Chapter 501: The Opponent is a Formidable Enemy!

Yunhe Law Firm followed Shen Fei’s orders to the letter.

Regarding the lawsuit against Tengke Corporation, Yunhe had already prepared thoroughly.

For other matters, they had simply been waiting for Shen Fei’s command.

The moment they received Shen Fei’s approval and commission, they were ready to sue the opponent immediately. Delaying even a day would be detrimental to them.

This was why Liang Shuang had asked Shen Fei for two weeks and why everyone at Yunhe Law Firm was in such a frantic state during those two weeks.

The greater fear was that Tengke Corporation might pull something unexpected, such as further optimizing their game “Tianxia,” thereby breaking free from the framework of “Tianjue.”

If Tengke Corporation really achieved that, they could blur the lines between borrowing ideas and outright plagiarism, making it much harder for Yunhe to win the lawsuit.

Thus, the urgency of this lawsuit was deeply felt not just by Shen Fei and Longguang Media but also by Yunhe Law Firm and Liang Jing.

That afternoon, on the very day Shen Fei and Yunhe Law Firm signed the commission contract, Yunhe formally filed a lawsuit against Tengke Corporation in the name of Longguang Media, accusing them of plagiarizing the game Tianjue.

The lawsuit was submitted to the Zhushi Court.

Meanwhile, Longguang Media’s official social media account, which had remained silent regarding the plagiarism, finally broke its silence and openly questioned Tengke Corporation on Weibo.

The move aimed to stir public opinion, applying pressure on the courts to ensure impartiality.

As Longguang Media’s sudden public accusation spread, the plagiarism controversy, which had been dying down, flared up once again as a topic of outrage.

—”Tsk, how long has it been? They’re only suing Tianxia now?”

—”Popcorn’s ready—I’m here to watch the drama!”

—”I thought Tianjue wasn’t going to respond anymore. Clearly, Tengke has driven them mad! Then again, if they don’t fight back, Tianjue really will fade into obscurity.”

—”Seriously though, Tianjue, how do you even compare? Tianxia lets me log in via WeChat and QQ. You? Phone verification, ID input… so annoying!”

—”Are you serious? Tianxia only exists because it plagiarized Tianjue!”

—”Honestly, I doubt Longguang Media will win. So many companies have sued Tengke before, and nothing came of it.”

—”This time, I’m siding with Longguang Media. Finally, a creative new game came out. If Tengke wins again, the Chinese gaming industry is doomed!”

—”I don’t care—Tianxia, you better stand firm! I’ve spent so much money and time clearing dungeons. If you’re gone, what happens to my money? My time? I oppose this lawsuit!”

—”Are you an idiot? Opposition won’t change anything. Look at Shen Fei—every product under his name sells like crazy, even the scar cream and sunscreen. People boycott at first, but they always cave in the end.”

From the launch of YX Sunscreen to two days prior, Shen Fei and his Yuexin product line had remained the center of public discussion. After a brief pause, Longguang Media’s statement reignited a media storm.

However, unlike the previous controversy, this time the discussion was not one-sided.

Thanks to the time gap and Tengke Corporation’s effective marketing, many players had already switched their loyalty to Tengke. Besides, Tengke Corporation had always managed to win past lawsuits.

Thus, the public wasn’t particularly surprised.

Online debates split into two camps. Still, as the controversy was only beginning, clear sides hadn’t yet formed.

While many awaited Tengke Corporation’s response, a monumental battle was about to unfold.

Meanwhile…

In the vice president’s office at Tengke Corporation, Pan Shi sat with a look of satisfaction and pride.

He had just signed multiple advertising deals with major brands.

To him, the plagiarism issue between Tianjue and Tianxia was a distant concern.

Pulling out his phone to share the good news with Chairman Ma in Kyoto, Pan Shi’s office door suddenly burst open.

“Minister Cai, you’re getting ruder by the day! This is my office, not a public restroom you can barge into!”

Seeing Cai Ming’s urgency, Pan Shi’s expression turned complex.

However, Cai Ming ignored Pan Shi’s attitude entirely, too focused on the matter at hand.

“Pan, did you know? Just today, Longguang Media formally filed a lawsuit against us over Tianxia plagiarizing Tianjue! Moments ago, Longguang Media even publicly called us out on Weibo!”

“So what?” Pan Shi said dismissively.

“So what? How can you not take this seriously?” Cai Ming shot back, his tone sharp.

“And that gives you the right to burst into my office?” Pan Shi retorted.

Enraged, Cai Ming forced himself to take a deep breath.

“Pan, if you’re upset about me barging in, I’ll apologize. But could you focus on the game situation for once? You just signed advertising deals! If we lose this lawsuit, you know better than anyone what the consequences will be. Those contracts alone could push us to the brink!”

“Isn’t that something we anticipated? Longguang Media suing us is no surprise. That’s why we have a legal department—what’s there to worry about?” Pan Shi shot back.

Cai Ming felt his blood boil.

“Pan, this time the opponent is a formidable enemy!”

Ignoring the fact that Pan Shi was his superior, Cai Ming’s anger flared.

“So what? Cai Ming, you’re the head of the gaming department—just focus on optimizing the game. Why distrust our legal department? Where’s the confidence that defines Tengke Corporation?”

Pan Shi, growing increasingly agitated by Cai Ming’s defiance, snapped, “You’re embarrassing yourself!”

—————- END —————-

Chapter 502: There Won’t Be a Next Time!

Him acting like this now?

Hearing these words, Cai Ming laughed.

Yes, he laughed.

The current situation had spiraled in a way he never wanted to see.

If it were up to him, he would have taken Tianxia offline from the very beginning.

It was simple—if Longguang Media’s lawsuit against Tengke Corporation ended in defeat, as the Head of the Gaming Department, Cai Ming would undoubtedly be held responsible.

If Tengke needed someone to take the blame, he would be the one sacrificed.

At that time, Pan Shi would surely shift all the responsibility onto him, drenching him in blame.

Cai Ming would have no choice but to leave Tengke Corporation in disgrace, becoming the scapegoat to appease everyone.

It was a heavy burden—one he couldn’t bear.

But there was nothing he could do.

He had no access to Chairman Ma and couldn’t present his analysis of the pros and cons of the game directly.

Besides, he understood that Pan Shi dared to act so recklessly because he had Chairman Ma’s approval.

“President Pan…”

Cai Ming tried to persuade him further.

But before he could finish a sentence, Pan Shi cut him off directly.

“Shut up! Do you think there’s any point in you continuing? Cai Ming, you’re just a small department head for the gaming division. Matters outside of the game itself are none of your business. Do you understand?”

Pan Shi shot Cai Ming a cold glance, his anger visible to the naked eye.

Seeing Pan Shi’s unyielding stance, Cai Ming clenched his fists, visibly frustrated.

“President Pan, if we lose the case, will you throw me under the bus to take the fall?”

“Minister Cai, our legal team won’t lose! You should have faith in that fact!” Pan Shi replied sternly.

Cai Ming glared at Pan Shi for a long moment before smirking sarcastically.

Before Pan Shi could rebuke him, Cai Ming waved a hand dismissively.

“Alright, President Pan, I hope your legal team lives up to your expectations.”

With that, Cai Ming didn’t wait for Pan Shi’s reply and turned to leave.

However, he had only taken a few steps when Pan Shi called after him.

“Minister Cai!”

Cai Ming stopped and waited for Pan Shi to speak.

“I’ll chalk this up to urgency this time, but I have to say—you’re an adult, and you need to show proper manners.”

“Fine. There won’t be a next time.”

Cai Ming shrugged and strode out of the office, closing the door behind him with a loud thud.

“Bastard!”

Startled by the sudden noise, Pan Shi’s anger flared, and he slammed his fist onto the desk.

Taking several deep breaths to calm himself, he finally picked up his phone and called the head of Tengke Corporation’s legal department.

“President Pan!”

“Are you aware that Longguang Media has filed a lawsuit against us?” Pan Shi asked.

“Yes! President Pan, the Zhushi Court just informed me. They’ve started receiving the case documents.”

“What’s our chance of winning?” Pan Shi hesitated before asking.

“About 95%. I’ve been in contact with the court over the past few days, and while they did mention public pressure, we can manipulate the ambiguous line between ‘plagiarism’ and ‘inspiration.’ If we leverage that argument effectively, we still have an excellent chance of winning. The last time Shen Fei criticized the court through the media, the judges were furious. Their impression of him is extremely poor, and that will inevitably influence their judgment.”

The head of legal chuckled confidently before continuing,

“President Pan, even if we encounter unfavorable factors during the trial, the judges will suppress them for us. Once the ruling is announced, Tengke Corporation will have nothing to worry about. We’ve seen these lawsuits many times before. When have they not dragged on until they quietly faded away? There’s nothing to fear—our opponents can’t afford the fight.”

“So I can relax, then?” Pan Shi asked doubtfully.

“Of course, President Pan. Haven’t we seen it all before? Those gaming companies are all the same. Tengke’s legal team is a champion in the legal world. Those small law firms can’t even dream of standing against us. If we somehow lose this case, we might as well all resign together!” the legal head joked.

His words were filled with disdain for Yunhe Law Firm, as if he didn’t consider them a threat at all.

“Alright, if you’re that confident, I’ll rest easy.”

…

Meanwhile, at Zhongtai Trading Company

Inside the general manager’s office, Hu Yuantai had been so busy dealing with issues surrounding Xinyue Real Estate and Xinyue Media that he hadn’t paid attention to his own company for some time.

Despite his packed schedule, he had carved out some time to return to his office and handle critical documents requiring his review.

However, not long after arriving, he overheard some employees discussing Longguang Media’s lawsuit against Tengke Corporation.

Curious, Hu Yuantai picked up his phone to check the headlines.

As the employees had said, “Longguang Media Sues Tengke Corporation” was the number-one trending topic.

After briefly reviewing the details, Hu Yuantai was stunned.

He stared at Shen Fei’s contact number for a long time, debating whether to call him.

Eventually, he decided against it and dialed his uncle’s number instead.

“Kid, it’s been ages since you’ve called me! If you hadn’t called soon, I was about to come to Shenzhen to drag you back myself! Your mother and I were just talking about you the other day. What’s the deal? Are you avoiding us because we’re pressuring you to marry that girl from the Xie family? Or are you afraid of something else? You’ve been in Shenzhen for years now, refusing to return to Kyoto. Are you planning to settle down there permanently?”

A steady, middle-aged voice came through the receiver.

“Uncle, I finally call you, and you start with this? Look, I’m doing fine in Shenzhen. You know how complicated things are in Kyoto…” Hu Yuantai replied somewhat sheepishly.

“Ha! You’re just afraid of Old Master Mei, aren’t you?”

His uncle laughed before adding,

“Don’t worry—no one dares bring up your name to him.”

Before his uncle could continue, Hu Yuantai interrupted,

“Uncle, listen to me for a second!”

“Alright, alright. I knew you wouldn’t call unless you needed something. Go ahead, what is it?” his uncle said with a chuckle.

“Uncle, have you heard of someone named Shen Fei?” Hu Yuantai asked bluntly.

“Shen Fei? Yes, I’ve heard of him. Your sister told us about him. Apparently, he acquired a tech company and invested a lot of money into it,” his uncle said seriously.

“Exactly!”

Hu Yuantai paused, his tone turning indignant.

“Besides that tech company, he also owns a gaming company called Longguang Media. The popular game Tianjue was developed by them. It made Tengke Corporation feel threatened, so they plagiarized Tianjue and released Tianxia. Tengke’s behavior is despicable. They rely on their legal team and their connections in the courts to blatantly disregard intellectual property laws.”

—————- END —————-

Chapter 503: I Have My Limits!

“So, are you planning to help Shen Fei?”

As Hu Yuantai’s uncle listened to what he said, the middle-aged man was quite astonished.

He knew Hu Yuantai very well. This nephew of his was a rare “clean slate” in the privileged circles, not only in Kyoto but across the country.

He was calm, measured, and never bothered others for help, especially his elders.

In his memory, Hu Yuantai had never proactively asked for assistance. Yet, in the past six months, he had repeatedly broken this rule for one person—Shen Fei. It was truly surprising.

Even though Hu Yuantai didn’t explicitly express his thoughts, the implication in his words was already obvious.

“Uncle, just the arrogance of Tengke Corporation alone would be intolerable to anyone with a sense of justice!” Hu Yuantai said firmly.

“Yuantai, this really doesn’t seem like your style. You’ve never asked for help before—why now? Did your sense of justice suddenly ignite?” the middle-aged man teased.

Hearing this, Hu Yuantai paused, unsure of how to respond.

His uncle was right. That was indeed his true character. No matter how much trouble he faced, he always chose to endure it alone. He preferred to settle matters quickly, even at his own loss, rather than dragging them out and creating more problems.

That was Hu Yuantai.

But now, because of Shen Fei, he had reached out to his uncle. It was unexpected, even for himself.

This wasn’t the first time Hu Yuantai had made an exception for Shen Fei.

The first time was when he sought personal bodyguards for Shen Fei. The second was when he approached his uncle at the central bank regarding Shen Fei’s financial matters. The third time was when he asked his aunt, who worked in the automotive industry, to secure ten Hongqi business vehicles and two bulletproof cars for Shen Fei.

These instances had already gone against Hu Yuantai’s principles.

Now, once again, he was reaching out for Shen Fei’s sake.

Understanding why his uncle spoke as he did, Hu Yuantai responded calmly, “Uncle, if it were someone else, I probably wouldn’t do this. After all, though I have wealth, my sense of justice alone wouldn’t move me to such action. But Shen Fei is different! He’s not like anyone else!”

“Different? How so?” the man asked, puzzled.

“Uncle, let me put it this way: apart from family, I’ve never called anyone ‘big brother.’ But Shen Fei, I call him ‘Brother Fei,’ and I do so willingly and sincerely! Besides, Brother Fei is my benefactor. Without him… sigh, I’d probably never be able to repay the debt I owe him!” Hu Yuantai said seriously.

The middle-aged man was surprised by this.

Though he was curious, he chose not to pry further. Instead, he asked, “Does Shen Fei know your background?”

“No, he doesn’t. From our interactions, I’m sure he suspects something—Brother Fei is extremely smart—but he’s never asked directly or investigated me privately,” Hu Yuantai replied.

“Alright, so what do you want me to do?”

The middle-aged man paused, frowning slightly. Then, after a moment’s thought, he said gravely, “You know me, Yuantai. I have my own bottom line and principles. The higher one climbs, the more one must regulate oneself. Otherwise, being caught in a scandal could harm both me and the Hu family. Also, Shen Fei is up against Tengke Corporation. Tengke isn’t a small company; its influence in society is huge. If…”

Before the man could finish, Hu Yuantai interrupted, “Uncle, I know my limits!”

“Alright, I trust you. So what do you want me to do?”

“Uncle, I only have one request—fairness and justice! You’re a leader in the Central Prosecutor’s Office, and I believe you know that Tengke Corporation in Zhushi is practically undefeated in court. This success isn’t just due to their shameless imitation tactics but also because of their powerful legal department. Coupled with their multi-sector growth, they’ve attracted many users, which has emboldened them to keep copying others without fear.”

Hu Yuantai sighed and continued, “Take the past few years as an example. Tengke has been sued by multiple gaming companies, and even when the plaintiffs had solid evidence, Tengke always won. This is thanks to their legal department, but there must also be powerful forces backing them.”

“This whole matter is clear as day. I just want this lawsuit to be fair and impartial. As long as the court doesn’t favor either side, that’s enough. Brother Fei has waited until now to file this suit because he must be confident in his case. I trust Brother Fei, but I don’t want Tengke to receive special treatment just because of their connections with the court.”

After hearing this, the middle-aged man didn’t immediately respond.

It wasn’t because the matter was difficult; in fact, he could resolve it with just a few words.

His hesitation stemmed from his position—it wasn’t exactly appropriate for him to get involved in such matters.

But this was the first time his nephew, Hu Yuantai, had ever asked him for something.

Finally, the man gave a faint smile. “Alright, I’ll give the necessary instructions. But let me ask you this, Yuantai—what if Shen Fei’s legal team loses to Tengke? While the legal system is improving, there are still loopholes, and Tengke could exploit them. If that happens… will you still help Shen Fei?”

The question stunned Hu Yuantai.

Would he still help Shen Fei if they lost?

Of course, he would. But it would have to be done quietly.

However, Hu Yuantai wasn’t about to say this directly to his uncle.

“Uncle, as long as the court is impartial, Longguang Media will definitely win! Not just me—everyone believes that Tengke copied Longguang’s game!” Hu Yuantai said resolutely.

Although Hu Yuantai didn’t answer directly, his uncle understood his attitude.

“Alright, I’ll make the arrangements.”

The office fell silent once more.

Back at Zhongtai Trading, Hu Yuantai let out a long sigh of relief, temporarily putting the matter aside.

He returned to his work, focusing on managing his company’s affairs.

—————- END —————-

Chapter 504: This Is All I Can Do to Help!

Beijing.

In the office of the Chief Inspector at the Central Prosecutor’s Office, a middle-aged man exuding authority and power spoke briefly on the phone.

Shortly after, a younger man, dressed in a formal black suit, knocked on the office door.

“Director!”

“Ah, Xiao Wang, you’re here.” The senior official greeted him amicably.

“Yes, Director. You called for me…?” Xiao Wang asked, slightly puzzled.

“I’ve heard that Tengke Corporation recently launched a new mobile game called ‘World.’ There are rumors that this game plagiarized another one. Are you aware of this?” the man asked in a serious tone.

“Yes, I’ve heard about it. However, I don’t know the exact details. Intellectual property cases are often tricky because the boundaries are ambiguous. Without a thorough comparison, it’s difficult to determine anything. Also, cases like these are typically handled by the local courts. I don’t think we need to concern ourselves with it,” Xiao Wang replied candidly.

“I see. Aside from this, I also hear that Tengke Corporation’s legal team has a reputation for being invincible in Zhu City courts?” the man continued.

“Yes, Director. Tengke’s legal team has recruited elite professionals from domestic and international law firms, giving them an outstanding reputation both at home and abroad. Previously, we conducted investigations into Tengke’s other plagiarism lawsuits and found deliberate favoritism by Zhu City courts. However, given Tengke’s significant contributions to the nation’s economy, such favoritism is somewhat understandable. Our thorough investigation showed their bias was technically within legal boundaries, so we chose not to intervene further,” Xiao Wang explained cautiously.

The senior man listened quietly, nodding solemnly.

He didn’t show any anger regarding what Xiao Wang said about Zhu City courts favoring Tengke. After a moment of silence, he asked,

“What do you think Zhu City courts will do with Longguang Media’s lawsuit against Tengke this time?”

Xiao Wang was stunned. A strange feeling crept into his heart.

Was the Director implying he wanted to support Longguang Media?

Had Shen Fei and Longguang Media’s connections already reached the Central Prosecutor’s Office?

Once he composed himself, Xiao Wang replied in a steady tone, “Director, you may not know this, but Longguang Media’s owner is a young man named Shen Fei. He rose to success in just half a year through his investments, drawing widespread public attention. Recently, when Tengke plagiarized Longguang Media’s ‘Tianjue’ game, Shen Fei confronted the media during an interview, directly questioning the courts on live camera. This action immediately sparked public outrage, putting immense pressure on Zhu City courts. I doubt they would dare show obvious favoritism under such scrutiny.”

“Alright. Since things have escalated to this point, have someone subtly remind the local courts to act fairly and impartially. With so much public attention, they must uphold justice and avoid tarnishing their credibility. Any stain on their reputation would be a disservice to the people,” the man said with a sigh, issuing his orders firmly.

His words sounded neutral and objective, but to Xiao Wang, they carried deeper meaning.

Xiao Wang nodded quickly. “Understood, Director. I’ll take care of it right away.”

“Good.”

The senior man didn’t need to say much. He knew Xiao Wang would handle the matter appropriately.

Once Xiao Wang left, the man looked at the photo on his desk and the words “Uphold Discipline and Integrity” on the wall. He let out a helpless laugh.

“Alright, Yuantai, you’ve really grown. But I have my limits—this is as much as I can do for you.”

—

For Tengke Corporation’s CEO, Pan Shi, this outcome was something he never anticipated.

The “support” they relied on had quietly crumbled.

No matter how strong Tengke’s legal team was, without favoritism or a safety net, they would struggle to maintain their “invincible” reputation.

Meanwhile, Shen Fei had no idea that Hu Yuantai was secretly helping him.

Even if he thought Hu Yuantai would lend a hand, he would never have expected it to be in this manner.

—

On the internet, the lawsuit between Longguang Media and Tengke Corporation remained a hot topic of debate.

However, Shen Fei had put the matter aside ever since handing it over to Yunhe Law Firm.

Driving on the road, Shen Fei originally planned to visit Xinyue Group.

But as he waited at a red light, he changed his mind.

After reconsidering, Shen Fei decided to check on the construction of the Security Consultant Base.

—

“Hello, President Shen!”

As soon as Shen Fei stepped out of the car at the base, a group of villagers—men and women in colorful clothing—greeted him respectfully.

Shen Fei was momentarily speechless at the scene.

These people were familiar to him.

When the base was initially under construction, these same villagers had come to cause trouble, spurred on by Mitian Gong.

“Didn’t you reject Mitian Gong’s offer back then? Why are you all here now…” Shen Fei asked, half amused, half exasperated.

“President Shen, don’t be so formal with us! We have nothing better to do, so why not come by? You’re building something here, and in the end, we might benefit from it too,” a young man shouted cheerfully.

“Hmm? Benefit? What kind of benefit?” Shen Fei frowned.

“When this base is completed, it’ll be our protector! If something happens in the village, won’t you help us out?” an elderly woman chimed in.

“Uh…”

Shen Fei was utterly speechless.

How had building a base turned into him being the village’s protector?

When construction first started, these villagers had been incredibly resistant.

Moreover, the base wasn’t even close to their village. If something did happen, the base wouldn’t be able to respond in time anyway.

Shen Fei was certain now—this was all orchestrated by Mitian Gong.

“President Shen!”

At that moment, Deng Xin, the person in charge of the project, spotted Shen Fei and hurried over.

“President Shen, you’re here! Why didn’t you let us know in advance?”

Shen Fei smiled faintly and replied with a question, “What’s going on with these villagers? Didn’t we agree they wouldn’t be involved? Judging by how familiar they are, they’ve clearly been helping out here for a while now.”

—————- END —————-

Chapter 505: How Could He Even Ask?

“President Shen, about this situation—after you instructed me last time, I did drive them away. But they kept coming back every day. Oddly enough, the more I chased them off, the more determined these villagers became to stay. Unlike before, they aren’t causing any trouble now and have actually been working quite hard. In fact, progress on our side has sped up a little because of them,” Deng Xin quickly explained when he heard Shen Fei’s question.

Despite his explanation, Deng Xin still felt a little guilty. After all, Shen Fei had explicitly told him to keep the villagers away.

“What’s this, Deng Xin? Do you actually want them to stay here now?” Shen Fei asked, looking puzzled.

“No, no, President Shen! You’ve misunderstood me!” Deng Xin waved his hands nervously. “It’s not that I want them here; I just couldn’t get rid of them no matter how hard I tried, so I let them stay.”

“President Shen, please don’t think of us as outsiders! When it comes to helping, our villagers are more than willing! You’re building a base here—that makes you our protector, and it’s a blessing for us. We’re uneducated and don’t have any special skills, so all we can do is offer some hard labor. Please don’t drive us away!”

The young man, seeing Shen Fei’s frown, quickly chimed in after Deng Xin’s explanation, his words surprisingly articulate.

For a moment, Shen Fei couldn’t find a proper rebuttal. What they said sounded oddly reasonable, but it still gave him a headache.

It didn’t sound like something this young man would say.

“These words… were they taught to you by that Mitian Gong? And your coming here to help—was that also arranged by him?” Shen Fei’s tone was doubtful but firm.

“How could that be, President Shen? These are our heartfelt words! Uncle San didn’t say anything like that,” the young man shook his head.

Hearing this, Shen Fei couldn’t help but smile wryly. Seeing the young man’s earnest demeanor, he sighed and turned to Deng Xin.

“Deng Xin, have you calculated wages for these people over the past few days?”

At this, the young man panicked immediately.

“President Shen, please! Saying that makes it seem like you don’t trust us. We’re honored just to help you out—how could we dare ask for wages? If you really paid us, it would mean you’re looking down on us!”

This was something Uncle San, Mitian Gong, had strictly forbidden. Asking for money? None of them dared.

“I haven’t calculated any wages for them, President Shen,” Deng Xin replied honestly. “They never mentioned money when they came to help, and I’ve been so busy that it got pushed to the bottom of the list.”

“President Shen, please don’t pay us! We really don’t want any money!” an elderly woman added hurriedly, echoing the young man.

Mitian Gong had made it clear: anyone who dared ask Shen Fei for money would be seen as disrespecting him. If that happened, those villagers would lose their year-end bonuses and Uncle San’s support.

Shen Fei didn’t take their protests seriously. Turning back to Deng Xin, he asked, “How do these villagers compare to the workers you hired?”

“President Shen, they’re clearly more dedicated,” Deng Xin admitted.

“Then all the more reason to pay them. Just calculate their wages based on the standard laborer’s rate,” Shen Fei said calmly.

Mitian Gong thought he could make Shen Fei owe him a favor? That wasn’t going to happen.

“Understood, President Shen,” Deng Xin nodded.

Seeing Shen Fei and Deng Xin agree so readily, the young man and the elderly woman became flustered.

“President Shen, Foreman Deng, this isn’t right!” the young man said anxiously.

“What’s wrong? Did Mitian Gong issue a directive about this?” Shen Fei asked, raising an eyebrow.

That question instantly silenced both the young man and the elderly woman. If they refused again, it would look like they were openly admitting Mitian Gong’s orders.

“Enough. Stop overthinking it. I’ll have Deng Xin explain everything to Mitian Gong. If I’ve made up my mind, what can he do? If you still insist on not accepting payment, then you can all go home. You might not be causing trouble anymore, but I have enough workers as it is,” Shen Fei said firmly.

“This…” The young man hesitated, then asked cautiously, “President Shen, will Foreman Deng really talk to Uncle San?”

“Don’t worry. President Shen’s word is final—no one would dare disregard it,” Deng Xin said with a wry smile.

Just as he finished speaking, Deng Xin’s phone vibrated in his pocket. Seeing the caller ID, Deng Xin froze.

“President Shen, speak of the devil…”

Shen Fei smirked faintly. “Go ahead and answer. Let’s see what he has to say.”

“Alright, President Shen.”

Deng Xin pressed the answer button. “Speak. What’s the matter?”

On the other end of the line, Mitian Gong’s panicked voice came through. For the next three minutes, Deng Xin listened silently without saying a word, all the while ignoring the commotion that had just occurred at the base.

The young man and the elderly woman were visibly anxious, eager to know what Mitian Gong was saying.

However, Deng Xin’s expression remained serious, and he waved them away dismissively. They had no choice but to leave awkwardly.

Only then did Shen Fei ask, “What did Mitian Gong say?”

“President Shen, it’s nothing good. Recently, the Inspection Office has been conducting investigations in Shenzhen, and a lot of people have been implicated. Mitian Gong has lost his sense of security and is starting to panic. If they dig into him, even if he hasn’t done anything too extreme, the authorities won’t let him off easily,” Deng Xin explained.

“Go on,” Shen Fei said calmly, though he had already guessed Mitian Gong’s intentions.

“That’s why he called—he wants your help, President Shen. He said if you’re willing to lend a hand, he’ll be completely loyal to you. He claims he’s ready to turn over a new leaf but just needs an opportunity, and he’s hoping you’ll give him a chance,” Deng Xin relayed the message verbatim.

Hearing this, Shen Fei laughed, a mocking glint in his eyes.

“This guy… after everything he’s done, he really had the audacity to come to me for help. He’s overestimating himself. My ties with him are barely anything—how does he think I’d stick my neck out for him? Besides, if the Inspection Office has him in their sights, there’s no way he can escape that easily. Even if I had the power, why would I help him? If he thought sending these villagers to help me would make me take action, he’s delusional.”

“President Shen, how should I respond to him then?” Deng Xin asked.