One person said: The essence of Wuhou Qimen lies not in Qimen, but in Wuhou.

Zhao Fangxu was stunned once again upon hearing this.

This time, he was stunned for even longer than before, so long that even the special forces soldier in the driver's seat glanced at him in the rearview mirror.

He sat there, mentally translating the words—he knew the language all too well.

In plain language, Zhuge Ming's words meant: "The organization has noticed your work attitude. The higher-ups don't intend for you to retire early. You can work for a few more years. As long as you maintain the right attitude and do your job well, your position won't be affected." The huge weight that had been hanging over him for days finally lifted; he could almost hear the sound of it hitting the ground.

"Serving the Party and the country, and serving the people—this is what we veteran Party members should do, and it is what we must do!"

Zhao Fangxu's voice was less smooth and more sincere with heartfelt solemnity and gratitude.

Then he quickly switched back to work mode, leaned forward slightly, and said in a reporting tone, "Director Zhuge, we are going directly to the headquarters of the Tianxiahui in Tianjin. My idea is to give Feng Zhenghao a surprise visit—without prior notice or any warning—to see his reaction. This kind of surprise visit best reveals a person's true intentions and attitude."

However, considering Feng Zhenghao's social influence and the fact that he is the head of a company with a market value of 300 billion, the company should try to avoid causing unnecessary conflicts. After all, public opinion and social impact must also be taken into account.

He changed the subject, his gaze falling on the faces of the passenger in the front seat and the driver in the rearview mirror, his tone now carrying a hint of tactful probing: "These two comrades are clearly very skilled—with them around, safety on this trip shouldn't be a problem."

Zhuge Ming could easily understand Zhao Fangxu's words.

This is practically a direct challenge—your two bodyguards have guns, are you going to bring guns to discuss business with Feng Zhenghao? Isn't that a bit too aggressive? He smiled slightly, a faint smile carrying a hint of "you're right, but things aren't as you think": "Don't worry, Chairman Zhao. These two comrades are my personal staff, their discipline is top-notch. To be honest—even I have to listen to them."

The lieutenant who had been silent in the passenger seat suddenly spoke up.

His voice wasn't loud, but every word seemed to burst forth from his chest, powerful and resounding, carrying the crispness and determination only active-duty soldiers possess: "We will resolutely obey the orders of our superiors!"

Then he changed the subject, his tone still firm and militaristic, but with an added layer of unwavering resolve: "However—unless there are exceptional circumstances. Our orders are: protect Commander Zhuge Ming's personal safety at all costs. Please rest assured, leader!"

Zhuge Ming smiled.

His smile held a hint of helplessness and warmth. He turned to look at Zhao Fangxu, explaining in a tone that seemed to say, "See, what did I tell you?" "Just kidding, trying to lighten the mood. You two, we've worked together for so many years, and you're still like this. But I still want to say thank you for your hard work—we're standing on Chinese soil, this is our home, there's no need to be so tense. If we keep the people in our hearts, the people will remember us too."

"Always be prepared!"

The lieutenant in the co-pilot's seat blurted out.

Those four words were as crisp and clear as a command.

Zhao Fangxu sat beside him the entire time, without moving an inch.

His back was pressed firmly against the leather seat, his hands were neatly placed on his knees, and his expression appeared calm and normal, but his heart was in turmoil.

He glanced at the two young soldiers in front of him, guns tucked into their belts, shouting "Always ready!", then at the young leader beside him, whose calm demeanor allowed even a casual remark to elicit battle cries from active-duty soldiers. In his mind, he silently etched a golden rule in bold red: Zhuge Ming absolutely could not afford any mistakes—otherwise, everything would be over. Not just the All-Tong Company, not just the East China region, but Zhao Fangxu himself, and everyone present—none of them could withstand the pressure.

……

Meanwhile, in Tianjin, at the main entrance of the Tianxiahui Group Building.

The building soars into the clouds, its glass curtain wall reflecting a blinding white light in the morning sun. The plaza in front is paved with marble tiles, with two rows of potted iron trees arranged symmetrically on either side, and three flags hanging on the flagpole in the center.

The entire facade is grand, magnificent, and orderly, like a modern castle built with money and reinforced concrete.

The revolving doors in front of the building slowly turned, and office workers in suits and ties filed in, each wearing an employee badge from the Tianxiahui organization.

On the side of the road directly opposite this impressive building, there was an inconspicuous gray sedan parked.

The two people standing next to the car had been standing there for almost an hour.

Xu Si stood with his hands on his hips, an unlit cigarette dangling from his mouth, heavy bags under his eyes, his hair disheveled as if it had been whipped by a typhoon, two buttons undone at the collar of his shirt, and his sleeves rolled up crookedly.

He hadn't slept a wink all night—from being pressured to drink by Dou Le at a hot pot restaurant in Beijing last night, to receiving the call that Zhang Chulan had run away, to riding a shared bike out of the Fifth Ring Road, to rushing to Tianjin in the middle of the night, to receiving that call from Zhao Fangxu this morning that made his blood pressure soar.

He went through so much that night; every single thing felt like a hammer blow to his heart.

His patience has reached its limit, like a balloon that has been inflated to its breaking point, needing only one last breath to burst.

Then that breath came.

He glanced down at his watch, then looked up at the tightly closed doors of the Tianxiahui Building, before abruptly turning to Xu San beside him and yelling, "Xu San! Are you even capable?! Are you even competent?! I only took a piss—just a piss! Where's the baby?!"

Xu San stood next to him, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose.

His expression was much calmer than Xu Si's, but there was also a clear sense of fatigue and helplessness between his brows.

He shrugged and replied in as calm a voice as possible, "I couldn't stop her. What could I do? Baby always listens to you the most—what I say is nothing to her. You know that. You want me to pull her back? Even if I did, could I have stopped her? She just leaped over the wall and went inside. Even if I turned into a wall on the spot, I couldn't stop her."

"You're talking nonsense!"

Xu Si spat the unlit cigarette from his mouth onto the ground, poked Xu San's shoulder with a finger, and nearly sprayed spittle onto Xu San's glasses. "Didn't you always say I was corrupting the baby? Didn't you say I was messing around? Didn't you say your methods were more scientific, more reasonable, and more human than mine? Well, you haven't been teaching him well either! Even now, you're still arguing with me! If it weren't for the fact that you're my brother—I…I…I fire you! I officially fire you on behalf of the North China region!"