He wants to adopt a younger sister, but his aloof wife disagrees.

In Beijing in March, the weather is as changeable as a child's face.

Last night it was still drizzling with spring rain, but this morning a strong wind blew in, and yellow sand swept in with the cold air, shrouding the entire city in a gray and desolate atmosphere. But this cold wave was far less severe than the "billion-dollar storm" that was brewing in the business and social circles of Beijing.

The scene at the "Jinghua Club" charity gala was like a bomb with tremendous force, instantly shattering the entire public opinion landscape of Beijing.

Although mainstream media remained silent on the matter under the powerful public relations pressure from the Ye family, the story of "buying locks for 1 billion" had already been circulated in countless versions in private WeChat groups, teahouses, and clubs. Some said Shen Qingge was a tyrannical female ruler who "played with the feudal lords by lighting the beacon fires," some said Jiang Che was a hidden tycoon, and some astute individuals sensed the irreconcilable tension between the Ye family and this outside force.

Nine o'clock in the morning, at the top-floor conference room of the Yip Group headquarters building.

The atmosphere was frozen solid.

On either side of the long, mahogany conference table sat elders from the collateral branches of the Ye family and senior executives of the group. Their expressions were increasingly grim, their gazes frequently drifting towards the head seat—empty, belonging to the family head, Ye Zhentian. Ye Qingcheng, seated in the secondary head seat, was currently enduring questions from all sides.

"Qingcheng, it's not that your second uncle is criticizing you," an elderly man with gray hair slammed his fist on the table, his tone stern, "but you were too impulsive! That broken lock... cough, that old thing, if you didn't like it, you could have just thrown it away. Why did you have to bring it to the auction to humiliate people? Now look what's happened, the Shen Group just spent a billion! This isn't just a slap in your face, it's a slap in the face of the entire Ye family!"

"Yes! There are rumors circulating that the Ye family is having cash flow problems and they're not even willing to invest a billion. This morning, as soon as the market opened, Ye's Holdings' stock price dropped by 3%, wiping out billions in market value!"

"Just who is this Jiang Che? Did we underestimate him before?"

Ye Qingcheng sat in the chair, her hands clasped tightly together, her nails digging deep into her flesh. She maintained her haughty demeanor as a young lady, but the bloodshot eyes and dark circles under her eyes betrayed her sleepless night.

That longevity lock...

She never imagined that the "trophy" she considered trash and even intended to use to humiliate Jiang Che would eventually become a boomerang thrown at her.

That's enough.

Ye Qingcheng spoke coldly, her voice hoarse yet still assertive: "Stock price fluctuations are only temporary. The Shen Group spending ten billion to learn a lesson is foolish. Our Ye family's foundation lies in the real economy, in energy, and in real estate. Can these nouveau riche who built their fortunes on speculation really shake us?"

"As for Jiang Che..." A ruthless glint flashed in Ye Qingcheng's eyes, "I will let him know that some things you may buy but not live to take."

"Who do you want dead?"

A dignified and deep voice suddenly came from the doorway.

The conference room door was pushed open.

Ye Zhentian, dressed in a black Zhongshan suit and leaning on a dragon-headed cane, slowly walked in with the help of the butler. Although he was over sixty years old, his hawk-like eyes were still sharp and piercing, but at this moment, there seemed to be some kind of storm being suppressed deep in his eyes.

The entire audience stood up instantly, and there was complete silence.

"Dad..." Ye Qingcheng stood up, somewhat unable to look her father in the eye.

Ye Zhentian ignored everyone and went straight to the head seat. He slammed a newspaper from that day onto the table. Although the front page didn't explicitly say anything, Jiang Che's profile was clearly visible in the blurry photo of the auction scene, even though only half of his face was visible.

"The lock you sold at Jinghua Club last night..."

Ye Zhentian's voice was soft, yet it struck Ye Qingcheng's heart like a hammer blow: "Where did you come from?"

Ye Qingcheng's heart skipped a beat. She had always thought that the lock was just an ordinary old item found in the orphanage. Could it be that her father recognized it?

"Yes... I got it from that shady PR person," Ye Qingcheng lied, forcing a smile. "They said it was Jiang Che's birth mother's keepsake. I just wanted to disgust him..."

"You bastard!"

Ye Zhentian suddenly smashed the teacup beside him. The scalding tea splashed all over Ye Qingcheng, and the sound of shattering porcelain was particularly jarring in the deathly silent conference room.

"Do you even know whose things those are?!" Ye Zhentian's hand trembled as he pointed at Ye Qingcheng, a tremor of extreme anger and remorse. "That's yours..."

He held back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

That name—Ye Wan. It was a taboo subject in the Ye family, his greatest inner demon. Twenty years ago, for the sake of a family marriage alliance, he forced away that pregnant woman. He thought she was long dead, that she and the child had perished in the snowstorm.

But now, that lock has appeared. And Jiang Che, who looks exactly like himself when he was young, has appeared.

The truth is about to come out.

But Ye Zhentian couldn't admit it. At least not now, in front of so many family elders. If he admitted that Jiang Che was his illegitimate son, the Ye family would be plunged into an even bigger power struggle over the inheritance, and it might even shake his authority within the family.

"Dad? What's wrong?" Ye Qingcheng, ignoring the tea stains on her clothes, looked at her father in horror.

Ye Zhentian took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and forcibly calmed his emotions. When he opened his eyes again, only cold, calculating scheming remained.

"This matter ends here."

Ye Zhentian coldly surveyed the entire room: "From today onwards, no one is allowed to mention that lock again. As for Jiang Che..."

He paused for a moment, his tone becoming complex and difficult to decipher:

"Qingcheng, the 'Panlong Bay' project you're in charge of must be completed and generate revenue within a month. This is a life-or-death battle for the Ye family this year. If your stupidity causes the cash flow to break down..."

"Get out of the board of directors."

After saying that, Ye Zhentian got up and left.

Ye Qingcheng slumped in her chair, her back soaked with cold sweat. She didn't know why her father had suddenly become so angry, but she understood the final warning.

Panlong Bay.

That was a massive commercial real estate project with an investment of 30 billion yuan by the Ye Group, and it also represented the Ye family's biggest cash flow shortfall. If the project successfully generated revenue, the Ye family could weather the crisis.

"Jiang Che...it's all because of you."

Ye Qingcheng gritted her teeth: "You just wait. Once I've dealt with Panlong Bay, I'll make sure you disappear from the capital!"

……

Little did Ye Qingcheng know that while she was plotting how to turn the tables, a massive net targeting "Panlong Bay" had already been quietly cast in the royal palace on the north shore of Shichahai.

Inside the study of "On the Water's Edge".

Jiang Che sat behind a large rosewood desk, holding a thick document. Shen Qingge sat opposite him, making him tea. Han Xiao stood to the side, pointing to a complex business structure diagram on the projection screen, giving a presentation.

"Boss, we've found out."

Han Xiao pushed up his glasses, his eyes gleaming with excitement: "Although the Ye family seems large, they have been blindly expanding in recent years, resulting in an extremely high debt ratio. In particular, this 'Panlong Bay' project has tied up 30 billion yuan of their funds. In order to launch this project, Ye Qingcheng applied for a 10 billion yuan bridge loan from the four major banks in Beijing, which will mature next Wednesday."

"Next Wednesday?" Jiang Che tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "So, they urgently need money to repay this loan, or apply for an extension?"

"Yes." Han Xiao nodded. "Given the Ye family's influence, banks usually agree to extend the loan term (deferred repayment). But..."

"But what if the bank suddenly changes its mind and demands that they repay on time?" Jiang Che's lips curled into a cold smile.

"Then the Ye family's financial chain will break instantly!" Han Xiao said excitedly. "The Panlong Bay project will be seized, the Ye Group's credit rating will plummet, and it might even trigger a chain reaction, causing the entire group to collapse!"

"But..." Shen Qingge said with some worry, "The four major banks in Beijing have deep ties with the Ye family, how could they suddenly withdraw their loans? Unless..."

"Unless, a client who is richer and more valuable than the Ye family puts pressure on the bank."

Jiang Che stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the magnolia tree outside that had already blossomed:

"Qingge, how much liquid capital does the Shen Group currently have?"

"Including the revenue sharing from 'Green Snake' and your previous investment returns, it's about 20 billion," Shen Qingge replied.

"Not enough." Jiang Che shook his head. "To shake the foundation of the Ye family, this amount of money is not enough to make those snobbish people in the bank switch sides."

"system."

Jiang Che silently recited in his heart.

[Host, I am here. 】

"I want to use that [God-Level Business Territory Expansion Card]. Goal: To become the largest strategic partner of Beijing Commercial Bank."

"In addition, I want to receive an advance on investment returns for the next three years."

[Ding! Asset accounting in progress...]

[Application approved. Due to the enhancement of multiple god-level skills and the assessment of future potential, the host is eligible for a 50 billion interest-free credit line.]

[Meanwhile, the system has assigned you a new identity: CEO of the Asia region for the mysterious overseas conglomerate "Sky Capital".]

Five hundred billion.

Add to Shen's 20 billion.

A cash flow of 70 billion!

This is Jiang Che's current source of confidence. In this era where cash is king, whoever has 70 billion in cash is the bank's darling.

"Han Xiao".

Jiang Che turned around, his eyes like knives:

"Help me make an appointment with President Li of Beijing Commercial Bank. Tell him I have 70 billion yuan in deposit business I'd like to discuss with him."

"The time is set for this afternoon."

"The location is the teahouse opposite Panlong Bay."

"I want to see with my own eyes how this tall building of the Ye family collapses."

……

At 3 p.m., at the "Tingyuxuan" teahouse opposite the Panlongwan sales office.

This is one of the most upscale private clubs in Beijing, with an excellent location. Sitting in a private room on the second floor, you can overlook the magnificent construction site of Panlong Bay.

Bank Manager Li, a somewhat overweight middle-aged man, sat nervously opposite Jiang Che. When he received the call, he thought it was a scam, but when he saw the black card and account balance screenshot that Jiang Che showed him, he almost knelt down and called him "Dad."

Seventy billion!

This is real cash! As long as this money is deposited into their bank, he will not only complete his performance target ahead of schedule this year, but he will even be promoted three levels!

"Mr. Jiang..." Bank Manager Li wiped the sweat from his brow, his tone extremely humble, "Are you really going to deposit this money with our bank? Just name your interest rate, we'll definitely offer the highest rate!"

"Interest rates are not important."

Jiang Che took a sip of tea and glanced out the window at the construction site where work was in full swing.

"Manager Li, I see that the Panlong Bay project across the street seems to have been funded by your bank, right?"

President Li's heart skipped a beat. Having spent so many years in Beijing, he was all too familiar with this kind of rhetoric.

"Yes...there is such a loan. But the Ye family are long-time clients..."

"A long-time client?" Jiang Che chuckled. "As far as I know, the Ye family's debt ratio has exceeded 80%. Moreover, they seem to have recently been embroiled in some... less-than-honorable auction scandals, their reputation is in jeopardy."

"President Li, as a depositor, I am very worried that my money, which I deposited in your bank, will be used to fill the hole left by these unfinished buildings."

Jiang Che put down his teacup, leaned forward, and an invisible sense of oppression instantly enveloped President Li:

"I have two choices."

"First, this 70 billion will be deposited into your bank, making me your biggest VIP. But I have one condition—the loan for the Panlong Bay project must be recovered immediately if it is not renewed upon maturity."

"Secondly, I'll go to the ICBC branch across the street. And I'll announce publicly that it's because your bank's risk control capabilities are too poor, and I don't trust you."

"President Li, is this a difficult multiple-choice question?"

Bank Manager Li broke out in a cold sweat instantly.

On one side is the Ye family, teetering on the brink of collapse and relying entirely on exploitation; on the other side is a mysterious conglomerate with 70 billion in cash and unlimited potential.

In the world of capital, there is no such thing as loyalty, only interests.

"It's not difficult...it's not difficult!"

President Li gritted his teeth and made a decision: "Mr. Jiang is right! The risk assessment of the Ye family is indeed problematic! To be responsible to depositors, we must strictly implement risk control!"

"I'm heading back to the bank for a meeting right now! The loan due next Wednesday will absolutely not be extended! Even if Ye Zhentian comes in person, it won't make a difference!"

"very good."

Jiang Che nodded in satisfaction and took out a check from his pocket:

"This is a deposit of one billion. The remaining money will be credited to your account immediately after the deal is done."

……

Three days later, on Wednesday.

Headquarters of the Yip Group.

Ye Qingcheng was sitting in her office, waiting for the bank's loan extension agreement to arrive. Once she signed it, the 10 billion yuan loan could be delayed for another year, and the Panlong Bay project could be revived.

"Why isn't he here yet?" Ye Qingcheng glanced at her watch with some annoyance. "Isn't Director Li usually very proactive?"

Just then, the CFO rushed in, his face pale, holding a document that had just been faxed over.

"Young Miss! Something terrible has happened!"

"The bank...the bank has sent a notification letter!"

"What notification letter? An extension agreement?" Ye Qingcheng asked.

"No...it's a 'Loan Collection Notice'!" The CFO's voice trembled with tears. "President Li said that because the group's risk assessment has been downgraded, the originally planned 10 billion yuan bridge loan will not be renewed! And he demands that we repay the principal and interest by 5 PM today!"

"Otherwise...otherwise we'll have to seize Panlong Bay and freeze all of the group's accounts!"

"What?!"

Ye Qingcheng suddenly stood up, her vision went black, and she almost fainted.

Not renewing?

Pay it off today?

That's 20 billion (principal + interest + other hidden debts)! The Ye family can't even scrape together 2 billion in their accounts right now!

"Has President Li gone mad?! Is he trying to drive the Ye family to their deaths?!" Ye Qingcheng grabbed the phone and frantically dialed President Li's number.

"Sorry, the number you dialed is currently busy..."

"Sorry, the number you dialed is currently switched off..."

I've been blocked.

Ye Qingcheng's fingers were icy cold, and her phone slipped to the ground.

She knew that this wasn't because President Li had gone mad.

Someone is behind this.

Someone is using an extremely cruel and efficient method to directly sever the Ye family's lifeline.

"Who...who is it...?"

Ye Qingcheng slumped into a chair in despair.

Just then, there was a knock on the office door.

The secretary walked in tremblingly: "Miss, downstairs... there's a gentleman downstairs who wants to see you. He says he's here to discuss the acquisition of 'Panlong Bay'."

"Acquire it?" Ye Qingcheng gave a bitter laugh. "Who would dare take on this mess now?"

He said... his surname is Jiang.

"What?!"

Ye Qingcheng suddenly raised her head, her eyes filled with disbelief.

His surname is Jiang.

Jiang Che?!

Five minutes later.

Ye Qingcheng rushed down to the reception room.

Jiang Che was dressed in a well-tailored black suit, sitting on the sofa with a cup of coffee in his hand, looking as relaxed as if he were in his own backyard.

Shen Qingge was sitting next to him, flipping through a magazine.