Handong: Sha Li wants political achievements? I'll shut down the entire province.

"Clang!"

The heavy cast iron elevator doors slowly closed.

The air inside the cramped freight elevator car was so stuffy it was hard to breathe.

The walls were covered with deep scratches from the handcart, and in the corner were two old mops that smelled sour.

This place is usually only used to transport cleaning trucks and construction waste from the building.

Lin Yubing pressed the button for the 88th floor.

She crossed her arms and didn't even glance at the person next to her.

Zhong Xiaoai huddled in a corner furthest from the mop.

She gripped the hard plastic pass tightly, her nails almost digging into her palms.

The eldest daughter of the prestigious Zhong family in the capital city, she finds even a regular passenger elevator too crowded when she goes out.

Today, however, I feel like a scavenger, being stuffed into this tin can that reeks of garbage.

This is clearly a blatant insult.

The elevator slowly ascended, and the feeling of weightlessness made her dizzy.

But she gritted her teeth and didn't dare utter a single complaint.

"bite."

The freight elevator doors slid open to both sides, and the glaring incandescent light made her squint.

The first thing you see is a spacious and bright top-floor reception area.

Two burly bodyguards in black stepped forward and pushed open the large, hand-carved wooden door with expressionless faces.

Zhong Xiaoai took a deep breath and dragged her leaden legs inside.

The office is surprisingly large, covering more than 300 square meters.

The panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows offer a breathtaking view of the bustling streets of Gyeongju.

A cool, agarwood scent wafted in the air.

Yan Qingfeng was wearing a dark black haute couture casual shirt, with the cuffs casually rolled up to his forearms.

He was standing in front of a miniature indoor green.

Holding a gleaming silver titanium golf club, he casually aimed at the white ball on the turf.

The moment I saw Yan Qingfeng.

The last vestiges of Zhong Xiaoai's pride in Beijing vanished in an instant.

"Thump."

Her legs buckled, and her knees slammed heavily onto the expensive Persian carpet.

It produced a dull thud.

Ignoring the excruciating pain in her kneecap, she crawled forward two steps using both her hands and feet.

"Master Yan! I was wrong! The Zhong family admits defeat!"

His voice was hoarse and unpleasant, like a leaky, dilapidated bellows, echoing jarringly in the luxurious office.

Yan Qingfeng didn't even turn his head.

He bent down slightly, his gaze fixed on the white ball.

"Whoosh."

The club swung out, cutting through the air and creating a gentle breeze.

The white ball rolled away, veering off course by half an inch, and came to a stop just past the edge of the hole.

"Noisy."

Yan Qingfeng frowned slightly, his voice so cold it was like ice crystals.

Zhong Xiaoai trembled with fright.

She quickly covered her mouth with both hands, her tears mixed with the remaining cheap foundation, smearing her face.

Lin Yubing walked to the side in her high heels, a mocking smile playing on her lips.

Yan Qingfeng changed his position and set up his cue again.

After a full minute of silence, Zhong Xiaoai dared to release her grip and kowtow heavily on the ground.

"Master Yan, please be merciful and cancel your short positions in A-shares."

She lifted her tear-streaked face, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Our family went bankrupt, and the bank has sealed our assets and liquidated the company."

Yan Qingfeng ignored her and simply adjusted the angle of his shot.

"Liangping was also taken away by the disciplinary inspection team of the Supreme People's Procuratorate. He really couldn't hold on any longer."

Zhong Xiaoai was like a desperate mother dog, wagging her tail and begging for mercy.

"As long as you use your connections to get him out and withdraw the funds for the crackdown."

She took a deep breath and threw out what she considered her most valuable chip.

"From now on in Beijing, the Zhong family will be nothing more than a dog kept by your Lingxiao Consortium! We'll bite wherever you point!"

"Thump."

The white ball landed accurately in the hole, making a crisp and pleasant sound.

Yan Qingfeng slowly turned around, holding the golf club in one hand.

He looked down at the woman lying on the carpet, his eyes like those of someone looking at a pile of rotting, stinking flesh.

"To be a dog?"

He scoffed, his tone revealing his inherent arrogance.

"You dare to challenge me?"

Zhong Xiaoai stood frozen in place, her face as pale as paper.

Yan Qingfeng strode forward and walked step by step to her.

The gleaming custom-made leather shoes stopped at the edge of Zhong Xiaoai's line of sight, their oppressive force like a mountain pressing down on her.

"Aren't you people in Beijing's social circles always quite arrogant?"

He looked down at her, a mocking smile playing on his lips.

"I always felt that I could decide the fate of everyone in the world by sitting in my villa in the Western Hills, drinking tea, and making a few phone calls."

"You believe that the power you hold is hereditary, indestructible, and invincible."

Yan Qingfeng bent down and gently lifted Zhong Xiaoai's chin with the cold metal end of the golf club.

The coolness of the metal seeped into my bones through my skin.

Zhong Xiaoai was forced to look up and meet those unfathomable black eyes.

"And now?"

Yan Qingfeng's voice was not loud, but every word was piercing.

"Why are you lying here like a lump of mud? Where are your influential uncles and aunts?"

Zhong Xiaoai shook her head desperately, tears streaming down her face.

He made a whimpering sound in his throat, unable to utter a complete sentence.

"Bite people? You can't even clean your own bones properly, what are you going to use to bite people for me?"

Yan Qingfeng put away his cue and straightened up.

"Your husband is in detention, and he's probably already drafted his confession."

He turned and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, pointing to the bustling city below.

"I'll teach you a lesson today."

Yan Qingfeng had his back to her, his voice chilling.

"In the face of absolute capital, the privileges you are so proud of are nothing more than a commodity with a price tag."

"If I, Yan Qingfeng, am happy, I'll pay you to do things; that's a way of giving you a chance to make a living."

He turned his head abruptly, a violent killing intent flashing in his eyes.

"If I'm not happy, I'll cut off your funding pool directly, and your power will instantly become a deadly noose."

"How does it feel to be subjected to a devastating blow from capital?"

Zhong Xiaoai sobbed uncontrollably, her whole body trembling like a leaf.

Her proud worldview was shattered by a few words from this man.

Yan Qingfeng weighed the titanium alloy golf club in his hand.

"Do you know how much this thing costs?"

"Hand-polished by a British master craftsman, 1.2 million."

With a flick of his wrist, the cue stick slammed heavily onto the carpet in front of Zhong Xiaoai with a loud thud.

"Your Zhong family is currently facing a famine with debts of tens of billions."

Yan Qingfeng looked at her coldly.

"Even including your underwear that was confiscated, you're not worth this stick in my hand."

This sentence became the last straw that broke the camel's back.

Zhong Xiaoai completely broke down.

She lay on the ground, clutching the carpet fibers tightly with both hands, and burst into tears.

The cries were shrill and piercing, revealing utter despair at the end of the road.

Yan Qingfeng walked to the large desk and sat down.

He took out a Cuban cigar from the rosewood drawer, and Lin Yubing immediately stepped forward to light it for him.

Pale blue smoke rose and dispersed in mid-air.

Through the smoke, Yan Qingfeng quietly looked at the pool of mud on the ground, which was covered in tears.

Five full minutes passed, until her voice was hoarse from crying.

Yan Qingfeng flicked his cigarette ash, a meaningful sneer curling at the corner of his mouth.

"Master Yan, I'm in a good mood today, so I'll give you a way out."

Zhong Xiaoai's crying suddenly stopped.

She suddenly raised her head, a glint of wild joy flashing in her red and swollen eyes, and stared intently at Yan Qingfeng.

"But letting you go will come at a price."

Yan Qingfeng exhaled a thick white smoke ring, his eyes like those of a venomous snake eyeing its prey.

"This will come at a high price. Do you dare to take it?"