Great Power Reclamation

Undeterred by his failure to persuade Wang Xiaomeng to leave, Yang Geyong believed that having a few female confidantes was not a big deal for a man, as long as it didn't affect his family life.

But Wang Yifan was different. This successful man, who clearly harbored feelings of love for Ye Qianqian, was like a thorn stuck in the Yang family's reputation and his son's dignity, and he had to be removed.

Since resorting to threats in private wouldn't work, he would use a method he was more familiar with—a showdown in the business world.

Yang Geyong didn't even appear in person; he simply made a few phone calls and mobilized the "anti-aging" plan and the vast commercial network resources of the military reclamation system in northern Xinjiang and even across the country.

Soon, Wang Yifan's "Northern Frontier Phone" felt the pressure:

Several key component suppliers "happened" to experience production shortages and prioritized supplying "Beijiang Mobile's" competitors.

Several key offline distributors in East China, with whom agreements had been reached, suddenly became hesitant and proposed more demanding cooperation terms.

Even in some overseas markets, anonymous complaints have emerged regarding the "Beijiang Mobile Phone" patent issue. Although no evidence has been found, these complaints have been enough to consume a lot of their energy.

These methods are precise and ruthless, operating entirely within the rules of business, yet bearing Yang Geyong's distinct personal style—domineering and leaving no room for compromise.

He wanted to use his strength to show Wang Yifan who the real power was in the Northern Frontier and even further afield, and to tell him to stay away from his daughter-in-law, Yang.

Wang Yifan was naturally aware of the source of this pressure. He felt angry, but also somewhat helpless.

He understood Yang Geyong's protective instincts, but the methods he used were far too ruthless. While mobilizing resources to deal with the situation and stabilize the situation, he also knew that only one person could untie this knot.

The pressure quickly reached Ye Qianqian as well. First, the provincial leader in charge of industry and commerce subtly inquired whether there had been any unpleasantness in the cooperation between the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and "Northern Xinjiang Mobile Phones."

Ye Qianqian sat in her office, looking at the internal briefing on the table about the recent predicament of "Beijiang Mobile Phones" and the copies of several vague but clearly pointed whistleblower letters, her face cold.

She knew her father-in-law's style all too well. He was "clearing the field" in his own way, completely disregarding the political risks and negative impacts this would bring her.

She picked up the red secure phone and dialed Yang Geyong's number directly, her tone serious and businesslike:
“Dad, this is Ye Qianqian. The province and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps are paying close attention to some of the unfair business practices targeting ‘Beijiang Mobile’ in the market recently.”

This concerns the business environment in northern Xinjiang and the advancement of our "Digital Northern Xinjiang" strategy. We hope you will prioritize the overall situation, handle related matters properly, and avoid causing unnecessary misunderstandings and losses.

On the other end of the phone, Yang Geyong was silent for a few seconds, then his voice carried an undeniable firmness:
"Qianqian, I know what I'm doing. Some toads will always dream of eating swan meat if they aren't given a good talking to. I know what's going on with the Yang family."

"This is not a matter for the Yang family!"

Ye Qianqian's voice rose a few decibels, filled with suppressed anger, "This is official business concerning the economic development of Northern Xinjiang and the reputation of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps! Wang Yifan is a legitimate entrepreneur and an important partner of the Corps! Your actions are breaking the rules!"

"Rules?" Yang Geyong scoffed on the other end of the phone. "I am the rule!"

The call ended unpleasantly.

The matter did not end there. Yang Geyong's eldest daughter soon learned of everything as well.

She was well aware of her father's protection of her younger brother, understood the difficult situation Ye Qianqian was in, and was even more aware of the importance of Wang Yifan's company to the economy of northern Xinjiang.

Instead of making a phone call, she drove directly to her father's residence in the provincial capital.

Ayijiang's arrival surprised Yang Geyong. This eldest daughter's aura was growing stronger every day, and even he, her father, sometimes had to give her some leeway.

"Dad, did you make a move against 'Northern Xinjiang Mobile'?" Ayijiang asked bluntly, her tone calm yet carrying an undeniable authority.

"What? You can't touch Wang Yifan?" Yang Geyong raised his eyebrows.

"You can do it, but what about the consequences?"

Ayijiang sat down opposite her father, her eyes sharp. “First, this will seriously damage the business environment that northern Xinjiang has painstakingly built, and discourage foreign investors. As the top leader, I will be the first to bear the brunt.”

"Secondly, this will ruin Qianqian's political future; those whistleblower letters are just the beginning."

"Third, do you think that forcing Wang Yifan away will make Xiaowei and Qianqian reconcile? It will only deepen the rift between them!"

She analyzed each point clearly and logically, getting straight to the point.

“Dad, I know you mean well for Wei. But times have changed, and we can’t always solve problems the way you always do.”

Xiao Wei is an adult; his relationship problems should be handled by himself. Your harsh approach isn't helping him, it's harming him, harming Qianqian, and harming our entire family!

Yang Geyong was speechless after his eldest daughter's words. He could disregard Wang Yifan and the so-called business environment, but he could not disregard his eldest daughter's political future or the stability of the entire family.

Seeing her father's gloomy face and silence, Ayijiang's tone softened somewhat:
"Dad, stop. I'll try to appease Wang Yifan. And please don't put any more pressure on Qianqian."

Children and grandchildren have their own destinies; let them handle their own affairs. Your and Uncle Ye Yuze's 'anti-aging' plan is a truly beneficial undertaking for the country and its people; that's the battlefield where you should devote all your energy.

Yang Geyong let out a long breath, and like a tiger whose claws had been bound, he slumped back on the sofa.

He realized that in this complex modern society, the power he was so proud of was gradually losing its place.

Family, politics, and business intertwine to form a web he cannot easily tear apart.

He waved his hand wearily and said, "Alright, I understand. You... go ahead and do your thing."

Ayijiang knew her father had taken her words to heart, so she got up to leave. As she reached the door, she glanced back at her father, who suddenly seemed to have aged several years, and a pang of sadness struck her heart.

She knew that her father was simply loving his family in what he thought was the best way, but his methods were no longer in line with the times.

A storm stirred up by Yang Geyong was temporarily suppressed thanks to the strong intervention of his eldest daughter, Ayijiang.

However, the internal rifts within the Yang family, the deep-seated thorn between Ye Qianqian and Yang Wei, and the unspeakable feelings in Wang Yifan's heart did not disappear; they were merely buried deeper, awaiting the next possible opportunity to erupt. Yang Geyong's setback in the northern frontier and his sullen demeanor naturally did not escape Ye Yuze's notice.

Although he was far away in New York or other parts of the world handling the much larger affairs of the "Brotherhood Group," any news from Junken City or even the northern frontier, especially matters concerning his sworn brother of decades, would always be on his desk immediately.

He looked at the briefing, his brows furrowing slightly. Yang Geyong went to find Wang Xiaomeng; he understood. It was his old friend's protective instincts, and although his methods were a bit rough, it was understandable.

Yang Geyong went to the business world to suppress Wang Yifan, which he had expected. That's just Yang's temperament; once he sets his mind on something, he'll go all the way.

But seeing that Ayijiang had to personally step in to quell the situation, seeing those anonymous letters pointing to Ye Qianqian, and seeing his old brother's frustrated and unvented pent-up emotions, a chill finally flashed across the depths of Ye Yuze's calm eyes.

Ye Yuze, who rose from a second-generation member of the military to his current position, relied not only on vision and luck, but also on a ruthlessness and protectiveness deeply ingrained in his bones.

He has a strong sense of the big picture and can endure and compromise for a greater goal, but there is an absolute premise—you can't touch his people, especially Yang Geyong, his comrade-in-arms who is closer to him than his own brother.

Wang Yifan, a businessman with some success, dared to make Lao Yang suffer, put Ayijiang in a difficult position, and even put Ye Qianqian (in his heart, Ye Qianqian was always his junior) in political danger.
Even if "nothing happened" that night, shouldn't you, Wang Yifan, avoid suspicion? Since you made Lao Yang unhappy and made my Ye Yuze's family and brothers feel wronged, then you have to pay the price.

Ye Yuze made his move. Unlike Yang Geyong, who was direct and brutal, his method was more elegant, and also more deadly.

Ye Yuze didn't even issue any explicit instructions himself. He only expressed "some dissatisfaction" with "Northern Frontier Mobile" and its leader Wang Yifan within a very small circle.

For someone at his level, this "dissatisfaction" is enough to stir up a huge wave in the capital market and the industrial chain.

The financial markets were the first to react. Several top investment banks associated with the "Brothers Group" almost simultaneously released risk warning reports on the smartphone industry, particularly companies that overly rely on a single market and supply chain.

Although the report did not name names, it was clear to everyone who it was referring to. The stock price of "Beijiang Mobile" plummeted, and its market value evaporated rapidly.

Following this, supply chain problems arose one after another. This time, it wasn't the peripheral suppliers that Yang Geyong could influence, but the core links:

The licensing partners of the Android system suddenly became unusually tough during the renewal negotiations, proposing many restrictive clauses that had never been proposed before.

Several of the world’s top chip manufacturers informed Wang Yifan that the supply of high-end chips in the next quarter would “possibly” be delayed, citing “capacity adjustments”.

Even some key suppliers of glass covers and high-end camera modules have said they need to "re-evaluate" their long-term cooperation with "Beijiang Mobile".

Each of these troubles occurs within the bounds of business rules, leaving you with no grounds to accuse anyone of malicious manipulation.

But Wang Yifan knew perfectly well that this was no coincidence. It was an invisible net that was slowly tightening.

He attempted to retaliate, utilizing all the connections and resources he had accumulated.

But to his dismay, he discovered that his former business partners and financial institutions were now either evasive or simply avoiding him altogether.

Ye Yuze's name weighed heavily on everyone's hearts like an invisible mountain. No one was willing, and no one dared, to offend the hidden business tycoon behind the scenes for the sake of Wang Yifan.

Sitting in his spacious and bright office, Wang Yifan felt as if he were in a cold cage that was constantly shrinking.

Outside the window lay the bustling landscape of northern Xinjiang, but he knew that his business empire was facing the most severe life-or-death test since its inception.

He was speechless. Who could he tell? That his unspoken feelings for Ye Qianqian had brought Ye Yuze upon him?
This will only make him a laughing stock in the business world, confirming his suspicion that he is "a toad trying to eat swan meat," and may even bring Ye Qianqian even greater trouble.

Could he ask Ye Qianqian for help? Even if Ye Qianqian did help him, what would that amount to?
This will only make Yang Geyong even angrier and make things even more out of control.

This is not a problem that can be solved through negotiation or compromise; Ye Yuze was clearly telling him this.

Stay away from us; this isn't a circle you can covet.

He couldn't even complain publicly. If he showed any dissatisfaction with Ye Yuze or the military reclamation system, he would face even more intense and devastating attacks.

Ye Yuze didn't even need to take action personally; he only needed to remain silent, and countless forces eager to curry favor with the "Brothers Group" would naturally tear him and the "Northern Frontier Mobile" company he founded to shreds.

An unprecedented sense of powerlessness and fear gripped Wang Yifan. For the first time, he clearly felt how utterly vulnerable his so-called success and company were in the face of true behemoths of capital and power.

He wasn't fighting against one person, but against a vast, intricate, and unfathomable system.

Ye Yuze didn't push things too far. When the stock price of "Beijiang Mobile" plummeted by half, the supply chain was on the verge of collapse, morale within the company was low, and Wang Yifan was on the verge of a breakdown, the pressure quietly eased.

The chip supply "just happened" to find an alternative, although it was more expensive.

The bank also "unexpectedly" approved an emergency loan, although the interest rate was exorbitant.

Everything seemed to have returned to the "normal" business track, but "Beijiang Mobile" had been severely damaged, its market share had shrunk, and its international expansion plan had been completely shelved.

Everyone knows what happened, but everyone is tight-lipped about it.

Ye Yuze never had any direct contact with Wang Yifan throughout the entire process. He only mentioned it briefly during a routine video call with Yang Geyong:
"Old Yang, you don't need to worry about things in the northern border region. They're just clowns who can't cause any trouble. Focus on your 'anti-aging' efforts."

Yang Geyong was stunned for a moment, then understood. Looking at his old brother's calm and expressionless face on the screen, he felt a mix of emotions: gratitude, relief, and a strange chill.

He knew that Ye Yuze had used Wang Yifan's painful experience to vent his anger and also to send a very clear warning to everyone:

Those around Ye Yuze are not to be messed with, not even allowed to suffer any injustice.

This incident ended in a dismal failure for Wang Yifan and a silent victory for Ye Yuze.

It didn't solve any emotional problems; instead, it created a deeper and more insurmountable chasm between Yang Wei, Ye Qianqian, Wang Yifan, and Wang Xiaomeng.

The shadow of power, like the perpetual fog over the northern frontier, hangs over everyone's heart, making already complex emotions even heavier and more oppressive. (End of Chapter)