Underworld: Starting with conquering countless lustful beauties

The first rays of sunlight pierced the thin mist over Donghai City, but could not penetrate the heavy iron gates of the Nancheng Branch Detention Center.

After a night of turmoil, Zhang Qiang failed to get Chen Feng to sign the "Sandfield Transfer Agreement," but he clearly had no intention of letting Chen Feng off easily. Under Liu Dapao's instructions, Chen Feng was even deprived of the right to stay in that relatively "clean" interrogation room for a minute longer. He was directly detained and dragged by two prison guards into the transitional cell of the detention center.

"Clang!"

The heavy iron door slammed shut behind him, making a sickening metallic clang, completely isolating Chen Feng from the outside world.

This is a large dormitory room of more than 40 square meters. The air is filled with a mixture of sweat, foot odor, mildew, and the rotten smell of a place that has never seen sunlight for many years, which makes people's brains ache.

A dozen or so prisoners in yellow vests were crammed inside. Some were picking their toes, some were spacing out, and most were eyeing the new "inmates" with a sinister look.

Chen Feng clutched his chest and slowly slid down against the iron gate. Although Zhang Qiang's rubber hammer blows last night hadn't left any external injuries, the internal force was immense, and his sternum still ached faintly. Every breath he took felt like a bellows being pulled, carrying a bloody smell.

But he didn't show it. In this context, showing weakness is tantamount to suicide.

He raised his head and coldly swept his gaze around. Those eyes, which remained defiant even in adversity, made several troublemakers who were about to cause a ruckus instinctively avoid his gaze.

……

Meanwhile, at the Donghai Daily newspaper office building in Donghai City.

In the early morning, when the newspaper office is at its busiest, the faint rumble of the printing press can be heard.

"Snapped!"

After finishing editing the last photo, Hao Mei slammed her laptop shut, slumped into her chair like a deflated balloon, and let out a long sigh.

"Done!"

Xiao Ma, standing next to him with huge dark circles under his eyes and holding a cup of ice-cold instant coffee, weakly gave a thumbs up: "Sister Mei... awesome. If this article gets published, the entire Donghai Municipal Political and Legal System will tremble."

Scattered on the desk were dozens of developed photos and a 5,000-word in-depth investigative report—"Late-Night Bloodbath: The Gangster Protector Behind Violent Law Enforcement!"

Hao Mei rubbed her sore neck, looked at the bright sky outside the window, and a hint of annoyance flashed in her eyes: "What a pity, the layout and review took too long, and we missed this morning's headline. That damn editor insisted on saying something about 'this is a very important matter' and that it had to be reported up the chain of command."

"So...we've worked for nothing?" Little Ma asked cautiously.

"Working for nothing? Hmph, the words 'working for nothing' don't exist in my dictionary!" Hao Mei sprang up from her chair, grabbed the stack of manuscripts and photos, her eyes burning with a fighting spirit. "If I missed today's morning paper, I'll be in tomorrow's! And I want to be on the front page! Nobody can take my article away!"

She glanced at her watch, a sly smile playing on her lips: "Perfect. I'll give these criminals a day to 'ferment' their power. Let them gloat for a while. Tomorrow morning, I'll give them a 'breakfast' they'll never forget."

"Xiao Ma, hide the film and make three copies! I'm going to block the editor-in-chief's office door!"

Hao Mei rushed out with a burst of energy, and Xiao Ma couldn't help but shudder. He silently lit a candle for Chen Feng in his heart: being targeted by this young lady, he didn't know if it was a blessing or a curse, but that Zhang Qiang was definitely doomed this time.

……

On the other side, Emerald Bay Villas.

Jiang Hong didn't get her usual beauty sleep. She got up early and sat at the mahogany table in her study, with an old-fashioned telephone in front of her.

There were already four or five long, thin cigarette butts piled up in the ashtray.

She is waiting, waiting for the right time.

When the clock struck 8:30, just as government offices were starting work and leaders were brewing their first cup of tea, Jiang Hong stubbed out her cigarette, her eyes becoming incredibly sharp.

She picked up the receiver and dialed the number she knew by heart—the private line of Director Li Ming of the Municipal Party Committee Office.

"Beep...beep..."

The phone rang three times before being answered.

"Hello, who is this?" A steady, somewhat authoritative middle-aged male voice came from the other end of the line.

"Hello, Director Li, it's me, Xiao Jiang." Jiang Hong's voice instantly switched to that polite, gentle, and tactful tone. "I'm so sorry to bother you so early."

"Oh, it's President Jiang." Li Ming's voice relaxed a bit, becoming somewhat polite. "What's up? Any new activities at Jinbihuihuang?"

"Director Li, if you want, there can be activities every day."

"However, I'm calling you today because there's a very important matter concerning the reputation of Donghai City, and I thought I should report it to you." Jiang Hong's words were extremely skillful; she didn't mention rescuing people, but instead brought up "reputation" first.

"Oh? What's the big deal?"

"That's right, Director Li. Didn't you mention to me before that the city's key project, 'Century Avenue,' is going to break ground next week? Secretary Zhang of the Municipal Party Committee attaches great importance to it."

"That's right, this is the number one project of the year."

"But just last night, the boss of 'Fenghua Building Materials,' which supplied sand and gravel for this project, was arrested by the Nancheng branch of the Public Security Bureau, and the sand quarry was shut down." Jiang Hong sighed, her tone regretful. "Now there are thousands of workers on the construction site waiting for the materials. If the sand supply can't keep up and delays the construction schedule, and if Secretary Zhang holds us accountable..."

There was a full five seconds of silence on the other end of the phone.

Li Ming, someone who had navigated the power structure, instantly understood the underlying meaning. All that talk about "Project No. 1" and "saving face" was just high-sounding politeness; they just wanted his help to get someone out of trouble.

"Southern Branch? Who made the arrest?" Li Ming's voice turned somber.

"I heard it was Deputy Captain Zhang Qiang who led the team, and it seems Deputy Director Liu is also involved," Jiang Hong said, stopping short of revealing more. "I also heard it was because of some kind of 'gang fight,' with over a hundred people trying to cause trouble, and they ended up arresting the boss who got beaten up. If this gets out, it'll probably damage the business environment in our Donghai City..."

"This is utter nonsense!" Li Ming slammed his hand on the table on the other end of the phone. "Has Liu Bin lost his mind? Why is he trying to sabotage me at this crucial moment?"

"Director Li, please calm down." Jiang Hong's lips curled up slightly, a cold glint flashing in her eyes. "I'm just giving you a heads-up. After all, if this project is delayed, it will be a loss for our entire city. As for that boss Chen Feng... he's a very honest man, a businessman who gets things done. It's really a bit unfair that he's locked up like this."

"Alright, Xiao Jiang, I understand. Don't worry, I'll call the Political and Legal Affairs Commission right away to ask about the situation."

After hanging up the phone, Jiang Hong let out a long sigh of relief.

She had tried to maintain a good relationship with this person. Compared to Liu Dapao, Director Li's path to power was completely different—Liu Dapao was the deputy director of the branch bureau, wielding "hard power" in public security, and could directly mobilize police forces and control cases, but his power was limited to the level of public security execution, with clear boundaries.

Director Li, on the other hand, is at the power center of the Municipal Party Committee Office, which coordinates all party and government organs in the city. He wields "soft power" that radiates throughout the city's officialdom, enabling him to reach top-level decisions and leverage cross-departmental collaboration. His influence far exceeds that of a single system.

To put it bluntly, Liu Dapao is a tough nut to crack in line execution, while Director Li is a key figure in central decision-making. The latter's real power and deep-seated deterrent effect far surpass that of Liu Dapao.

"Chen Feng, hang in there for a few more days," Jiang Hong murmured softly, looking at the sunlight outside the window.