Chapter 405: The Background of Black-and-White All-Consuming!

Zhao Yuyan's hand, gripping the whip, was about to rest on Lin Yuan's shoulder, intending to first press down his arm.

You Nianchu also raised her electric baton and moved closer, preparing to control his leg.

But just as their hands were about to touch Lin Yuan, he suddenly jerked his hand up, his fingertips precisely gripping Zhao Yuyan's wrist!

He twisted hard, and the whip in Zhao Yuyan's hand fell to the ground with a "pa-da" sound, making her groan in pain.

Before You Nianchu could react, Lin Yuan's other hand reached out, snatched the electric baton from her, and casually tossed it onto the sofa, the blue current instantly dying out.

The two women's faces changed at once, filled with disbelief:

"The drug had no effect on you? Impossible! We gave you double the dose!"

Lin Yuan released Zhao Yuyan's wrist and stood up.

He lifted his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, his fingertips speckled with fine droplets, he shook his hand and said: "You forgot what I studied? My family's traditional Chinese medicine—this little drug can't hold me."

He pointed to his collar, already soaked with sweat, faintly showing sweat stains:

"I just pretended to feel dizzy, merely to buy some time."

As it turned out, Lin Yuan had been secretly expelling the drug's potency through his sweat all along.

Now the sweat on his body is entirely the drug's toxin.

Zhao Yuyan and You Nianchu looked at his drenched clothes, recalling his earlier "weak" act, only then realizing they'd been tricked, their faces turning bluish-white.

Lin Yuan gave them no time to think more, bent down and picked up the binding strap from the floor.

In a few motions he bound Zhao Yuyan's arm behind the chair.

He then hauled You Nianchu over and bound her the same way, moving so fast they had no chance to struggle.

"You like using torture tools, huh? I'll give you a 'special' punishment." Lin Yuan turned and grabbed a feather duster from the balcony.

The feathers on the duster were fluffy and soft, glowing pale yellow in the sunlight.

He walked up to Zhao Yuyan and lightly swept the feather duster over her elbow.

Zhao Yuyan's whole body twitched instantly; she couldn't help but let out a "puchi" laugh, yet she bit her lip trying to hold it in, her face flushing red.

"Don't dodge—you were just being pretty fierce a moment ago, weren't you?"

Lin Yuan then brought the feather duster to You Nianchu's waist; she, most ticklish, burst into laughter, unable to catch her breath, tears streaming: "Hahaha… stop scratching… I'm dying from the itch… I was wrong!"

Zhao Yuyan could no longer hold out, writhing and struggling, making the chair creak "gee-gee".

Laughter mingled together, the room filled with waves of pleas: "Lin Yuan… I was wrong… I'll never dare drug you again!"

You Nianchu laughed until her body went limp, then her face changed, voice trembling: "I… I need to pee… if you keep scratching… I'll lose bladder control!"

Lin Yuan looked at their sorry state and stopped the feather duster in his hand.

Seeing they really could barely hold on, Lin Yuan bent down to undo the binding strap.

As soon as the strap loosened, You Nianchu clutched her stomach and ran to the bathroom.

Zhao Yuyan followed closely behind; the two almost collided at the bathroom door, all trace of their earlier elegance and ruthlessness gone.

Lin Yuan was about to tidy his clothes when his phone suddenly rang, the screen showing "Director Su".

He hurriedly answered: "Director Su,."

From the earpiece came Director Su's voice: "Lin Yuan, why haven't you come pick me up yet? It's almost nine, and there's an important meeting this morning!"

Lin Yuan checked his phone—indeed it was 8:40—and hurriedly said: "Sorry, Director Su! I'm on my way! I'll be there in ten minutes!"

After hanging up, Lin Yuan grabbed his coat and headed for the door.

Passing the bathroom, he didn't forget to remind the two inside:

"I'm heading to work now; when you go out later, remember to lock the door, don't mess up my place, or next time it won't be just a simple tickle."

From the bathroom came You Nianchu's muffled "Got it," while Zhao Yuyan stayed silent, apparently still sulking over what just happened.

Lin Yuan said no more, flung open the door and sprinted downstairs…

……

In the morning, after seeing Director Su off at the company, Lin Yuan also hurried to the Wind Control Department.

When Lin Yuan entered the Su Group's Wind Control Department, the office area was already bustling; colleagues saw him come in and nodded in greeting—

Since he last settled a 20 million debt, no one in the department dared to look down on this "parachuted" deputy director.

Lin Yuan walked into the office, just setting down his briefcase.

The front-desk girl knocked and entered: "Deputy Director Lin, Director Lu wants you to go to the large conference room now for a meeting; he said there's an urgent task assignment."

Lin Yuan acknowledged, picked up his notebook, and headed to the conference room…

As he pushed the door open, the room was already full of people.

Wind Control Department Director Lu Chengyu sat in the head seat, fingers tapping the desk, his gaze sweeping over everyone and finally landing on Lin Yuan, the corner of his mouth curling into an inscrutable smile.

"Everyone's here, let's get straight to the point." Lu Chengyu opened the folder before him, his voice carrying undeniable authority:

"Recently the group wants to push forward several wind-control projects; the board just assigned the tasks, and I will call out the names of those who should come get their task sheets."

He read out the names one by one, and colleagues came forward in turn to receive their tasks.

Most were commercial plots in the city center, with mature procedures and low difficulty.

Lin Yuan sat in the corner, watching as only he and a man by the window remained without a task, a vague premonition stirring in his heart.

"The final task—wind-control negotiations for the factory plot on Rainbow Road."

Lu Chengyu lifted his eyes, staring straight at Lin Yuan, then pointed to the man by the window: "This task is assigned to Deputy Director Lin, and also to Yao Ping."

As soon as he finished speaking, the man by the window named Yao Ping jumped up in a fluster, his movements somewhat awkward, his pen almost dropping to the floor.

Lin Yuan looked at him—

This man, about thirty-odd years old, wore a washed-out whitish shirt, his hair somewhat messy, his face bearing a simple, honest smile, his eyes revealing a hint of foolish awkwardness—indeed the department's notorious "good-for-nothing" employee Yao Ping.

Yao Ping quickly walked up to Lin Yuan's side, awkwardly nodding at him, his voice a little stammering: "Lin… Deputy Director Lin, please guide me from now on; I'll cooperate fully."

Lin Yuan said nothing, merely gazing at Lu Chengyu, waiting for his explanation.

Lu Chengyu leisurely added: "Deputy Director Lin, don't think I'm playing favorites—this is the task assignment handed down from headquarters; all other tasks have been distributed, and only this one remains."

He paused, then continued: "The situation with the Rainbow Road plot is a bit complicated. You're the deputy director, you're capable—do well, don't let the board down."

This sounded like encouragement, but in fact it cut off all of Lin Yuan's chances to refuse—

Said to be assigned by the board.

But everyone knows the task‑allocation authority lies with Lu Chengyu; he's clearly deliberately throwing the toughest bone to Lin Yuan.

And they paired Lin Yuan with the notoriously unreliable Yao Ping.

The colleagues in the meeting room also sensed something, all lowering their heads, afraid to look at Lin Yuan's expression, lest they get dragged into the two men's conflict.

Lin Yuan looked at Lu Chengyu's hypocritical demeanor, curled the corner of his mouth into a cold smile, and clearly saw Lu Chengyu's deliberate obstruction.

But he didn't expose it; he simply stood up, walked to the front, and took the task sheet Lu Chengyu handed over.

Lin Yuan's fingertip traced the words "Rainbow Road factory land," his tone calm: "Fine, I'll take it."

Lu Chengyu hadn't expected Lin Yuan to agree so readily; he froze for a moment, then quickly regained his composure:

"Good, then quickly draft a negotiation plan, get in touch with the other party next Monday, and contact me anytime if there are issues."

After the meeting ended, Lin Yuan walked out of the conference room.

The useless employee, Yao Ping… followed behind Lin Yuan.

Yao Ping whispered apologies all the way: "Deputy Director Lin, sorry, it's all my fault for being incompetent, dragging you into this difficult task… I'll study hard, I won't hold you back."

Lin Yuan glanced back at him, saw his genuine guilt, and his anger eased a little: "Don't apologize yet, it's not your fault. Come with me to the office and first organize the data on the Rainbow Road land; let's see the specifics."

Yao Ping nodded immediately, like an obedient student, quickly followed behind Lin Yuan, though his heart was full of anxiety—

He knew his nickname in the department was "useless employee," because his work ability was poor, so he was sidelined.

Yao Ping also knew the trouble with the Rainbow Road plot, and only hoped he could cooperate well with Lin Yuan this time, not really drag him down.

When Lin Yuan returned to the Wind Control Department office, Yao Ping was already standing by his desk holding a stack of documents, his honest face full of tension, his fingers constantly rubbing the edges of the papers.

Seeing Lin Yuan enter, he hurriedly placed the files on the desk, his motion so hasty he almost knocked over the water cup: "Lin, Deputy Director Lin, I've finished organizing the data on the Rainbow Road land—there's the Su Group's ownership certificate, plus records of land disputes from the past six months…"

Lin Yuan nodded, pulled over a chair and sat down, his fingertip flipping open the top ownership document—

This old factory area on Rainbow Road is one of the Su Group's pharmaceutical factories.

It mainly produces effective anti‑cancer drugs, and has been in operation for ten years.

"Is this factory a project personally overseen by Director Su?" Lin Yuan asked, looking up, his fingertip pausing at the signature of "Su Monong."

"Is this factory a project personally overseen by Director Su?" Lin Yuan asked, looking up, his fingertip pausing at the signature of "Su Monong."

Yao Ping quickly nodded, pulling a meeting minutes from the pile: "Exactly! I checked the internal records—this factory contributes nearly one‑fifth of the Su Group's pharmaceutical revenue each year, and Director Su pays special attention to it."

"But, but since three months ago, the Fu Li Group has approached Director Su three times, wanting to buy this land to build high‑end residences, and Director Su has refused each time…"

Lin Yuan carefully examined the factory's situation.

It's an old factory area, but its location is superb. The land ownership of the factory area belongs to the Su Group.

Recently, the land of this Rainbow Road factory plot has been taken a liking to by a real‑estate company called Fu Li Real Estate.

The Fu Li Group wanted to acquire this factory land at a low price, but Su Monong refused.

Lin Yuan turned to the next document—a Letter of Intent for Land Acquisition sent by the Fu Li Group, its tone firm, accompanied by an appraisal report that offered a purchase price nearly thirty percent below market value.

Further back are several police reports—

Last month the Fu Li Group sent a construction crew to forcibly surround the factory gate, smashing part of the fence.

After Su Monong reported it to the police, the other side managed to slip away quickly, leaving no administrative penalty.

Lin Yuan continued flipping through the materials, his eyes growing grave.

According to the background check… the background of the Fu Li Group is far from simple.

Behind the Fu Li Group stands a major grey‑industry conglomerate—the White Gold Han Group!

"White Gold Han Group?" Lin Yuan stared at the name of that grey‑industry conglomerate on the document, his eyes solemn.

He had heard of this group before.

Lin Yuan himself mixes in the underworld, so naturally he's heard of this group.

The White Gold Han Group—this… is one of the core groups of the New Faction!

The White Gold Han Group is a well‑known grey‑industry conglomerate in Hangcheng, enormous in scale—its strength even surpasses that of the Changsheng Group!

This shows how difficult this task is to resolve.

What you're up against isn't just the Fu Li Group, but also its backer, the White Gold Han Group!

That's a super grey‑industry conglomerate!

Yao Ping watched Lin Yuan's face, his palms sweating from nervousness:

"Deputy Director Lin, is this job too hard? The White Gold Han Group's people aren't easy to provoke—should we… tell Director Lu and switch tasks?"

Lin Yuan lifted his head, his eyes showing no fear whatsoever: "What switch? Since we've taken the task, we must see it through. Besides, Lu Chengyu has clearly set a trap for us—we can't back out."

Lin Yuan gathered the documents, stood up, picked up his coat, and said: "Organize the Fu Li Group's project disputes from the past three years, especially those related to the White Gold Han Group, and give them to me before the end of the workday—I'm going to the Legal Department to check the legal risks."

Lin Yuan said, then left the office.

……

He came to the office of the Legal Department Director… Fei Fanjin, to learn about the legal risks of this task.

Before handling the matter, Lin Yuan hoped to avoid any legal risks as much as possible.

Lin Yuan approached Fei Fanjin and asked about this task.

After Fei Fanjin learned of it, her expression changed abruptly; she hurriedly urged him to stay away from this matter at all costs.

Fei Fanjin anxiously advised: "Lin Yuan, the other side's background is huge—not only does it have a grey‑industry underworld background, but also an official one! I've heard that behind the Fu Li Group there's even a connection to a leader of the Ministry of Housing and Urban‑Rural Development! This group is not to be provoked—don't get involved!"

Lin Yuan didn't speak right away; a flicker of coldness passed through his eyes.

He knew Fei Fanjin meant well, but if he were to back down just because the other side had backing, what meaning would his role as Wind Control Deputy Director still have?

But for now, we really need to find out the opponent's details first; we can't act rashly.

"I understand, I will be careful, don't worry, there's nothing I can't handle. Rest easy." Lin Yuan patted Fei Fanjin's shoulder, comforting her.

Fei Fanjin still wanted to continue dissuading Lin Yuan.

Lin Yuan's phone in his pocket suddenly buzzed, and the name 'Yao Ping' jumped on the screen.

Lin Yuan picked up the phone; before his fingertips even touched his ear, he heard Yao Ping's tearful voice burst from the earpiece: 'Deputy Director Lin, something happened! Something big happened!'

"Don't rush, speak slowly, what happened?" Lin Yuan pressed his forehead, his tone still steady.

"Just now… just now the director of Rainbow Factory, Zhang Changzhang, called the Wind Control Department!" In the phone, Yao Ping's voice trembled as he reported: "They said Fu Li Group again brought people to forcibly demolish! Several dozen people came, even operating excavators; Director Zhang and his team couldn't stop them at all, urging our headquarters to quickly think of a solution! If we delay… if we delay any longer, the factory's wall will be pushed flat!"

Lin Yuan's gaze sank; he glanced up at the wall clock in the office—the hour hand had just passed 11 a. m.

"Wait for me in the office, I'll be right there." Lin Yuan hung up, tossed Fei Fanjin the words "This can't be ignored," and turned to run toward the Wind Control Department.

……

Lin Yuan had just rushed into the Wind Control Department office when he saw Yao Ping slumped in a chair.

Yao Ping's face was as white as paper, still clutching an unhooked desk phone handset; seeing Lin Yuan enter, he sprang up.

Yao Ping wrung his hands helplessly: 'Deputy Director Lin, you've finally come! Director Zhang said… said those people were still holding sticks, and when they shoved, they knocked down two old workers!'

Lin Yuan walked to Yao Ping's desk, picked up the factory address slip on it, his fingertip tracing the words 'Rainbow Road No. 18': 'Come on, let's go to the factory.'

"Huh? Go… go to the factory?" Yao Ping's eyes widened instantly.

Yao Ping kept stepping back two steps, waving his hands like a rattle drum.

"No, no! Deputy Director Lin, we can't go! Fu Li Group can even move Bai Jinhan, and they have official backing—if we two go, aren't we just walking into a beating? I… I'm not even married yet; I don't want to get into trouble!"

Lin Yuan saw his lips trembling from fear, and he also understood—

Yao Ping had been in the Wind Control Department for five years, always doing the idle job of organizing materials, never having encountered such a hard‑confrontation matter.

Lin Yuan patted Yao Ping's shoulder, his tone soothing: 'With me here, no one can hurt you. Forcible demolition is already against regulations; no matter how arrogant they are, they wouldn't dare openly target Su Clan people. Let's first go check the situation.'

Having said that, he grabbed Yao Ping's arm and headed out of the office: 'Where's your e‑bike? At 11 a. m. Hangcheng traffic is terrible; driving is slower than riding an e‑bike, and you can weave through alleys.'

Yao Ping was staggered two steps by the pull, but he obediently pointed to the company's underground bike shed: 'Down… downstairs, I just charged it yesterday; it can get us to Rainbow Road.'

The two hurried downstairs; Yao Ping pushed out a half‑worn blue e‑bike from the corner of the shed, its seat still dusted with a bit of dirt.

Lin Yuan took the keys, swung his long leg onto the front seat, pushed off the ground with his foot: 'Hop on, hold tight.'

Yao Ping hesitated for two seconds, then cautiously sat in the back seat, gripping Lin Yuan's shirt hem tightly, his knuckles turning white.

"Deputy Director Lin, do we really not need to inform Director Su?" he asked softly.

"Too late—by the time the report is done, the factory wall will be gone." Lin Yuan twisted the handlebars; the electric scooter buzzed and shot out, smoothly merging into the roadside traffic...