Chapter 943: Shadow Operation

It wasn't that He Yuzhu hadn't thought about leaving a way out for those pimps; after all, Yang Jing hadn't suffered any substantial harm this time, but in this world, where can you find a wall that doesn't let the wind through?

If even one person from Lin Feng's group managed to escape, all of his trump cards would be laid bare.

He Yuzhu hardened his heart, shoved the few pimps into the SUV like dead dogs, slammed his foot on the gas, and the car shot out like an arrow released from a bowstring.

Ahead was a sharp turn; He Yuzhu took the opportunity to flip out of the car window to the roadside, reaching out to grip a rock tightly, using the stone to offset the massive inertia of the car as it rushed out.

The SUV, with no one at the wheel, plunged straight off the cliff edge, tumbled several times down the steep hillside, then exploded into a giant fireball with a boom, rolling all the way down into the mountain stream, the raging flames illuminating half the cliff face in a deep red.

He Yuzhu stood on the edge of the cliff, his expression so gloomy it was as if water were about to drip from it.

He knew better than anyone that if the Deputy General Manager of the Black Stone Group found out his son was dead, he would surely pounce on him like a mad dog and bite him to the end. It seemed that in this life, he wouldn't be able to live in peace; from now on, he could only engage in endless maneuvering and fighting.

By the time He Yuzhu had cleaned up the traces at the scene and driven back to Zhouzhuang, it was already the second half of the night.

With a thought, he released Yang Jing from his Personal Space.

Yang Jing slowly woke up, rubbed her sleepy eyes, and the moment she saw He Yuzhu, hot tears rolled down instantly: "Big Uncle... why did you bring me here? That Keli is a bastard, but I really didn't..."

Her voice was weak, her throat trembling slightly; she still hadn't recovered from the harrowing experience just moments ago.

He Yuzhu lit a cigarette, the faint glow flickering on his face: "Big Uncle believes you. Those people who harassed you have all met with accidents. From now on, don't mention this to anyone."

Yang Jing's face turned deathly pale, her lips trembling as she pressed: "Big Uncle, are they all dead? What about the film crew's movie?"

"Silly girl, you were almost in danger, and the producer and director are all gone; you're just an actress, why worry about such things?"

Yang Jing felt a sense of grievance and burst into tears on the spot: "Big Uncle, those people were just too evil, it's all my fault for being too naive... I will definitely change in the future, and I will never easily trust outsiders again."

He Yuzhu gently flicked the ash from his cigarette, a faint smile curling at the corners of his mouth: "To get you out, I spent a full four tons of gold. When you make money in the future, you'll have to pay me back with interest."

Yang Jing's eyes turned red again, tears pattering onto the back of her hands: "I'll raise the money as soon as I go back, even if I have to sell everything I own, I will definitely pay you back..."

Seeing her like this, He Yuzhu waved his hand: "I'm just joking with you. That four tons of gold can be considered the dowry money Big Uncle gives you to settle down. But having said that, four tons of real gold and silver were indeed spent; I'm not lying to you."

Yang Jing sobbed and nodded vigorously, though her tears kept falling faster the more she wiped them.

At noon the next day, Ma Rui rushed through the door in a frantic hurry.

As soon as he pushed the door open and saw Yang Jing, he lunged forward, hugged her tightly, and cried like a helpless child.

The two held each other tightly; having experienced this life-and-death ordeal, their temperaments seemed to have matured significantly in an instant.

He Yuzhu stood to the side watching quietly, and only after they had cried enough did he speak slowly: "You two have shared a life-and-death experience; from now on, you must cherish each other even more in your life together."

Ma Rui turned to look at Yang Jing with red eyes: "From now on, you must treat Big Uncle with the same filial piety as your own father."

He Yuzhu raised a hand to interrupt him: "Speaking of which, you two have become entangled in my karma. Don't take this to heart; in the future, you must learn to protect yourselves, especially Yang Jing—always be careful and wary of others in everything..."

Before he could finish, an emergency news bulletin suddenly interrupted on the television.

The female anchor's voice was steady, her enunciation standard: "Around 11 o'clock last night, a landslide occurred on the national highway from Hengdian to Ningbo. Four SUVs traveling together were struck by giant boulders; three vehicles were severely damaged, and another vehicle failed to avoid the impact, crashed through the guardrail, and plunged straight into the valley. Search and rescue operations are currently ongoing. Informed sources reveal that the people in the vehicles were the producer, director, and investors of the film crew for *Beauties in Troubled Times*..."

Ma Rui stared at the TV screen, his teeth grinding with a creaking sound, and he spat fiercely: "They deserved it!"

Washington, inside an office at the CIA.

Bureau Chief Tenite leaned back in his office chair, his tone flat: "Mr. Lute, I express my deepest regrets regarding your son's encounter. But the state apparatus cannot be mobilized at will because of your personal grievances. We have no evidence to prove that this was an act by the Mainland authorities against your son; even if he was murdered, it remains a personal vendetta. You may report it to the police or file a lawsuit yourself..."

Lute sat opposite him, his eyes red, his fists clenched; after a long while, he squeezed a sentence through his teeth: "But my son went to the Mainland under the orders of the CIA, and his mission was to bring down the He Group! I am ninety percent certain that He Yuzhu is a member of the Shadow Organization!"

Tenite looked up at him, his gaze cold: "You have your suspicions, but that is your personal opinion and cannot count as hard evidence. The Shadow Organization has been maneuvering against us for decades; from the 1950s to the present, they have always been elusive, and we haven't even managed to obtain a single photo or fingerprint of them... Why should I trust your speculation? As for the identity of the Shadow leader, there have been over a hundred theories circulating in the outside world..."

Lute stared at him intensely, his lips twitching repeatedly, and he said in a deep voice: "Regardless, our Black Stone Group absolutely cannot swallow this insult. If you refuse to act, then we will handle it ourselves."

"Be cautious in your actions," Tenite reminded him coldly, "You are also aware that the CIA's core energy is currently focused on the various former Soviet Union republics, busy supporting our proxies; we really have no extra manpower to intervene in your private affairs."

Lute stood up: "Then there is nothing more to say."

Having said that, he slammed the door and left in a fit of rage.

Si Jiu Cheng, it had been a full week since Yang Jing returned, yet all kinds of rumors about her had never ceased.

At first, it was all news about the film crew halting production and the accidental deaths of Director Zhou and producer Lin Feng.

In the first few days, there were still many people online expressing regret and mourning, but before long, the public opinion shifted completely, and all sorts of conspiracy theories sprouted wildly like weeds.

Tabloids were filled with rumors that Yang Jing was being kept by a foreign tycoon and that Ma Rui had hired killers for revenge, making it known throughout the city.

When Ma Rui saw these reports, a chill ran down his back, and he realized instantly that someone was secretly targeting him.

He immediately sent people to trace the source of these rumors.

Following that, gossip about the He Group privately harboring thugs spread quietly through the streets and alleys as if it had grown legs.

After He Yuzhu finished reading the day's newspaper, his expression suddenly darkened, and he slammed a palm onto the table, his fury surging to his head: "I rarely leave a margin of mercy and didn't touch their families, yet these people have turned around and are splashing dirty water on me."

He suppressed the anger in his heart and went straight to find Liu Rusi: "Sister, please help me investigate which group of people is playing tricks behind the scenes. I have a hunch that the methods of this group are far more sophisticated than those of Lin Feng's people."

After listening, a knowing smile appeared in the depths of Liu Rusi's eyes: "In my opinion, it is nine times out of ten the remnants of Lin Feng's side stirring things up in the dark. After you told me about this last time, I had people look into his background—this person looked respectable on the surface, but his foundation was actually not clean."

He Yuzhu's eyes tightened suddenly.

Liu Rusi continued: "Lin Feng's father was a retired veteran of the Secret Service Bureau. When Lin Feng first came to the Mainland, he already had a mission; we have known about these circumstances for a long time, and the higher-ups have always turned a blind eye and didn't move against him. Now that he is dead, how could his family let it go? It is likely that one of his assistants sent the news back home, which is why these issues have arisen."

"Sister, we cannot let them spread rumors as they please. If this goes on for too long, right and wrong will be inverted, causing great damage to our group's reputation."

Liu Rusi nodded gently: "Then let's cut off their roots directly. Don't they have money to bribe the media to spread rumors? We will make it so they can't come up with a single cent to operate."

As she finished speaking, she pulled a document from her drawer and pushed it toward He Yuzhu: "This is a detailed breakdown of all the Lin family's industrial assets; my subordinates have already mapped it out. With your ability, it won't be difficult to take down all their industries. Once the Lin family is completely ruined and penniless, those media outlets that took money to do their bidding will naturally scatter like birds and beasts—no one is willing to risk their lives for a master with no money."