"Dong Bin, don't be impulsive. Believe me, I really didn't say anything! Think about it, if I knew you had leverage over me, why would I tell him and bring trouble upon myself?" Xu Xinyi anxiously analyzed for him. "Could your father have heard something from someone else? He went on a business trip these past few days, perhaps he met someone? Tell me the situation in detail..."
"What's there to say? Who else could it be but you! I don't care, the result is that my father has suspended all my credit cards. I'm out of money, when are you going to transfer that one million to me?" Dong Bin was naturally not foolish enough to tell Xu Xinyi that he couldn't contact his father because he had been blocked.
"It really wasn't me, Dong Bin! I swear I absolutely didn't badmouth you to your father. How about this, let me go and probe your father's situation for you first?" Xu Xinyi was almost willing to swear to the heavens.
"You can ask about it later, right now I just want the money!" the man said fiercely.
"I already told you yesterday, I can't get one million all at once!" Xu Xinyi truly had no way.
"Then give me whatever you have, I'm out of money now!" Dong Bin said righteously.
"I... I only have fifty thousand right now!"
"Fifty thousand? Are you treating me like a beggar! Five hundred thousand, no negotiation! I'll send you my bank account later. If I don't see five hundred thousand before eight o'clock tonight, your father will see photos of you and your lover!" Dong Bin issued his ultimatum and hung up.
Xu Xinyi was extremely anxious, but she also feared that Dong Bin would actually send the photos, which would ruin her and Sun Liang's plan. She first called Dong Zhenhua to try and get a read on the situation, but he didn't answer.
Xu Xinyi knew that Dong Zhenhua was usually quite busy at this time, and fearing her husband might become suspicious, she didn't dare to call again.
At this time, Dong Bin had already sent over his account number, along with a message demanding payment.
Xu Xinyi had no choice, so she gathered all the money she had in all her cards. She calculated that it totaled only two hundred thousand. Seeing Dong Bin's urgent demand, she could only transfer this two hundred thousand to him first, and promised to think of a way to get the remaining three hundred thousand.
Distraught, Xu Xinyi called Sun Liang again and explained the situation. "Hello, Ah Liang, can you transfer thirty thousand to me first? Dong Bin is pressing for it today!"
Sun Liang had been taking money from Xu Xinyi all these years and had never put any money out himself. Now, asking him to suddenly come up with thirty thousand, he was naturally unwilling. Furthermore, hearing that Xu Xinyi had already transferred twenty thousand to Dong Bin made him even more furious. In his mind, Xu Xinyi's money was his money, how could this woman transfer his money to someone else without his consent!
So, for the first time, Sun Liang yelled at Xu Xinyi, "Xinyi, how can you be so stupid! Do you believe everything Dong Bin says! I don't believe he would dare to send the photos to Dong Zhenhua right away, he's definitely lying to you!"
Xu Xinyi was a little startled by Sun Liang's loud voice and cried, "Why are you yelling! Dong Bin is a madman, what if he really sends the photos to Dong Zhenhua, wouldn't all our years of planning be ruined? I'm doing this for our future!"
"I'm sorry, Xinyi, I was just too anxious!" Sun Liang realized he had been too harsh with Xu Xinyi. After all, he and his mother relied on this woman for financial support!
So he immediately changed his tone and gently analyzed, "Dong Bin is asking you for five hundred thousand today, and you're fulfilling it all at once. If he runs out of money later, he'll definitely keep extorting you. So we can't satisfy him! Xinyi, it seems our plan needs to be moved up!"
The original date of Dong Bin's death was actually a Thursday. Dong Zhenhua had gone on a business trip on Monday, and according to logic, he shouldn't have been home. However, because he had learned the day before that he needed to host a very important client, he had rushed back overnight. Fearing he would disturb his wife's sleep, Dong Zhenhua slept in the guest room.
His wife, Xu Xinyi, was more than three months pregnant and suffered from neurotic hypersensitivity, with poor sleep quality. Moreover, their villa had been burglarized some time ago, not only causing losses of cash and jewelry but also terrifying his delicate wife who was resting alone at home. Therefore, at Xu Xinyi's request, Dong Zhenhua bought her a dagger for self-defense.
He only bought it for psychological comfort, thinking it would bolster his wife's courage during his absence. But he never imagined that this dagger would eventually become the murder weapon for his son.
Dong Bin crept into his stepmother Xu Xinyi's room in the dead of night, intending to commit an indecent act.
Xu Xinyi, already a light sleeper, opened her eyes upon hearing the noise and saw a dark figure by the head of the bed. In a panic, she grabbed the dagger from under her pillow and stabbed wildly in the direction of the shadow several times.
When the dark figure collapsed on the ground in agony, Xu Xinyi turned on the light and discovered that it was her stepson, Dong Bin. She let out a startled cry and quickly dialed 120 for emergency medical services.
Unfortunately, whether it was bad luck for Dong Bin or not, one of the stabs had hit his heart. Soon, his eyes glazed over, and he was on the verge of death. By the time the ambulance arrived, he had lost all vital signs.
This was, of course, all planned by Xu Xinyi and Sun Liang.
There had been no burglar in the villa; Xu Xinyi had taken the jewelry and cash to subsidize Sun Liang.
The dagger was not for self-defense, but for the eventual assassination of Dong Bin.
As for why Dong Bin came in the middle of the night, it was something Xu Xinyi had arranged with him some time ago. She had even told him there would be a special ritual, so he shouldn't turn on the lights and should just creep in.
Everything was meticulously planned, except for Dong Zhenhua's unexpected early return that night. However, because he was considerate of Xu Xinyi, he did not sleep in the master bedroom, which did not significantly affect their plan.
But when Dong Zhenhua heard the commotion and rushed to the room, he witnessed a scene that was difficult for him to believe. A sharp pain shot through his heart, his vision darkened, his legs went weak, and he soon lost consciousness.
When he woke up, he found himself in the hospital. The doctor informed Dong Zhenhua that he not only had heart disease but also severe thallium poisoning.
Because of Dong Zhenhua's early return, he had directly witnessed his son's death, but as a result, he was found to have been poisoned. However, it was too late.
The doctor explained to Dong Zhenhua that thallium poisoning had two types: acute and chronic. Acute patients would exhibit obvious gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, bloating, and abdominal pain within 24 hours. Chronic patients would show skin symptoms like numbness in the limbs, peeling, and acne, as well as neurological symptoms such as depression and lethargy.
Under Xu Xinyi's long-term chronic poisoning, Dong Zhenhua survived for less than two months after his son Dong Bin's death, and also died on a hospital bed.
Xiao Wenqiang extracted this memory of Dong Zhenhua and sincerely felt his despair and pain at that time. Therefore, when Sun Liang suggested moving up their plan, she also decided to get Dong Bin out of the way first.