Chapter 6: Tianhai Group

A black Mercedes-Benz GLS parked stably beneath the dormitory building, appearing utterly out of place amid the youthful surroundings. The rental company driver, in uniform, respectfully handed Qin Feng the keys and left.

Qin Feng didn't even glance at the scratched Porsche 911, as if it were merely an insignificant old object. He went upstairs, swiftly packed his personal belongings—mostly books, documents, and a few sentimental keepsakes—into a suitcase, then went downstairs and placed the suitcase into the GLS's spacious trunk.

The entire process was swift and decisive, with not a trace of hesitation. The place that had held his three-plus years of ordinary, even somewhat humiliating memories, became a thing of the past from this moment on.

Driving the understated yet powerfully built SUV out of the campus gate, Qin Feng gazed calmly at the flow of traffic ahead. He did not return immediately to Yunding Mansion but dialed a number.

"Hello, this is Ding Tai Law Firm." A crisp female voice answered.

"I'd like to speak with Lawyer Chen Yongming." Qin Feng named a man—one of the city's most renowned gold-tier lawyers in finance and business, whose name had surfaced naturally in his mind after acquiring the Investment Insight (Beginner) skill, known for his ruthless tactics and deep connections.

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No. Just tell him I have a case concerning Tianhai Group, involving a sum potentially exceeding nine digits. Ask him if he'll take it." Qin Feng's tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable weight.

There was a silence of several seconds on the other end, then a slightly hurried voice: "Please hold, I'll transfer you immediately to Lawyer Chen's office."

Moments later, a steady middle-aged male voice spoke: "I'm Chen Yongming. Who is this?"

"Qin Feng. Lawyer Chen, meet me at Peninsula Coffee House in half an hour. We'll discuss details." Qin Feng hung up, set the navigation, and turned the steering wheel toward the city center.

He didn't need to seek the other's approval. A nine-digit case and the keyword "Tianhai Group" were enough to move any top-tier lawyer.

Half an hour later, the quietest booth at Peninsula Coffee House.

Chen Yongming studied the unnervingly young client before him, a flicker of surprise in his eyes—but his professional training kept it hidden. The expensive suit, the quiet certainty and dominance revealed in their earlier call—all made him dare not underestimate this man.

"Mr. Qin, you mentioned Tianhai Group and a nine-digit case over the phone?" Chen Yongming cut straight to the point.

Qin Feng stirred his coffee but didn't drink. "I want to know about Tianhai Group—especially its Chairman Zhao Tianhai and his only son, Zhao Kun. Has there been any… trouble they can be exploited for? Or if not, can we help create some?"

His tone was casual, yet the content made even seasoned veteran Chen Yongming's eyelid twitch.

This wasn't ordinary business consultation. It was a targeted investigation with clear hostility—and implied intent to attack. The target: the city's star enterprise, Tianhai Group, and its patriarch!

"Mr. Qin," Chen Yongming leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice, "Tianhai Group is one of the city's largest taxpayers. Mr. Zhao Tianhai is a renowned entrepreneur with an intricate network. Your definition of 'trouble' needs to be clearer. And your use of the word 'create'—that skirts the legal edge. The risk is extremely high."

Qin Feng lifted his gaze, sharp as a blade: "Lawyer Chen, risk and reward are proportional. I can pay five million upfront as investigation and consultation fees. If there's substantive progress later, the compensation is unlimited."

He pulled out his phone and operated it briefly.

Chen Yongming's phone on the table vibrated gently. He picked it up, glanced at the screen—a bank notification: a deposit of five million RMB! His breath quickened. So young, so lavish in spending, such a precise target… this young man was no ordinary figure.

The power of money instantly diluted his doubts and warnings.

Chen Yongming took a deep breath, his expression turning grave and focused: "Mr. Qin, I understand. For publicly available information on Tianhai Group, we can compile it quickly. For deeper details—such as Mr. Zhao Tianhai's personal business operations, tax records, and Mr. Zhao Kun's… less-than-compliant hobbies and social circles—we'll need some time."

"Hurry." Qin Feng set down his coffee spoon. "Focus on Zhao Kun. I need to know all his recent movements, who he's met, how much he's spent—especially whether he's used large sums from accounts not under his personal name."

He suspected Zhao Kun's act of scratching his car wasn't merely an outburst of anger—it might involve deeper issues. A spoiled rich heir, in extreme rage and frustration, could easily act irrationally—even embezzle company funds.

"Understood." Chen Yongming nodded, quickly jotting notes on his portable Tablet Computer. "We'll use all legal and compliant channels for the investigation. Also, Mr. Qin, regarding your damaged Porsche 911—should we initiate legal proceedings? This is clear criminal property damage. The amount involved is substantial enough to warrant a formal investigation."

"The car can wait." Qin Feng waved a hand, a cold smile curling his lips. "That was just the appetizer. What I want isn't just locking him up for a few days."

He wanted the very foundation Zhao Kun relied on for his arrogance—Tianhai Group, and his wealthy father—to pay a terrible price!

Leaving the coffee house, Qin Feng drove the GLS back to Yunding Mansion. The property manager had already waited at the entrance of the villa in Zone C, keys and documents in hand, respectfully. After completing the final handover, this mansion worth nearly a hundred million officially became Qin Feng's new home.

Standing before the floor-to-ceiling windows on the third floor, overlooking the meticulously maintained garden and the distant shimmering river, Qin Feng felt no great excitement—only a quiet, inevitable calm.

He pulled out his phone, looked at the defiant, blustering reply from Zhao Kun's lackey, and deleted it.

A petty clown, no longer worth his words.

Over the next two days, Qin Feng's life was unusually full.

He adapted to his new home, contacted professional teams through the property management, and sent the scratched Porsche 911 to the official after-sales center for full repainting and repair. Meanwhile, he retrieved his Lamborghini SVJ from storage and parked it steadily in his private garage. One gray, one red (under repair)—two top-tier supercars side by side, radiating power and beauty.

He consistently used Fixed Point Check-in daily. Rewards varied wildly: cash from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands, occasional negligible Attribute Points, and odd trinkets like "Minor Energy Recovery Pill (weak effect)." Though low in value, they were steady.

He did not attempt Perfect Lottery again. The knowledge from his Beginner Investment Insight skill needed digestion, and he vaguely sensed the next draw might require a specific trigger—or accumulated attempts—to secure a better prize.

During this time, Lawyer Chen Yongming sent him intermittent updates.

Tianhai Group primarily operated in real estate and hotels, expanding rapidly in recent years, yet its cash flow appeared looser than it seemed. Zhao Tianhai was actively pushing a large commercial complex project, urgently needing bank credit support. As Qin Feng had predicted, Zhao Kun had, over the past month, embezzled nearly ten million RMB from a subsidiary account of his father's company under the pretenses of "business hospitality" and "project contingency funds," mostly spent on luxury car parts, nightclub expenses, and… sports betting.

"Sports betting?" Qin Feng's eyes flickered at the word.

"Yes," Chen Yongming reported over the phone. "According to our preliminary findings, Zhao Kun participates in an offshore underground sports betting platform. The stakes are high, and recently he's been losing more than winning."

"Collect all evidence of his fund embezzlement and betting records," Qin Feng ordered. "Also, closely monitor the bank loan approval progress for Tianhai Group's commercial complex project."

"Understood."

After hanging up, Qin Feng walked to the large floor-to-ceiling window in his study, gazing at the city lights outside.

Fund embezzlement, gambling addiction… Zhao Kun had handed him the knife himself.

It was time to let this arrogant rich heir experience what it felt like to fall from the clouds. And the first step: sever his greatest shield—his father Zhao Tianhai and the seemingly solid Tianhai Group.

He needed a point of entry—a way to cripple Tianhai Group and trigger bank suspicion.

The Wealth Prediction function remained locked; he couldn't directly access lethal financial market information.

But he had Investment Insight (Beginner).

Qin Feng opened his computer and began using his newly acquired skill to frantically search and analyze every piece of public information related to Tianhai Group: industry reports, competitor movements, and local government urban planning trends.

Hours later, as dawn began to lighten the window, Qin Feng's bloodshot eyes gleamed with the light of revealed truth.

He found it!

Next to Tianhai Group's heavily promoted commercial complex project, a plot long considered prime for luxury residential development had recently been likely indefinitely shelved due to a newly enacted, little-publicized regulation on underground cultural relic protection. Tianhai Group, desperate to recoup funds, had secretly bet most of its capital on this residential component—and possibly even used it as collateral for massive bank loans!

If this information were confirmed and leaked prematurely…

Qin Feng leaned back in his chair, a cold smile slowly curving his lips.

Zhao Kun, you scratched my car.

I'll tear down your family's foundation.

This game has escalated. And the stakes are everything you have.