Chapter 832: Trapped

Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

A group of people had been waiting since morning, their eyes fixed on the front door of their target. The door remained closed, with no signs of activity. It didn’t look like they were going to open for business at all. What was going on?

Director Zhao, having received the news, rushed to the scene, only to be left dumbfounded.

This shouldn’t be happening. The information had come from Deputy Commander Hu, a woman with a strong official background. Her information couldn’t be wrong. Moreover, based on his covert observations over the past few days, Guan Xin and her team were indeed secretly preparing for a report. Why was there no movement today?

He realized with a sinking feeling that he had been tricked.

Director Zhao donned his wide-brimmed hat, preparing to make a quick exit. Unfortunately, he was a second too late. Guan Xin’s camera clicked a moment before he could move.

Following the sound, Gu Zi and the others emerged from their hiding place. Gu Zi waved at him with a smile, “Director Zhao, aren’t you going to introduce us to your colleagues?”

Guan Xin lowered her camera, her tone teasing as she chimed in, “No need for introductions, Director Zhao. You seem to have quite the network, even knowing our rivals of the Guangcheng Daily so well. These are all key figures from the rival newspaper. But once these photos reach the editor-in-chief, I’m afraid Director Zhao won’t have time to network anymore. He’ll be too busy counting the days until his dismissal letter arrives.”

Upon hearing this, the members of the rival newspaper understood the situation. They knew they wouldn’t be able to scoop the story. Grabbing their belongings, they made a hasty retreat.

Director Zhao, caught red-handed, realized it was too late to escape. His face twisted in anger, he wanted to curse, but fear held him back. Damn it, he had been ruined by that woman, Hu Jie!

His gaze shifted to Guan Xin. “Guan Xin, don’t forget, I had a hand in your recruitment to the newspaper. Delete these photos, and we can let bygones be bygones.”

Guan Xin scoffed, “Director Zhao, the deputy editor only asked you to pass a message to the editor-in-chief. You call that a recommendation? There’s no way I’m deleting these photos. You know as well as I do the unspeakable things you’ve done over the years, hiding behind your title. I’ve been considerate enough not to expose you.

“Gu Zi was my recruit. You’ve caused enough trouble already, and now you’ve sold our internal information to our rivals. You have no professional integrity. I will definitely submit evidence of your collusion with the rival newspaper. Let’s go, Xiao Luo.”

Guan Xin, accompanied by her assistant Xiao Luo, took her leave first.

Gu Zi turned to Director Zhao and said, “I know who’s backing you. But I must say, risking your career to curry favor with a military superior is quite a gamble. Good luck, Mr. Zhao.”

With that, Gu Zi, pulling along Li Hua who had been merely observing the drama, also departed.

Gu Zi knew that the person behind Director Zhao was Hu Jie. It seemed she had underestimated the appeal of Su Shen. The school had Teacher Zhou, the newspaper had Director Zhao, and Hu Jie was determined to remove her from Su Shen’s side. However, she would not comply with Hu Jie’s wishes.

Li Hua glanced back at the scholarly middle-aged man with a sigh of regret. “Such a cultured man, why not do something worthy of his education? Why get involved in such unnecessary matters? Education is a blessing. It’s a pity that not all educated people cherish what they have.”

Li Hua, now with some free time, also read books and gained much insight. She greatly admired those who had the opportunity to study from a young age. In her eyes, people like Director Zhao, with knowledge and culture, who had risen to the position of director in the newspaper, were truly successful. She couldn’t understand why he would risk his future. What a waste.

The drama upstairs was riveting, but the scene outside the shop downstairs was equally captivating. Director Zhao had not only sought coverage from the rival newspaper but had also leaked the news to the city’s braised meat shop peers in advance. He had been promoting the successful opening of Sister Hua’s Gourmet Shop in the city, claiming that the business of other braised meat shops would be greatly disrupted. He even claimed that in the future, Sister Hua’s Gourmet Shop would dominate, making survival difficult for other shops.

The city’s shop owners were outraged. Cutting off someone’s livelihood was akin to murdering their parents – a great enmity. A small shop that had started in the countryside, whose original shop had not been open for long, was planning to open a branch in the city and claim dominance. This was a blatant disregard for the old shops. They could not tolerate it. So, they all decided early on to unite and boycott the new shop on its opening day.

Today, most of them had closed their businesses, or at least sent a few people to participate in the boycott. They marched to the front of the new shop with banners, ready to show the new shop owner a lesson. However, for some unknown reason, after causing a ruckus all morning, the so-called new shop had not even opened its doors.