Chapter 581: Chapter 581: Harsh Words, True Reason

“I used to be crazy, but not anymore. It’s not worth it.” “Just like Gong Yao’s mother, I’m not interested in the Gong Family’s affairs. It’s all for the sake of the children.”

“If you’ve acknowledged Gong Yao but not your daughter, what’s that supposed to mean?”

Ren Xue was almost ready to utter the words ‘favoring boys over girls.’

Old Mr. Gong pressed his lips tightly, knowing that finding another excuse was meaningless.

He didn’t need an excuse.

“Why should I acknowledge a daughter of low character? Her embezzlement and kickbacks—if I hadn’t let it go, do you think she’d still be standing here?”

“Do you think I should acknowledge her?”

A common fault among some men.

The whole world is wrong, but not them.

Even if there’s wrongdoing, it’s others who erred first.

When Ren Xue wanted to speak again, Ren Xiya stopped her.

“Dad, is convicting me based on one email too arbitrary?”

“Arbitrary? Originally, I didn’t want to pursue this. But since you insist on arguing, I’ll indulge you.”

The old man glanced at the butler.

The butler immediately handed over a document.

The old man took the document and threw it at Ren Xiya.

Instantly, papers scattered everywhere.

Lin Zhiyi’s table had someone pick up a few papers from the ground to circulate.

The sheet that reached her hands was full of transaction records.

It showed Ren Xiya repeatedly asking for kickbacks from foreign suppliers, even involving threats.

Others looking at the materials in their hands had even heavier expressions.

It seemed Old Mr. Gong and Gong Yao had prepared the show thoroughly, with evidence ready long ago.

Lin Zhiyi clenched the papers in her hands, looking somewhat worriedly at Ren Xiya.

Perhaps her gaze was too direct, and Ren Xiya noticed, turning to smile at her.

After reading the materials, the eyes on Ren Xiya were now filled with reproach.

Someone said, “Miss Ren, you and your mother live peacefully abroad. There’s no need to break up so publicly and embarrass yourself.”

The implication was that if the situation escalated, she and her mother would gain nothing.

Then someone advised her.

“It’s not a dignified matter to begin with, and now it’s even more disgraceful.”

“The upper beam is not straight, the lower beam is crooked. How can a mother with a drug dependency raise a good daughter? She can’t compare with children raised properly by others.”

The chaotic voices grew louder.

Lin Zhiyi’s expression became grim as if she saw her past self.

No one wanted to hear her explanation; she was judged guilty with just a few words.

She clenched her fist and suddenly stood up.

“Who do you think you are to say that? If these papers really can convict someone, why not give them to the police? Anyway, if the old man doesn’t want to acknowledge Miss Ren, wouldn’t it be easier to put her away?”

The crowd’s expressions instantly changed.

Why not send her in?

Wasn’t it because they feared Ren Xiya would start babbling?

Some elders, unable to maintain their composure, said angrily, “Lin Zhiyi, what’s this got to do with you? Sit down!”

Lin Zhiyi had long been accustomed to the blame from these pedantic elders.

Just as she was about to retort, someone beat her to it.

“Zhiyi, how can you talk back to your elders? The elders have plenty of experience and their own judgments, definitely more cautious than us juniors.”

Bai Ruoshu stood up, showering compliments like a rainbow.

Those upright elders praised so much they had smiles curling their beards.

Yang Jingwei covered her lips and lightly coughed, “Did Miss Lin empathize so much because she was reminded of something? All us women know what Miss Ren and her mother are thinking.”

“But the Gong Family is also a prestigious family; they don’t accept just any child born.”

She implied that Lin Zhiyi and Ren Xiya were both children poorly raised by their mothers.

And she subtly alluded to childbirth—only one person present was expecting a child.

Liu He.

Liu He’s face turned pale, and her belly tightened a little.

Lin Zhiyi pressed her hand on her shoulder, chuckling lowly, “Mrs. Bai, how can you empathize with a mistress and be reminded of something?”

Yang Jingwei froze, lips slightly parted.

Lin Zhiyi didn’t give her a chance to speak, directly launching a ‘righteous indignation’ attack.

“After saying so much, is there any difference between Ren Xiya and Gong Yao?”

“Aren’t they both children born from mistresses?”

“Now you say the mother didn’t raise the child well, where was the father?”

Saying this, Lin Zhiyi directly glared at Bai Ruoshu.

“Miss Bai, they sure have a lot of experience. Otherwise, how could they find time to make so many children?”

“If they were really prudent, they wouldn’t lose control over the bottom half of their bodies. Even if they couldn’t control it, they should at least be responsible for their children.”

“Do they just want the pleasure? How are they different from rogues?”

Bai Ruoshu became speechless and sharply said, “Lin Zhiyi!”

This lady of privilege never expected, in her lifetime, someone sharing her dinner table would speak such dirty words.

Those elders who bootlicked the old man fumed with anger.

In contrast, the madams who previously disapproved of Lin Zhiyi felt both frustrated and amused, yet didn’t refute.

Some were muttering to the Bai Family mother and daughter.

“Why provoke her? When she goes crazy, she’ll climb on the table, and no one can have a bite more.”

Yang Jingwei and Bai Ruoshu were speechless.

The old man was also losing face; he had invited Lin Zhiyi here to show her that with him around, Gong Chen couldn’t take charge.

Nor could she enter the family.

Yet she used such filthy words to mock them.

“Gong Chen.” The old man looked angrily at Gong Chen.

Gong Chen put down his cup, said calmly, “I can’t control her. But, blunt as her words were, they made sense. I’ll keep that in mind.”

He looked deeply into Lin Zhiyi’s eyes, his eyes like deep pools, shining with a light only she could understand.

Lin Zhiyi felt a bit embarrassed, pulling back her thoughts.

“Since things have come to this, shouldn’t Miss Ren be given a chance to explain?”

“Or are some people worried about something?”

The ‘some people’ naturally referred to Gong Yao.

Gong Yao’s eyes flashed sharply, unreservedly retorting, “Lin Zhiyi, no matter how you say it, the evidence is conclusive. How do you want to explain it? The accounts all belong to Ren Xiya; if she didn’t tell anyone, how would others know and send money to them?”

“And all those emails, they were sent from Ren Xiya’s computer. She wouldn’t just tell others her computer password, would she?”

Lin Zhiyi was taken aback.

Actually, for the influential Gong Family, none of these were issues.

The lack of evidence to counter was the crucial point.

In hesitation, Ren Xiya laughed, “I can actually answer that question for you.”

“What?”

Gong Yao looked at Ren Xiya in surprise.

Ren Xiya explained, “Actually, these papers you have are meaningless. The case won’t be handled domestically because the company is registered abroad. So you need to report it to the authorities abroad first, and when I come back to the country, report it again domestically.”

“But there’s no need to go to such lengths. I’ve reported it to both, as this involves significant sums, I’m cooperating actively with both domestic and overseas law enforcement agencies.”

Gong Yao’s breath caught, “You… you reported it!”

“Yes, as it’s about both the company’s interests and my personal reputation, of course, I reported it.”

This was Ren Xiya’s first strategic move.

First, she created the illusion of compromise through Ren Xue, then she began investigating the embezzlement and kickbacks.

Ren Xiya continued, “The overseas police discovered that when my computer was receiving files, malicious monitoring software was implanted. So the other side could access my computer at any time. For example, my assistant who is currently on leave.”

“She has been caught and confessed everything.”

“While we’re talking, the overseas company should have already received the investigation report from the police, clearing my name.”

“If you still have doubts, feel free to report it again.”

“But Gong Yao, aren’t you curious about what my assistant confessed?”