My minimum living allowance is credited to my account every day with 1000 million yuan

"Stephen...you see, this Qin Zheng...it's true that the company spent a huge amount of money and used countless top resources to get him to his current top position..." He carefully observed Stephen's expression, choosing each word as if dancing on a knife's edge.

"If... if we completely abandon him because of this... misunderstanding... our Tianhua Entertainment... will suffer a truly devastating loss..."

Lu Tianhua knew who was behind Li Zhi'en!
Anyone who has been in the Chinese entertainment industry for many years and has enough seniority has heard of that name. Who doesn't know what the consequences would be if they crossed that red line?
Qin Zheng, this idiot, is a recent rising star who was previously just a nobody, barely even making it into the inner circle! He was completely unaware of the terrifying power hidden beneath the surface, a power capable of crushing everything!
He might have a vague idea that Lee Ji-eun had a lot of power and a strong background, but he could never imagine—or rather, his limited knowledge was simply incomprehensible—just how powerful that power was!
in fact--

Even Lu Tianhua himself had no idea where the boundaries of the power of the person in charge of the "Junxiao Group" were!
He only saw the tip of the iceberg above the sea:
It's the "Junxiao Group" that's been bombarding global financial headlines almost every week, or even every day!
They routinely announce terrifying investments in the tens or hundreds of billions of yuan, covering new energy, artificial intelligence, commercial real estate, luxury hotels, and capital operations!

When those enormous figures appear in financial reports, they are described as casually as if they were discussing buying a few pounds of fruit!
That overwhelming wealth, described as "money as paper," is merely the tip of the iceberg that the other party has revealed!
Deeper shadows lie the shrouded-in-the-art rumors surrounding several billionaire mine owners who "went to meet their maker" after the Cape Town incident...

The image of even powerful South Korean chaebol tycoons giving way to Lee Ji-eun...

That terrifying information control ability that could wipe all information about Qin Zheng from the entire internet within minutes, as if he had never existed...

These are the true sources of Lu Tianhua's deepest fears! It is a kind of awe and fear stemming from the instinct of life—a fear of absolute power, of the rule-makers, and of beings in higher dimensions!
He looked into Stephen's cold, searchlight-like eyes and felt his explanations were utterly pale and powerless.

A devastating loss?
In the eyes of Bedford Capital, behind Stephen, and in the face of the unfathomable power of Junxiao Group...

The so-called "heavy losses" suffered by Tianhua Entertainment may... really be insignificant?
The ice in Lu Tianhua's glass of whiskey had long since melted away, and the amber liquid was icy cold, just like his mood at that moment.

His eyes were filled with anticipation as he looked at Stephen. He couldn't afford to offend Junxiao Group. But Bed was a different story; Bed's strength was more than ten times that of Junxiao Group.

In the world of capital, at that level, let alone ten times, even doubling means overwhelming and all-encompassing dominance!
If... if Bedford were willing to step in and use its vast global resources and influence to exert pressure... maybe... maybe they could save Qin Zheng, this scourge?
He was unwilling to accept this! Qin Zheng was a cash cow he had poured his heart and soul and resources into building, a key piece in Tianhua Entertainment's push into the international market! He didn't want all that investment to go down the drain and sink into the abyss!
Stephen, seeing the undisguised, overwhelming hope in Lu Tianhua's eyes, instantly understood all his delusions. The Bede executive's face was expressionless, without the slightest hesitation, not even bothering to weigh the options; he simply shook his head, the movement swift and decisive, carrying an almost cold-blooded resolve.

“Lu,” Stephen’s voice was low and chilling, “you have no idea how terrifying the existence you’re trying to touch is. What you think you know about Junxiao Group is just the tip of the iceberg.”

He leaned forward slightly, his sharp gaze cutting through Lu Tianhua's last vestiges of hope like a scalpel:

“Bede is indeed the most powerful capital conglomerate on Earth... but its power is built precisely on its intricate and deeply entrenched network of interests! It has never been a monolithic entity!”

Stephen's tone carried an indescribable heaviness:

"And what about Junxiao Group? It's solely owned by that man! He's the only, absolute, and unquestionable king of that business empire that rose to prominence in such a short time! His will is Junxiao's will!"

"Within Bed's system, no force would be foolish enough to confront a unified, terrifyingly powerful, and unknown opponent head-on without absolute certainty! Nor would any of them be willing to stand alone and bear the unpredictable wrath that Junxiao Group might unleash!"

Stephen paused for a moment, then dropped a number that made Lu Tianhua dizzy:

"Did you know how much asset management 'Junxiao Capital' has quietly acquired globally? It was only established around this time last year."

Stephen stretched out a hand, fingers spread, and his voice was like an ice hammer striking:
"More than 5 trillion RMB! And this is only a portion that is publicly available and transparent!"

Lu Tianhua's face turned deathly pale instantly!
That man... is too mysterious! Too powerful! So powerful that even a behemoth like Bedard showed such clear fear of him!

Lu Tianhua knew Bede and his ilk, the spokespeople for capital, all too well! Their greed ran deep! If Junxiao Group were truly a piece of meat that could be easily swallowed, they would definitely bare their most ferocious fangs and pounce on it using the most shameless and unscrupulous methods in the world, tearing their prey apart and devouring it!

only--

Lu Tianhua felt a chill in his heart.

Junxiao Group is a behemoth rooted in China! It possesses unparalleled advantages! Before these bloodthirsty sharks like Bede attempt to tear it apart, they must consider the unpredictable political risks!

In addition, Junxiao Group itself has demonstrated an alarming rate of expansion and an unfathomable, mysterious foundation...

All of this combined made the seemingly invincible ship, Bed, become more cautious and... fearful than ever before when facing Jun Xiao!
Stephen seemed to think that wasn't enough. He narrowed his eyes slightly and, in a voice that was almost a whisper, yet carried a thunderous force, added the last sentence—a sentence that was enough to shatter all of Lu Tianhua's fantasies and cognitive boundaries:

“Lu, you probably can’t even imagine… in some places overseas, Junxiao even has the ability… to mobilize an elite force of 30 people at any time…”

"hiss--!!!"

Lu Tianhua gasped, the immense fear transforming into a tangible impact that instantly drained all the strength from his legs!

He could no longer hold on, and like a punctured balloon, he collapsed heavily and awkwardly back into the large sofa behind him with a "plop"!
Three hundred thousand elite troops?! On this blue planet, even if a nation were to mobilize all its resources, there probably wouldn't be more than ten countries that could readily deploy three hundred thousand truly modern, well-equipped, and highly trained elite troops!

A private business conglomerate... actually... actually possesses war mobilization capabilities comparable to those of a middle-power nation at its peak?!
boom--!
Lu Tianhua felt his worldview completely collapse at this moment!

He finally understood!

This is the true source of Bed's fear and dread!

Junxiao Group possesses far more than just the "money power" to make money as plentiful as paper!
It possesses "hard power"—enough to completely erase the existence of any opponent on a physical level, under certain extreme circumstances! A kind of absolute, dominant violence that transcends business rules and reigns supreme over the game of capital!

The room was deathly silent.

Stephen looked at Lu Tianhua, who was slumped on the sofa, pale and as if his soul had been ripped out. There was no sympathy in his eyes, only an indifference that came from witnessing the dust and recognizing one's own place.

Qin Zheng? Tianhua Entertainment?
Before such a colossus that spans the business world and the realm of clandestine warfare... he is but a speck of dust about to be obliterated before the throne.

The two popular actresses, who were nestled on either side of the sofa, with exquisite makeup and charming smiles in front of the camera, were frozen in place as if under a spell, even their breathing was deliberately suppressed to the lightest and weakest level.

From beginning to end, they were like two expensive and silent vases, forced to listen to two bigwigs who controlled a vast entertainment empire and the lifeline of capital, talking about a name they once looked up to but now felt completely unfamiliar with—Li Zhi'en, and an entity shrouded in mystery, whose mere name was enough to make even the executives of Bedford turn pale—Junxiao Group.

"Lee Ji-eun's background..."

"The terrifying nature of Junxiao Group..."

"Ready to mobilize 300,000 elite troops at any time..."

“Bede’s apprehension…”

"5 trillion RMB..."

These fragments of words, like a raging information hurricane, were wildly ravaging and crashing through their minds!
They once thought that, being at the top of the entertainment industry, they had witnessed enough glitz and power. To them, Lee Ji-eun was a dazzling international superstar, an unattainable benchmark, a peak to be looked up to.

But now, they realized with immense horror and belated understanding:
What they saw in Lee Ji-eun was just like what Lu Tianhua thought he saw in Junxiao Group—nothing more than the tiny, dazzling reflection of an iceberg in the sunlight!
The true source of the name "Lee Ji-eun," enabling her to hold such a transcendent position in the global entertainment industry and even at higher levels, is the unfathomable "Kun-hyo Group"—an absolute taboo entity that can make even Bed tremble and summon 300,000 elite troops at any time!

They didn't even dare to think deeply about what the "300,000 elite troops" represented, as it was beyond their comprehension and capacity to bear!
The mere mention of "Junxiao Group" had, in their hearts, swelled into an insurmountable peak! It was no longer just a commercial entity with massive investments as depicted in the news, but a symbol of some ultimate power that transcended commerce and stood above worldly rules!
It turns out that their self-righteous "top star" status and the glamorous rules of the entertainment industry they were familiar with...

Faced with the power represented by the name "Junxiao Group"...

Humble as dust! Fragile as a feather!
Lee Ji-eun's image was completely reshaped in their minds—from a top artist to a walking, untouchable taboo symbol!

Stephen glanced coldly at Lu Tianhua, who stood frozen in place, then swept his gaze across the two beautiful faces, now blank with fear, his eyes devoid of any emotion. He straightened his sleeves, which were slightly damp from the spilled wine, regaining some of his elegance, but the deep gravity in his eyes remained undiminished.

"Lu, you'd better watch yourself." He left these cold words behind, without looking at anyone else, and turned to leave the suffocating space.

The heavy door closed behind Stephen.

The room was filled only with heavy breathing, the faint dripping sound of melting ice, and the chilling aftershocks of a massive cognitive collapse—one slumped on the sofa as if his soul had been ripped away, and two huddled in a corner like frightened quails.

Lu Tianhua trembled all over, constantly thinking about how the mysterious boss of Junxiao Group would deal with him, whether he would use that terrifying capital power to turn Tianhua Entertainment's stock into worthless paper overnight.
Or... something even more cruel, stripping him of everything he owns little by little, forcing him to watch helplessly as his entertainment empire crumbles?
Every image was vividly real, tinged with blood and chilling cold, playing on a loop in his mind, tormenting his fragile nerves. He could even "see" the other person's icy gaze, as if it had pierced through time and space, locking onto him, this ignorant ant!
however--

What Lu Tianhua could never have imagined was that the state of Chen Xiao, the being he was imagining preparing to unleash his thunderous wrath upon him, was now as distant as the galaxy between him and the hellish scene he had envisioned.

Thousands of kilometers away, in the woods of Xishan, a brightly lit home.

Chen Xiao, dressed in comfortable loungewear, sank into the large, soft sofa in a relaxed posture. He held the gentle Zhao Xiangjun in his arms, the two of them shoulder to shoulder, head to head, chatting quietly about everyday matters.

Zhao Xiangjun occasionally covered her mouth and chuckled softly, her eyes filled with tenderness. Chen Xiao listened attentively, a relaxed and contented smile playing on his lips, his fingers unconsciously twirling a strand of his wife's hair that had fallen over her shoulder. The floor lamp beside the sofa cast a warm yellow glow, gently enveloping their figures and creating a heartwarming picture of tranquility and everyday life.

What quelled the scandal was simply a command Zhang Ziqian sent with a tap on her phone. (End of Chapter)