasy about our ten years of affection.

I thought she was just confused for a moment.

I thought her attraction to Wang Hao was merely physical.

Now, it seemed, I was wrong.

“Old place.”

These three words indicated that all of this was already commonplace.

She was already enjoying it.

If that’s the case, then don’t blame me for being ruthless.

Just then, my phone rang.

It was an unknown number.

I answered.

On the other end of the line, a woman’s voice, both familiar and unfamiliar, came through.

“Hello, is this Brother Chen?”

It was Bai Lu.

“It’s me.” My voice was calm.

“Brother Chen,” her voice on the other end was a little suppressed with a sob, “I… I know everything now.”

“Wang Hao… he… he went to that vixen again.”

“I… I really can’t go on…”

Her crying sounded so heartbroken, so desperate.

Like a poor little woman whose heart had been completely broken by her husband.

But I, listening to her perfect performance.

Only gave a cold laugh in my heart.

Bai Lu, Bai Lu.

Have you finally reached your second step in your plan?

You want to drag me completely into your camp.

You want to use me to lead the charge for you.

Fine.

I’ll give you what you want.

“Xiao Bai, don’t cry.” My voice instantly filled with sympathy and anger. “Where are you now? Tell me. I’ll come to you right away.”

“We are both victims.”

“We should stand together.”

Bai Lu and I met at a very secluded cafe.

She chose a corner booth.

She was already there when I arrived.

She was wearing a plain long dress, no makeup, her hair casually draped. She looked haggard and fragile.

In front of her was a untouched cup of coffee.

Her eyes were red, clearly from crying.

This appearance was enough to trigger any man’s protective instincts.

“Brother Chen…” Seeing me, she looked as if she had seen her savior, and tears welled up again.

“Don’t cry, don’t cry.” I sat opposite her, pulled out a tissue, and handed it to her, my voice as gentle as possible. “Tell me everything slowly. I’m here. The sky won’t fall.”

My words seemed to give her immense comfort.

She took the tissue, wiped her tears, and, sobbing, began to pour out her “pain” to me.

“Brother Chen, I… I really don’t know what to do anymore,” she choked out. “I’ve suspected for a long time that Wang Hao was seeing someone else. He often came home late, and he carried a perfume scent that wasn’t mine.”

“I asked him, and he always said it was for work entertainment. But who has entertainment until two or three in the morning?”

“I secretly looked at his phone, but I couldn’t find anything. That man is too cunning, he completely erased all traces.”

“Until that day… until that day, after you left, I saw… I saw everything in the surveillance footage…”

She broke down crying again at this point, her shoulders heaving, looking utterly heartbroken.

“I was really scared senseless at the time. I couldn’t believe that woman would be… Sister Lin Wan…”

“I didn’t dare to go to you. I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to accept it. I was also afraid of what Wang Hao would do to me.”

“I could only cry secretly by myself. I felt like my life was ruined.”

Her monologue was passionate and deeply moving.

Every word was filled with the blood and tears of a betrayed wife.

If I hadn’t known from the beginning that she was the real director.

I would have been moved to tears by her at this moment.

Then, I would have shared her indignation and denounced that adulterous pair with her.

Unfortunately.

I was not an audience member.

I was another actor.

“Xiao Bai, I understand you.” I waited for her to finish crying before slowly speaking, my voice laced with suppressed pain and anger. “Actually, I… I found out a long time ago too.”

“What?” Bai Lu suddenly looked up, staring at me in shock. “You… you knew too?”

“Mm.” I nodded, a bitter smile on my face. “As a man, how could I not feel it if my own wife’s heart had changed?”

“I just kept deceiving myself. I always thought our ten years of affection wouldn’t be so fragile. I always thought she was just momentarily confused and would come home once she’d had her fun.”

“But I was wrong.”

I lowered my head, covering my face with my hand, my shoulders beginning to tremble slightly.

I began my performance.

“I didn’t expect her to fall so deeply. I also didn’t expect that man to be… Wang Hao.”

“The man I always respected like an elder brother.”

“Xiao Bai, do you think I’m a failure? Do you think I’m ridiculous?”

My voice was filled with the helplessness and despair of a man who had been doubly betrayed.

My acting was no worse than hers.

In fact, it was even better.

Because I was genuinely emotional.

My pain was real. My anger was also real.

Bai Lu looked at me, her eyes filled with sympathy and pity.

She was probably sneering in her heart.

Sneering at me, this fool who had been kept in the dark, finally waking up.

“Brother Chen, don’t say that.” She reached out and gently patted the back of my hand, offering comfort. “It’s not our fault. It’s theirs!”

“They betrayed their family and broke their vows! They are the ones who deserve to be condemned the most!”

Her tone became indignant.

She began to guide me, focusing all negative emotions on Lin Wan and Wang Hao.

“Yes, you’re right.” I “excitedly” looked up, my eyes gleaming with the fire of revenge. “We can’t just let it go!”

“We must make them pay the price!”

“Brother Chen, what do you want to do?” She cautiously probed me.

“I want a divorce!” I slammed my fist on the table, making the coffee cup jump. “I’ll make that b**** leave with nothing! I’ll also go to Wang Hao’s company and make a scene! I’ll expose his hypocritical mask! I want to ruin his reputation!”

My plan sounded like the most direct, and also the most foolish, form of revenge a common man could think of when enraged.

This was exactly what Bai Lu wanted.

What she wanted was for me, this irrational lunatic, to be her pawn.

As expected, after hearing my words, a hint of undetectable joy flashed in her eyes.

But her face showed an expression of worry.

“Brother Chen, don’t be impulsive,” she advised. “Wang Hao is influential. If you make a scene like this, not only will nothing happen to him, but he might also bite back. Then, we’ll be the ones who suffer.”

“Then what do you suggest?” I looked at her “helplessly,” like a lost child.

Bai Lu was silent for a moment, seemingly organizing her thoughts.

Then, she slowly spoke, her voice carrying a hint of calmness and ruthlessness that completely contradicted her appearance.

“Brother Chen, to deal with someone like Wang Hao, conventional methods are useless.”

“What we need to do is not confront him head-on.”

“But to secretly collect all his criminal evidence.”

“Then, when he is most complacent and unsuspecting, deliver a fatal blow.”

“Making him never able to recover.”

She looked at me, her eyes gleaming with a faint green light.

Like a beautiful snake, flicking its tongue in the darkness.

I knew she was finally showing her fangs.

And I just needed to pretend to be successfully seduced by her.

Then, dance this deadly tango with her.

After forming the “Alliance of Avengers” with Bai Lu, our contact became more frequent.

We were like two underground workers, exchanging intelligence and discussing plans every day through encrypted chat software.

Bai Lu showed a shrewdness and ruthlessness that was completely contrary to her delicate appearance.

She told me that Wang Hao not only had my wife as an extramarital affair, but he also had an unclear relationship with a young female university student who had just joined their company.

He also used his position to accept bribes, falsify accounts, and embezzle company assets.

Bai Lu had some scattered evidence for these things.

For example, some ambiguous chat screenshots, some vague transfer records.

However, these were not enough to constitute a fatal blow.

“Brother Chen, I know you’re an IT expert.” One day, she told me, “Wang Hao’s study has a computer he specifically uses for company business. It must contain all his criminal evidence.”

“But that computer has a very advanced encryption system. I’ve tried many times, but I can’t open it.”

“Do you have a way?”

She looked at me, her eyes full of anticipation.

I understood.

This was the real reason she chose me as her “knife.”

She needed my technical skills to open that Pandora’s box.

“Yes.” I nodded without hesitation.

“But I need an opportunity. An opportunity that allows me to enter his study alone and have enough time.”

“Leave that to me.” A confident smile appeared at the corner of Bai Lu’s mouth. “Next Saturday is our wedding anniversary. I’ll use the celebration as an excuse to trick him out. I can get you at least three hours.”

“That’s enough,” I said.

The plan was thus set.

During that week of waiting, I, Lin Wan, Wang Hao, and Bai Lu, the four of us, performed another perfect act.

I pretended to have a change of heart towards Lin Wan.

I no longer mentioned divorce.

I even proactively suggested accompanying her to the hospital for her first prenatal check-up.

Of course, I didn’t let her go.

I told her I had already consulted a doctor. In the first three months, the fetus is unstable, and it’s best not to have an ultrasound; it’s bad for the baby.

This seemingly thoughtful excuse touched her deeply.

She thought I had accepted this “unexpected” child.

She thought our marriage still had a chance to be salvaged.

She began to treat me even better.

Every day, she’d make various dishes and soups for me.

In the evenings, she would even wear s*xy pajamas, trying to enter my study.

Of course, I always turned her away, citing “too much work.”

I watched her, putting on a vigorous performance in front of me, trying to win back her husband’s heart as a virtuous wife.

In my heart, I only felt immense irony and ridicule.

Meanwhile, Bai Lu was also actively preparing for her “wedding anniversary.”

She booked the most exclusive French restaurant.

She bought the most expensive red wine.

She even prepared a mysterious “big gift” for Wang Hao.

Saturday, 7 PM.

Wang Hao, impeccably dressed in a suit, triumphantly drove his Porsche, carrying his beautiful wife, Bai Lu, out.

I stood on the balcony, watching their car disappear into the night.

Then, I took out my phone and sent Bai Lu a message.

“Operation start.”

Soon, I received her reply.

It was an OK emoji.

And it came with a temporary password for her house’s electronic door lock.

I changed into a black outfit, put on a hat and mask, and then, like a ghost, silently slipped into the house across the street.

The house was completely dark.

Only moonlight streamed in through the windows, casting dappled light and shadow on the floor.

I didn’t turn on any lights.

Guided by memory, I walked straight into Wang Hao’s study.

On the desk in the study, as expected, was an Alienware laptop.

I opened the computer.

The boot screen popped up.

It required dual verification: fingerprint and iris.

As expected, he was cautious enough.

But this couldn’t stump me.

I took out a set of small devices I had developed myself from my backpack.

A high-precision fingerprint film collector.

An infrared iris scanner.

And a cracker that could bypass the system’s underlying logic.

These things were all illegal.

I had developed them in the past out of interest.

I never thought I would use them in such a place one day.

First, I used a special solution to extract a complete fingerprint Wang Hao had left on the computer’s fingerprint scanner.

Then, I used a fingerprint film to replicate it.

Next came the most crucial step.

—Iris.

Bai Lu had already prepared it for me.

I took out a small USB drive from my pocket.

It contained a high-definition close-up photo of Wang Hao’s eye.

Bai Lu had secretly taken it while he was asleep.

I imported the photo into my device.

Through complex algorithms, I converted the two-dimensional photo information into a three-dimensional iris data model.

Then, I connected the cracker to the computer.

Took a deep breath.

And began to crack.

Time passed by second by second.

Fine beads of sweat broke out on my forehead.

Finally, after nearly an hour.

The computer made a soft “beep” sound.

The screen lit up.

I successfully entered Wang Hao’s secret garden.

An Eden filled with dirt, greed, and sin.

Wang Hao’s computer was like a huge treasure trove.

A black treasure trove full of incriminating evidence.

I found everything I wanted with almost no effort in an encrypted folder.

The folder contained all his “achievements” over the years, neatly categorized.

There were the “yin-yang contracts” he signed with various suppliers.

There were detailed accounts of how he siphoned off company funds through inflated project expenses.

There were bank statements and chat records of him accepting commercial bribes.

There were even several secretly recorded video files.

The protagonists of the videos were all young and beautiful women.

Some were his company subordinates, some were his clients, and there was also that “ex-girlfriend” he claimed to have already broken up with.

They were in various settings: offices, hotels, and even in his car…

The images were unbearable to watch.

This man was more shameless and dirtier than I had imagined.

And what shocked me the most was another folder named “Investment Plan.”

It contained only one document.

It was a business plan for acquiring my current company, “Apocalypse Tech.”

Wang Hao actually wanted to acquire my company!

I clicked open the plan and quickly scanned it.

It was an acquisition plan full of malice and greed.

He planned to collaborate with several capital firms to maliciously short “Apocalypse Tech’s” stock, creating market panic.

Then, he would take over the entire company at an extremely low price.

At the end of the plan, he specifically mentioned me.

“Target company, Chief Technology Officer, Chen Ye. This person’s technical ability is decent, but his personality is weak, with no ambition, and he is easy to control. After the acquisition is complete, consider demoting him or directly terminating his employment.”

Demote him.

Directly terminate his employment.

Looking at these few words, I felt a surge of blood rush to my head.

This son of a b****!

Not only did he want to sleep with my wife and take over my home.

He also wanted to destroy my career and smash my rice bowl!

He wanted to thoroughly trample me, Chen Ye, underfoot!

My hand gripping the mouse turned white from the excessive force.

I forced myself to calm down.

Anger wouldn’t solve the problem.

I needed to be calmer, more ruthless than him.

I copied all the incriminating evidence from the computer to an encrypted USB drive.

After doing all this, I cleared all my operating traces.

Then, I silently left this sinful study.

Just as I was about to leave Wang Hao’s house.

My gaze was drawn to something on the coffee table in the living room.

It was an open jewelry box.

Inside the box lay a diamond necklace.

I recognized the style.

It was identical to the one I gave Lin Wan.

Except, the diamond in this one was larger and sparkled more.

Clearly, this was Wang Hao’s next “gift” for Lin Wan.

Perhaps also a gift to celebrate her pregnancy with his child.

I looked at the necklace, and an even more vicious plan slowly formed in my mind.

I took out my phone and took a photo of the necklace.

Then, I left.

Back home, I sat in my study, waiting.

Waiting for the prey to return.

Late at night, 11:30 PM.

Lin Wan returned.

She seemed to be in low spirits, with a hint of fatigue and disappointment on her face.

“You’re back?” I asked, feigning concern.

“Mm,” she replied weakly.

“What’s wrong? Did the prenatal check-up not go well?” I asked, knowing the answer.

“No,” she shook her head. “The doctor said the baby is very healthy.”

“Then what’s wrong?”

Lin Wan hesitated for a moment, then said, “Honey, should… should we not go to Iceland anymore?”

“Why?” I feigned surprise.

“I…” She lowered her head, her voice a little aggrieved. “I went shopping today and saw a necklace I really liked.”

“But it was too expensive. I thought it would be better to save the money for the baby later.”

She was acting in front of me, playing the role of a thrifty and responsible mother who considered the child.

She acted it so vividly.

I looked at her, and in my heart, I sneered.

I knew she must have gone to see Wang Hao today.

And Wang Hao must have, for some reason, refused to buy her that necklace she “really liked.”

That’s why she was so disappointed.

“Silly girl.” I stood up, walked over to her, and gently stroked her hair.

“It’s just a necklace, what’s expensive or not.”

“If you like it, we’ll buy it.”

“You don’t need to worry about money. Did your husband ever treat you and the baby unfairly?”

My words made Lin Wan’s eyes instantly light up.

“Really, honey?”

“Of course, it’s real.” I took out my phone and opened the picture of the necklace I had just taken.

“Is it this one?”

The moment she saw the photo, Lin Wan’s face instantly froze.

Her pupils were filled with incredulous shock.

She probably racked her brain, but couldn’t understand.

Why the necklace she had just seen at the counter today.

Would immediately appear on my phone.

“You… how could you…”

“How could I have this photo, you mean?” I smiled, a gentle and mysterious smile.

“Because I also went to that store today.”

“I saw you standing at the counter for a long time. I knew you must have really liked it.”

“So, I quietly bought it.”

“I wanted to give you a surprise.”

I looked at her face, which was filled with shock and emotion.

Word by word, I said:

“Lin Wan, it’s lying right now on the coffee table in our neighbor Wang Hao’s living room.”

“I put it there with my own hands.”

“You can go get it now.”

“Consider it my first big gift to you and the b*stard in your belly.”

My words were like a bolt of lightning, striking Lin Wan’s head.

Her face instantly drained of color, becoming paler than the wall.

“You… you… said… what…”

Her lips trembled, each word forced out through gritted teeth. She looked at me in terror, her eyes seeing me as a devil crawled out of hell.

“Don’t understand?” I took a step closer, towering over her, a most cruel smile playing on my lips. “I said, I know everything now.”

I took out my phone and opened a video file.

Then, I shoved the screen in front of her face.

The screen was playing the surveillance footage from that afternoon: her, wearing a mask and sunglasses, walking into room 1808 of the Hilton Hotel.

“Tell me,” my voice was like an icy blast from Siberia, “who is this? Who is this shadowy woman sneaking into your ‘Brother Wang’s’ room?”

Lin Wan looked at the video, her body swaying violently, almost losing her balance.

All her hope, all her pretense, were torn to shreds by me at this moment.

“I…” She stammered, no sound coming from her throat.

“Need something more exciting?”

I didn’t give her a moment to breathe. With a swipe of my finger, the screen switched to another image.

It was Wang Hao’s check-in information at the hotel front desk.

His name, ID number, room number, and check-in time were all clearly visible.

“Tell me,” I squeezed her chin, forcing her to look into my eyes, “is your ‘old place’ very comfortable?”

“Is it more suitable for you to roll around in than our 1.8-meter bed?”

My words were filled with the most vicious humiliation.

Lin Wan’s psychological defenses finally collapsed completely.

With a “wah,” she slumped to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.

Her cries were piercing and despairing.

“I’m sorry… Chen Ye… I’m sorry… I was wrong… I was really wrong…”

Like a drowning person, she incoherently repeated this pale and powerless confession.

“Sorry?” I sneered, throwing her face away. “Save your cheap tears! I don’t want to hear it anymore!”

I thought I would be angry, I would yell.

But strangely, when this moment truly came, my heart was a deadly calm.

Perhaps, sorrow is greater than death of the heart.

Perhaps, hatred had already turned me into an emotionless machine.

I looked down at this woman, who was crying like a dog in front of me.

This woman, whom I had once loved with all my youth and passion.

There was not a single shred of pity left in my heart.

“Lin Wan,” I slowly began, my voice as calm as if reading a pre-written verdict, “at this point, do you think crying is still useful?”

“I just want to know why?”

“What exactly did I do to wrong you, that you would betray me in such a despicable way? To trample on our ten years of affection?”

My questioning cut off her sobs.

She looked up, her tear-streaked face filled with pain and struggle.

“No… Chen Ye… it’s not what you think…” She choked, beginning to tell the story I had already anticipated.

“It was Wang Hao… he kept pursuing me…”

“He said he loved me. He said he fell in love with me the moment he first saw me.”

“He said that the life you couldn’t give me, he could. He could buy me the most expensive bags, the brightest diamonds. He could take me to travel all over the world.”

“At first, I refused.”

“I told him I had a husband, and I loved my husband very much.”

“But he still wouldn’t give up. Every day, he sent me flowers and gifts. He used all sorts of romantic gestures to win me over.”

“And you…” She looked at me, her eyes actually showing a hint of complaint and grievance. “Every day, besides work, it was just your useless flowers and plants.”

“How long has it been since you really looked at me?”

“How long has it been since you told me ‘I love you’?”

“Our life was like stagnant water, so bland it suffocated me.”

“I…”

“So,” I interrupted her, sneering, “so you threw yourself into another man’s arms?”

“So you comfortably enjoyed the so-called ‘passion’ and ‘romance’ he brought you?”

“So you used his money to buy branded bags, and then came home to continue playing the role of a thrifty, virtuous wife for me?”

“Lin Wan, you truly amaze me.”

My words made her feel utterly ashamed.

She lowered her head, not daring to look at me anymore.

“Enough.” I didn’t want to hear her selfish and ridiculous excuses anymore.

“I don’t want to know those disgusting details between you two.”

“I just want to tell you one thing.”

I squatted down to her level, and word by word, I said:

“Tomorrow, we’re going to the civil affairs bureau.”

“Divorce.”

“You leave with nothing.”

“Then, I will print one hundred copies of these videos and photos, and paste them all over our community, and also at Wang Hao’s company.”

“I want everyone to see what kind of despicable faces you two adulterers truly have.”

My “judgment” was like a heavy hammer, completely shattering Lin Wan’s last psychological defense.

“No… don’t…” She clutched my pants leg in terror, like grasping at a last straw. “Chen Ye, please, don’t do this… you can’t do this…”

What she feared was not divorce, nor leaving with nothing.

She feared ruin and disgrace.

She was afraid that her painstakingly crafted image of a gentle and virtuous “perfect wife” would be mercilessly torn apart by me, exposing her most disgraceful and ugly side nakedly to everyone’s eyes.

Wang Hao was a successful man, a financial elite; perhaps he wouldn’t care about this so-called “reputation.”

But she couldn’t.

She was just an ordinary woman; gossip alone would be enough to drown her completely.

“You can’t do this to me…” She cried heartbreakingly. “We… we were husband and wife after all… ten years… Chen Ye, don’t you have any lingering feelings at all?”

“Lingering feelings?”

I sounded like I’d heard the funniest joke of the century.

I kicked her away, my eyes filled with contempt and disgust.

“Lin Wan, when you were twisting and turning under another man, why didn’t you mention lingering feelings to me?”

“When you were taking his money, buying tens of thousands of yuan worth of bags, comfortably enjoying everything, why didn’t you mention lingering feelings to me?”

“Now that you’re about to be ruined, you come to me begging for pity, asking me to consider lingering feelings?”

“Don’t you think it’s too late?”

My words, each one a stab to her heart, blocked all her pleas.

She slumped to the ground, her eyes empty, completely plunged into despair.

Looking at her like this, there was no sense of satisfaction in my heart, only deeper exhaustion.

I once thought that when I threw all the evidence in her face and watched her cry bitterly and beg, I would feel a sense of vengeful pleasure.

But now, I only felt that all of this was incredibly absurd and tragic.

We, who had once loved each other so much.

How did we end up like this today?

I didn’t want to see her disgusting face anymore.

I turned and walked back into the study, closing the door.

I needed quiet.

I needed to properly plan my revenge.

Yes, revenge.

Just divorce, just ruining her reputation, was far from enough.

That would be too easy for them.

Especially Wang Hao.

That self-important man who controlled everything.

What I wanted was not just for him to lose his job.

What I wanted was for him to fall hard from his lofty perch.

To fall to pieces, never to recover.

And the USB drive I copied from his computer was the most lethal weapon.

But how should this weapon be used to achieve maximum destructive power?

Should I directly hand it over to their company’s disciplinary department?

Or anonymously send it to the media?

No.

That would be too direct.

And too easy for him.

What I wanted was a more precise, more perfect hunt.

I wanted to be like the most patient chess player.

Step by step, leading him into the inescapable trap I had set for him.

Just as I was deep in thought.

My phone rang.

It was Bai Lu.

“Brother Chen,” her voice sounded a little anxious, “how is it? Did… did you confront Sister Lin Wan?”

“Mm,” I replied.

“Then she…”

“She confessed everything.”

On the other end of the line, Bai Lu let out a sigh of relief.

Immediately after, her voice turned cold.

“And Wang Hao’s side… Brother Chen, is what you got enough to make him suffer eternal damnation?”

“Enough,” I said. “But I’m thinking about how to use it.”

“Brother Chen,” Bai Lu said, “I know you’re soft-hearted. You might feel it’s not necessary to be so ruthless.”

“But I’m telling you. For someone like Wang Hao, once you give him a chance to breathe, he’ll be like a venomous snake and bite you back.”

“We must kill him in one blow.”

Her words sounded like she was considering my well-being.

Like she was reminding me not to be too soft.

But I knew she was more eager than I was.

She wanted to see Wang Hao utterly ruined even more than I did.

“I know,” I said calmly. “I’m just thinking of a more interesting way.”

“Oh?” A hint of curiosity crept into Bai Lu’s tone.

“What do you think,” I slowly said, “on the day Wang Hao’s company rings the bell for its IPO. If all his scandals, and that wonderful ‘yoga video’ of his, simultaneously appear on Nasdaq’s big screen.”

“What kind of scene would that be?”

The other end of the line fell silent.

I could imagine Bai Lu’s expression at that moment.

It must have been one of shock and extreme excitement.

After a long while, she finally spoke in a trembling voice:

“Brother Chen… you…”

“You truly are a genius.”

No.

I wasn’t a genius.

I was just a devil driven insane.

My plan sounded like a pipe dream.

To broadcast Wang Hao’s “crimes” live on Nasdaq’s big screen was an almost impossible task. Their security system was world-class, virtually impenetrable.

But to me, there are no absolutely secure systems in this world.

As long as something is written in code, there will always be vulnerabilities.

And Bai Lu showed one hundred percent support for my crazy plan. She became my most capable assistant and my only accomplice.

Our “Avengers Alliance” was truly unbreakable at this moment.

Over the next month, I practically lived in my study, completely immersed in this technical war.

I utilized all my knowledge and connections from the past ten years. I even contacted several top hackers hidden around the world through some gray channels.

We formed a temporary online attack group.

The goal was only one.

—Nasdaq.

And Bai Lu was responsible for providing me with all information about Wang Hao’s company.

She leveraged Wang Hao’s trust in her, and as his wife, she silently gathered everything for me.

Wang Hao’s company, “Brilliance Capital,” was a rapidly developing financial technology company. They planned to officially ring the bell on Nasdaq on the fifteenth of next month.

For this day, Wang Hao had been preparing for three full years.

This would be the highlight of his life.

He would also, therefore, soar to become a top billionaire worth tens of billions.

And what I had to do was, at the moment he was closest to heaven, personally push him into hell.

Bai Lu told me that Wang Hao had poured almost everything into this IPO. He not only risked all of the company’s assets but also leveraged a large amount of capital through various illegal means.

Once the IPO failed, or if the stock price plummeted on the listing day.

He would not only lose everything.

But also incur huge debts that he could never repay in his lifetime.

This was exactly what I wanted.

What I wanted was not just to ruin his reputation.

I also wanted to make his life worse than death.

During this month, Lin Wan was like a living dead person.

She no longer cried or begged.

She just quietly stayed in that home that no longer belonged to her.

Every day, she would clean the rooms until they were spotless.

She would place my meals promptly at the study door.

Then, she would just sit blankly on the sofa, watching TV, watching for the entire day.

There was no communication between us.

Like two strangers living in the same space.

I knew she was waiting.

Waiting for my final judgment.

She was like a prisoner already condemned to death, calmly waiting for the execution date to arrive.

I ignored her.

My heart could no longer hold this woman.

All my energy was invested in that upcoming, ultimate war.

Time flew by.

In a blink of an eye, it was the day before the IPO.

Night, 10 PM.

My online team and I launched the total attack.

It was a silent war.

Code, like a tide, surged towards that seemingly unbreakable firewall.

The attack was blocked.

Then attacked again, and blocked again.

Time passed by second by second.

My back was already drenched in cold sweat.

Bai Lu sat beside me, so nervous she barely dared to breathe.

3 AM.

Just as we were about to despair.

An inconspicuous data interface showed a logical vulnerability that lasted only 0.1 seconds.

I accurately captured it.

Like a top assassin, I seized that fleeting opportunity.

Successfully implanted our “Trojan horse program” into Nasdaq’s main control system.

Success!

My team and I let out silent cheers in the encrypted channel.

Bai Lu was even more excited; she directly hugged me and fiercely kissed my cheek.

Her lips were soft and cool.

I instinctively wanted to push her away.

But she held on tight.

“Brother Chen…” She looked at me, her eyes gleaming with a complex and ardent light. “We… succeeded.”

“Mm,” I nodded, subtly breaking free from her embrace.

“Tomorrow,” I slowly said, looking at the program on the computer screen that had already begun its countdown, “will be the moment to witness a miracle.”

Yes.

Witnessing a miracle.

Or rather, witnessing a most spectacular destruction.

New York time, 9:30 AM.

Beijing time, 9:30 PM.

Wang Hao and all his company’s executives, impeccably dressed in suits, stood confidently on the Nasdaq bell-ringing stage.

His face was beaming with uncontrollable excitement and pride.

He held the small hammer, symbolizing wealth and success, in his hand.

He was, at that moment, the center of the world.

This scene was broadcast globally, reaching every corner of the world.

I was also sitting in my study, watching this grand live broadcast.

Beside me sat Lin Wan and Bai Lu.

I had requested them to watch it with me.

I wanted them to witness firsthand this historic moment, orchestrated by my own hands.

Lin Wan’s face was ashen, her eyes empty.

Bai Lu, on the other hand, was trembling slightly from excessive excitement and nervousness.

On the live broadcast screen, the host was introducing “Brilliance Capital’s” glorious history and bright future in the most passionate tone.

Wang Hao stood by, smiling and waving to the camera.

He didn’t know what kind of show was about to unfold on the world’s largest and most watched LED screen behind him.

The countdown began.

“Five!”

“Four!”

“Three!”

“Two!”

“One!”

“Clang—”

The crisp sound of the bell rang out.

Wang Hao, with all his might, struck the most climactic bell strike of his life.

And also rang the death knell of his own destiny.

The moment the bell fell.

I pressed the Enter key on my computer.

A miracle happened.

On Nasdaq’s massive LED screen, where stock codes and prices were originally supposed to be flickering in real time, everything instantly vanished.

Replaced by a static screen.

Then, the static disappeared.

A huge title appeared in the center of the screen.

—”Brilliance Capital Founder Wang Hao: Confessions of a Business Scammer and S*x Addict”

Below the title, all the incriminating evidence I had copied from his computer began to scroll.

Yin-yang contracts, fraudulent accounts, bank statements, bribery records…

Page after page, document after document, high-definition, uncensored.

The whole world saw it clearly.

The scene immediately erupted.

All the reporters went crazy. They rushed towards Wang Hao, who was still stunned on the stage, with their cameras.

Flashlights flashed like mad.

Wang Hao was completely dumbfounded.

He looked incredulously at the large screen behind him, which was publicly executing him.

His face turned from red to white, then from white to green.

But this was not the end.

This was merely the appetizer.

When the financial crime evidence finished playing.

The screen went black.

After 0.1 seconds, it lit up again.

This time, what appeared on the screen was a sight no one expected.

That familiar yoga mat.

That familiar adulterous couple.

That surveillance footage, which I would never forget in this life.

It was presented to the entire world in an unprecedentedly high-definition and gigantic manner.

Although crucial parts were pixelated by me.

Those two faces, contorted by desire, were so clear.

Wang Hao.

And, Lin Wan.

“Ah—”

Lin Wan, beside me, let out a piercing scream.

She covered her face, trembling like a leaf.

And Bai Lu stared intently at the screen.

A mixed expression of hatred, delight, and madness appeared on her face.

The live broadcast signal was urgently cut off at this moment.

But it was already too late.

The whole world had already seen it.

Wang Hao, this financial new elite who had just rung the bell for his IPO.

Was not only a business scammer.

But also a philanderer who was having an affair with his neighbor’s wife.

He was finished.

Completely and utterly finished.

And I, looking at the final frozen image on the screen.

Slowly stood up.

I walked over to Lin Wan.

And threw a pre-prepared divorce agreement onto her face.

“Sign it.”

My voice was calm, without a ripple.

“Then, get out.”

The earth-shattering “bell-ringing incident” became the top story in global finance and entertainment sections for the next month.

Brilliance Capital’s stock triggered the circuit breaker mechanism on its listing day, plummeting and instantly turning into worthless paper.

Wang Hao also went from being a sought-after financial elite to a reviled public enemy.

He not only had to face the hefty fines and criminal prosecution from the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

He also had to face the frantic pursuit of those investors he had defrauded.

His life, overnight, fell from heaven to the deepest hell.

And all of this was accomplished by me, a seemingly insignificant IT engineer, by simply typing a few keys in my study.

This is the power of technology.

A power capable of subverting the world and destroying everything.

Lin Wan signed the divorce agreement the next day.

She didn’t ask for a single penny from me.

A true “clean break,” leaving with nothing.

When she left, she took nothing.

Just as if she had arrived with nothing.

She stood at the door, and for the last time, looked at me.

In her eyes, there was no hatred, no love.

Only a dead, silent ash remained.

“Chen Ye,” she said, “I’m sorry.”

“And, thank you.”

With that, she turned and left.

I didn’t know what she meant by “thank you.”

Was she thanking me for giving her a release?

Or thanking me for not sending her to hell with him?

I didn’t know.

And I didn’t want to know.

From the moment she walked out that door.

This woman had no further connection to me.

The house suddenly became empty.

I sat alone in the living room, which once echoed with our laughter.

Watching the sunset outside the window, little by little, disappear.

An unprecedented, immense sense of emptiness instantly engulfed me.

Did I win?

I won.

I completed my revenge in the most perfect and thorough way.

I brutally trampled that pair, who had once been high above, trampling my dignity.

But why was there not a trace of triumphant joy in my heart?

Why was there only this boundless weariness and desolation?

I felt as if I had won a war that didn’t belong to me.

Then, I found myself lost in a charred wasteland.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

I opened the door.

It was Bai Lu.

She was wearing a fiery red dress and exquisite, heavy makeup.

Her face was radiant, glowing.

She was like a completely different person from the helpless little woman I first met.

“Brother Chen,” she leaned against the doorframe and smiled alluringly at me, “won’t you invite me in for a drink?”

“To celebrate our great victory.”

I was silent for a moment, then moved aside, allowing her to enter.

She was my ally.

And the only witness to my revenge.

I took out a bottle of Romanée-Conti from the wine cabinet.

This was Wang Hao’s cherished wine, which I hadn’t had time to dispose of yet.

I poured a glass for her and myself.

“Cheers.” She raised her glass and smiled at me.

“To our success.”

I picked up my glass and clinked it lightly with hers.

The scarlet wine swirled in the glass.

Just like that mouthful of blood I spat out that night.

“What are your plans next?” I asked her.

“Me?” She took a sip of wine, her eyes gleaming with ambition. “I’m going to divorce Wang Hao.”

“Then, I’ll use the assets he allocated to me in our prenuptial agreement to open my own company.”

“Brother Chen, what about you?” She looked at me. “You’re a genius. Staying in a small IT company is a waste.”

“Why don’t you come and help me?”

“I’ll give you thirty percent of the shares. We can create a brilliance of our own together.”

She invited me.

Her beautiful eyes were filled with undisguised admiration and desire.

I looked at her.

Looking at this woman, who was deeply cunning, ruthless, yet beautiful like a fairy.

I suddenly understood.

She and I were the same kind of people.

In our bones, there lived a devil who would stop at nothing to achieve its goals.

We were both victors in this war.

And also survivors of this war.

I refused Bai Lu’s invitation.

“Why?” She looked at me, her beautiful face etched with confusion. “Chen Ye, we’re a match made in heaven. Together, we can get everything we want. Money, status, power… there’s nothing in this world that can stop us.”

“Perhaps,” I said, swirling the red wine in my glass, watching the crimson liquid leave tear-like streaks on the crystal.

“But, Bai Lu, have you ever considered? When we gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into us.”

“To get revenge, we’ve both become the kind of people we once hated the most.”

“I’m tired.”

I looked up at her, my eyes filled with an unprecedented calm and weariness.

“I don’t want to live this life full of calculations and conspiracies anymore.”

“I want to find a quiet place and live a few days like an ordinary person.”

Bai Lu was silent.

She looked at me for a very long time.

The ardent flame in her eyes slowly extinguished.

Replaced by a complex sense of regret and a hint of loneliness I couldn’t decipher.

“I understand,” she said, standing up and downing the last sip of wine in her glass.

“Chen Ye, you and I are ultimately not on the same path.”

“You are kinder than me.”

“Good luck.”

With that, she turned, her fiery red figure swaying, and left my home.

I didn’t see her off.

I knew that from this moment on, our brief “Avengers Alliance” was officially disbanded.

We would walk down two completely different life paths.

She would take her ambition and desire to create her own business empire.

And I would take my scars and exhaustion to find a corner where my soul could rest.

In the days that followed, I began to deal with everything I had here.

I submitted my resignation to the company.

I listed this house, filled with painful memories, on a real estate website, selling it at a very low price.

I packed up and threw away everything in the house related to Lin Wan.

When I finished all of this.

I found that I had nothing left in this city.

And no more attachments.

The day I left was a clear morning.

I didn’t tell anyone.

I just carried a simple backpack, just as I had ten years ago when I first arrived in this city.

I took the earliest high-speed train.

Aimlessly heading to a small southern town I had never been to.

I didn’t know what my future would be like.

I also didn’t know if I could ever love another person again.

I only knew that I needed to leave.

I needed a long journey to cleanse the grime from my soul.

To reconcile with the self that was once blinded by hatred.

The train slowly started moving.

The tall buildings outside the window rapidly receded.

This city, which had held ten years of my youth, ten years of love and hate, eventually became a small black dot.

Disappearing at the horizon.

I leaned by the window, looking at the unfamiliar scenery outside.

Suddenly, I felt a sense of relief.

Wang Hao, Lin Wan, Bai Lu…

These names, which had once stirred up stormy waves in my life.

From now on, they would have nothing to do with me.

They would continue to act out their love and hate in their own worlds.

And I would begin a brand new life.

A life that belonged only to me, Chen Ye.

I settled down in that small seaside town in the south.

I rented a small house very close to the sea.

The house had a small yard.

I started tending to my plants again.

Only this time, I wasn’t growing those delicate succulents.

But some of the most ordinary sunflowers and cosmos flowers.

They didn’t need meticulous care.

They just needed sunlight and rain to bloom brightly and vibrantly.

I found a very leisurely job.

Working as a technical consultant at a small internet company.

Every day, from nine to five, with weekends off.

The salary wasn’t high, but it was enough for me to live very comfortably here.

I started learning to enjoy my solitude.

In the mornings, I would go for a run on the beach and watch the sunrise.

In the afternoons, I would brew a pot of tea and sit in the yard, reading or daydreaming.

In the evenings, I would go to the wet market, buy the freshest seafood, and come back to cook myself a hearty dinner.

My life became simple, yet pure.

All the past love and hate seemed like something from a previous life.

Blown away by the salty sea breeze, leaving no trace.

Sometimes, I would think of them.

I imagine Lin Wan has perhaps started her new life.

Without my constraints, and without Wang Hao’s burden.

She should be living more freely now.

I imagine Bai Lu has perhaps become a successful female entrepreneur.

She is so intelligent and so beautiful.

She will surely get everything she desires.

As for Wang Hao.

I heard he was sentenced to life imprisonment for multiple financial fraud charges.

He will spend the rest of his life in a cold prison.

This, perhaps, is his best ending.

Each of us got the ending we deserved.

Not good, not bad.

Just, destiny.

One day, I went for a walk on the beach.

I saw a young girl teaching a little boy how to fly a kite.

The kite flew very low, constantly swaying and falling.

The little boy was very anxious, almost crying.

But the girl was calm.

She squatted down and gently told the little boy:

“Baby, don’t rush. Flying a kite is like our life.”

“Sometimes the wind will be strong. Sometimes the wind will be weak.”

“We will fly very high, and we will fall very hard.”

“But it doesn’t matter.”

“As long as the string is still in our own hands.”

“We will always have the chance to fly again.”

Listening to her words, I suddenly felt released.

Yes.

As long as the string is still in one’s own hand.

There will always be a chance to fly again.

I looked at the distant azure where the sea met the sky.

And the fiery red sunset on the horizon.

I smiled.

Smiled from the bottom of my heart.

I knew that Chen Ye, who had died in the neighbor’s living room, had finally come back to life at this moment.

He carried a body full of scars.

But also the hope of rebirth.

The wind blew.

Bringing the scent of the sea.

And also the beginning of a new story.