Ten

Early in the morning, Dong Fei hummed a cheerful tune as she walked into the office. Before she even had time to put down her bag, she suddenly heard two piercing screams from the general manager’s room.

The young woman reacted instantly. She dashed to the restroom, grabbed a broom, and rushed inside.

“Director Zhang, what happened? What’s wrong? Is there a cockroach? Where is it?”

She looked around, but the tidy office held nothing out of place—except for Director Zhang herself, her long hair disheveled like some banshee. Yet Zhang Mo Mo refused to remove her hand from her hair, tugging at those smooth black locks, scratching at them frantically. Shaking her head so fiercely the boss’s chair threatened to topple.

“Ah…”

The sharp cry rang out again, sending Dong Fei stumbling back two steps in alarm! The lady boss seemed oblivious, slumping over her desk like a salted fish, her shouts rising and falling erratically.

“Director Zhang, what’s wrong?”

Cautiously, Dong Fei poked the “salted fish’s” arm, and only then did Zhang Mo Mo lift her face, pitifully. Her big eyes were red and mournful, her mouth drooping.

Dong Fei had never seen her looking so wretched. Despite her own unease, she felt compelled to offer comfort. Just as she opened her mouth, a chaotic thumping sounded from beneath the desk. Zhang Mo Mo, petulant and stubborn, kicked her feet wildly.

“I can’t take it anymore! My company’s ruined! My printing factory’s been swallowed up! Even my sister has turned her back on me! I…”

Her voice broke off, clenched between angry teeth. With a sudden bang, she slammed her fist on the table, and, as if conjured from thin air, produced a knife with a fierce glint in her eyes. “I… I’ll chop him to pieces!”

Chopping Xiang Zuo—not so easy! But she could at least puncture his car’s tires.

Zhang Mo Mo and Dong Fei, two young women, crept stealthily to the underground parking garage at Shenglian Plaza. The vast space was pitch black, not a trace of light.

“Director Zhang!” came a deep, angry shout from ahead. “Would you please take off those sunglasses?”

“Oh, oh.” Guilty as a thief, she reluctantly tucked her sunglasses away. “Dong Fei, do you think we’ll get caught?”

The valiant woman in front, crouching low, brushed Zhang Mo Mo’s hand off her skirt with disdain. “Enough chatter. Look, isn’t that XX808? You go. I’ll keep watch.”

Just as she spoke, a car drove by nearby; Zhang Mo Mo, startled, dropped the knife with a clang. She darted behind the nearest car faster than a rabbit, clutching her chest, peering out. “What happened? Who’s coming?”

Dong Fei, disappointed, clenched her jaw, picked up the knife, and handed it over at the car’s rear. “Stop dithering! It’s just a tire—no one’s asking you to commit murder!”

“I can’t!” Zhang Mo Mo, squatting on the ground, held her stomach miserably and retreated a few steps. “I don’t have the strength; I didn’t eat breakfast…” Suddenly, she brightened, slyly inching forward again. “Dong Fei, dear Dong Fei, you do it for me and I’ll keep watch.”

Her subordinate looked utterly shocked. Zhang Mo Mo, seeing no way out, glanced at the black Bentley before her and at the knife in Dong Fei’s hand, muttering, “Anyway, this was your idea…”

“What?!” The unexpected roar made Zhang Mo Mo drop to the ground. After rubbing her knees, she looked up to meet Dong Fei’s ferocious face.

“Zhang Mo Mo, get up! Hurry and do it, or I’m leaving! If you get bullied again, don’t come crying to me!”

Zhang Mo Mo squatted, head down, drawing circles on the ground. “Easy for you to say; do you think anyone can do this kind of illegal stuff? It takes talent!” But the sound of Dong Fei’s footsteps heading out made her panic, so she scrambled up, grabbing her partner’s sleeve, reluctantly taking the knife.

“Don’t leave, I’ll do it! Just stay and watch me, don’t go…”

“Fine! I won’t leave!” Dong Fei pushed Zhang Mo Mo in front of the Bentley’s wheel. “Hurry up. I’ll block you. If someone comes, I’ll pretend I’m on the phone. Whatever I say, just ignore me.”

“Oh, okay.”

Her trembling hands tried the knife at several angles, finally finding a thin spot in the tire’s rubber. The moment the tip pierced it, Zhang Mo Mo’s whole body tensed, as if she’d stabbed herself, her mind blank.

She wanted to finish quickly and escape this ordeal, but the tire seemed too sturdy; no matter how hard she pressed, she couldn’t puncture it. Wearing high heels, she had little leverage, her backside up in the air, grunting like an ox, but the tire refused to deflate.

With her stomach pressed against the knife’s hilt, her face flushed purple, Zhang Mo Mo was filled with regret. She had imagined revenge would be exhilarating, just as Xiang Zuo had delighted in tormenting her, but now, all she felt was misery.

Her thoughts of retaliation faded, replaced by resignation—and she found herself making excuses: he wouldn't even care about a single punctured tire!

But now, wanting to stop, she was trapped; the knife wouldn’t budge, sweat pouring down her back, and the blade tip, stuck in the tire, wouldn’t move. She was truly suspended, unable to advance or retreat.

Staring at the stubborn knife, Zhang Mo Mo’s eyes reddened. Those with weak resolve can’t withstand setbacks; she gritted her teeth and decided, if she couldn’t pull it out, she’d just push harder! Suddenly, a faint hiss sounded in her ear—a heavenly melody. Ecstatic, she pushed with all her strength.

Just as she was absorbed in her task, Dong Fei’s thunderous voice rang out behind her, “What are you doing?” Zhang Mo Mo jolted, lost her balance in her heels, and toppled to the ground. But that burst of unknown energy drove the knife fully in. The tire hissed, air escaping in a continuous stream. Ignoring her burning knees, Zhang Mo Mo leapt up.

All her effort and risk had finally paid off; the sound of the tire deflating was the sweet music of revenge. At last, she understood the joy it could bring.

True happiness must be shared. Zhang Mo Mo spun around, grinning, and threw herself into a warm embrace, hanging onto the person’s neck, jumping and shouting, “Dong Fei, it worked! It worked!”

But this “Dong Fei” was far too tall and seemed entirely uninterested in sharing her joy! Instead, he pushed her away, bent down, and reached for her knee.

“Enough nonsense!” came the angry, low voice, leaving Zhang Mo Mo dumbfounded.

Xiang Zuo frowned, examining her scraped knee. “What on earth are you doing?!”

In the distance, Dong Fei was already being dragged toward the exit by two men in security uniforms, kicking and yelling, “Director Zhang, help!” But at this moment, Zhang Mo Mo was in no position to save anyone—who would save her?

Stunned for a moment, Zhang Mo Mo remembered her escape plan. She waved her hand and tried to turn away. “Brother-in-law, what a coincidence; I have something urgent. Goodbye…”

Xiang Zuo sighed, a heavy weariness settling on his brow, and grabbed Zhang Mo Mo as she tried to slip away.

“Why is it so hard for you to learn to apologize when you’ve done something wrong…”

She really was driving him mad! After such deception, being treated like a fool, she still had the nerve to expect forgiveness—was there anyone else in the world like her? But forgiveness required a reason, didn’t it?

The most frustrating part was that this guilty woman seemed not to care about forgiveness at all; she’d rather lose everything than yield.

“There are cameras in the garage, and fingerprints on the knife.”

Xiang Zuo’s face was stern, his voice calm, but his grip tightened, mixing worry and anger, forcing tears from Zhang Mo Mo’s eyes.

“Let go! Yes, I did it! So what? You ruined my company, stole my factory, made my sister suffer—what you did is a hundred times worse than me!”

So stubborn—stubborn beyond hope! Xiang Zuo turned away, and, in his fury, even managed a laugh.

“Those two security guards are taking your friend to the police station right now…” With that, he left Mo Mo behind and headed outside.

Zhang Mo Mo was stunned! She feared nothing Xiang Zuo could throw at her, not even destruction—but Dong Fei… At that thought, she hurried after him.

“It has nothing to do with her! Don’t send her to the police station, she just graduated from university. Don’t go… listen to me… Hey, Xiang Zuo! You’re not allowed to leave!”

At the sound of her calling “Xiang Zuo” instead of “Brother-in-law,” the man paused, a smile tugging at his lips, and stood still. That pause gave Zhang Mo Mo the chance to grab his arm, holding fast.

“I beg you, don’t send her to the police station—take me instead, it really has nothing to do with Dong Fei…”

The man turned slowly, a subtle smile flickering in his eyes.

“I won’t, if you help me with something.”