Chapter 293

Chapter 293

Ruthless

Lu Hang had meant to call Zheng Jie out, but unsure of what his wife was planning, he swallowed his words and let her needle Zheng Jie to rattle him.

"So, you're saying none of this has anything to do with you?" Lin Nannan asked uncertainly.

"Of course not! Who do you take us for? How could we be involved in such things?" Zheng Jie hastily explained.

Lin Nannan nodded in sudden understanding. "That makes sense. I believe you. That Liu Jinzhi needs to be grilled hard—maybe we can uncover who's really behind this."

Zheng Jie outwardly agreed, but inwardly, he was debating saving Liu Jinzhi or shutting her up for good.

This woman knew too many of his secrets. If she cracked under pressure...

Lin Nannan caught the cold glint in Zheng Jie’s eyes, as did the others. They exchanged a subtle glance, playing it cool to avoid tipping him off.

Still itching to keep these items from slipping away, Zheng Jie threw out casually after they seemed to trust him, "These things require specialists to handle. I know people here—should I send word for them to take over?"

If the authorities in Nanshi took charge, he might still reclaim them. But if they ended up with Lu Hang’s group, he wouldn’t even get a scrap of metal.

"No need!" Lin Kangnian shot down the idea. "We’ve already received orders to take full responsibility here. Besides, we wouldn’t want to implicate you. You still have business in Nanshi—if word got out, you’d be in danger."

The rejection made Zheng Jie feel dismissed, especially since he was standing right there. But he didn’t press further, knowing these items were lost to him.

Taking a deep breath, he suppressed his frustration and watched helplessly as Lin Nannan proudly explained to Lu Hang what weapons these materials could make. He kicked himself—he should’ve moved heaven and earth to keep Lin Nannan back then.

---

After her arrest, Liu Jinzhi still clung to hope that Zheng Jie would save her. After all, they had years of shared affection—surely he wouldn’t let her die.

But when she heard him declare that this had nothing to do with him, that she had acted recklessly and must have colluded with someone else, her hope shattered.

He was throwing her to the wolves, leaving her to take the blame...

"I’ll take care of our child. Play along—say what they want to hear to get out sooner," Zheng Jie hinted meaningfully. Liu Jinzhi’s shoulders slumped in resignation.

Lin Nannan and the others observed silently, no one stepped in.

As Liu Jinzhi was led away, her eyes remained fixed on Zheng Jie, begging wordlessly. But he walked off without a backward glance, he didn’t spare her a second glance, his indifference absolute.

"All that talk of love, yet at the first sign of trouble, he bolts. Ugh!" Lin Nannan scoffed, finding Zheng Jie utterly repulsive now.

"Stop provoking him," Lu Hang chided gently, tousling her hair.

Lin Kangnian glanced at Lin Nannan but bit back his words when he saw she was unharmed.

Their plan had been meticulous, hoping Liu Jinzhi might lead them to clues. No one expected her to drop a bombshell—though the danger Lin Nannan had faced left him conflicted.

Zhang Shengguo handled the cleanup, hauling away everything usable or not—unbeknownst to Zheng Jie, who had already left.

With this place exposed, he had to distance himself and left early, clueless they’d stripped the place bare.