Chen Yang sat on the edge of the car's hood, leisurely smoking a cigarette.

It was this casual indifference that made Zhao Zijian's pupils shrink.

How could he not see it? This was absolute confidence, the effortless calm of someone who didn't even consider him a threat.

At the same time, he finally understood why there was no traffic on this road after he had been intercepted.

It's been sealed off by the Martial Department! He had really kicked a steel plate this time.

Tang Ke's face turned ashen.

How did we provoke such a major figure?

"Hey, Tang Ke, are you still there?" Lin Yang's voice came over the phone. "Do me a favor and tell Director Zhao that this matter is beyond our jurisdiction. You'll have to handle it yourselves."

"Oh, and one more thing. A top-ranking official from the Martial Department just arrived in Lingjin City. I hope he isn't the one you've provoked."

With that, Lin Yang hung up.

Listening to the dial tone, Tang Ke stood frozen to the spot, completely dumbfounded and at a loss for what to do.

Zhao Zijian, however, managed to calm his roiling thoughts after a couple of deep breaths. He forced a smile and said, "If I may be so bold, young master, which Military General stationed in Lingjin City is your father? Perhaps I know him. Although we're not from the same branch, we often run into each other at conferences."

His words were filled with flattery as he continued, "Moreover, I have a very good personal relationship with several Military Generals in Lingjin City. This was all a terrible misunderstanding, a case of accidentally offending one of our own. I'll retract the stop-work order immediately."

A shrewd, experienced man like Zhao Zijian could lay out his connections with a simple sentence, all while lowering his stance and fawning. As the saying goes, you don't slap a smiling face.

Chen Yang was young and unfamiliar. Since Zhao Zijian had met most of the Military Generals in Lingjin City, he naturally concluded there was only one possibility left: he was the descendant of a Military General.

"I'm asking when you're going to the Qin Corporation to kowtow and apologize," Chen Yang said tonelessly.

"You..." Zhao Zijian's mouth twitched, and he clenched his fists tightly. How can this guy be so unyielding?

A moment later, Zhao Zijian forced another smile. "Look, young master, mobilizing the Martial Department from the Military Camp without authorization will have serious repercussions. If word gets out, it won't look good for you."

"How about this? I'll host a dinner tonight. We can have a good drink, how about it?"

Chen Yang shook his head. "No."

"Don't push your luck!" Zhao Zijian's anger flared. He said coldly, "The unauthorized deployment of Martial Department personnel is no small matter. If you really want to drop all pretenses, we can drag each other down to ruin!"

"Tang Ke, call the head of Lingjin City!"

"Yes, Director!" Tang Ke sneered, pulling out his phone. "You're just some spoiled brat. Do you really think you can do whatever you want? Mobilizing the Martial Department for a woman is a serious crime!"

Chen Yang said nothing, simply watching them with that same indifferent gaze.

However, Chen Yang's indifference made Zhao Zijian's heart skip a beat. A bad feeling rose within him, one he couldn't shake.

Why is he so calm?

He had only said those things to intimidate Chen Yang. If they truly dropped all pretenses, he would be the one plunged into the abyss.

Meanwhile, the call Tang Ke had placed was connected.

Tang Ke said, "This is Tang Ke, Director Zhao's driver. Excuse me, sir, but were the troops on Yangguan Avenue deployed without authorization?"

"Yangguan Avenue?" the person on the other end repeated, puzzled, before it dawned on him. "That must have been the Governor. He's the only one who deployed a squad today."

"What, you ran into him? The Governor is very approachable. You're all young men, so you should get along just fine."

If only he hadn't said that last part...

BUZZ!

The words struck Tang Ke's mind like a bolt of lightning from a clear sky, leaving his thoughts in chaos and his brain feeling like mush.

CLATTER.

The phone slipped from his hand, fell to the ground, and shattered.

Zhao Zijian's brow furrowed. "What's wrong with you?" he demanded in a low voice.

"He... he is the Nine Gates Admiral!" Tang Ke stammered.

"What Nine Gates—"

Mid-sentence, Zhao Zijian froze as if he'd seen a ghost. His eyes widened and his body went rigid, holding the exact same posture from a moment before.

The Nine Gates Admiral, the Zhennan Prince! This... this can't be possible! This is much worse than kicking a steel plate; it's like sticking your foot in the muzzle of a cannon!

GASP...

Shaking violently, Zhao Zijian gasped for air, his face deathly pale. His legs gave out from under him, and he collapsed to the ground.

Yang Hu watched with amusement. "Well now, Director Zhao, what's wrong? Weren't you in a foul mood just a moment ago, saying you wanted to tear everything down with my Boss? Come on, you can start tearing."

SLAP.

Zhao Zijian slapped himself across the face, babbling in a panic, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! I was wrong, I truly know I was wrong!"

"You know you're wrong now?"

Scared out of his wits, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints, Zhao Zijian said in extreme panic, "It's a misunderstanding! There must be a misunderstanding here!"

"And you're still talking about misunderstandings at a time like this?" Yang Hu screwed a silencer onto his pistol and took a step forward. "Stand up!"

Not daring to delay for a second, Zhao Zijian scrambled to his feet. He stood hunched over with trembling limbs, like a schoolboy caught red-handed.

"I..."

Before Zhao Zijian could speak again, Yang Hu slammed the butt of his pistol into his forehead.

THUMP!

Zhao Zijian stumbled back a few steps and fell to the ground once more.

"You dare threaten my Boss?" Yang Hu sneered, looking down at him.

Zhao Zijian didn't dare to move a muscle.

"I... I'll go kowtow and apologize to Chairman Qin Qiu right now!"

Yang Hu grinned, baring his teeth. "No need for that. If the environmental standards aren't met, we'll just have to make corrections."

"No, no, no! It was Du Dingshan! He made me do it!"

Chen Yang stubbed out his cigarette and slowly rose to his feet. "My wife is already asleep. Do it tomorrow."

Zhao Zijian nodded frantically, as if his life depended on it.

"By the way, where can I find Du Dingshan?" Chen Yang asked.

"He lives in Villa Number One on Shuilan Mountain. Right now, he should be eating at the Yuelan Hotel."

...

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