No Qualification

Until this moment, he had no idea that the "very complete" whistleblower report was written by the top securities lawyer in Song Yan's team, with every point precisely hitting the regulatory red lines and the default clauses of the pledge contract.

The last straw they had pinned on had been cut off twelve days earlier.

Three loans totaling 87 million yuan have matured, but the company has less than 30 million yuan in cash on hand. The accounts are frozen, margin calls are occurring, creditors are surrounding the company, and collateral is being cut off.

The lid on the fund pool can no longer be kept on.

At the same time, at the headquarters of Shuke Group

While the two opposing forces outside were collapsing, the frontal battlefield commanded by Ouyang Qian remained as stable as a rock.

"Hongyuan's sand quarry has been sealed off. Immediately notify all construction sites. Shuke Building Materials has ample stock of sand and gravel. Starting today, we are offering a 5% discount across the board, guaranteeing quality and quantity. Orders placed today will be delivered on the same day. We will not allow any construction site to stop work due to Hongyuan's supply disruption!"

"Our fleet will immediately fill in for the routes that Tonglian has suspended! All shippers transferring from Tonglian will receive a 20% discount on their first order, and we will accept the original deposit voucher, which can be used to offset the freight cost, alleviating shippers' concerns!"

"All cargo from the Qingguoyuan, lithium mine, and water town projects is transported by our own fleet; not a single truck is outsourced, ensuring our core transportation capacity!"

One instruction after another was issued in an orderly manner.

While Hongyuan's construction site clients were filled with anxiety and Tonglian's cargo owners were left holding their deposit receipts, they discovered that Shuke's delivery trucks and freight trucks were running more frequently and more steadily than usual.

Between chaos and order, the shift in public sentiment is self-evident. Those customers who were once lured by low prices and wavered have, after this battle, completely lost their resolve.

The next twenty days were a pursuit with no suspense whatsoever.

Ma Hongtao was arrested, and the charges against him were verified one by one: illegal mining, tax evasion, intentional injury, and forced trading. He will face a long prison sentence for multiple crimes. His material yards, vehicles, and equipment in Bazhou and Cangzhou have become seized assets that no one wants.

Qian Litong's days became even more difficult.

Tonglian Logistics' branches in three cities experienced successive runs and lawsuits. The headquarters was besieged daily by cargo owners and drivers demanding repayment, and office equipment was looted to pay off debts. He himself was forced to go into hiding, fleeing from one city to another. The once extravagant "Boss Qian" dared not even use his own ID card to stay in hotels.

The cruelty of business warfare was on full display during those twenty days. There were no swords drawn, yet it was more deadly than any other battle.

Song Yan didn't even spend a single penny to engage in a price war with them; he simply brought the truth about these two companies, which had been hidden underwater, into the light of day.

Half-Mountain Manor!

It was already past midnight when Raymond Lam returned to the manor.

My nerves are on edge from morning till night, and only when I push open the study door can I finally relax.

Shen Qianqian never pressured him, nor did she ask many questions about business matters.

She always curled up on the small sofa in the study, holding her sketchbook, quietly sketching her cultural and creative designs for the water town. The little girl wore loose, beige loungewear, fluffy and casually tied her hair into a bun, revealing her smooth forehead and fair neck.

When she draws, she tends to lean forward, and her full chest rests softly on the edge of the table, her pajamas creating a striking silhouette. Paired with her pure, innocent, and unadorned baby face, the contrast is so striking that it melts one's heart.

Hearing the door open, she immediately looked up, her eyes crinkling into crescents: "You're back."

There's always a cup of warm milk on the table, with a small dish of cut fruit next to it.

Lin Feng walked over, loosened his tie, and sank into the sofa, closing his eyes wearily. Shen Qianqian moved behind him as if on cue, gently massaging his temples with her small hands, her touch awkward but earnest.

"What did you draw today?" he asked with his eyes closed.

"I drew blind boxes for the water town!" She proudly held up her sketchbook to his face, revealing a row of cute, cartoonish figures in traditional Chinese style. There were sword-wielding knights, girls holding umbrellas, and a dancing doll with a high nose, deep-set eyes, and blonde hair and blue eyes—clearly modeled after the girls from the dance troupe. "This is the exotic series. It'll match the streetscape with the Ukrainian ladies, won't it look great?"

"Beautiful." Lin Feng opened his eyes, looked into her bright eyes, and suddenly reached out to pull her into his arms, burying his face in the crook of her neck.

The girl's body carried a sweet scent of milk and shower gel, soft and warm against his cheek. All his fatigue vanished in that moment thanks to her gentle touch.

Shen Qianqian's cheeks flushed red from his embrace, but she remained obediently still, gently patting his back with her small hands, like coaxing a tired child: "If you're tired, take a rest. Things will always be finished eventually. I'm here with you."

"Mmm," he responded in a muffled voice, closing his eyes and listening to the steady, strong heartbeat in her chest. "It's good to have you here."

The study was lit by a warm yellow light, and outside the window was the deep darkness of night.

In the business world, he is a shrewd and ruthless strategist, but in this small study, he is just an ordinary man.

Day 21

The two rivals, who were in a terrible predicament, finally bowed their heads.

Ma Hongtao's family asked a prominent intermediary in Bazhou to eventually reach Shangguan Jinghong, speaking very humbly.

Hongyuan is willing to completely withdraw from the Cangzhou market. The remaining equipment and material yards, besides those seized, can be transferred at a discounted price. They only ask that Shuke show leniency and not "add materials" in the judicial process, leaving the Ma family a way out.

On Qian Litong's side, he even sent a personal letter through the president of a chamber of commerce in Cangzhou. The letter was earnest, saying that he had been blinded by greed and shouldn't have coveted the Cangzhou market. He was willing to give all of Tonglian's network of outlets, vehicles, and customer resources in Cangzhou and even the two surrounding cities to Shuke at a low price.

All they ask is for Lin Feng to step in and get the cargo owners and drivers who filed the lawsuit to accept an installment settlement, to spare his life, and to prevent him from ending up in jail.

Two sincere attempts to reconcile were placed on Lin Feng's desk, one after the other.

Looking at the materials, Ouyang Qian felt a sense of satisfaction: "If only we had known this would happen, we wouldn't have done it in the first place. President Lin, why don't we just quit while we're ahead? If they're willing to withdraw, the market is already ours."

Lin Feng leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, without immediately giving a response.

Suddenly, I remembered what Song Yan said on the first day—what he wanted was never for his competitors to withdraw from the market, but for them to disappear completely, and for him to devour their corpses.

"Know when to quit while you're ahead?" Lin Feng opened his eyes, his gaze completely calm. "Too late!"

Tell the middleman—

"They have no right to negotiate with me!"