C49 I will Capture It

"Absolute?"

Lin Xuan couldn't help but laugh in exasperation. "Is there anyone more extreme than the Pei family? Pei Jinzheng has conspired with outsiders to betray his own cousin. He's lower than low."

Old Lady Pei was visibly shocked by his accusation.

The officer interjected, "We deal in evidence. Let's see what's on that USB drive, and it will speak for itself."

Pei Jinzheng, swallowing hard, nervously glanced at Lin Xuan.

Lin Xuan returned the look with a gaze that spelled doom, sending a shiver down Pei Jinzheng's spine.

Soon, the conversation between Pei Jinzheng and Qin Xiaojia played out on the large screen for all to see, leaving the Pei family members speechless.

Pei Jinzheng's legs gave out from fear; with the evidence laid bare, he had no room for excuses.

Pei Qiuyu, seething with anger, confronted him. "And to think you're my cousin. Why would you do this to me?"

"I... It wasn't me, Mom! Grandma, help me!" Pei Jinzheng was so terrified he was on the verge of tears.

Lin Xuan declared, "Officer, I'm pressing charges against Pei Jinzheng this instant. I want him to rot in jail for the rest of his days!"

"Take him away now!" barked the police captain, gesturing decisively.

Two officers immediately stepped forward and snapped handcuffs onto Pei Jinzheng's wrists.

"Please, I'm begging you, I don't want this!"

In a panic, Pei Jinzheng fell to his knees before Pei Qiuyu, pleading through his tears, "Qiuyu, I'm begging you, don't let them take me. I'm not even married yet; I can't—I can't go to prison!"

Pei Qiuyu, livid, refused to even glance at him. How could she forgive someone who had so cruelly betrayed her?

"Officers, I implore you, don't take my son!" Sun Lanping clung to Pei Jinzheng, weeping bitterly.

Pei Jiang also approached Pei Qiuyu, pleading earnestly, "Qiuyu, your uncle has only this one son. He's just in his twenties. If he's locked away, he could get a decade or more. By the time he's out, his life—and the future of our Pei family—will be in ruins."

"Uncle has never asked you for anything before, but today, I'm pleading with you—please spare Jinzheng, will you? Are you really going to make me bow down to you?"

"Uncle, I..." Pei Qiuyu felt awkward.

Lin Xuan interjected, "Pei Jinzheng brought this on himself. His downfall or the Pei family's future has nothing to do with Qiuyu. Aren't you aware of your past actions? How can you have the audacity to beg Qiuyu for mercy now?"

Lin Xuan's words left Pei Jiang in stunned silence.

It was true; the Pei family had been far too cruel to Pei Qiuyu!

"Although I understand you're upset, you can't just ruin Jinzheng," Sun Lanping sobbed.

Pei Qiuyu, seething with anger, retorted with a bitter laugh, "Afraid now, are you? You all witnessed it—if Lin Xuan hadn't stepped in to save me, I would have been the one ruined!"

"Pei Jinzheng deserves to be in jail, reflecting on his wrongdoings!"

"That's enough!"

Old Lady Pei's hand thundered down on the table, jolting the entire family.

"Look at you, so defiant! How did the Pei family end up with an ungrateful granddaughter like you? Do you think I'm as good as dead?"

Pei Qiuyu hadn't anticipated Old Lady Pei's outburst, especially not directed at her.

"Grandma, I didn't do anything..." Pei Qiuyu protested, feeling aggrieved.

"Didn't do anything? You're trying to ruin my grandson and ensure my eldest son has no heirs. Are you trying to send me to an early grave?"

Pei Qiuyu was speechless.

Old Lady Pei, pointing at Pei Qiuyu, continued furiously, "What law is greater than kinship? If you drop the charges, Jinzheng won't have to face jail time. Do you really want him locked up for over a decade? What's your true motive?"

Pei Qiuyu, indignant at Old Lady Pei's defense of Pei Jinzheng, countered, "Grandma, how can you condone what Pei Jinzheng did to me? The evidence of his betrayal is undeniable. Is seeking justice through the law so wrong?"

Old Lady Pei shot back, "There's always a cause for everything. If you hadn't turned down the Nine-star General, forcing Jinzheng to return such a hefty dowry, would he have been driven to desperation?"

"I've watched Jinzheng grow up since he was a boy, and he's never done anything like this before. You're the one who drove him to it!"

Pei Qiuyu was so upset she was on the verge of tears.

Her grandmother's favoritism was blatant, pinning all of Pei Jinzheng's faults on her.

Old Lady Pei pressed on, "You're the one who ruined Jinzheng, so you must bear the full brunt of it. Withdraw the evidence; don't let Jinzheng end up behind bars!"

Lin Xuan reached his limit and exploded, "Old Lady Pei, stop hiding behind your age. Have you lost all sense of fairness?"

"Fine! If you value Pei Jinzheng so much and disregard Qiuyu's feelings, then today I will ensure the downfall of the Pei family!"

With that, Lin Xuan whipped out his phone, ready to dial.

"What are you doing?" Old Lady Pei demanded, panic-stricken.

"I'm going to have all my clients cut ties with Y Corporation. Qiuyu will start her own company, and you won't see a dime. Plus, I'll make sure they run every one of your companies into the ground, erasing the Pei family's presence from A City."

"You need to understand that Pei Jinzheng is insignificant. Qiuyu is the true backbone of the Pei family!"

"Hand it over, I won't let you make that call!"

Before Lin Xuan could dial, Old Lady Pei lunged for him.

"Don't do this, please..."

Desperate, Old Lady Pei cried out, "Qiuyu, stop him! Do you want to watch our family go bankrupt?!"

Pei Qiuyu was rattled, but she instinctively grabbed Lin Xuan's phone and ended the call that was about to go through.

Lin Xuan was beyond the point of sparing anyone's feelings.

"If you don't want me to make the call, then Pei Jinzheng will face the full extent of the law!"

Old Lady Pei collapsed, wailing, "This is a tragedy, such a tragedy..."

"Wuwu ~ Grandma, I don't want to go to jail, please, Grandma!"

With a heavy sigh, Old Lady Pei closed her eyes and waved dismissively, "Take him away. Whatever the sentence, I'll act as if I never had that grandson. Just take him away!"

Old Lady Pei was heartbroken, yet she faced an impossible decision: to choose between the well-being of her entire family and her grandson.

"No, please, help me, Grandma, Mom, Dad, save me... Qiuyu, I'm begging you, please, oh please," Pei Jinzheng sobbed uncontrollably.

The police officers were unmoved by Pei Jinzheng's wailing as they firmly led him away from the Pei family estate.

The police captain courteously addressed Lin Xuan and Pei Qiuyu, "We'd appreciate it if you both could accompany us to the station to provide a statement."

"Of course, we're happy to cooperate," Lin Xuan responded, gently taking Pei Qiuyu's hand as they exited through the Pei residence gates.

"This is it, it's all over now..."

Sun Lanping collapsed to the ground, overwhelmed with despair. She turned to Pei Qiusha, her voice laced with fury, "This is all your doing! What possessed you to come up with such a disastrous scheme? You've even dragged your brother into this mess!"

Pei Qiusha was defiant, "How can you pin this on me? Weren't you on board with the plan when we first thought it up?"

"Now you're trying to shift the blame onto me? I won't stand for it!"

Terrified of her grandmother's wrath, Pei Qiusha seized the moment to make her escape.

Old Lady Pei, livid with rage, pounded on the table and bellowed, "You wretched girl, get back here this instant!"