At thirty, I started my comeback from the intelligence system.

"What else did you hear specifically? Do you have any more details about the 'big commotion'?" Yang Yongchao asked in a deep voice, his tone serious.

Chen Geng shook his head: "No, that's all. He just said a few words. I thought it was absurd at the time, so I didn't ask any questions."

Yang Yongchao glanced at him and, seeing that he didn't seem to be faking it, temporarily suppressed his doubts.

"Don't mention this to anyone. Be careful yourself. Be safe on your way to and from get off work, and call me immediately if anything seems amiss."

"I understand, thank you, Captain Yang," Chen Geng said sincerely.

Yang Yongchao escorted Chen Geng to the Hanfeng Group building, watched him walk into the building, and fell into deep thought.

Chen Geng's words have a reasonable explanation, but they could also be a more sophisticated cover-up.

Regardless, he must continue investigating the clues about the "Green Hell Legion" and Lu Jiahao.

Hanfeng Group GG Company...

Chen Geng was half an hour late, but after Yang Yongchao made a phone call to the administration department explaining that he was "cooperating with the police to understand the situation," no one pursued the matter.

At noon, Li Qianqian approached Chen Geng with an exceptionally warm smile: "Director Chen, the investment has yielded returns! The principal and interest totaled 480,000 yuan, which I've already transferred back to your account. Please check."

Chen Geng took out his phone and glanced at it; sure enough, the money had arrived.

His face lit up with surprise and gratitude: "Sister Li, thank you so much! Such high returns in just a few days! Your friend is amazing!"

"No problem, working with Sister Li, would you ever suffer a loss?"

Li Qianqian lowered her voice, "You were lucky this time, catching a wave of the market. I'll let you know as soon as there's another opportunity like this. But... with these kinds of opportunities, the more capital you have, the more you can earn. It's a pity you only got 300,000 this time."

Chen Geng then revealed an expression of "regret" and "greed":

"Yes! Who would have thought it would be so profitable! Sister Li, next time... next time I have the chance, I'll definitely contribute more! But..."

He abruptly changed the subject, a troubled look on his face. "I'm really short on cash right now. I just bought a car, and my elderly parents aren't in good health; we need money all the time. I have to keep this initial investment for emergencies. Who knows how much I'll be able to come up with next time..."

Upon hearing this, Li Qianqian's mind raced.

Chen Geng had tasted success, but lacked sufficient capital.

This won't do!

"Oh, we're family, no need for formalities. If you're in trouble, how could I not try to help? Aren't you in charge of the Starry Sky Media project? When a project starts, there are always some advance payments and reserve funds. We can manipulate the procedures a bit, use them temporarily for a few days, and then fill them in as soon as the revenue comes in. Nobody will know. It's real profit! I've been in finance for so many years, I know these tricks of the trade, I can guarantee there won't be any problems."

Chen Geng sneered inwardly, but his hand, hidden in his pocket, tightened around the recording pen: "Sister Li, what you're saying... can it really be done? Is the risk high?"

"Don't worry! When has Sister Li ever had a problem getting things done? She handles the process flawlessly. It'll only take a few days. Once the project officially starts, the money will be back, and we'll even have a substantial profit. Why not?"

Li Qianqian patted her chest confidently, her eyes gleaming with greed. She could almost see a large sum of money flowing into her pocket through Chen Geng, this "front man," filling that terrible hole.

"Okay! Sister Li, I trust you! But I don't know anything about this, so you'll have to handle all of this! As long as it's legal and compliant, I'll absolutely listen to you!"

"Understood! I'll arrange it!"

Li Qianqian was overjoyed, feeling that Chen Geng was completely under her control.

The two whispered a few more words about the details. Chen Geng spoke every word carefully, seemingly discussing how to "operate," but in reality, he guided Li Qianqian to clearly state the key points such as "proposing to embezzle public funds," "promising returns," and "operational procedures."

Unaware of the impending success of her plan, Li Qianqian hurriedly left.

Chen Geng watched her departing figure with icy eyes.

The bait has been cast; now it's up to you to bite.

He carefully preserved the recording and began to think about how to "cooperate" with Li Qianqian so that she could successfully "misappropriate" the money, while leaving himself irrefutable evidence of his innocence.

That night, at the Royal Palace Nightclub.

Yang Yongchao changed into casual clothes and came here alone.

He knew it was unrealistic to directly question Lu Jiahao, and it would easily alert him, so he simply found a foreman, revealed his identity, and said he was there to catch up with Brother Hao.

The manager contacted him via walkie-talkie, then apologized, saying that Brother Hao was currently dealing with important matters and would be available later. He then arranged for him to wait in a mid-sized private room, served him drinks and fruit platters, and called several hostesses.

Yang Yongchao waved the princess away, pretending to want to drink and listen to music alone. After the manager left, he quietly slipped out of the private room.

Based on some fragmented clues, he knew that Lu Jiahao had a private room on the top floor that was not open to the public, which was where he discussed "serious matters".

Yang Yongchao had previously led a team to inspect for fire hazards. He bypassed the surveillance cameras and patrolling security guards, and used his familiarity with the building structure to reach the top floor.

The heavy door to the private room at the end of the corridor was tightly closed, and two wary men in black suits stood at the door.

Yang Yongchao darted into the nearby fire escape, holding his breath. The private room was very soundproof, but light and voices could be faintly heard through the gap under the door.

He vaguely heard a conversation coming from inside; one was Lu Jiahao's deep voice, and the other was an unfamiliar male voice with a slight southern accent.

"...The goods are ready, all top-quality items, stored in warehouse B-7 at Pier 3. The 'Blue Whale' will dock next Wednesday morning...Customs clearance has been arranged..."

"The Lu family is indeed reliable! In Xingcheng, Boss Huang and his clients who made reservations are already waiting. This batch of goods is very important; we need to set off as soon as possible and can't afford any mistakes."

"Brother Long, would you like to inspect the goods first?"

"Do you think I, Li Yilong, am that kind of person? What kind of people haven't I seen? I absolutely can't mess up the boss's business! Otherwise, neither of us will escape..."

It sounds like they're talking about a shipment of smuggled goods, possibly electronics, luxury goods, or even... cultural relics?

Yang Yongchao frowned. Although this was also a crime, it didn't seem to have much to do with the "international mercenaries" he wanted to investigate.

He was somewhat disappointed and was preparing to leave quietly to look for other clues.

Just then, the door to the fire escape was suddenly pushed open from the outside, and a drunken guest, with a female companion in his arms, stumbled in and almost bumped into Yang Yongchao.

"Hey? Bro, are you hiding here for some peace and quiet too?" the drunkard greeted him with a slurred speech, his voice unusually loud in the quiet fire escape.

The two men in black suits at the entrance of the private room instantly became alert, their sharp eyes sweeping towards the fire escape.

Yang Yongchao's heart sank, and he knew something was wrong!