The collapse of the Hortez Group was so swift that Hortez barely had time to react. By the time he did, the building was on the brink of collapse.
In the past two months, Wright and Marceau had meticulously prepared for this moment. They not only investigated the Hortez Group’s illegal activities but also sabotaged various projects associated with the conglomerate. Throughout this operation, Xie Youzhou, under the guise of a hacker, provided invaluable assistance.
Now, as the Hortez Group’s illegal dealings were exposed, public outrage surged. The stock market was suspended, and the capital chain snapped. Attempts by the Hortez Group to sell off projects or land to recover from the crisis fell flat—those assets also imploded under scrutiny.
The Hortez Group was like a sieve, leaking water from every direction. No matter how many walls they tried to prop up, they couldn’t keep the structure intact.
Worse yet, Marceau and Wright were relentless. As powerful conglomerates in Country M, they had formed strategic alliances with numerous high-ranking government officials. Their connections allowed them to act with more ease than the beleaguered Hortez.
Using their vast resources, they directly reached the upper echelons of the government, ensuring swift action against any officials attempting to shield the Hortez Group. One by one, companies under the Hortez banner were seized, projects were halted, and top executives were taken in for questioning.
The Hortez Group, already battered, found itself collapsing under a torrent of scandals. As new evidence surfaced—first regarding d**g sales in states where it remained illegal, then evidence of exploiting minors and bribing officials—it felt like a relentless barrage. Each time Hortez thought he had caught his breath, another scandal slammed into him.
The shocking revelations, initially shocking, were just a prelude to a flood of incriminating evidence that lay in wait.
In truth, if not for the considerable capital backing and official cover, the Hortez Group might have weathered the storm. Unfortunately for them, the Marceau and Wright Groups had set their sights on total annihilation.
As the news spread and it became clear that the Hortez Group was doomed, the phenomenon of “kicking a man when he’s down” began to emerge.
Within a month, the Hortez Group declared bankruptcy. Many executives were imprisoned, and Hortez himself fled Country M to escape incarceration.
Before his departure, he bid an emotional farewell to Ruan Jiaojiao, who wept uncontrollably, leaving Hortez with a heart heavy with despair and unbridled rage.
When he returned, he vowed that each one of those responsible would—
No! They must all die!
What he didn’t know was that, as he departed, Ruan Jiaojiao fell into Marceau’s arms, sobbing inconsolably.
“Brother Marceau, wuwu… please save Brother Hortez. Didn’t you two often cook together? He’s innocent; those things have nothing to do with him!”
Marceau held her close, feeling a mixture of joy and sorrow. He couldn’t help but admire Ruan Jiaojiao’s kindness. Even as Hortez floundered, she remained devoted.
But he also wondered how quickly she fell into his embrace, the tears streaming down her face making her seem fragile, delicate as a flower.
“Jiaojiao, you’ve been deceived. All the evidence is true,” Marceau replied gently, looking into her tear-filled eyes. “In his pursuit of profit, he has harmed countless people—selling d**gs in illegal states, bribing officials, exploiting children, even murdering honest officers. He is not innocent.”
“How could that be? How could it…?” Ruan Jiaojiao shook her head in disbelief. “Brother Hortez is so kind and gentle; he wouldn’t hurt a fly. It must have been someone else pulling the strings, like my uncle or grandpa.”
“Jiaojiao, you’re being naïve. Hortez has been putting on an act. The evidence has been verified, and there’s an overwhelming amount against him. He’s finished. Even if he escapes now, he can only hide like a hunted animal. You need to let him go…”
“No! This can’t be happening! How could it…”
Ruan Jiaojiao collapsed into tears, overwhelmed by despair, and fainted in Marceau’s arms. He quickly lifted her, calling for his housekeeper to summon the doctor.
Meanwhile, Xie Youzhou remained distant, focused on his work. With a cold expression, he meticulously traced every private account linked to Hortez, blocking them one by one.
Hortez had thought, “As long as I have the green hills, I needn’t worry about firewood.” Little did he know that Xie Youzhou was methodically setting fire to those hills.
The efficiency with which Xie Youzhou executed this operation stemmed from his past experiences. In his previous life, it took him a year to unravel Hortez’s accounts, nearly alerting the organization in the process. At that time, his gege was —
Gone.
As he repeated the familiar code commands, memories of past pain washed over him. It felt as though he was being dragged back to those nights filled with torment, his heart gnawed at by grief. A surge of rage erupted within him, and he slammed his fist down on the keyboard, the sound echoing loudly.
With that action, Hortez’s final account vanished from the screen, replaced by a string of black garbled text.
Once he resolved the last of the accounts, Xie Youzhou rushed out, desperate to escape the suffocating memories that threatened to overwhelm him.
He had to see his gege—he needed to see him immediately!
At that moment, Lin Zhiyu was in the lab with Professor Bai Chunling, conducting the final mouse experiment. After months of intense research, they had finally developed the most effective detoxification drug to date.
“This drug outperforms opioids in detoxification and has significantly less psychological dependence,” Professor Bai Chunling explained, his mask slightly muffling her excitement. The side effects were comparable to those of opioids, but overall, this new compound was a major improvement over existing detoxification treatments.
“Having conducted extensive trials on mice, if this experiment proves to be as successful and stable in clinical trials, we could be on the brink of something monumental,” he continued, her eyes gleaming with tears of joy.
Lin Zhiyu nodded, feeling the weight of their achievement. “This could truly benefit countless lives,” he replied.
Professor Bai turned reflective, his voice softening. “Our country has a vast population, and the number of people victimized by drugs is staggering. So many individuals have been forced into addiction, often against their will. It’s heartbreaking to see lives shattered by those with evil intentions.”
He took a deep breath, his emotions evident. “The agony of drug addiction is unbearable for most, and now… they finally have a viable path to recovery. Even those who have actively used drugs can find hope for their families.”
Lin Zhiyu smiled at him, sensing the shared purpose in their work. “That was our intention from the very beginning.”
Bai Chunling’s gaze lingered on him, warmth spreading in his chest. The young man before her embodied the hope and potential of a new generation. He felt gratitude for his resilience—how he had emerged from the shadows of his past to champion truth and justice. He couldn’t help but ponder the losses that could have ensued had he remained silenced.
“It’s getting late,” he said, breaking the silence. “I suppose your brother is on his way to pick you up.” His teasing tone brought a smile to Lin Zhiyu’s face.
He chuckled softly, pondering Xie Youzhou’s schedule. With Hortez on the run, Xiaoyou was likely preoccupied with blocking accounts filled with illicit funds. The thought of Hortez, filled with rage and disbelief as he attempted to access those accounts, amused Lin Zhiyu. He was glad not to witness the spectacle firsthand.
Just as he bent down to continue drafting their report, a sudden commotion erupted outside the lab.
Could that be Xie Youzhou? Before he could process the thought, he stood up and opened the door, only to be enveloped in an intense, heated embrace. Lin Zhiyu was taken aback, the suddenness leaving him momentarily speechless.
“Xiao, Xiaoyou?” he managed to say, bewildered.
Xie Youzhou’s voice was low and dry, laced with an undercurrent of anguish from his past life. “Gege, gege…”
The emotion in his words resonated deeply, and Lin Zhiyu could feel the weight of their shared history pressing down on him.
“I missed you so much,” Xie Youzhou whispered, his grip tightening as if he were afraid of losing Lin Zhiyu again. The sincerity in his voice tugged at Lin Zhiyu’s heart, stirring memories of their connection and the pain of their previous lives.
In that moment, they were no longer just two individuals caught in a tumultuous world—they were brothers, united by their shared struggles and hopes for a better future.
