Siheyuan (courtyard house): My father, Li Yunlong!

"I've inquired about it. That kid didn't get through any normal channels! It's that half-dead Lou Bancheng from the Lou family acting as his front man! The Lou family is in such a state, how could they still have such connections? I think there's definitely something fishy going on here! Maybe they used some shady methods!"

"Can't stand the light of day?"

Manager Wang snorted coldly.

"What's the use of saying all this now? The higher-ups are clearly tacitly approving or even supporting what he's doing! Haven't you seen it? The Ministry of Industry, and even higher-ups, treat him like a precious gem! He was just promoted to deputy director of the steel rolling mill a few days ago. Why? Because he can get grain! Shall we sue him now? Sue him for what? For his merit in stabilizing prices? For solving the country's urgent crisis?"

A moment of silence fell over the crowd, and the atmosphere of despair grew even stronger.

Faced with the immense "practical value" Li Zhenhua demonstrated and the potential for higher-level interests involved, the powerful figures behind them all chose to remain silent or even switch sides. No one was willing to risk this trouble at this time.

"So...so we just accept it like this?"

Manager Qian growled in frustration.

"I'm not reconciled! My family has been working for three generations to build up this little bit of business..."

"recognize?"

Shopkeeper Wang stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, a fierce glint in his eyes.

"Of course we can't admit it! If open methods don't work, then we'll try covert ones!"

"A sneak attack?"

Everyone was startled, and all eyes turned to Manager Wang.

Manager Wang lowered his voice, his tone as sharp as a viper's tongue.

"Gentlemen, Li Zhenhua's existence has done more than just cut off our source of income. If he continues like this, the entire landscape of Beijing will change! How many people who rely on the grain supply will lose their jobs? How many relationships will be reshuffled? He can get his hands on grain today, and he can get his hands on something else tomorrow! Once he's fully powerful, will there be any way for people like us to survive? This is what they call, 'The tallest tree in the forest catches the most wind!'"

"I hesitated," said Fatty Sun.

"Manager Wang, you mean... get rid of him?"

He shuddered as he said those words.

"If you're going to do something, do it all the way!"

Manager Wang's eyes flashed with a fierce light.

"Once Li Zhenhua is gone, his dubious grain supply chain will naturally shut down! Then the market will be back in our hands! Even if the higher-ups investigate, as long as we keep things clean, who can trace it back to us? At worst, we'll find a scapegoat!"

Just as Manager Wang's harsh words, "If we're going to do something, we might as well go all the way," fell into the smoke-filled room, and his sinister gaze swept over the other grain merchants present, whose faces were ashen and who were torn between their inner thoughts, a series of extremely light footsteps with a unique rhythm suddenly came from outside the tightly closed hall door.

"Squeak—"

With a soft thud, the heavy mahogany door was silently pushed open a crack.

Everyone was startled and turned to look in unison.

At this time, who would barge into their secret meeting without prior notice?

A slender figure slid silently in against the dim light outside the door.

The newcomer was a woman, who appeared to be in her early twenties. She was tall and graceful, wearing a well-tailored dark green brocade cheongsam with a matching thin woolen overcoat, and a jade brooch of exceptional quality pinned to her collar.

Her face was covered by a thin black veil, obscuring her features, but her elegant posture and graceful movements revealed her to be no ordinary woman.

What is most striking are her eyes peering through the black veil. Her gaze is both ambiguous and knowing, carrying a languid wisdom and a subtle, alluring charm that seems to captivate the soul, yet also conceals a cold, sharp edge deep within.

"Who is it?"

Manager Wang shouted sternly, his hand instinctively reaching for his waist.

Although he knew the chances of drawing a gun in such a place were extremely slim.

The other shopkeepers also became nervous, and some even stood up.

The woman seemed not to hear, and walked directly to an empty armchair next to the octagonal table, sat down gracefully, and then slowly removed the veil from her face.

The veil fell away, revealing a face of unparalleled beauty.

Her skin was as white as snow, her eyebrows were naturally dark without makeup, and her lips were naturally red without lipstick. Her features were so exquisite that she looked like a lady who had stepped out of an ancient painting. However, her eyebrows and eyes carried a unique temperament that was rare among women of this era, a mixture of wildness and wisdom.

Her beauty wasn't the gentle kind, but rather an aggressive, unforgettable, and alluring kind.

"Gentlemen, what brings you here so late at night for a meeting?"

The woman spoke, her voice clear and melodious, like pearls falling on a jade plate, but her tone carried a condescending languor and certainty.

Shopkeeper Wang's pupils contracted slightly. He recognized the person who had come, and his heart was filled with even more doubt and uncertainty. His tone softened a little, but he was still wary.

"So it's Miss Bai? I wonder what brings you here so late at night? This place doesn't seem to be a place for you."

This "Miss Bai" is none other than Bai Manli, the only daughter of Bai Jingqi, the president of the Shanxi Merchants Association, whose influence is deeply entrenched in Beijing and whose businesses span the north.

The Bai family is not only a business tycoon, but also has extensive connections in the political arena, and their influence far surpasses that of grain merchants like them.

Bai Manli herself is even more legendary. At a young age, she assisted her father in managing many businesses. Known for her superb skills and meticulous mind, she was a thorny rose in the high society of Beijing. She had many suitors, but none of them could win her heart.

Bai Manli smiled gently, her gaze sweeping over the surprised and uncertain faces of everyone present, finally settling on Manager Wang.

"Uncle Wang, I dare not presume to offer my advice. I've only heard that you've recently encountered some trouble in your business, and it seems... you've even entertained some inappropriate thoughts?"

Her words were casual, yet like a needle, they precisely pierced the murderous intent that had filled the room.

Manager Wang's expression changed, but he forced himself to remain calm.

"You flatter me, young lady. It's just business associates chatting about market conditions. There's nothing wrong with it."

"Oh? How about we talk about the market?"

Bai Manli picked up a half-empty cup of tea from the table, the contents of which no one knew who had drunk from it. She gently stroked the rim of the cup with her fingertips, her movements elegant yet carrying an invisible pressure.

"Talking about 'getting rid of' Deputy Factory Director Li Zhenhua? Gentlemen, you have quite the nerve."

With a "buzz," the room erupted in chaos!

The shopkeepers' faces turned deathly pale instantly!

How could this woman know about their conspiracy?

How do you know all this so clearly?

Is there a mole in this house?

Manager Wang was utterly shocked, and cold sweat instantly soaked through his inner shirt.

He stared intently at Bai Manli.

"You... what nonsense are you talking about!"

Bai Manli put down her teacup, making a soft "tap" sound that seemed to strike everyone's heart.

Her smile vanished, and her eyes suddenly turned sharp as knives.

"Whether I'm talking nonsense or not, you all know the answer in your hearts. Uncle Wang, Manager Qian, Manager Sun... do you really think that taking action against Li Zhenhua is as simple as cutting off a grain supply?"

She stood up and slowly walked, the hem of her dark green cheongsam drawing a graceful arc.

"Let me tell you who Li Zhenhua really is. He's not just the youngest deputy director of the Red Star Steel Rolling Mill, nor is he just someone with a war hero father, Li Yunlong. Most importantly, he's already the undisputed son-in-law of the Lin family!"

"The Lin family? Which Lin family?"

"I asked this subconsciously," Fatty Sun asked.

Bai Manli stopped and looked back at him, her gaze as if she were looking at a dead man.

"In Beijing, how many Lin families are worth making a special trip for me, Bai Manli? Naturally, it's Lin Jingyue, the family of General Lin!"

The name "Lin Jingyue" resounded like thunder in the small hall!

Manager Wang's legs went weak and he almost collapsed to the ground, but luckily he managed to grab the table for support.

Manager Qian and Manager Sun turned pale and trembled violently.

Although the others were not as sensitive to the name as the previous ones, they could tell from the reactions of Manager Wang and the others that it was an important figure, and they were immediately terrified and fell silent.

Lin Jingyue!

He was a true military giant who commanded a large army, guarded a region, and wielded immense power at the highest levels!

They are figures that even businessmen can only look up to and cannot see!

Li Zhenhua is actually Lin Jingyue's future son-in-law?!

"This...how is this possible? Is this information reliable?"

Manager Wang's voice trembled, still clinging to a sliver of hope.

"reliable?"

Bai Manli scoffed.

"It's an open secret in Beijing's social circles that Miss Lin Taotao and Li Zhenhua are always seen together. General Lin is happy about it and has even expressed his admiration for his future son-in-law on several private occasions. What do you think, is that reliable?"

She paused, her tone becoming even colder.

"In Beijing, you dare to mess with General Lin Jingyue's future son-in-law? You're not just courting death, you're dragging your entire family and extended family down to hell! And you'll die silently, without even making a ripple!"

The room was deathly silent.

The shopkeepers who had just been clamoring to "get rid of" Li Zhenhua now felt as if they had fallen into an ice cave, and their teeth were chattering.

They finally realized how foolish and terrible their thoughts had been!

That wasn't just business competition; it was touching upon a terrifying existence that they absolutely could not bear!

Let alone taking action, just the thought of it being spread is enough to bring them to their doom!

Manager Wang completely broke down, tears streaming down his face, and repeatedly bowed to Bai Manli.

"Young Miss! Help! We were blinded by greed and acted rashly! Please, Young Miss, show us the way! We...we will never dare to have such thoughts again!"

The other shopkeepers also pleaded, as if Bai Manli was their only lifeline.

Bai Manli looked at the group of men who had been so murderous just moments before, but were now behaving so disgracefully, and a hint of contempt flashed in her eyes.

She sat down again, resuming her languid demeanor.

"Minglu? Now you're scared?"

"I'm scared! I'm really scared!"

Everyone spoke in unison.

"That's enough."

Bai Manli sighed softly, as if giving alms.

"Considering that we are all from the same Shanxi merchant lineage, and that my father had some kinship with you all, I can offer you some guidance."

"Please enlighten me, Miss!"

Manager Wang grasped at this straw as if it were a lifeline.

Bai Manli tapped her slender fingers lightly on the table.

"You can't go down the path of Li Zhenhua; a head-on confrontation will only lead to your own destruction. But there is more than one path."

Her gaze swept over the crowd.

"The grain you've hoarded is now a hot potato, possibly even your death sentence. While the low-priced grain provided by Li Zhenhua is stabilizing the market, your grain, though devalued, can still be converted into cash. Immediately, at all costs, sell off all your stored grain at the current market price—no, even slightly below! Recover funds, cut your losses and survive!"

"This...this loss is too great!"

Manager Qian gasped in pain.

"loss?"

Bai Manli sneered.

"Which is a greater loss, the execution of the entire family or the loss of money? Money can be earned back, but once you lose your life, you lose everything! And this is only the first step."

She continued.

"The second step is to take a portion—no, the majority—of the funds you've realized from the sale of your assets and donate them to relevant departments under the guise of 'supporting national construction and stabilizing prices,' or use them to purchase national construction bonds. You need to make a grand gesture and show the higher-ups that you've 'repented' and 'understood the greater good'! Only in this way can you wash away your previous reputation for hoarding and speculation, and perhaps even secure leniency."

Manager Wang and the others looked at each other in dismay. This was tantamount to cutting off one's own flesh to feed an eagle, but upon closer examination, it was indeed the only way to preserve the family and perhaps even gain a glimmer of hope.

It hurts, but it's better than dying.

"Then...what about after that? Our grain depot..."

"I asked in a trembling voice," Fatty Sun asked.

"after?"

Bai Manli glanced at him.

"Forget about the grain business. Li Zhenhua's emergence signifies the end of an era. You either need to switch to other, less sensitive businesses, or hold onto your remaining assets and live the life of a wealthy man. At least you'll still be alive."

These words were like a final verdict, leaving the shopkeepers ashen-faced, but also with a sense of utter exhaustion from surviving a catastrophe.

At least, his life was saved.

"Thank you so much for your guidance, Miss! I will never forget your kindness!"

Led by Manager Wang, everyone bowed to Bai Manli in gratitude.

Bai Manli waved her hand.

"No need to thank me. If you want to thank someone, thank Li Zhenhua for showing mercy and not wiping you out. If he hadn't been focused on maintaining stability, do you think you'd still be sitting here?"

Her words once again shocked everyone, and at the same time, they felt an even deeper fear of Li Zhenhua, whom they had never met.

At this moment, Manager Wang suddenly thought of something and asked cautiously.

"Young Miss, why...why are you helping us? And why do you know so much about Li Zhenhua's situation?"

Bai Manli smiled slightly, a smile that carried a hint of mystery and profound meaning.

"I'm helping you because I don't want to see the Shanxi merchants disgraced or even implicated because of your foolishness. As for Li Zhenhua..."

She paused, a complex light flashing in her eyes—curiosity, admiration, and perhaps even a hint of… an indescribable desire to conquer?

"This person is very interesting. He is so young, yet his methods are so shrewd. He can turn the world upside down with a flick of his wrist. He has not only brought down his rivals in the factory, but now he has also shaken up the entire grain distribution in Beijing. Even a powerful family like the Lin family has taken a liking to him. I, Bai Manli, naturally have to go and see such a person with my own eyes."