Ge Qing nodded helplessly.
If he felt grateful to Gao Fei, it was certain.
Without Gao Fei’s push and the critical role he played, the Yu family’s criminal syndicate, with Yu Min’s connections, would have probably tangled with the police for much longer before its downfall.
But in Yu Min’s case, Gao Fei’s so-called methods and traps were, in Ge Qing’s eyes, criminal.
The sole charge of secretly aiding Yu Min’s escape was enough to put Gao Fei in a lot of trouble.
Even though Yu Min had been apprehended, in the entire process, Gao Fei had crossed the red line of law enforcement.
Even if there was no evidence to prove that Gao Fei had secretly instigated Yu Min's escape.
But any clear-eyed person knew that Yu Min’s sudden disappearance and subsequent capture at sea involved Gao Fei.
Ge Qing’s dilemma was that he was grateful for Gao Fei's intervention, but he did not want to see Gao Fei sink into the mire and embark on a path of no return.
Ge Qing would have preferred Gao Fei to admit directly that he had devised the plan to help Yu Min escape and then reported him himself.
How could Zheng Changlian, his master, not see his disciple's inner struggle?
He lit a cigarette, took a deep sip of his hot tea, and said, "Xiao Ge, let's not talk about Gao Fei for now. Let's talk about Yu Min.
You've known Yu Min since you joined the unit. You understand his experiences and background better than anyone.
But tell me, why did he walk down a path of no return?"
Ge Qing looked up, his thoughts immediately returning to over a decade ago.
Yu Min was young then, only twenty-seven or twenty-eight, a laborer on a construction site.
His turning point came when the contractor owed him money.
The contractor, who drove a luxury car, lived in a Western-style house, and partied every night, refused to pay the workers.
Yu Min’s annual wages were enough to feed his family for the entire year.
For less than ten thousand yuan in wages, Yu Min approached many official departments and even begged the contractor on his knees, but each time he was brushed aside.
With all other avenues blocked, Yu Min, in a fit of rage, attacked five people and used violence to get his wages.
In those days, anyone who could be a contractor was considered a figure in the underworld.
Yu Min’s ruthlessness was noticed, and after being released from prison, he followed a big boss into the underworld.
After years of maneuvering, the boss who had promoted Yu Min was sentenced to death.
And after years of struggle, Yu Min finally became the top figure in the Kyoto underworld twelve years ago.
His thoughts flashed quickly, and Ge Qing had an answer to his master's question.
Seeing him snap back to reality, Zheng Changlian simultaneously voiced what was on his mind: "Actually, you know that Yu Min was forced to take the criminal path back then.
And Gao Fei, do you think he wanted to get involved in Yu Min's affairs?
If he hadn't been threatened by that gunman, Old Mo, he wouldn't have cared whether Yu Min lived or died!"
"Why would Yu Min threaten Gao Fei?
If it weren't for that capitalist-controlled startup competition at Jingda University, Gao Fei would probably never have crossed paths with Yu Min."
Zheng Changlian looked at his stubborn disciple, who was so fixated on everything, and continued to persuade him: "Since there's no evidence to prove Gao Fei secretly helped Yu Min escape, let it go appropriately."
"But, Master..."
"Don't forget, if it weren't for Gao Fei, would you have returned to the front lines? With your temper, you would have only stayed in the police department's propaganda section, enjoying a peaceful retirement for the rest of your life."
Facing Ge Qing, who hesitated to speak, Zheng Changlian waved his hand: "Alright, let it go if it's meant to be. Yu Min has been apprehended, and Gao Fei will no longer be entangled with those people from society.
He knows better than you which paths can be taken and which ones lead to a dead end.
If you still can't get over this hurdle, pack your things and go back to your retirement."
With that, Zheng Changlian’s dismissal was clear.
Ge Qing sighed inwardly and said no more, reminding his master to rest early before pushing open the door and leaving.
....
June sixth, early morning.
The Kyoto Police Department issued its latest notice.
Clarifying that the news on the internet claiming Gao Fei was involved in organized crime was all false rumor-mongering.
The relevant personnel involved in spreading the rumors had been arrested and would await prosecution.
Those million-follower accounts that had fanned the flames and spread baseless rumors for traffic were directly suspended for half a month.
The first media account that spread rumors about Gao Fei's alleged involvement in organized crime was completely banned.
The publisher was not only in custody but had also received a defamation lawsuit from lawyer Zeng Keming.
After one night, with the official refutation from the Kyoto Police Department, Gao Fei's suspicion was finally cleared.
Feiteng Investment Company.
Looking at the clarifying news online.
Gao Fei logged into his studio account, manually reposted the Kyoto Police Department's announcement, and added a sentence.
"The clear will clear themselves!"
Within five minutes of reposting, the likes and comments exceeded ten thousand.
"Tsk tsk, Brother Fei, my influence and fan activity are still undiminished!"
Gao Fei praised himself and closed the web page, no longer paying attention.
The members of Yu Min's criminal syndicate had all been arrested.
He had finally escaped the quagmire where a slight misstep could lead to an abyss.
"Finally, I'm free!"
Gao Fei leaned back in his boss's chair and breathed a sigh of relief.
Without the entanglement of the social underworld, he felt completely at ease.
Now, the ace screenwriter Hank was about to arrive in Dragon Country, and a new movie was about to begin.
However, when he thought about the special effects production for the movie, Gao Fei was troubled; that was a money-burning endeavor.
After the turmoil of the startup competition, his savings had shrunk rapidly.
The return on investment he most eagerly awaited now was not from his investment company's projects.
But from the box office revenue of the movie "Black and White Edge" both domestically and internationally, as well as the sales revenue of his novels and music abroad.
He had to split the movie box office with Wang He, but not the novel and music sales.
As long as the income reached Gao Fei's expectations, he could directly invest in sci-fi movies with his money.
Just as he was calculating the movie's revenue, an unknown number suddenly called his phone.
"Hello!"
"Hey, Gao, my brother! It's me, Old Huo!"
As soon as he answered, Huo Dongcheng's mischievous voice came from the other end.
Gao Fei raised his eyebrows, glanced at the two task force vehicles downstairs, then turned and walked into the bathroom, turning on all the faucets.
Once the sound of the running water masked his voice, he said, "Didn't I tell you? Don't contact me proactively. I'll contact you when the heat dies down."
"Is the task force still keeping an eye on you, Brother Gao?"
"What do you think?"
Huo Dongcheng chuckled awkwardly and got straight to the point: "Brother, didn't you ask me to use that virtual phone software to deal with Yu Min before?"
"And then?"
"The software you created caught the attention of a senior executive at a tech company in Hong Kong. They offered eight million dollars to buy your software, but after I negotiated, the price has been pushed up to eleven million dollars.
Brother Gao, you've already given me plenty of compensation for the Yu Min matter. This old brother won't cheat you. As long as you're willing to sell this software, I'll take a commission of five hundred thousand."
Hearing the news Huo Dongcheng brought, Gao Fei was stunned for a moment.
A virtual phone software could command a price of eleven million dollars.
According to the exchange rate, that was over seventy million yuan converted to Dragon Country currency.
Damn it, if my software is so sought after, is it going to usher in a new era of scams?
Just as Gao Fei was murmuring to himself, the long-lost system voice sounded in his mind.
【Congratulations to the host, your savings have exceeded five hundred million Dragon Country currency, and you have entered the early stages of capital.】
【To celebrate the host's entry into the capital ranks, the system has opened a mall, and you have fifteen purchase opportunities.】
(I've been thinking about the follow-up content recently. I was originally considering technological ascension, but it's too far-fetched. The next stages will likely involve entertainment and business wars. If you enjoy reading about social intrigue and power struggles, there will be some, and don't forget who appeared before.)