Chapter 181: Truth Hidden Among LiesZhang Yi fell into silence. The current dilemma left him with no perfect solution. If he didn't kill Lu Fengda, he would be at the mercy of his blackmail. Lu Fengda, an old fox who had long dominated the business world, was far more skilled in scheming than he was.
Over time, Lu Fengda would only take more and more from Zhang Yi. But if he killed him, Zhang Yi worried about the risk of his secrets being exposed. It felt like a Trisolarans' dilemma: having the power to easily destroy the opponent but not daring to act out of fear.
Zhou Ke'er frowned slightly, also trying to come up with a solution for Zhang Yi. Feeling frustrated, Zhang Yi grabbed one of her white, tender feet, playing with it to help him think. Zhou Ke'er's face blushed, and her thoughts started to scatter. Her beautiful eyes showed a hint of seduction as she looked shyly at Zhang Yi.
"If we can't think of a solution, maybe we should relax first. There's no rush. We can pretend to cooperate with him for now and slowly figure out a countermeasure."
Zhang Yi shook his head. "Dragging it out too long isn't good for us. The key is, if I can't find a way to resolve this, I'll feel stifled."
Neither of them could come up with a good idea. At this moment, Yang Siya returned from the botanical garden. Seeing Zhang Yi looking so serious on the couch, she couldn't help but ask, "Is something wrong?"
Zhang Yi looked at Yang Siya. He still didn't fully trust her and hadn't planned to discuss this with her. However, an extra mind might bring more ideas, and Yang Siya, with her rich social experience and background as a boss, might offer some useful suggestions.
"Honey, come here! I need to discuss something with you."
Zhang Yi called Yang Siya over to sit beside him and briefly explained the situation. Hearing what Lu Fengda had done, Yang Siya also frowned deeply. "This is really tough! He's a very cunning person and must have precautions against you."
She sighed, "This is what we call 'a lie spreads fast, the truth takes time to catch up.' Those of us in the entertainment industry have suffered a lot from this. It's truly hateful!"
Yang Siya's offhand remark sparked an idea in Zhang Yi's mind. A flash of inspiration hit him.
"Wait a minute! You mentioned spreading lies?"
Yang Siya said, "Yes, isn't he spreading your information just like those unscrupulous media in the entertainment industry spreading rumors about celebrities?"
"He doesn't have any solid evidence, does he?" Zhou Ke'er snorted disdainfully.
"The problem is that even if it's a lie, once it's out of Lu Fengda's mouth, people will believe it."
Zhang Yi propped his chin on his hands, his mind racing. "Lu Fengda has my information, but it's not solid evidence. However, if spread, it could still cause trouble. We can't stop him from spreading it; we don't have a computer expert to counter it. But if we treat it as spreading rumors, we might have a way!"
Zhang Yi's eyes began to shine as a plan formed in his mind. Zhou Ke'er and Yang Siya looked at him curiously.
"What are you planning to do?"
Zhang Yi smiled mysteriously and didn't tell them. "I need to prepare first. I'll let you know when I'm ready!"
He kissed both women on the cheek. Having someone to brainstorm with was indeed better than racking his brain alone. He then left the living room and headed to the control room on the first floor. After closing the door and ensuring no one could disturb him, he took out his phone and dialed Lu Fengda's number.
The call was quickly answered. "Hey, Zhang Yi, is everything ready?"
Zhang Yi, sounding impatient and irritated, said, "Why are you so anxious? Do you really think I have that much stuff? Damn it, if you didn't have dirt on me, I'd kill you!"
Zhang Yi's hostile tone angered Lu Fengda, who laughed loudly, "You stupid kid! If you kill me, you won't last long either!"
"I'm telling you, don't even think about it. Once I'm dead, your information will automatically be sent to every phone in Tianhai City within 24 hours!"
"Imagine the consequences then!"
Within 24 hours. Zhang Yi quickly grasped the concept. It seemed Lu Fengda had set the information to auto-upload after their call. Sᴇaʀᴄh the N0vᴇlFirᴇ.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.
"Hmph, you're ruthless! Wait for a while, and I'll send the stuff."
Zhang Yi hung up, a smile playing on his lips. He then turned on the supercomputer in the control room. This computer had a built-in server and could connect to the global internet via the Nebula Satellite Network, naturally covering Tianhai City. After a moment of thought, Zhang Yi devised a plan.
He didn't know much about computers but enough to use them. For instance, posting on the few remaining city forums and using mass messaging software to send messages to everyone.
"South China Walmart warehouse theft mystery solved—confirmed as internal theft, goods transferred back home early."
"Where did Walmart's hundred-billion-yuan goods go? According to eyewitnesses, armed forces appeared that night for a secret escort. Police remain silent."
"Revealed! Tianhai City's biggest theft case is connected to the snow disaster, with UFO sightings."
Zhang Yi racked his brain to create various sensational news. The best way to bury the truth was to hide it among a heap of lies, making it impossible to discern. It might not deceive everyone, but it would make most people think it was all nonsense. Thus, Lu Fengda's delayed information could not be trusted, greatly reducing Zhang Yi's exposure risk.
Zhang Yi edited and saved the content but didn't send it out immediately. The target audience was everyone in Tianhai City, the only ones who could pose a threat in this frozen world.
"So far, this should do it. I've done all I can. Whether it succeeds depends on fate!"
Zhang Yi prepared for the worst outcome. However, Lu Fengda had to die!