Chapter 145: Undercurrents

On the surface, City T appeared calm and peaceful, but beneath it, undercurrents were already surging violently. For the Soul of the Dragon to establish a firm foothold in both City T and the land of Huaxia, it was necessary to expand its sphere of influence. On the underworld front, Xu Qiang had already taken the lead, but doing so would inevitably infringe upon the interests of local criminal syndicates, such as the Green Gang, a long-established and powerful faction. Meanwhile, the establishment of the Longteng Security Company naturally disrupted the security market to a certain extent.

Yet, these matters paled in comparison to what Elder Tang had revealed to Lin Fan. The establishment of Zhentian Group's branch in City T had already stirred up a massive storm in the business world. Smaller companies were naturally of no consequence, given the vast disparity in strength, but it posed a significant threat to Wei Jiangbiao's Pujiang Group. For instance, regarding the upcoming urban village reconstruction project in the northern suburbs of City T, the official government red-headed document had already been issued, yet work had been delayed indefinitely simply because no decision had been made on which company to award the contract.

From Elder Tang, Lin Fan learned that in order to accelerate Zhentian Group's growth in City T, Tang Rui had already caused Dongxing Group to withdraw from the bidding process for this urban village reconstruction. Furthermore, Tang Rui was secretly assisting Lin Yan with the proposal and bidding documents, all for the sole purpose of securing the project. Consequently, among the hundreds of enterprises participating in the bid, the only ones with genuine strength were Zhentian Group and Pujiang Group. Put bluntly, Lin Yan's participation in this bidding war was undeniably snatching meat right out of Pujiang Group's mouth.

Therefore, Elder Tang had specifically instructed Lin Fan to arrange for reliable personnel to protect Lin Yan during this period. Lin Fan naturally understood the elder's intent; he feared that Pujiang Group might resort to assassination or kidnapping to eliminate Lin Yan. After all, if anything were to happen to Lin Yan, Zhentian Group would undoubtedly fall into immediate disarray, allowing Pujiang Group to manipulate the situation and secure the urban village reconstruction project for themselves.

In this world, people would do anything for the sake of profit. It was akin to a starving wolf laying its eyes on a piece of meat, believing it would fall easily into its jaws, only for another wolf to suddenly leap out from the grass. Without a doubt, the two wolves would fight, driven by the refusal to surrender the morsel within reach.

Lin Yan and Tang Rui were women focused entirely on commerce and could never anticipate such intricate dangers. Without Lin Fan's repeated insistence, Lin Yan would not even have wanted Ren Qianxing to act as her bodyguard, firmly believing that no one in their right mind would want her dead.

Elder Tang, however, was different. Having spent years in the underworld, the old man knew all too well that human life was utterly worthless when weighed against immense fortune. Consequently, upon learning of these matters, Lin Fan's heart sank heavily. Yet, remembering that Ren Qianxing was by Lin Yan's side provided some temporary solace; Lin Fan harbored deep trust in his brother.

The taxi eventually slowed to a halt directly beneath the Zhentian Group building. This skyscraper had been purchased specifically for Zhentian Group's branch by Lin Yan upon her return to City T. The last time Lin Fan arrived here by taxi was when Li Nanxing met with disaster, and Lin Fan had rushed over in a panic to meet Tan Zhiyong and the others, leaving him no time to properly observe the tower. Standing now at the entrance and watching employees file in and out, Lin Fan could not help a bitter smile. It was safe to say that not a single employee here recognized him; he made for a truly derelict boss.

When Lin Fan took over the Soul of the Dragon, Lin Yan had just graduated from university. Back then, Zhentian Group was not yet called Zhentian Group, but rather Lin Corporation. Regardless of the name, it was hardly renowned and known to very few. Later, in memory of his father, Lin Fan renamed it Zhentian Group. The meteoric rise of Zhentian Group did not happen in Huaxia, but overseas, since the Soul of the Dragon had no established influence in Huaxia at the time. To safeguard his sister in foreign lands, Lin Fan had assigned Ren Qianxing to stay by Lin Yan's side as her constant protector.

Yet, bogged down by the numerous affairs of the Soul of the Dragon, Lin Fan had never found the opportunity to visit Lin Yan, communicating with her only over the phone. It was not until recently, when Lin Yan returned to domestic soil to expand Zhentian Group and Lin Fan happened to return as well, that they reunited. It was their first meeting since Lin Fan left the Falcon, which explained why Lin Yan had given him such a frosty reception at the villa.

Lin Yan was twenty-seven years old this year and still unmarried, a fact that stirred a lingering sense of guilt in Lin Fan's heart. Ordinarily, a woman of her age should have been considering romance, but Lin Fan knew his sister was entirely consumed by the corporation's affairs and spared no thought for such matters.

Even so, Lin Yan possessed a uniquely sharp business acumen and keen insight. In a mere two years, she had expanded Zhentian Group's operations to numerous countries worldwide. Naturally, the Soul of the Dragon had played a significant role in this, whether through initial financial capitalization or behind-the-scenes methods.

Taking a deep breath, Lin Fan stepped into the Zhentian Group building. "Sir, you cannot go in. You cannot go in," a receptionist wearing light makeup intercepted Lin Fan just as he was about to approach the elevators. Her reason was perfectly valid: Lin Fan was neither an employee nor did he have an appointment.

Lin Fan did not make things difficult for her. After all, he never concerned himself with corporate affairs, acting entirely like a hands-off boss, so it was completely natural that she did not recognize him. He placed a quick call to Lin Yan and then handed the phone to the receptionist.

"Let him up," Lin Yan's voice came through the receiver.

"Understood, President," the receptionist said, promptly handing the phone back to Lin Fan with a polite nod. "I am sorry, sir. I did not realize you were a friend of our President. The President is on the top floor. Please go right up." How could these regular employees possibly know that Lin Yan even had a younger brother? Of course, this was at Lin Fan's explicit request; as a mercenary, keeping a low profile prevented unwanted attention from various factions.

Lin Fan took back his phone, smiled faintly, and stepped into the elevator. Overall, his impression of the receptionist was quite favorable—she was polite and free of arrogance. After all, Lin Fan was still wearing the same clothes he had worn back from the Golden Triangle, with dust-stained trouser legs caked in mud and faint traces of dried blood upon closer inspection. That she had not thrown him out bodily was already a testament to her professionalism.

In truth, the receptionist had been deeply puzzled by Lin Fan's attire. By all logic, a friend of the president should be a person of distinction and standing. However, as an employee, she understood well what was appropriate to know, what to ignore, and what questions were strictly forbidden.

Upon reaching the top floor, Lin Fan bypassed Lin Yan's personal office and headed straight for the office specifically prepared by Zhentian Group for members of the Soul of the Dragon.

To his surprise, upon entering, he found Xu Qiang present as well. Finding Ren Qianxing there was expected since Lin Yan's office was also on this floor, but given Xu Qiang's personality, the fact that he had integrated so seamlessly with the Soul of the Dragon filled Lin Fan with genuine joy.

On the office desk sat a set of Gongfu tea utensils, and the tea within the cups was piping hot, emitting rising wisps of steam. Seeing Lin Fan enter, the three men hastily scrambled to their feet and shouted in unison, "Boss!"