Chapter 115: This Death-Defying Lot

Ma Siwei fell silent. She had just remembered that she had come to see Yang Changfeng today for an important matter.

"Then I suppose I should thank you for your consideration," Ma Siwei said with a touch of irony. She took a USB flash drive from her handbag, placed it on the coffee table, and pushed it toward him. Her expression turned serious. "There is a lot of information in here. I believe you will find it very useful, but the implications are significant, so you must think carefully before you decide to use it."

What could it be?

Yang Changfeng reached out and picked it up.

"Don't look at it here. There are many sensitive items inside, involving these glamorous high-ranking officials and wealthy elites. A good portion of it concerns Wang Hu, so I thought it would be useful to you and brought it along." Ma Siwei spoke in hushed tones, stopping Yang Changfeng’s impatient movement as if they were underground agents meeting in secret.

Was that all?

Yang Changfeng felt as though he had made a wasted trip. Wang Hu had already been taken care of; even with this evidence, it wouldn't be enough to significantly worsen the man's charges.

Seeing the dismissal in Yang Changfeng’s eyes, Ma Siwei felt annoyed. "Don't underestimate this evidence. I took a look—I didn't finish it, but I was so scared that I've been sleeping with the lights on ever since. Do you have any idea how much of a shockwave this would cause if it were leaked online? I'll just drop one name, and you'll realize how important this is."

Upon hearing the name—one he felt he had heard somewhere before—Yang Changfeng was puzzled.

Is this person really that influential?

Of course he is. He is the tycoon who supposedly owns all the real estate in Jiangzhou. If this man were to stomp his foot, the entire economy of Jiangzhou would be set back by two years.

Once Ma Siwei explained, Yang Changfeng understood. His expression immediately turned solemn. If he was such a colossal figure, how could a mere paparazzi studio manage to photograph him?

"They probably got carried away by their own success. It seems the studio originally intended to stake out some young idol, but when their target didn't show up, they captured this instead. I suspect that if that man ever found out, none of those people would survive. He is incredibly ruthless. I've heard he had a good relationship with the 'Grand Overlord' from ten years ago, and that the 'Great Prince' holds shares in many of his businesses," Ma Siwei whispered, her voice dropping to a near-inaudible level, yet her eyes shone with excitement.

You’re a major celebrity; could you stop being such a gossip?

Yang Changfeng found it amusing. These were mostly street rumors. The Prince’s assets were in the north; while there had been some in Jiangzhou, the current leadership had spent less than three months cleaning up the city. Back then, he had used this place as a stepping stone to reach the summit; there was no way he would have allowed Jiangzhou to remain unconquered if he wanted to rise further.

It seemed this man not only enjoyed mingling with the entertainment industry but was also fond of spreading nonsense. If that person still held such a massive stake in Jiangzhou, would the current leadership tolerate it?

However, what puzzled Yang Changfeng was why these Jiangzhou bosses were so keen on dealing with people like Wang Hu. Was it an inability to mend their wicked ways? Or were they truly unable to wash their hands of their past, trapped in the underworld forever?

With their history of building empires through illicit means, most would be rushing to bury the past, yet here were people foolishly digging it back up.

As someone privy to many secrets others didn't know, Yang Changfeng understood these power struggles well. The merchants currently anchoring Jiangzhou's economy were largely from the new generation, a stark contrast to the situation a dozen years ago.

Take Princess Ye, for example; she was clever. Her businesses were in the south, yet she didn't oversee them personally, entrusting them to professional management teams instead. By opening this teahouse in Jiangzhou, she remained low-profile and avoided crossing the red lines drawn by the current leadership. That was a truly enlightened person.

Pocketing the USB drive, Yang Changfeng said, "Act as if you know nothing about this. Jiangzhou isn't as high-and-mighty as the legends suggest. Wherever money gathers, blades emerge. If anyone asks, just claim ignorance. Make sure no one gets wind that you ever possessed this drive. And one more thing: find a way to ensure no one in this teahouse suspects you gave it to me."

"That goes without saying."

Besides, did he even need an excuse?

After what happened yesterday, many were already gossiping that Ma Siwei had finally found someone she fancied. Since there were no surveillance cameras here, it was impossible for anyone to know about the exchange.

Yang Changfeng had other thoughts. It seemed these Jiangzhou entertainment studios weren't entirely useless; using them to keep a pulse on the city was a viable path.

He didn't plan on reaching out to them just yet. These people cared only for money, and he had no intention of using Chen Aijia’s funds to buy their gossip. He had to make them desperate enough to seek him out for cooperation.

Judging by the fact that they carried such classified information on them, they were the type to risk their lives for a payout. Perhaps they were still weighing how to use the information to blackmail the real estate tycoon. Dealing with such people required either paying them enough or leaving them with no choice but to seek protection. Otherwise, there was no way to make them come to him.

Yang Changfeng didn't intend to check the contents of the drive immediately. He couldn't afford to be rash. His priority was to familiarize himself with the basics of Jiangzhou and help Chen Aijia solidify her control over the company. Using this drive to trigger a massive upheaval didn't serve his interests right now.

"I know, that’s why I dared to come to you," Ma Siwei said, looking a bit flustered. She suddenly asked herself a question: Why did she trust Yang Changfeng?

Because he was generous enough to gift her a small villa?

That was impossible. There were plenty of people willing to give Ma Siwei tens of millions.

Someone had once offered to invest in a television drama, and the price tag for her alone reached ninety million. But Ma Siwei had no interest in that. Relying on her looks and selling herself to make money—while common in the entertainment industry—was something she still couldn't bring herself to accept.

Then why?

Ma Siwei stole a glance at Yang Changfeng, thinking to herself, "Perhaps it’s because, even if he isn't exactly a saint, he is at least a man of his word."

Yang Changfeng pondered whether he should tell Chen Aijia.

If he told her, this drive might trigger an even greater sensation. It could cause a brief chaos in the economic market, providing a massive opportunity for the group to grow—something a large corporation struggling to break through the shackles of transformation desperately needed. If nothing else, with the group's weight, producing evidence that the Jiangzhou real estate tycoon was colluding with Wang Hu would leave that tycoon with no room to maneuver. He would either have to cough up a share of his interests or be taken down. Either way, it would create room for the group to develop, especially in terms of market share.

But the downside was equally severe: it would make the group a target for everyone.

Yet, if he didn't tell her, it felt like a waste of a colossal opportunity.

Yang Changfeng fell into deep thought, caught in a dilemma.