The room reopened with the lingering stench of disinfectant, my arm cemented with plaster, eyes burning from the glare, doctors claimed a car accident, not someone stopping too soon, this day demands attention. I wanted to vomit, they said it’s normal, my arm twisted, mild dizziness, rest for a week, inform relatives, settle hospital bills. A man came, blamed me for a minor injury, I clenched my fists, felt dizzy, called him a fool—then asked if I was taken to the hospital.

The room reopened with the lingering stench of disinfectant, my arm cemented with plaster, eyes burning from the glare, doctors claimed a car accident, not someone stopping too soon, this day demands attention. I wanted to vomit, they said it’s normal, my arm twisted, mild dizziness, rest for a week, inform relatives, settle hospital bills. A man came, blamed me for a minor injury, I clenched my fists, felt dizzy, called him a fool—then asked if I was taken to the hospital.

I woke up again in a hospital ward reeking of disinfectant. My neck was fixed in a neck brace, and my vision was a blurry mess. The doctor said I’d been in a car accident; if the other driver hadn’t slammed on the brakes in time, I might have lost my life today. I told him I felt like throwing up. He said nausea was normal—I had a neck sprain and a mild concussion, and I’d need at least a week of rest. He told me to notify my relatives to come and settle the hospital bills.

Later, officers from the traffic police arrived to determine liability. There was no question about it; the primary responsibility was definitely mine. I asked if anyone else was injured besides me. The officer said a young man had sustained minor injuries—the one who hit my car. I let out a long sigh of relief and asked him, “Was it you who brought me to the hospital?”

“Yes.”

“Did you find a red snake in my car?”

“There was a toy snake. It looked pretty creepy. Why?”

Lu Cheng, that son of a bitch. It seemed he had finally shown his hand. He was even willing to use such low-life tactics. Since he wanted to play dirty, he shouldn’t blame me for being even more ruthless.

I gritted my teeth, keeping my face expressionless. After accepting the police’s lecture and reprimand, I called Old Deng. After hearing my story, Old Deng also felt that Lu Cheng had crossed the line. This was supposed to be a struggle for power, there was no need to make it a life-or-death matter.

Old Deng asked, “What are you thinking?”

I said, “There’s no other way. He wants to play in the gutter, so I’ll show him just how filthy my methods can get.”

During the few days I was recovering in the hospital, I used my connections to find Zhang Xiaoya, the former receptionist. That girl had worked at the company for over six months before Lu Cheng sweet-talked her into bed. Later, when Lu Cheng got bored, he kicked her to the curb, and the two of them had a massive, ugly scene at the office. Zhang Xiaoya looked very pure and innocent, but her private life was a mess. I called her to the hospital and offered her twenty thousand yuan. She was a bit worried about Lu Cheng’s retaliation and was too timid to take the money at first.

I said, “Xiao Zhang, don’t worry. Once you’ve made a big enough scene, just go out of town for a few days. Lu Cheng won’t dare do anything to you. By the time you come back, he’ll be nothing but a beaten dog.”

Zhang Xiaoya said, “But my reputation… if my relatives and friends find out about this, how can I go on living?”

I thought to myself, *If you cared about your reputation, why the hell were you his fuck-buddy?* I steeled my heart and added another ten thousand. Zhang Xiaoya finally agreed to my plan. The next day, she showed up at the company building with a banner, causing a scene that had everyone taking photos. She wept piteously, loudly denouncing Lu Cheng as a scumbag who dumped her after getting her pregnant. Not only that, she claimed Lu Cheng was a sex addict who loved cuckolding others, having slept with several clients’ wives and even bragging to her with screenshots.

Lu Cheng was livid and ordered the security guards to throw her out, but Zhang Xiaoya clung to a pillar and wouldn’t let go. Finally, someone called the police, and the situation was calmed down.

But the desired effect had been achieved. That afternoon, a real estate boss showed up with several thugs and trashed Lu Cheng’s office. If Lu Cheng hadn’t been slippery enough to hide in the ladies’ room, he probably would have been beaten to a pulp. A few days later, more than half of Lu Cheng’s orders were returned. The clients didn’t give a specific reason, only saying they didn’t want to cooperate with someone of questionable character—a perfectly reasonable excuse.

Little Situ was panicking. If things continued like this, this quarter’s financial report would look terrible, and the IPO would likely run into problems again. Little Situ called Lu Cheng into his office and gave him a savage dressing down. Lu Cheng swore up and down that he had never slept with a client’s wife, but Little Situ wouldn’t listen to his explanations. He told him to fix the mess as soon as possible, or pack his bags and get out.

What kind of lie is the easiest to believe?

Tell ten things, where nine are true and one is a lie hidden in the middle. Such a lie is incredibly difficult to refute; no one will doubt it.

Everything about Zhang Xiaoya and Lu Cheng was true, except for the part about the clients’ wives—that was the filth I’d smeared on him. But given Lu Cheng’s lecherous nature, everyone naturally assumed it was true. Combined with the photos and screenshots I’d intentionally had fabricated, Lu Cheng couldn’t have cleared his name if he had ten mouths.

I was in high spirits, and my injuries healed much faster. When I returned to the company and saw Lu Cheng’s haggard, overwhelmed state, I couldn’t help but go up and mock him: “Manager Lu, you’ve become quite famous these past few days. I even saw your exploits in the papers. Truly impressive, damn.”

Lu Cheng’s eyes were bloodshot as he gritted his teeth. “The car was totaled, yet you’re still hopping around. You’ve got a tough life, Old Gun.”

“Thanks to you, I’m doing alright.” I grinned, a cigarette dangling from my lips, and walked past him under his murderous gaze.