Simple Revenge

After the reception, Murong Feng invited Tang Qing for a late-night snack. In the car, he told Tang Qing and Guo Yong about what Zhao Nian had revealed. Both of them, one from a political family and the other with underworld connections, were more experienced in handling such matters than Murong Feng himself.

Tang Qing was shocked. "Huang Jue? I've met him - a smiling, chubby man, the chairman of Zhongheng Group. I never would have guessed!" She had assumed Murong Feng had offended someone in the business world, not realizing his rising social status could threaten others' interests.

She frowned, thinking for a moment before shaking her head. "There's little point in pursuing this officially. We'd struggle to trace the original poster online, and even if we did, it would be hard to prove Huang Jue was behind it. Plus, defamation is difficult to define legally."

Guo Yong grinned. "Murong, it's simple. We grab this Huang guy, rough him up a bit, and a cowardly businessman like that will confess everything... Of course, I know you won't agree to that. But even without interrogation, if your friend is so certain, it must be him. If we can't punish him officially, we can still get our revenge!"

He chuckled, leaving the details unsaid with Tang Qing present.

Tang Qing frowned slightly but, considering the impact on Murong Feng, decided some retaliation was justified. She didn't inquire further about the revenge plot. Instead, she glanced at Murong Feng curiously. "What's strange is Wang Yonghui's role. Why would he fabricate information for Huang Jue?"

Murong Feng felt uncomfortable. He too wondered why Wang Yonghui would indirectly slander him. Recalling his few interactions with Wang Yonghui, Murong Feng remembered him as a cultured public figure and high-level executive - he must have some redeeming qualities to attract someone like Zhao Nian.

Shaking his head, Murong Feng decided to let the matter with Wang Yonghui go, out of consideration for Zhao Nian. He only cautioned Guo Yong, "Don't go too far with Huang Jue."

Guo Yong grinned. "Don't worry, Murong!" After spending time with Murong Feng's team, he felt a mix of excitement and restraint, his mind racing with countless ways to teach Huang Jue a lesson.

The following days passed quietly for Murong Feng. He had mastered the investment side of the business, reviewing investment proposals quicker. With Zhou Haitao spending more time in Beijing to help, Murong Feng found himself with unexpected free time.

One day, after reviewing several uninspiring proposals, Murong Feng tossed aside a project proposal in frustration. He lit a cigar and walked to the window, gazing out at the clear sky dotted with clouds. Noticing someone watching him from the opposite building, he recalled what Ye Zi had said about her coworkers and retreated from the window with a wry smile.

He wondered how Ye Zi's project in Sichuan was progressing - a week had passed since she had returned after her exams. He reached for his phone to call her.

A knock interrupted him. His secretary, Lily, opened the door. "Boss, Liu Hui is here to see you."

Murong Feng nodded. "Send him in." He set his phone aside.

Liu Hui was one of the two investment managers Murong Feng had taken to the Sanya investment forum. Murong Feng had been impressed with him, despite their differing views on the Kaixin Network investment. He had tasked Liu Hui with registering an offshore holding company and handling the acquisition of Ayu and Fengxing's equity.

Liu Hui entered with a stack of documents. "Boss, I've completed the tasks you assigned."

Murong Feng smiled. "Well done. Have a seat and tell me about it."

Liu Hui sat on the couch, composed yet respectful. He opened the files and began, "As you requested, I've registered an offshore company in the Cayman Islands named 'Fengyu Interactive Entertainment Ltd.' with a registered capital of 10 million USD. Here are the registration documents. I've listed you as the sole shareholder and director."

He continued, "As per your instructions, Fengyu Co., Ltd will acquire all shares from you and the original shareholders of Fengxing and Ayu, based on the net asset value of both companies. This makes them wholly-owned subsidiaries of Fengyu. After the acquisition, the shareholding structure of Fengyu is as follows: You hold 66.25%, TOM (Hong Kong + Beijing) 18.75%, Liu Xin 9.38%, Ding Jun 3.12%, and Night Fox Studio 2.5%. Fengxing and Ayu will operate as subsidiaries under Fengyu Interactive."

Murong Feng nodded approvingly. "Excellent work, Liu Hui. Have you verified these documents with the finance departments and accounting firms of Fengxing and Ayu?"

Liu Hui replied, "All procedures are complete. You signed off on them a few days ago, and I just got Mr. Bao from TOM to sign as well."

Murong Feng fell silent for a moment, then smiled. "Thank you, Liu Hui. You've done an outstanding job." Liu Hui humbly accepted the praise and, noticing Murong Feng's mood, excused himself.

Murong Feng felt a strange emptiness. Perhaps he was reminiscing about the early days when he and Liu Xin enthusiastically founded Fengxing, recalling Liu Xin's efforts to find game studios and integrate businesses. Although Liu Xin had recently become interested in angel investing and incubating small studios, there was no denying that Fengxing was his brainchild.

With this acquisition and restructuring, the newly formed "Fengyu" would become a company with Murong Feng as the majority shareholder, overseeing nearly 1,000 employees across two subsidiaries in internet gaming and wireless entertainment, with monthly revenues exceeding 10 million yuan. The potential growth after "Criss-Cross" went public was immense. This company, along with Chang'an Capital, would become the foundation of Murong Feng's future.

Feeling a surge of emotion, Murong Feng decided to call Liu Xin.

"Brother, where are you?" 

"Yan and I are at the airport, about to fly to the Maldives for a vacation! I was just about to call you - what a coincidence!" Liu Xin's voice sounded cheerful.

Murong Feng suddenly felt his earlier concerns were unnecessary. He laughed, "I just saw you a few days ago, and you're disappearing again?"

Liu Xin chuckled, "Brother, I'm preparing for marriage. Got to practice keeping the wife happy, you know?" Murong Feng could hear Jiang Yan's playful protests in the background. He congratulated them and hung up, feeling a twinge of envy for Liu Xin's clarity of purpose - working hard when necessary, enjoying life fully when possible. He suspected Liu Xin might really be planning to propose in the Maldives and wished him luck.

A few days later, Guo Yong gleefully showed Murong Feng a video on his phone. "Murong, this video is going viral online!"

Murong Feng watched a clip of a couple being caught in a compromising position by police bursting into a hotel room. He was startled, quickly realizing, "Huang Jue?....Guo Yong, did you set this up?"

Guo Yong shook his head, smiling. "We didn't need to. We just tailed him for a day, and it turns out the prostitute he hired was from one of our establishments. All I did was tip off the police." He omitted the details of drugging Huang Jue's drink to inflame his desires and arranging for police friends to catch him in the act.

Murong Feng shook his head, amused. He checked online and found the news of Huang Jue's scandal everywhere, centered around the incriminating video. Huang Jue had been detained and fined before release. While such incidents were common, it was just particularly embarrassing for a well-known entrepreneur.

Although Murong Feng felt a sense of satisfaction, he also felt the revenge was a bit cruel. When he expressed this to Guo Yong, the latter responded seriously, "Murong, I know you're a kind person. But this society doesn't operate on kindness alone. It values money and power. If you want to live life on your own terms, you need the ability to prevent others from interfering. It's better to make your enemies fear you than to let them harm you without consequence."

Murong Feng took the lesson to heart. He understood these principles but, coming from an ordinary background, he always sought peaceful resolutions. Unfortunately, as his status and influence grew, the situations he faced would become more complex, and his inclination towards kindness would have to remain just a thought.

Tang Qing's subsequent words left a deep impression on him:

"True power lies in overwhelming strength and winning through open strategy. These underhanded tactics can be used occasionally but should never be relied upon. Ultimately, such methods will lead to downfall."

As someone personally mentored by Old Tang, Tang Qing viewed these petty tricks as tools to be used sparingly, not as a foundation for success. In politics and business, true victory comes from building one's own strength and skillfully leveraging various situations to achieve one's goals.

Murong Feng found himself in complete agreement with her wisdom.