Chapter 13: Foundations of Power and Obsession's Embrace
The days following Li Yuwei's defiant walk out of Shen Mochen's office were a symphony of calculated action for her. The silence from him was, in itself, a victory; it meant he was complying, reeling from her impossible knowledge. She seized the opportunity, channeling her relentless focus into Project Phoenix. Her primary objective was to solidify Genesis Innovations, not just as a successful venture, but as a direct, undeniable competitor to facets of Shen Group. She remembered, with chilling clarity, how Shen Mochen had crushed smaller, innovative companies that dared to encroach on his territory. This time, she would be the one holding the hammer.
From her reclusive study in the Yenagoa estate, Li Yuwei held a series of discreet, high-stakes video conferences. She was signing lucrative partnership deals, not with established titans, but with agile, cutting-edge startups she knew would revolutionize the AI and sustainable tech sectors in the coming years. Her foresight was unnerving, even to her new, carefully vetted team of financial analysts and tech consultants, whom she'd recruited from her past life's memory of their brilliance. They followed her directives with a mix of awe and bewildered respect. "Feelings won't build my future. Plans will," she often reminded herself, her gaze sharp and unwavering as she reviewed complex legal documents. This wasn't about vengeance in a petty sense; it was about building a legitimate, unassailable empire that would stand as a monument to her reclamation, a direct challenge to the very foundation of Mochen's world. Her tactical and organized mind was in its element, every move precise, every risk calculated.
Meanwhile, Shen Mochen was a man consumed. He honored Li Yuwei's demands, publicly acknowledging her acquisition of Genesis Innovations with a terse, carefully worded statement that praised her "astute business acumen" – words that felt like ashes in his mouth. He even made a point of subtly defending her against the lingering whispers about her "fragility," a performance that grated on his pride but was a necessary concession in this bewildering game. But the compliance was merely a means to an end. He needed to understand. He needed to possess.
His usual workaholic focus fractured. He found himself staring at the Yenagoa skyline from his penthouse, his mind replaying Li Yuwei's words, the chilling certainty in her eyes. "She died, Mochen. In a car crash you and your accomplice arranged." The phrase echoed in his mind, a terrifying premonition of a future that, for him, hadn't happened. He began to subtly investigate past car crashes involving women matching her description, scoured old news articles about her "past ventures," seeking any shred of logical explanation. There was none. She was an anomaly, a phantom of his own dark thoughts brought to life.
His pursuit shifted from professional curiosity to a deeply personal obsession. He started sending her daily deliveries: rare, exotic orchids, vintage first-edition books on quantum physics (a subject she'd vaguely mentioned a fleeting interest in, years ago), even a hand-drawn sketch of a remote island she'd once dreamed of visiting. He never attached a note, just the sender's name: "Shen Mochen." He would then watch her estate from a discreet distance, sometimes for hours, hoping for a glimpse of her, a sign of her reaction. His once cold, calculating heart was seized by a complex storm of guilt, fear, and an undeniable, maddening attraction to this formidable, resurrected woman. He was falling, utterly and irrevocably, for the very person he had intended to destroy. His high standards for a partner were being redefined; he no longer craved docile beauty, but untamed strength, and Li Yuwei embodied it.
While Li Yuwei solidified her power and Shen Mochen spiraled into obsession, Li Meili was experiencing the full, devastating brunt of Li Yuwei's strategic revenge. The public humiliation at the gala, followed by the irrefutable evidence presented to her parents, had shattered her social standing beyond repair. Her phone no longer rang with invitations; it vibrated with desperate calls from former allies cutting ties, from the charity board threatening legal action for embezzlement, and from her parents, whose cold disappointment was a silent, crushing weight.
She was ostracized, confined to the sprawling, empty family estate, her existence a stark contrast to Li Yuwei's burgeoning success. Her designer clothes felt like a costume for a play no one was watching. Her makeup couldn't hide the dark circles under her eyes, or the constant tremor in her hands. The desperation eventually curdled into a volatile mix of impotent rage and a chilling, reckless plan. She began making discreet, frantic calls to old, unsavory contacts, whispering about ways to "silence" problems, to "make someone disappear." Her mind, once sharp in its cunning, was now clouded by panic, leading her down a dangerous path she wouldn't have dared approach before. She believed, with a twisted logic, that if Li Yuwei truly disappeared, her problems would vanish too.
Li Yuwei, though focused on her empire, kept subtle tabs on Meili through her newly established network. The intelligence reports were brief, chilling: Meili was actively seeking out underground connections. A ghost of a smile touched Li Yuwei's lips. "I don't argue. I end things," she thought, the mantra a silent promise. Meili, in her desperation, was about to dig her own grave deeper, and Li Yuwei was prepared to provide the shovel, ensuring her downfall was absolute and self-inflicted. The game was far from over; it was merely entering a more dangerous, exhilarating phase.