Nan Wentian had a well - laid plan. On the one hand, his aim was to further provoke Jiang Cong and relish the sight of Jiang Cong's helpless yet furious expression. On the other hand, he hoped to lure Jiang Cong into acting rashly and pull him down completely.
Meanwhile, everyone at the exchange meeting had taken their seats. Nan Wentian never expected that Fang Shaocong would bring forward the time to enter the venue by half an hour.
Moreover, those who came to attend this report were all high - ranking people with profound backgrounds.
Thinking of Nan Wentian, who was smug and oblivious, Fang Shaocong felt a greater sense of satisfaction. "The taste of falling from grace by one's own doing must be unpleasant, Nan Wentian. You should really thank me for this wonderful gift."
When the signal from the recording pen was cut off, Fang Shaocong knew the time was ripe. Nan Wentian was about to reveal the truth.
He had an agreement with Jiang Cong. Jiang Cong deliberately showed the recording pen. Nan Wentian, upon seeing it, would surely snatch it and destroy it. Then, Nan Wentian would relax his guard, and everything would come to light.
Fang Shaocong pressed the remote control in his hand. The image projected on the big screen suddenly became blurry and then immediately changed to another scene.
Some sharp - eyed people recognized that the person in the picture was Nan Wentian, the central figure of the day. Although they were curious, they endured their curiosity and stared intently at the screen.
The venue fell silent. Everyone was attracted by the picture, wearing different expressions.
"Jiang Cong, to tell you the truth, I was able to take the chairmanship thanks to your paper. I couldn't believe that the academic plagiarism case back then failed to get you. I've been on tenterhooks day and night!" Nan Wentian sneered and completely tore off his mask of hypocrisy.
There were complex emotions in Jiang Cong's deep black eyes. His voice was tinged with obvious bitterness. "Why... Why did you do this to me?"
Nan Wentian never thought that his every move was being broadcast live. He was completely immersed in the joy of defeating Jiang Cong.
"Why? There's no reason! It's your honor that I copied your report!" Nan Wentian perverted the truth without any reason, showing no trace of shame for being caught plagiarizing.
Jiang Cong looked up at Nan Wentian with a heavy gaze and asked a meaningful question. "You used the academic plagiarism case to bring me down last time, and now you want to turn the tables with this report. What on earth are you trying to achieve?"
Nan Wentian sneered. After a moment of hesitation, he said stiffly, "It's none of your business!"
Jiang Cong knew what Nan Wentian was thinking. He leaned close to Nan Wentian's ear and said incisively, "It's because you're jealous of me. Your mediocrity puts you at a disadvantage among outstanding people. So you desperately need to publish papers and reports to consolidate your so - called status."
Exposed, Nan Wentian flew into a rage. He gritted his teeth and said, "So what! I'm the winner now!"
Every reaction of Nan Wentian was within Jiang Cong's calculations.
Hearing what Nan Wentian said with their own ears, the people in the venue were in an uproar and began to whisper to each other.
Those who had reached their current status were all shrewd. How could they not detect the tricks revealed in the conversation between Jiang Cong and Nan Wentian?
"I never thought Nan Wentian was such a person!" The young scholar who used to be a loyal supporter of Nan Wentian now showed disdain after hearing his shameless words.
"Old Nan is really finished this time..." The middle - aged man sitting next to the young scholar sounded regretful, but the strange glint in his eyes conveyed the opposite meaning.
Jiang Cong's eyes glanced imperceptibly at the position of the micro - camera. "Nan Wentian, do you want to know what the people in the venue think of you now?"
Nan Wentian was stunned by Jiang Cong's inexplicable words. A bad premonition welled up in his heart. "What do you mean? Explain it clearly to me!"
Jiang Cong stood up, easily pushed Nan Wentian onto the sofa, ignored his resistance, and said calmly, "It means exactly what it says! Just go out and see for yourself."
Alarm bells rang in Nan Wentian's mind. He hurriedly pushed Jiang Cong away and rushed out in a flurry.
Jiang Cong smiled faintly, opened the door, and walked out.
The picture was empty, but the discussion in the venue was in full swing.
Nan Wentian staggered into the venue. Someone noticed his figure. Amidst the whispering, all kinds of looks were cast towards him.
Those looks of sympathy, ridicule, and schadenfreude made Nan Wentian feel like he was being pricked by needles. He roared helplessly, "No! This is not real! It's all fake!"
"Save your protestations for the public security and judicial departments!" Fang Shaocong walked out from a hidden corner, looking imposing, completely different from the way he used to be in awe of Nan Wentian.
Nan Wentian pointed at Fang Shaocong's nose, furious and sputtering, "So what if I'm down? Do you think you can stay out of this? You're just my lackey! A lackey!"
Fang Shaocong gave a meaningful chuckle. His words completely crushed Nan Wentian. "I've already turned myself in to the police station for what happened back then and recorded my statement. Listen, they're coming soon..."
A moment later, policemen walked in from outside. "Hello, we're police officers. Nan Wentian is suspected of stealing others' intellectual achievements and blackmailing. We're now arresting you in accordance with the law."
Nan Wentian felt the coldness on his wrists. He looked at the handcuffs in disbelief. "It's impossible! How could this happen! I should be admired. I can't go to prison. I can't be jailed!"
Due to the great shock, Nan Wentian's mind became a bit muddled. He kept repeating that he was wronged, but it was in vain. He was taken away by the police.
Although Fang Shaocong chose to turn himself in, the law was unforgiving. He still had to face imprisonment. Different from Nan Wentian, Fang Shaocong wasn't forced to wear handcuffs and left the venue decently.
When he reached the hotel entrance, Jiang Cong's voice came from behind.
"You didn't have to do this." Jiang Cong clearly hadn't expected Fang Shaocong's move of mutual destruction. He thought that after Fang Shaocong brought Nan Wentian down, he would take over.
Was he underestimating human nature too much...
Jiang Cong was confused, so he tried to find the answer from Fang Shaocong.
Could a single incident or a person's hardship really change one's nature? Jiang Cong didn't believe such a conclusion. There was always a cause and an effect.
Perhaps, there was a destiny at play.