chapter 20 Expose Samuel Zhao's true face

William Lin flipped through his chat history with Alisa Zhang. The conversations were sparse, filled with Alisa repeatedly asking William about his paycheck, followed by records of William transferring his earnings to her. William always had his paycheck card with him, as he needed to allocate some of his earnings to help out his mother. Apart from that, every penny he earned went straight to Alisa Zhang. William spoke slowly, frustration was evident in his voice, "Every month, I hand over my entire paycheck to Alisa, except for what I set aside for my mom. It's all clearly documented here. But you know what, Alisa took my money and conspired with Samuel Zhao, using it to invest in a company." "I've been played for a fool all along. When I stumbled upon their secret, they even went as far as to physically assault me. It was only thanks to a close friend who came to my rescue that I'm still standing here. And now, they're turning the tables on me." "I've been working my butt off every month, all for one thing – to get married and fulfill my mother's wishes. But Samuel Zhao? He treats me like this, shamelessly claiming it's all my own doing." William Lin calmly recounted everything, but everyone in the room was far from composed. They all felt a deep sympathy for William's ordeal. "Is this what humanity has come to? It seems we've misunderstood William," someone remarked. "We shouldn't have doubted the character of the Lin family. I'll go apologize to William's family later," another chimed in. "Is there really someone like that? It's disgusting, bullying others and when they stay silent, turning the tables on them," a third person added. Hearing the voices around them, Samuel Zhao's mother suddenly stood up, angrily stating, "Can you prove anything with just a chat log? Don't slander people here. I warn you, or I'll accuse you of defamation!" William Lin let out a light chuckle and immediately scrolled to Samuel Zhao's contact, initiating a video call. After a series of beeps, the call was finally answered on the other end. Seeing that the call had connected, William Lin turned on the speakerphone. Upon seeing William's face, Samuel Zhao smirked sinisterly and said, "Well, if it isn't the little boy who's latched onto a sugar mama. What's the matter? You don't really think you can live off a sugar mama forever, do you?" "In a while, when the sugar mama has had her fun, you'll be left with nothing. At that time, I'll come and clean you up." As William Lin remained silent, Samuel Zhao in the video call pulled Alisa Zhang, who had been sitting beside him, closer to the camera. Samuel Zhao continued to provoke William Lin, "Look at this, your girlfriend, oh no, your ex-girlfriend, is quite comfortable in my arms," he said, then proceeded to engage in a passionate kiss with Alisa Zhang, remarking, "You see, she tastes really good." William Lin merely chuckled and remained unfazed by Samuel Zhao's taunts. Instead, he angled his phone's screen toward the assembled crowd, particularly Samuel Zhao's mother. The audience had already grown incensed by the voices from the phone call, and witnessing this shameless spectacle further fueled their anger. As for Samuel Zhao, he was taken aback by the people in the room, visible through the video call. He had never expected William Lin to react this way in such a public setting. Based on his understanding of William Lin, even if he were to confront someone, he wouldn't do it in front of an audience; he would save such matters for private discussions with his mother. This was why Samuel Zhao had previously tried to influence his mother against William Lin so that she wouldn't believe anything he said. The elderly man, watching the two on the screen, was also filled with fury. He slammed his hand on the table, his voice quivering with anger, "What a bunch of scoundrels!" The elderly man had lived through wars, engaged in strategic battles, and served as the village head for decades, resolving disputes among neighbors. Yet, he had never witnessed anything quite like this. One of the villagers abruptly stood up, pointed at Samuel Zhao on the video call, and shouted, "You scoundrel! Are you even human? If I catch you, I'll break your legs for sure!" This person turned out to be Samuel Zhao's uncle, the one who had initially spread the rumor about William Lin associating with a wealthy woman. When his sister, Samuel Zhao's mother, had come to him with the information, he had debated whether or not to make it public. He's also one of those nosy, trouble-loving folks who immediately spread the word about this incident. But little did he know that things would take a turn, and deep down, he felt guilty about William Lin, which is why he was so furious. Meanwhile, Samuel Zhao's mother was so angry that she couldn't even speak, let alone lift her head. William Lin brought his phone screen in front of him once again, watching Samuel Zhao, who was still stunned in the video, and said, "What's the matter, haven't figured it out yet? Did you assume that I wouldn't talk about this, thinking I'd make a mountain out of a molehill and let it slide?" "Surprised, aren't you? Everyone knows about this now, they're all blaming me, and when they see me, it's like they've seen the Grim Reaper. Are you satisfied now? When you all betrayed me, I ceased to be the naive William Lin from before." "How did I treat you back then? I helped you when you were at your lowest, but you turned out to be a backstabber. Now, I'm just making everyone see your true colors. So what, are you angry? This is nothing compared to what you did to me." Listening to William Lin's harsh words, Samuel Zhao was left speechless with anger. In the end, it was Alisa Zhang who said resentfully, 'Fine, William Lin, remember this: this isn't over.' She then hung up the call." As William Lin spoke, those present had various reactions. Some hung their heads in shame, while others wore expressions of sadness as they gazed at him. "This kid has been through so much, and he must be incredibly disappointed in that couple to speak so calmly," one person remarked. "Yeah, it's a real tragedy. Old Lin has been a good man all his life, and now, it seems like fate's playing a cruel joke on this kid," another chimed in. "I feel so guilty about this. I blurted things out without thinking after hearing about it," admitted someone else. Even Luca Zhang hadn't expected such a twist. Instead of stirring hatred, William Lin had become a pitiable figure, and everyone was offering comfort. William Lin's mother sat beside him, gripping his hand tightly, preventing herself from standing up. When she heard about everything her son had been through, it was as if her heart had been sliced open, causing sharp, painful stabs. If Samuel Zhao had been present, she might have fought him. Although Susan had already known about the situation, hearing it again brought a fresh wave of bitterness. William Lin turned to Luca Zhang and asked, 'Are you satisfied?' The emotional guests, who hadn't yet settled down, immediately turned their attention to Luca Zhang. It had been Luca Zhang who had initially brought up the matter. He was already known as a bully in the village and had a terrible reputation. While he had been tolerated due to certain connections and because his victims were typically isolated individuals or families, now, in front of everyone, he had provoked widespread anger and become the target of resentment. The elderly man slowly stood up. "Cough, cough!" ..