The rain fell in thin, cold strands, washing over the neon-lit streets of Jiangzhou City.
Inside a quiet private room of the Yunhai Teahouse, Lin Cheng sat alone by the window, his gaze calm as he watched the cars pass below.
In front of him, a pot of Longjing tea slowly released its fragrance.
But his mind was far from tranquil.
Zhao Minghao had moved.
Not openly.
Not directly.
But the financial undercurrents had already begun to ripple.
Lin Cheng lifted his phone and glanced at the encrypted report Chen Guoan had sent less than ten minutes ago.
— HuaXin Logistics' credit line abruptly frozen.
— Three shell companies connected to Tianyu Group began liquidating assets.
— Two provincial banks suspended medium-term corporate loans without explanation.
On the surface, these events seemed unrelated.
But Lin Cheng saw the invisible threads binding them together.
A smile curved faintly at the corner of his lips.
"So you've finally woken up," he murmured.
In his previous life, Zhao Minghao had always preferred operating in silence.
He didn't suppress his enemies directly.
He strangled them slowly.
First, the capital chain.
Then, supplier confidence.
Then, public credibility.
Finally—bankruptcy and legal annihilation.
Once this sequence began, very few companies survived.
This time, however, Zhao Minghao had miscalculated.
Because Lin Cheng had already seen this script once before.
Across the table sat Wang Zhe, his broad shoulders tense.
"Brother Cheng," Wang Zhe said in a low voice, "several small logistics firms we invested in are already feeling the pressure. Banks are tightening. Suppliers are demanding cash payments."
Lin Cheng slowly poured tea into his cup.
"Expected."
Wang Zhe frowned. "But our capital flow is stable. Why target them?"
"Because they're our future logistics backbone," Lin Cheng replied calmly. "Zhao Minghao isn't attacking profits. He's attacking infrastructure."
Wang Zhe's eyes sharpened.
"If logistics stalls, everything slows—manufacturing, distribution, retail."
"Exactly."
Lin Cheng took a sip of tea, his gaze steady.
"This is only the first test."
At the same time, inside a detention facility on the outskirts of Jiangzhou, Zhao Minghao stood calmly beside a small window.
Bars separated him from the outside world.
Yet his expression carried not the slightest frustration.
Behind him, a middle-aged man in a black suit lowered his head respectfully.
"Chairman Zhao," the man said quietly, "the first phase is complete. Their logistics channels are tightening. Market sentiment will shift within seventy-two hours."
Zhao Minghao smiled faintly.
"Good."
The man: "Do we proceed with the second phase?"
"Not yet."
Zhao Minghao turned slowly, his eyes cold and sharp.
"I want to see how Lin Cheng responds."
The man hesitated. "You believe he can counter?"
Zhao Minghao's smile deepened.
"If he couldn't, he wouldn't be worth my attention."
Back in Jiangzhou, Lin Cheng exited the teahouse and stepped into the rain.
A black sedan waited quietly at the curb.
Inside the car, Chen Guoan was already seated, laptop open, screens flashing with data.
"You saw it," Chen Guoan said the moment Lin Cheng entered.
Lin Cheng nodded. "Give me the projections."
Chen Guoan rotated the screen.
"Within three days, supplier trust will drop. Within a week, logistics costs increase by twenty-two percent. Within fifteen days, delivery delays will trigger contract penalties."
Lin Cheng leaned back slightly.
"And public opinion?"
"Financial media is already picking up strange banking behavior," Chen Guoan replied. "If this continues, it'll become a market rumor storm."
Lin Cheng closed his eyes briefly.
Then opened them again, calm and decisive.
"Activate Project Iron River."
Chen Guoan froze.
"That early?"
Lin Cheng: "Yes."
Chen Guoan: "But that exposes our hidden reserves."
Lin Cheng's gaze remained steady.
"Then let them see."
Project Iron River.
It was the counter-weapon Lin Cheng had prepared long before Zhao Minghao moved.
A layered logistics and financing system built using:
Overseas shell companies
Offshore insurance funds
Commodity-backed lending
Encrypted capital routes
Even Zhao Minghao would never imagine that Lin Cheng had already built an alternate financial circulation system.
"Within forty-eight hours," Lin Cheng said, "I want three new logistics hubs operational."
Chen Guoan inhaled sharply.
"That fast?"
Lin Cheng: "You have the models. Execute."
Chen Guoan: "Yes."
By the next morning, Jiangzhou's business circles were quietly shaken.
Three previously unknown logistics firms announced strategic partnerships with multiple mid-sized manufacturers.
Their financial backing was listed as Overseas Development Consortium.
The capital injection?
2.3 billion yuan.
The market exploded.
Who was behind it?
Where did the money come from?
Why now?
No one had answers.
In the detention facility, Zhao Minghao stared at the financial news feed in silence.
His eyes narrowed slowly.
"Interesting."
The black-suited man stood rigid. "Chairman Zhao… these companies appeared out of nowhere. Their financing routes are clean. No traceable origin."
Zhao Minghao chuckled softly.
"Good. Very good."
His gaze sharpened.
"So you prepared a hidden river beneath the ground."
The man hesitated. "Do we proceed with political pressure?"
Zhao Minghao shook his head.
"No."
The man: "Then…?"
Zhao Minghao: "I want him to grow."
The man's breath caught.
Zhao Minghao's smile turned cold.
"Only when he reaches his highest point can I crush him completely."
That night, Lin Cheng stood on the rooftop of his company's headquarters, city lights stretching endlessly before him.
Su Manli stood beside him, her coat fluttering gently in the breeze.
"You seem tired," she said softly.
Lin Cheng turned to her.
"Just thinking."
Su Manali: "About business?"
Lin Cheng: "About the future."
She smiled faintly. "You always look like you're carrying the entire world."
Lin Cheng was silent for a moment.
Then he said quietly, "Some battles can't be avoided."
Su Manli looked at him steadily. "Then I'll walk them with you."
Their eyes met.
A rare warmth flickered in Lin Cheng's gaze.
But far away, unseen forces were already aligning.
Political pressure.
Corporate warfare.
Financial strangulation.
Media manipulation.
Zhao Minghao's true game had finally begun.
And this time, the battlefield was entire Jiangzhou City.
Lin Cheng looked out over the skyline, his eyes cold and resolute.
"Let's see," he murmured.
"Who controls destiny."