Midnight. The Tang Group's headquarters building, located in the city's core, was brightly lit on its top floor.
Outside the glass curtain wall was the city's glittering flow, but inside, a showdown was about to unfold.
Li Qing and Li Hao, dressed in plain clothes, sat in the police car downstairs, waiting for the signal while listening to the intelligence gradually gathering in their earpieces.
"SkyNet surveillance confirms the target freighter has left port, marked as 'refrigerated agricultural products', but actually carrying military communication equipment and short-range unmanned armed devices." "Tang Qiming will be coordinating remotely from the top floor of the headquarters building tonight." "Mission start time: exactly 23:00. This time, we must catch them red-handed!"
Li Hao twisted open a bottle of mineral water, but didn't drink it. Instead, he stared blankly at the shoe box he was holding.
"...When can we finally return this cursed shoe?"
"Shut up," Li Qing rolled her eyes.
She was focused, pulling up Tang Qiming's private elevator usage records.
"Tonight, we'll put an end to this 'shoe incident'."
Meanwhile, in the top floor conference room of the building.
Tang Qiming, in a dark gray suit, stood with his hands behind his back, looking at the real-time image of an ocean freighter in the night.
Around him were virtual projections of several of his subordinates and business partners.
"The goods will cross international waters within four hours, and we will complete the first handover with the Southern Group then." "The second batch of goods is expected to be transported next week."
Tang Qiming's expression was calm, his words sharp and concise. No one would have imagined that this entrepreneur, who held countless charity awards, could speak so naturally about smuggling and illegal firearms.
The conference room door suddenly burst open with a bang.
Li Qing was the first to rush in, holding up her police badge and walking towards him: "Tang Qiming, you are under arrest! You have used your private yacht for smuggling, illegal arms trading, and organized crime. We now demand your cooperation with the investigation in the name of the law!"
Tang Qiming showed no panic. Instead, he slowly turned around, as if he had already anticipated this moment.
"Are you sure?" Tang Qiming shook his head, showing no remorse, only contempt. "You can't just falsely accuse someone without evidence."
"They have evidence," a voice interjected.
Tang Qiming froze.
Tang Yu slowly emerged from the side door, dressed in casual clothes, his eyes clear and firm.
"If it weren't for my mother, I wouldn't even want to admit you're my father. But you don't seem to particularly want to acknowledge me as your son either, but now I am your legal heir," he said. "This company, starting tonight, will undergo a thorough investigation."
Tang Qiming froze, showing a furious expression for the first time.
"You betrayed me?"
"You betrayed countless people," Tang Yu said calmly. "Including your own family."
The moment Li Qing cuffed his wrists, all the lights seemed to come on simultaneously.
Six in the morning, the city awoke.
Tang Yu stood at the building's entrance, with Li Qing and Li Hao beside him.
"That shoe," he said, looking at the shoe box in Li Hao's hand, and smiled. "I think you can have it back now."
Li Hao's face was dark: "Please don't mention it again."
Li Qing, however, smiled mischievously, taking the shoe box: "Maybe we should put it in the police station's display case, labeled: 'Cinderella Undercover Operation Prop'."
Tang Yu looked at the two, his eyes complex.
"You actually knew all along that my brother was the one dancing that night, didn't you?" Li Qing suddenly asked him.
Tang Yu paused slightly, then smiled.
"He danced terribly, stepped on my feet several times."
"Huh?"
"It's a pity..." He sighed softly, looking down. "I'm not the prince."
"You don't need to be a prince," Li Qing raised an eyebrow. "You can be a king." She turned and walked a few steps, then looked back.
"If you host another ball next time, remember to tell me in advance—I promise I won't step on your feet."
Li Hao, exasperated behind them: "Can you two just move on from this? I'm getting PTSD!"