Movie: Get Alpha Dog at the start

Chapter 1564 Conspiracy, Overt Scheme

The hotel corridor was dimly lit, with dark patterns on the carpet. Qian Shasha stood in front of the room door, took a deep breath, and knocked. The door was pulled open almost instantly, a hand shot out, grabbed her wrist, and yanked her inside. The door slammed shut behind her.

"Ah—you're hurting me!" Qian Shasha struggled fiercely, but Li Dongming's strength was astonishing, and she couldn't break free at all. Li Dongming's face was ashen, his eyes bloodshot, and he threw her directly onto the bed. The mattress bounced, and Qian Shasha's body bounced on the sheets.

Li Dongming stood by the bed, leaning over and staring at her, angrily demanding, "Tell me, what's the deal with those photos?"

Qian Shasha rubbed her wrist, red marks already appearing on her fair skin. She sat up straight, straightened her torn clothes, and spoke slowly and deliberately, as if she were talking about something insignificant.

"You don't think you can just pick a few outstanding employees and expect me to be your mistress, do you?"

Li Dongming was furious, the veins on his forehead throbbing: "You can just tell me what you want, why did you give the photos to Zhao Mei? Do you know that this puts me in a very passive position!"

"Why are you being so fierce?" Qian Shasha raised her head, looked directly into his eyes, and raised her voice a few decibels: "If you're so capable, go be fierce with your wife."

She paused, sat up straight, and her tone became calm.

“Your wife threatened me back then, saying that if I didn’t give her the photos, she would make a scene at the company. We would both be ruined.”

Li Dongming was speechless for a moment. He opened his mouth, as if to say something, but then swallowed it back. He clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms, but he still glared fiercely at Qian Shasha.

"So you sold me out?"

Qian Shasha leaned against the headboard, crossed her legs, and looked as relaxed as if she were chatting with a friend: "It's better for one person to die than for two people to die together, right? Besides, you didn't die, at most you'll just leave with nothing. Your wife probably won't dare to go too far. With your income, you can earn back that little bit of money very quickly."

Li Dongming looked at her with some surprise. He had never realized before that this woman was so meticulous. He stared at her for several seconds, as if he were getting to know her all over again.

"Alright, since we've already laid everything out today, let's have a thorough chat." Qian Shasha sat up straight, placing her hands on her knees with her arms crossed. "Give me a million, and we'll be even."

Li Dongming was both angry and amused. He put his hands on his hips, paced back and forth in the room a couple of times, then stopped, turned around, and looked at her.

"You ruined ten years of my hard work, and now you want money from me?"

Qian Shasha corrected her, her tone neither humble nor arrogant: "What do you mean I harmed you? You clearly had a wife and still slept with me. Your wife demanded you leave with nothing; that's punishment for your infidelity. You couldn't control yourself; what does that have to do with me?"

Li Dongming was rendered speechless by the rebuttal.

Seeing his silence, Qian Shasha continued, "One million to keep my mouth shut, and I will resign and leave Guangzhou, never to appear in front of you again." She paused, a slight smile playing on her lips, "Compared to your wife's terms, this is already a fire sale."

Li Dongming wanted nothing more than to strangle this woman. He gritted his teeth, forcing out the words, "So, I should thank you?"

"No need for thanks, it's just a mutually beneficial arrangement." Qian Shasha stood up, walked to the window, and turned her back to him. "To put it bluntly, Li Dongming, even if you go to a nightclub to find women, you still have to pay, right?"

Li Dongming laughed in a fit of rage, his laughter dry and grating. "One million? That's enough for me to call a brothel so many times—"

Before he could finish speaking, Qian Shasha rushed up to him and slapped him across the face.

Snapped.

A crisp sound echoed in the room. Li Dongming covered half his face, staring at her in disbelief. His face burned with pain, and his ears were ringing.

"Li Dongming, don't push your luck." Qian Shasha's voice was icy: "You really think I'm a prostitute, huh? If you anger me, I'll slam those photos on President Fan's desk, and he'll give me far more than that!"

Li Dongming covered half his face, both shocked and furious: "You're threatening me? You bitch, how dare you threaten me!"

"So what if I threaten you?" Qian Shasha said, hands on her hips, exuding an imposing aura. "You think I'm here to rekindle our old flame? Take a good look at yourself in the mirror. Your greasy, middle-aged appearance is disgusting to look at!"

Li Dongming could no longer contain his anger. He suddenly reached out and grabbed Qian Shasha by the neck, his fingers tightening until his knuckles turned white. Qian Shasha's breath was instantly cut off, and her face flushed red.

"You dare threaten me!" Li Dongming's eyes were bloodshot, his voice hoarse. "You bitch, believe me or not, I'll kill you!"

Qian Shasha did not struggle violently. Her right hand rummaged in her pocket for a while, found the switch of the stun gun, pressed it hard, and then pressed it hard against Li Dongming's back.

A blue arc of electricity flashed. Li Dongming's body stiffened abruptly, his eyes rolled back, and his lips twitched a few times. He released his grip on Qian Shasha's neck, collapsing to the ground like a rag doll, and quickly lost consciousness.

Qian Shasha gasped for breath, touching her neck which was red from being choked, and coughed several times. She squatted down and checked Li Dongming's breathing—he was still breathing, but he had passed out.

She took a deep breath, stood up, tore several strips of cloth from the bed sheet, tied Li Dongming's hands and feet to a chair, and then used a tie to secure his body to the chair back. Once she was sure he couldn't break free, she scooped a glass of water from the toilet and splashed it on Li Dongming's face.

Li Dongming woke up with a start, water streaming down his face, dripping onto his clothes. He instinctively tried to wipe his face, but found his hands were tied. Looking down, he realized he was bound to a chair, and panicked, his voice trembling.

"What do you want to do? Murder is illegal!"

Qian Shasha stood in front of him, holding the stun gun in her hand, patting it lightly in her palm: "Since you know that murder is illegal, then you knowingly committed the crime."

She took a miniature camera out of her bag, pressed the play button, and the screen began to replay the footage. Li Dongming was choking her, his face contorted with rage, shouting, "I'll kill you." The footage was clear, the sound was clear, and even the expression on his face was captured perfectly.

“You were just choking me, saying you were going to kill me.” Qian Shasha waved the camera in front of him. “What do you call this? Attempted murder. If I hand this video over to the police, you’ll be sentenced to at least three years!”

Li Dongming then realized with a start that he had been set up. From the moment she knocked on the door, or even earlier—from the moment she sent that message—it was all an elaborate trap.

He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down.

"Fine, you win." His voice was hoarse. "One million, I'll give it to you."

Qian Shasha put away the camera, leaned against the window, and crossed her arms: "One million? That was the previous price. Attempted murder is not something that can be settled with one million."

Li Dongming was filled with shock and anger, and the chair creaked as he struggled to get in: "Then how many do you want?"

Five million.

"Impossible!" Li Dongming practically roared. "You left me penniless; where would I get so much money to give you!"

Qian Shasha sneered, walked back to him, and looked down at him: "Stop pretending to be poor. You've only been married for two years. Even if the house is awarded to your wife, you must have other savings. Don't think I don't know that you executives come into contact with a lot of rich people and have definitely done a lot of financial planning behind the scenes."

She paused, then changed the subject, her tone softening: "Besides, five million for your bright future is a good deal."

Li Dongming gritted his teeth and remained silent.

Qian Shasha glanced at the time on her phone: "I'll give you five minutes to think it over. If you don't agree after five minutes, I'll call the police right away. Even if you give me ten million, it won't change your fate of going to jail. You'd better think it through."

She pulled up a chair, sat opposite him, crossed her legs, and began the countdown.

"Four minutes."

"Three minutes."

"Two minutes."

As time ticked by, sweat began to bead on Li Dongming's forehead.

"One minute."

Li Dongming finally couldn't take it anymore, his voice filled with exhaustion: "I really can't come up with five million. Three million, give me a week—"

Before he could finish speaking, he received another hard slap across the face.

Snapped.

Li Dongming's head was turned to one side by the blow. He tasted a metallic sweetness in his mouth, and blood seeped from the corner of his lips. He had never been slapped in the face before in his entire life, and today he was slapped twice hard by a woman he had never even looked at properly.

"Trying to bargain with me?" Qian Shasha's voice was as cold as ice: "Believe me or not, I'll call the police right now!"

Li Dongming completely broke down. He lowered his head, his shoulders slumped, and he looked like a deflated balloon.

"Okay, five million, here you go."

Upon hearing this, Qian Shasha gently squatted down, patted his face, and said in a soft voice as if she were coaxing a child, "That's right, everyone can be happy, why make things worse?"

She stood up, picked up her bag, and walked to the door.

When will the money be paid?

“One week.” Li Dongming said, his head down, his voice muffled.

Qian Shasha's face stiffened, and she turned around: "Are you kidding me?"

Li Dongming looked up, his face contorted with worry: "It will take me time to raise money by selling funds and stocks."

Qian Shasha stared at him for a few seconds, then nodded: "Okay, I'll trust you this once. But if you dare to lie to me, I'll make you pay the price."

She was about to open the door and leave when Li Dongming hurriedly shouted, "Let me go first!"

Qian Shasha opened the door, glanced back at him, and said, "Don't worry, I'll have the waiter release you in a bit. I'm afraid you might do something reckless in the heat of the moment."

The moment the door closed, Li Dongming frantically yanked at the bedsheets, his body shaking violently in the chair. But Qian Shasha was tied up tightly, and he couldn't break free at all. He panted heavily, leaning back in the chair, staring blankly at the ceiling light.

"Qian Shasha, Zhao Mei, you two are ruthless!"

……

One week later.

Shen Mo organized a get-together as soon as he was discharged from the hospital. He had been cooped up in the hospital for seven whole days, smelling disinfectant and eating bland hospital food every day. He felt like he was about to grow mushrooms. As soon as he was discharged, he couldn't wait to call people and make up for all the drinking parties he had missed.

Inside the Cocoon Bar, the dance floor was brightly lit and the music was deafening. Shen Mo was dancing intimately with several young girls, his body swaying to the rhythm, laughing like a child. His face was still a little pale, but he was in great spirits, not at all like someone who had just been discharged from the hospital.

The bar manager suddenly ran through the crowd and whispered in his ear, "Boss, Mr. Qin is at the door."

Shen Mo quickly stopped twisting his body, and several girls who were having a great time immediately started to act coquettishly, grabbing his arm and refusing to let go: "Mr. Shen, let's play a little longer."

Shen Mo chuckled and patted their faces: "Go get the money from him later."

After saying that, he immediately broke free from the embrace of pleasure and strode towards the door.

"President Qin, Miss Qiao, I'm so happy you could come today!" Shen Mo gave Qin Hao a bear hug as soon as he came up.

Qin Hao patted him on the back and teased, "President Shen, you're out partying right after being discharged from the hospital? With a client like you, the hospital will never go out of business."

"Then they'll have to pray to Buddha to bless me so I can live a little longer." Shen Mo laughed heartily, his laughter loud and clear.

As they spoke, the three of them arrived at the private room on the second floor. The room was softly lit and well-soundproofed, keeping the outside noise out. Shen Mo personally poured drinks, giving Qin Hao a glass, Qiao Hailun half a glass, and filling his own glass.

"Come on, let's drink to celebrate escaping another disaster." Shen Mo raised his glass and downed it in one gulp.

Qin Hao smiled and took a big gulp. Qiao Hailun hesitated for a moment, then took a small sip as well, but still choked badly, coughing several times while covering her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Miss Qiao, you still need to work on your drinking capacity," Shen Mo teased, holding his wine glass and looking at Qiao Hailun.

Qiao Hailun glanced at Qin Hao furtively, her face slightly flushed: "I think I'd better pass. I'm just not good at drinking; my face turns red after just a little bit."

She put down her wine glass, picked up the juice on the table, and took a sip.

As they were talking, Dong Yue pushed open the door and entered the private room. He was wearing a dark blue suit, his hair was neatly combed, and he was carrying a bottle of red wine, the kind that Shen Mo liked.

"Mr. Shen, congratulations on your recovery." Dong Yue placed the wine on the table and clasped his hands in a fist salute.

Shen Mo waved his hand, gesturing for him to sit down. Dong Yue sat down next to Qin Hao and nodded to Qiao Hailun as a greeting.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Shen Mo put down his wine glass and said seriously, "I've already taken care of Bai Ruide. Next, all we need to do is bring Zhao Mei down, and Dong Yue can be promoted to sales director without any problem."

Upon hearing this, Dong Yue hesitated for a moment, then tentatively asked, "President Shen, even in fair competition, Zhao Mei wouldn't be a match for me. Perhaps we don't need to resort to underhanded tactics against her..."

Before he could finish speaking, Shen Mo slammed his wine glass down with a thud. The private room fell silent; even the music seemed to have stopped. Shen Mo's gaze was fixed on Dong Yue, his eyes sharp.

"What you really meant was 'conspiracy,' right?"

Dong Yue dared not meet Shen Mo's gaze, lowering his head and gently stroking his wine glass with his fingers. His silence confirmed Shen Mo's words.

Shen Mo wasn't angry. He leaned back on the sofa, took a sip of his wine, and spoke earnestly.

"Dong Yue, do you know why, throughout history, there have always been more conspiracies than open schemes?" He paused, then answered himself, "It's not that they aren't smart enough, but that they know conspiracies are more direct and faster-acting. Open schemes, on the other hand, are destined to give the opponent an opportunity, and even if that opportunity is only one in ten thousand, it is still subject to change."

He put down his wine glass, leaned forward, and looked into Dong Yue's eyes.

"To succeed, you must ensure your own invincibility and give your opponent no chance to turn the tables. Crush them before they even have a chance to grow!"

Although Dong Yue nodded reluctantly, he did not agree with Shen Mo's approach. He picked up his glass and took a large gulp, the harshness of the alcohol burning in his throat. He looked at the amber liquid in the glass, shimmering under the light, and felt a mix of emotions.

Two hours later, Qin Hao and Qiao Hailun prepared to leave the party. Shen Mo originally wanted to see them off personally, but Dong Yue stood up first.

"Shall I see Mr. Qin and Ms. Qiao off?" he said ingratiatingly. "Mr. Shen, please continue to attend to your clients."

Shen Mo didn't pay much attention, thinking that Dong Yue just wanted to take the opportunity to curry favor with Qin Hao, and waved his hand: "Okay then, you can help me send him off, and arrange a designated driver in advance."

A group of three emerged from the bar. A cool night breeze blew by, dispelling the smell of alcohol from their clothes. The streets were sparsely populated with cars, and neon lights flickered in the darkness. The designated driver hadn't arrived yet, so the three stood at the entrance, their shadows stretched long by the streetlights.

Dong Yue walked up to Qin Hao, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Mr. Qin, may I ask you a question?"

Qin Hao glanced at him: "Still struggling with whether or not to break up with Shen Xing?"

Upon hearing this, Dong Yue smiled bitterly, his smile full of bitterness: "You truly have keen insight."

Qin Hao smiled and said casually, "If you broke up with Shen Xing because you couldn't stand her willfulness and capriciousness, there's nothing wrong with that. But if you broke up with her because you couldn't accept people saying you got ahead by relying on a woman, I think you don't need to be so sensitive about it."

He patted Dong Yue on the shoulder, his tone becoming serious.

"This society never cares how you got rich. Once your business is big, even if people curse you behind your back, they still have to flatter you on the surface."

Dong Yue remained silent for a long time. The night wind ruffled his hair, and his expression was clearly visible in the light and shadow under the streetlights.

“I understand the logic,” he said in a low voice, “but I still can’t get over it myself.”

He looked up at Qin Hao: "President Qin, if you were in his shoes, what would you choose?"

Qin Hao chuckled, a slight smile playing on his lips. "To be honest, when I first started my business, I actually encountered the same situation as you, an opportunity to live off someone without having to work hard."

Dong Yue's eyes lit up, and he pressed on, "So how did you make your choice?"

Looking at the neon lights in the distance, Qin Hao said, "I think that the wealth accumulated by her family over two generations is enough for me in one generation. There's no need for me to rise to the top because of her."

Dong Yue fell silent. He wasn't stupid; he could naturally tell that Qin Hao was warning him—if you didn't have enough ability, living off a woman was a shortcut to success.

The designated driver arrived in the car. Qin Hao opened the car door, turned around, and looked at Dong Yue.

“You choose your own path.” His voice wasn’t loud, but every word was clear: “But remember one thing, there’s no going back. You have to bear the consequences of your own decisions.”

The car drove into the night, its taillights turning a corner at the street corner and disappearing.

Dong Yue stood there, gazing in that direction, for a long time. The streetlights stretched his shadow long and long, like a road with no end in sight. (End of Chapter)