After my divorce at thirty, I developed an intelligence network.

Gong Yuelong said calmly, "There's always a reason why the wind is blowing that way. Maybe they've moved, or maybe our actions are suspicious. We can't rush this kind of old fox."

"My people and my time are not meant to be used to put on a show for you."

Fu Mingde's voice was filled with impatience, "Gong Yuelong, what I need is real substance, leads that can actually get people involved! You've made a lot of face this afternoon, but what about the substance?"

"Do your people have any more accurate information? If not, then this is the end."

The air in the private room seemed to freeze.

Gong Yuelong was silent for two seconds, but then spoke with unusual decisiveness:

"Yes. But it will take time, and we'll need your patience and cooperation."

"How can we cooperate?" Fu Mingde pressed.

"Give me two more people."

Gong Yuelong quickened his pace, "By tomorrow night at the latest. If we still haven't gotten anywhere, I'll admit it, I handed in the wrong lead, and I'll never mention it again. If we have…"

He paused and looked at Fu Mingde.

Fu Mingde's pupils constricted as he quickly weighed his options.

They were put on the defensive, but the other party gave them a clear deadline and a more specific plan.

More importantly, he sensed the determination in Gong Yuelong's words. This wasn't just empty talk; he was genuinely going to put in the effort to dig.

The allure of recognition outweighed the unpleasantness of being used and the immediate anxiety.

"……good."

"I'll give you the man. But Gong Yuelong, this is the last time we'll cooperate. Tomorrow night, I either need to see Chen Mao, or... you know the consequences."

"Understood." Gong Yuelong nodded. "I only want the result."

The dinner ended abruptly.

Fu Mingde watched Gong Yuelong's departing figure and rubbed his temples in frustration.

He knew he was being lured in again, but the bait on the hook was too tempting.

He grabbed the phone:

"Old Wang, send two more people to find Gong Yuelong."

Tell them to follow Gong's orders, but they must report the details to me separately!

He hung up the phone and stared at the cold food.

Either catch a big fish, or... it'll really become a joke.

……

Fu Mingde put down the phone and stared at the map of the High-tech Zone on the wall for a long time.

I picked up my phone and dialed a number.

"Xiao Tao, got a moment? Same spot, let's grab a couple of drinks... Just the two of us, let's chat about random things."

Zheng Tao arrived early and, seeing Fu Mingde enter, quickly stood up: "Uncle Fu, what brings you to this scene?"

"sit."

Fu Mingde waved his hand, sat down first, picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and asked casually, "Is the High-tech Zone lively lately?"

Zheng Tao immediately understood, "It's quite a scene. Wu Jinshui has lost two key generals, and Wang Biao is... gone. Now that guy surnamed Gong is riding high."

I heard that this morning, he was wandering around the old factory area with people from your bureau? Quite a few people saw him.

Fu Mingde remained noncommittal, picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks, chewed it slowly, swallowed it, and then spoke:

"It's good that everyone can see it. It proves that there's no stagnant pool in the High-tech Zone."

He looked up at Zheng Tao: "Xiao Tao, tell me, whether it's doing business or managing a place, what's the most frightening thing?"

Zheng Tao thought for a moment: "What I'm most afraid of is... the situation getting stuck, with no change?"

"Yes, but not entirely."

"What I fear most is someone winning too decisively and becoming the sole dominant force. Didn't Wu Jinshui show signs of this a few years ago?"

Zheng Tao nodded: "Yes, he's overreaching when it comes to sand and gravel building materials and transporting earth."

"So," Fu Mingde leaned back in his chair, "it's a good thing that someone has stepped up to challenge him."

Gong Yuelong is ruthless and audacious, but at least for now, he has to follow my rules and rely on my influence.

This is much better than Wu Jinshui keeping to himself and enjoying the fruits of others' labor back then.

He paused, his tone carrying a deeper meaning:

"Wu Jinshui can't fall too quickly. If he falls too quickly, Gong Yuelong will have no opponent and could become the second Wu Jinshui in the blink of an eye, or even more ruthless."

But Gong Yuelong can't afford to lose either. If he loses, Wu Jinshui will recover, and the group will be a formidable opponent again, making things even more troublesome.

Zheng Tao listened intently, vaguely grasping the gist of it: "Uncle Fu, what you mean is..."

"What I mean is," Fu Mingde interrupted him, "that in this game, it's best if neither of us wins too easily."

They were locked in a power struggle, watching each other closely, allowing some inappropriate actions to be withdrawn and some necessary paths to be cleared.

He picked up his wine glass and lightly clinked it against Zheng Tao's:

"Competition creates room for maneuver. With room for maneuver, young people like you who know how to maintain boundaries have the opportunity to get involved and get a share of the pie."

Instead of just standing by and watching, waiting until others have finished eating before handing over scraps.

Zheng Tao's eyes lit up. "Uncle Fu, you're absolutely right! So... what should I do?"

Fu Mingde downed the wine in his glass in one gulp and put the glass down.

"Focus on doing your business well and maintaining the relationships you need to. Especially in the building materials sector, make sure to connect with the people you should be in contact with..."

He looked at Zheng Tao with a deep gaze: "When the water is murky, that's the best time to catch fish. But remember, when catching fish, you have to be careful before casting your net."

Don't rush to take sides, but don't just sit around waiting. Understand?

Zheng Tao nodded emphatically, understanding immediately: "Understood, Uncle Fu! I know what to do!"

Fu Mingde said no more and picked up his chopsticks again: "Eat your food, it's getting cold."

……

Late at night, inside a health and wellness clinic on a back street in the High-tech Zone.

Inside the room, on the massage bed, Wu Jinshui lay face down with his eyes closed.

A proud girl was kneeling beside him, her fingers coated with essential oil, gently massaging his fat belly.

When my fingertips occasionally brush against my lower back, they pause almost imperceptibly.

Wu Jinshui grunted through his nose, it was impossible to tell whether he felt comfortable or impatient.

It was at this moment that the cleft lip slipped in like a shadow.

He didn't dare to make a sound, standing in the shadows at the foot of the bed.

The girl noticed someone was there and froze.

Wu Jinshui didn't open his eyes, but simply waved his hand from beside the pillow. The girl left.

The inner room fell completely silent.

"Speak," Wu Jinshui said, remaining in the same position, his voice muffled by the pillow.

The man with the cleft lip took half a step forward and said, "Boss, something's happened! That bastard Gong Yuelong was leading the police this morning, wandering around everywhere."

"Right now, everyone in the High-tech Zone is saying that this guy surnamed Gong is in cahoots with Director Fu, and can mobilize people from the bureau to clear the way for him!"

The mattress groaned under the strain.

Wu Jinshui suddenly turned over and sat up, his upper body glistening with oil.

He scoffed, "Fu Mingde... is he so impatient that he's going to personally step in and back up that stray dog?"

He grabbed the shirt draped over the back of the chair, roughly pulled it on, and left it unbuttoned, exposing a large portion of his chest.

"Trying to team up and put me on the hot seat?" he muttered to himself.

"Damn it!"

Wu Jinshui cursed under his breath, walked to the small table, grabbed his phone, and quickly dialed a number.

"it's me."

"Listen, things have changed. Gong Yuelong has taken advantage of the government and is cracking down on the old factory area. Your place may not be absolutely safe anymore."

The other side remained silent.

Wu Jinshui reassured them, "Don't panic. They're looking for a needle in a haystack; they might not actually find your doorstep. But we can't gamble."

The original plan has been moved up; we can no longer wait for a more suitable opportunity.

He paused, then said, "Target: Gong Yuelong. Method: You decide. Be clean and quick."

After succeeding, the same place, double the reward will be settled immediately.

I'll add another 30% to your mother's surgery fee next month.

Finally, a very low response came from the other end of the phone: "...Understood."