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

Four in the morning in Beijing, in a deep alley within the Second Ring Road.

The autumn rain pattered on the bluestone slabs, carrying a chilling cold.

Outside the gate of a top-class courtyard house with an extremely large area.

The two white marble lions guarding the house were polished to a shine by the rain.

Ma Tengyun stood next to the stone lion.

He hadn't even had time to change out of his gray, soft-soled cotton slippers; most of his trouser legs were soaked through with water.

He was the internet godfather who usually wielded considerable influence in the domestic business world.

Now I look like a primary school student who has made a mistake and is being punished by standing in the corner.

Technical Director Lao Wei was holding a black umbrella, his hands trembling from the cold.

Most of the umbrella ribs were tilted over the boss's head, and half of his body was completely soaked.

"Mr. Ma, you've been standing here for two hours now."

Old Wei's teeth were chattering as he lowered his voice.

"Why don't you go back to your car and get out of the wind? I'll stay here and keep watch."

"Shut up. Close the umbrella."

Ma Tengyun's eyes were bloodshot and his voice was hoarse.

Old Wei was stunned, thinking he had misheard.

"Mr. Ma, your health..."

"I told you to put the umbrella away!"

Ma Tengyun suddenly turned his head, his eyes looking like he wanted to devour someone.

"If you're asking for a favor, you have to act like one! If Master Yan won't see me, I'll just stand here and get soaked to death!"

Old Wei swallowed hard and obediently tucked the black umbrella into his arms.

The master and servant endured the autumn rain.

Time ticked by, until a hazy, pale light began to appear on the horizon.

"Squeak—"

The heavy, vermilion-lacquered gate creaked open with a dull scraping sound, slowly opening a crack.

Chief Secretary Zhou Yuan, wrapped in a black overcoat, lazily stepped out the door.

He raised his hand and let out a long yawn, his eyes still glistening with sleepiness.

"Oh, Mr. Ma is actually standing here?"

Zhou Yuan leaned against the door frame, his tone devoid of any respect.

"I thought you couldn't stand the evil winds of the capital and had already turned back home."

If this had happened yesterday, Ma Tengyun could have ruined the other party's family with a single phone call.

But now, he quickly forced a fawning smile.

They didn't even bother to wipe the rain off their faces.

"Secretary Zhou, you've worked hard. It's truly an offense to disturb Master Yan's rest."

Ma Tengyun bent low.

"I wonder if it would be convenient for Master Yan to see me now?"

Zhou Yuan waved his hand and turned to walk into the courtyard.

"Alright, come in. Master Yan is waiting for you in the main hall."

Ma Tengyun was as if he had been granted a pardon.

He quickly tugged at Lao Wei's sleeve and followed him in, stumbling along the muddy path.

The courtyard house was ridiculously large.

The winding corridors lead to secluded spots, where precious flowers and trees exude a cool fragrance in the rain.

The two followed Zhou Yuan around the screen wall and arrived at the main hall.

The main lights were not on inside.

Sandalwood incense burned in the corner, its smoke swirling around.

Yan Qingfeng, dressed in a loose-fitting, plain-colored Tang suit, was sitting in the center of a rosewood armchair.

His eyes were slightly closed.

He slowly and deliberately twirled the two jade beads in his hands, making a crisp "click-clack" sound.

The moment Ma Tengyun stepped over the threshold, his knees buckled.

He almost knelt directly on the blue brick floor.

He took a deep breath, ignoring his disheveled appearance and dripping wet clothes.

He strode to a spot two meters in front of the armchair and stood still.

"Ninety degrees," Ma Tengyun murmured to himself.

He suddenly folded his upper body down and bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle.

"Master Yan! Old Ma from Hangzhou greets you!"

His voice echoed in the empty main hall, with a noticeable tremor.

The person on the grand master's chair remained motionless, not even changing the rhythm of the jade pendants colliding.

Sweat mixed with rainwater dripped down Ma Tengyun's nose.

A small water stain was created on the floor tile.

He didn't dare straighten up until he heard the instructions clearly.

A full five minutes passed.

"Boss Ma's back is more flexible than I imagined."

Yan Qingfeng finally opened his eyes.

Those deep eyes were like two dry wells, still and undisturbed.

Only then did Ma Tengyun dare to slowly straighten up.

He quickly pulled a waterproof document bag, warmed by his body heat, from his inner pocket.

"Master Yan, I was blind before. I shouldn't have tried to compete with you for jobs in Handong."

He held the document bag in both hands, raising it high above his head.

Old Wei watched this scene from the side, his eyes turning completely red.

The once-renowned godfather of e-commerce is now as humble as a small-time vendor paying protection money.

"What is this?" Yan Qingfeng didn't take it, but raised his chin slightly.

Ma Tengyun swallowed hard and revealed all the cards he had prepared.

"This is 30% of the core shares of my parent company, and the agreement has already been signed."

"The entire rights have been transferred to the Lingxiao Consortium."

He gritted his teeth and continued pouring out his blood money.

"And there's all the underlying user data that our platform has accumulated over the past ten years."

"Unconditionally merge into the Cloud System tomorrow morning!"

Zhou Yuan stood to the side, raising an eyebrow.

This guy surnamed Ma is really a ruthless character; he cut off his arm to survive without even blinking.

"Hand over 30% of the core shares and the underlying data."

Yan Qingfeng tapped his fingers twice on the armrest, looking at the other person with a half-smile.

"Is Boss Ma planning to empty his entire fortune? What is he planning to exchange it for?"

Ma Tengyun suddenly raised his head, his eyes revealing a desperate desire to survive.

"Win the exclusive nationwide agency rights for the holographic VR shopping system!"

"Find another way to survive!"

He knew perfectly well that print e-commerce was dead.

Without Ling Xiao's authorization, his empire will crumble in less than six months.

Yan Qingfeng remained silent.

He stretched out his long, slender fingers and picked up the top-secret document.

Old Wei thought that Master Yan would take a closer look at the equity structure inside.

After all, that's real money worth hundreds of billions.

But Yan Qingfeng simply flipped it over casually, as if he were weighing a stack of waste paper.

"Smack."

He casually tossed the document onto the coffee table beside him.

Yan Qingfeng leaned back in his chair.

Those dark eyes were like a vicious dog guarding a house, eyeing a bone that had been delivered to its door.

"Mr. Ma, in this game, do you think you still have the right to negotiate with me?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it sounded like a heavy hammer.

The impact made Ma Tengyun's heart pound wildly.

"I don't need your shares. I can take over the entire market myself, one bite at a time."

Yan Qingfeng gave a cold laugh.

Ma Tengyun grew anxious, and the veins on his forehead throbbed.

"Master Yan! You can swallow it, but it will take time!"

He quickly took half a step forward, eager to prove his worth.

"I have a ready-made nationwide logistics and warehousing network."

"We have the most skilled team for operating in lower-tier markets!"

"Leave it to me; the Lingxiao Consortium can conquer the entire country in three months!"

Yan Qingfeng stared at him for two seconds.

"You're a smart person." Yan Qingfeng's lips finally curled into a satisfied smile.

"It's a good dog too."

Even when someone insulted him to his face, Ma Tengyun didn't even flinch.

Instead, he breathed a long sigh of relief.

As long as Master Yan is willing to use him, his life's work can be considered preserved.

Yan Qingfeng stood up and walked to the wide-open entrance of the main hall.

The autumn rain outside gradually stopped.

A blinding ray of morning light shone on the horizon, illuminating the century-old locust tree in the courtyard.

"I've accepted the goods. As for the agency rights, Lao Zhou will handle that with you."

Yan Qingfeng stood with his back to them, his tall, slender figure exuding an air of arrogance that seemed to rule the world.

Zhou Yuan tactfully walked to the coffee table.

They put away the document that represented half of their trillion-dollar e-commerce empire.

Ma Tengyun's nerves, which had been taut all night, finally snapped.

His legs buckled, and he was only able to stay upright because Lao Wei held him firmly.

"Thank you so much, Master Yan, for the opportunity to serve me this meal!"

With a trembling voice, Ma Tengyun bowed deeply once again.

Yan Qingfeng turned his head slightly.

The morning light shone on his cold, hard profile, making him look like an emotionless god.

"Mr. Ma, your empire used to be quite impressive."

He glanced at the former godfather of the internet behind him and casually uttered a sentence.

"But from today onwards, it can only bear the surname Yan."

Ma Tengyun interrupted Lao Wei's attempt to help him up without hesitation.

He lifted the hem of his Tang suit, knelt on one knee on the blue brick floor, and bowed his head respectfully.

"What Master Yan says is true. From now on, I will go through fire and water without hesitation."