Shen Jin, as usual, took a detour on his way home, “passing by” the police station and Liu Ge’s residence to gather information. However, he didn’t find any news and instead ended up being “invited” back by a group of black-clad, muscular men who looked anything but friendly.

He tried to resist, but the disparity in strength was too great. His feeble resistance was no match for their overwhelming force. Running through possible scenarios in his head, he even briefly considered Lu Linshen, but he never imagined that the one who would “invite” him in such a dramatic fashion would be Yang Xun.

Shen Jin had never interacted with Yang Xun before, but he was well aware of Shoucheng Group’s significant influence in the mobile phone industry of Ning City.

A flicker of surprise crossed his mind, but within moments, he pieced everything together. Once the puzzle clicked into place, his initial anxiety gave way to a calm composure.

“You’re Shen Jin?” Yang Xun hadn’t expected the man before him, bound and restrained, to be so calm as he met his gaze. Compared to Liu Ge, who had crumbled under pressure, this one was far more composed.

Without mentioning his captivity or engaging in an emotional confrontation, Shen Jin responded evenly, “I am. I wonder why President Yang went to such lengths to bring me here?”

“You’re quite composed,” Yang Xun remarked, his gaze laced with a hint of admiration. “I have something I’d like your help with today, Mr. Shen.”

Despite the wording, Yang Xun’s demeanor and tone lacked any semblance of someone seeking assistance.

Shen Jin’s fingers tightened imperceptibly, but his expression remained unchanged as he replied, “If this is about the core technology, you’ve sought the wrong person, President Yang.”

“Feiyun Group has recently faced a massive blow. They’ve implemented strict controls over technology and personnel, making it nearly impossible to find an opportunity.”

Seeing that Yang Xun’s expression remained unmoved, Shen Jin continued, “Furthermore, I’m already under scrutiny due to my association with Liu Ge. The project team doesn’t trust me, so I doubt I’d be of much help. Perhaps you should find someone else.”

“Smart,” Yang Xun commented with approval in his eyes. “Much better than that idiot in the corner. You’re indeed a good candidate for the task.”

Following his line of sight, Shen Jin glanced toward a shadowy corner. There lay a battered figure, bruised and swollen. It took him a moment to recognize the man—it was Liu Ge.

No wonder the police couldn’t locate him, and Shen Jin’s own search had yielded nothing. So this was where he had ended up.

Taking a deep breath, Shen Jin tore his gaze away and directly stated, “President Yang, I’m quite content with my work at Feiyun Group. I simply want to focus on my projects without considering anything else.”

Yang Xun chuckled, his tone still amiable, though a faint menace lingered. “From what I understand, you’re merely a low-ranking team leader at Feiyun—a position you were only recently promoted to. Before that, you were practically invisible, treated as if you didn’t exist.

“With them disregarding you like that, why are you so loyal to them? If you help me accomplish this task, the position of manager in Shoucheng Group’s R&D department is yours.”

“President Yang, I suggest you find someone else. I’m not interested,” Shen Jin replied firmly.

The genial expression on Yang Xun’s face darkened. He turned his gaze to the corner where Liu Ge lay, his tone tinged with both regret and warning. “People who don’t know how to appreciate opportunities often pay the price.”

Still unfazed, Shen Jin replied steadily, “While I may be just a small project worker at Feiyun, my disappearance or any harm done to me would raise suspicions and draw attention.”

“And if you disappear, what does that have to do with me?” Yang Xun countered coldly.

“On my way here, I was already speculating about who might have orchestrated this. In the end, I deduced it was you, President Yang. Just to be safe, I left something behind in my phone. By now, I assume someone has already picked it up.”

Shen Jin’s unwavering gaze locked with Yang Xun’s, leaving no room for retreat.

“You’ve just taken over Shoucheng Group, President Yang. I doubt you’d jeopardize your future over someone as insignificant as me.”

Yang Xun cast a sharp look at the black-clad men behind him and scoffed, “You’re clever—clever enough to be infuriating.”

Hearing this, Shen Jin’s dark, deep eyes flickered briefly with relief.

Yang Xun walked leisurely to his desk, his gaze shifting toward the corner. “Liu, you heard everything just now. It’s not that I didn’t give you a chance. It’s just that—”

Yang Xun shook his head, his voice sharp as he commanded, “Take him away, proceed with the original plan.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, a battered figure with a bruised face appeared at his feet. The man’s subordinates instinctively reached out, but when their eyes met Yang Xun’s, they quickly withdrew. Liu Ge immediately hid his hands behind his back and, in his wind-blown tone, tried to flatter, “President Yang, I… I’ll go talk with him. You should rest… rest…” After spending the night recovering, Liu Ge’s speech was noticeably clearer.

Yang Xun found a seat and took a small sip of water before slightly tilting his chin. “Move faster.”

“My patience is limited.”

Upon receiving the signal, Liu Ge quickly turned his gaze, beaming at Shen Jin with a wide grin, saying, “Xiao Shen, this thing… just help me out, okay?”

Earlier, they were far apart, but now that they were so close, Shen Jin could clearly see the bruises on Liu Ge’s face—his cheeks were swollen, and two of his teeth had fallen out, with another crookedly embedded in his gums. No wonder he was speaking with such a wind-blown tone.

Shen Jin’s eyes darkened, and without waiting for Liu Ge to finish, he ruthlessly interrupted, “I’ve already said what I needed to. Don’t waste your time on me.” He then turned to leave.

Liu Ge quickly grabbed his arm, speaking in an urgent tone, “Shen Jin, if you don’t agree, they… they’ll kill me! Please, for your brother’s sake, help me out, alright?”

Shen Jin stopped in his tracks. “This is a society governed by law. Killing and arson come with consequences. People like us don’t deserve it.”

Yang Xun spoke casually, “Then we’ll just break his legs and shut him up.”

Shen Jin: “…”

Liu Ge: “!!!”

His knee still throbbed with pain. Liu Ge no longer dared to delay and quickly revealed his last card. He recounted Shen Jin’s involvement in the design theft, but noticed the man remained unmoved. He became more and more anxious—why wasn’t Shen Jin reacting? He clearly cared about this matter! What was wrong?

Liu Ge’s mind raced, and suddenly, he looked up and saw Shen Jin’s emotions seem to shift slightly. He wasn’t sure, but after considering what he had just said, he repeated, “…If I reveal everything—your classmates, teachers, friends, family—they’ll all know that you stole Lu Linshen’s design. You’ll be exposed as nothing but a thief. All your work, your honor, everything you have now will turn to ash. You’ll become like a rat in the street, with everyone hunting you down… Now is the best chance. If you seize this opportunity, no one will ever find out. You can still live like before—”

“By crushing Lu Linshen underfoot!”

Due to the theft, the laboratory has implemented more comprehensive control measures. Meng Suihuan couldn’t help but whisper to Lu Linshen earlier: “Do you think their actions will make Shen Jin give up?”

He was still confident that it wouldn’t happen. She observed for a few days and noticed that after the initial calm, things seemed to settle down, so she shifted her focus to other matters. For example, how to make Yang Xun suffer.

Recently, the intentional inflation of prices had indeed caused some losses to the Shoucheng Group, but that was just a small setback. Naturally, they needed to up the ante. Checking the time, it was almost time, so Meng Suihuan took Jiang Chengxuan to the best restaurant in Ning City. After telling the staff their room number, they were guided to a private booth.

“Lao He, Director Li…” Meng Suihuan politely greeted them and introduced Jiang Chengxuan to everyone. Jiang Chengxuan greeted them one by one. She had known Lao He since their time in Shuangyang County, and it had almost been two years. They had maintained a friendly relationship during that time.

“Xiao Huan, stop standing, come sit beside me. Let’s have a nice chat,” Lao He said warmly. Meng Suihuan didn’t act coy and sat down gracefully. The group exchanged pleasantries, and the atmosphere was calm and friendly. After a while, Lao He broke the pleasant mood and spoke first.

“Xiao Huan, you didn’t invite me here just for a meal. After all these years of our relationship, you can tell me anything. If it’s within my capability, I will definitely help.”

Meng Suihuan didn’t decline. She slowly stood up, picked up the wine glass on the table, and smiled at everyone. “Actually, my purpose today is simple. The recent listing of the company went smoothly thanks to everyone’s help, and that’s how we were able to secure our spot. So, I raise this glass to thank you all.” She drank the entire glass in one go.

Old He waved his hand, saying there was no need for such formalities, but the smile in his eyes couldn’t be hidden.

“Of course, besides expressing my gratitude, there is actually something I’m unsure about, and I’d like to hear your thoughts, Lao He, and everyone’s opinions.”

Inside the private booth, the conversation was lively, and Yang Xun from Shoucheng Group quickly received the news. During this period, he and Meng Suihuan had been going back and forth, competing fiercely. Although he had won each time, he had paid a heavy price. In the beginning, he was very confident, arrogantly calling her, but before long, he realized that several of his projects were doomed to fail. Clearly, she had intentionally inflated prices and set traps for him. Was he that stupid? He knew there was a pit ahead, so why would he fall into it?

But he was still angry. He had wanted to take the opportunity to weaken her, but in the end, he had been outsmarted by her. It was so frustrating. So, when he heard that Meng Suihuan was secretly hosting a banquet, his first thought, apart from feeling pleased, was: “Could this be another trap she set?”

To confirm his suspicions, he called a meeting with Shoucheng Group’s leadership and spent the night analyzing the situation. The leadership dared not speak out, holding back their frustration while working overtime.

The worst part was that when they arrived at the company, intending to go through the motions and cooperate, they asked for key information: what her intentions were, what the project was, and if they knew her detailed plans. The man in charge responded, “If I knew, would you still have anything to do with it?”

Everyone in the room was silent… and seethed with anger. They cursed his ancestors a thousand times over in their hearts!