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

"Gong Yuelong," she laughed.

"Do you know how I feel right now? It's not happiness, it's... relief. All that pent-up frustration from all these years has suddenly been released."

Back then, relying on his seniority and connections, how many times did he openly and secretly trip me up?

Snatching projects, cutting off channels, spreading rumors behind people's backs... I remember it all, every single detail, crystal clear.

Her voice lowered, but became even more forceful: "Forty-two times. Not insignificant frictions, forty-two times in total, where I truly suffered and felt disgusted."

Sometimes I dream about when that old man will get his comeuppance.

I never expected... that retribution would come so swiftly, so... ironically.

Not brought down by rivals, not investigated by superiors, but actually... tricked?! Infuriating?! Haha...hahahaha!

She laughed again, this time laughing so hard she could hardly breathe.

Gong Yuelong listened quietly without interrupting.

He could sense that Jiang Yan's pent-up emotions were being released violently.

After her laughter subsided, he asked:

"Where did this information come from? Is it reliable?"

On the other end of the phone, Jiang Yan took a deep breath and managed to calm herself down. "The source is very reliable; it came from the hospital and... from within the Zheng family. It shouldn't have spread widely yet, but it can't be kept secret forever. The Zheng family... is probably going to be in chaos for a while."

She paused, then added:

"I'm calling you not just to tell you this news, but also to remind you that with Zheng Shu's downfall, the waters of the High-tech Zone... may become more murky and dangerous than we imagine."

The territory he left behind, the conflicts he suppressed, are likely to resurface.

Gong Yuelong hummed in agreement, his gaze drifting towards the construction site outside the window, which was gradually darkening.

"I understand," he said. "Thank you."

After hanging up the phone, the office fell silent.

Gong Yuelong remained holding his phone, motionless for a long time.

Zheng Shu…is dead? Deceived, driven to death by anger? This ending is too abrupt, too dramatic. A lifetime of shrewdness, a lifetime of scheming, and it ends like this?

Zheng Tao's anxious yet pretentious face, as well as Liu Guangjin and President Hou's unfathomable smiles, reappeared in his mind.

Zheng Shu isn't stupid. Who could fool him? And how could they fool him so precisely and ruthlessly?

A name came to mind: Zheng Tao.

Money. Zheng Tao needs money. A large sum of money that will be available immediately. To whom? To those two influential figures who claim to be able to operate the eastern project.

Where did the money come from? He didn't have it, or rather, he didn't have enough. So...

If that's the case... then this play would be incredibly interesting.

A loving father and a filial son—but in the end, their scheming backfires.

Gong Yuelong abruptly closed his eyes, but a chill ran up from his tailbone and instantly spread across his entire back, causing him to break out in a cold sweat.

Tiger poison does not eat its seeds.

A son's poison... could he really kill his father?

It doesn't involve a knife, but it's more inflicted on the heart than a knife.

He used a scam, exploiting his father's expectations and the last vestiges of his trust, to drive him to his death!

"grass!"

Gong Yuelong let out a low growl through his teeth and slammed his fist hard against the metal filing cabinet next to him, making a loud bang.

He wasn't someone who easily showed his emotions, but at this moment, a surge of anger mixed with shock, disgust, and even absurdity rushed to his head.

For money? For his ridiculous vanity, his eagerness to prove himself?

Or is it just to buy an admission ticket to a so-called high-level game?

That's your dad! He's the one who gave you life, raised you, and even though he scolded you for being useless, he still paved the way for you for half your life!

How corrupt can people's hearts become in order to climb the social ladder?

The bond between father and son is as thin as toilet paper in the face of desire; it can be torn apart at any moment.

"Zheng Tao...you're a fucking bastard."

The world is colder than I imagined.

"Zheng Tao...you will die a horrible death."

For money? To squeeze into that pretentious, high-level position?

Even one's own father can be used as a stepping stone, how could that make someone so angry they die?

He used to think that Wu Jinshui was just a blatant wolf, but now he realizes that Zheng Tao, who is just a human in disguise, can be so ruthless that he can even chew up and swallow blood ties.

What about himself? Gong Yuelong doesn't expect anyone to help him in his time of need, but if he wants to gain a foothold and go far, is it enough to rely solely on his fighting skills, daring, and a bit of luck?

Zheng Shu collapsed, having been stabbed in the back by his son.

What's behind me?

Cao Dayong, Shunzi, and their brothers share a life-or-death bond, but their world revolves around the construction site.

Fu Mingde's relationship is based on mutual exploitation, Yang Ruyan's relationship is intertwined with interests, and Jiang Yan... has both appreciation and her own agenda.

Where do his connections lie? Where are the truly reliable connections he can rely on, the ones that won't turn against him from behind?

Do we also have to follow Zheng Tao's example, scheming, groveling, and doing everything we can to get close to some influential person?

No. Just thinking about that road made him nauseous.

Moreover, look at Zheng Shu's fate.

But if we don't do this, how far can we go by going it alone in this treacherous, dog-eat-dog world? What should we do next?

The confusion lasted only a few seconds.

Gong Yuelong exhaled a breath of stale air.

He has other options.

I closed my eyes, and my mind sank into that deep blue.

[Intelligence Analysis: Request to identify key relationships at this stage that can substantially and safely enhance my personal foundation or break the deadlock in the Eastern District project. Requirements: Avoid Zheng Tao-style dependency; seek value exchange or potential alliances. Target scope: High-tech Zone and related higher-level systems.]

The command was clearly given. The blue light instantly surged.

A few seconds felt like centuries.

A faint blue light appeared, followed by a very brief background analysis:

[Target Location: Main entrance of the Phase I factory building of the Xinke Sensing Project in the High-tech Zone.]

[Related Target: Yan Hesong, Executive Deputy Leader of the Special Coordination Leading Group. Status: Impromptu, solo, low-key on-site inspection. Dislikes performing.]

Gong Yuelong suddenly opened his eyes.

Right...at the project entrance? Now?

He twitched the corner of his mouth.

The first shock of this news was not surprise, but a kind of absurd, goosebump-like feeling.

Zheng Tao had just angered his own father to death, and the door he had tried to pry open at any cost, risking everything, had now silently appeared outside the gate of his construction site.

There was no entourage, no secretary to inform them, and even Yang Ruyan and Fu Mingde might not have known.

He could feel his heart beating faster.

Opportunity? Absolutely! But the risks? Just as huge. One wrong step, one misbehaved performance, could have far more serious consequences than offending Wu Jinshui.

In just two or three seconds, countless thoughts raced through his mind:

Zheng Shu's contorted face before his death, Zheng Tao's fawning smile, Liu and Hou's calculating eyes, Wu Jinshui's chilling threat... and himself, crawling out of the mud, his broken leg, the blood that flowed, the factory he built.

"Don't panic," he told himself.