“As for Liu Jian, the timing of his death was nearly in sync with the replacement of the bagua stone carving. I can't definitively say whether you had a beef with him, and I can’t confirm if you were the one who killed him.”

　　At this, Zhang Ming suddenly chuckled, a mocking glint in his eye. “Since you’re so clever, why not take a stab at how he died?” His sly demeanor was infuriating.

　　I refused to let it get under my skin. Instead, I leaned in, mirroring his teasing tone with a smirk. “If you ask me, he wasn’t killed by you!”

　　“Why’s that?” Zhang Ming shot back, his curiosity piqued.

　　“I’ve already explained—Liu Jian’s death and the replacement of the bagua stone carving happened way too close together. That timing is just too sensitive. Plus, the new stone was only put in after Liu Jian had already died. Given what happened with Li Hongmin, you know these kinds of situations are too dangerous. It’s highly unlikely you would’ve killed him, especially not then!” I held his gaze firmly as I spoke.

　　“Fair point. I really underestimated you!” Zhang Ming conceded, a hint of respect in his voice.

　　“Oh? I’ll take that as a compliment,” I replied, smiling back.

　　“Then how did he die?” Zhang Ming pressed, his eyes narrowing as he focused on me.

　　“Li Hongmin killed him!” I declared, keeping my tone steady.

　　Zhang Ming’s eyes widened in disbelief, and he shot up from his chair. “Kid, don’t joke around! Li Hongmin is dead!”

　　“But his spirit still lingers!” I countered, unwavering.

　　“Li Hongmin’s spirit is held down by the bagua stone Craving!”

　　“So you admit that Li Hongmin’s spirit is trapped by that thing!” I stood up too, matching his intensity, the air between us crackling with tension.

　　“I...” Zhang Ming suddenly looked a little rattled, but his years in the business world quickly kicked in, and he regained his composure.

　　“Liu Jian was living in the house where Li Hongmin stayed before his death. When Liu died, it was right in that awkward gap between the old and new bagua stone carvings, meaning there was nothing keeping Li Hongmin's spirit in check at that time!” I pressed on.

　　Zhang Ming lowered his head slightly and exhaled a slow breath. “It doesn’t matter; he wasn’t killed by me anyway!” He finished speaking and settled back down, pulling out a lighter to light up a cigarette.

　　“What about Zhou Yong?” Zhang Ming asked, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.

　　I sat down too, holding his gaze. “I already filled you in on Zhou Yong's death last time I was here. I don’t feel like going over it again.”

　　Zhang Ming took a drag of his cigarette, letting out a smoke ring. “Even if everything you’re saying is spot on, what’s your plan now?”

　　I let out a soft chuckle. “Don’t get ahead of yourself; I’m not finished yet. There are others we need to discuss, like Zhang Guofa!”

　　Zhang Ming flicked the ash from his cigarette and said, “What does his death have to do with me?”

　　“You really think you can just mess with the fish tank at Liu Dazhuang's place through Li Yongxia and keep it all under wraps?” I shot back.

　　“You know about that too?” Zhang Ming stared at me, surprised.

　　I chuckled lightly. The truth was, that fish tank wasn’t going to kill Liu Dazhuang and Wang Mengyun. I was saying it to provoke him and see how he'd react. I didn’t expect him to actually admit it.

　　“Just to be safe, you tampered with all those fish tanks. Zhang Guofa was just the unlucky guy who bought from the same batch, which is why he got into trouble!”

　　After saying that, I poured myself another cup of tea, sipping it while keeping a close eye on him.

　　Zhang Ming flicked the ash again and let out a sigh. Slowly, he began to recount what happened back then: “Years ago, Li Hongmin’s construction crew was just a bunch of farmers picked up randomly from the village. They weren’t legit at all—no qualifications whatsoever. But since they came recommended by a friend, I decided to keep a few of them on. What I never saw coming was how greedy that bastard was, asking for way more than anyone else.”“So you killed him?” I asked, my voice steady.

　　“Of course not! I just wanted to throw some cash at the problem and make him go away quietly,” Zhang Ming replied, maintaining a calm demeanor. “But then that bastard showed up at my company, wrecked the place, and even hurt my wife. He was cursing me out left and right, so I had no choice but to go after him!”

　　“Really? Sounds like you care a lot about your wife,” I said, raising an eyebrow.

　　“Absolutely!” he confirmed, his tone firm.

　　“Then what led you to kill her?” I pressed, genuinely puzzled.

　　This time, I wasn’t trying to trap him; I really didn’t understand why he would murder his own wife. I couldn’t even be sure that he had.

　　“Because…” Zhang Ming hesitated, crushing out his cigarette. “It was all Zhou Yong’s fault!”

　　“Zhou Yong?” I was taken aback; I hadn’t expected him to get dragged into this mess.

　　“Liu Qing and Zhou Yong were nothing but a couple of filthy dogs!” Zhang Ming spat, his anger rising.

　　This was quite a revelation. Not only did it confirm that Liu Qing was dead by his hands, but it also exposed his motive.

　　“So, you’re saying Liu Qing and Zhou Yong were having an affair?” I asked, trying to wrap my head around it.

　　“Yeah!” Zhang Ming lit another cigarette, the glow illuminating his face. “I only suspected it, but that was part of why I went after Zhou Yong!”

　　“And Xu Xiaoli? She was just your pawn in this whole thing; you didn’t have any real feelings for her,” I pointed out.

　　Zhang Ming took a long drag from his cigarette, the smoke curling in the air. “No, during the time Liu Qing was flirting with Zhou Yong, I was in a world of pain. Thank goodness Xiaoli was there to keep me company.”“You bastard! If that’s the case, why the hell did you let Xu Xiaoli end up in Zhou Yong’s bed?” I shot back, standing up. “She’s just a rural girl trying to make a living in the city. Isn’t that a bit much?”

　　Zhang Ming just chuckled. “I didn’t do anything wrong by her!”

　　“Oh, really? You think sending her to Zhou Yong is okay? And what about that bracelet you had her wear that attracts malevolent energy? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?” I yelled, frustration bubbling over.

　　To my surprise, he didn’t seem fazed at all. Instead, he lounged back on the sofa, a smirk on his face. “What’s there to worry about? Doesn’t she have a protective talisman on her forehead?”

　　I couldn’t help but laugh, shaking my head in disbelief. “Sure, that’s one way to look at it. But do you even realize that controlling that malevolent energy requires extreme precision? If there’s even a tiny mistake, it could throw her yin and yang completely out of whack. At best, she’ll feel weak; at worst, she could end up spitting blood and dying!”

　　Zhang Ming stared at me for a moment, then a grin spread across his face. “Looks like the hero has a soft spot for the damsel in distress. Who would’ve thought you cared so much about her?”

　　I took a deep breath to calm my nerves and replied, “I just can’t stand watching you take advantage of her!”

　　Zhang Ming stood up and walked over to me, giving me a friendly pat on the shoulder. “Honestly, I really admire you, Wang Xiaofeng.”

　　I looked at him with curiosity. “What do you mean?”

　　“Come work at my Tongming Group,” Zhang Ming said, gesturing around the office. “You’ve seen my capabilities. You won’t find an office like this anywhere else in the whole city!”

　　“So just because you have money, you can toy with people and kill at will?” I bit down hard on my words.

　　Zhang Ming didn’t answer directly. Instead, he turned to me and said, “Listen, young man, even if you spill these secrets, who would believe in things like suppressing evil spirits, or bracelets that kill, or fish tanks as murder weapons? Come on!”

　　“Those are exactly what Li Hongxia is doing, and I will find her!” I declared.

　　With his back to me, Zhang Ming simply shook his head and smiled, saying nothing.

　　“You don’t need to search for her. I’m right here!”

　　Suddenly, a woman’s voice rang out as the office door swung open. A tall woman in casual clothes and a hat walked in.

　　“Hello, Mr. Wang. We meet again. Let me introduce myself; I’m Li Yongxia, the person you’re looking for!” She extended her hand for a shake.

　　I stared at her, realization dawning. “Wait, it’s you! You’re Li Hongxia!”