They surrounded me right after the breakup.

Jiang Guangyao stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.

He held in his hand the list of supplementary evidence sent by the court.

Zhao Xiulan's account books, quality inspection reports, and the original copy of the order cancellation approval.

Each item is marked as having been included in the volume.

He crumpled the list into a ball and threw it into the wastebasket.

Press the landline internal line.

"Call Lao Jin up here."

Old Jin pushed the door open and came in. He was bald, had an old scar on his brow bone, and walked silently.

Jiang Guangyao placed the access card and brass key on the table and pushed them over.

"The archives room on the third floor of the old office building of Rongbang Construction."

"The row of metal cabinets that were sealed off were all burned."

"Use gasoline, enter through the back door, and don't turn on the lights."

He paused.

"In the innermost cabinet, there's a handwritten diary at the bottom of the drawer."

"That book must be burned first."

Old Jin put the access card and key into his pocket.

"How many people?"

"Bring one more. We'll do it in the middle of the night."

The door closed.

Jiang Guangyao sat back in his office chair.

Call the lawyer.

"Attorney Zhou, what if something unexpected happens to Rongbang Construction?"

"Improper document storage, etc..."

"How much impact will this have on the court proceedings?"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone.

"Mr. Jiang, are you sure you want to do this?"

"Just tell me how long you can stall."

"It will take at most half a month."

"The premise is that the key evidence does not fall into the hands of the court."

……

Three days ago, in the chairman's office of Xingyue Media.

Jiang Han spread the map of Jingzhou out on the table.

A red pen marked a star in the north of the city.

Zhou Zhengguo sat opposite him, holding a cup of cold tea.

"What trump cards does the Chiang family still have left?"

Jiang Han didn't look up; his pen tip was on the asterisk.

"We have all of Zhao Xiulan's account books, quality inspection reports, and withdrawal approval drafts."

"The shares of Liheng and Jiasheng were completely divided up by the Lin and Xiao families."

"From Global Times, Shan Yichun submitted a video report to us."

Zhou Zhengguo put down his teacup.

"He can stall for time with the courts."

"It won't last long."

Jiang Han drew a line from the asterisk to the side.

"The files of Liheng and Jiasheng have been sealed in the court's evidence room."

"Only the old archives of Rongbang Construction remain."

"That old building is still in the north of the city."

He continued speaking.

"It contains the draft of the cancellation approval, the stub of the bill of exchange, and the financial documents that were not filed."

"Is Chiang Kuan Yew making a move?"

"If it were you, wouldn't you fight to the death?" Jiang Han retorted.

"With one link missing in the chain of evidence, the trial will be postponed for at least half a month."

"Otherwise, he will definitely lose in court."

"If I can breathe for another half month, I can still give myself some hope."

"He'll have enough time to catch his breath for the next two weeks to transfer the rest of his assets."

Zhou Zhengguo picked up the herbal tea and took a sip.

"So you called me here to stake out the place beforehand?"

Jiang Han turned the map around.

"The lock on the back door of that old building in Rongbang has been rusted shut for a long time."

"The iron ladder in the fire escape can be climbed directly to the third floor."

"There's a row of abandoned air conditioner unit brackets on the west exterior wall; you can climb up there too."

"There's more than one entrance."

"But there are only two routes that actually allow you to sneak in with gasoline cans."

He took a photocopy out of the drawer.

Fengxing Security's night shift schedule.

Old Zheng's group was circled in red.

"Starting today, two groups will take turns keeping an eye on things."

"One group during the day, and one group at night."

"Four people per class."

"Two people guard the back door, and two people guard the corner of the fire escape."

He looked up at Zhou Zhengguo.

"Don't stop people, don't expose yourself."

"Let them in."

"Wait until they pry open the cabinet and pour gasoline on it before you take action."

"Catching the criminals red-handed is more effective than stopping them beforehand."

Zhou Zhengguo folded the map and put it in his pocket.

"Understood, I'll lead the team myself tonight."

Rongbang Construction's old office building is located in the north of the city.

The weeds in front of the building are waist-high.

The glass in the security booth was shattered all over the ground.

The iron gate was covered with rusty chains.

It was just past midnight.

A bread cart with its lights off slid into the alley behind the building.

Old Jin got out of the front seat, followed by a young man carrying a backpack.

"A crowbar." The young man pulled an iron crowbar from his backpack and handed it over.

Old Jin jammed the crowbar into the back door latch and pulled hard.

The sound of the spring snapping echoed in the empty stairwell.

The archives are located at the far end of the third floor, and the labels on the cabinet doors have turned yellow and curled at the edges.

"It's this row, starting from the innermost one, pry it all open."

The young man tried to open the seal, but the latch was stuck and he couldn't pry it open.

Old Jin smashed the metal cabinet door with a crowbar, and it deformed instantly.

The cabinet door popped open.

A stack of yellowed folders rolled out of the cabinet.

Old Jin unscrewed the lid of the bucket, and a pungent smell spread through the enclosed space.

Suddenly, all the lights in the archives room turned on.

The door was kicked open from the outside, causing both of them to raise their hands to cover their eyes.

Zhou Zhengguo stood at the door, his phone flashing once, then again.

Behind him were Lao Zheng and two other team members.

They were all wearing black training uniforms and carrying batons.

A young man with a buzz cut climbed over the fire escape and stood behind Lao Jin, blocking his escape route.

"Don't move! All of you, stay still!"

Old Jin instinctively bent down to pick up the gasoline can, but was kicked away by someone from Fengxing.

Zhou Zhengguo strode forward and swung his baton, striking him precisely on the shoulder.

Jiang Han's body has been enhanced by the system, so he can't handle it.

But Zhou Zhengguo, who had received systematic training, could easily handle Lao Jin, who came from an unorthodox background.

That baton hit really hard!

Avoid vital areas such as the forehead with each strike.

They specifically target areas that can't withstand pain, such as the shoulder blades and the back of the knees.

Old Jin's screams echoed in the empty archives room.

Nearby, the young man was pinned to the ground with his hands tied behind his back by other team members.

My cheek made intimate contact with the cement floor.

He bumped his cheekbone on the cement floor and scraped off a piece of skin.

They used all the same player selection techniques as the national team.

Zhou Zhengguo squatted down and took out a folded A4 sheet of paper from the inside pocket of Lao Jin's coat.

The list of documents to be destroyed is marked on it.

Each line of text is followed by the cabinet number.

"You're very well prepared!"

He folded the list and put it in his pocket, then stood up and dusted off his knees.

"Notify the police that someone is suspected of arson and destroying evidence."

10 minute later.

Three police cars were parked downstairs, their red and blue lights flashing alternately.

Old Jin and the young man were handcuffed and taken downstairs, with blood still dripping from their mouths.

His voice was muffled as he passed by Zhou Zhengguo.

Zhou Zhengguo didn't look at him and put the lighter into the evidence bag.

……

The telephone rang for a long time in the living room of the Jiang family's old house.

Upon hearing the message from the microphone, Jiang Guangyao remained silent for a long time.

The shadows of the sycamore trees outside the window are cast on the wall, swaying in the morning breeze.

He reached for the cigarette pack on the coffee table and found it was empty after smoking all night.

The cardboard box was crushed, and the ashtray was piled high with cigarette butts.

Chiang Kai-shek burned his last trump card.

That bucket of gasoline, instead of being used to pour on evidence, ended up being poured all over himself.