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

In the High-tech Zone, in the innermost room of Lao Zhang Hot Pot Restaurant.

The pot had long since cooled down, and the chili oil had solidified into a lump.

Wu Jinshui sat there, the walnut in his hand no longer turning. The ashtray was full, and the cigarette butts were piled up like a small mountain.

He stood by the door, his cleft lip making the scar on his face even more noticeable.

Chen, the accountant, sat opposite, his eyes squinting behind his glasses, folding a napkin back and forth in his hand.

The news came in the morning, like a blow to the head.

Old Cat, Chen Mao, is done for.

He didn't run away; he was carried out of Gong Yuelong's dilapidated courtyard and arrested by the Public Security Bureau.

It's unclear where the person is being held now, but the news that the wanted criminal has been caught has already begun to circulate.

"Hold!"

Wu Jinshui cursed and slammed the vinegar dish in front of him onto the ground, shattering it.

"Gong Yuelong..." he squeezed out the words through gritted teeth.

"He actually used Fu Mingde as a lead, and he actually succeeded in using it."

It wasn't that he was afraid Old Cat would sell him out; Old Cat knew a lot of things, but he was confident he could keep the most dangerous things to himself.

What he was afraid of was that Gong Yuelong actually dared to and was actually capable of catching the dog that was hiding the deepest, and doing so in this way, in his own home, one-on-one, taking him down and handing him over to the police!

What does this mean? It means this kid is not only tough and daring, but also ruthless!

He had anticipated that Old Cat would go; perhaps... it was a trap he had set!

The joint patrols that have been going around in the streets these past two days are not for finding clues at all; they are for making a big show of things, forcing Lao Mao to take action, or forcing Wu Jinshui to make Lao Mao take action!

"Boss, what do we do now?"

The man with the cleft lip couldn't help but speak, his throat dry, "Brother Cat went in, what if he can't hold on..."

"Can't handle it my ass!"

"Chen Mao knows exactly what he can say and what he can say. If he says something, his sick mother will be the first to die, and he himself won't survive either."

He made some tough statements, but deep down he wasn't sure what to expect.

Fu Mingde personally oversaw the case; he has plenty of methods at his disposal. Old Cat is a tough nut to crack, but how long can he hold out?

Chen Suanpan pushed up his glasses and said, "Boss, Cat Brother's matter is one thing."

The key point is that after this incident, Gong Yuelong's reputation is now firmly established. Before, he was just a fighter; now, he's not only a fighter, but he can also use the government's influence to attack our people.

Those half-hearted ones down there, and the small and medium-sized material yards and trucking companies that we've been suppressing, are probably starting to have other ideas now.

This is the truly deadly part.

Wu Jinshui has reigned supreme in the High-tech Zone for so many years, not because he is particularly good at fighting, but because everyone is afraid of his set of rules and what lies behind them.

Now, Gong Yuelong has used the most ruthless and glamorous method to tear a hole in this rule, and it seems that the officials have even nodded in approval.

I'm afraid that if we relax our efforts, people's hearts will fall apart.

"Trying to do something?" Wu Jinshui sneered. "Then let them try and see what happens."

He looked at the man with the cleft lip: "Starting tomorrow, the price at the sand quarry will be reduced by 10%."

Go talk to those construction sites and tell them to use our materials. We guarantee quality and quantity, and the price is negotiable.

"If anyone dares to secretly obtain it from elsewhere, and something unexpected happens on the road later, don't blame me for not warning you."

He then looked at Chen Suanpan: "Those friends who have been flirting with Gong Yuelong lately, or who seem to be floating on air, take your people to visit them one by one."

The money owed for the wedding gift must be paid in full, not a penny less, and they must remember it clearly and give it on time—that's the rule here. It was true then, it is true now, and it will be true in the future.

Finally, he stared at the man with the cleft lip, his eyes turning cold: "Find a few unfamiliar, quick-witted guys and keep a close eye on Gong Yuelong and his men. They're only allowed to watch and listen. If anyone dares to reach out, I'll chop off their claws. Now is not the time to act."

The man with the cleft lip quickly nodded, "Understood!"

Chen Suanpan's eyes flickered behind his glasses: "Boss, isn't doing this... a bit too much? Things are getting tense right now, what if the higher-ups get their eyes on us..."

"Is it too noisy?"

"Is this commotion still small? Old Cat's already in jail! Gong Yuelong is climbing up by stepping on my head! If we don't do anything now, once he's appeased Fu Mingde, once all the fence-sitters have turned against me, once no one dares to touch my sand pit or truck fleet, what kind of commotion will there be then?!"

I want him to know that in the High-tech Zone, there are some tables that he can't just flip over whenever he wants!

I want every job he takes on to be stuck in a critical situation! Materials won't get in, workers can't start work, and inspections will never pass!

He was breathing heavily, and his eyes were bloodshot.

"He's using the government's influence? Fine, I'll show him that the government's influence isn't all-powerful!"

Let's see if his borrowed knife is sharper, or if my roots, planted for ten years, are deeper!

The private room was deathly silent.

The old cat's death was like a bucket of cold water waking them up.

Gong Yuelong is no longer the soft persimmon that can be easily bullied; he is a tough nut to crack, both in his hands and in his heart.

From now on, it won't be as simple as street fights; it will be about tripping each other up underwater, about who has the stronger connections, and about more insidious and difficult battles.

Wu Jinshui slowly leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

Gong Yuelong...

This time, I misjudged him.

But there won't be a next time.

……

Late at night, in the courtyard where characters are dismantled.

Gong Yuelong closed his eyes and sank into consciousness.

The cold blue light appeared as expected.

[Analysis of the Retaliation: The Old Cat's ambush is complete.]

[Primary threat target: Wu Jinshui's gang. Key henchman Wang Biao has been eliminated; the covert assassin Lao Mao has been captured.]

Our losses: Minor superficial wounds.

Our gains:

Its reputation has been significantly enhanced. An initial deterrent has been established in the construction industry and related sectors of the High-tech Zone.

Official ties were strengthened. Fu Mingde received a tangible reward for assisting in the capture of a Class B wanted criminal. Both sides entered a phase of substantial mutual benefit.

Internal cohesion has been strengthened. The loyalty and execution capabilities of core members such as Cao Dayong and Shunzi have been tested through this incident.

The enemy has been weakened and exposed. Wu Jinshui has lost his most concealed weapon, and his deterrent power has been diminished.

Gong Yuelong slowly opened his eyes.

"Not bad," he said to himself.

It's not pride, it's a calm assessment.

From getting divorced and burdened with debt, to squatting in the labor market, to now being able to go toe-to-toe with local bullies like Wu Jinshui in the High-tech Zone, and even breaking his most venomous tooth, it hasn't been that long.

What did they rely on? It wasn't just a ruthless streak.

More importantly, they rely on their ability to use information in the right place, dare to place bets, and dare to take action.

Fighting for territory and resources, frankly speaking, is just about who has the best access to information, who makes the most accurate moves, who is more daring to go all out, and who is better at leveraging external forces.

Back in the construction days, people would fight tooth and nail over the price difference of a truckload of sand—that was just a minor squabble.

What we're fighting for now is the right to speak in the entire construction industry of the high-tech zone.

Wu Jinshui has been running his business for so many years, and it's become very powerful and well-established, but the roots are rotten.

He monopolized the market through violence, taking exorbitant cuts and offending many people. Previously, no one dared to challenge him, but now Gong Yuelong has stepped forward and is standing firmly.

Old Cat's turn is a signal, telling all those who harbor resentment but dare not speak out: Wu Jinshui's system is not monolithic and can be broken.

The system provided several possible paths for the next step.

In the glow of the lamp, Gong Yuelong slowly opened his eyes.

Seven days.

It has been a full seven days since the intelligence system last gave that chilling, single-word strategy—kill.

Now, seven days have passed.

He closed his eyes again, his mind sinking into that deep blue.