Chapter 14: The Truth Revealed
The car sped down the road. Nora Zhao pleaded with me repeatedly, but I didn't soften.
She broke down. "Marcus Zhang, if you keep going, I swear I'll take you down with me!"
"You won't," I said coldly. "I thought you weren't a good person, but it turns out you're not even a good villain."
She froze, then could only cover her face and sob.
The car left the city and wound up into the mountains. The sky was beginning to lighten—sunlight illuminated the wide road ahead.
When I finally stopped, the roadside was filled with graves and funeral wreaths. Tables were set up everywhere, funeral music still playing. Victor Li's memorial portrait was displayed among a mountain of wreaths.
This was Victor Li's funeral.
The three-day extravaganza—even at dawn, there were plenty of guests. But they were clustered together, not near the grave.
I could see Tai Sun's parents, still kneeling beside the portrait, chanting prayers for Victor Li's soul.
I could see people hurrying toward the commotion at the center of the crowd.
And at the very center of that crowd, a man was holding a bucket, scooping up a brown substance with a ladle and hurling it at a sports car.
I recognized him.
That was a hero's face—the same man who'd once delivered a merciless blow to the conscienceless developer with his unyielding pride.
Three days in detention hadn't broken his spirit. Heroes don't bow their heads. In the sunlight, he flung sweat and manure with the same swagger he'd always carried, letting the world judge him while he stayed true to himself.
Good for him!
I cheered for him again in my heart.
The guests didn't understand heroism. They grabbed the man, cursing at him. Howard Li rushed to his car, fuming. "Are you out of your mind! Why are you throwing stuff at my car—what even is this?"
He leaned close to the car and took a sniff, then doubled over vomiting.
The hero shouted, "Crooked developers! Crooked bloodsucking father and son! Victor Li is dead, but that doesn't mean the building shouldn't be finished! You're his son—you inherited his money, so you should finish the stalled building!"
"Have you ever heard of debts dying with the debtor..." Howard Li raged. "My father is already dead—what more do you want? The unfinished building is a company matter, not our personal property. Don't you know the law?"
"I don't know the law. I know you live in a mansion, drive a sports car, and eat and drink on our blood and sweat!"
"Go bother Marcus Zhang and Nora Zhao then! They killed my father—if you've got guts, go find them. I want to find them too!"
I opened the car door and said calmly, "You little bastard. Looking for me?"
The entire funeral went silent.
Every guest stared in disbelief. Someone pointed at me, stammering, "Fu... fugitive!"
"Watch your mouth."
I sat on the hood of the Range Rover and surveyed the bustling funeral. "What a turnout. Howard Li, your father died an unnatural death—by custom, you shouldn't have a lavish funeral. A simple burial would be proper. Why go against tradition and throw such a grand spectacle?"
"Marcus Zhang, how dare you show your face here! I'll hold the funeral however I want—he deserved it!"
"Deserved it? I'd say you're doing this for show. Three days of mourning isn't about honoring your father—it's about making sure every creditor knows he's dead. Let me tell you, you're done!"
He sneered at me. "I'm done? You're delusional. Everyone—help me grab this fugitive! Turn him over to the police!"
"Greatstride Transport Company, Shunfei Studio, Haoruyi Limited..."
I recited the names of those companies, and Howard Li's face changed. "What are you talking about?"
"These are all companies connected to your family. Either you hold shares, or they had business ties with Victor Li's company. In just a few months, the books show far more money going out than coming in, and what's being purchased are items with wildly inflated values."
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"You and your father were transferring assets! You little punk, look at this crowd—many of them are your creditors. Let's see if you can walk out of here!"
The guests were stunned. Several people sensed trouble and moved to block Howard Li's escape.
Howard Li muttered, "You're crazy. I'm calling the police right now."
He pulled out his phone and started dialing while backing away, but a group of creditors surrounded him.
"Let him finish talking first. With this many people here, even if the police don't come, he can't run."
"What do you mean 'transferring assets'? Victor Li still owes me for construction materials!"
"You're not going anywhere. Hear him out."
Howard Li said anxiously, "Why are you listening to his nonsense? He's a fugitive! The police are looking for him!"
"If he's a fugitive, why isn't he running? What's he doing here in front of everyone?"
"He knows he can't escape, so he's here to drag me down. Can't you see that? Marcus Zhang, you're full of crap—where's your evidence?"
I said coolly, "The evidence is already with the police. They'll discover your involvement in the asset transfers soon enough. You can call me a fugitive, but guess what... you'll be a criminal soon too."
"Anyone can talk. Stop making things up."
"August 12th—purchased a used Ferrari 458. August 16th—purchased seven hundred thousand yuan in pu'er tea cakes. August 19th—"
The more I spoke, the paler Howard Li became. "I'm not listening to your nonsense! I'm going to the police station. Nobody stop me—I'm calling the cops."
He was trembling. Not caring about the filth, he headed for his sports car, now covered in manure. But a creditor grabbed him and barked, "You're not going anywhere until you explain yourself!"
I walked up to Howard Li and said icily, "You didn't expect me to end up working with Monkey Drake, did you? He lost the gold he owed your father, then realized the big client might actually be the dead Victor Li, so he needed to confirm the DNA. The test came back positive. The transaction records matched. It should have been a slam dunk—but it wasn't. Tell me, how does a dead man come back to life?"
"Marcus Zhang..." Nora Zhao interrupted, "I'm the one who killed Victor Li. I set the fire that killed him!"
"You're lying. You've lied to me every single time."
"I'm not lying. Tai Sun and I conspired to kill him—we wanted to steal his gold. But now Tai Sun has fled the country..."
"If I hadn't personally dealt with Monkey Drake, I'd still be in the dark. Victor Li's surveillance password? Tai Sun knew it. The details of how Victor Li was transferring assets to flee the country? Tai Sun knew them. Even the contacts and methods for smuggling out of the country—he knew all of it. If I were planning to frame you, would I give you that much information?"
"I'm telling the truth."
"Who killed Wendy Xu? You were tied up at the time. How did you kill her?"
"Tai Sun came back before she could lock the door. I silenced her—"
"You're lying! You've pinned every crime on Tai Sun, but that wasn't Tai Sun!"
I grabbed Nora Zhao and dragged her over to Tai Sun's parents.
The elderly couple looked completely bewildered. I said to Nora Zhao, "Tai Sun's parents traveled across the country to get here. They believed their son had reformed. They came with gratitude in their hearts. Tell them what kind of person Tai Sun really was. Go on—tell them!"
Nora Zhao couldn't speak. She just covered her mouth, sobbing.
The old woman said nervously, "What's wrong with my son? Did he do something wrong?"
A creditor couldn't hold back. "What's going on? I'm confused—who killed Victor Li—Nora Zhao or Tai Sun?"
I said coldly, "He killed himself."
"Himself?"
I got into the Range Rover, stepped on the gas, and drove straight into Victor Li's grave!
With a crash, the tomb shattered. The guests gasped in horror.
The headstone broke into several pieces. I got out, stomped on Victor Li's memorial portrait, and ground it under my heel a few times before spitting on it.
I grabbed the coffin and started dragging it. I couldn't lift it, but I could drag it.
When the coffin was hauled out, I said coldly, "Someone open it. Open it and the truth will be clear."
The guests exchanged glances, but no one dared step forward.
Howard Li was frantic. He charged at me, screaming, "Marcus Zhang, you bastard! You killed my father, and now you can't even let him rest in peace! Even a dead man's grave—you dare desecrate it! You'll be cursed!"
"Fine. I'll take the curse. Open the casket."
I noticed the capped man and the tattooed man lurking nervously behind the crowd. I said, "Why don't you two come help? I can keep quiet about certain things."
They hesitated, looked at Howard Li, then came over to the coffin.
People pressed closer to see. As the nails were pried out one by one, the coffin lid loosened until it could be lifted open.
Some covered children's eyes. Some were too terrified to look. Others stepped even closer.
I walked to the charred body, finally made my decision, and grabbed the pant leg that had seemed oddly thick, pulling it up.
The thing that had seemed so strange was finally revealed: a surgical steel plate. Because the body was burned so badly, part of it was already exposed through the skin.
I turned to the old couple. Even though I'd braced myself, I didn't know how to begin.
I murmured, "You two... come see for yourselves."
They stepped nervously to the coffin. The old man stared at the steel plate, then clutched his chest and staggered back two steps.
Years ago, Tai Sun had been reckless, and his father had broken his leg with a hoe.
He'd been sent to the hospital, and from then on, he'd cut ties with his family. But that once-broken leg still bore the evidence.
The old man suddenly broke down, sobbing so hard he couldn't catch his breath. The old woman reached out numbly and placed her hand on the charred body.
I saw something was wrong with the old man and immediately called out, "Someone get him to the hospital!"
The crowd erupted into action. The old man collapsed, his legs stiffening. The old woman stood there helplessly, wailing, "My son!"
I said coldly, "When Tai Sun was young, he was foolish—he gambled and played around. His father broke his leg and kicked him out. He wandered the streets, knowing he'd disgraced his family, too ashamed to go back. He told everyone he had no family. After he started working for Victor Li, he finally saw a path to redemption—he took on every dirty job, every thankless task. His whole life became about atonement. He just wanted his parents' forgiveness."
Nora Zhao cried, "Stop talking..."
I ignored her. "The truth is, Tai Sun had long understood that Victor Li was setting him up as a disposable pawn. So he sent all his earnings honestly back to his parents, to make up for the harm he'd caused. From a homeless drifter to a construction foreman, he kept his habit of smoking each cigarette down to the filter. He worked day and night for Victor Li, sending every spare penny home... But he never imagined that Victor Li would target his life!"
In Victor Li's eyes, Tai Sun had no wife, no children, no parents, no connections. If he disappeared, no one would come looking.
The charred body was never Victor Li's—it was Tai Sun's. Only the severed finger had truly belonged to Victor Li, planted for the DNA test. The broken balcony railing had been staged for the neighbors—a performance from the very beginning. He'd planned from the start to use one finger to fake his own death and escape over a billion in debt.
The person Wendy Xu met was never Tai Sun—it was Victor Li, impersonating him.
She'd mentioned that "Tai Sun's" smoking habit seemed slightly different. When I asked her to look at the chat history between Tai Sun and Nora Zhao, she'd inadvertently opened Victor Li's profile instead.
Even back then, Wendy Xu had realized that the "Tai Sun" I was looking for was actually Victor Li himself. She was the first person to know that Victor Li was still alive!
Victor Li staged his own death to escape his debts, transferring assets and planning to flee the country—all while Tai Sun took the blame and paid with his life.
I said heavily, "Ma'am, have a forensic doctor run a test. This body should be your son... Tai Sun."
The old woman stood there, holding onto her unconscious husband, tears streaming endlessly.
The old couple had traveled across the country, carefully selecting their own homegrown produce to honor their benefactor—never knowing he was actually their son's killer.
They'd offered their goods with sincere hearts, burned incense, and chanted prayers—all while mourning their own child.
Nora Zhao sat ashen-faced on the ground.
I crouched down in front of her. "You and Victor Li tricked Tai Sun into Apartment 2, conspired to kill him, and disguised his body as the burned remains of Victor Li. If you'd just turned yourself in, the case would have been closed. But you kept putting it off, and Wendy Xu ended up dead too. You knew the police would investigate thoroughly now, so Victor Li pushed you to come forward and confess—hurry up and wrap this up. Isn't that right?"
"Wendy Xu... brought it on herself."
"What do you mean?"
Nora Zhao finally gave up resisting. She murmured, "After she discovered Victor's scheme, she immediately realized she'd been used. She contacted him directly, tried to extort a massive payout—she thought having leverage would give her the upper hand. She waited in that apartment like a fool for Victor, and it cost her her life."
"You betrayed Victor Li, which disrupted his plans. Then I got involved with Monkey Drake, which exposed Victor Li's entire operation. I have to thank Monkey Drake for that—without him, I never would have figured out the truth."
Nora Zhao looked up and met my eyes. "If you hadn't shown up, I would have turned myself in ages ago. You showed me a glimmer of hope—that I could get away. But in the end, you just dragged me back into the darkness. Victor gave me the passwords. He was going to release the surveillance footage of me entering the building—he was going to pin everything on me. When I found out you'd broken in too, I couldn't resist the temptation..."
"So you're the one who edited and leaked the video."
Nora Zhao covered her face, weeping. "If I hadn't, you would have been convicted—at worst you'd spend a few months in jail. And I still would have turned myself in eventually. You could have gotten compensation..."
"You expect me to believe that?"
"Only that part was true... it was true..."
She was sobbing too hard to finish her sentence. I frowned, then turned my attention to Howard Li.
He was being held by creditors, every one of them furious.
"Where's your father! He's not even dead, and you're holding a funeral!"
"You and your father are both shameless! Pay us back!"
Howard Li was white as a sheet, trembling. "I don't know anything... I don't know what you're talking about..."
I said coldly, "Oh, you know. Victor Li could vanish and operate freely because of you."
"Marcus Zhang, stop making things up!"
"He had Nora Zhao helping him avoid every camera, but residents would still notice him. So how did he leave the complex? Through you. You went to the funeral, but you were actually his driver—parking where no camera could see him!"
Howard Li was shaking. "I'm not arguing with you. I'm going to find the police—let me through! I need the police!"
He started walking toward his sports car, but I grabbed him. "Where is Victor Li hiding?"
He shook me off. "I don't know, and I don't know you—don't touch me! If you keep harassing me, I'll sue you!"
"I don't know you that well either, but we have a score to settle."
"What score?"
I stared into Howard Li's eyes, stepping closer. "You knew all along. Your father wasn't dead..."
He swallowed hard, backing away in fear.
The scene that played in my mind was from the hallway.
Elena, kneeling before him, humbly begging for forgiveness.
She'd given up her inheritance, offered compensation, and received humiliation in return.
He'd thrown paper money in the face of the woman I loved most, cursing at her.
She'd once told me... never kneel, never submit, never diminish yourself.
I grabbed Howard Li's head. He tried to run, but I seized his hair and dragged him back, shoving his face into the bucket of manure!
His head submerged in the filth, bubbles gurgling to the surface. He flailed his arms wildly, finally yanking his head up, vomiting violently. I shoved his head back down with all my might.
I roared, "Victor Li isn't even dead, and you dared humiliate my woman! You bastard—whatever crap came out of your mouth that day, today you're eating it for real!"