Zongman: My insight connects the future

Traveling to a modern city that combines countless anime such as Boring Girlfriend, Oregairu, and Food Wars!, Lin Feng awakens his insight into the future.

Not only can he glimpse fragments of fate, but he can also enlighten others and transform the infinite possibilities of the future into reality with extraordinary power!

At the beginning, Lin Feng, as a consultant, cleverly approached Kasumigaoka Utaha, who was stuck in a creative bottleneck.

“Senior, you don’t want your talent to be buried, right?”

Point out their future difficulties and then “conveniently” give them a ray of inspiration. The price? Nothing more than a deeper level of “observation” and “understanding”.

As his insight into the future deepens, the extraordinary undercurrent hidden in the city surges, and various anime heroines break into Lin Feng’s life one after another.

Yukinoshita Yukino’s “commission”, Nakiri Erina’s “food battle”, Eriri’s “defeat declaration”…

Lin Feng said: Predicting the future is just a means of planning. The real fun is to conquer these proud, awkward and seductive beauties one by one, give them power and make them completely submit from body to mind!

Zongman: My insight connects the future
Chapter 1: Consultant with a Future Perspective
In the afternoon in Tokyo, there is a lot of traffic and crowds of people.
In the core area of ​​CBD, on the upper floor of a skyscraper towering into the clouds, Lin Feng had just finished a video conference.
“Mr. Lin, your analysis is always so accurate. Thanks to you this time, we avoided major losses.” Across the screen, a middle-aged man in a suit and tie spoke with undisguised admiration.
Lin Feng nodded slightly, with a gentle professional smile on his face: “Risk control is my job. It is my honor to help your company. My assistant will follow up on the details.”
After the call ended, the office returned to silence. Lin Feng’s brain, which had been working efficiently just now, relaxed a little. He stood up and walked to the huge French window, overlooking the matchbox-like buildings and tiny pedestrians below.
It’s been a year.
It has been a whole year since I came to this seemingly false world.
He picked up the coffee on the table and took a sip. The slightly bitter liquid slid into his throat, bringing a sense of clarity.
His eyes were deep, as if penetrating the barriers of time and space.
Fortunately, there is ‘that’.
An indescribable connection in his mind was triggered, as if the world presented a different picture in his eyes. Countless subtle streams of information converged and collided, vaguely pointing to certain possibilities in the future.
This is what he relies on – [Future Insight].
Although he is not omniscient and omnipotent, it is enough for him to have enough capital to plan and… hunt in this world that is both familiar and unfamiliar.
“Knock, knock.”
A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.
“Come in.”
A female assistant in a neat business suit pushed the door open, holding a tablet in her hand, and reported quickly and efficiently: “Mr. Lin, the appointment for the afternoon has been confirmed. Three o’clock is a routine communication with the editor of the Fuzugawa Library, and at four-thirty…”
She paused, as if confirming a somewhat special name: “…I have made an appointment with a new client named ‘Xia Shizi’, who is a writer.”
Kasumi Shiko?
Lin Feng’s eyebrows raised slightly.
This pen name, and occupation…if he remembered correctly, it should be that person, right?
The author of “Love Metronome”, the talented beautiful girl writer from Toyosaki Academy – Kasumigaoka Utaha.
Unexpectedly, the first target came to me on its own initiative.
He calmly took the client information handed to him by the assistant and quickly glanced through it. The black-haired girl in the photo had a faint smile on her lips, but her eyes were scrutinizing and distant.
“I understand. Just arrange it on time.” Lin Feng closed the information and spoke in a flat tone, as if it was just an ordinary appointment.
The assistant nodded and left, and the office became quiet again.
Lin Feng tapped the table lightly with his fingertips, a playful smile on his lips.
Kasumigaoka Utaha, a senior student known for her sharp tongue and creative talent, now needs to seek advice from the outside world… It seems that the inertia of the plot still exists, and she is facing a bottleneck in her creation.
This is a perfect entry point.
4:30 pm, reception room.
When Kasumigaoka Utaha pushed the door open, Lin Feng was already waiting there.
Today she was wearing an exquisite casual outfit that wrapped around her exquisite figure. The black over-the-knee socks outlined the perfect curve of her legs. Although she had a polite smile on her face, there was a hint of imperceptible vigilance and reluctance in her beautiful eyes.
“Mr. Lin, nice to meet you. I’m Xia Shizi.” She bowed slightly, her movements were elegant but with a sense of distance.
“Teacher Xia Shizi, I have long heard of your name.” Lin Feng stood up and made an invitation gesture, “Please take a seat.”
He did not rush to get to the point, but treated the other party like an ordinary customer, first asking what kind of drink he wanted, and then casually said: “Teacher Xia Shizi is used to tapping the table when thinking, and she is left-handed. It seems that she is a creator with a delicate mind and a unique personality.”
This is not based on any special ability, but purely a subtle observation from the brief contact just now.
Shi Yu’s hand holding the coffee cup paused for a moment, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, but she concealed it well: “Mr. Lin is very observant.”
“This is a requirement of my profession.” Lin Feng smiled and brought the topic back on track. “I heard that Teacher Xia Shizi has encountered some troubles in her creation recently?”
When talking about creation, Shiyu’s smile faded a little. She put down the coffee cup and curled her fingers unconsciously: “I guess… I encountered some bottlenecks.”
There was a subtle hint of irritation and fatigue in her tone.
Lin Feng did not give any suggestions immediately. Instead, he changed to a more comfortable sitting position, leaned forward slightly, looked at her intently, and said in a gentle but guiding tone: “Can you be more specific? Is it because you have run out of inspiration, or is there something wrong with the story structure, or… are you doubting what you are writing?”
His questions came one after another, and each one seemed to hit Shiyu’s tense heartstrings.
Under Lin Feng’s focused gaze, Shiyu felt as if her defenses were being peeled off bit by bit.
She began to describe her own predicament, from the initial sporadic inspiration to the later difficulties in advancing the plot, the rigidity of character creation, and even began to doubt whether the subject matter and direction she had chosen were correct.
As she narrated, Lin Feng’s eyes seemed to become deeper.
In his vision, fragments of the future related to Shiyu began to emerge.
Those fragments are blurry and chaotic, filled with exhaustion from staying up late, anxiety about facing blank documents, glaring words about declining reader reviews, and… the gloomy scene in which the work ultimately plummeted in popularity and the talent was almost buried.
It is true.
Lin Feng understood in his heart, but what he showed outwardly was just the right amount of listening and concentration.
When Shiyu finished her confession, he slowly spoke, his voice not loud, but with a power that saw through everything: “Teacher Xia Shizi, your problem may not just be a problem of creative skills or inspiration.”
Shiyu raised her head with confusion in her eyes.
Lin Feng leaned back on the sofa, crossing his hands in front of him: “Your real problem lies in the serious conflict and separation between your inner judgment of ‘what readers really want’ and ‘what you want to express’. You tried to find a balance between business and self-expression, but lost your way, and even… began to distrust the talent that once made you famous.”
These words exploded in Shiyu’s heart like thunder!
Her eyes suddenly widened, and the color instantly drained from her pretty face, revealing an expression of incredible shock and a hint of panic at being completely seen through.
How…how could this person know?!
These were her deepest struggles and doubts, never mentioned to anyone, not even her editor!
“You…” Shiyu’s lips moved, wanting to refute, but she found her throat dry and couldn’t say a word. Her defense collapsed in the face of the other party’s precise analysis.
Seeing Kasumigaoka Utaha’s loss of composure, Lin Feng’s eyes flashed with a gleam of satisfaction, but his tone remained professional and calm: “I just made a professional inference based on your description, combined with some market data and the common psychological dilemmas of writers.”
This explanation was reasonable, but it could not completely dispel the turmoil in Shiyu’s heart.
She took a deep breath, tried to calm her pounding heart, and re-examined the overly young counselor in front of her.
His calm demeanor, as if he had everything under control, made her feel inexplicably pressured.
And… a hint of indescribable curiosity.
“Maybe… you are right.” Shiyu’s voice was a little dry. For the first time, she admitted her weakness in front of outsiders. “Then… Mr. Lin, do you have any solution?”
“Of course there is a solution.” Lin Feng smiled slightly, and did not answer directly. Instead, he changed the subject, “However, to solve this deep-seated problem, conventional consultation may not be enough. I need to conduct a more in-depth and comprehensive ‘observation’ and ‘understanding’ of Teacher Xia Shizi’s situation.”
He deliberately emphasized the pronunciation of the words “observe” and “understand”, which showed his meaningful meaning.
“Of course, this requires a special consulting agreement, and… Ms. Kasumi Shiko has to pay the corresponding ‘price’.”
There was a hint of ambiguity and danger in the air.
Shiyu’s breathing stagnated slightly. She understood the other party’s hint. This man wanted more than just to solve her creative problems.
She looked at Lin Feng’s eyes that seemed to see through everything, and felt both resistance and a hint of temptation in her heart.
If he can really help me get out of this predicament and regain my creative peak… then paying some price doesn’t seem unacceptable?
Lin Feng pushed a beautifully crafted business card in front of Shiyu: “Teacher Xia Shizi, you can go back and think about it. Once you have thought it through, you can contact me at any time.”
After a pause, he added, “Or, as a sign of sincerity, you can let me see the unpublished manuscript first. Maybe I can find more from it.”
Kasumigaoka Utaha was silent for a few seconds, and finally put away the business card. She did not agree immediately, nor did she refuse directly. She just nodded and said, “I will seriously consider it. Thank you today, Mr. Lin.”
After saying that, she stood up and left the reception room, her steps hurried.
Lin Feng watched the slender figure disappear out the door, picked up the slightly cold coffee, and gently shook the cup. The imperceptible curve at the corner of his mouth finally widened a little.
The prey has been hooked, and the game… has begun.
Feilu novel, Fei will make you look good!
Turn on lazy reading mode
APP audiobook (free)
High-quality audio, popular voice actors, offline listening
ActivityRegister as a Filo member and get 200 points![Register Now]Chapter 2 Precise Advice and Special Contracts (Old Version)
After seeing off Kasumigaoka Utaha, Lin Feng did not immediately start the next task.
He returned to his desk, his fingertips unconsciously sliding across the smooth surface, his mind quickly replaying every detail of the meeting, as well as… more fragments of possibilities about the future of this talented young writer that he had glimpsed in that brief contact.
“Sure enough, the bottleneck is more serious than she realizes. If this continues, not only will the follow-up of “Love Metronome” be weak, but it may even affect her confidence in her entire creative career…”
Lin Feng’s mouth curled up slightly. The deeper the predicament, the more valuable his intervention would be, wasn’t it?
He had already thought of the next step. He just needed to wait for this proud senior to make the “wise” choice.
Time didn’t make him wait too long.
The next morning, Lin Feng received a message from “Xia Shizi” on his private communicator. The words were still somewhat reserved and formal, but the core content was to confirm the time and place of the second meeting – this afternoon, in Lin Feng’s office.
Obviously, yesterday’s soul-piercing analysis had made it impossible for her to remain calm.
At three o’clock in the afternoon, Kasumigaoka Utaha appeared at the door of Lin Feng’s office on time, holding an exquisite file bag in her hand.
Compared to yesterday’s probing and caution, she seemed more resolute today, but also mixed with a hint of subtle nervousness and anticipation.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Lin.” Her voice was still cold, but less distant.
“Please come in, Senior Sister Shiyu.” Lin Feng used a more intimate name this time and pulled out a chair for her in the reception area with a smile. “Or black coffee?”
Shiyu was slightly startled, then nodded: “Thank you.”
While waiting for coffee, she placed the file bag on the table and gently pushed it towards Lin Feng: “Here are the manuscripts that I’m having the most problems with, and some… abandoned ideas.”
There was a sense of desperation in her movements.
Lin Feng did not go to get it immediately. He just signaled his assistant to bring the coffee and leave. Then he looked at Shi Yu with a calm look: “It seems that Senior Sister has made a decision?”
Shi Yu took a sip of coffee, as if trying to hide her inner fluctuations: “I just want to see if Mr. Lin’s shocking remarks yesterday really have any actual basis… or if you are really capable of solving my problem.”
“The best way to judge my ability is naturally through experience.” Lin Feng smiled, then picked up the file bag and took out the manuscript.
He read quickly, his eyes swept across the paper, sometimes frowning slightly, sometimes thinking. In fact, his mental power had already been highly concentrated, [Future Insight] quietly running, comparing and verifying the contents of the manuscript with the future fragments he had seen before, looking for the key crux that led to the “failed ending”.
Shi Yu looked at him nervously, her fingers subconsciously clenching the hem of her skirt. She saw Lin Feng’s brows furrowing more and more, and her heart sank.
Could it be that… even he found it difficult to deal with? Or was what he wrote really that bad?
Just when she was about to ask, Lin Feng suddenly put down the manuscript, raised his head, and looked at her sharply.
“Senior, the core contradiction of this part of your plot lies in the motives of the male protagonist Tomoya Amaki’s choices.” Lin Feng spoke and went straight to the point. “You tried to make him act more ‘assassy’ and take everyone’s feelings into consideration, but the result was that the logic of his behavior became unclear and even inconsistent. Readers can’t feel the inevitability of his actions, so naturally they can’t empathize with him, let alone look forward to subsequent developments.”
Shiyu’s pupils suddenly shrank!
This was the problem that she had been revising over and over again, but she still couldn’t find a breakthrough! She tried to strengthen the psychological description and also tried to add external events to promote it, but the effect was not ideal, and instead made the character seem more indecisive.
“But…if we make him decisive, won’t it lose the characteristics of this character?” Shiyu retorted subconsciously. This has always been her concern.
“Characteristics do not equal shortcomings, nor do they equal logical confusion.” Lin Feng’s tone was calm, but it was full of unquestionable power. “You can let him maintain his gentle nature, but give him a stronger and more convincing internal driving force for key decisions. For example…”
Lin Feng leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice a bit, as if he was sharing a secret: “For example, let him realize that blindly being ‘Assassin’ is actually causing greater harm to everyone. Or, let him glimpse a certain ‘possibility of the future’ because of a certain opportunity, and in order to avoid the worst outcome, he has to make that seemingly ruthless but necessary choice…”
The second possibility he proposed was based on the solution that he glimpsed from a certain “successful” future fragment, which was eventually adopted and well received by Kasumigaoka Utaha!
“Future…possibilities?” Shiyu muttered to herself, with a gleam of shock in her eyes. This idea… this angle… was simply unheard of! But when she thought about it carefully, it seemed to perfectly fit the core of what she wanted to express, and gave the protagonist’s behavior a noble and even tragic color!
The fog that had troubled her for weeks seemed to be instantly dispelled by a sudden ray of light!
She was so excited that her hands were shaking slightly. The look she gave Lin Feng changed completely, full of disbelief and an almost fanatical brilliance: “Mr. Lin…you…how did you come up with that?”
“I told you, I have my own unique method.” Lin Feng looked at her sudden enlightenment and knew that the time was ripe. He put the manuscript back into the file bag and handed it back to Shiyu.
“Now, do you believe that I have the ability to help you?”
Shiyu nodded vigorously. At this moment, she no longer had any doubt about Lin Feng’s ability.
“Then, we can talk about cooperation.” Lin Feng leaned back on the sofa, crossed his hands, and resumed his calm and controlled posture.
He took out a document that he had prepared long ago and pushed it in front of Shiyu: “I call it the ‘Future Insight Consulting Contract’. It can ensure that I will continue to provide you with this level of ‘inspiration’ and ‘direction guidance’ to help you reach the pinnacle of creation.”
Shiyu picked up the document and quickly read through it. The first few clauses were normal, all about the scope of consultation, confidentiality agreement, etc. But the more she read, the tighter her brows furrowed, and even a blush and suspicion appeared on her face.
“…need to be granted access to all my creative works, including unpublished manuscripts, discarded notes, and even…private diaries?”
“…need ‘close’ observation and guidance during the critical creative stage? Including but not limited to…being in the same room for a long time?”
“…In addition to the basic consulting fee, the remuneration also requires a special ‘price’ – complete trust and delivery, and… the priority right to control some ‘future possibilities’?”
Each of these terms is more outrageous and ambiguous than the last!
This is not a consulting contract at all, it’s more like some kind of unequal…indenture!
Shi Yu suddenly raised her head and looked at Lin Feng with complicated eyes: “Mr. Lin, you…”
“Senior, do you think it’s too much?” Lin Feng had a half-smile on his face. “If you want to achieve something beyond the ordinary, you naturally have to pay an extraordinary price. My abilities don’t come out of thin air. Every ‘insight’ requires consumption, and every ‘guidance’ carries a risk. I need to make sure that my investment can get enough return, and I also need to make sure that our ‘link’ is stable enough to maximize the effect.”
He paused, his tone becoming more meaningful: “Moreover, according to my ‘observation’, your talent seems to have been affected by some… well, slight interference from the outside, or in other words, some kind of cognitive barrier. Conventional methods are difficult to reach, and only through this deep connection can I help you completely ‘calibrate’ and unleash your full potential.”
This half-truth is both an explanation and a way to further pressure and inducement. The “external interference” argument is just enough to make people think, but it doesn’t leave any concrete evidence.
Shiyu’s heart was completely confused.
Reason told her that this contract was full of dangers and unknowns, and the man in front of her was unfathomable. If she rashly agreed to it, she might get into trouble.
But emotions and the desire for success whisper in your ear like a devil: He can really help you! He can help you get out of trouble and reach the height you dream of! Are you willing to let your talent be buried?
Looking at her fierce struggle, Lin Feng knew that the time was almost right.
He stood up, walked to the French window, turned his back to Shiyu, and said calmly: “It’s okay, senior sister, you don’t have to rush to answer. After all, the choice is in your hands. But opportunities are often fleeting.”
He left behind an oppressive back and said no more.
Shiyu looked at the contract on the table, then looked at the man by the window who seemed to be isolated from the world. Finally, she took a deep breath, as if she had made some difficult decision.
She did not sign it immediately, but carefully put the contract back into the document bag and stood up.
“Mr. Lin, I… need to think about it for another night.” Her voice trembled slightly.
“Of course.” Lin Feng turned around, still with that gentle smile on his face, “I’ll be waiting for your decision at any time.”
Shiyu nodded and fled out of the office.
Lin Feng watched her back disappear, the smile on his lips slowly deepening.
He knew that this proud senior sister in black stockings would eventually make the choice he expected.
The chessboard has been set, and he is the only player.
Chapter 3: Contract Signing and the Evil Appearing (Old Version)
The night is dark, just like Kasumigaoka Utaha’s mood at the moment, dyed by the invisible ink, heavy and complicated.
In the apartment, only a warm yellow desk lamp was on, reflecting the fatigue and struggle that could not be concealed on her fair face. Her fingertips unconsciously slid across the document on the tablet screen – the core terms of the “Letter of Intent for Long-term Consulting Services” that Lin Feng left yesterday.
Each one seemed to have a hook, piercing precisely into the place in her heart that she desired and feared the most.
The price of obtaining continuous, game-changing “inspiration assistance” and “future risk avoidance” is… to almost completely open up one’s own creative world, and even allow the other party to conduct so-called “on-site observation.”
Privacy? Security? In front of Lin Feng’s eyes that seemed to be able to see through everything, they all seemed to be luxuries.
However, the impact of yesterday’s conversation was too great. Those suggestions, which were so accurate that they were terrifying, opened up the crux of her creation like a scalpel, and made her thoughts, which had been stuck for a long time, suddenly clear up, and even vaguely touched a higher level. This kind of experience of enlightenment was something she had never experienced before, and it was fatally tempting.
Moreover, Lin Feng’s last meaningful word about “external interference” vaguely touched a subtle uneasiness deep in her heart. Was the occasional inexplicable palpitations and blocked inspirations during her recent writing really just due to too much pressure?
Her nails dug deep into her palms, leaving faint crescent marks. She hated the feeling of being seen through and guided, but she was even more afraid that her talent would stagnate, or even be strangled by something unknown as Lin Feng hinted.
After a long time, Kasumigaoka Utaha took a deep breath, and her eyes changed from confusion to a desperate determination.
She picked up her phone and dialed the number with the note “Lin Feng – Consultant (suspected)”. Her fingertips hovered over the dial button, trembling slightly.
After a few seconds of pause, she finally pressed it.
“Mr. Lin Feng, it’s me, Kasumigaoka Utaha.” When the call was connected, her voice was deliberately calm, but it was difficult to hide the complex emotions underneath. “Regarding the long-term consulting contract you proposed yesterday, I have thought it over carefully.”
Lin Feng’s gentle and steady voice came from the other end of the phone, as if he had already anticipated this result: “Senior Shiyu, I’m glad you can make a wise decision. So, time and place?”
“…Tomorrow morning at 10 o’clock, in your office.” She chose the other party’s home turf, which seemed to allow her to retain a sense of “business as usual”.
“Okay, I look forward to formal cooperation with you.” Lin Feng’s voice was still calm, but it made Shiyu feel an invisible pressure.
After hanging up the phone, she let out a long breath and leaned back in her chair with some weakness. Will the future be a broader world or a deeper vortex? She didn’t know, but she knew that she had taken a step that she could not turn back.
The next morning, in Lin Feng’s information consulting office.
Kasumigaoka Utaha arrived on time, changed into a more capable suit, trying to cover up her inner uneasiness with an outward sense of professionalism.
Lin Feng had already prepared the formal contract documents in duplicate and placed them on the clean meeting table.
“Please sit down, Senior Sister Shiyu.” Lin Feng motioned for her to sit down and personally poured her a glass of warm water. “We have already discussed the details of the contract yesterday, and the core content remains unchanged. The main thing is to clarify the rights and obligations of both parties. In particular, you need to open your creative process to me, including manuscripts, notes, and ideas, and allow me to make necessary on-site observations when you are creating. In return, I will provide you with a full range of inspiration stimulation, bottleneck breakthroughs, and potential risk avoidance services.”
His tone was as if he was explaining an ordinary business contract, but Shiyu heard a hint of unquestionable meaning in it.
She took the document and quickly glanced through it again, her eyes lingering on the “on-site observation” and privacy rights parts for a moment. Finally, she took a deep breath and picked up the special metal pen on the table.
The moment the pen tip touched the paper, Shiyu felt a slight electric current spreading along her fingertips, which made her heart skip a beat. She looked up at Lin Feng, who just smiled at her with a calm look, as if the strangeness just now was just her illusion.
After calming herself down, she signed her name smoothly.
Lin Feng also signed his name. When his fingertips gently pressed on the signature, Shi Yu seemed to feel that some invisible thread in the air was connected, binding her and the mysterious man in front of her more tightly.
A subtle sense of restraint and a strange sense of security surged into her heart at the same time, making her feel a little dizzy.
“It’s a pleasure to work with you, Senior Sister Shiyu.” Lin Feng put away one of the contracts with a satisfied smile on his face. “Well, as a preliminary fulfillment of the contract, I now need to understand your recent creative progress and the specific problems you have encountered. If it’s convenient, can you let me see the relevant notes and manuscripts?”
Kasumigaoka Utaha calmed down and took out an encrypted USB drive and several thick notebooks from her bag: “This is all the manuscripts, abandoned drafts and concept notes of my new work “Love Metronome”… They are all here.”
Her tone was a little difficult. Handing over these things was like handing over a part of her soul.
Lin Feng took the USB drive and the notebook, and without any hesitation, he plugged the USB drive into his computer in front of her and quickly browsed through it. His reading speed was amazing, his eyes swept across the screen, and occasionally wrote something in the notebook.
Shi Yu sat aside, looking at Lin Feng’s profile as he focused on his work, with mixed feelings. This man was full of mysteries, but he also exuded an irresistible attraction, especially the confidence he showed that he had everything under control.
About half an hour later, Lin Feng stopped browsing.
“It’s an interesting idea, Senior.” He raised his head and looked at Shiyu, “However, the current key turning points are handled a bit stiffly, and there are some gaps in the emotional logic of the characters. For example, in the climax of the third volume, the male protagonist’s emotional transformation towards the second female lead lacks sufficient foreshadowing…”
He casually pointed out several problems, each of which hit the nail on the head, even more profound than Shiyu herself realized.
Shi Yu was shocked again. She had also vaguely sensed these problems, but they had never been pointed out so clearly. Lin Feng’s analytical ability was indeed extraordinary.
“These are just preliminary judgments based on the existing texts.” Lin Feng closed his notebook and said in a relaxed tone, “To truly solve the problem, especially to avoid those ‘subtle’ interferences, I need to understand your creative state more intuitively. So, when is the best time to arrange the first ‘on-site observation’?”
“On-site… observation?” Shiyu’s heart skipped a beat. Even though it was written in the contract, she still felt extremely uncomfortable when it came to actually carrying it out.
“Yes, I need to be by your side while you are writing, to feel your state, and…any abnormal fluctuations that may exist around you.” Lin Feng’s eyes were deep, “Don’t worry, I won’t disturb you, I will just observe quietly.”
Shiyu bit her lower lip and finally nodded: “…Then, tonight. In my apartment.”
In the evening, Lin Feng appeared in front of Kasumigaoka Utaha’s apartment door on time.
Entering the room, the air is filled with a faint smell of ink and paper. The study is filled with books and materials, showing the owner’s investment in creation.
Shiyu seemed a little uncomfortable, but still led Lin Feng to a single sofa in the corner of the study: “Just sit here… okay?”
“Of course.” Lin Feng sat down obediently and looked around the study calmly, “You can start now, don’t worry about me.”
Shiyu took a deep breath, tried hard to ignore the strong gaze behind her, sat in front of the computer, put on headphones, and tried to get herself into a creative state.
Time passed by, and the only sound in the room was the crisp sound of keyboard tapping. At first, Shi Yu was indeed a little distracted, but soon, as she immersed herself in her thoughts, she gradually forgot about Lin Feng’s existence and devoted herself to the world of her writing.
Lin Feng sat quietly on the sofa, his eyes fixed on Shi Yu’s focused back. He seemed casual, but in fact he was highly focused. His perception spread quietly, capturing every bit of energy flowing in the room.
Everything seemed normal, the air was calm, Shiyu’s creative state gradually entered a good state, and inspiration flowed like a spring.
However, just as Shiyu was writing a key plot, her emotions were gradually rising——
Something strange happened suddenly!
Shiyu was typing away on the keyboard when her fingers suddenly froze and the color on her face instantly faded. She suddenly took off her headphones, her eyes filled with fear and confusion, as if she had heard some terrible sound.
“What’s wrong?” She murmured subconsciously, her heart beating wildly.
At that moment, a cold, sticky feeling with strong malice penetrated into her mind like a poisonous snake. The originally clear inspiration was instantly distorted, the beautiful plot became dark and terrifying, and even the words in her pen seemed to come alive and turned into a monster that would choose its prey!
At the same time, Lin Feng, who had remained silent, suddenly fixed his eyes.
Just now, he clearly sensed a faint but extremely cold negative energy, which was silently clinging to the periphery of Shiyu’s mind like a leech, and trying to interfere and pollute her when her emotions fluctuated the most.
Sure enough…it wasn’t an illusion.
Shiyu covered her chest and gasped for air, trying to calm her pounding heart. She looked at the computer screen in shock, the creepy feeling still lingering in her heart.
At this time, Lin Feng’s calm voice came from behind.
“What did you feel just now?”
Shiyu turned around suddenly and saw that Lin Feng had stood up at some point and walked behind her. He was looking down at her with deep eyes and a hint of understanding.
“I… I don’t know…” Shiyu’s voice trembled, “I just suddenly… felt very bad, and the thoughts in my head became very strange and scary…”
She described her experience incoherently, becoming more and more frightened as she spoke.
“Yes, I saw it.” Lin Feng nodded, but his tone was unusually calm, “It seems that my previous warning was not groundless. Your creation was indeed interfered with by some external force.”
His words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, causing huge waves in Shiyu’s heart.
“External…force?” Shiyu widened her eyes in disbelief, but her personal experience just now made her unable to refute.
“Don’t panic.” Lin Feng’s voice was soothing. “This level of interference is still within the controllable range. This is one of the reasons why we signed the contract, isn’t it? Leave it to me to handle it.”
Looking at Lin Feng’s confident and determined eyes, Shiyu’s inner fear seemed to be dispelled a lot, and was replaced by a strong sense of dependence and hope.
This man really seems to be omnipotent.
“Then…what should we do?” she asked subconsciously.
“I need to further investigate the source of the interference.” Lin Feng pondered, “It may take a longer time to observe, or even arrange some…special protective measures here. I will come to check on you more often in the next few days.”
His words hint at more frequent, closer encounters.
Kasumigaoka Utaha’s cheeks turned slightly red, but this time, she nodded heavily without any hesitation: “Okay… Thank you for your help, Mr. Lin Feng.”
In the face of shared secrets and potential crises, the invisible link between the two seems to become closer.
Lin Feng looked at the girl’s trusting eyes, and a barely perceptible arc appeared on the corner of his mouth. Everything was under control. As for the source of interference… it could just be used as a springboard to demonstrate value and deepen the relationship.
Three things to do when reading: read, collect, and reward!
Automatically subscribe to the latest chapters
Chapter 4: Tracking the Invisible Disruptor (Old Version)
The next morning, sunlight filtered through the gaps in the blinds, cutting out several dancing trails of light dust in the air inside Lin Feng’s office.
Lin Feng sat behind a large desk, tapping the table with his fingertips, his eyes fixed on a specially organized file in front of him. This file integrated the information he had initially “observed” from Kasumigaoka Utaha’s apartment last night, as well as the subsequent analysis of the residual traces of energy captured by his extraordinary perception.
The core conclusion of the archive is clear: what interfered with Kasumigaoka Utaha’s creative state was not simple psychological pressure or lack of inspiration, but an external extraordinary power that was biased towards the spiritual and emotional level. Although the strength of this power was not high, or even weak, it was extremely hidden, like a thorn in the flesh, taking advantage of the host’s highly active mental power, especially when the emotions fluctuated violently.
After confirming this, Lin Feng’s mouth curled up slightly. External interference made things more interesting and gave him more room for maneuver. He began to quickly build an investigation plan in his mind, with every step clearly visible.
First, more comprehensive information was needed. Lin Feng mobilized the resources of his consulting company and some unknown channels to check whether there had been any unusual incidents around Kasumigaoka Utaha’s apartment recently, whether there were any suspicious people coming in and out, and whether there were any noteworthy details in the historical records of the apartment building. He did not intend to miss any clues.
At the same time, he also prepared a few seemingly ordinary small items – a special fountain pen and a simple metal bookmark. After simple processing by him, these items can play a certain role in energy disturbance detection and weak protection. Of course, they will only be claimed to be high-tech environmental monitoring equipment.
The preparations were proceeding in an orderly manner, and Lin Feng was in a good mood because he felt that everything was under control.
At three o’clock in the afternoon, Lin Feng called Kasumigaoka Utaha again.
“Senior Shiyu, it’s me, Lin Feng.” His voice was gentle and professional. “Regarding the abnormal situation discovered last night, I have some preliminary analysis results. In order to locate the source of interference more accurately, it may be necessary to conduct a detailed environmental reading at your place and check whether the ‘protective equipment’ I recommended you to place is functioning properly.”
Kasumigaoka Utaha on the other end of the phone almost didn’t hesitate and immediately agreed: “Okay, okay! Mr. Lin Feng, when is it convenient for you to come over?”
After experiencing the real shocking moment last night, her dependence on Lin Feng increased sharply, and she almost obeyed his every word. She was willing to try any method that could solve the terrible interference.
Half an hour later, Lin Feng, carrying a silver suitcase, stood in front of Kasumigaoka Utaha’s apartment again.
The girl who opened the door still looked a little pale. When she saw Lin Feng, her eyes clearly revealed a look of relief and dependence.
“Mr. Lin Feng, please come in.”
Lin Feng nodded and walked into the apartment. He did not start working immediately, but first calmed her down and asked her if she still felt anything unusual, showing great concern.
After confirming that Shiyu no longer felt any obvious discomfort, Lin Feng opened the suitcase and took out several exquisitely designed, technologically advanced “detectors”.
“These are the latest environmental energy sensing devices,” Lin Feng explained calmly, “They can capture extremely weak energy fluctuations. Now, I need to walk around the room and collect data.”
Shiyu nodded quickly and followed him closely, watching him conduct the so-called “detection” in the living room, bedroom, and finally in the study.
Lin Feng held a flat “detector” in his hand and moved slowly in the study, his eyes sweeping every corner sharply – bookshelves, desks, windowsills, and even walls and ceilings. His movements seemed random, but in fact every step was calculated. His perception had already spread out like an invisible spider web, capturing the lingering, vague and cold breath in the air.
When he walked to the desk and approached the laptop that Shiyu often used, a faint red light flashed symbolically on the screen of the “detector” in his hand.
More importantly, Lin Feng’s own perception captured a clearer feedback at this moment. The cold energy residue was most obvious here, like an invisible mark.
He stopped, closed his eyes, and concentrated. In an instant, countless blurry and broken images flooded into his consciousness like a tide.
It was a vague shadow, curled up in a corner, exuding a breath of resentment and unwillingness…
It was an old book with an old cover and yellowed pages. There seemed to be some kind of indescribable filth between the pages…
It was a certain time point. About a week ago, late at night, Shiyu seemed to have brought something back from outside. Soon after, interference began to appear…
Information fragments come in one after another and flash quickly, requiring strong mental strength to capture and analyze.
A few seconds later, Lin Feng opened his eyes, and a hint of understanding flashed in his eyes.
“How is it? Mr. Lin Feng, have you found anything?” Shi Yu asked nervously. Looking at his solemn expression, her heart also lifted.
“There are some clues.” Lin Feng put away the “detector” and looked at Shiyu with a calm gaze. “The source of the interference may not be directly aimed at you personally. The problem is more likely to be in this apartment itself, or…something you brought back recently.”
“Items?” Shiyu was stunned for a moment, and tried to recall, “Recently… I don’t think I bought anything special. Oh, by the way, I went to the second-hand book market in Jimbocho last weekend and found some very rare and out-of-print light novels and information collections…”
As she spoke, she walked to the bookshelf and pointed to a few books that looked quite old.
Lin Feng’s gaze fell on one of the books with a dull cover and simple binding. The energy fluctuations he sensed seemed to resonate faintly with the book.
“Is this it?” He had a preliminary judgment in his mind, but did not say it out loud.
“It seems that the interference source is more cunning than expected.” Lin Feng pondered, with a hint of just the right solemnity on his face, “It may be hidden in a carrier, and it will take time to completely purify it. In order to ensure your safety and continue to monitor its movements, I need to place a more effective and longer-lasting ‘protection core’ with you.”
He took out a thumb-sized pendant from his suitcase that was as warm as obsidian.
“You can carry this with you or put it on your desk. Also,” Lin Feng changed the subject and his tone became more serious, “the purification process may take a few days. During this period, I may need to come over every day to check the energy consumption of the ‘protection core’ and adjust the strategy according to the reaction of the interference source. This may disturb you frequently.”
What this means is that he needs a reason to visit at any time.
At this moment, Kasumigaoka Shiyu had already regarded Lin Feng as her only life-saving straw, so how could she refuse? She quickly took the pendant and held it tightly in her palm, as if she was holding a sense of security.
“Don’t disturb me! Not at all!” She nodded vigorously, her cheeks slightly flushed with relief and a hint of inexplicable emotion, “Mr. Lin Feng, please feel free to come over! Anytime!”
Looking at the girl’s eyes full of complete trust and dependence, Lin Feng nodded with satisfaction.
“Okay, I’ll go back and sort out the clues and develop a detailed elimination plan.” He said goodbye at the right time, “This ‘protection core’ should be able to guarantee your safety tonight. I’ll come back tomorrow.”
Lin Feng left the pendant as a psychological comfort and energy symbol, turned around and left the apartment.
Kasumigaoka Utaha stood at the door, watching Lin Feng’s figure disappear around the corner of the stairs, holding the warm pendant tightly in her hand. She felt fear in her heart, but also trust and reliance on Lin Feng’s unfathomable ability. A subtle but deep feeling had quietly taken root in the heart of this beautiful sister.
Chapter 5: Whispering Things and the Price of Purification (Old Version)
My Insight Connects the Future: Chapter 5: Whispering Things and the Price of “Purification”
The next day, Lin Feng came to Kasumigaoka Utaha’s apartment as promised. She seemed to have dressed up specially, wearing a light but graceful home outfit. When she saw Lin Feng, her eyes were a little evasive, and her cheeks were more red than usual.
“Mr. Lin Feng, you’re here…” Her voice was barely perceptible in its softness.
Lin Feng nodded and responded with a smile: “Well, I came to check the condition of the protection core today, and by the way…purify that item.”
Lin Feng picked up a wooden box in his hand, which contained some materials needed for purification, as well as a more complex “medium”.
The two of them came to the study together. The air seemed to be filled with a complex scent of books and the faint body fragrance of a young girl. Lin Feng took out the things in the wooden box and arranged them on the desk. Senior Shiyu stood quietly by the side, glancing at Lin Feng from time to time, and then quickly looking away.
“The process requires a high level of mental concentration to ensure a stable energy frequency.” Lin Feng looked at Senior Sister Shiyu and said seriously, “I’ll need your cooperation later. Get close to the object and synchronize your mind.”
She hummed softly, looking a little nervous. Lin Feng began to make some seemingly professional preparations, lighting a stick of incense with a special aroma. The light in the room became soft and dim as the curtains were drawn.
The atmosphere began to become subtle, and the space in the study seemed to be compressed by an invisible force, leaving only Lin Feng and the other person. Lin Feng took the old book from Senior Sister Shiyu and placed it in the middle of the desk. The cold feeling on the object still existed, but it was more restrained than before.
“Come closer, Senior Shiyu.” Lin Feng said softly, his voice carrying a bewitching power, “Put your hands on the book, relax your mind, and don’t have any distracting thoughts.”
Senior Shiyu hesitated for a moment, but she still walked forward slowly, and according to Lin Feng’s instructions, she placed a slender white hand on the cover of the ancient book. Her hand was a little cold, and her fingertips gently touched the cover of the book. Her body stood straight and slightly stiff.
Lin Feng stood behind her, placed his palm on the back of her hand, and guided her power to connect with the ancient book. Her hands were trembling, and her heartbeat seemed to be clearly audible in the quiet study. Lin Feng leaned down, close to her ear, and his warm breath brushed her sensitive skin.
“Very good… relax… follow my guidance…” Lin Feng’s voice was low and magnetic, with a soothing and hypnotic tone.
Her body trembled slightly, and her cheeks quickly turned red, spreading all the way to her ears. Lin Feng felt the temperature on the back of her hand getting higher and higher, and his heartbeat became faster and faster. The ambiguous atmosphere in the study became stronger and stronger, mixed with the smell of incense sticks, making people dizzy.
Lin Feng “inadvertently” adjusted his posture, moving closer to her. His palm slid from the back of her hand to her wrist, and then gently rested on her slender waist. Her waist seemed particularly stiff due to nervousness, but also very soft and frightening. Lin Feng felt her breathing become rapid, and her body seemed to have lost support, and she moved slightly closer to Lin Feng.
Her eyes began to blur, with shyness and a hint of irresistible indulgence. Lin Feng could feel that at this moment, she was completely controlled by this intimate atmosphere and Lin Feng’s guidance. The light in the study was dim, with only the faint light of the incense sticks jumping and reflecting on her blushing cheeks, adding a touch of temptation.
(Five hundred words omitted here)
…When I regained consciousness, the study had returned to peace.
The old book lay quietly on the table, the cold feeling on it completely disappeared, replaced by a clean and pure atmosphere. The curtains were opened, and the sunlight shone in again, illuminating the room.
Senior Shiyu slumped on the sofa, wearing her home clothes, but they were a little messy. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were evasive, she didn’t dare to look at Lin Feng, and her breathing was still a little hurried. There was a faint smell of incense in the air, as well as an even more indescribable, sweet and shy smell.
Lin Feng calmly walked to the sofa and handed her a glass of warm water: “How do you feel? Are you feeling unwell?”
She took the cup with trembling hands, lowered her head and drank it in small sips, her voice as thin as a mosquito’s: “Hmm… It’s okay…”
“The source of interference in that item has been completely removed.” Lin Feng looked at her and said gently, “It will not affect your creation anymore.”
She did not respond immediately, but buried her face behind the water cup, her shoulders trembling slightly. After a moment, she put down the water cup, raised her head and looked at Lin Feng. In her beautiful eyes, in addition to the previous trust and dependence, there was a complex emotion that included shyness, tenderness and deep feelings.
“Mr. Lin Feng…” Her voice was very soft, as if she was afraid of disturbing something, “Thank you…”
“You’re welcome.” Lin Feng reached out his hand and gently tidied up the hair by her ears. His movements were natural and gentle. “This is what I should do as a consultant.”
She did not avoid Lin Feng’s touch, but her body trembled slightly again. At that moment, Lin Feng clearly felt that the relationship between him and Kasumigaoka had undergone a qualitative change. The sense of distance that originally existed only between the consultant and the client completely disappeared, and was replaced by a closer and more indescribable connection.
Lin Feng could foresee that from today on, Kasumigaoka Utaha would no longer be just his “client” or “target of capture”, she would become Lin Feng’s first real “property” on the road to planning the future and controlling power. And this was just the beginning.
The items were purified, the source of interference was removed, but the “price” paid… was only known to the two of them.
Chapter 6: Afterglow, Gifts, and a Corner of the Future (Old Version)
The morning sun shone through the gaps in the blinds, casting mottled shadows on the floor of the apartment. Lin Feng was holding an exquisite paper bag, which contained freshly baked croissants and hot coffee from a well-received bakery nearby. He stood in front of the door of Kasumigaoka Utaha’s apartment and pressed the doorbell.
The door was soon opened, and Kasumigaoka Utaha, dressed in home clothes, appeared at the door. She looked completely different from the slightly desperate and struggling look she had yesterday. At this moment, she had a blush on her face that was difficult to conceal, and her long eyelashes trembled slightly, as if she didn’t dare to look directly into Lin Feng’s eyes.
After all, it was Lin Feng who sent Xia Zhiqiu home yesterday.
As for whether the two separated immediately after arriving home.
I can only say, I understand, I understand.
“Good… good morning, Lin Fengjun.” Her voice was as soft as a mosquito’s, with a gentleness and shyness that was not there yesterday.
“Good morning, Senior Sister Shiyu.” Lin Feng’s lips curled up slightly, his eyes naturally fell on her slightly embarrassed face, taking in all her subtle reactions. “You look good, did you rest well last night? I came to check the effect of the ‘purification’, and brought breakfast by the way.”
His tone was gentle, but it carried an unquestionable sense of dominance. Shiyu subconsciously stepped aside and invited him in.
The apartment was filled with a faint fragrance, which seemed to be the girl’s residual body fragrance mixed with a little bit of coffee. Lin Feng put breakfast on the dining table, and his eyes casually swept across the room, finally stopping at Shiyu.
“How do you feel? The feeling of being spied on and lack of inspiration last night should have completely disappeared, right?” As he spoke, he naturally pulled out a chair and sat down, motioning Shiyu to sit down as well.
Shi Yu twisted her fingers nervously and nodded, her voice still very soft: “Well… completely gone. I feel… my head is much clearer. Thank you, Lin Fengjun.” She raised her head and glanced at Lin Feng quickly, her eyes full of gratitude, and a hint of deeper dependence that she herself might not have fully realized.
Lin Feng nodded with satisfaction, and was quite satisfied with the “results” of last night. This subtle change was exactly what he expected to see. Controlling a proud genius girl was far more fulfilling than simply solving an extraordinary incident.
“That’s good.” Lin Feng smiled gently, picked up a croissant and handed it to her, “However, yesterday’s ‘purification’ seems to have brought some unexpected ‘side effects’.”
“Huh?” Shi Yu was slightly startled. She paused after taking Croissant’s hand and looked at Lin Feng with some uneasiness.
“Don’t be nervous, it’s a good side effect.” Lin Feng soothed, his tone a little mysterious, “I checked, and after the negative energy was cleared, it seemed to accidentally touch a certain node of your spiritual perception. In short, your ability to capture inspiration may be stronger than before.”
He observed Shiyu’s reaction and saw a flash of confusion in her eyes, followed by a light of disbelief.
“Really?” Her voice trembled.
“Well, but this nascent perception is not stable yet. It needs a little guidance to stabilize, otherwise it may just be a flash in the pan.” Lin Feng continued to “explain”, laying the groundwork for the next action. “Coincidentally, I have a simple ‘mental synchronization training’ here that can help you stabilize and guide this talent. Do you want to try it?”
Shi Yu nodded almost without hesitation, her eyes full of anticipation and complete trust: “Yes! Thank you for your help, Mr. Lin Feng!” At this moment, she had already regarded Lin Feng as an omnipotent being, a guide who could save her from the quagmire and give her new life.
“Very good.” Lin Feng stood up, “Let’s go to the study, it’s quieter there.”
In the study, the sun was shining brightly. Lin Feng asked Shiyu to sit on a chair, close her eyes and relax.
“Now, imagine your mind is like a calm lake.” Lin Feng’s voice was low and magnetic, with the power of guidance, “Don’t think about anything, just feel my guidance.”
He walked up to Shiyu, slowly stretched out his hand, and gently touched her smooth forehead with his warm fingertips.
Shi Yu’s body trembled slightly, and her cheeks turned red again. But this time, she did not dodge, but focused more on Lin Feng’s guidance.
At the moment when his fingertips touched, Lin Feng concentrated his mind and secretly mobilized the power of [Future Insight]. Among the many future possibilities he saw about Kasumigaoka Utaha, one was that her writing had an appeal beyond ordinary people and could easily move the readers’ hearts. This was what he wanted to “give” her.
“Possibility granting!”
An indescribable energy surged out of Lin Feng’s body, and slowly poured into Shi Yu’s spiritual world through his fingertips. This process was not without burden for Lin Feng. He could clearly feel the consumption of his mental power, as if part of his soul was being extracted to anchor that illusory future fragment.
Shiyu only felt a warm and comfortable air flow from her forehead, instantly spreading to her whole body, as if she was soaking in a hot spring. Then, countless fragments of inspiration seemed to explode in her mind like fireworks, and all kinds of wonderful words, moving plots, and profound philosophical thoughts came one after another, clear and within reach.
“Hmm…” She couldn’t help but let out a soft moan, feeling an unprecedented sense of spiritual fulfillment.
Lin Feng retracted his finger and looked at the mixed expression of surprise, comfort and intoxication on Shiyu’s face, knowing that [Possibility Granting] had been successfully completed. He took a step back and signaled Shiyu that she could open her eyes.
“How does it feel?”
Shi Yu suddenly opened her eyes, and her beautiful eyes sparkled with incredible light, as if they contained a sea of ​​stars. She looked at Lin Feng excitedly and said incoherently: “I… I feel… so great! Mr. Lin Feng! I have so many inspirations in my head! So many!”
“Try to write something.” Lin Feng smiled and pointed to the laptop next to her.
Shiyu immediately rushed to the computer, placed her hands on the keyboard, and took a deep breath. The next moment, her fingers seemed to have life, and she began to type rapidly on the keyboard.
Da da da…
The crisp sound of keyboards echoed in the quiet study. Shiyu was completely immersed in the world of creation, with excitement and ecstasy on her face. The previous feeling of searching for words and finding difficulty disappeared without a trace, replaced by the joy of writing with a spring of inspiration and writing as if inspired by God!
But in just a few minutes, she had written a wonderful passage of several hundred words, which was far beyond her previous level in terms of the appeal of the text and the tension of the plot.
“Oh my god…” After finishing a paragraph, Shiyu stopped, looked at the words on the screen, covered her mouth with both hands, tears flashing in her eyes, “I… I really did it… This is simply a miracle! Lin Fengjun, how on earth did you…”
She turned around suddenly and looked at Lin Feng with eyes full of shock, gratitude and…almost fanatical admiration.
Seeing her excited, Lin Feng activated [Future Insight – Future Vision] again. This time, the future fragments he saw were clearer.
He saw that Kasumigaoka Utaha, with this “inspired” talent, created one best-selling work after another, became famous and became a dazzling new star in the literary world. But behind these successful scenes, there was the figure of Lin Feng, who was entangled in both obvious and hidden ways. Every breakthrough she made seemed to be closely related to his guidance or existence, and her fate was firmly tied to him.
Lin Feng closed the future vision with satisfaction. The return on this “investment” seemed to be quite generous. Not only did he gain a chess piece with great potential, but he also completely brought this arrogant senior sister in black silk stockings under his control.
“It seems to be working very well.” Lin Feng suppressed his inner thoughts, still with that gentle and profound smile on his face, “Remember this feeling, this will be your ‘new talent’ in the future. Make good use of it.”
A trace of mental fatigue after being given the ability quietly came over him. Lin Feng raised his hand calmly and gently pressed his temple.
“Mr. Lin Feng, are you okay? Are you… exhausted?” Shi Yu immediately noticed this subtle movement and asked with concern.
“Nothing, guiding the spiritual synchronization will always consume some energy, it’s normal.” Lin Feng said lightly, but in his heart he was thinking about how to replenish this consumption. It seems that he has to find the next event or target containing the “World Essence” as soon as possible.
“Have a good rest, and then create as much as you want.” Lin Feng stood up and prepared to leave. “I will come to ‘check’ your progress regularly and give you follow-up ‘guidance’.”
“Yes! Everything is arranged by Mr. Lin Feng!” Shi Yu responded without hesitation, looking at Lin Feng with eyes full of admiration and dependence, as if he was the lighthouse of her life and the only guide for her future.
Lin Feng took one last look at her, then turned and left the apartment. The door closed gently behind him, blocking out the girl’s fiery gaze.
The thread of control has been released, and the prey has been hooked. Next, it’s time to find a new hunting ground and… the next interesting target.
Chapter 7: Kasumi Shiko’s New Chapter and the Tip of the Iceberg (Old Version)
Several days had passed since that night’s secret “treatment.”
Lin Feng sat by the window in the coffee shop he often went to, tapping the table with his fingertips. His eyes fell on the black-haired beautiful girl sitting opposite him, who was sitting upright but couldn’t hide the excitement and dependence between her brows.
Kasumigaoka Utaha.
After not seeing him for a few days, the senior’s temperament had changed subtly but significantly. The creative anxiety and vague sense of alienation that once surrounded her had dissipated, replaced by a brand new brilliance and a sense of trust that she had almost given herself to him.
Her eyes always followed him unconsciously, with indescribable admiration and a little shyness like a young girl in love. Even if it was just a simple discussion of the manuscript, she would be fully focused, as if every word he said was a golden rule.
After all, even though the “treatment” was over, Lin Feng was still doing various therapeutic activities these days.
Kasumigaoka didn’t seem to have any questions, acquiesced to this “treatment” procedure, and became more and more cooperative.
“Lin, Mr. Lin,” Shi Yu carefully pushed a newly refilled cup of coffee in front of Lin Feng, her fair cheeks flushed with an attractive blush, “Regarding… the control of that kind of power, I’m still a little unskilled…”
Lin Feng nodded slightly, enjoying the pleasure and sense of control that came from this kind of “cultivation”. The power he gave her not only changed her creations, but also planted an indelible mark in her heart.
“Don’t be impatient, Kasumigaoka-senpai.” Lin Feng’s voice was calm and gentle, with a reassuring power. “You have just touched the threshold, and you need time to adapt. Remember the method I taught you, concentrate on ‘feeling’ instead of forcing ‘driving’.”
His words seemed to have magic. Shiyu immediately nodded seriously, listening carefully like a well-behaved student, with dependence in her eyes deepening.
At this moment, Shiyu’s cell phone on the table suddenly vibrated.
She picked it up and saw the name of her editor, Machida Yuanzi, on the screen. Shiyu took a deep breath and answered the call, with a barely perceptible nervousness in her tone.
“Hello, Editor Machida…”
On the other end of the phone, Machida Sonoko’s excited and almost incoherent voice came through the receiver. Even though there was a distance between them, Lin Feng could still capture the key information.
“…Teacher Kasumi Shiko! Oh my god! This is simply a stroke of genius!!”
“I can’t believe the three chapters you sent me recently! Your style is a complete breakthrough! The appeal that touches people’s hearts and the capture of the subtleties of the characters’ emotions… It’s great! It’s really great!”
“This is definitely your best work since your debut! No, it can even be said to be a masterpiece rarely seen in the light novel industry in recent years!”
Shiyu’s hand holding the phone trembled slightly, not because of fear, but because of extreme excitement. She could feel the undisguised shock and ecstasy in the editor’s tone.
“…Thank you, Editor Machida. I will continue to work hard.” Shiyu tried to remain calm and hung up the phone.
The next second, she suddenly raised her head, and her beautiful wine-red eyes burst out with an unprecedented light, like the brightest stars, looking straight at Lin Feng.
“Lin Jun! Did you hear that? The editor…she said my manuscript…”
The impact of the huge success made her a little incoherent, but her ecstasy and gratitude were extremely clear.
She almost subconsciously attributed all this to the man in front of her. It was him who pulled her out of the quagmire of bottleneck; it was him who gave her this incredible power; it was him who made her see a whole new world!
“I heard you. Congratulations, Senior Kasumigaoka.” Lin Feng raised his coffee cup and smiled, “You deserve this. Your talent should not be buried.”
His affirmation made Shiyu feel more satisfied than the editor’s thousands of words. She nodded vigorously, her eyes slightly moist, and her voice was a little choked: “Well! This is all…Tolin-kun’s blessing!”
Seeing Shi Yu’s face almost showing the words “gratitude and admiration”, Lin Feng nodded with satisfaction. This chess piece already had the initial value he expected.
“By the way, Senior Sister.” Lin Feng changed the subject and said casually, “You are now famous and have access to a wider circle of people. If it is convenient, can you help me keep an eye on some trends in the publishing or cultural circles, or… help me introduce some relevant contacts?”
He needs more information channels and influential chess pieces in certain areas to prepare for future layout.
“Of course, no problem!” Shiyu agreed without hesitation, and said firmly, “Whatever Mr. Lin needs, I will do my best to help! This is what I should do!”
In her opinion, what Lin Feng gave her was already a priceless treasure, and this small request was not really a “reward” at all.
Lin Feng smiled with satisfaction and said nothing more. Tools should be used in the right place.
In the following chat, in order to divert her overly excited emotions, Shiyu took the initiative to talk about some interesting stories in school.
“Speaking of which, our school’s service club seems to have received some strange commissions recently,” Shiyu said casually as if she remembered something, “especially that Yukinoshita classmate, who always attracts some troubles…”
Under the snow?
Lin Feng’s heart moved slightly. This name seemed to have appeared several times in his information channels recently, and it seemed to be related to a low-key but powerful family.
“Yukinoshita Yukino?” Lin Feng asked casually.
“Yes, that’s her.” Shiyu nodded. “She’s a famous iceberg beauty in Sobu High School. She has excellent grades and a good family background, but her personality… is quite eccentric. It is said that her service club is to ‘help’ students who are in trouble, but her methods are always very… direct.”
Lin Feng’s fingers tapped lightly on the table again, and a hint of interest flashed in his eyes.
The line of Kasumigaoka Utaha has been initially stabilized, and it is time to look for the next valuable target. This Yukinoshita Yukino sounds like a good choice.
A few days later, Lin Feng confirmed the power of the Yukinoshita family in the local area and some public information of the Service Department through his own information channels, and decided to observe this “ice beauty” in person.
At the entrance of Sobu High School at the end of school.
Lin Feng was wearing a well-fitting casual suit and leaning against a cherry tree not far away. He looked like an urban elite waiting for someone, not at all noticeable.
His eyes were precisely fixed on the black-haired girl who had just walked out of the school gate.
Her waist-length black hair was smooth and shiny, her skin was whiter than snow, and her facial features were as delicate as a doll. She wore a standard Sobu High School uniform, which further highlighted her cold and aloof temperament.
She walked alone, her back straight, and the hustle and bustle around her seemed to be isolated from her, forming an invisible barrier.
It was Yukinoshita Yukino.
Deep in Lin Feng’s eyes, a subtle ripple quietly appeared. He activated [Future Insight].
In an instant, countless blurry fragments of images flooded into his mind.
The cold, strict Japanese mansion… the family members who are harsh and distant… the lonely figure in the corner of the banquet… the excellence that no one can match in the classroom and the loneliness that no one can approach… and, in the depths of those clear eyes, the almost paranoid pursuit of some illusory “real thing”…
There are also some images that flash with ominous dark red tones, which seem to foreshadow some potential crisis, which is related to her complicated family background and some hidden power under the surface of this city.
The amount of information is huge and messy, but Lin Feng has captured the key points.
This iceberg beauty is much more complicated than she seems. Her predicament is not just the troubles of adolescence, but also involves family, society, and even possible…supernatural factors.
Lin Feng withdrew his gaze, and the interest in his eyes became even stronger.
Tricky, but extremely valuable.
Whether it is her own potential or the resources and information behind her, it is worth his effort to “conquer” her.
The desire for challenge was ignited.
How to approach this iceberg and make her willingly serve you?
Lin Feng’s mouth curled up slightly, and his mind began to work rapidly to formulate a preliminary contact strategy.
At this moment, his cell phone vibrated slightly. It was a message from Kasumigaoka Utaha.
“Mr. Lin, are you free tonight? I would like to ask you to give me some guidance on the conception of the new chapter…”
The words are full of undisguised dependence and expectation.
Lin Feng replied with a simple “OK”, then put away his phone and looked again in the direction where Yukinoshita Yukino disappeared.
Kasumigaoka has basically been conquered, and next is the famous “Ice and Snow Princess” in the two-dimensional world.
Chapter 8: The Commission of the Service Department and the Undercurrent Under the Iceberg (Old Version)
The afternoon sun shines through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows and onto the spotless wooden floor.
Lin Feng sat on a custom-made leather sofa, tapping the smooth screen of the tablet with his fingertips. What was displayed on the screen was not a business report, but a carefully compiled intelligence about a special club in Sobu High School.
The core of the intelligence points directly to the small group called the “Service Club” and the leader known for her coldness and sharp tongue – Yukinoshita Yukino.
“Yukinoshita Yukino…?” Lin Feng’s mouth corners curled up in a meaningful arc.
In my mind, the chaotic fragments of the future are like broken glass, flashing vague but crucial points of light. The constraints of family, the obsessive desire for “real things”, and the subtle fragility and struggle hidden under the surface of the iceberg.
These fragments are enough to form a preliminary map to the target’s heart.
The contact strategy had already been formed in his mind. Instead of waiting passively, it was better to take the initiative. He needed a reasonable identity, an opportunity that would attract the other party’s attention but would not immediately trigger the highest alarm.
Coincidentally, a piece of information obtained through his information consultation channel showed that the Ministry of Service seemed to be troubled by a rather difficult commission. The details of the commission were unclear, but this was the best entry point – appearing as a “relevant person” or “client” who had mastered “key information”.
Lin Feng stood up and straightened the cuffs of his neatly ironed shirt. The eyes behind the lenses were calm, yet seemed to be able to see through all appearances.
“Then let’s go visit the legendary Ministry.” He muttered to himself with the calmness of a hunter locking onto his prey.
***
In the special teaching building of Sobu High School, the activity room of the Service Club was as quiet as the rumors said.
When Lin Feng opened the door, the first thing that caught his eye was a black-haired girl sitting by the window, reading quietly. Her delicate facial features were like sculptures of ice and snow, and her temperament was cold and aloof. It was Yukinoshita Yukino.
Sitting on the sofa opposite her was a pink-haired, energetic girl, flipping through a magazine with some boredom. It was Yuigahama Yui.
The sudden knock on the door and the uninvited visitor made the two girls look up at the same time.
Yukinoshita Yukino’s gaze was as sharp as a knife, full of scrutiny and natural rejection, as if any existence that disturbed her peaceful world was an offense.
Yuigahama Yui was stunned for a moment, then showed a curious and friendly expression, and tilted her head to look at the strange young man at the door.
Lin Feng walked slowly into the activity room with a professional, impeccable and gentle smile on his face.
“Excuse me,” he said in a calm and magnetic voice, “Excuse me, is this the Service Department? My last name is Lin, and I’m an information consultant. I heard that the members here are good at helping others solve their problems, so I took the liberty to come here, hoping to seek some help.”
He naturally positioned himself as the client, and his eyes calmly swept over the two girls, lingering briefly on Yukinoshita Yukino.
Yukinoshita Yukino’s pretty eyebrows knitted slightly, obviously feeling uncomfortable with this uninvited commission. However, her good upbringing prevented her from getting angry immediately, and she just said coldly: “This is indeed the service department. Mr. Lin, please explain your purpose. However, whether we accept the commission depends on the specific content.”
Her voice was cold, like knocking on ice, with a sense of distance that kept people at a distance.
“Of course.” Lin Feng smiled indifferently, walked to the empty sofa opposite the two of them and sat down. His movements were smooth and natural, as if he was not unfamiliar with the environment here.
He did not immediately explain his “commission”, but changed the subject and looked at the book that Yukino was reading.
“This book,” Lin Feng said with just the right amount of admiration, “explores the behavioral alienation of individuals under group pressure. It has a unique perspective. However, the book’s analysis of the psychological defense mechanism of ‘isolated people’ seems a bit too idealistic, ignoring some deeper early imprints from the family environment.”
As soon as these words came out, the air in the activity room seemed to freeze instantly.
Yuigahama Yui blinked, looked at Lin Feng blankly, then at Yukino, not understanding why the topic suddenly jumped to the book.
And Yukinoshita Yukino’s fingers gripping the pages of the book tightened almost imperceptibly.
She raised her head suddenly, and for the first time, there was an obvious fluctuation in her ice-blue eyes. Her sharp gaze was fixed on Lin Feng, with shock, vigilance, and a hint of discomfort and anger at having her inner secrets discovered.
“Mr. Lin,” her voice was even colder than before, and even trembled slightly. “You seem to be very interested in what I read? But what does this have to do with your commission?”
She felt an unprecedented sense of threat. The man in front of her seemed to have easily probed into the corner of her heart that she didn’t want to be touched by anyone just through a book.
Lin Feng met her hostile gaze with an unchanged smile on his face, but a hint of understanding flashed across the depths of his eyes.
“There is no direct relationship,” he said lightly, “It’s just a professional habit. I like to analyze problems from the details. After all, the root causes of many commissions are often hidden in the subconscious level that the parties themselves may not be aware of.”
He paused, and casually mentioned, “For example, the recent commission that has troubled the Service Department… is it about interpersonal relationships? It involves a conflict within a small circle. The cause seems to be a misunderstanding, but in fact, it is probably related to a core figure’s long-term obsession with ‘correctness’ and his attempt to forcibly maintain a certain ‘ideal state’.”
He did not specify the specific commission, but every word he spoke was like a precise scalpel, dissecting the core of the problem, and even vaguely pointing to certain characteristics of Yukino herself.
Yukinoshita Yukino’s face turned slightly pale, and her hands on her knees unconsciously clenched into fists. She was almost certain that this man knew something, and it was far beyond the scope of what an ordinary client should know.
“Who are you?” She asked in a tense voice. It was the first time she showed such strong emotions in front of strangers. “Have you investigated us?”
“Investigation?” Lin Feng chuckled as if he had heard something interesting. “Mr. Yukinoshita, for a professional information consultant, observation and analysis are basic skills. A lot of information does not need to be deliberately ‘investigated’. They are just there, waiting for someone to interpret them.”
His eyes fell on Yukino again, and his tone was full of insight: “Just like you. Pursuing absolute correctness, trying to regulate everything with your own standards, rejecting all ‘hypocrisy’ that does not conform to your definition. This obsession is both your strength and the source of your pain. You desire the ‘real thing’, but because of your overly strong defensiveness, you shut out possible ‘real things’, don’t you?”
These words hit Yukino’s defenses like a heavy hammer!
She felt like a completely peeled clam shell, with the most secret corners of her heart exposed in broad daylight by this man she had just met. Intense shame, anger, and an inexplicable fear instantly seized her.
“Shut up!” Yukino growled almost out of control, her chest heaving violently, with obvious cracks in her cold disguise.
Yuigahama Yui beside her was also shocked. She looked at Xue No with concern, then looked at Lin Feng uneasily, and whispered: “Um… Mr. Lin, aren’t you saying a little…”
“Sorry, maybe my way of expression was a bit too direct.” Lin Feng retracted his aggressive aura at the right time and smiled gently again, as if everything just now was just an illusion. “I just want to explain that I may be able to provide some different perspectives and solutions for the commission you are handling.”
He did not press the issue any further, but instead brought the topic back to the commission itself, giving Yukino a chance to catch her breath and rebuild her defenses.
Yukinoshita Yukino took a few deep breaths and forced herself to calm down. Although her heart was still turbulent, her reason told her that the man in front of her was extremely dangerous, but he might also… really have the ability to solve the problem.
She was silent for a moment, staring at Lin Feng with her ice-blue eyes, as if trying to find even the slightest flaw on his face.
Finally, she said in an extremely cold, but no longer purely repulsive tone: “…Mr. Lin, your ‘analysis’ is very interesting. Regarding that commission, we can… talk about it. However, I need to know your purpose and what substantive help you can provide.”
She still couldn’t completely refuse. Lin Feng’s extraordinary insight and his accurate grasp of the core of the problem made her think for the first time that she might be able to use external forces, even if this external force was full of unknowns and dangers.
Seeing that the atmosphere had eased, Yuigahama Yui breathed a sigh of relief.
“Very good.” Lin Feng nodded with satisfaction. His goal was initially achieved.
He stood up and handed over a simple-designed, high-quality business card. “This is my contact information. We can discuss the details of the commission and my ‘remuneration’ at another time. I look forward to working with the Ministry.”
After saying that, he nodded slightly, then turned and left the activity room, leaving behind two girls with different thoughts, and a silent atmosphere of shock and inquiry that had not yet dissipated in the room.
After walking out of the teaching building, Lin Feng looked back at the window of the service department’s activity room, and the corners of his mouth rose again.
The moment he left just now, he clearly “sense” the violently churning emotions beneath Yukinoshita Yukino’s cold appearance, as well as the desire for help that was suppressed in the deepest part of her body that she might not even be aware of…
Very good, the bait has been put down, just waiting for the prey to take the bait.
The first step in conquering Yukinoshita Yukino went more smoothly than expected.
As for the so-called “thorny commission”, no matter what it was originally, it will now become his bargaining chip to intervene in the life of this ice beauty.
The prey has taken the bait, and now it’s time for the hunter to perform.
Chapter 9: Cracks Under the Iceberg and Initial Collaboration (Old Version)
Zongman: My Insight Connects the Future: Chapter 9: Cracks Under the Iceberg and Initial Collaboration
The service department’s activity room was as quiet as ever.
The aroma of black tea filled the air, and Yukino Yukinoshita sat in her familiar position, her posture elegant, like a carefully painted painting. However, the atmosphere in the activity room today was different from the past, with an unexpected guest – Lin Feng.
Yuigahama Yui seemed a little restless, her eyes moving between Lin Feng and Xue No with a bit of curiosity and nervousness.
“So, the commission this time is…” Lin Feng was the first to break the silence. His eyes fell on Xue Nai’s delicate profile. His tone was calm, without any extra emotion.
Yukino picked up the teacup, took a sip, and said in a cold voice: “A student who does not want to reveal his name has asked us to investigate some… not-so-good rumors that have appeared on the school forum recently. It seems to be malicious slander against a certain club.”
She briefly described the situation, but was vague about the specific content of the rumor and the societies involved, and was obviously reserved. After she finished speaking, she looked at Lin Feng, with a subtle scrutiny and challenge in her eyes, as if she wanted to see what this man who had an unclear relationship with Kasumigaoka Utaha yesterday could do in this commission that required detailed analysis and interpersonal communication.
“What is the content of the rumor? Which society is it targeting? What result does the client hope to achieve?” Lin Feng asked a series of questions, getting straight to the point.
Yukino frowned slightly, seeming a little uncomfortable with this direct approach: “The client has only provided this information for now, and we need to conduct a preliminary investigation first.” She tried to take control of the rhythm in her own hands.
“Okay, I understand.” Lin Feng nodded without comment, tapping the table lightly with his fingers, and turning his eyes to the window, as if he was thinking, or observing something.
The activity room fell into a brief silence again.
Yui looked at this and that, and couldn’t help but quietly suggested: “Well, then let’s go to the forum and check out the posts first?”
“The posts on the forum are superficial. The motives of the poster and the source of the information are the key.” Lin Feng’s voice sounded again, firm and clear. “Yukinoshita, you seem to be more concerned about the impact of these rumors on the reputation of ‘that club’ rather than the truth of the rumors themselves, right?”
One sentence was like a bolt of thunder, striking the calm water surface.
Xueno’s hand holding the teacup paused imperceptibly, her pupils shrank slightly, and the frost on her face seemed to have a crack. She raised her head suddenly and looked at Lin Feng with a sharp gaze, with shock and a hint of shame for having her secret discovered: “…What do you mean?”
“It’s nothing.” Lin Feng met her gaze, with a faint arc at the corner of his mouth. “It’s just a reasonable guess based on your description and subtle reaction just now. It seems that I guessed right.”
“Wow! Lin Feng is so amazing!” Yui was stunned and couldn’t help but exclaimed. She didn’t understand the twists and turns at all. She just felt that Lin Feng’s few words made the usually calm and strong Yukino show a different expression than usual.
Xueno’s expression changed several times, and she finally forced herself to calm down, but the coldness in her tone was more deliberate: “… Even so, it’s just your guess. The investigation should still proceed step by step.” She avoided Lin Feng’s sight, but her heart was in turmoil. This man… How could he… see through her real concerns behind the commission with just a few words? The feeling of powerlessness as if she had been completely stripped away and had nowhere to hide made her feel an inexplicable panic.
“Of course,” Lin Feng did not continue to press, and said, “In this case, for the sake of efficiency, we will act separately. Yui-san, you go to the forum to collect all relevant posts and comments, focusing on the earliest ones and the user’s speech patterns. Yukinoshita-san, I think you should know which ‘targeted club’ is. Please contact the person in charge of the club to understand their internal situation and whether there are any potential conflicts. As for me…”
He paused, looking between the two of them, “I’ll go check the poster’s IP address and possible clues to his identity.”
His arrangement was clear and logical, leaving no reason to refute it. Xueno opened her mouth and wanted to say something, such as questioning how he checked the IP address or insisting on working together, but she swallowed the words back. She found that she couldn’t raise any effective objections. This man seemed to always be able to control the situation easily.
In the end, she could only nod slightly, tacitly accepting the arrangement, but her tightly pursed lips and slightly stiff shoulders revealed her inner restlessness.
“Okay! Leave it to me!” Yui was full of energy. She immediately took out her mobile phone and started to act, as if she had become Lin Feng’s most loyal executor.
Seeing the two people start to act, Lin Feng’s eyes flashed with understanding. Yukinoshita Yukino, this iceberg is really not so easy to melt. However, the cracks have already appeared, haven’t they?
The subsequent investigation was just as Lin Feng had expected.
Yui quickly collected a large amount of forum information, but the posters were very cunning and used anonymity and proxies, making them difficult to track.
Yukino encountered resistance. The head of the targeted club did not appreciate her as the head of the service club. He was perfunctory in his attitude and seemed to be hiding something.
When the three of them met again in the activity room in the evening to share information, the atmosphere was a little dull.
“…That’s probably it. The other party isn’t cooperating very well.” There was a hint of fatigue in Yukino’s voice.
“Well, the person who posted it is also very careful, and I can’t find any clues for the time being…” Yui was also a little frustrated.
After listening to the two people’s reports, Lin Feng tapped his fingers on his knees, pondered for a moment, and suddenly said: “Classmate Yukinoshita, does the club you contact have any business connection with a member of the student union, or in other words, with your sister Yukinoshita Haruno?”
It happens again!
Xue Nai suddenly raised her head and looked at Lin Feng, almost losing her composure, with disbelief in her eyes. How could he know?! This matter was clearly a business arrangement within the family, and even few people in the school knew about it! Could it be that… he investigated me?
“You investigated me?” Her voice became unusually cold and filled with strong vigilance.
“No,” Lin Feng shook his head, his tone calm, “It’s just information integration and reasonable inference. Combining the commissioned ‘malicious slander’, the ‘concealment’ of the club leader, and your own ‘abnormal concern’ for the matter, combined with some public business information… it’s not difficult to come up with this possibility.”
Of course, the real reason was that he had already “seen” the undercurrents within the Yukinoshita family behind this incident in the fragments of the future.
Xue Nai stared at Lin Feng intently, as if trying to find traces of lying on his face. However, the other party’s eyes were calm, as if he was just stating an objective fact.
After a long while, she slowly lowered her head, her hair covering her eyes, making it difficult to see her expression. The only sound in the activity room was her slightly rapid breathing.
Yui looked at Yukino worriedly, then looked at Lin Feng for help.
Lin Feng did not speak any more, but waited quietly. He knew that the ice inside the iceberg was melting faster and faster.
After a long time, Yukino raised her head again. Her face was still pale, but the vigilance and coldness in her eyes seemed to have faded a little, replaced by a complex emotion mixed with helplessness and a hint of hesitation.
“…Yes.” She uttered a word softly, her voice low and with a hint of barely perceptible fatigue, “It’s a project related to my sister.”
Admitted it. Although she was reluctant, she still chose to admit it in front of Lin Feng.
“I see.” Lin Feng nodded without asking for details. “Now that we know the crux of the problem, the next step will be easy. Tomorrow, we will go directly to the club leader. Some things are better to be explained in person.”
His tone was still calm, but it carried an unquestionable power.
Xue Nai looked at him. This time, she did not raise any objections, but just nodded silently. When Lin Feng’s eyes swept over her, she even looked away somewhat unnaturally, with a barely detectable blush at the roots of her ears.
Yui looked at the two people in this subtle atmosphere. Although she still didn’t quite understand, her intuition told her that things seemed to be moving in a good direction. And… Lin Feng is really amazing! He knows everything!
The afterglow of the setting sun poured into the activity room through the window, lengthening the figures of the three people. The truth of the commission gradually surfaced, and in this initial collaboration, certain things were quietly changing.
Chapter 10 The End of the Commission and the Loosening of the Iceberg (Old Version)
The atmosphere in the service department’s activity room, despite the relaxation after the commission was resolved, still retained a subtle tension.
It’s already the second day.
Yesterday, the extremely difficult commission given to the second Miss Yukinoshita had already been easily resolved by Lin Feng.
After all, there is a huge difference between real working people and students.
Even though Yukinoshita Yukino has an extraordinary family background, due to some of her own awkwardness, she is not very good at dealing with real interpersonal relationships and various conflicts of interest.
What’s more, this matter is not simple.
Behind the scenes, it seems that there are some forces targeting the Yukinoshita family.
No wonder Yukino can’t solve this kind of trouble alone.
Lin Feng sat on the chair, looking at the two people in front of him calmly. Yuigahama Yui had a relieved smile on her face, while Yukinoshita Yukino was still sitting upright, but her lake-like eyes reflected more complicated emotions than usual.
“This commission has been successfully completed.” Lin Feng spoke first, breaking the silence.
“Yes!” Yui nodded immediately, with undisguised admiration for Lin Feng in her eyes, “Thanks to classmate Lin Feng! I never thought… that method could be used!”
The process of solving the commission was beyond Yui’s expectations. Lin Feng did not take the direct negotiation or look for physical evidence as she imagined. Instead, he used precise language guidance and grasp of people’s hearts to press the conversation with the head of the society step by step, taking advantage of the loopholes in the other party’s words, and combined with the information he had previously mastered, to tear off the other party’s disguise and expose the real purpose behind the rumors. Throughout the process, Lin Feng did not use any force, but only relied on wisdom and control of the situation to completely reverse the situation.
Yukino didn’t say anything, just quietly listened to Yui’s admiration. Her fingers unconsciously stroked the edge of the teacup, and her drooping eyelashes covered the look in her eyes. Only she knew that the “insight” that Lin Feng showed in this confrontation was far more than ordinary sharpness. He seemed to be able to see through the other party’s every thought and predict every reaction of the other party. Every question he asked was just right, and every pause was full of oppression. That feeling was like being on a completely transparent chessboard. She, Yui, and even the person in charge were just chess pieces in Lin Feng’s hands, being moved at will by him.
This realization made her feel an unprecedented thrill mixed with fear and a hint of being conquered.
After a long while, she raised her head and looked at Lin Feng. In those cold eyes, there was no longer pure vigilance and alienation, but full of inquiry, complexity, and a very subtle softness that she herself had not even noticed.
“…You really helped a lot this time.” Her voice was a little lower than usual, with a hint of unpleasantness. “Although I don’t know how you did it…”
After a pause, she added, as if to maintain her last bit of pride: “…but the result is barely satisfactory.”
Barely? Passable?
Yui was stunned for a moment, then realized that Yukino was expressing her gratitude and recognition in her own unique way. She happily replied, “It’s not forced! It’s super great! Yukino, you think so too, right?”
Xue No didn’t answer Yui, but just kept looking at Lin Feng with complicated eyes. Deep in her heart, the solid iceberg barrier began to have an unbridgeable crack because of Lin Feng’s appearance. She couldn’t understand this man, couldn’t see through him, but she had to admit that in solving this problem, he showed ability and efficiency far beyond ordinary people.
Lin Feng looked at her with a smile, without exposing her awkwardness or asking her what she was thinking. He knew that for a girl like Yukinoshita Yukino, being able to say such words was already an extremely difficult progress. There was a hint of appreciation and amusement in his eyes, as if he was looking at a treasure that was about to be collected.
“You are too kind, Yukinoshita. This is a request from the Service Club, and I am just helping out.” Lin Feng responded politely, but there was a subtle hint of meaning in his tone. “However, in the process of solving this problem, I noticed something more interesting.”
He paused deliberately to observe Yukino’s reaction. As expected, her eyes immediately became alert.
“…What do you mean?” she asked, her voice returning to a somewhat cold tone.
“What it means is,” Lin Feng leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice a bit, with a sense of mystery that only the two of them could understand, “this rumor, rather than being directed at that society, is more like…some people are using this society to achieve their goals.”
He didn’t say it explicitly, but combined with the “project” related to her sister that Xue No had revealed before, it was enough for her to associate it with something deeper. This was no longer a simple campus commission, but involved family interests, business competition, and even more complex undercurrents of interpersonal relationships.
Xue Nai’s face turned pale instantly. She stood up suddenly and took a step back, her eyes full of disbelief and a hint of fear. This was exactly the part that she was worried about deep in her heart, but she didn’t dare to touch it. How could Lin Feng… How could he know this? Could it be that the future he saw was more vast and terrifying than she imagined?
“You…what did you see?” She asked almost subconsciously, her voice trembling with shock.
“I saw the cracks under the iceberg.” Lin Feng answered calmly, his eyes deep, “I saw the foundation eroded by power, interests, and…some twisted emotions. If these problems are allowed to ferment, the future may be beyond your imagination.”
He did not provide specific details, but only painted a vague but dangerous picture. This hint could trigger more turmoil in Xue Nai’s heart than any specific explanation. She was an extremely insecure person with an instinctive fear of the unknown and loss of control. Lin Feng’s words just hit her most vulnerable spot.
Yui didn’t understand what they were saying at all, she just felt that the atmosphere suddenly became very solemn and scary.
Xue Nai pursed her lips tightly, her hands trembling slightly. She knew what Lin Feng said was true. She had been trying to avoid the undercurrents hidden under the family’s glamorous appearance and pretend that they did not exist. But now, this man had mercilessly exposed them and hinted at an even worse future.
She needed help, but she didn’t know how to ask. Asking for help from the man who had just broken her defenses went against all her principles and pride.
Lin Feng looked at her struggling expression and knew that the time was almost right. He stood up and straightened his clothes.
“That’s all for today’s service activities,” he said. “The commission has been completed, and I will submit the report.”
He walked to the door of the activity room, opened it, then turned around and looked at Yukino, with a barely perceptible temptation in his eyes: “As for those issues under the iceberg…if you are interested in understanding, or need someone to help you ‘see’ the future…you can come to me at any time.”
He didn’t force or demand anything, but just left an invitation full of possibilities, leaving the choice to Yukino.
Xue Nai stood there, looking at Lin Feng’s back. He was tall and straight, standing in the light and shadow of the door frame, as if he really had the ability to see through the future. His words echoed in her mind, and the cracks under the iceberg and the unpredictable future were like invisible boulders pressing on her heart.
“Student Lin Feng!” Yui suddenly called out to him, “Thank you for your help today!”
Lin Feng gave Yui a gentle smile: “You’re welcome, I’m glad I can help.”
Then, he looked at Yukino again, his eyes more meaningful: “Looking forward to seeing you next time, Yukinoshita-san.”
Having said that, he turned and left.
Only Yukino and Yui were left in the activity room. Yui looked at the direction where Lin Feng left and sighed: “Lin Feng is really amazing! Yukino, you think so too, right? And he seems to know a lot about Yukino’s family…” She unintentionally said the question that Yukino cared about the most.
Xue Nai didn’t answer, but walked to the window and looked at the direction where Lin Feng left the campus. She clenched her hands into fists. That man… who is he? What does he want to do?
“The crack under the iceberg…” she murmured to herself with a complicated look in her eyes.
Lin Feng was walking on the way home, feeling happy. This time, the contact with Yukinoshita Yukino went better than he expected. There were obvious cracks in the iceberg, and the subsequent strategy had a clear entry point. He even foresaw several possible intersections in the future, which contained important opportunities. As for intimate interaction? He checked his planning records. It had been 5 chapters since the last interaction with Shiyu, and the target of the next core intimate interaction was… Yukinoshita Yukino. The opportunity would come soon.
He looked down at his phone and saw a message from Kasumigaoka Utaha: “Is the Service Club done today? I’m having a hard time writing and need some ‘special’ inspiration~”
Lin Feng’s mouth curled up into a smile: “It seems that the dual-line operation is also going smoothly.”
Chapter 11: Touching the Deeper Issues and the Senior’s Reward (Old Version)
The door of the service department closed gently behind him, and Lin Feng’s lips curled up slightly. Yesterday’s seemingly casual advice to Yukinoshita Yukino had a better effect than expected. The slight crack in the iceberg was enough for him to smell the scent of deeper problems, and… the opportunity to attack.
It is not enough to just solve the superficial commission. He never wants more than that.
Lin Feng did not return to his consulting firm, but strolled around the campus of Sobu High School. His [Future Insight] was like an invisible spider web, capturing the subtle fluctuations related to the target. Soon, he found the figure sitting alone in a secluded corner of the library.
Yukinoshita Yukino was holding a library book. The sunlight shone through the window, casting mottled light and shadows on her body, making her delicate but cold profile look a little unreal. As if she sensed someone approaching, she raised her head, looked at Lin Feng with clear but distant eyes, and frowned slightly.
“Student Lin Feng?” Her voice was filled with a hint of doubt and vigilance.
“Yukinoshita, it seems you have recovered well.” Lin Feng sat down on the chair opposite her, his posture calm, as if it was just a casual chat after a chance encounter. He did not mention yesterday’s commission, but directly cut into a new topic, with his usual tone of a professional consultant, “After yesterday’s matter was resolved, I took a little time to ‘review’ the context of the whole incident. I found some… details that may have been overlooked.”
Yukino’s fingers tightened slightly around the book, and her eyes suddenly became sharp: “What do you want to say?”
“Nothing special.” Lin Feng smiled slightly, leaned forward, and looked into her eyes. That look seemed to be able to penetrate all appearances and reach the deepest part of people’s hearts. “It’s just that I seem to ‘see’ some unstable ‘currents’ surrounding you, or… surrounding the Yukinoshita family. Yesterday’s rumors may be just the tip of the iceberg. Under the surface, there seems to be a more turbulent undercurrent surging.”
He did not use any alarmist words, but only used vague but clear language to outline a potential and approaching sense of crisis. This was exactly the fragmentary information given to him by [Future Insight], and he presented it in a way after processing it – enough to attract the attention of the target, but not to expose the specific operation of the ability.
Xueno’s breathing stagnated slightly, and her face turned a little paler. Lin Feng’s words once again accurately touched upon the hidden worries about her family and future that had always existed deep in her heart. Those things that she had tried to ignore and avoid seemed to be being dug out bit by bit by this man.
“…What do you want to express?” She asked calmly, but her voice trembled slightly.
“What I mean is, as a professional risk assessment consultant,” Lin Feng leaned back in his chair, crossed his hands on the table, and spoke in a calm tone with unquestionable confidence, “If you are worried about these potential ‘risks’, or need a clearer ‘future direction assessment’ and corresponding ‘solution consultation’, perhaps we can have a more in-depth communication. Of course, this requires additional commissions.”
He once again gave the choice to Yukino, his attitude was professional and polite, as if he was really just providing a business service. But in his deep eyes, there was a gleam of the hunter’s lock on prey.
Xue Nai was silent. The only sounds in the library were the pages turning and the silent contest between the two. She was struggling fiercely. Reason told her that Lin Feng’s ability might really help her deal with the complex problems in her family that she was unable to touch; but her emotions and pride made her resist bowing to this mysterious man who even made her feel a little dangerous.
She couldn’t see through Lin Feng. His appearance, his abilities, his purpose… everything was shrouded in mystery. But the power of controlling the overall situation and understanding people’s hearts that he showed when he solved the commission yesterday made it impossible for her to completely ignore his proposal.
“…I need some time to think about it.” After a long while, Xue Nai spoke with difficulty, her voice dry. She avoided Lin Feng’s gaze and turned her eyes back to the book in her hand, but it was obvious that she could no longer read a single word.
“Of course.” Lin Feng stood up with a smile, without any surprise or impatience, “You have my contact information. I look forward to your decision, Yukinoshita-san.”
He turned and left, leaving Yukino with a calm back and a more confused and shaken heart.
Walking out of the library, Lin Feng took out his mobile phone and the screen showed the message sent by Kasumigaoka Utaha a few minutes ago.
“Lin Fengjun~ Are you done with your work? I feel like I’ve hit a small bottleneck in the use of my new abilities… I need the teacher’s personal ‘guidance’ to break through~(*^▽^*)”
The text is followed by a winking emoticon, which exudes a lazy charm and a sense of irresistibility.
Lin Feng laughed and shook his head. It seemed that this senior sister was becoming more and more dependent on him, even with a subtle sense of possessiveness. However, this kind of dependence was exactly what he was happy to see. Moreover, calculating the time, it had indeed been a while since the last “in-depth guidance” for Shiyu, and it was time for a “consolidation”.
“That’s perfect. Satisfying the senior’s needs can also be considered as… a reward for her previous cooperation.”
Lin Feng replied with a message saying that he would arrive later, then changed direction and went back to the office, walking towards the location of Kasumigaoka Utaha’s apartment.
…
Shiyu’s apartment was filled with the faint aroma of coffee and the smell of paper and ink as always. But today, there seemed to be a faint, sweet scent of a woman in the air.
Utaha Kasumigaoka was wearing loose and comfortable home clothes. The black silk suspender skirt outlined her beautiful figure. Her long hair was casually draped over her shoulders. She was less sharp and sarcastic than usual, and more lazy and charming.
Seeing Lin Feng coming in, she lazily raised her head from the sofa piled with manuscript papers, her red lips slightly raised, with a hint of cunning and expectation in her eyes.
“Teacher, you’re finally here. If you hadn’t come, my inspiration would have been completely exhausted.” She complained, but her tone was so soft as if she was acting coquettishly.
“Oh? What problem did you encounter?” Lin Feng walked over and sat down beside her, his eyes sweeping over her calmly.
“It’s the ability you helped me ‘awaken’ last time,” Shiyu stretched out her slender fingers, and a faint light seemed to flash on her fingertips. “I feel that it’s not smooth enough to use, and sometimes it will be interrupted, and… it seems to consume a lot of energy.”
Lin Feng nodded. The abilities he gave Shiyu were mainly to assist her in her creation and improve her spiritual perception. It was normal for her to be unstable in the early stages.
“Give me your hand.” Lin Feng stretched out his hand.
Shi Yu obediently placed her soft little hand in his palm. Lin Feng held her hand, closed his eyes, and a trace of barely detectable mental power penetrated into Shi Yu’s body along the contact point, checking the power fluctuations anchored deep in her soul.
“Well, some energy nodes are indeed not very stable.” Lin Feng opened his eyes and looked at Shi Yu’s pretty face close to him, “We need to do an ‘energy combing’ and ‘node reinforcement’. The process may be a little…special, and you need to completely relax.”
Shiyu’s cheeks flushed slightly, and her long eyelashes trembled like butterfly wings. She certainly understood what Lin Feng meant by “special”. The scene when she “awakened” her ability last time was still vivid in her mind. The feeling that her soul was controlled by the other party and her body trembled involuntarily made her feel ashamed and secretly indulged.
“…Yeah.” She lowered her head, her voice as soft as a mosquito’s, which was considered as her tacit consent.
Lin Feng did not speak again. He approached Shiyu and could almost feel the warm breath and faint fragrance coming from her body. The light in the room seemed to dim, and only the table lamp emitted a dim halo, shrouding the figures of the two in an ambiguous atmosphere.
One of his hands was still holding Shiyu’s hand, and the other hand gently stroked her neck. The cold fingertips touched the warm and delicate skin, causing Shiyu’s body to tremble almost imperceptibly.
“Relax… feel the flow of energy…” Lin Feng’s voice was low and magnetic, as if it had some kind of hypnotic power, sounding in Shiyu’s ears.
His fingers began to slide slowly down her spine, and wherever they passed, it seemed as if a string of tiny electric currents was ignited. Shi Yu’s breathing became rapid, her cheeks flushed, her eyes blurred, and her body involuntarily moved closer to Lin Feng.
Under the dim light, the two of them were getting closer and closer, their breaths intertwined. The air was filled with an extremely ambiguous atmosphere, as if it would be completely ignited in the next second…
After an unknown amount of time, when Lin Feng let go of her hand, Kasumigaoka Shiyu had completely collapsed on the sofa. Her long hair was disheveled, her pretty face was still flushed, and there was even a hint of crystal moisture in the corners of her eyes. Her red lips were slightly parted, and she was panting unconsciously. The silk home clothes also became a little wrinkled, outlining a more attractive curve.
Lin Feng stood aside leisurely, straightening his collar, with a calm expression, as if nothing had happened just now. Only he knew that through the energy combing process just now, he not only strengthened the ability nodes in Shiyu’s body, but also further deepened the spiritual connection and…imprint between them.
He looked at Shiyu, who was like a delicate flower moistened by rain and dew, on the sofa, and a look of satisfaction flashed in his eyes. This proud senior sister was now completely under his control, from body to soul.
Lin Feng leaned over, gently brushed away the sweat-soaked hair on Shi Yu’s forehead, and placed a soothing kiss on her smooth forehead.
Shiyu whimpered in a daze, rubbed his fingers like a lazy kitten, and then fell into a deep sleep.
Lin Feng picked up the thin blanket next to the sofa, gently covered her with it, then turned and left the apartment.
Walking downstairs, the night wind blew, bringing a hint of coolness. Lin Feng took out his mobile phone, and there was an unread message on the screen, which was sent half an hour ago from Yukinoshita Yukino.
The message was simple: “Tomorrow after school, in the Service Club Activity Room.”
Lin Feng’s mouth curled up again. It seemed that Bingshan had finally decided to approach him.
“Shiyu’s side has been completely stabilized, and Yukino’s side is about to open a breakthrough… The feeling of advancing on both fronts is really good.”
He looked up at the deep night sky, his eyes filled with a sense of control and expectation for the future.
Conquer these beauties of heaven, bring them under your wings one by one, build a harem that belongs only to you, and watch them shine even more brightly for you… This kind of pleasure is far more fascinating than simply resolving a few incidents.
Is this Yukinoshita Yukino’s “deeper problem”?
A playful gleam flashed in Lin Feng’s eyes.
“Let me see what kind of interesting ‘treasure’ is buried under this iceberg.”
Chapter 12: Iceberg’s Request and Senior’s Mark (Old Version)
Lin Feng picked up the coffee, took a sip, and his eyes fell calmly on Yukinoshita Yukino who was sitting upright opposite him.
The girl’s delicate face was still covered with a layer of frost, but in her clear eyes, in addition to the usual rationality and aloofness, there was also a hint of imperceptible scrutiny and…expectation.
“Advisor Lin, I have thought carefully about the in-depth consultation you mentioned last time.” Xueno’s voice was as cold as jade hitting each other. “I agree to proceed, but there are a few prerequisites.”
She tapped her slender fingers on the table and listed them clearly: “First, the content of the consultation is strictly confidential and must not be disclosed to any third party, including your…senior sister.”
Lin Feng raised his eyebrows, caught the slight pause at that moment, and understood. It seems that the brief encounter with Shiyu outside the coffee shop last time still left an impression on this cold lady.
“Second, the information I provide is limited to the scope directly related to the commission itself, and you are not allowed to explore additional information. Third, during the consultation process, you can only provide analysis and suggestions. The final decision-making power lies with me, and you cannot interfere with my personal life…”
Yukino stated all her conditions in one breath, as if she was building a tight line of defense, trying to keep the initiative of the consultation firmly in her own hands and isolate herself from possible risks.
Lin Feng put down the coffee cup, and a faint arc appeared at the corner of his lips: “Student Yukinoshita, your caution is understandable. However, you seem to have some misunderstandings about the nature of ‘consultation’.”
Without waiting for Yukino to retort, he continued, “Effective consultation is based on full information sharing. The conditions you provide are like asking a doctor to prescribe a cure for a stubborn disease based on oral instructions without allowing a physical examination. This is not professional, but a waste of time and energy for both parties.”
He leaned forward slightly, his eyes seemed to be able to penetrate people’s hearts: “Moreover, are you sure that the ‘limited information’ you provided can really point to the core of the problem?”
Yukino’s breathing stagnated, and a trace of hesitation flashed in her cold eyes. She thought she had already separated the problem clearly enough and only presented the necessary parts.
“Your worries are not just about ‘the implementation of a certain project is blocked’, right?” Lin Feng’s voice was not loud, but it hit Xue Nai’s defenses like a heavy hammer. “The power struggle within the family, the hidden obstruction of certain people, and… your own obsessive pursuit of ‘correctness’ and ‘efficiency’ deep in your heart, aren’t these deeper reasons?”
Xueno raised her head suddenly, her eyes filled with disbelief and shock. These… these details she had never mentioned to anyone! How could he know? !
“Also, you will face a small accusation recently due to the omission of details in a document, probably around three o’clock tomorrow afternoon. Although it is harmless, it is enough to make you upset for a while.” Lin Feng’s tone was flat, as if he was stating an established fact.
boom!
This sentence completely shattered the calmness that Xueno was trying to maintain. She could force herself to believe that the other party was reasoning based on some clues, but such an accurate prediction was beyond common sense! It was like… predicting the future!
Seeing Xue Nai’s face turn pale instantly and her pupils shrink violently, Lin Feng knew that the initial “crush” had been achieved. This was the power of [Future Insight] combined with information analysis, which was enough to break through any barrier that tried to hide the truth.
“You…how could you…” Yukino’s voice trembled slightly, and her original reserve and vigilance were gone.
“It doesn’t matter how I know, Yukinoshita.” Lin Feng leaned back in his chair and regained his composure. “What’s important is that I can see the essence of the problem and foresee the possible direction. And you need my help to solve it, don’t you?”
Xue Nai was silent. The ability displayed by Lin Feng was far beyond her understanding and control. Her rationality and analytical ability, which she was proud of, seemed so pale and powerless in front of him.
In order to completely dispel her doubts, Lin Feng decided to add fuel to the fire.
“Regarding the project you mentioned, one of the key obstacles lies with the vice president of XX Company, a man named Watanabe. He seems neutral, but in fact he has long been bribed by an opposing faction in your family. Evidence? He will meet with that man secretly next Tuesday at the Moon Shadow Club in Ginza at 9 pm.”
The information Lin Feng provided was specific about time, place, and people, and also hinted at the method of verification.
“Is this information enough for you to judge my value?”
Xue Nai pursed her lips tightly, and her heart was in turmoil. If what Lin Feng said was true, then many of her previous judgments and coping strategies would be wrong! This “Watanabe” was the one she had been trying to win over!
At this moment, Lin Feng’s cell phone vibrated slightly.
He glanced at the screen and saw a message from Kasumigaoka Utaha.
[Lin Jun, are you free tonight? I’ve written a new plot and I’d like you to help me take a look… By the way, the ‘mark’ you left last time seems to have faded a bit…(*/ω＼*)]The texts were filled with intimacy and a hint of coquetry that had never been seen before, and even had a hint of “checking in” and invitations. The so-called “mark” naturally referred to the energy connection that remained in her after the last “possibility granting” and intimate interaction.
Lin Feng tapped his fingers and quickly replied: [I have plans tonight. We’ll talk about the plot tomorrow. Mark? That’s part of the new power you need to adapt to, don’t think too much about it.]His reply was concise and powerful, with an unquestionable sense of control. When dealing with such a woman who has just been conquered and is getting addicted, appropriate pulling and distance can actually stimulate their possessiveness and dependence.
Sure enough, Shiyu quickly responded with an aggrieved cat expression and stopped asking questions.
Lin Feng put away his phone. The whole process took only a dozen seconds, but the invisible intimate atmosphere and controlling relationship between him and Shiyu was clearly conveyed to Yukinoshita Yukino on the opposite side.
Xue Nai’s eyes flickered slightly. She could feel the calm temperament of Lin Feng when he was processing the information. This made her already shaky defense line in her heart completely collapse.
She took a deep breath, and her originally straight back relaxed a little. Her tone was no longer as tense as before: “Advisor Lin…just pretend I never mentioned the previous conditions.”
She raised her eyes and looked at Lin Feng with complicated eyes: “My problem is much more complicated than what I described before. I need your help, comprehensive help.”
She began to describe in detail and without reservation the real difficulties she faced, involving family, interpersonal relationships, and some events that might be related to “abnormality”. She put the necessary authority and even the possibility of calling on some resources within the family in front of Lin Feng as bargaining chips.
“I understand.” Lin Feng listened quietly and nodded, “I accept this commission.”
The commission is officially established!
After the consultation, Lin Feng stood up and left. Xue Nai sat alone, looking at the busy traffic outside the window, feeling mixed emotions. Entrusting her deepest secrets and predicaments to a man with strange abilities whom she had only known for a short time was against her usual principles. But for some reason, the huge rock that had been hanging in her heart seemed to have really… fallen a corner.
Is it peace of mind? Or fear of the unknown? Perhaps both.
Lin Feng, who was walking on the street, was in a very good mood.
The goal of the first phase was achieved perfectly.
Kasumigaoka Utaha has already been initially branded with his mark, and her body and mind are rapidly sinking.
The storyline of Yukinoshita Yukino was also successfully opened. This proud iceberg finally opened the door to the depths of her heart to him.
His ability of “future insight” has become more and more proficient in actual combat, whether it is obtaining information, analyzing and predicting, or accurately controlling people’s hearts.
The city, which is a fusion of countless anime worlds, is full of undercurrents, opportunities and challenges. And he, Lin Feng, will use the future as a chessboard and insight as chess pieces to take all the coveted targets, whether it is power, resources, or those alluring beauties, into his hands one by one!
Feeling the subtle power in his body becoming active due to the completion of the phased layout, Lin Feng raised his eyes and looked into the distance with a smile full of control on his lips.
Chapter 13: Fully Powered Advisor and Undercurrents Under the Iceberg (Old Version)
The cold touch spread from the fingertips.
Lin Feng pushed open the heavy glass door in front of him, and what he stepped into seemed not an office, but a carefully carved ice and snow fortress.
This is one of the core areas of the Yukinoshita Group, located at the top of the city skyline. Modern and luxurious, every inch of the space exudes an atmosphere of order, but it is also filled with a chill that keeps people away. The ubiquitous hidden cameras are like cold eyes, silently watching every corner.
Top floor meeting room.
Yukinoshita Yukino was already waiting there.
She was still wearing the same meticulous professional suit, and still had the same pretty face that seemed to have never melted. However, when Lin Feng’s eyes met hers, he keenly caught a hint of extremely difficult scrutiny and… some inexplicable fluctuations beneath the ice layer compared to yesterday.
Perhaps it is anticipation? Perhaps it is a deeper sense of vigilance?
Lin Feng had a faint smile on his lips and sat down calmly opposite her, as if he couldn’t feel the low pressure in this space.
“Mr. Lin Feng, welcome.” Yukinoshita Yukino’s voice was steady, with no emotion in her voice, and her tone was completely businesslike. “The consulting agreement we reached yesterday is now officially in effect.”
Without any unnecessary greetings, she pushed a thick folder in front of Lin Feng.
“This is one of the most difficult problems facing the group right now,” she began to briefly explain in a formal tone. “It’s a strategic investment project in an emerging market in Southeast Asia, involving the introduction of new energy technologies. The project progressed smoothly in the early stages, but in the critical third stage, it suddenly encountered an unexpected regulatory review by the local government department in the name of ‘environmental protection standards review.’ At the same time, the largest local partner also unexpectedly asked for a ‘re-evaluation of the gambling agreement’, almost irrationally resisting the project’s advancement.”
“As a result, the project was forced to come to a complete halt. Huge maintenance costs are incurred every day, and the capital chain has begun to be under pressure.” Yukino stated the facts in a cold voice, as if discussing the weather. “Here is the project report and related materials. You can take a look first.”
Lin Feng picked up the folder. The texture of the paper was good, the content was detailed, and the data was clearly listed, but as Xue Nai said, the reasons for the “accident” and “irrationality” were vague and full of the vagueness of official rhetoric.
He flipped through the pages quickly, his fingers swiping across the paper, making a slight rustling sound. The only sounds in the conference room were this and Yukino’s almost imperceptible, slightly rapid breathing.
She was watching him and waiting.
Lin Feng’s gaze lingered for a few seconds on a page recording changes in the project’s local logistics supplier, and then paused slightly on another note about a mid-level project manager’s recent unusual leave.
Seemingly insignificant details.
He closed the folder, leaned back slightly, and closed his eyes.
A few seconds seemed like a century. Yukino looked at him, and her fingers holding the water cup tightened unconsciously. Will this man’s ability to see through everything that he showed yesterday appear again?
Lin Feng opened his eyes, his eyes were clear and sharp, as if they had penetrated through layers of fog.
He did not discuss the lengthy data analysis in the report, nor did he question the motives of local governments or partners.
“The supplier responsible for local warehousing and transportation for this project was changed three months ago, right?” The first question he asked was unexpected.
Xue No was startled, then nodded subconsciously: “Yes, the previous supplier withdrew for its own reasons.”
“The deputy project manager who is responsible for coordinating with the local government took a half-month vacation last month due to ‘family reasons’. Who took over his work during this period?” Lin Feng immediately asked the second question.
Yukino’s brows knitted slightly, as if she was recalling something: “It was… Manager Ishida from the marketing department who was acting as a temporary replacement.”
Lin Feng tapped the table lightly, his tone calm but firm: “Regulatory review and partner boycott are just smokescreens pushed to the front.”
“The real problem is that someone deliberately leaked the risk assessment report of the investment project under extreme circumstances, and took advantage of the loopholes in the report to unite certain local forces that do not want to see the project succeed, and deliberately created these obstacles.”
His voice was not loud, but it was like thunder, throwing a huge rock into the lake of Yukino’s heart!
The girl raised her head suddenly, and for the first time, her ice-blue eyes showed clear shock and disbelief! Her breathing stopped instantly, and her carefully maintained icy expression finally showed a crack!
How did he know that?! There was no mention of that in the report!
“The goal is clear.” Lin Feng ignored Xue Nai’s gaffe and continued his analysis coldly, “Let this project that you have high hopes for and intend to prove your ability fail completely. This will undermine your prestige in the board of directors and weaken your voice.”
Xueno’s pupils shrank slightly, and her face turned paler at a speed visible to the naked eye. She felt a chill rising from her spine and spreading throughout her body in an instant.
Family…Inside…
As if Lin Feng didn’t think the excitement was enough, he made another precise move: “I have reviewed the business reports of the Yukinoshita Group in recent years. This Southeast Asian project is one of the few business units that you can fully control and is generally favored by the outside world. Its failure will directly lead to the setback of the “young reform” plan promoted by your mother in the board of directors, and the biggest beneficiary will be the uncle Yukinoshita Yasumasa who has always disagreed with your mother and advocated a conservative strategy, right?”
Yukinoshita Yasumasa!
This name was like a spell, causing Yukino’s body to tremble uncontrollably. She bit her lower lip tightly, almost biting it until it bled, and only then could she suppress her surging emotions.
She was forced to face the cruel truth wrapped in the veil of family warmth. The so-called family affection was so vulnerable in the face of huge interests.
Lin Feng looked at the rage and cold hatred that suddenly ignited in her eyes, as well as the fragility that flashed across her face, and his heart was unmoved. He leaned forward slightly, his eyes as sharp as a knife, piercing Xue Nai’s heart:
“Ms. Yukinoshita, now, tell me your choice.”
“Do you just want to put out the fire in front of you and solve this ‘trouble’? Or… do you want to root out the problem and find out the traitor hiding in the shadows and setting the fire?”
Xue Nai raised her head suddenly and met Lin Feng’s deep eyes. There was no sympathy or pity in them, only absolute calmness and a sense of power that seemed to see through everything.
Just at this moment.
“Click.”
The door of the conference room was pushed open silently.
A figure as gorgeous as a blooming rose walked in with an impeccable and perfect smile.
Hiroyuki under the snow.
“Oh my, Yukino-chan, you look so serious so early in the morning. Have you encountered any difficult problems?” Yang No’s voice was sweet and pleasant, with just a hint of laziness, but her eyes were like the most sophisticated radar, locking onto Lin Feng at the first moment.
That look was filled with undisguised curiosity, scrutiny, and a hint of…hunting interest.
“Who is this gentleman…?” She asked knowingly and looked at Lin Feng with a smile.
“Mother is worried about you, so she asked me to come over to see you. Do you need my help?” Yang No walked to Yukino and put her arm around her shoulder affectionately. Her tone was so gentle that it seemed like water could drip out of it, but it made Yukino’s body instantly stiffer.
The invisible, turbulent undercurrent between the sisters almost froze the air.
Yang Nai sat down gracefully, asked a few simple questions about the project, and showed great “interest” in Lin Feng’s sudden appearance as “full-power consultant”.
“Mr. Lin Feng, huh? You’re really young and promising.” She looked Lin Feng up and down, her smile as perfect as a mask. “I wonder what kind of expert he is that makes Yukino-chan, who is always so arrogant, trust him so much?”
The words were full of temptations, and every word seemed to have a hook.
Lin Feng seemed not to feel the invisible pressure, and did not even pay too much attention to the eldest daughter of the Yukinoshita family.
His gaze remained on Yukino’s face, and his tone was steady, yet it carried an unquestionable strength:
“Ms. Yukinoshita, I need your answer to the question just now.”
“To solve the problem at its root and find out the traitor, I need authority.” Lin Feng’s voice echoed clearly in the silent conference room. “I need to immediately review all internal communication records of the project in the past three months, including emails, instant messaging tools, and meeting minutes. In addition, I need authorization to interview all relevant persons in charge individually, especially…”
He paused, then clearly named the name he had locked onto through [Future Insight] as the most suspicious person: “Manager Ishida from the Marketing Department.”
“This is a necessary procedure and there is no room for negotiation.”
The air seemed to freeze.
The smile on Yukinoshita Haruno’s face froze slightly, and a hint of amusement and surprise flashed in the depths of her eyes. She didn’t expect that this seemingly ordinary man would dare to be so strong in front of her, and point so accurately at… Ishida.
She looked towards her sister with interest to see how she would react.
Xueno pursed her lips tightly, her chest rising and falling slightly. Lin Feng’s request was almost equivalent to stripping the entire project team naked in front of her, and directly attacking a middle-level manager. This was a huge challenge within the Yukinoshita Group, which had a strict hierarchy and focused on procedures.
But… Lin Feng’s words just now, his insight that went straight to the point, and his unquestionable attitude, caused a bigger crack in the iceberg in her heart.
Maybe… he is the only one who can…
Under Yang No’s teasing gaze, Yukino took a deep breath and her eyes became cold and firm again.
A few seconds of silence seemed as long as a century.
Finally, she nodded grimly.
“……good.”
One word is as heavy as a thousand pounds.
“The authority will be given to you immediately.”
The corners of Lin Feng’s mouth curled up slightly.
very good.
On the first day, he successfully drove a nail into the frozen fortress and gained the first fulcrum to change the situation.
Yukinoshita Haruno, who was standing by, looked at this subtle scene, the smile on her face became brighter and the interest in her eyes became more intense.
This new consultant seemed much more interesting than she had imagined.
Chapter 14: Clues and the “Tool” Value of the Senior Sister (Old Version)
The temporary office provided by the Yukinoshita Group continues the minimalist style of Yukinoshita Yukino, which is almost mysophobic. Cold-toned metal and glass constitute the main body of the space, and even the air has a hint of chilliness.
Lin Feng didn’t care about it. He sat behind the large desk and obtained all the authority he requested.
On the high-performance terminal screen in front of me, data is pouring in like a torrent stirred by an invisible hand.
All the internal communication records about the overseas investment project – piles of emails, chat logs in the encrypted channels of instant messaging software, audio summaries and minutes of internal encrypted meetings – appeared before him like a huge digital maze.
For ordinary people, just sorting out the context of this information would take weeks or even months.
But Lin Feng is different.
His fingers tapped quickly on the specially designed silent keyboard, making a series of almost inaudible sounds. His eyes were as sharp as a hawk, scanning the lines of text and data on the screen with an almost inhuman efficiency. His brain was like the most efficient processor, screening, comparing and identifying at the same time.
The ability of [Future Insight] does not directly present a specific “answer”, but when processing this vast amount of information, it is like an invisible super search engine or a highlight marker, pushing those “keywords” and “anomalies” that are most likely to point to the truth hidden in massive data to the surface of Lin Feng’s consciousness with extremely high priority.
Time passes quietly as you concentrate.
A few hours later, the sky outside the window had turned from bright to dark, and the lights in the office automatically adjusted to an appropriate brightness.
Lin Feng’s fingertips tapping the keyboard finally stopped, hovering accurately over several pieces of abnormal information on the screen.
Found it.
The internal communication records of the suspected insider he initially identified, the deputy director of the marketing department, [Suspect A’s name], contained several encrypted emails between him and a little-known “Horizon Strategic Consulting Company” where the project was located.
The frequency and timing of sending these emails seem very suspicious, especially before and after several key project decision-making meetings, when the email exchanges increased significantly.
More importantly, Lin Feng keenly captured the traces of “cleaning” at the data level.
After several key meetings, some of [Suspect A]’s communication records, especially the direct contact records with the “consulting company”, showed signs of being cleverly erased. Although the method was professional, with the help of Lin Feng’s insightful analysis, which can be called “future perspective”, these covered traces were as clear as fireflies in the dark night.
Following the clue of “Horizon Strategic Consulting Company” and digging deeper, a fund flow path disguised through several overseas shell accounts and complex financial derivatives gradually surfaced.
The ultimate destination of this capital flow was secretly transferred into an overseas family trust fund account that was closely related to the ambitious uncle of the Yukinoshita family, Yukinoshita Seiichi.
Encrypted emails, deleted traces, suspicious fund flows…
A chain of evidence pointing to [Suspect A] as the executor and indirectly implicating Yukinoshita Seiichi has gradually become clear.
Lin Feng leaned back in the cold chair, his fingers tapping the table unconsciously.
The chain of evidence pointing to [Suspect A] was almost irrefutable, but he knew very well that this deputy director was at best a pawn pushed to the front, a high-level executor.
The real problem is that the evidence found so far is not enough to directly implicate the high-ranking and shrewd Yukinoshita Seichi.
The most crucial link is missing – direct “instruction” evidence.
Yukinoshita Seiichi was obviously very cautious, or rather, he used some more covert and untraceable traditional method to convey his intentions, thereby perfectly cutting off the direct connection between himself and the executor [Suspect A].
The possibility of digging out this instruction based on existing internal data is extremely slim.
Internal data can only reflect internal flows, and it is powerless to handle certain information that occurs “outside” or is transmitted through physical means.
It seems that we need to find a breakthrough from the outside.
Lin Feng’s mouth curled up in an imperceptible arc. In his hand, he happened to hold an extremely convenient “external tool”.
He picked up his personal mobile phone. There was no password set on the screen. After unlocking it with fingerprint recognition, he directly called up the address book and found the contact whom he had noted as “senior sister”.
The call is made.
The ringtone only lasted half a ring, and the call was picked up almost the moment it was connected.
A voice that was both respectful and carried a hint of irrepressible eagerness and excitement, even a slight tremor, came from the receiver.
“Master! You…you’re looking for me?”
It’s Kasumigaoka Utaha.
Her voice was slightly inflected with excitement, as if receiving a call from Lin Feng was a supreme honor for her.
Lin Feng’s tone was calm, without any emotion, and he gave the order directly: “Shiyu.”
“Yes! Master! I’m here!” Kasumigaoka Utaha responded immediately, her voice full of concentration.
“Use your ability,” Lin Feng’s voice was clear and unequivocal, “help me check all the activities and unusual contacts of Yukinoshita Seiichi of the Yukinoshita family in the past month.”
“In particular, any secret meetings, undisclosed financial transactions, or contacts with suspicious persons related to [project location name]. I need specific times, locations, and participants. The more details the better.”
“There is no limit to the means,” Lin Feng added, with an unquestionable meaning, “the result comes first.”
“Yes! Master!” Kasumigaoka Shiyu on the other end of the phone responded without hesitation, her voice full of enthusiasm, “Please rest assured! Shiyu will complete the task as soon as possible and will never let you down!”
Her response was quick and resolute, as if being able to serve Lin Feng was the greatest value of her existence.
Lin Feng could imagine that the senior school girl with black hair and red eyes on the other end of the phone was probably trembling with excitement because she had received the task from her “master”.
Since being “endowed” with special ability seeds related to information and perception by Lin Feng, and after a period of “watering”, the “tool” of Kasumigaoka Utaha has become more and more handy. The concealment and efficiency of its abilities even surpass those of conventional intelligence agencies in certain specific areas.
Most importantly, she is absolutely loyal.
After a brief pause, Kasumigaoka Utaha’s voice sounded again, this time with a cautious, tentative tone, even mixed with a hint of imperceptible, coquettishness and complaints like a kitten guarding its food:
“Um… Master… Are you busy with the eldest daughter of the Yukinoshita family now?”
She paused, as if weighing her words, and added: “She…she didn’t disrespect you, did she? If she dared…”
The words were not finished, but the flash of possessiveness and vigilance towards potential “competitors” in his tone was clearly discernible even through the current of the telephone line.
Before the harem was truly established, some subtle undercurrents had already begun to surge.
Lin Feng was not surprised by this. It could even be said that this was completely within his expectations and control.
“Well,” he just responded calmly, “I’m dealing with work.”
There is no affirmation or negation, maintaining just the right sense of distance and mystery.
“Okay, master! I won’t disturb you while you work! I’ll check it out right away!” Feeling the calmness in Lin Feng’s tone, Kasumigaoka Utaha immediately put away her little thoughts and returned to her proper state as a tool.
“Go ahead.”
Lin Feng ended the call neatly.
He was quite satisfied with Kasumigaoka Utaha’s ability and “awakening”. This tool was not only easy to use, but also seemed to have the tendency to maintain itself and remove obstacles, although it was still very weak.
After hanging up the phone, Lin Feng casually put the phone on the table.
His eyes returned to the intricate clues on the screen.
While waiting for the information feedback from Kasumigaoka Utaha, he was not idle. Following the suspicious flow of funds, he might be able to dig out something more interesting, such as more secrets hidden behind the overseas trust fund.
At the same time, his consciousness slightly diffused.
The ability of [Future Insight] was like an invisible tentacle, gently guided by him again.
This time, the focus is not on the case of the Yukinoshita family in front of us, but like a radar with the highest precision, it begins to scan a wider range, capturing the “possibilities” that are about to happen or are happening in this fused world and are related to certain specific “coordinates”.
He is looking for the next “interesting” target, the next prey that is worth his time and energy to “guide” and “control”.
Countless vague fragments of the future flickered and passed by like stars in the depths of consciousness.
Suddenly, a relatively clear picture caught his attention.
A slightly messy Japanese-style room filled with the smell of painting tools and paints.
The golden twin ponytails cascading down like a waterfall were swinging in dissatisfaction with the movements of their owner.
The girl in a white dress, with a delicate face like a doll, was angrily throwing the paintbrush in her hand onto the drawing paper on the floor, making a soft “pop” sound.
“Ahhh! My drawing is messed up again! Damn it! Why can’t I find the feeling!!”
The girl’s delicate face was now filled with frustration, madness and strong unwillingness caused by the failure of her creation.
Sawamura Spencer Eriri.
The corner of Lin Feng’s mouth once again curled up into a hunter-like smile.
Chapter 15 Thunderous Means and Yang No’s “Game” (Old Version)
In the private conference room on the top floor of the Yukinoshita Group, the air seems to be thinner than anywhere else.
Following Lin Feng’s instructions, Yukinoshita Yukino summoned the target – the person in charge of overseas projects, the deputy director of the marketing department, [Name of Suspect A] – here through internal communications.
A few minutes later, accompanied by a slight knock on the door, a man who looked to be in his forties, dressed in a well-tailored suit and with a rather astute temperament walked in. He had an impeccable professional smile on his face, and his eyes quickly swept over the only two people in the conference room – Yukinoshita Yukino, who was sitting behind the main seat with an expressionless face, and Lin Feng, who was standing beside her and looked a little casual.
“Ms. Yukinoshita, are you looking for me?” [Suspect A]’s voice was just the right amount of respectful and a hint of confusion, his posture impeccable, as if he had no idea of ​​the coming storm.
Lin Feng didn’t even give him the chance to perform more.
A few thin pieces of paper, like a cold verdict, were casually pushed in front of [Suspect A] by Lin Feng.
Above is a printout of the encrypted email sending and receiving records, with key time nodes highlighted; there is also a report on the traces of abnormal deletion of communication logs detected by the background system; and a brief report on suspicious fund flows pointing to a shell consulting company.
“Minister [Suspect A], can you explain this to me?” Lin Feng’s voice was calm, yet it carried a chill that could penetrate deep into one’s bones.
The smile on [Suspect A]’s face was like a frozen ice sculpture, frozen in an instant. His pupils suddenly contracted uncontrollably as his eyes only touched the shocking contents on the paper! His Adam’s apple rolled up and down with difficulty, trying to swallow the non-existent saliva.
Although he quickly lowered his head and tried to hide his momentary shock by adjusting his tie, this slight gaffe was already accurately captured by Lin Feng’s eyes that seemed to be able to see through people’s hearts.
Just as [Suspect A]’s lips moved slightly, as if he was rapidly thinking of a defense –
The door of the conference room was pushed open from the outside again, as if the time had been precisely calculated.
Yukinoshita Haruno leaned against the door frame with a charming smile, her long, smooth hair swaying slightly. She spoke in a lazy and playful tone: “Oh, am I here at a bad time? Did I disturb you?”
Her eyes swept around the three people in the room, and finally landed on [Suspect A]’s obviously unnatural expression. Her smile deepened a bit. “Minister [Suspect A] is a senior member of our company. What important business secrets are they discussing? Can’t even my sister listen in?”
She walked in with graceful steps, as if she was just passing by, picked up the fund flow briefing on the table, glanced at it casually, and chuckled: “Hmm… This kind of anonymous overseas fund flow is prone to errors, right? Maybe there is a small malfunction in some technical link. Consultant Lin,” she looked at Lin Feng with a hint of cunning in her eyes, “You jumped to a conclusion so quickly, isn’t it a bit…too arbitrary?”
The words were gentle, but like an invisible line, thrown accurately to [Suspect A] who was in dire straits, trying to provide him with a fulcrum for struggling. At the same time, it was also a silent test of Lin Feng.
The atmosphere in the conference room suddenly became more subtle and tense.
Lin Feng seemed not to have heard Yang Nai’s words. He didn’t even bother to lift his eyelids. His gaze was still fixed on [Suspect A] whose expression kept changing.
“Technical failure?” Lin Feng’s voice sounded again, a little colder than before, “Then, the encrypted communication records between you and the [key contact of the shell company, a name that Lin Feng dug out through his insight] of ‘Horizon Strategic Consulting Company’ that occurred several times in the middle of the night were also technical failures?”
He paused, and without waiting for the other party to react, he continued to drop a bombshell: “Also, the unknown income in your personal account, which arrived just after several key decision-making errors in the project and whose source was marked as ‘overseas high-risk investment’…can it also be explained by technical failure?”
This information, like a carefully calculated series of heavy blows, accurately hit the most vulnerable point of [Suspect A]’s psychological defense line! This is not the content of the previous paper report, but Lin Feng’s analysis with the assistance of [Future Insight], digging out fatal details from countless information fragments!
“You…how could you…” [Suspect A]’s face instantly lost all color, turning as pale as a dead person! Big beads of cold sweat oozed out of his forehead and slid down his temples. His body began to tremble slightly uncontrollably, his lips trembled, and he wanted to say something, but could only make a few meaningless hoarse sounds.
The look in his eyes when he looked at Lin Feng was no longer one of shock, but of complete fear! It was as if the person in front of him was not a human, but a devil who could see through everything and control his fate!
Even Yukinoshita Haruno, who had always maintained an elegant smile, had the corners of her mouth slightly narrowed at this moment, and a sharp light flashed in her eyes as she looked at Lin Feng.
The time has come.
Lin Feng judged that any further delay would be meaningless except making the situation even uglier or leaving Yang Nai more room for maneuver.
He turned his head suddenly and looked directly at Yukinoshita Yukino, who had been watching silently but was obviously in turmoil inside.
“Ms. Yukinoshita,” Lin Feng said in a firm tone, with unquestionable authority, “We have basically all the witnesses and evidence. To avoid any more trouble, to prevent the evidence from being further destroyed or the relevant personnel from colluding with each other, I suggest–“
“Immediately suspend [Suspect A] from all positions and system access within the group, and isolate him immediately by the security department for a comprehensive internal review. At the same time, immediately initiate an emergency forensic audit procedure for the relevant fund flows.”
“——You need to make a decision now, immediately.”
He handed the final decision-making power back to Yukino, but the powerful aura, the urgent situation, and the thunderous means just displayed almost deprived her of the right to hesitate and pushed her to the brink of making a choice.
The meeting room fell into deathly silence.
Every second seemed to be stretched infinitely.
Yukinoshita Yukino clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white from the force. There was no expression on her pale face, but a storm was gathering in her ice-blue eyes. She first glanced at [Suspect A], who was slumped in the chair, looking ashen, as if all his strength had been drained away, and then turned her gaze to the man beside her who seemed calm but brought her unprecedented shock and invisible pressure – Lin Feng.
Finally, her gaze briefly met with that of her sister, Yukinoshita Haruno, who was sitting diagonally opposite her. The pair of eyes that seemed to be smiling but could see through everything met in mid-air, creating silent sparks.
Just a few seconds of stagnation.
Xueno took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling slightly, and then, a cold and clear voice resounded throughout the conference room, with an unshakable determination:
“Just do as Consultant Lin says! Execute it immediately!”
The moment the order was issued, as if receiving some kind of signal, the well-trained security personnel who had been waiting outside the door quickly pushed the door open and entered with standard and efficient movements. They expressionlessly “invited” [Suspect A], who had completely lost the will to resist and was like a pile of mud, to leave.
“Snap, snap, snap.”
Yukinoshita Haruno clapped her hands gently, the smile on her face becoming perfect again, and her tone was filled with a hint of admiration that was hard to tell whether it was real or fake: “That’s amazing, Consultant Lin. It seems that Yukino-chan has really found a treasure this time, and she hired the right person.”
She didn’t say anything more, but just gave Lin Feng and Xue Nai a meaningful look, turned around, twisted her graceful waist, and left slowly, leaving the room in silence and lingering smoke.
The door to the conference room closed again.
Yukinoshita Yukino stared at Lin Feng in a daze, her eyes filled with unprecedented complex emotions.
Shocked by his unpredictable methods, terrified by the cruel reality of the family’s internal strife, and… a feeling that she herself may not have fully realized, but was growing wildly in her heart and could not deny –
rely.
For the first time, she realized so clearly that if she wanted to survive in this cold, cruel family struggle full of conspiracy and betrayal, or even take back what belonged to her, she might really need… no, she must rely on the tremendous and unfathomable power possessed by the man in front of her.
Chapter 16: Senior’s Information and “Reward” (Old Version)
My Insight Connects the Future: Chapter 16 Senior’s Intelligence and “Rewards”
Night falls in Tokyo.
The presidential suite of the luxurious hotel in the heart of the city was brightly lit, reflecting the dazzling city night view outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. Lin Feng had just finished his initial exploration and shock of the Yukinoshita family, and was now sitting on the large sofa, sliding his fingertips on the tablet, sorting out the intricate network of relationships and the next plan.
At this moment, the screen of his customized encrypted mobile phone lit up and vibrated slightly. An encrypted email notification from “Xia Shizi” (Xia Zhiqiu Shiyu’s code name) popped up.
Lin Feng picked up his phone, unlocked it, and opened the email. The attachment was a document that was carefully typeset and worded.
The choice of words and sentences in the content is neither too arrogant nor too vague, and tries to present the information in a clear and objective manner.
The content is about Yukinoshita Haruno’s ambitious uncle.
The report lists in detail all the recent public activities of the target person, accurate to the hour.
More importantly, there are several small amounts of seemingly normal private account fund flows marked in it, but their final destinations point to several overseas shell company accounts, and the timing is highly consistent with the time when the Yukinoshita Group’s overseas projects suffered unknown attacks.
In addition, the report also recorded two secret meetings that took place in high-end private clubs. The time and location were extremely secretive. Although the identities of the participants could not be directly confirmed, several slightly blurry photos of vehicles and silhouettes of the participants obtained through technical means were included.
“Good efficiency.” Lin Feng muttered to himself, with a hint of approval on his lips.
It seems that the “power” given to Shiyu has produced an effect in her hands far beyond expectations.
Today, this former sarcastic and arrogant senior schoolmate appears to be a young and gifted light novel beauty genius, but secretly her ability to handle consultation and information has been greatly enhanced.
Not only does she use words to describe the fictional world, she also has the ability to use information processing capabilities to directly and easily sort out real-world data and information and derive various intelligence.
This senior sister with black stockings will not only be a cash cow that provides fame and financial income, but she will also be an excellent helper in the other world of online consulting.
Of course, this senior sister also has some extra “value” and “functions” that are unique to beautiful women, which are also of top-notch quality. If they are not used frequently on weekdays, it would be a bit of a waste.
At the end of Kasumigaoka Shiyu’s report, there was a note written in slightly uneasy words: “Master, in order to obtain the silhouette information of the last two meetings, I… slightly used the ability of ‘Network Ghost’ to temporarily interfere with the network signals of several public monitoring probes and private devices in the area near the club, and intercepted part of the data stream. All traces of the operation should have been cleaned up through multiple agents and data overlays, but in theory, if the other party has top network security experts, the slight possibility of being tracked by abnormal fluctuations cannot be completely ruled out. Please make the decision, Master.”
Lin Feng tapped his fingers lightly on the screen, a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes. Shi Yu not only completed the task, but also took the risk. This “loyalty” deserves praise. As for the risk? For him who has [Future Insight], as long as it is not a crisis that will explode immediately, it is within the controllable range.
He quickly assessed the value of the intelligence. The chain of evidence was clear and pointed, but it lacked the final “hard evidence” – such as direct transfer records, clear instruction documents or clear meeting recordings. The uncle’s actions were indeed flawless, like a cunning old fox. I’m afraid it’s not enough to directly bring him down with this report.
It seems that it is time to give this senior some “rewards” and, by the way… get more details and plan the next move.
Lin Feng picked up the phone and dialed Shiyu’s number directly.
The call was answered almost instantly.
“Master?” The voice of Kasumigaoka Utaha came from the receiver with a slightly hurried and expectant tone.
“I received the report. It’s very well done.” Lin Feng’s voice was calm, with the majesty of a superior, and he gave a clear affirmation first. Then, his tone slowed down slightly, with a hint of unquestionable command and some indescribable temptation, “Your ability has improved a lot, I am very satisfied. Now, come to my room. There are some details of the intelligence that I need to ask you in person. In addition…” He paused deliberately, letting the ambiguous atmosphere ferment in the airwaves, “You have made a great contribution this time, and it’s time to give you some…special ‘rewards’.”
There was a brief silence on the other end of the line, and only the sound of Shiyu’s heartbeat could be heard after she suddenly held her breath. A few seconds later, a voice mixed with extreme excitement, shyness, and slight trembling rang out: “Yes… Yes! Master! I, I understand! I… I’ll be right over!”
After hanging up the phone, Lin Feng stood up leisurely, walked to the wine cabinet, poured himself a glass of whiskey, and waited quietly for the arrival of his prey.
Not long after, the doorbell rang on time.
Lin Feng opened the door, and it was Kasumigaoka Utaha who was standing outside. She had obviously dressed up carefully, and put on a black dress that was not a school uniform. The style was simple and elegant, but it perfectly outlined her exquisite body curves, especially the slender legs wrapped in black stockings, which exuded an attractive luster under the soft light of the hotel corridor. Her face had a trace of fatigue after completing the task, but more of it was an unconcealable blush and a bright light flashing in her beautiful eyes, mixed with expectation and nervousness.
“Master, I’m here.” Shi Yu lowered her head slightly, not daring to look directly into Lin Feng’s eyes. With a barely perceptible tremor in her voice, she walked into the room respectfully.
“Sit down.” Lin Feng pointed to the sofa and sat down on the single chair opposite her, relaxing.
Shiyu sat down on the edge of the sofa and began to report in detail the basis for her judgment, the difficulties she encountered, and the means of confirming the information in the process of collecting intelligence. She tried to keep her voice steady and professional, but the occasional speed of speech, unconscious adjustment of sitting posture or small movements of tossing her hair clearly exposed her inner restlessness.
Lin Feng listened patiently, nodding his head from time to time to show his approval. After she finished her report, he slowly spoke: “Very good. You are becoming more and more proficient in using your abilities, especially the ‘Cyber ​​Ghost’. It seems that you have initially grasped its core. I am very satisfied.”
He stood up and walked in front of Shiyu. His tall figure loomed over her, bringing an invisible sense of oppression. Shiyu subconsciously tensed her body.
“Tell me, Shiyu,” his voice was almost close to her ear, “what reward do you… want?”
Shiyu felt her brain go blank, her body trembled slightly involuntarily, and a strange feeling of fear and desire swept over her body.
I don’t know how long it had passed, but only a faint, ambiguous atmosphere remained in the presidential suite.
Kasumigaoka Utaha curled up in a corner of the large sofa.
Lin Feng stood in front of the huge French window, holding a half-cup of amber whiskey in his hand, looking down at the brightly lit city below with a calm expression. The window glass reflected his cold and indifferent profile.
After a while, Lin Feng looked at Shiyu, who had barely recovered some strength.
“You can go now.”
The once sharp-tongued senior schoolmate lowered her head, her face still blushing, and looked at him with complicated eyes.
“I see.”
There was no anger or dissatisfaction in her eyes, but instead endless attachment and a hint of humility that she herself was not even aware of.
She had already lost all ability to resist or refuse this man who was too “powerful” in every aspect.
Both physically and mentally.
At this moment, Kasumigaoka Shiyu felt a strange sense of satisfaction in her heart, as if crawling at this man’s feet, smiling humbly and flattering him, was also an extremely sweet and euphoric bliss in the world.
So, at this moment, Kasumigaoka Utaha did not feel any resentment because of Lin Feng’s attitude.
On the contrary, deep down in her heart, she was already looking forward to what kind of wonderful experience it would be when she got her next “reward”.
So at this time, this beautiful black senior sister lowered her head and silently left the room.
The door closed gently, blocking out everything outside.
Lin Feng gently shook the wine glass in his hand, and the ice cubes collided with each other, making a crisp sound. The old fox of the Yukinoshita family hid very deeply, and it was difficult to build a direct chain of evidence. Then, there was no need to rush for success.
Stirring up the muddy water and making the undercurrent beneath the surface even more turbulent may force the other party to reveal more flaws.
Or… just put this aside for the time being and open up a new “battlefield”.
His fingertips slid across the screen of his phone, and he pulled up the profile of another girl. Golden twin ponytails, a slightly tsundere look, and the amazing talent hidden under the brush… Sawamura Spencer Eriri.
Clips of [Future Insights] flashed by sporadically: the haggard figure of a girl working on her manuscript in a dim room, the disappointment of being snubbed at a book signing event, and… the possibility of bursting into dazzling light because of a certain opportunity.
“Interesting ‘possibility’…” Lin Feng’s mouth curled up again with a smile of control over the overall situation, “It’s time to visit this teacher ‘Kashiwagi Eri’.”
English pear.
A famous golden-haired loser in the two-dimensional world.
One of the most “tragic” female characters whose life was ruined by her tsundere.
It was so tragic that even his own if-line comic was cut short.
And the next target is none other than Eriri Sawamura Spencer.
Public information on the Internet, forums where certain painting enthusiasts gather, and the background information about Toyosaki Academy mentioned in Kasumigaoka Utaha’s detailed report yesterday… countless fragmented pieces of information were quickly integrated and screened in Lin Feng’s mind.
Her father is a British diplomat and her mother comes from a prominent Japanese family. She is a typical white, rich and beautiful woman.
The conspicuous blonde hair is always tied into two long ponytails, with a pair of green eyes. As for her personality… the online comments and Shiyu’s description point to the same word – tsundere.
She is currently a second-year student at Toyosaki Academy and is in the same grade as Kasumigaoka Utaha. It is said that the two have a bad relationship and dislike each other.
Another identity is that she is a fan artist who works under the pen name “Kashiwagi Eri” and is well-known in the circle. However, there are also rumors that this young lady has a bad temper and is quite difficult to get along with.
Thinking about the superficial information in his mind, Lin Feng was sure that this information was not enough to support an accurate and efficient “hunt”.
Lin Feng adjusted his breathing, his consciousness sank slightly, as if diving into the deep sea, and began to actively connect to the endless torrent of future information. The target was locked on – Sawamura Spencer Eriri.
Countless chaotic possibilities flashed before my eyes like a fast-forwarded movie.
The girl in her home clothes was scratching her long golden hair in annoyance. There were only a few sloppy and twisted lines on the digital screen in front of her. The wastebasket next to the drawing board was already full of crumpled and discarded drafts.
At a corner of a doujinshi exhibition, when a reader cautiously asked, “The characters’ movements are a little stiff…”, the girl’s cheeks instantly turned red, and she almost screamed in a forceful rebuttal, “No, no! You just don’t know how to appreciate it!”
In an office that looked like an editorial department, a middle-aged man pointed at the drawings with a gentle tone that was full of unquestionable professionalism: “Teacher Kashiwagi, although your paintings are gorgeous, they are always a little lacking in impact…especially in the performance of fierce battle scenes…” The girl bit her lips tightly, her green eyes almost overflowing with tears of grievance, but she stubbornly refused to lower her head.
Chapter 17 Golden Twintails and the Bottleneck of Creation (Old Version)
Information fragments continue to emerge, collide, and be annihilated.
Lin Feng’s consciousness was like the most efficient processor, quickly capturing, filtering, and refining… In the end, the core was accurately anchored.
Eriri’s painting skills have reached a bottleneck.
Specifically, she was unable to achieve the desired effect in capturing and expressing the dynamics of characters, especially when it came to scenes such as fierce battles and high-speed movements that required extreme power and speed. The lines either appeared stiff and weak, or too erratic, lacking the proper weight and impact.
However, her strong self-esteem, which came from her background and talent, as well as the image of a “genius beautiful girl painter” that she has always maintained, made it impossible for her to accept her own failures and shortcomings. She was even more afraid that anyone – especially her peers or readers – would see through her powerlessness beneath her halo.
Now that we know where the pain point is, the next question is how to accurately deliver the thorn to the prey.
Go directly to the door? Too deliberate. Through school connections? Maybe Kasumigaoka Utaha can do it, but it will also easily arouse vigilance.
Lin Feng’s gaze turned to those fragments of the future again.
Soon, a suitable scenario emerged.
In Shibuya, there is a large art supply store called “ArtForest”. It is known for its professionalism, comprehensiveness and…expensiveness. The future footage shows that in order to break through the bottleneck, Eriri has been coming here almost every afternoon after school, wandering among various painting materials and tools, trying to find a “magic weapon” or special painting material that can bring inspiration.
The perfect “chance encounter” spot.
Lin Feng raised his lips slightly and made up his mind. Tomorrow afternoon, he would go there to “try his luck”.
The next afternoon, at the agreed time.
Lin Feng, like an ordinary customer with a keen interest in art, strolled leisurely in the spacious and bright store of “ArtForest”.
The air was filled with the faint smell of oil paint and paper. The shelves were filled with top-quality painting materials, pigments, brushes, digital tablets from all over the world… many of the brands were only heard of by Lin Feng, a “fake” art lover, and the price tags next to them were even more shocking.
It is indeed a place that can attract that young lady.
Lin Feng was not in a hurry. He strolled around the store patiently, casually glancing at the expensive goods, occasionally picking up a picture album and flipping through a few pages, with a calm and unhurried attitude.
He is waiting.
About half an hour later, a figure almost “slipped” into the store.
He wore a dark-colored cap with the brim pulled down low on his head, and a large white mask on his face, which covered most of his face.
However, her iconic dazzling golden twin ponytails that slipped from the brim of her hat and swayed gently with her steps, as well as her slightly hurried and anxious pace, instantly exposed her identity.
After entering the store, she barely looked around and walked straight to the digital painting product area deep inside the store. Her footsteps finally stopped in front of a glass counter displaying a variety of high-end imported digital pen tips.
She bent down and looked carefully at the product descriptions on the counter. Then she picked up several samples, placed them in her palms, and compared and weighed them repeatedly. Her beautiful eyebrows were tightly furrowed, as if she was troubled by some difficult problem.
Lin Feng remained calm and pretended to be interested in the latest painting software on the shelf next to him. He moved naturally and stopped at a position not far from Ying Lili.
His eyes swept across Eriri’s hips, which looked even more upturned as she bent over, and her slender and well-proportioned calves wrapped in white over-the-knee socks.
His eyes finally fell on the tip of the pen in her hand that was hesitating. According to the label next to it, it was a flagship product that used a new type of composite material and claimed to have “nanosecond-level ultra-fast response, perfectly capturing dynamic trajectories.”
It’s expensive. It also fits with Eriri’s idea that she might be superstitious about “equipment”.
The corners of Lin Feng’s mouth curled up in an imperceptible arc.
He cleared his throat, as if he had just seen the introduction of the pen tip by accident, and spoke to himself in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for the people around him to hear clearly, with a tone of professional discussion:
“…Tsk, this new composite material pen tip is quite hard, and the advertised response speed is also fast. But the problem is that the rebound feedback is too direct, with almost no buffering, and lacks the subtle damping feeling that simulates the pressure of a real pen stroke.”
“It may be fine for fine description of static painting, but if you really want to express that kind of… well, for example, the strong traction of muscles at the moment of power explosion, or the tension of the trajectory that tears through the air during high-speed movement… this overly ‘slippery’ pen tip will make the lines look light and not solid enough.”
“Sometimes, if you want to draw with a real sense of power, it is the traditional models with a slightly frosted tip that can better simulate the feeling of power being transmitted layer by layer and finally ‘engraved’ on the picture when writing…”
Lin Feng’s voice was not loud and his tone was flat, just like an enthusiast expressing his personal opinions on something he saw.
However, every word he said was like a poisoned scalpel, which accurately dissected the most tangled and painful technical difficulty in Eriri’s heart at the moment – how to make the dynamic lines under the pen have both explosive speed and steady power? !
Almost at the moment when Lin Feng finished speaking——
“!!!”
Ying Lili seemed to be hit by an invisible electric current all over her body. She froze as if she had been electrocuted, and then suddenly turned around!
The hat and mask covered most of her face, revealing only a pair of green eyes that were instantly widened due to shock. At this moment, those eyes were filled with disbelief, shame, and deep fear and vigilance after the secret was exposed!
“You, what are you talking about?! I, I don’t…! Who cares about your sense of damping and power! It’s incomprehensible!”
Her voice trembled slightly with excitement, and she refuted incoherently, completely losing her usual eloquence. Her cheeks – even through the mask, one could imagine that they must be red as hell and about to bleed!
Who is this stranger?!
How could he know?! How could he know that he couldn’t draw dynamic lines well?! How could he know that he was struggling with this problem?!
It was as if the most closely hidden, most shameful secret in the depths of one’s heart had been ripped open in public and exposed in broad daylight!
A huge feeling of shame and anger instantly overwhelmed her like a tide!
She didn’t even dare to look at Lin Feng again, as if the other’s gaze was scorching.
She randomly grabbed a pen tip that looked pleasing to the eye—it might not even be the one she originally wanted to buy—and rushed to the checkout counter almost as if she was running away.
Check out in a hurry.
Then, without looking back, like a frightened little rabbit, he disappeared outside the door of “ArtForest”.
Lin Feng stood where he was, watching the girl’s hastily escaping back calmly, until the golden color completely disappeared in the crowd.
He slowly withdrew his gaze, and a smile of slight mockery appeared on the corner of his mouth.
The first thorn has successfully and deeply penetrated the heart of this golden-haired loser who appears proud on the outside but is fragile on the inside.
Next, all you need is a little bit of patience and wait for the wound to ferment… and for the next “accidental” contact.
Chapter 18 The Loser’s Troubles and the “Tools'” Report (Old Version)
In the Sawamura family’s luxurious villa, in Eriri’s exclusive studio, the atmosphere was as depressing as a volcano about to erupt.
The sunlight poured in through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, illuminating the tiny dust particles flying in the air, as well as the delicate yet irritable face in front of the easel.
Eriri, the young lady with blonde twin ponytails, was staring at the expensive digital screen in front of her.
On the screen was a rough sketch of a character in motion, with only a few strokes. The lines were intermittent, the proportions were seriously out of balance, and it was as stiff as a piece of wood. It didn’t have the kind of powerful impact that she had in mind, which could instantly catch people’s eyes!
“Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!!”
Suddenly, she grabbed her proud golden twin ponytails with both hands, her knuckles turning white, and ravaged them fiercely, as if it was not her own hair but the face of some hateful guy.
“That bastard! Nonsense!” Eriri gritted her teeth, her delicate face flushed, not knowing whether it was out of anger or shame. “What sense of power! What use of the pen tip! I don’t believe it! I won’t be influenced by a few words from that guy!!”
Although she fiercely refuted the “instructions” given to her paintings by the strange black-haired man in that strange art shop in Shibuya yesterday, every word she said was filled with disdain and resistance.
But her hands were subconsciously and uncontrollably imitating the kind of brushstrokes that the other person mentioned in her memory – the so-called “harder, more restrained, and more able to reflect instantaneous explosive power.”
result……
The lines on the screen became more distorted and more difficult to control! The characters’ movements not only lacked a sense of power, but instead seemed to be stiff after limb necrosis, revealing a weird and ugly feeling!
“Ahhhhhhhh!!” Eriri screamed and slammed the stylus onto the table, making a crisp “pop” sound.
The worse she drew, the more clearly the man’s figure and words echoed in her mind.
Who is he?!
How can I accurately point out her core weakness hidden under her gorgeous skills with just one glance? ! The lack of control over dynamic lines!
A strong emotion, a mixture of humiliation and unwillingness, burned her heart like a flame, driving her.
No! I must find him! Ask him clearly! Or… or I can take revenge on him severely!
She turned around abruptly and rushed to her computer, her fingers tapping rapidly on the keyboard.
Search engine pages are constantly refreshing.
“Shibuya Art Forest Critic”… No.
“A master of painting, a stranger with black hair and a sharp tongue”… a lot of messy information.
“Point out the dynamic line problem art shop”… couldn’t find any useful clues at all.
That man seemed to appear out of nowhere and disappear out of nowhere!
Eriri was so angry that she gritted her teeth and even had an impulsive idea – to mobilize her father, Councilman Sawamura’s connections, to check the surveillance video of the store yesterday!
But this thought only lasted a second.
The thought of having to explain to my parents why I would sneak to that kind of place, why I would lose my composure because of a few words from a strange man, and more importantly, why I would bother myself with… drawing that kind of shameful fan fiction!
Her pitiful self-esteem, which was based on her wealthy family background and her own talents, made her retreat in an instant.
In the end, all the resentment, anger, shame and powerlessness turned into a fierce beating and kicking of the life-sized pillow printed with an anime character on the sofa.
“Asshole! Asshole! Asshole!!”
The soft pillow was kicked by her and rolled in the air, and the cotton seemed to be making silent wails.
Just as the blonde loser was stirring up a storm in his own world, he fell into deep self-doubt and creative hell.
On the other side, Lin Feng was sitting leisurely in the study of his apartment, having just finished a routine “online report” with Kasumigaoka Utaha.
In front of him were several electronic documents that he had just received.
One of them was a preliminary progress report on the internal investigation from Yukinoshita Yukino, which was compiled and sent by her secretariat.
The report was written in a very formulaic manner and the content was not beyond Lin Feng’s expectations.
The department head in charge of overseas business, [Suspect A], who was accurately “pointed out” by him, admitted all the charges very “cooperatively” on the second day after the quarantine and investigation began – leaking commercial secrets, accepting unknown funds, falsifying project data, etc.
But he took all the responsibility on himself, insisting that it was all due to his own greed and desire for profit. He kept silent about any possible mastermind behind the scenes and said he knew nothing about it.
The relevant judicial audit procedures have been initiated and Yukinoshita Construction has also called the police, but it is foreseeable that the subsequent investigation will progress very slowly and it will be difficult to implicate the real big fish.
A typical case of sacrificing the rook to save the king.
At the end of the electronic version of the report, Xueno attached a brief personal message, with a hint of imperceptible fatigue and solemnity:
“Advisor Lin, thank you for your swift action. You bought us valuable time and initially cleared an internal obstacle. But it is clear that the other party has already made preparations to cut off the connection. It will probably be more difficult to trace the source later.”
Lin Feng looked at the line of words with no expression on his face.
It’s just a common tactic used by old foxes. If they could be caught so easily, the Yukinoshita family wouldn’t be in such deep trouble.
He closed the report with a click of his fingertips.
Immediately afterwards, another encrypted message popped up, and the sender was Kasumigaoka Utaha.
Her reports are always much more “rich” than Yukino’s, and she is better at figuring out what her “master” might be interested in.
“Master, regarding the relevant movements of the uncle’s faction of the Yukinoshita family that you mentioned earlier, I have made some new discoveries through some special information channels.”
Lin Feng raised his eyebrows. This “special channel” naturally refers to the part of [possibility] he gave to Shiyu, which brought about the ability to perceive and associate information beyond ordinary people.
“Mr. [Uncle’s name] recently made several large capital flows through a ‘Morning Star Art Investment Fund’ registered in the Cayman Islands. There is very little public information about this fund and its background is very vague, but I initially found that it seems to have some hidden connections with several offshore consortiums with gray backgrounds in Southeast Asia and Europe. This is very likely a new channel for them to transfer benefits or even launder money.”
Shiyu’s report was clear and to the point.
Offshore funds? Art investment? Oh, the old trick of money laundering.
However, this is a good clue that can be noted down. It may be of unexpected use in the future.
At the end of the report, Shiyu added a very thoughtful supplement as if it was just a casual mention:
“Also, Master, I also took a look at the situation at Toyonosaki Academy. It seems that… Sawamura-san is in a very bad mood today. She even missed the art club activities this afternoon. Her friends said that she seemed to have encountered a very serious creative bottleneck and locked herself in the studio and didn’t see anyone.”
Seeing this, Lin Feng couldn’t help but curl up the corners of his mouth into a playful smile.
Really… you are becoming more and more sensible, Shiyu.
This precise additional information really hits the spot.
He leaned back in a comfortable chair, his slender fingers tapping rhythmically on the smooth tabletop, his brain like a sophisticated computer, quickly integrating all the information he had just received.
On Yukino’s side, [Suspect A] has become a discarded pawn, which means that the opponent has temporarily chosen to shrink its defense. The subsequent game will enter a deeper level of secret warfare. Don’t worry, take your time.
The uncle’s offshore fund line is very valuable, and Shiyu needs to continue to follow up, but don’t alert the enemy for the time being.
As for now…
Lin Feng’s gaze seemed to penetrate the barrier of space and fell on a girl with blonde twin ponytails who was probably going crazy in her own studio.
The “prey” that he focuses on – Sawamura Spencer Eriri.
Just as he had predicted, because of those few seemingly casual comments he had made yesterday and because of his shortcomings in painting skills that were ruthlessly exposed, he fell into deep self-doubt and creative hell.
Tsk tsk, that proud golden-haired loser must really, really need help right now, right?
The feeling of anxiety, of being anxious and unable to get what you want, and of being completely defeated by a “mortal rival” (such as Kasumigaoka Utaha) at the next comic convention must be very uncomfortable.
There was a flash of undisguised evil in Lin Feng’s eyes.
For a tsundere young lady like Eriri who has a strong sense of self-esteem and is particularly concerned about her reputation, the most painful thing in the world may not be failure itself.
Instead, I had to bow my head and ask for help from the person who had “humiliated” me in public and pointed out my most unwilling weaknesses.
And, deep down in my heart, I have to admit with humiliation that what that bastard said is right!
So……
Just give her a “chance”.
Lin Feng’s smile became more meaningful.
One that would allow her to truly resolve the bottleneck in her painting skills, break through herself, and even satisfy her pathetic vanity and desire to win…
But at the same time, it is also an opportunity to pay a corresponding “price” for it.
He needs to choreograph a scene, perfect timing.
Let him, like a high and mighty god, or a tempting devil, once again descend before that golden-haired loser who is about to be driven crazy by the bottleneck.
Reaching out his hand, he handed over a “fatal” help that she absolutely could not refuse, which was enough to change her “life as a painter”.
And the best time…
It should be the moment when she was tortured by repeated failures and self-denial, and her spirit was about to collapse and her pride was about to disappear?
Lin Feng picked up the coffee on the table and took a sip.
Well, it’s almost time for Shiyu to “inadvertently” reveal some vague clues about the “mysterious critic” to someone in need.
Hunter, you need patience.
What’s more important is…delivering a gentle but fatal blow to the prey when it is at its most vulnerable.
Chapter 19: The Desperate Painter and the Help of the “Devil” (Old Version)
Eriri’s studio had almost turned into a disaster scene at this moment.
The drawing paper was crumpled into balls, like the pale remains of some kind of vented anger, scattered around the expensive carpet and workbench. Broken pencil leads and a few abandoned digital pens were scattered all over the floor.
The air was filled with a mixed smell of paper, paint, and despair.
And the owner of the studio, Sawamura Spencer Eriri, who always proudly puffed out her chest and used her golden twin ponytails to show her presence, was now lying in front of the expensive digital tablet like a little animal that had lost all its strength.
Her golden hair fell in disarray, covering half of her face, and her shoulders trembled slightly uncontrollably.
On the screen was a rough draft of a character that had been repeatedly altered and eventually covered in angry lines. The messy brushstrokes seemed to reflect the owner’s inner frenzy and powerlessness.
“Da…da…da…”
The time displayed in the lower right corner of the computer was beating coldly and mercilessly.
There are less than forty-eight hours left until the deadline for that important doujinshi exhibition!
The phone screen was lit, with an almost pleading message from the editor in charge of her fanfiction:
“Eri-sensei! How’s the draft going? If you don’t hand it in now, it will be too late for the printing factory!”
“Please! Everyone is looking forward to this book!”
expect?
Eriri suddenly raised her head and looked at her reflection in the small mirror on the table.
Her eye sockets were red and swollen, covered with fine bloodshot, and her face was pale and haggard. Where was the slightest bit of the radiant young lady that she usually was?
A cold feeling of despair instantly overwhelmed her like a tide.
Can’t draw it!
I really can’t draw it!
No matter how she tried, how she modified, or how she persevered, she just couldn’t draw the kind of picture she wanted in her mind, a picture full of power and speed, enough to make that woman, Kasumigaoka Utaha, shut up in amazement!
That bastard…what that man said yesterday…
Could it be…could it be that what he said was right?
No! Impossible!
Eriri shook her head vigorously, trying to dispel the presence of the black-haired man, but the more she resisted, the clearer the calm and precise evaluation echoed in her ears.
“You are too obsessed with the superficial ‘speed’ and ignore the internal logic of the movement…”
“The sense of power does not come from trembling lines, but from structure, center of gravity and transmission path…”
Give up…
A voice sounded in her heart.
I called the editor and told him that this time the window was closed. Anyway…it doesn’t matter anyway…
Just as her fingers trembled as she reached for the phone and was about to press the call button—
“Ding Dong——”
The video doorbell at the studio door suddenly rang.
who?
Who would bother her at this time?! Doesn’t she know she is very upset now?!
Ying Lili frowned, feeling a surge of anger in her heart. She stood up irritably and walked to the controller at the door, ready to hang up.
However, the moment her eyes fell on the visual screen, she seemed to be struck by a bolt of lightning and completely froze in place!
On the screen, there suddenly appeared a face that she least wanted to see at the moment, but… perhaps it was the face that she most desired to see in her heart!
That black-haired guy! The guy I met at the art store in Shibuya yesterday!
He was standing outside the magnificent gate of her luxurious villa, with a smile on his face… a smile that seemed to see through everything, yet with a hint of amusement and a heart-pounding smile!
How did he get here?! How did he know my home address?! What does he want to do?!
Countless question marks rang in Yinglili’s mind like thunder, making her heart beat wildly and her hands and feet cold.
Subconsciously, she wanted to turn off the screen immediately and pretend she didn’t see it.
But my fingers felt as heavy as if they were filled with lead and I couldn’t press down.
Deep in my heart, there seemed to be a faint but stubborn voice shouting.
What if…what if he really has a way?
Finally, with extreme shame, anger, vigilance and a hint of expectation that she almost dared not admit, Ying Lili gritted her teeth, tremblingly pressed the call button, and then the unlock button of the villa door.
She didn’t say anything, but opened the door of the studio with full vigilance and reluctance, watching the man walk in calmly as if he was walking into his own back garden.
“Ms. Sawamura’s studio is indeed very ‘artistic’.”
Lin Feng’s eyes calmly swept across the chaos in the room that was like a typhoon passing through. It was impossible to tell whether his tone was praise or sarcasm. Finally, his eyes fell on Ying Lili’s delicate little face, which was full of hostility, humiliation and vigilance, as well as on the digital screen behind her that she had not had time to close.
“The deadline is imminent, but I still can’t find the feeling for the most critical dynamic scenes, right?”
Lin Feng didn’t give her any chance to ask questions or vent her anger. As if he didn’t notice her eyes that were almost spitting fire, he walked straight to the digital tablet.
His finger precisely placed on the line on the screen that had been smeared so many times that its shape could no longer be discerned.
“Look here,” he said in a calm and clear voice, with an unquestionable professionalism, “the choice of the center of gravity for the character’s force is problematic. If the center of gravity of the initial action is unstable, the subsequent force transmission will naturally be broken, and the drawing will of course be extremely stiff.”
He pointed to another place.
“Also here, the lines seem to pursue a sense of speed, using a lot of quick brushstrokes, but there is a lack of internal logical connection between these brushstrokes, and no clear and visible path for the transmission of force is formed. You are only drawing the appearance of ‘fast’, not the essence of ‘movement’.”
“As for the performance of muscles, it is entirely based on imagination, rather than on bone structure and force generation…”
Every word Lin Feng said was like a sharp scalpel, accurately dissecting the crux of the problem that Ying Lili had been struggling and suffering for the past few days but could not break through!
Those weaknesses that she was vaguely aware of but unwilling to admit, or not capable of clearly defining, were all revealed by this man so nakedly, mercilessly, and to the point!
“You… you’re talking nonsense!” Ying Lili’s cheeks instantly turned red, and she screamed like a cat whose tail was stepped on, but her voice seemed a little weak due to lack of confidence. “I… I’m just not in a good state! What do you know?! Get out!”
Shame! Humiliation! And the fear of being completely seen through!
All kinds of emotions were churning in her chest like magma, almost swallowing her up!
However, Lin Feng seemed not to have heard her roar at all, and even his eyes did not fluctuate at all.
He simply casually picked up the digital pen that Eriri had just dropped on the table, as if he was picking up an ordinary pen.
“In fact, it is not as difficult as you think to draw the so-called sense of power and speed.”
As he spoke, he placed the tip of his pen on a blank area of ​​the screen.
“The key is to understand the structure, grasp the center of gravity, and then use the most precise and concise lines to express the moment of power explosion and transmission…”
Before he finished speaking, his wrist had already moved!
No hesitation, no unnecessary strokes!
Incredibly fast, yet incredibly stable!
It only takes a few seconds!
In the blank space of the screen, a sketch of a character’s punching action with great visual impact appears on the screen!
Those lines are so smooth yet contain explosive power!
That’s an incredibly accurate representation of the muscle structure!
That clearly visible path of power transfer from the toes to the fist!
The whole picture, although only a few rough sketches, seems to be full of life and incomparable dynamic tension!
This… this is exactly the state she has always dreamed of and pursued, but it is always out of reach!
The overwhelming painting skills displayed by these few paintings are like a natural chasm. For a painter who is on the edge of the abyss of despair, it is simply…
Fatal temptation!
Eriri was completely stunned.
She widened her beautiful blue eyes, staring at the lines on the screen that seemed to be breathing, her mouth opened unconsciously, and she even forgot to breathe.
My mind went blank.
She subconsciously looked at the strokes drawn by Lin Feng on the screen, then turned her head to look at the graffiti she had drawn before… which she herself disliked as “garbage”.
Finally, her gaze, with an indescribable complex emotion, fell on the face of the man next to her.
He had put down his pen, but his face still had that calm expression, as if the astonishing skills he had just displayed were really just a trivial matter to him.
An indescribable huge impact hit Eriri’s heart hard!
Her pride, all her self-esteem built on the title of “genius painter Kashiwagi Eri”, was completely shattered at this moment!
The pride in her heart was still screaming wildly, telling her to kick out this hateful bastard who had humiliated her immediately!
but……
But those lines on the screen…
But the looming deadline…
But as a painter, I have an instinctive and irresistible desire for a higher realm…
The cruel reality, like a cold and powerful hand, tightly grasped her throat and made her unable to move.
Bow to this man? Ask for advice from this guy who was judging me and had a bad attitude yesterday?
This would make her feel more humiliated and uncomfortable than killing her!
But……
If I refuse…if I miss this opportunity…
She will fall back into the abyss of helplessness and despair again! This time, the fanzine will definitely fall apart! She may never be able to break through this bottleneck in the future! She will always be suppressed by that woman Kasumigaoka Utaha!
Lin Feng just stood there quietly, saying nothing and doing nothing.
But his silence and calmness turned into silent, huge pressure, which gradually broke down Eriri’s last psychological defense.
Time seemed to have stood still.
The only sound in the studio was the girl’s rapid and suppressed breathing.
After a long silence that seemed like a century.
Ying Lili finally squeezed out a few words from between her teeth, using almost all her strength.
Her voice trembled uncontrollably due to extreme humiliation and unwillingness, with a barely perceptible sob:
“…What…do you…want?”
She knew that asking this question was equivalent to giving up resistance completely.
She knew that this man would never come here for no reason and kindly show off his “magic skills”.
He must have his purpose!
Hearing these words, the corners of Lin Feng’s mouth finally curled up into a clearly visible arc.
To Eriri, that smile was no longer playful, but full of dangerous and deadly charm, like a devil tempting people to sign a contract.
“It’s very simple.”
Lin Feng’s voice was still calm, but with a sense of composure that seemed to be in control of everything.
“I can help you.”
He looked at Eriri’s eyes which shrank slightly due to nervousness and anxiety, and said slowly:
“Before the deadline, I can give you intensive guidance so that you can master the core skills of drawing dynamic scenes. I can even personally help you polish a few of the most critical pictures to ensure that you can not only submit the manuscript on time, but also the quality will surprise your editor and readers.”
Ying Lili’s breath suddenly stopped!
This condition… was too tempting! So tempting that she could hardly think!
“But…” Lin Feng changed the subject, his smile becoming more meaningful, “There is no free lunch in the world, Miss Sawamura.”
“In exchange—”
He paused, clearly seeing the girl’s body tense with nervousness.
“From now on, when I need you,” he said slowly and clearly, word by word, “you must obey my arrangements unconditionally and do something for me.”
“Don’t worry,” Lin Feng added, as if he had seen through the fear and resistance in Ying Lili’s eyes, “I won’t let you do anything illegal, nor will I let you do anything that is too far beyond your capabilities. Mainly… it may still be related to your specialty in painting.”
“How is it?” He leaned slightly closer to the girl who was slightly retreating due to shock, and looked directly into her eyes with a hint of aggression, “This deal should be a good deal for you now, right, Miss Sawamura?”
This condition!
This “devil’s contract” seems fair, but is actually full of control and uncertainty!
Just like an invisible, huge net, it suddenly opened up with irresistible temptation and a suffocating feeling of restraint, completely enveloping the blond painter who was already standing on the edge of the cliff with no way to retreat!
Accept? Or reject?
Ying Lili looked at the man in front of her with a devilish smile, and felt her soul trembling.
Chapter 20: Ying Lili’s defense, Lin Feng’s warm water boiling (old version)
The door of the studio was gently closed, blocking out the light from the outside world, and also seemingly blocking out the “devilish” temptation and relief that Mashiro Shiina had just experienced.
Lin Feng stood in the corridor, the gentle and slightly playful smile on his face did not diminish at all. He did not leave immediately, but leaned against the cold wall, tapping his arm lightly with his fingertips, as if recalling the brief but informative confrontation with Mashiro just now.
[Insight activated][Target: Shiina Mashiro][Status: Extremely mentally exhausted, but the core creative desire is forcibly ignited, highly dependent on “Lin Feng” (fear and desire intertwined), subconsciously regards “Lin Feng” as the only source of salvation and restraint. 】
[Short-term emotions: fear (fear of losing the ability to paint), confusion (uncertainty about the future), dependence (affirmation of Lin Feng’s ability), weak resistance (discomfort about being controlled). ][Core needs: Continue to acquire painting skills, get rid of the fear of being denied by editors (or authorities), and gain recognition. ][Favorability towards Lin Feng: -10 (fear) + 30 (ability dependence) = 20 (complexity)][Potential risks: Mental state is unstable, over-dependence may lead to collapse; if Lin Feng cannot continue to provide “inspiration” or “ability”, it may cause a strong backlash. 】
[Future clip (blurred): Mashiro writes furiously in front of the drawing board, her eyes are fanatical; Lin Feng stands in the shadows, looking at her work with satisfaction; at an exhibition, Mashiro’s work causes a sensation, but her eyes are empty…]Lin Feng narrowed his eyes slightly.
“Sure enough, for such a pure genius, depriving her of what she cherishes most and then giving it back to her in the manner of a savior has an outstanding effect.” He whispered to himself, with an almost cruel pleasure in his tone.
This is not a strategy in the traditional sense, but more like a precise mental control. Mashiro is like an uncut jade, but because it is too pure, it is more easily stained by the colors of the outside world. Lin Feng is now playing the role of the painter who holds the most colorful and dangerous paint.
He doesn’t need Mashiro to immediately develop a deep love for him, what he needs is absolute control and dependence. When a person places his most core value – such as Mashiro’s painting talent – on another person, this relationship has gone beyond simple liking or not.
“Next, it’s Eriri.” Lin Feng adjusted his breathing and temporarily put Mashiro’s matter deep in his heart.
Compared to “art crazy” like Mashiro, the tsundere lady with blonde twin ponytails is obviously of a different style. She has a rich family background, is talented (although she may not think so), has a weird personality, and has a strong self-esteem, but at the same time hides a girlish heart that longs to be understood and recognized.
It is obviously not feasible to use the same method to deal with Eriri as to Mashiro. Strong oppression will only provoke her to resist more strongly, and she may even overturn the table and refuse to play. This young lady is not like Mashiro, who has almost nothing except painting.
“Boiling a frog in warm water, take your time.” Lin Feng’s lips curled up into a faint smile, he already had a plan in mind.
He walked towards the room where Eriri was. He had already gained a good understanding of Eriri’s personality and habits through various means (including but not limited to online information, school rumors, and the occasional complaints from Tomoya Aki, the big mouth).
Insights:
[Scene: Eriri’s temporary studio/room entrance]“Knock knock.” Lin Feng knocked on the door gently with moderate force, neither appearing impatient nor perfunctory.
There was silence for a few seconds, and then a slightly wary and impatient voice came: “Who is it?”
It was Eriri. Her voice was clear, but with a distinct sense of distance.
“It’s me, Lin Feng.” Lin Feng’s voice was gentle. “I’ve seen you downstairs before. I want to talk to you about something, about your drawings.”
There was another silence inside the door. It can be imagined that Ying Lili was probably frowning at this moment, thinking about what this “Lin Feng” who suddenly appeared wanted to do. Her impression of Lin Feng might still remain at the level of “that guy who looks a little strange but seems to be quite powerful”.
“Click.” The door lock made a slight sound and the door was opened a crack.
A head with golden twin ponytails poked out from the crack of the door, and her gem-like blue eyes looked up and down at Lin Feng with a scrutinizing look. Her face still showed the fatigue of staying up late to finish the manuscript, and there were faint dark circles under her eyes, but this did not affect her delicate appearance, but instead added a bit of pitiful flavor. Of course, the premise is to ignore her expression that kept people away from her.
“What’s the matter?” Eriri’s tone was still not very friendly, even with a bit of the arrogance of a young lady. “Is there something wrong with my drawing? Or do you want to give me orders like that loser Renye?”
Her eyes were sharp, like a little hedgehog with spikes erected, trying to use aggressiveness to cover up her inner anxiety and fear of criticism.
Lin Feng was not scared away by her aura. Instead, he smiled knowingly: “No, on the contrary. I saw some of the line drawings you put on the table in the living room, and I found them very amazing.”
[Core interaction point-1/5: Breaking the ice-reverse praise]Eriri was stunned for a moment, obviously not expecting such an opening remark. All the rebuttals and sarcasms she had prepared were stuck in her throat.
“Stunning, stunning?” She repeated subconsciously, with a barely perceptible wavering and shyness in her eyes. “Do you… do you understand?”
This was a bit rude, but Lin Feng didn’t care. He knew that this was Ying Lili’s subconscious self-protection. She was afraid that her work would be casually evaluated by people who pretended to know something, and she was even more afraid that her shortcomings would be pointed out by people who really knew the business.
“I know a little bit.” Lin Feng nodded modestly, looking into her eyes sincerely, “Especially the smoothness of the character’s lines and the expression of emotions, which are very accurate. It can be seen that the basic skills are very solid, and the mature techniques far exceed those of people of the same age.”
[Micro-expression capture: Ying Lili’s pupils slightly dilated, the corners of her mouth tightened subconsciously, her eyes wandered for a moment, and her fingers holding the door handle slightly exerted force. ][Interpretation: Surprised, unbelieving, but deep down inside, there was joy of being recognized, and a sense of doubt as to whether he was complimenting me.]Lin Feng did not give her too much time to doubt, and continued: “To be honest, I am a little curious, why would an artist of your level choose to participate in An Yijun’s… well, it seems that there is still a long way to go in the game club?”
[Core interaction point-2/5: Guidance-Creating common “enemies”/topics]This question is very clever. It not only affirms Eriri’s value, but also implicitly points the finger at Aki Tomoya, implying that “talent is being misused”. For Eriri, who has a strong sense of self-esteem, this is more touching than directly criticizing Aki Tomoya.
As expected, Eriri’s expression immediately became subtle, with a hint of indignation and helplessness: “It’s all because of that idiot Renye! He kept pestering me, saying that only I could draw the heroine in his mind…”
She paused, as if realizing that she had said too much, and then she closed her mouth tightly and looked at Lin Feng warily: “Why are you asking this?”
“Nothing, I just feel a little bit sorry.” Lin Feng spread his hands, his tone relaxed, “With your talent, if you can work with a more professional platform and an editor who understands you better, you may be able to create more amazing works.”
He did not directly say “Akira Tomoya is not worthy of you”, but instead painted a better possibility, giving the right of choice and judgment back to Eriri, allowing her to think for herself.
[Core interaction points-3/5: value affirmation and suggestion]Ying Lili’s breathing hitched slightly.
“A more professional platform…an editor who understands me better…” She murmured to herself, with a trace of yearning in her eyes, but it was soon replaced by realistic concerns, “It’s easy to say, but such an opportunity is not so easy to find…”
Her tone dropped, with a hint of self-mockery. Although she was a well-known doujin artist “Eri Kashiwagi”, she was still a newcomer in the business field, and had not even seized the opportunity to officially debut. Although Tomoya Aki’s club was a makeshift team, it at least gave her the title of “chief artist” and the opportunity to create.
Lin Feng caught the change in her mood and knew that the time was right.
“Opportunities sometimes come by waiting, and sometimes they are created by oneself.” Lin Feng smiled slightly, took a half step forward, lowered his voice, and said with a mysterious temptation, “Perhaps, I can do you a small favor.”
Eriri suddenly raised her head, her blue eyes filled with doubt: “You? What can you do to help me?”
Lin Feng looked at her face so close to him. Her ponytails swayed gently with her movements, exuding a youthful and energetic aura. He could clearly see the fine hairs on her cheeks and the slightly reddened ears due to nervousness.
“For example…” Lin Feng deliberately dragged out his tone, his eyes falling on her lips that were slightly opened due to surprise, “How about helping you contact an editor who truly appreciates your talent and can give you enough support in business?”
[Core interaction point-4/5: Throwing out bait-accurately hitting pain points]These words were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, causing huge ripples in Eriri’s heart.
Commercial debut! Professional editing!
This is exactly what she desires deep in her heart! It is the goal she has been working hard for!
Her breathing became a little rapid and her eyes flickered violently, showing excitement and desire, but also strong suspicion and distrust.
“You…what rights do you have…” She wanted to question, but her voice was trembling. “How could you possibly know that kind of person? Who are you?”
Lin Feng did not answer directly, but asked back: “Who I am is not important, what is important is whether I can help you realize your wish. Isn’t that right, Teacher Kashiwagi Eri?”
He deliberately emphasized the words “Teacher Kashiwagi Eri” with a hint of teasing and a sense of control.
Ying Lili’s face suddenly turned red, like a cat whose tail was stepped on. She took a step back and wanted to close the door: “You, what nonsense are you talking about! I don’t know what you are talking about!”
Her intense reaction proved that Lin Feng’s guess was correct and how attractive the bait was to her.
Lin Feng did not stop her from closing the door. Just before she was about to close the door completely, he said in a calm but unquestionable tone:
“I’ll give you three days to think about it. If you’ve figured it out, you can come find me. Just ask Amiya-kun for my contact information.”
After saying that, he didn’t stay any longer, turned around and left in a leisurely manner, leaving Ying Lili alone behind the door, feeling very confused.
[Core interaction point-5/5: Playing hard to get-leaving suspense and options]Lin Feng knew that the bait had already been cast, and rushing for success would only arouse vigilance. Ying Lili was a smart person, and she needed time to digest, weigh, and verify.
And Lin Feng has enough patience.
He had already seen the scene in the future clip where Ying Lili sat in front of the drawing board, cursing “Lin Feng, you bastard” with gritted teeth, but couldn’t help but modify the drawing according to his “suggestions”.
To boil a frog in warm water, what is needed is constant warming and appropriate guidance.
Insight Feedback
[Target: Sawamura Spencer Eriri][Status: Extremely shaken, eager but also skeptical of Lin Feng’s proposal, caught in a fierce ideological struggle.][Short-term emotions: shock, shame (identity revealed), desire (commercial debut), suspicion (Lin Feng’s ability and purpose), anxiety (difficulty in making a choice). ][Core needs: To have the work recognized by the business, to break away from the limitations of being a doujin artist, and to prove one’s own talent (especially in front of Tomoya Aki). ][Favorability towards Lin Feng: -5 (unpleasantness at being interrupted) -15 (shame at having his identity revealed) +25 (temptation of the proposal) +10 (initial recognition/curiosity about his abilities) = 15 (complex and volatile)][Potential risks: If Lin Feng fails to fulfill his promise, or is exposed for having ulterior motives, it will cause strong resentment and retaliation; his family background may bring unknown variables. ][Prediction of the next action: There is a high probability that he will ask Akitomo for his contact information and try to investigate Lin Feng’s background through various channels. ]Lin Feng walked to the stairs, looked back at the closed door, and the curve of his mouth deepened.
“Done. Next, it’s time to go see our ‘Saint Hui’.”
He hummed a tuneless little song happily and walked towards the floor where Kato Megumi was. Every time he conquered (or controlled) a target, he could feel a certain power in his body slowly growing. The feeling of seeing through people’s hearts and controlling the trajectory of fate was really fascinating.
And he knew that this was just the beginning.
Chapter 21 Sweat, Tears, and the Initial Fulfillment of the “Contract” (Old Version)
Time passed by minute by minute in oppressive silence.
Eriri’s studio now looks more like a training ground filled with sweat and despair.
Punch!
She had no idea how many times she had drawn this simple movement that depicted a moment of power.
Front, repaint!
Side, redraw!
Three-quarter angle, redraw!
Every attempt seemed to drain the last bit of strength from her body. The wrist that tightly grasped the digital pen had long been so sore that it seemed as if it no longer belonged to her. Every time she lifted it, she felt an unbearable sting. The golden hair on her forehead was soaked with sweat, sticking to her skin, making her look a bit embarrassed. The long period of high concentration and repeated frustration made her face pale.
Not far away, Lin Feng sat quietly on the sofa like an emotionless statue, occasionally turning the pages of a book.
Only when the lines she drew showed even the slightest deviation, would that cold gaze sweep over, like a real whip lashing at her nerves, and then he would spit out two words: “Redraw.”
Simple, cold, and unquestionable.
Once again!
When his wrist trembled uncontrollably, causing a key dynamic auxiliary line to be drawn crookedly, Lin Feng’s curse-like voice sounded again, with a hint of subtle sarcasm:
“Oh? You can’t even control a straight line? It seems that the physical strength that Miss Sawamura is so proud of is only this good.”
This sentence was light, but it was like a needle that accurately pierced Eriri’s nerves that were stretched to the limit.
The grievance, anger, unwillingness, humiliation, and exhaustion that almost overwhelmed her… at this moment, burst out like a flood!
“Woo… woo…”
She suddenly dropped the digital pen in her hand and covered her face tightly with her hands. She could no longer suppress her sobs and let out from between her fingers, carrying with her heart-wrenching despair.
“I can’t draw well! I can’t draw! Are you satisfied?! You bastard! Devil!!”
Crystal clear tears, like pearls that had broken off their strings, kept sliding down her fingers and dripping onto the expensive digital screen, quickly blurring out a small area of ​​ink that had just been drawn.
This was her last resistance, her last accusation, although it seemed so pale and powerless.
However, facing this pitiful scene, Lin Feng’s expression did not change at all, and even his eyebrows did not move.
He calmly closed the book in his hand, stood up, walked slowly to Eriri, and looked down at the blonde girl who was curled up in the chair with her shoulders shaking violently.
“Will crying help?”
His voice was even colder than before, without a trace of human emotion.
“Will your tears help you meet the looming deadline? Or is Sawamura-san planning to break our ‘deal’ now?”
He paused, as if giving her time to think, and then added slowly:
“If that’s the case, then our teaching ends here. You can do whatever you want.”
The cruel reality, revealed by him in the calmest tone, was like an ice-cold knife stabbing directly into Ying Lili’s heart, completely extinguishing the last bit of luck and retreat in her heart.
The crying stopped abruptly.
Ying Lili suddenly raised her head and looked at Lin Feng’s deep, cold black eyes with tearful eyes.
In those eyes, she could not see a trace of pity, a trace of emotion, only absolute calmness and… control.
At this moment, she felt more clearly than ever before how powerless and insignificant she was in front of this man.
Crying won’t solve the problem.
Resistance is pointless.
The overwhelming sense of despair engulfed her like a tide, and instead pushed her into a strange state of near numbness.
She silently and mechanically wiped the tears from her face and picked up the digital pen that seemed to weigh a thousand pounds.
She no longer thought about the deadline, or the humiliation and unwillingness. Her mind was blank, and she emptied all her thoughts. Relying on the muscle memory formed by her body through countless repetitions, and relying on the “feeling” that Lin Feng had forcibly instilled into her mind in the most brutal way, she swung her arms almost instinctively.
The soreness in my arm seemed to disappear.
Mental fatigue seems to have become distant.
It seems that the only thing left in the world is the screen in front of me and the lines extending from the tip of the pen.
In this unconscious, almost out-of-body state…
At some point!
Her wrist shook naturally, and with a smooth and quick turn, the tip of the pen left an arc on the screen!
A…perfect arc that is extremely smooth, full of amazing explosive power and speed!
The line seemed to have life, full of movement and tension. It was even more agile and impactful than the line drawn by Lin Feng when he demonstrated it just now!
“Huh?”
Ying Lili was stunned, her eyes wide open, staring at the line she had drawn on the screen in disbelief.
This…I drew this?
Lin Feng’s gaze also fell on that line, and in the depths of his calm eyes, a hint of imperceptible satisfaction finally flashed.
But his tone was still calm, as if he was stating a trivial matter:
“Well, it finally looks like this.”
“It seems that high-pressure training is quite effective for people like you.”
He walked forward, walked behind Eriri, bent down, and carefully looked at the line on the screen, as if he was admiring a decent work of art.
Then, he spoke in a very natural tone, as if he was just arranging the next training content:
“Now that you can draw qualified lines, it’s time to fulfill some of the terms of our ‘deal’.”
“Now, give me a quick sketch.”
The little bit of joy and sense of accomplishment that Ying Lili had just felt because of that perfect line, before it had time to spread in her heart, was instantly frozen by Lin Feng’s next words.
The smile froze on her face.
Lin Feng continued to speak slowly in a tone that was full of undisguised bad fun:
“What should I draw… Well, let me draw you covering your face and crying.”
“Make your expression more vivid. Remember to fully express your grievance, unwillingness, and that pitiful sense of despair.”
“Well… just consider this as the first lesson to test your ability to capture and express the character’s emotions.”
Draw… draw yourself crying so miserably just now? !
And he even drew that extremely humiliating expression himself?!
boom–!
A surge of blood rushed to Ying Lili’s head, and she felt her cheeks instantly so hot that they could fry eggs! She could hardly control the urge to smash the digital tablet in her hand hard on the man’s face!
This devil! He definitely did it on purpose! He was just trying to humiliate me!
She turned her head suddenly and glared at Lin Feng angrily, her chest heaving violently. She wanted to refuse and protest loudly!
When she met Lin Feng’s calm eyes that were unquestionable and seemed to be able to see through all her thoughts…
All the courage and anger disappeared in an instant like a balloon punctured by a needle.
She still needs him…
She still needed him to teach her how to draw, and she also needed him to help her finish that damn manuscript…
That unequal and humiliating “contract” was like an invisible chain that tightly bound her hands and feet and strangled her throat.
In the end, all the anger and shame could only turn into violent trembling of the body.
She bit her lower lip so hard that her teeth almost drew blood, and only then did she manage to suppress the sob in her throat.
Under Lin Feng’s calm and playful gaze, she slowly turned around, her fingers trembling, and opened a new canvas on the screen.
Then, in extreme humiliation and despair, she gripped the pen again and began to describe herself, stroke by stroke, who had just been forced to collapse, with tears in her eyes and in a state of embarrassment…
This was the first time she fulfilled her obligations in the “contract”.
Perhaps, it is also her first step towards an unpredictable abyss.
Chapter 22: Sacrificed Pawns, Hidden Chess, and Iceberg’s Trust Upgrade (Old Version)
This time, the meeting place was no longer the cold top-floor conference room, but a private study in the Yukinoshita family mansion that was elegantly decorated and full of bookish atmosphere.
The soft light sprinkled on the expensive Persian carpet, and the air was filled with the faint aroma of old books and black tea. This subtle change seemed to hint at the subtle progress of the relationship between Lin Feng and Yukinoshita Yukino.
Lin Feng leaned comfortably on the soft sofa, his posture relaxed, as if he was at home. On the low table in front of him was a preliminary conclusion report of the internal investigation on “Suspect A”.
“Just as we expected.”
Lin Feng spoke calmly, his voice was not loud, but it echoed clearly in the quiet study. He picked up the report, but did not read it, just shook it casually.
“[Suspect A] took all the responsibility and admitted to leaking information and accepting bribes, but insisted that it was a personal act and did not give out any superiors. It was a typical case of sacrificing pawns to save the king.”
Yukinoshita Yukino sat on another sofa opposite him, her back straight, maintaining a good posture. She held a cup of black tea in her hand, and the hot steam blurred her delicate face.
Hearing Lin Feng’s words, she just nodded slightly, her fair neck drawing a graceful arc. Her tone carried a trace of fatigue and helplessness that was difficult to conceal.
“Yes, the subsequent judicial audit may only be able to recover part of the stolen money, but will not get to the root of the problem.”
Her voice was still cold, but the underlying sense of powerlessness made this girl, who was usually as indestructible as an iceberg, appear a little fragile.
Lin Feng pushed the report aside, and the paper slid a short distance on the smooth table.
“Since the internal road is blocked, we can only look for clues from the outside.”
He changed the subject, leaned forward slightly, his eyes became sharp, and locked onto Yukino like a hawk.
“I learned through some channels that your uncle, Yukinoshita Masakazu, has recently been in frequent contact with the ‘Muse Art Investment Fund’ registered in the Cayman Islands. Although the amount is not large, the frequency is very unusual. How much do you know about this fund?”
He did not explain the source of the information. Just like a skilled hunter, he simply threw out this key bait and carefully observed the reaction of the prey.
Yukino’s hand holding the teacup paused almost imperceptibly, and her eyes visibly froze.
“Muse Fund…”
She was silent for a few seconds, as if she was organizing her thoughts or assessing the risks. Finally, she spoke slowly, her voice a little deeper than before:
“I know it exists. Nominally, it is a tool used by the family to deal with overseas art investments and asset allocations that are inconvenient for the family to directly handle. It has always been managed by my uncle’s family. I don’t know the specific operating model, and the relevant financial reports are only disclosed to a few core members of the family.”
Her answer not only confirmed the existence of the fund, but also clearly showed her current barriers and limitations in this family power system.
Lin Feng leaned forward again, tapping his fingers on the armrest of the sofa, as if calculating something. His tone was slightly solemn, as if he was making some dangerous logical deduction based on the existing information:
“A fund used for ‘asset allocation’, but the timing of the sabotage operation that caused the failure of your project is highly coincidental… Miss Yukinoshita, don’t you think this is too coincidental?”
He paused, giving Yukino time to think and react, and then continued, his voice carrying a heart-pounding piercing power:
“I suspect that this fund is not just used to invest in art. It is very likely… a key platform for them to transfer interests and even conduct transactions with some shady external forces!”
This sentence was like thunder, exploding in the quiet study. Yukino’s face turned pale instantly, and the fingers holding the teacup tightened slightly.
Lin Feng caught her subtle reaction and continued to exert pressure:
“Since the other side dares to sacrifice a pawn, it means they are confident and think we can’t find out anything deeper.”
“If we continue to conduct internal audits or wait for legal results, it will only give them more time to clean up their tracks. Now we must change from being reactive to being proactive.”
His eyes became as sharp as a knife, as if they could penetrate all the fog.
“We must find a way to figure out what the Muse Foundation is doing and who is really connected to it. Only in this way can we find out their weak spots and even…”
Lin Feng deliberately prolonged the ending tone, with a cold arc at the corner of his mouth.
“Strike back in one fell swoop.”
Xueno’s breathing was a little rapid, and her chest rose and fell slightly. She was not an inexperienced girl, so she naturally understood the huge risk behind Lin Feng’s words, but at the same time, she also saw a glimmer of possibility of turning defeat into victory in a desperate situation.
She understood that taking risks was the only option to break the current deadlock.
“How to do it?”
She asked softly, with a barely perceptible tremor in her voice. It was not from fear, but from a struggle of determination.
Lin Feng was waiting for these words. He looked directly into Xue Nai’s blue eyes, which were as clear as an icy lake and yet bottomless, and knew that this was the key moment to push their relationship to a new level.
“To investigate the Muse Fund, I will need your help far beyond what I have provided so far.”
His tone was calm, yet it carried unquestionable strength.
“First, I need access to the core financial system of the Yukinoshita family, at least all transaction records related to the Muse Fund. This requires you to bypass the normal family procedures and use your influence.”
This request was already harsh enough, almost equivalent to asking Yukino to betray the family rules.
Lin Feng paused, giving Xue Nai time to digest this information, and then dropped a more powerful bombshell, his tone becoming more serious:
“Second, as far as I know, your mother must have left you some unknown arrangements in order to protect you, some power or connections that can be used, some ‘hidden chess pieces’ that you may not have activated because you are worried or unwilling to touch them.”
His eyes were fixed on Yukino, not missing any slight changes in expression on her face.
“Now, perhaps it’s time to use them.”
This request was no longer a simple authorization, but one that required Yukino to gamble her deepest hidden card, the last guarantee her mother left her, and even… her own future.
There was a long, suffocating silence in the study.
Only the “tick-tick” sound from the antique clock on the wall seemed to be striking at Yukino’s tense heartstrings.
Xueno lowered her head, her eyes falling on her hands on her knees. The knuckles of her hands were slightly white due to the force, showing the extreme struggle of the owner.
Hand over the family’s core secrets, the life-saving trump card left by the mother that has never been used, to a man who has not been known for very long?
This is undoubtedly a gamble.
If you lose, there may be no recovery.
But she remembered the ending of [Suspect A] who was easily abandoned, her sister Yukinoshita Haruno’s smile which was always full of deep meaning and unpredictable, and her own seemingly glamorous but actually isolated and helpless situation in the family…
The appearance of Lin Feng was like a stone thrown into stagnant water, bringing changes and hope.
Finally, Yukino slowly raised her head.
For the first time, there was no confusion or hesitation in those ice-blue eyes. Instead, there was only a clarity and determination that was almost decisive.
“good.”
She uttered a word softly.
The voice was not loud, even a little slight, but it carried an unprecedented weight, as if it condensed all her determination.
“Advisor Lin, I trust your judgment.”
“Permissions, I’ll find a way. As for those ‘things’… I’ll tell you the details later.”
When she said this, Lin Feng clearly felt that the iceberg in front of him seemed to have truly opened a gap leading to his heart.
At this moment, she is no longer just a client who pays the fee.
Instead, he tied his fate closely to Lin Feng’s, becoming a “risk alliance” in the true sense.
As soon as Xue Nai finished speaking, the screen of Lin Feng’s personal mobile phone in his pocket lit up very quickly, indicating that a picture message had been received. He glanced at it calmly, the corners of his mouth seemed to bend upwards, and then he quickly regained his composure, as if nothing had happened, and put the phone back in his pocket.
Yukino noticed this extremely brief detail, and a hint of barely perceptible doubt flashed across her icy blue eyes, but in the end she didn’t ask anything.
For some things, once you choose to trust, there is no need to ask further questions.
The atmosphere in the study seemed to become more tense after a brief moment of solemnity.
Chapter 23: Signs of the Iceberg Melting and the Continuation of “Family Education” (Old Version)
When Yukinoshita Yukino said “I believe you” with such determination, it seemed as if something invisible in the study room shattered, and the air, which was originally so tense that it was suffocating, miraculously relaxed.
Lin Feng sat upright on the sofa, calmly observing the changes in the girl opposite him.
She still maintained the reservedness and aloofness that was unique to the second daughter of the Yukinoshita family, but that was only an appearance. Lin Feng keenly captured those subtle but extremely real signals—her sitting posture was no longer as straight as a javelin as before, and the corners of her tightly pursed mouth also relaxed slightly, revealing a soft arc.
The most obvious thing was his eyes. In those eyes that were always covered with ice, the once strong vigilance and scrutiny had almost disappeared, replaced by an extremely complex mixture of emotions.
There is dependence, there is the confusion after entrusting everything to others, and there is also a subtle sense of…relaxation?
It’s like a string that has been stretched taut for a long time has finally found a fulcrum where it can relax a little.
Even after Lin Feng’s tea was finished, Xue Nai stood up on her own initiative, picked up the silver teapot on the table, and refilled his tea.
The movements were smooth and natural, without any hesitation, as if this was a matter of course.
This subconscious behavior can explain the change in her mentality at this moment better than any words.
A brief silence filled the steam of tea.
Yukino sat down again, seemed to be choosing her words, and then slowly spoke, fulfilling her previous promise: “About the things my mother left behind…”
Her voice was still cold, but with an unprecedented frankness.
“There are three main parts.”
“Part of it is a list of people who are scattered within the Yukinoshita Group and some of its affiliated companies. They are old subordinates who are absolutely loyal to my mother. They only recognize specific tokens.”
“One part is an anonymous safe in a Swiss bank. I don’t know exactly what’s inside, but I know it’s very important and is one of my mother’s last safeguards.”
“Finally… there is a set of emergency contact codes and secret channels that can be used to directly contact several… special people.”
Xue Noi did not reveal more specific details, such as what the token was, the password to the safe, the identity of the special person, etc. But just this information was enough for Lin Feng to get a glimpse of the deep layout of Mrs. Yukinoshita and the huge power it contained.
Personnel, funds, channels…these almost constitute the core elements of a shadow power network.
Lin Feng silently kept this information in mind, but his expression remained expressionless.
“Got it. This information is priceless,” he commented calmly, not betraying the slightest greed or eagerness.
He looked at Yukino, “But now is not the time to use them.”
“Since the other party sacrificed those pieces without hesitation to test us, it means they are also observing our reaction and may have even set a trap.”
“We need to digest this information first and use the financial authority we are about to obtain to thoroughly understand their details and real weaknesses. Then, we can decide how and when to accurately play these cards and deal them a fatal blow.”
A hint of recognition flashed across Yukino’s icy blue eyes, and her tense shoulders completely relaxed.
Yes, that’s the feeling…
Someone analyzed the situation for her, made decisions for her, and took on the heavy responsibility that almost crushed her.
This feeling was both unfamiliar and almost tempting… a sense of relief for Yukinoshita Yukino, who had always had to rely on herself.
She nodded gently. “Okay, I’ll follow your instructions.”
The meeting with Yukino ended in an atmosphere that was quite satisfactory to both parties.
Lin Feng did not stay in the Yukinoshita residence for too long. After comforting this cold-blooded young lady who had temporarily put down her burden, he drove directly to the “battlefield” at the other end of Tokyo – the Sawamura family’s luxurious villa.
When the heavy wooden door of the studio was opened, the girl with golden twin ponytails, Ying Lili, saw Lin Feng standing at the door, and the blood instantly drained from her delicate little face.
The humiliation and deep fear of being pressed to the ground, against the wall, and in front of a digital tablet by that man yesterday and forced to be “instructed” in various shameful postures, once again overwhelmed her like a tide.
She didn’t even dare to look into Lin Feng’s eyes, which were calm but seemed to see through everything. She just lowered her head and silently moved away, like a prisoner waiting for the jailer to come for interrogation, desperate and numb.
Lin Feng walked into the studio.
There was still a strange smell in the air, a mixture of the turpentine smell of high-grade paint, the sweat of a nervous girl, and… a certain indescribable smell called despair.
After a night’s rest (or rather, restless tossing and turning), Eriri’s physical strength recovered a little, but the mental fatigue and the resistance from the depths of her soul had not diminished at all, and had even become more intense due to the accumulation of fear.
Lin Feng seemed completely unaware of her condition and walked straight to the expensive digital tablet.
He skillfully pulled up Eriri’s entire day’s practice records from yesterday – the breakdown of the basic punching movements that had been repeated hundreds of times.
After taking a quick look, Lin Feng made a noncommittal sound through his nose.
“snort.”
Eriri’s body subconsciously tensed up.
“At least I’m not that stupid.” Lin Feng’s voice was calm and even, and it was impossible to tell whether he was happy or angry. “One hundred and thirty-seven exercises, and the pass rate was 75%, which is barely acceptable.”
Passed?! He actually said he passed?!
Eriri suddenly raised her head, a glimmer of disbelief flashing in her eyes. This devil… actually praised someone? Although the tone was still so annoying!
However, before this glimmer of light could be transformed into any positive emotion, it was completely shattered by Lin Feng’s next words.
“You have some basics in single action, although it is still far from accurately capturing the essence of movement.” Lin Feng changed the subject and coldly arranged a new task, “From now on, draw combined movements.”
“Two people, close combat scene. Capture the moment of collision, the tension of muscle force, and the impact of power confrontation. Pay attention to the impact of the composition, the logic of the interaction between the characters, and most importantly – emotional expression! Draw the pain and astonishment of the beaten party, the ferocity and calmness of the attacker!”
The difficulty level suddenly increased by several levels compared to a single punching action!
Ying Lili’s little face fell instantly, and the faint flame of hope that had just ignited was completely extinguished with a puff.
Combining dynamics… and expressing so many things… How can this be drawn? !
As it turned out, her hunch was correct.
The difficulty of combining dynamics was far beyond her current ability. She tried to draw several times, but the results were either the characters’ movements were stiff like puppets, or the pictures were chaotic and out of proportion, and it was not clear that they were fighting, but rather like clumsy dancing.
Lin Feng’s brows furrowed tighter and tighter.
Finally, he lost his patience.
“waste!”
After the cold rebuke, there was the nightmarish “hands-on” forced teaching.
Ying Lili was once again almost completely embraced by Lin Feng from behind, his chest pressed against her back, his strong arms covering her arms, holding her wrists, and guiding her to quickly sketch on the digital tablet with an absolutely irresistible force.
The masculine scent enveloped her completely, and the scorching body temperature seemed to melt her.
Shame! Anger! Fear!
All kinds of emotions were churning in her heart, making her dizzy and her eyes hot.
But she didn’t dare to struggle, or even make a sound. She could only let the man control her body like a doll, drawing one powerful fighting scene after another that she could never accomplish independently.
When a barely acceptable combination of movements was finally completed, Lin Feng let go of his hands.
Ying Lili immediately shrank back like a frightened little rabbit, her cheeks red enough to look like blood, she breathed slightly, bit her lower lip tightly, and looked humiliated but dared not speak.
Lin Feng looked at her like this, and a hint of amusement seemed to flash in his deep eyes.
He seemed to suddenly remember something, and said in a very casual tone, as if he was just talking about the weather:
“By the way, since you still have such a big gap in expressing the character’s emotions, you should practice some more.”
“Fulfill our contract. Draw me a picture.”
contract?!
Ying Lili’s heart sank.
Lin Feng paused and tapped the table lightly with his fingers, as if he was thinking about the specific requirements.
“Hmm… just draw a girl with blonde twin tails wearing a maid outfit.”
“As for the expression… it should be a little bit seductive, but there should also be some reluctance in the eyes, or the feeling of being forced. Yes, it should be that kind of pure and lustful, but also with a sense of humiliation of being forced, understand?”
“Give me a sketch within half an hour.”
boom!!!
Lin Feng’s words were like a bolt from the blue, exploding in Ying Lili’s mind!
Maid outfit?!
Blonde twin tails?!
Do you want to draw a seductive yet reluctant expression?! Draw the feeling of humiliation of being forced?!
This bastard! This devil! He was basically pointing at himself and cursing! What did he think he was?! Was he just a tool for him to draw something with strong sexual connotations to satisfy his evil taste?!
The overwhelming anger and humiliation instantly overwhelmed her sanity!
“you–!”
She raised her head suddenly, her chest heaving violently, and she almost blurted out words of accusation!
However, when her gaze met Lin Feng’s deep eyes, which were filled with a hint of teasing and absolute control, all the anger that was about to erupt was instantly frozen by an invisible ice wall and then shattered!
All that is left is bone-chilling coldness and endless despair.
Rebellion?
Can she still resist?
What will be the outcome of resistance? Will it only lead to harsher and more extreme treatment from this devil?
She had no doubt that if she dared to say “no” now, this man would definitely use a more direct and unbearable way to “guide” her on how to understand and draw that “feeling of forced humiliation”…
Thinking of that possibility, Eriri began to tremble uncontrollably.
Eventually, all the will to resist collapsed like a sand castle.
She was like a puppet with her soul taken away, with empty eyes and a pale face. She nodded silently and humiliatingly.
Then she turned around and brought up a new canvas.
Her slender fingers trembled slightly due to extreme shame and inner struggle, but she still followed the devil’s request and began to draw the maid costume sketch that made her feel extremely humiliated and disgusted, but she had to draw it…
Chapter 24: Dark Chess’ Whisper and Yang No’s Test (Old Version)
After seeing off Yukinoshita Yukino, silence returned to the study room.
Lin Feng did not rest immediately, but spread out the scattered information about Mrs. Yukinoshita’s “hidden chess piece” left by the icy young lady before she left on the smooth mahogany table.
A highly encrypted electronic list showing only a few code names and vague job information.
A fragment of the access code to an anonymous safe at a Swiss bank, incomplete and more like a key that requires a combination.
And a set of emergency contact codes that seem to be random, mixed with letters and numbers.
These are obviously just clues pointing to the secret, not the secret itself.
Lin Feng’s slender fingers gently brushed across the cold tablet screen, and his consciousness sank into the deep ocean that only he could see, surging with countless future possibilities.
He needs to see the connecting lines behind these isolated points, and the huge and dangerous network lurking beneath the water.
Soon, glimmers of insight began to penetrate the fog.
Next to the code names on the list, intermittent images appeared – scenes of them meeting with the core members of their uncle’s faction in secret places, exchanging items, and even showing flattering smiles…
Infiltration, rebellion! These so-called “loyal” subordinates may have already become the enemy’s spies, or even double agents!
The incomplete safe access code points to a more distant and deliberately sealed past. It seems to be related to the not-so-glorious business expansion of the Yukinoshita family more than 20 years ago. Once it is opened, it is likely to detonate a huge scandal that can shake the family’s reputation! This is more like a time bomb than a guarantee!
Finally, the emergency contact code…
When Lin Feng’s consciousness touched it, three vague figures appeared in the fragments of the future. They had different identities and their activity trajectories had no intersection.
However, in the future clip of a well-dressed, feminine middle-aged man, the luxurious office of the Muse Art Investment Fund appeared in the background! Although it was just a glimpse, there seemed to be some secret connection between him and a senior staff member of the foundation!
This chess piece…
It can be the sharpest dagger that pierces the enemy’s heart, or it can be the fuse that brings disaster upon oneself!
This game of chess is far more dangerous and complicated than Yukino had imagined.
The next day, Lin Feng went to the headquarters of the Yukinoshita Group to handle some necessary procedures after the agreement was reached yesterday – mainly regarding the authorization of his temporary consultant status and the transfer of supervisory authority over some financial accounts.
Just as he was taking the exclusive elevator to the floor where Yukino’s office was located, the elevator door slowly opened on the middle floor.
The person standing at the door was Yukinoshita Haruno.
She seemed to have just finished a meeting, and her face still had that perfect business smile that could not be found with a single flaw. When she saw Lin Feng in the elevator, a hint of surprise flashed across her eyes, which then turned into a warm smile.
“Oh, isn’t this Consultant Lin? What a coincidence!”
Haruno walked gracefully into the elevator and pressed a button for a higher floor. She exuded a faint, yet very present and aggressive scent of high-end perfume, which was completely different from the cool cedar scent of Yukino.
“I heard that you helped Yukino-chan a lot yesterday? You were really efficient.” She said as if she was chatting casually, but her eyes swept over Lin Feng vaguely, with scrutiny and inquiry.
“Consultant Lin is so young, yet he has such ability and courage. I’m really curious about your background. Are you a top consultant for a top consulting company? Or… do you have some background that we don’t know about?”
The probe is direct and frank, yet wrapped in a sweet smile.
Lin Feng slightly turned sideways, avoiding her approaching too closely, with a polite but distant smile on his face: “Miss Yang Nai, you are too kind. I am just doing my duty, taking money from others and helping them get rid of disasters.”
He lightly avoided questions about his own background and brought the topic back to the commission itself: “As for my origin, I don’t think it matters. What matters is that I can help Ms. Yukinoshita solve the problem she is facing.”
“Oh?” Yang Nai said in a long tone, the smile on her face deepened a little, but her eyes were as sharp as a knife, “It seems that Consultant Lin has a lot of experience with the situation of the Yukinoshita family?”
The shiny metal walls in the elevator reflected the figures of the two people facing each other calmly, and the air was filled with silent smoke.
“It’s not really an experience, but just a rough understanding.” Lin Feng responded neither humbly nor arrogantly, “The situation inside the Yukinoshita family is indeed more complicated than I imagined. However, I am confident that I can complete Miss Yukinoshita’s commission.”
This statement not only shows his position of only serving Yukino, but also implies calmly that he is not an outsider who can be manipulated at will.
The smile on Yang Nai’s face finally showed a slight change. The perfect curve seemed to freeze for 0.1 second, and then returned to normal.
“Really?” She took a step forward, almost close to Lin Feng’s ear, and whispered in a sweet and tempting tone, but also with a cold warning: “Then sister would like to kindly remind you… The water in the Yukinoshita family is very deep. Consultant Lin, please be careful, don’t accidentally… drown.”
bite–
The elevator door opened at the right time and Lin Feng arrived at his target floor.
“Thank you Miss Yang Nai for the reminder. I will be careful.” Lin Feng nodded slightly to her, then walked out of the elevator without looking back.
It was not until the elevator door slowly closed, blocking out the interested gaze, that the smile on Lin Feng’s face completely disappeared, replaced by a cold calm.
Yukinoshita Harano…
This woman is indeed a trouble.
Her sharpness and temptation were like an invisible whip, urging him to speed up and seize more initiative as soon as possible.
Returning to the temporary office that Xueno had prepared for him, Lin Feng sat on the sofa, closed his eyes and pondered for a moment.
The private cell phone vibrated and the screen lit up.
It was a message from Eriri, with only an attachment and no text.
Lin Feng casually clicked on the attachment.
A picture appeared on the screen—it was the “contract” picture he asked Eriri to draw yesterday.
The girl in the painting is wearing a black maid skirt with lace trims, and a white apron tied around her waist, outlining her slender waist. The girl is kneeling on the ground, holding the hem of her skirt nervously with both hands, her face is flushed, and there seem to be tears in the corners of her eyes. Her eyes are evasive and angry, and her lips are slightly open, as if she wants to say something, but the strong sense of humiliation blocks her throat…
The complex expression of being forced to please, feeling ashamed and angry, yet having to pretend to be a little bit seductive, is portrayed vividly, and you can almost feel the intense inner struggle of the girl in the painting through the screen.
Tsk…
Under such high pressure, this little girl’s potential was greatly brought out.
Lin Feng saved the picture into an encrypted folder expressionlessly, and then replied to Ying Lili with two words:
“It’s OK.”
After thinking for a while, he added, “Keep practicing the combination dynamics. I want to see a stronger impact next time.”
After dealing with this little episode, Lin Feng’s thoughts returned to the chess game of the Yukinoshita family.
Yang Nai’s appearance and temptation were like a stone thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples and making him more clearly aware of his current situation.
Passive waiting is definitely not his style.
We must take the initiative!
His eyes once again fell on the analysis of the “dark chess piece”.
The one with the greatest risk… the “person with a special identity” who has a potential connection with the Muse Art Investment Fund…
Now it seems that it has become the most valuable breakthrough!
Although directly touching this chess piece is like walking on a tightrope on the edge of a cliff, once exposed, it is likely to provoke a thunderous counterattack from the opponent.
This is also the fastest way to get closer to the truth and find out the true and false of that mysterious foundation!
Fortune and wealth are achieved through risk!
A gleam of determination flashed in Lin Feng’s eyes.
He needed a careful plan, one that could quietly activate this highest-risk communication channel without alerting any factions within the Yukinoshita family, or even without letting Haruno notice…
Lin Feng’s fingers tapped lightly on the smooth tabletop, and his brain began to work at high speed, deducing every possibility, every step, and all possible accidents and coping plans…
The hunt is about to begin!
Chapter 25 Activating Dark Chess, Dangerous Contact (Old Version)
The night is as dark as ink, covering this city where prosperity and undercurrents coexist.
In a carefully camouflaged safe base on the outskirts of the city, Lin Feng sat in front of several screens with a focused expression.
The decision to touch the riskiest “dark chess piece” – the last trump card left by Yukinoshita Haruno – was by no means an impulsive one.
In the past few hours, Lin Feng almost immersed himself in the countless fragments of possibilities presented by [Future Insight].
Each simulation is a deduction of the possible backlash that may be encountered after activating the mysterious contact code: ubiquitous electronic tracking, ghostly reverse probing, information leaking quietly at unknown nodes… Every tiny omission may lead to catastrophic consequences.
For each high-risk future scenario, Lin Feng calmly formulated a corresponding disposal plan and integrated the necessary response measures into the communication link he was currently building.
Multi-layered nested virtual encryption channels, dynamically changing routing nodes, and several disposable springboard servers… He mobilized all the resources and technical reserves he could obtain, just to ensure that this upcoming contact would not leave any traceable traces in the cold world of the Internet.
When the last green indicator light on the screen, indicating that the link was complete, lit up, Lin Feng slowly leaned back in his chair and rubbed his swollen temples.
The technological barriers have been built, but the unpredictable nature of human nature is difficult to fully predict.
Before taking this crucial and extremely dangerous step, he needed one last confirmation.
The lights in the Yukinoshita family’s study were still brightly lit.
Yukinoshita Yukino seemed to know that he would come. She sat upright behind the desk with a cup of cold black tea in front of her, which had obviously not been touched.
Seeing Lin Feng appear at the door, her eyes, which were always cold and sharp, revealed a rare hint of barely perceptible nervousness.
Lin Feng didn’t beat around the bush, he walked straight up to her and looked at her calmly.
He did not and could not reveal the specific details of the operation, as that would only drag her into an unnecessary vortex of risk.
He just spoke in a calm but unprecedentedly serious tone: “Yukino, what I am about to do may bring about some…unpredictable troubles, or even real danger.”
“I need confirmation,” Lin Feng paused, as if he was weighing the weight of every word, “No matter what happens, you must trust my judgment and be able to bear the possible consequences.”
Yukinoshita Yukino met his gaze, and there was no hesitation or wavering in the depths of her icy blue pupils.
She straightened her back, as if to show her inner determination through this posture.
Then she nodded gently, her voice clear and decisive, like breaking ice.
“I believe you.”
Three simple words.
In this depressing and unknown night, it seemed to have a tremendous force, weighing heavily on Lin Feng’s heart.
He knew that this was not just a promise, but the girl’s unreserved entrustment of her future destiny to him.
Lin Feng’s eyes softened a little.
He reached out and gently held her hand, which was placed on the armrest of the chair and seemed a little cold due to her inner nervousness.
A delicate and slightly cold touch came.
Feeling the warmth and strength coming from his palm, Yukino’s body trembled slightly, but this time, she did not subconsciously pull back like she did in the past, but let him hold it.
“Don’t be afraid,” Lin Feng’s voice became low, with a power that seemed to calm all the restlessness, “I’ll take care of everything.”
He could clearly feel that this lonely iceberg, which had always stood alone and armed itself with an icy shell, was now opening its softest and most vulnerable core to him without reservation after going through so many things.
He leaned down slightly.
The warm lips gently pressed against her smooth and plump forehead.
It was an extremely gentle kiss, without any lust, but only the comfort of a brother and the promise of a guardian.
Yukinoshita Yukino’s body stiffened for a moment, and then, as if all her strength had been drained away, she slowly relaxed.
She closed her eyes, and her long, thick eyelashes trembled restlessly like butterfly wings, showing the owner’s inner unrest.
The feeling of tension that I had been forcibly holding on to seemed to completely collapse at this moment.
She turned her head slightly and leaned her cheek lightly on Lin Feng’s arm, an attitude of complete trust and dependence.
The study fell into silence, with only the sound of the two people’s intertwined and gradually calming breathing being heard.
There is a wonderful atmosphere in the air, which is a mixture of complete trust and quietly growing ambiguity, forming a unique, reassuring yet slightly thrilling atmosphere.
Lin Feng didn’t say anything else, but just stood there quietly, feeling the body temperature and trust conveyed by the girl.
He knew that this trust was the greatest support for his actions and a responsibility that he could never let down.
After a long time, Xue Noi seemed to have regained some strength. She raised her head, her ice-blue eyes seemed to be covered with a layer of mist under the light, and she looked at Lin Feng steadily.
“Whatever you decide to do,” her voice still trembled slightly, but her tone was extremely serious, “please… protect yourself.”
Lin Feng felt warm in his heart and nodded: “Don’t worry, I never do anything I’m not sure of.”
He held Yukino’s shoulders and helped her sit back down.
“It’s getting late, go to bed early.” He tidied up her messy hair. “When you wake up tomorrow, maybe everything will be different.”
Xue Noi didn’t ask any more questions, but just nodded silently and watched Lin Feng turn around and leave.
When the door of the study was gently closed, isolating the night outside, Yukino slowly raised her hand and lightly touched her forehead, which still had a trace of warmth, with her fingertips.
My cheeks had been stained with a faint blush that lasted for a long time without me fading.
The cold aura that usually kept people at a distance was now gone from her, and in its place was a kind of complete trust, and… a gentleness and dependence like a newly blossoming flower bud that even she herself had not fully realized.
Lin Feng gently embraced her with the remaining warmth as she left, but his eyes had already passed through the heavy window of the study, looking out at the deep, seemingly unbreakable night outside.
The gentleness in his eyes was gone, replaced by the sharpness, coldness and determination of stepping into an unknown danger.
Return to a safe base.
Without any hesitation or pause, Lin Feng quickly sat back in front of the screen.
Checked the status of all devices and the stability of the encrypted link again.
After confirming that everything was correct, he took a deep breath and calmed himself down.
Then he raised his hands and began tapping quickly on the special keyboard.
According to the extremely complex communication protocol and time window accurate to the second left by Yukinoshita Haruno, a special code sequence that seemed meaningless but represented the “Jackdaw” token was sent out through the layer-by-layer encrypted virtual link.
Sending completed.
The room fell into deathly silence again.
Only the monotonously flashing data stream indicator on the screen proved the passage of time.
One second.
Two seconds.
Ten minutes passed with no response.
Lin Feng’s heart sank slightly.
Could it be that this communication channel, which has been dormant for many years, has really become completely ineffective?
Just when he was about to give up and was about to activate the backup plan –
On the screen, a communication request that had been disguised and redirected through multiple routes popped up silently like a ghost!
Here we come!
Lin Feng’s eyes focused, and he quickly put on the headphones connected to the voice changer and pressed the connect button.
Communication established.
But he did not speak immediately, choosing to remain silent, leaving the opportunity for the other party to be exposed first.
The other party was also silent for a few seconds, as if conducting the final security check and identity verification.
Then, a hoarse voice that had undergone high-intensity special processing and could not be identified from its original timbre, gender, or even age, slowly sounded like sandpaper rubbing against rusty iron.
The voice carried a chill and decayed aura that seemed to come from the depths of a grave.
“… Jackdaw’s feathers…”
“…Hehe…After so many years…There are still people who remember…its existence…”
“Go ahead…”
“Wake up… the sleeper…”
“……what…is…it?”
Every word seemed to carry a sticky malice, causing Lin Feng to frown unconsciously.
This “dark chess piece” was more dangerous and strange than he had expected.
Lin Feng activated the voice changer and responded with an equally cold, emotionless, mechanically synthesized voice:
“I need detailed information about the internal operations of the Muse Art Investment Fund.”
He didn’t beat around the bush and directly stated his core purpose.
“In particular, all records of financial transactions, details of cooperative projects, and related communication memoranda between the fund and members of the Yukinoshita family, especially Yukinoshita [Uncle Name], and … any possible third-party secret forces.”
There was silence for a moment.
Then, a series of low and strange laughter broke out. The laughter sounded like the cry of a night owl or the rubbing of dry bones, full of mockery and ominousness.
“Hehe…hehehe…”
“Muse… Art Investment Fund?”
“Tsk tsk tsk… you are really brave…”
“It seems that the little girl left behind by the old woman Yukinoshita… is in real big trouble…”
From the other party’s words, it seemed that he knew the situation of the Yukinoshita family very well, and he spoke with a kind of condescending contempt.
“Can.”
The laughter stopped abruptly.
The hoarse voice suddenly became cold and greedy, like a poisonous snake spitting out its tongue.
“I can give you this information. It’s not difficult for me to…well…
“but……”
The other party’s tone changed again, filled with an unquestionable transaction tone.
“There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world.”
“You need to bring something of equal value in exchange.”
“or……”
The voice was drawn out, with a hint of playfulness and malice.
“Do something for me…”
“One thing… you may not be willing to do… but… hehe… you ‘must’ do it.”
Chapter 26 The Devil’s Deal and the Painter’s “Evolution” (Old Version)
**Chapter 26 The Devil’s Deal and the Painter’s “Evolution”**
Lin Feng sat in front of the computer in the safe base, his fingertips hovering over the keyboard.
The encrypted communication channel was dead silent, with only the faint hum of electricity.
The conditions thrown out by the hoarse voice on the other side were like the fangs of a poisonous snake – either “equal exchange” or “doing things” for him.
Directly provide the core information of the Yukinoshita family? The risk is too high, it is tantamount to inviting a wolf into the house.
Doing things for the other party? The nature is unclear, the danger is unknown, and it is more like a one-way ticket to the abyss.
Lin Feng’s eyes were as cold as ice and his brain was working rapidly.
Must try!
“Your request is too vague.” He tapped the keyboard, and the electronic sound processed by the voice changer came through without any ripples. “Before I pay the ‘price’, I need to confirm whether the information you provide is worth it.”
He paused and continued typing: “How about this, I can first provide you with the details of a recent failed internal cleansing operation of the Yukinoshita Group. In exchange, you need to give me a summary report on the suspicious fund flows of the Muse Fund in the past three months.”
“Or,” Lin Feng changed the subject, “If you want me to ‘do something’, please first state the specific content, objectives, and risk level. I need to evaluate it.”
He kicked the ball back accurately, trying to regain a little initiative in this dangerous game.
There was silence in the channel for a few seconds.
The hoarse voice seemed to chew on Lin Feng’s words carefully, and then let out a low laugh.
“Haha, what an interesting little kid…”
“The details of internal cleansing? That’s of no value to me.” The other party simply rejected Lin Feng’s proposal.
Lin Feng felt a little depressed. The other party was indeed not an easy person to deal with.
However, the other party immediately said: “However, since you have awakened the Jackdaw, I can show you something first.”
Almost at the moment the words fell, an encrypted data stream came silently.
Lin Feng’s eyes focused and he immediately started the decryption program.
A brief report excerpt soon appeared on the screen.
The content is shocking!
The report shows that in the past month, the Muse Fund secretly transferred three huge sums of money through several seemingly unrelated overseas accounts to a shell company actually controlled by Yukinoshita Haruno’s ambitious uncle!
The timing was exactly around the time when the overseas project encountered an “accident”!
What made Lin Feng’s pupils shrink even more was that there was an account code attached at the end of the report, and next to it was clearly marked – “External Consultant Fees”!
It is true!
Lin Feng’s heart was churning, but he remained calm on the surface. This piece of information was extremely valuable, and it almost directly pointed the finger at the uncle and the Muse Fund.
But the other party took the initiative to give these, and his purpose is definitely not simple.
“See? This is just the tip of the iceberg.” The hoarse voice sounded again, with a hint of indescribable temptation, “Want to know more? It’s very simple.”
“Do me a favor.”
Immediately afterwards, another encrypted character file was sent over.
Lin Feng opened it quickly.
Target: Kuroda Toru.
The photo shows a middle-aged man with sharp eyes, dressed in a suit. The file shows that he is a senior manager of a large multinational group’s Tokyo branch. He has been very active recently and seems to be secretly investigating something.
“I want you to find out all his whereabouts in the past week, who he has contacted, and what he has investigated. The more detailed the better.”
The hoarse voice turned cold and hard: “Make him your first priority.”
The other party seemed to be afraid that Lin Feng did not understand the pros and cons, so he added: “Remember, be clean and neat, don’t alarm anyone, especially don’t let the people of the Yukinoshita family know that you are working for me.”
“Once you complete this, I will give you more core information about the Muse Fund.”
The devil’s deal finally showed its fangs.
Investigating a senior manager of a multinational corporation? And keeping it secret from Yukinoshita Yukino?
Lin Feng instantly realized the difficulty of this task and the huge risks hidden behind it.
Who is this Kuroda Toru? What is he investigating? Why is he interfering with the “business” of this mysterious contact? This pool of water is much deeper than imagined.
This so-called “dark chess piece” is indeed an extremely sharp double-edged sword.
Lin Feng tapped his fingers on the keyboard a few times and finally replied: “This task requires time to evaluate. I will give you a reply as soon as possible.”
He did not agree immediately, nor did he refuse directly. He used vague words to temporarily stabilize the other party.
Then he decisively cut off the communication.
Silence returned to the safe base again, with only the photo of Kuroda Toru on the computer screen emitting a cold light.
Putting the dangerous transaction with the mysterious man in the back of his mind for the time being, Lin Feng’s figure appeared outside Ying Lili’s studio like a ghost.
Through the crack in the door, you can see that the light inside is still on.
Pushing the door open, the studio was filled with a smell mixed with coffee, paint, and some kind of… faint sweat.
Compared to the chaos a few days ago, it is obviously tidier here. Although the waste drafts used for practice are still piled up like a mountain, at least there is a place to put them.
The blonde girl lay in front of the digital tablet, breathing evenly, and seemed to have fallen asleep due to extreme exhaustion.
Lin Feng approached quietly.
His eyes fell on the lit screen.
In the center of the screen is a nearly completed drawing.
The painting was… a scene he casually arranged yesterday, simulating a fierce fight between two people!
The picture is very impactful!
The character’s movements are full of explosive power and amazing speed. Every line seems to contain tension, accurately outlining the expansion of muscles and the twisting of bones.
The interactive sense of space, the collision of power between characters, the tense atmosphere of life and death… are all expressed vividly!
This level is a complete transformation compared to the loser lady who couldn’t even draw smooth lines a few days ago!
Lin Feng’s eyes swept to a hidden layer next to it and clicked it.
It was a task he had added on a whim yesterday – a character drawing based on Eriri herself, wearing a tight maid outfit (or bunny girl outfit).
The details have been filled in quite fully.
The light, shadow, wrinkles and texture are all handled meticulously.
The most vivid thing is the expression on the girl’s face – the humiliation and unwillingness of being forced to wear shameful clothes, but deep in her eyes there is a hint of temptation and confusion that is forcibly suppressed… The complex emotions are accurately captured and presented.
The corners of Lin Feng’s mouth curled up in an almost imperceptible arc.
The talent of this blonde lady was truly amazing. After being completely cornered and deprived of all dignity and escape routes, the painting talent hidden deep in her blood erupted like a volcano.
As if she had noticed the gaze behind her, Eriri’s slender body trembled violently and she woke up in shock.
She subconsciously looked up and saw Lin Feng’s expressionless face. Her body immediately tensed up like a frightened deer, and her golden twin ponytails seemed to have stood on end.
His eyes dodged in panic, not daring to look Lin Feng in the eye.
But this time, Lin Feng keenly captured that in addition to her iconic fear and the disgust that was almost overflowing, there seemed to be a hint of… extremely faint, indescribable complex emotions.
Like… when you see the devil instructor, that extremely twisted and subtle feeling of being terrified to death, yet having to admit deep down in your heart that the other person has some “strength”?
Perhaps, even she herself was not aware of this change.
Lin Feng didn’t care about it at all.
He pointed his finger at the tense fighting drawing on the screen with the same cold and critical tone: “The composition is too bold, the perspective is a bit problematic, the force is too strong here, and the lines are not stable enough.”
It seemed as if the amazing progress before his eyes was just barely passing.
Ying Lili’s lips moved, as if she wanted to refute, but in the end she bit her lower lip tightly and swallowed all the words back.
Lin Feng glanced at the maid design again, “This one…can barely be used.”
After giving his evaluation, Lin Feng immediately assigned a new task: “Okay, today’s task is to draw a complex chase scene with more than three people, including at least two different perspectives. Fifty times.”
“……” Ying Lili suddenly raised her head, her green eyes filled with disbelief and despair.
More than three people? A complicated chase? Switching perspectives? Fifty times?!
This is a hellish mission that is simply impossible to accomplish!
However, Lin Feng did not give her any chance to question or bargain. As if he was just giving her an insignificant instruction, he turned around and left.
In the empty studio, Eriri was the only one left, staring blankly at the “masterpiece” on the screen that she had worked on for several hours to complete, and at the new task requirements that sounded like the devil’s whisper.
Humiliation, anger, exhaustion, despair…all kinds of emotions were churning in her heart.
In the end, it just turned into a numb silence.
She even…even the strength to resist was almost drained away.
Chapter 27: The Serpent and the Muse (Old Version)
Lin Feng sat in the study of his apartment in the port area, tapping the table with his fingertips, his eyes fixed on the brief electronic information about “Kuroda Toru” in front of him.
Senior Risk Management Consultant, Pan Asia Heavy Industries, Tokyo Branch.
There was also the mysterious contact who called himself “Viper,” and the request sent through an encrypted channel that was almost an order – to investigate the evidence that this person was interfering with “business.”
Every word carries an ominous air.
Lin Feng closed his eyes, his consciousness sank into the fog of the future, and he concentrated his mental strength on the name “Kuroda Toru”.
In an instant, countless chaotic, broken, and forcefully interfered-with future images flooded into my mind!
A heavy metal safe, a flashing red icon of confidential documents, a secret transfer of anonymous vehicles in the middle of the night, a report cover with the words “commercial espionage” written on it… There are even a few extremely blurry but recognizable images – a confrontation in a dim warehouse, sparks from a gun, and smoke and dust raised by a violent explosion? !
“hiss……”
Lin Feng suddenly opened his eyes, and a trace of solemnity flashed in his eyes.
【Future Insight】The feedback given is more dangerous than ever before!
What Kuroda Toru is touching is definitely a core secret that is enough to cause violent turmoil in multinational groups, and may even involve deeper, shady transactions.
And that “Viper”… is either one of the central figures in this storm, or the mastermind who wants to use me to get involved in this muddy water!
Just follow the other party’s request and investigate Kuroda Toru’s whereabouts and actions in detail?
That’s like sticking your head into a crocodile’s open mouth!
No, that’s too stupid.
Lin Feng picked up the encrypted communicator and dialed Kasumigaoka Utaha’s number.
“Shiyu.” His voice was electric and carried an unquestionable calmness.
“Yes, Lord Lin Feng, what do you want me to do?” From the other end of the phone, a young girl’s voice came with a hint of respectfulness and habitual laziness.
“Please help me check the company ‘Pan Asia Heavy Industries’, especially the recent public news and major business activities of their Tokyo branch, and whether they have a senior consultant named ‘Kuroda Toru’. I need this person’s public resume and whether he has appeared in the media or in public recently.”
Lin Feng paused, and said in a more serious tone: “Listen carefully, I only want information that can be easily obtained from public news, corporate websites, commercial databases and other [normal public channels]. It is **absolutely** forbidden** to use any special abilities on your side, and it is forbidden to conduct any deep network searches or information retrieval that may arouse the other party’s vigilance. Do you understand? Safety first.”
He must be cautious, as this game involves too much, and any negligence could lead to a catastrophe. Using Shiyu to do the most basic public information investigation can not only obtain the necessary background, but also avoid alerting the enemy too early.
At the same time, this is also a test.
To see if this “tool” that he had initially tamed could understand and strictly follow this instruction which came with clear limitations and potential dangers.
“…Yes, Lord Lin Feng, I understand. Just check public information to ensure safety.” Shi Yu’s voice was less lively than usual and more solemn. She obviously understood the warning in Lin Feng’s words.
After ending the call, Lin Feng temporarily put the matter of “Viper” and Kuroda Toru in his heart and turned his attention to another side.
At the same time, in the luxurious studio of the Sawamura family, a silent battle was in full swing.
There are less than three hours left until the final deadline given by the editor!
Eriri’s pretty face, which usually showed pride or shame, was now filled with concentration and fatigue.
Sweat slid down her fair forehead, soaking the golden hair at her temples. Even the loose T-shirt she wore for convenience of movement had already been soaked by sweat on the back, sticking tightly to the girl’s exquisite back curve, but she was completely unaware.
Her eyes were almost shining as they were fixed on the huge professional drawing screen in front of her.
The right hand holding the digital pen moved incredibly fast, the wrist turned flexibly, leaving behind a trail of afterimages, rapidly moving across the digital tablet!
After two days and two nights of almost sleepless hellish training, as well as Lin Feng’s occasional “precise guidance” and mental oppression that were like the devil’s whispers, she felt as if a string in her brain had been completely opened!
All those problems that had troubled her for a long time, such as capturing human body motion, perspective relationships under high-speed movement, and matching the speed lines of background and characters…all these difficult problems were forcibly understood, absorbed, and mastered in a way that was almost like enlightenment under this extreme pressure!
On the screen, the extremely demanding three-person high-speed chase scene has begun to take shape.
No longer as rigid and chaotic as it was at the beginning.
The skirt and hair of the girl in the front running, which are lifted up by the speed, the ferocious and distorted expression on the pursuer’s face, the blurred speed lines formed by the rapidly receding buildings in the background, the dust splashed on the ground… every detail began to come alive!
The characters’ movements are full of explosiveness and fluidity, and the composition of the picture is full of breathtaking tension and unparalleled visual impact!
Ying Lili bit her lower lip and could even hear the sound of her own heart beating violently.
Almost there…almost done!
This is definitely the most difficult and most perfect work she has ever painted since her debut!
On the other side, Lin Feng’s encrypted mailbox received a new email, and the sender was Yukinoshita Yukino.
“Advisor Lin:
The application process for temporary advanced access to the core financial database was officially launched this morning. During the process, we encountered some procedural obstructions from my uncle’s faction, mainly in the risk assessment and multi-department approval process. However, several former subordinates left by my mother are actively assisting us, bypassing some unnecessary procedures, and it is expected that we will be able to obtain preliminary read-only permissions within three days.
Regarding the “dark chess” you mentioned earlier, I have sorted out all the relevant information I can get my hands on, including detailed background investigation reports of known personnel, preliminary decryption attempts of encrypted files in the safe (partially successful), and analysis of the potential meaning of the contact code book involved in several intercepted suspicious communications. All content is stored in the encrypted compressed package attached, and the password is agreed upon by you and me.
I will follow your instructions completely.
“Respectfully submitted by Yukinoshita Yukino”
The wording of the email is as concise, capable and efficient as always.
What is revealed between the lines is Yukino’s determination to fight to the death, and her execution ability that far exceeds that of her peers.
Lin Feng downloaded the attachment and entered the password to decompress it.
He quickly glanced through the documents inside and found that the detailed content and in-depth analysis even exceeded his expectations.
It seems that this cold-blooded young lady really staked the future of her family and her own destiny on this cooperation.
He tapped his fingertips and replied with a short email: “Received. The information is very detailed and the analysis is thorough. I will study it as soon as possible and make the next plan. You can proceed with the authority issue step by step. There is no need to rush. Your safety is the highest priority in everything.”
The storyline of Yukino is progressing smoothly.
In the evening, the afterglow of the setting sun shines through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows of the studio and onto the floor.
“Huh…finally…”
Ying Lili used up her last bit of strength and clicked the send button. She watched the message “Manuscript sent successfully” pop up on the screen and collapsed back into the ergonomic chair as if all her energy had been drained from her.
My mind went blank and I was too lazy to even move my fingers.
The high intensity of mental concentration and physical exertion made her feel as if her body was no longer her own.
At this moment, a figure appeared behind her like a ghost, and his eyes calmly swept across the final draft on the screen that was enough to amaze any editor.
“Well, at least I didn’t waste my time.”
Lin Feng’s voice sounded faintly, not much praise could be heard in it, but rather it sounded more like an acceptance that was taken for granted.
Ying Lili didn’t even have the strength to roll her eyes, she just wanted to fall into a deep sleep.
However, Lin Feng obviously did not intend to let her do as she wished.
“You did quite well this time,” he walked up to Eriri, looking down at the exhausted but still beautiful face of the girl, “but don’t forget, this is just the beginning. Our ‘deal’ is a long-term one.”
trade……
Ying Lili’s numb eyes moved, as if she remembered something, and her body trembled slightly.
“By the way,” Lin Feng seemed to suddenly remember something and added, “Take some time to refine the details of those maid costume and bunny girl character sketches you drew earlier. They may be used in the future.”
“Also, in order for me to keep track of your progress and provide you with necessary guidance,” he said in a flat tone, making the request seem suffocating, “starting tomorrow, send me your detailed schedule, accurate to the hour, every morning. Any comments?”
Eriri’s lips opened and closed silently a few times, as if she wanted to protest, but in the end, all her resistance vanished under the gaze of those deep and calm eyes.
She just turned her head slightly to avoid that gaze and replied in an almost inaudible voice: “…No.”
After saying this, he closed his eyes completely, as if saying even one more word would be a huge waste.
Looking at this golden-haired loser whose claws and fangs had been completely worn down and who had temporarily lost all will to resist, Lin Feng’s heart did not waver much.
Not the thrill of conquest, nor pity.
It is just a natural calmness as the chess pieces fall into the designated positions according to the predetermined trajectory.
At this point, the layout of the second phase is basically completed.
On Yukino’s side, trust has been initially established and cooperation has been fully launched. The crucial clue of “Muse Fund” has surfaced and needs to be further explored.
On Eriri’s side, this “brush” with top talent, after being hammered and shaped, has also initially demonstrated its value as a “tool”, especially in the motion capture and specific style that he has “enhanced”.
Everything is going according to plan.
Lin Feng slowly walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window and overlooked the night view of Tokyo which was gradually lit up by thousands of lights.
However, the fog on the chessboard did not dissipate, but became even thicker.
The true identity, purpose and background of the mysterious “Viper” remain a mystery.
What kind of huge network of power is involved behind the Muse Fund? How will the internal struggle of the Yukinoshita family evolve?
Yukinoshita Haruno…what role does that woman play in this?
And are those “dark chess pieces” that Yukino has sorted out reliable aids, or are they time bombs that may explode at any time?
Countless questions swirled in Lin Feng’s mind.
Chapter 28 Invitation to the Center of the Vortex (Old Version)
early morning.
Lin Feng stood in front of the large French window of the apartment, overlooking the bustling city below. The morning light shone through the mist, giving the high-rise buildings a layer of light gold.
His thoughts were like a precision instrument, quickly sorting out the numerous clues at hand. Regarding the “Kuroda Toru” who might be related to the curse of the old book, the relevant peripheral investigation tasks had been assigned to Kasumigaoka Utaha, so he didn’t need to invest too much energy for the time being.
What really occupied his focus was the huge amount of information passed on by Yukinoshita Yukino about the dormant “hidden chess pieces” within her family. The amount of information was huge and involved a wide range of issues. It would take time to digest it carefully in order to weave a perfect network.
The surface of the water is calm, but the undercurrent is already surging…
Buzz buzz buzz——!
At this moment, the specially encrypted communicator on the table suddenly vibrated rapidly, and the name “Yukino” jumped on the screen.
Lin Feng raised his eyebrows slightly and answered the call.
“Advisor Lin…!”
The voice coming from the other end of the communicator was filled with an irrepressible urgency, and even a slight, almost imperceptible tremor, which was completely different from her usual cold voice.
“It’s an emergency! Something happened at the old house left by my mother!”
Yukino’s voice was thick with anxiety.
“The family… the family has decided to hold a meeting of elders tonight! To discuss… the issue of changing the supervision of overseas assets! The time is 7 o’clock in the evening!”
She spoke very quickly, as if she was expressing her tremendous pressure.
“I just received reliable information… Someone, someone tried to forcibly transfer some of the most critical documents before the meeting! They want to create a fait accompli!”
“I… I don’t know what to do… Consultant Lin, I need your help! Right now!!”
In the last sentence, Yukino’s voice was full of undisguised helplessness and almost complete dependence. This girl who had been trying to support herself and looked as hard as ice finally placed all her hopes on him in the face of the cruel struggle that truly touched the core of the family.
Lin Feng’s eyes suddenly became sharp.
Elders meeting? Change of asset custody? Forced transfer of key documents?
Huh… It’s faster than expected. It seems that some people in the Yukinoshita family can no longer suppress their greedy desires and are ready to tear their faces apart and take the initiative.
“Don’t panic, Yukino.”
Lin Feng’s voice was calm and steady, with a strange soothing power.
“Tell me all the details you know. The more details the better.”
While calming Yukino’s emotions through words, Lin Feng activated his core ability without hesitation – [Future Insight]!
His consciousness instantly sank into a flood of information, and his target was clearly locked on the two nodes of “the elders’ meeting of the Yukinoshita family tonight” and “key documents”.
In an instant!
Countless chaotic, fragmented, yet crucial information-containing fragments of possible future events flooded into his mind like a tide!
[Clip 1: A dark and depressing Japanese-style meeting room with dim lights. Several old men in kimonos with rigid faces sit upright, their eyes as sharp as knives, and there is a silent smell of gunpowder between them.][Clip 2: The sound of a fierce quarrel! Someone slammed the table, yelled something, spit flew everywhere! Yukino stood alone in the middle, her face pale, her lips tightly pursed, and she was under tremendous pressure.][Clip 3: In a dark corner of the archive room, a middle-aged man in a well-dressed suit and slightly hunched over is stealthily stuffing a sealed file bag into an inconspicuous ventilation duct interlayer, his movements are quick and covert.][Clip 4: After the meeting, Yukino walked out of the old house in a daze. Several cold eyes came from the darkness, threatening and malicious… In the blurred picture, it seemed that an out-of-control car rushed towards…]The flow of information came to a sudden halt.
Lin Feng’s pupils suddenly contracted.
Very good… the other party’s methods, goals, even the minor executors and potential back-up plans have all been exposed in his eyes.
The guy who was acting stealthily in the archives was most likely an insider arranged by the other party to dispose of key evidence or documents that were unfavorable to them before the meeting.
More importantly, the risks that Xueno may face after this meeting are much greater than she imagined! Not only will she fail in the power struggle, but someone may even want her to “disappear” completely!
These old guys…are really ruthless.
Lin Feng’s mouth curled up in an icy arc.
“Yukino, listen.”
He spoke again, his tone firm and unquestionable.
“The other party’s most urgent target now is those key documents. Therefore, our first step is to prevent them from succeeding and obtain evidence of their tampering.”
“You should contact the old butler your mother trusted most when she was alive, called ‘Saeki’, right?”
“Tell him that in about half an hour, a man wearing a dark gray suit, about 1.7 meters tall, with a slightly high hairline and a silver watch on his right wrist, will sneak in and try to hide a special document bag marked ‘Overseas Trust’ in the ventilation duct mezzanine behind the third bookshelf near the window.”
Lin Feng accurately recounted the physical characteristics, action time, location and hiding methods of the traitor captured by [Future Insight].
“Have Butler Saeki take two absolutely reliable men with him immediately, and go to that location in advance to ‘wait for the enemy’ in the name of ‘checking the safety of the line’ or ‘strengthening the security of the archives room’. The key is to catch the criminal red-handed!”
“Remember, the whole process should be made to look like an accidental discovery, or just a routine security check that caught the ‘thief’. Don’t reveal that we have seen through everything for the time being. Getting solid evidence is more important than anything else. Do you understand?”
“…Yes! I…I understand! Consultant Lin!”
Xue Nai’s voice was still trembling slightly, but she had obviously regained her composure and backbone. With Lin Feng’s precise and specific instructions, she knew what she should do in an instant.
“I’ll contact Butler Saeki right away!”
The call was quickly hung up.
Lin Feng put down the communicator, walked to the window, and looked deeply in the direction of the old house of the Yukinoshita family in the distance, with a cold light flashing in his eyes.
It’s not enough to just stop a file transfer and catch a small culprit.
The elders’ meeting at 7 o’clock tonight will be the battlefield that truly decides victory or defeat.
He had to go there himself.
This was not just to protect Yukino, to ensure that this girl who had come to see him as her only support could survive the crisis…
It was also to take advantage of this excellent opportunity to officially step onto the gorgeous yet decadent stage of the Yukinoshita Family and announce his existence, Lin Feng, to all the evil spirits hiding behind the scenes!
He wants to let those self-righteous old family members know that times have changed!
He wants to stir up this stagnant water thoroughly with his own hands, and then… reap the greatest benefits from it!
Of course, one also needs an “identity” and “timing” that are of sufficient weight and can intervene just right… Lin Feng’s mouth corners raised again, and he already had a plan in his mind.
At the same time, at the old house of the Yukinoshita family on the other side of the city.
This vast Japanese garden with a long history is now shrouded in a suffocatingly depressing atmosphere.
There were still several hours left before the evening elders’ meeting, but the air was already filled with a heavy sense of impending storm.
Several elders from the collateral branches with gray hair and beards, dressed in traditional kimonos, had arrived in advance and each occupied a corner of the tea room. They seemed to be resting with their eyes closed, but in fact, they were constantly exchanging glances with each other in low voices, and their eyes were flashing with undisguised greed and calculation.
They looked towards the main house as if they were sizing up a precious prey that was about to be caught.
On the other side of the courtyard, under the corridor, several old officials who were obviously loyal to Yukino’s mother, or to the “orthodoxy”, all had solemn faces, their eyes full of worry and vigilance. They gathered together, occasionally whispering a few words, but more often communicating through implicit eye contact, as if confirming each other’s positions and guarding against possible changes at any time.
Silent smoke filled and collided in the air.
In a quiet Japanese-style room in the main house, Yukino’s ambitious uncle, Yukinoshita Makoto, was sitting upright on the tatami, sipping tea leisurely.
There was a faint, wise-looking sneer on his face, as if everything tonight was already predetermined and all the chess pieces would fall according to his script.
He seemed completely unaware that an invisible net laid by a more powerful hunter from outside had been quietly spread out, waiting to catch all the prey in one fell swoop.
Chapter 29: The Thundering Strike of the Uninvited Guest (Old Version)
The night is dark, like thick ink splashed across the sky.
The old house of the Yukinoshita family was brightly lit, like a giant beast lurking in the darkness, exuding a suffocating sense of oppression.
An inconspicuous black car slid silently in front of the gate and stopped.
The car door opened and Lin Feng’s figure appeared in the cold air.
Yukinoshita Yukino had been waiting at the door for a long time. Her delicate face was no longer cold as usual, but only tense and anxious. When she saw Lin Feng getting out of the car, her clenched fists seemed to relax for a moment, and a trace of barely detectable relief flashed across her beautiful ice-blue eyes, but more of it was the nervousness that could not be concealed.
“Lin… Consultant Lin…” Her voice trembled slightly as she greeted him softly, her eyes subconsciously avoiding Lin Feng’s eyes that seemed to be able to see through everything.
Lin Feng just nodded slightly, his eyes like the most sophisticated radar, scanning the huge mansion sharply. The black-clad bodyguards standing solemnly at the door, the shadowy figures patrolling in the depths of the courtyard, the tension in the air… nothing escaped his perception.
“Take me in.” His voice was calm, without any emotion, but it carried an irresistible power.
Yukino took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind, and led the way.
The ancient Japanese corridor is deep and quiet. The wooden floor underfoot makes a slight creaking sound, and every sound seems to strike at one’s heartstrings.
The closer you get to the deeper part of the conference room, the more stagnant the air becomes, making it hard to breathe.
A lot of people have gathered in the spacious lounge area outside the conference room. There are old men wearing traditional kimonos with serious faces, and middle-aged men in suits and leather shoes with shrewd expressions. They gather in twos and threes, some talking in low voices, some closing their eyes to rest, but without exception, everyone’s eyes are like hawks hovering in the sky, flashing sharp and vigilant light.
When Xue Nai led the unfamiliar young face Lin Feng to appear, almost all eyes were instantly focused on them.
Scrutiny, suspicion, inquiry, and even…undisguised hostility!
Especially in the corner, there was a middle-aged man named Yukinoshita Makoto, who was chatting and laughing with several calm old men. The moment he saw Lin Feng, the smile on his lips obviously stiffened for a moment, and a barely perceptible sinister look flashed across his eyes.
Lin Feng seemed unaware of these gazes, but with a faint smile on his lips, he calmly accepted this silent inspection. He knew that from the moment he stepped into this place, he had already stood at the center of the storm and became a variable that could not be ignored in this power game.
Xue Noi felt the pressure from all around, and her face became even paler, but she still straightened her slender back and led Lin Feng to the closed door of the conference room.
An old man dressed in traditional butler’s clothes, but not Saeki, stepped forward and bowed slightly, but his tone was full of unquestionable obstruction: “Second Miss, the meeting is about to begin. This gentleman is…”
Xue Nai raised her head and looked directly at the old housekeeper with a cold gaze. Her voice was trembling slightly but was extremely firm: “This is Mr. Lin Feng, the business consultant I hired. He will assist me in handling all subsequent management matters concerning my assets. According to the family charter, he has the right to attend this meeting.”
“What?!”
“consultant?”
“How can outsiders participate in the core family meeting!”
As soon as Yukino finished speaking, there was an irrepressible uproar and discussion around her.
Yukinoshita Makoto’s face darkened, and he took a step forward, scolding with the dignity of an elder: “Yukino! Nonsense! This is an internal meeting of the Yukinoshita family, discussing the core assets of the family, how can we allow an outsider to listen in?!”
“Uncle!” Yukino met Yukinoshita Makoto’s sharp gaze without flinching, and her voice suddenly rose a few notes. “The content of this meeting is directly related to my inherited rights and interests according to law! I need professionals to provide advice and assistance to ensure that my rights and interests are not infringed! Consultant Lin’s identity is completely legal and compliant!”
The girl’s insistence made Yukinoshita Makoto’s face even uglier. He didn’t expect that his niece, who had always been considered “weak”, would be so tough today.
The heavy wooden door of the conference room was slowly pushed open, and oppressive silence instantly enveloped everyone.
The huge oval conference table was already full of people, with the main seat vacant. On both sides were the elders and core members of the family, clearly divided into several small groups.
Lin Feng followed behind Xue Nai and sat down casually in the back, scanning the entire room with a calm gaze.
The meeting was chaired by an elderly man who seemed relatively neutral. After a brief opening speech, he went straight to the point and announced the core topic of the day – the transfer of supervision rights over several important overseas trust funds and some industrial investments under Yukino’s name.
The proposer was the group headed by Yukinoshita Makoto.
“Dear elders, dear clan members,” Yukinoshita Makoto stood up with a “heartbroken” expression on his face, “Yukino is still young, and although she is smart, I’m afraid she lacks experience in managing such a large and complex overseas asset and is unable to take on this important task. For the safety and stable appreciation of the family’s assets, and to avoid unnecessary risks, I propose that the supervision of these assets be temporarily transferred to a special supervision committee composed of several experienced elders…”
His words sounded high-sounding and his reasons were “reasonable”, as if everything was for the good of Yukino and the family.
Then, a man wearing gold-rimmed glasses and looking very “professional” stood up, turned on the projector, and began to show a bunch of dense data and complex financial charts, accompanied by difficult professional terms, to demonstrate the necessity and superiority of handing over regulatory power to a “professional committee.”
“…from the perspective of risk control, the current single-successor regulatory model has huge exposure…”
“…according to the latest international financial regulations, a more professional team is needed to make compliance adjustments…”
“…the committee supervision model can effectively disperse decision-making risks and improve investment returns…”
After a series of combined punches, and with the support of several elders from Yukinoshita Makoto’s faction, the atmosphere on the field clearly began to tilt towards them.
Xueno’s face became paler and paler. She tried to refute several times, but was blocked by the other party with more complicated terms and data. Her fingers tightly grasped the corner of her clothes, her body trembled slightly, and she looked so helpless.
The opposition had smiles of confidence on their faces, and Yukinoshita Makoto glanced at Yukino with pride, as if he had seen the dawn of victory and was ready to call for a vote.
“Wait a moment.”
A calm voice suddenly sounded, not loud, but like a stone thrown into a calm lake, it instantly broke the delicate balance in the conference room.
All eyes were focused on the young “consultant” who had remained silent and seemed to be just a background figure.
Lin Feng slowly raised his head, a meaningful arc appeared at the corner of his mouth, and his eyes fell calmly on Yukinoshita Makoto whose expression changed slightly.
“Mr. Cheng,” Lin Feng’s voice was clearly heard by everyone, “You just repeatedly emphasized that the transfer of supervision rights is to better protect family assets and avoid unnecessary risks, right?”
Yukinoshita Makoto frowned, staring at the young man who suddenly attacked, and said coldly: “Of course! This is for the overall benefit of the family!”
“Oh?” Lin Feng raised his eyebrows slightly, and suddenly changed the subject, his voice also turned cold, like the cold wind in December, “Then, I wonder if Mr. Cheng can explain it…”
He paused, and his eyes swept across the faces of all the guilty people present like a sharp sword.
“——Why would someone sneak into the family’s central archives this afternoon and try to secretly transfer or even… destroy some of the original transaction vouchers and third-party risk assessment reports on the Artemis overseas fund?”
These words came out like thunder from a clear sky!
Yukinoshita Makoto’s pupils shrank suddenly! The faces of the elders around him also changed instantly!
“You…what nonsense are you talking about!” an elder shouted in a loss of composure.
Lin Feng ignored him and just nodded to Xue Noi beside him.
Xueno immediately understood, and suppressed her inner excitement and shock, connecting an encrypted USB flash drive to the projection device in the conference room.
The next second, several extremely clear high-definition surveillance screenshots suddenly appeared on the huge screen!
In the picture, a man wearing the uniform of an archive staff member but with an unfamiliar face was being pinned to the ground by two tall black-clad bodyguards! In his hand, he was holding a miniature scanning device! Among the scattered papers beside him, the remains of several torn documents could be vaguely seen!
It was the sneaky figure that Butler Saeki and his men “happened” to intercept and control outside the archive room in the afternoon!
The evidence is irrefutable!
“boom–!!!”
The entire conference room exploded instantly!
“This…what’s going on?!”
“Someone actually wants to destroy the evidence?!”
“The Artemis Fund…isn’t that the project that Elder Cheng and his team led the investment in?”
Questions, exclamations, and angry roars came one after another!
Yukinoshita Makoto’s face instantly turned livid, veins popped out on his forehead, and he stared at Lin Feng intently, his eyes looking like he wanted to eat him! Several trusted elders around him also looked pale, shocked and angry, and they had never expected that the other party actually held such fatal evidence in his hand!
The “financial expert” who had been talking nonstop before now looked pale with cold sweat dripping down his forehead.
The elders who had remained neutral all along began to look at Yukinoshita Makoto’s group with suspicion and scrutiny.
The old ministers who supported Xueno were greatly encouraged and looked at Lin Feng with eyes full of surprise and admiration!
“You! You are slandering me! This is defamation! Frame-up!” Yukinoshita Makoto slammed the table, stood up suddenly, pointed at Lin Feng and yelled, trying to overwhelm everything with his momentum.
Lin Feng just looked at him calmly, as if he was looking at a clown, and said indifferently: “Whether it is slander or frame-up, I think everyone here has a scale in their hearts.”
He paused, and his eyes slowly swept across the entire audience. His voice was not loud, but it was powerful enough to clearly strike the heart of every person with ulterior motives:
“I just want to remind everyone… If even the supervision within the family can be treated as such a ‘child’, and even someone steals from the family and tries to cover up the truth…”
“Then, handing over the supervision of such important assets to certain ‘specific’ people…I’m afraid this is the biggest risk to our Yukinoshita family, right?”
Lin Feng’s words were like an invisible hammer, hitting him hard!
The conference room was in complete chaos! Accusations, defenses, and anger mixed together, and the opposition was thrown into disarray, no longer able to maintain their previous composure and calm.
Lin Feng leaned back in his chair, looking at the chaotic scene in front of him, the faint curve at the corner of his mouth deepened.
The thunder strike of the uninvited guest seems to have a good effect. }
Chapter 30: Chessboard Deduction and Weakness Detection (Old Version)
The meeting of family elders ended abruptly in a depressing and chaotic atmosphere.
The various forces attacked each other, and in the end, no one could convince the other. The core proposal on the transfer of overseas asset supervision was naturally shelved indefinitely.
Yukinoshita Makoto’s face was terribly livid, as if water could drip out of it. He almost rushed out of the door with his vassals who also had unfriendly faces. Before leaving, his resentful eyes, as if they were real, fiercely pierced Lin Feng and Yukinoshita Yukino, without concealing his hatred.
In the conference room, after a brief silence, several old officials who had always supported Yukino’s mother gathered around.
“Ms. Yukino, are you okay?”
“Elder Cheng has gone too far this time!”
They expressed their support and concern in a low voice, and at the same time glanced at Lin Feng, who was standing next to Xue No and seemed unusually calm from beginning to end.
Curiosity, exploration, and a hint of indescribable awe.
Who was this young man? How could he make Yukinoshita Makoto so flustered and even leave the scene in such a situation with just a few words?
Lin Feng just nodded slightly to their goodwill and didn’t say much.
He knew very well that the confrontation in the conference room just now was just a prelude. The real storm was still to come.
Yukinoshita Makoto’s embarrassing departure only bought some precious time for the subsequent fierce counterattack.
In Yukinoshita Yukino’s study, the heavy soundproof door was closed, isolating her from all the disturbances from the outside world.
Until this moment, Xue Nai’s tense nerves finally seemed to relax. Her fair face still had some of the tension and paleness from the meeting, and the look she gave Lin Feng was extremely complicated.
Gratitude was inevitable. If Lin Feng had not suddenly taken action, she would have been in an extremely passive situation today.
The sense of dependence is also rising sharply. This man always seems to be able to solve problems in unimaginable ways at critical moments.
Awe also existed. The precision in understanding people’s hearts and the silent pressure that Lin Feng showed in the meeting made her feel unfamiliar and palpitating.
Even… there was a tiny bit of fear. Facing such a powerful being that could easily stir up the affairs of the Yukinoshita family, she was somewhat at a loss.
“Advisor Lin…” Xueno’s voice trembled slightly, “Thank you. If it weren’t for you…”
“Now is not the time to thank you.” Lin Feng interrupted her calmly, without any fluctuation in his tone.
He walked up to Yukino and looked deep into her equally clear but confused eyes.
“Uncle Cheng has suffered a great loss this time and has lost all his face. He will never give up.” Lin Feng said firmly, “He will definitely fight back, and he will be even more crazy and unscrupulous.”
Upon hearing this, Xueno’s body trembled slightly.
Lin Feng didn’t give her too much time to adjust her mood and went straight to the point: “Tell me, how many details do you know about the unusual financial transactions between Uncle Cheng and Beichen Commodities mentioned in the ‘Dark Chess’ information you gave me before?”
Hearing the name “Beichen Commodities”, Xueno’s eyes immediately became focused.
She tried hard to recall and compare the information in her mind that had been specially marked by her mother.
“Beichen Commodities…is a large trading company that our Yukinoshita family indirectly holds shares in. Its business covers a wide range, and Uncle Makoto has always been in charge of the connection and management.” Yukino’s voice was low and clear. “Before my mother passed away, she seemed to have some doubts about the company’s accounts, thinking that…the profits did not match the investment. So, she asked ‘Anqi’ to pay special attention to this company, especially the flow of funds related to Uncle Makoto.”
“The information mentioned that several huge amounts of funds with unclear names have flowed from several investment accounts controlled by the family to Beichen Commodities over the past few years, and then…soon transferred to the accounts of several shell companies registered overseas by Beichen Commodities. The timing of those fund transfers was quite sensitive, and it seemed that they all occurred during critical periods when our family made major investment decisions or when power was transferred…”
Yukino narrated in detail everything she knew, piecing together the scattered clues.
Lin Feng listened quietly. At the same time, deep in his consciousness, the ability to see into the future began to work quietly again.
This time, he focused all his attention on the core node of “the financial problem between Yukinoshita Makoto and Beichen Commodities”.
In the field of vision, the chaotic fragments of future possibilities quickly gathered and became clear.
The strong interference caused by the struggle between the various parties at the elders’ meeting just now has weakened, and instead, there is a clear picture of Uncle Cheng’s financial problems –
In a hidden club room, Yukinoshita Makoto was having a secret meeting with a middle-aged businessman with a slick face and flickering eyes. Several suspicious documents were scattered on the table.
A series of carefully forged financial statements concealed huge deficits.
Sufficient amounts of family funds were quietly misappropriated and flowed into unknown areas through Beichen Commodities’ complex channels.
A deeper picture emerged – Uncle Cheng had embezzled a large amount of family funds and invested them in a high-risk overseas financial derivatives market. As a result, he lost all his money and created a huge financial black hole!
The reason why he was so eager to seize the supervision of the Yukinoshita family’s overseas assets was fundamentally to use that huge amount of funds that were not under the supervision of the core family to fill the huge mess he had created!
The motivation chain closes instantly!
A glimmer of understanding flashed across Lin Feng’s eyes.
“I see…” he whispered to himself, “No wonder he was so impatient and even went so far as to lose face at the elders’ meeting. He was afraid that he could no longer cover up this hole.”
This financial black hole hidden behind Beichen Commodities is Yukinoshita Makoto’s most fatal weakness! A sharp blade that can nail him to death!
Xue Nai looked at the expression of knowing everything on Lin Feng’s face and was even more shocked. She only provided some clues, but Lin Feng seemed to have seen through all the truth?
“Xue Nao.” Lin Feng’s eyes fell on her again, with unquestionable determination, “Next, we need to do a few things.”
He began to lay out the tasks clearly, his voice calm and powerful.
“First, contact Butler Saeki immediately and have him use all available resources to secretly collect all direct evidence that can prove that Uncle Cheng’s financial transactions with Beichen Commodities are abnormal. The key is the bank transaction traces of those overseas shell accounts. The more detailed the better.”
“Second, after you gain access to the family’s financial database, keep it to yourself and focus on checking all accounts related to Beichen Property, especially the fund flow records for the past five years. Find out the clear amount of deficit, misappropriation records, or any unreasonable financial operations.”
“Third…” Lin Feng paused, his lips curled up in a cold arc, “Find the slick businessman who secretly met with Uncle Cheng in the club. Find him out and control him. He will be the key breakthrough for us to pry open Uncle Cheng’s mouth, or directly send him to hell.”
Each instruction was issued clearly and directly hit the key points.
Xue Nai listened carefully and nodded vigorously. Under Lin Feng’s command, the confusion and fear in her heart gradually dissipated, replaced by a clear sense of direction and… determination to carry out the mission.
She knew that she was completely tied to the man in front of her. The game against Uncle Cheng had officially begun!
While Lin Feng and Yukino were plotting in the study, in a corner of the Yukinoshita family’s old house, or rather, through the ubiquitous family surveillance network.
Yukinoshita Haruno might be holding a glass of red wine, watching the video clip of the elders’ meeting playing back on the screen with interest.
Her gaze might linger for a long time on Lin Feng’s young but unusually calm face.
This sudden appearance of “Consultant Lin” was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, arousing her strong interest.
Being able to gain Yukino’s trust and making that old fox Uncle Makoto lose his composure in public… It’s quite interesting.
Perhaps, she would instruct her subordinates to “thoroughly” investigate the background of Consultant Lin.
Lin Feng didn’t know all this yet, but the uncertain chess piece named “Yang Nai” had quietly landed on the edge of the chessboard, silently observing the development of the situation.
After seeing off Yukino who had left, Lin Feng stood alone in front of the large floor-to-ceiling window of the study, overlooking the brightly lit courtyard of the Yukinoshita family.
Uncle Cheng’s financial problems are a very sharp knife.
But how to use this knife well is an art.
Directly throw out the evidence and completely overthrow Uncle Makoto? This can certainly solve the immediate threat, but it may also cause greater turmoil within the Yukinoshita family and even attract the covetousness of external forces. It may not be the best option.
Using this handle, he could firmly control Uncle Cheng in his hands and make him a pawn in the Yukinoshita family, a puppet who was forced to obey orders? This seemed to have more room for maneuver and could better maintain the family’s superficial stability.
Or…will this fatal information be revealed to Yukinoshita Haruno, intentionally or unintentionally? Let’s see how the smart eldest daughter will use this information to gain benefits for herself and use her to clean up the mess?
Chapter 31: Hidden Line Operation and Prey Hooked (Old Version)
The next day, undercurrents began to surge in the Yukinoshita family.
Following Lin Feng’s instructions, Yukinoshita Yukino and Butler Saeki split into two groups and began a secret operation.
Butler Saeki is indeed an old man who has served the Yukinoshita family for many years. He uses his familiarity with the internal operations of the old house and the personal connections he has accumulated over the years to quietly infiltrate the archives room and some warehouses that few people visit like a ghost.
His goal was clear – to search for all paper documents and past records related to Uncle Cheng and “Beichen Commodities”, especially those financial transaction vouchers that might have been forgotten or deliberately hidden. Every tiny clue could be the straw that broke the camel’s back. His actions were like dancing on a tightrope, requiring both efficiency and absolute secrecy, and not alerting any potential spies.
Xue No, on her part, suppressed her anxiety for the time being, and while waiting for the “secret chess” arranged by her mother before her death to provide further inside information about the operating details of Beichen Commodities, she mobilized the resources she could access and began to sort out those seemingly disorganized fragments of information.
She sat in the study, with various data and reports flashing on the computer screen in front of her, trying to find logical connections and financial irrationalities. The girl’s face was full of concentration and solemnity. She knew that this was not only revenge for her mother, but also a key step in determining her future destiny. The air was filled with a sense of tension unique to secret operations.
And Lin Feng was not idle at this moment either.
The connection between Uncle Cheng and the mysterious businessman is the key to breaking the deadlock.
He first tried to mobilize his power of peeping into the future, trying to directly lock onto the location or identity of the businessman. However, when the tentacles of his consciousness extended out, what he got back was a vague interference.
It seems that the other party is protected by some special luck, or simply acts cautiously enough. The future is full of uncertainty and difficult to capture accurately.
“It’s interesting.” Lin Feng was not discouraged, but felt it was more challenging.
If direct insight doesn’t work, try another approach.
He picked up the phone and dialed Kasumigaoka Utaha’s number.
The call was connected almost immediately, and Shi Yu’s voice, which was a little lazy and expectant, came: “Lin Fengjun? You are looking for me so early, do you have any instructions?”
“Shiyu, help me check someone.” Lin Feng’s voice was calm and he gave the order directly, “I need you to use all your information channels.”
He clearly described the limited information he had captured from the future fragment: “A middle-aged man, probably in his forties, slightly fat, with a slightly high hairline, and likes to wear a pair of gold-rimmed glasses. He often goes to a high-end club called ‘Amber Palace’ in the port area. There seems to be some secret business dealings between him and ‘Beichen Commodities’.”
“Find out this person’s exact identity, background, and recent activity patterns. Especially his movements in the Amber Palace.” Lin Feng added, “Remember, safety first. Don’t expose yourself, and don’t alert the target.”
“Hmm~ Leave it to me, Lin Feng-jun.” Shi Yu’s voice was full of confidence. “It sounds like an interesting material that needs to be ‘dissected’ carefully.”
After hanging up the phone, Lin Feng knew that Kasumigaoka Shiyu would use her intelligence tentacles that were all over the Internet and reality to track this clue. This woman’s ability was indeed very convenient in some aspects.
After dealing with this matter, Lin Feng’s eyes fell on another message displayed on the mobile phone screen – that was the schedule for today that Ying Lili sent reluctantly in the morning.
With a playful smile on his lips, he made a phone call.
After a few beeps, the phone was picked up, and Ying Lili’s slightly nervous and alert voice came: “Hello…Lin Feng?”
“Be free between 3pm and 5pm.” Lin Feng’s tone was an unquestionable command, “Come to my apartment.”
“Eh?! Going to your place? What for?!” Eriri’s voice suddenly rose high, filled with panic.
“What do you think?” Lin Feng chuckled. “Of course, I’m going to check your ‘learning results’ yesterday, and by the way… give you some new ‘instructions’. Bring your half-finished maid character design, as there are many details that need to be improved in person.”
“I…” Ying Lili seemed to want to argue something, but under Lin Feng’s calm but oppressive tone, she finally just said a whisper-like “…I know.”
Three o’clock in the afternoon.
The doorbell of Lin Feng’s apartment rang on time.
When he opened the door, it was indeed Ying Lili, who was wearing an exquisite dress but seemed to be fidgeting. Her golden twin ponytails were hanging down listlessly, her fair face was abnormally flushed, her green eyes flickered, and she didn’t dare to look Lin Feng in the eye.
“Come in.” Lin Feng stepped aside to let her in.
Ying Lili lowered her head and walked into the living room almost at the same pace, holding her drawing board bag tightly in both hands, like a small animal that had strayed into a trap.
Lin Feng asked her to sit on the sofa in the living room, and he leisurely looked at the character sketch she brought.
I have to say that Eriri’s talent for drawing is indeed top-notch. Even in the sketch stage, the lines and structure are quite outstanding. It’s just…
“The expression in this picture is too stiff.” Lin Feng’s voice sounded behind her, with a scrutinizing tone.
Ying Lili’s body stiffened and she subconsciously straightened her back.
Lin Feng walked behind her, leaned down slightly, his eyes fell on the character design on the screen, and pointed his finger at a specific area of ​​the screen: “The eyes should portray the kind of ‘temptation’ that seems to reject but also welcome, rather than the simple tsundere look now.”
His breath blew faintly on Eriri’s sensitive earlobe, carrying a warm scent.
“And here, the curve of the waist.” Lin Feng’s fingers seemed to be casually sliding across the screen, but they also seemed to have brushed against Ying Lili’s waist skin, causing the girl to shudder. “It should emphasize the flexibility and slenderness of women. Do you understand?”
He was very close, so close that Eriri could clearly smell the faint, pleasant masculine scent coming from him. His arm occasionally “accidentally” brushed against her shoulder, and every touch made her tense up as if she were electrocuted.
This distance, this posture, is not normal guidance at all!
Ying Lili’s heartbeat was so fast that it seemed to explode, and her cheeks were so hot that she could fry an egg. She felt that Lin Feng’s eyes did not just stay on the drawing board, but seemed to wander over her unscrupulously, examining and evaluating her, as if she was the work waiting to be “perfected”.
Feelings of humiliation, shame, and a hint of unspeakable panic and throbbing surged in her heart.
She wanted to escape, wanted to push away the dangerous man behind her, but her body seemed to be bound by invisible chains, too stiff to move.
The paintbrush was in her slightly trembling hands, and she could hardly hold it steady.
“Focus.” Lin Feng’s voice sounded in her ears again, this time with a hint of obvious teasing, “If you don’t draw well, you will have to accept the ‘punishment’, okay?”
“Or,” he lowered his voice, almost whispering in her ear, “do you prefer… another way of ‘guidance’?”
“Ah!” Ying Lili shuddered violently, as if she was pricked by a needle. She shrank her neck as if she had been electrocuted. She dared not be distracted anymore. She tried hard to focus all her attention on the drawing board in front of her, waving the paintbrush frantically, trying to use work to cover up the turmoil in her heart.
Looking at the girl’s frightened look, Lin Feng’s smile deepened.
The feeling of being in control of everything and playing with your prey in the palm of your hand is truly pleasurable.
Just when this “guidance” full of ambiguity and oppression was halfway through, Lin Feng’s cell phone vibrated slightly.
It’s a message from Shiyu.
When he clicked it, a sharp light flashed in Lin Feng’s eyes.
[Lin Fengjun, found it! Based on the characteristics and location information you provided, the target has been basically locked. The man is called ‘Sakata Masao’. On the surface, he is the president of a shell company called ‘Sakata Trading’. The business scope is confusing. The records found show that he does have abnormal financial transactions with Beichen Commodities. More importantly, he will definitely attend a small private cocktail party in the VIP room on the third floor of the ‘Amber Palace’ club tonight! Do you need more detailed intelligence or follow-up instructions? ]Kasumigaoka Utaha’s efficiency is as high as ever.
Lin Feng replied: [Very good, Shiyu. Continue to monitor him and don’t alarm him for now. Send me the specific room number, security situation, and list of attendees for his cocktail party tonight in as much detail as possible.]Lin Feng put away his phone, a cold smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
Masao Sakata…this slippery fish finally showed up.
The prey is about to be hooked.
He glanced at Eriri, who was still busy painting, trying to numb herself with work, and already had a new plan in mind.
The “Amber Palace” tonight is destined to be not peaceful.
Chapter 32 A Night in the Amber Palace and an Unexpected Bump (Old Version)
The night, like the darkest silk, gently wraps the bustling port area, with countless neon lights dotting the area, forming a sea of ​​​​glittering lights.
In this dazzling scene, the top floor of a building that looks ordinary but is actually heavily guarded is the target of tonight – the high-end club, “Amber Palace”.
At the entrance, low-key luxury cars were driving by one after another, and the doormen in neat uniforms carefully checked the identity of every visitor. The air seemed to be filled with the smell of money and power.
Lin Feng stood in the shadows, and finally adjusted the tailor-made suit that fit his body perfectly. This outfit, along with his calm demeanor at the moment, was all thanks to Shi Yu’s intelligence support and a low-level membership certificate that he had obtained by “enlightening” a small figure and could only be used for a short period of time.
Taking a deep breath, Lin Feng walked towards the heavy revolving door. The verification process was uneventful, and he successfully entered this den of illicit sex.
The interior of the club is completely different from the low-key exterior, which is extremely luxurious and gorgeous. The soft but appropriate lighting outlines the expensive decorative lines, and the air is mixed with the complex aroma of top-grade perfumes, Cuban cigars and expensive liquors. Men and women in fancy clothes hold wine glasses, talk in groups of three or five, and wear delicate and distant smiles on their faces. Every time their eyes meet and every time they clink glasses, there may be an unknown exchange of interests behind it.
Lin Feng’s eyes were like those of a seasoned hunter, calmly sweeping across faces, filtering out all the noise and vanity. He had only one target – Masao Sakata.
【Future Insights】!
Lin Feng’s mind moved slightly, and the invisible power spread instantly. The scenes in his vision began to overlap and flicker, and fragments of possible future possibilities for Sakata Masao gradually became clear.
Found it!
In a relatively quiet corner booth with a wide view, a slightly fat middle-aged man with a worrying hairline was holding a glass of wine, chatting and laughing with several businessmen who were also dressed in suits and looked smart and capable. He wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, and his eyes behind the lenses flashed with a slick and calculating light. The confident smile on the corner of his mouth was exactly what Lin Feng had seen in the profile photo sent by Shiyu – Masao Sakata!
Great, the prey is in sight. Now the question is, how do you approach it naturally?
Lin Feng picked up a glass of champagne handed to him by the waiter and moved slowly towards the booth where Sakata was. His brain was working rapidly, simulating various “chance encounter” scenarios.
However, when he was just a few steps away from the booth, an unexpected situation occurred!
A waitress wearing sexy clothes with a very high slit skirt, carrying a tray full of various cocktails, swayed towards Sakata’s booth. Perhaps it was the wrinkles on the carpet under her feet, or perhaps it was her high heels that were too tricky, she suddenly let out a short cry, her body lost its balance, and fell straight towards the booth!
The drinks on the tray instantly lost balance and were about to splash onto Masao Sakata who was sitting on the outside!
The bodyguard next to Sakata reacted very quickly and subconsciously reached out to block the splashing wine. But no one expected that the waitress fell at such a strange angle. Her body did not hit the bodyguard, but seemed to be pulled by an invisible force and directly hit the unprepared Masao Sakata!
“Ouch!” Sakata staggered backwards, and a document in his hand – which looked like a contract or agreement that had just been signed – flew out of his hand due to the sudden impact!
The paper drew an arc in the air and landed lightly and accurately at the feet of Lin Feng, who was slowly approaching and preparing to implement the “chance encounter” plan!
Chance!
Lin Feng’s eyes narrowed, and he bent down almost instinctively. Before Sakata and the bodyguard, who reacted quickly but was also a little flustered by the sudden change, could react, he picked up the document naturally and smoothly.
A few large gold-plated characters on the cover instantly caught Lin Feng’s eyes – “Supplementary Terms of the Secret Transfer Agreement of Beichen Commodities’ Equity”!
It is indeed the key thing!
Lin Feng’s heart moved slightly, but he still maintained just the right amount of politeness and composure on his face, and handed the document to Masao Sakata, who was being helped by the waitress to get up in a panic.
“Mr. Sakata, your documents.”
Just as the document was being handed over and the fingertips were about to touch, Lin Feng once again concentrated all his mental strength and launched [Future Insight] with all his strength!
Target – “Masao Sakata’s fatal weakness” and “Inside details of the deal with Yukinoshita Makoto”!
Buzz!
It was as if my vision was instantly thrown into a flood of information! Countless fragmented images, sounds, and data poured in crazily!
[Masao Sakata misappropriated a large amount of funds from the ‘Sakata Trading’ company to engage in high-risk illegal foreign exchange speculation. He is currently suffering huge losses and urgently needs to fill the hole! ][There is an improper relationship of money and benefits between him and a certain influential member of the Finance Committee, with clear transfer records and meeting photos! ][The most important thing is! This guy actually kept a trick up his sleeve! He secretly recorded several key conversations between himself and Yukinoshita Makoto about the equity operation and profit distribution of Beichen Commodities! It seems that in order to prevent being silenced or abandoned by Uncle Makoto, he hid it in an extremely hidden place – a website forum dedicated to sharing unpopular old book resources, in the form of an encrypted attachment, disguised as a reply to a discussion post! ]I see!
The huge harvest made Lin Feng’s heart burn with joy, but he still had a gentle and harmless smile on his face, as if he was just an enthusiastic person who happened to pass by.
“Ah… Thank you! Thank you so much, sir!” Masao Sakata took the document, and after he calmed down, he forced out a hypocritical smile of gratitude. While patting the non-existent wine stains on his body, he used the eyes hidden behind the lenses to quickly and vigilantly look at Lin Feng, trying to see something from this young man who suddenly appeared.
“You’re welcome, Mr. Sakata.” Lin Feng nodded slightly, his eyes seemed to casually sweep over the document that Sakata was holding tightly in his hand. His tone was calm but with a hint of deep meaning, “However, such an important document as the ‘Supplementary Terms’ must be kept carefully in a place like this with so many people and eyes.”
He paused, his smile unchanged, but his eyes were a little playful: “What if… I mean what if, it accidentally falls into the hands of someone with ulterior motives, like me, who happens to pass by and happens to see something he shouldn’t see, that would not be good, what do you think?”
The smile on Masao Sakata’s face froze instantly!
He was not a fool, how could he not hear the naked threat and hint in these words? ! This gentle-looking young man in front of him was definitely not an ordinary passerby! What did he see just now? Or… was he coming for him? !
In an instant, Sakata felt a chill running up his spine, and the look he gave Lin Feng was full of suspicion and vigilance.
“Sir… you are joking.” Sakata tried to remain calm, but his voice couldn’t help but become a little dry.
Lin Feng did not continue to exert pressure.
Beat the mountain and scare the tiger, but stop when you have given enough.
The goal has been achieved and the hook has been dropped.
He gave another polite smile to Masao Sakata, whose expression was changing constantly, nodded, turned around without a cloud in his eyes, and re-merged into the noisy and flashy crowd of the club, his figure quickly disappearing in the lights and shadows of the feasting and revelry.
Masao Sakata stared at the direction where Lin Feng disappeared, his face terribly gloomy, and even fine cold sweat oozed out of his forehead. He immediately turned around and whispered to the bodyguard beside him: “Go! Find out who that kid is! Immediately! Right now!”
On the other side, Lin Feng, who had escaped successfully, the moment he walked out of the gate of the “Amber Palace”, the gentleness on his face disappeared, and was replaced by a coldness that showed he was in control of the overall situation.
He took out his cell phone and quickly dialed Kasumigaoka Utaha’s number.
“Shiyu.”
“Mr. Lin Feng? You came out so soon? Did you get anything?” Shi Yu’s slightly excited voice came from the other end of the phone.
“Well, the bait has been cast.” Lin Feng said calmly, “Now, I need you to help me get the final harvest. Help me locate a website forum that specializes in sharing unpopular old books. Which one exactly? Sakata should have browsing traces or collection records. Start with his online activities. After finding it, closely monitor an account that may have been registered or used anonymously by him, and pay attention to all replies to encrypted attachments.”
“Be prepared to receive and decrypt an encrypted recording file.” Lin Feng’s voice carried a hint of unquestionable command, “Inside it, the final evidence we need is hidden.”
“Got it! I will complete the task, Lin Fengjun!” Shiyu’s voice was full of energy.
After hanging up the phone, Lin Feng looked up at the night sky illuminated by colorful neon lights, with a cold arc at the corner of his mouth.
Masao Sakata, the backup plan you kept for your own safety must now be used by me.
Yukinoshita Makoto…your death is not far away.
Chapter 33 Fatal Recording and the Canary’s Cry (Old Version)
Zongman: My Insight Connects the Future: Chapter 33 Fatal Recording and Canary’s Cry
Kasumigaoka Utaha’s efficiency is astonishingly high.
Not long after Lin Feng left the Amber Palace, news about her came through the encrypted communication channel.
“Mr. Lin Feng, we have located the encrypted user space of the used book trading website you mentioned.”
“The anti-tracking method they used was quite professional, but I still managed to bypass it.”
“The attachment is a triple-encrypted audio file package. The size is a bit unusual, and it is speculated that it may contain multiple independent recordings. The decryption key has been sent according to the backup method we agreed on before. Please check it.”
The message is concise, accurate and straight to the point.
A hint of approval flashed in Lin Feng’s eyes. This tool man… no, this partner, was indeed very reliable.
Without delay, he drove back to his absolutely safe base in the city center – a top-floor apartment with a modest decoration but an internal defense system comparable to a small fortress.
Sitting at the workbench, looking at the encrypted file package on the screen, Lin Feng began the not-so-easy decryption task.
The old fox Masao Sakata did have more than one trick up his sleeve. The encryption algorithm was complex and nested, and there were also several disruptive data traps.
Unfortunately, the person he was facing was Lin Feng.
Relying on his mental computing power that far exceeds that of ordinary people and his foresight of certain key node information, Lin Feng peeled off layer by layer of the defense set up by Sakata, just like a butcher cutting up an ox.
It took about half an hour to completely crack the encryption.
Sure enough, there were several audio files with different time stamps lying quietly in the folder, the earliest of which could even be traced back to half a year ago.
Lin Feng’s eyes were directly fixed on the latest file marked “Emergency Plan-Sincerity”.
Putting on special anti-eavesdropping headphones, he gently pressed the play button.
“…So, I have already made arrangements with Beichen Commodities. The channels for transferring funds are absolutely safe, and the accounts are guaranteed to be flawless!”
It was the slightly hoarse voice of Masao Sakata, with a hint of pride.
Immediately afterwards, another voice that Lin Feng was extremely familiar with sounded; it was Yukinoshita Makoto!
“Sakata-kun, of course I trust you to do the job. It’s just… my sister seems to be a little wary of me recently, and some old guys in the family also…” Yukinoshita Makoto’s voice was filled with a hint of barely perceptible anxiety.
“Hmph, womanly kindness!” Sakata snorted disdainfully, “Those who achieve great things don’t care about trivial matters! If she really gets in the way, we can find a chance to give her an ‘accident’! As for those old guys, when we join forces at the elders’ meeting and take control of the situation, won’t they have to obey us?”
“Also, the overseas funds I asked you to handle last time…”
The conversation in the recording was crystal clear, involving how to use Beichen Properties to illegally shuffle funds, how to forge key accounts, how to quietly transfer family assets, and even mentioned the dissatisfaction with Yukinoshita Yukino’s mother, as well as detailed steps on how to join forces at the upcoming family elders’ meeting to seize control of the family!
Every sentence and every word is ironclad evidence enough to nail Yukinoshita Makoto to the pillar of shame!
Lin Feng took off his headphones and a cold smile appeared on his face.
Pandora’s box has been opened.
With this fatal recording in hand, Yukinoshita Makoto was no different from fish on a chopping board in his eyes.
Feeling happy, Lin Feng remembered another “homework” he had assigned.
He called Sawamura Spencer Eriri.
The phone rang several times before it was picked up. The voice on the other end was obviously tired, with a hint of trembling and fear that was almost undisguised.
“Lin…Lin Feng…is there anything wrong?”
“How’s the character design I asked you to draw going?” Lin Feng’s voice was flat, but with unquestionable majesty.
“It has been modified according to your request…” Eriri’s voice was as soft as a mosquito’s.
“Great, now send it to me via encrypted email.”
Soon, the email arrived. Lin Feng clicked on the attachment. The sketch was indeed a little better than the one submitted yesterday. The use of lines and the combination of colors had a bit more suppressed beauty, but… it was still far from enough.
“It’s still a little off.” Lin Feng commented bluntly, “Especially the feeling of ‘absolute obedience’ and ‘complete submission’, which has not been perfectly expressed. It seems that the effect of remote guidance alone is ultimately limited.”
The person on the other end of the phone suddenly stopped breathing.
Lin Feng seemed not to notice and changed the subject: “How about this, I’ll give you a new task, familiarize yourself with this information.”
He casually packaged and sent over some public information about the evolution of modern art styles that could be found on the public Internet.
“I will check your learning experience tomorrow on the content of this material.”
“Now…” Lin Feng’s voice was a little playful, “You need to relax completely so that you can better ‘understand’ what I want, right?”
In Eriri’s exclusive studio.
This time, Lin Feng did not just stand at a distance and comment like he did yesterday.
He asked Eriri to sit on the single sofa by the window.
“Relax.”
He ordered, then slowly walked up behind the girl.
The warm hands gently rested on her slender shoulders which were instantly tense due to nervousness, and began to massage them gently.
“Woo!” Eriri’s whole body trembled violently, and her golden twin ponytails seemed to jump because of the fright, and her body subconsciously wanted to dodge forward.
But the hands on her shoulders were like iron clamps, preventing her from moving.
“Don’t move.” Lin Feng’s voice sounded behind her ears, with a hypnotic low voice, “I told you, I’m just helping you relax your overly tense nerves. If you are always so nervous, how can you draw a work that satisfies me? How can you complete the task I assigned you?”
He leaned down, his lips almost touching the girl’s small, slightly red earlobe, and his warm breath fanned against her ear.
“You see, you are still too nervous…”
“We can’t go on like this…”
“It seems… a more thorough and in-depth ‘relaxation guidance’ is needed…”
It seemed like a long time had passed, yet it seemed like just a moment.
The blonde girl curled up on the large lounge chair. Her twin ponytails had completely spread out, forming a ball of long golden hair, which made Eriri look much more mature.
Her blue eyes were still blurry.
Lin Feng stood beside the sofa and slowly adjusted his collar.
He looked down at Eriri who was curled up in a ball with a faint smile on his face.
“Now, do you feel better?”
His voice broke the silence.
“Have you… better ‘understood’ the essence of ‘absolute obedience’ that I want?”
The petite figure on the sofa trembled violently, as if pricked by a needle.
Lin Feng didn’t seem to expect Ying Lili to answer immediately.
He took one last look at this “masterpiece”, with the smile on his face unchanged, turned around, and walked towards the studio door with a leisurely pace.
At the moment when he was about to close the door, he seemed to remember something, stopped, and left a word without looking back.
“Tomorrow, remember to hand me the study notes on that art school on time.”
The voice was calm, but it was like a final judgment, completely crushing Canary’s last bit of insignificant fantasy.
“Bang.”
The door was gently closed, separating the two worlds.
After dealing with Ying Lili’s affairs, Lin Feng returned to his study.
He did not take the next action immediately, but instead reopened the recording of Masao Sakata and Makoto Yukinoshita, closed his eyes, and listened to it carefully again.
After confirming that it was correct, the smile on his face deepened.
Masao Sakata’s evidence – illegal financial speculation, his hidden network of relationships with certain congressmen, and the fatal recordings he secretly made – all constitute bombs that could explode at any time.
Yukinoshita Makoto’s Achilles’ heel – embezzling Yukinoshita family funds and colluding with outsiders to plot to seize control of the family.
The two sharp blades hanging above his head are now in Lin Feng’s hands.
From the moment he intervened, the chess game of the Yukinoshita family had completely entered his rhythm and was evolving according to the script he wrote.
Masao Sakata… Yukinoshita Makoto…
Next, it’s time for Masao Sakata, the smart-aleck key figure, to come and have a “good talk” with me.
Lin Feng needed to send out a little bit of “goodwill” signal, not too much, just a tiny gap, which would be enough to make the frightened bird come to him obediently.
Thinking of the upcoming scene of teasing his prey, Lin Feng’s mood became more and more cheerful.
Chapter 34: The bait has been set, the frightened bird (old version)
In the afternoon in Tokyo, the sunlight shines through the glass curtain walls of the skyscrapers, casting patches of light all over the ground.
Lin Feng stood by the window of the cafe opposite the Beichen Commodities headquarters building, tapping the warm porcelain cup with his fingertips, his eyes calmly cast at the building that symbolized wealth and power.
Just ten minutes ago, a carefully choreographed “accident” took place here.
A middleman who is quite powerful in the gray area and often handles some “dirty work” for Masao Sakata, just “happened” to overhear some “chit-chat” about his boss outside the bathroom.
“Alas, business has been bad recently. I heard that Beichen Commodities’ capital chain is a bit tight?”
“It’s more than urgent! I heard that the big investments that President Sakata made overseas are extremely risky! If we’re not careful, I’m afraid…”
“Oh, by the way, I seemed to hear someone talking about the ‘Dolphin’ project? That’s weird, why would a company project use such a code name…”
Every word was like a poisoned dart, seemingly light and fluttering, but accurately shot into the most secret and fearful corner of Masao Sakata’s heart. Especially the word “dolphin”, which was a fatal spell that was enough to scare him to death.
Lin Feng picked up the coffee cup, took a sip, and the slightly bitter liquid slid down his throat.
The bait has been laid, with the most precise toxicity.
Next, it depends on how long the fish, which has already been overly frightened, will struggle in panic and which direction it will eventually choose to fall into the trap.
He put down the cup, turned and left the cafe, his figure quickly blending into the crowd of the bustling city without leaving a trace.
At the same time, at Beichen Commodities Headquarters, the president’s office.
Inside the luxurious room, the air seemed to freeze, filled with a strong smell of tobacco and suffocating oppression.
Masao Sakata’s face was pale, his forehead was covered with fine sweat, and his hair, which was usually combed meticulously, now looked a little messy. He paced back and forth anxiously on the expensive carpet like a wild animal trapped in a cage. His expensive custom-made leather shoes stepped on the carpet but made no sound, adding a bit of eerie silence.
In the ashtray, several top-quality cigars that were half-burned and then violently extinguished were twisted and stacked, revealing the owner’s extremely bad mood.
The middleman’s flattering and frightened face, as well as the words he exaggerated in his report, echoed repeatedly in Masao Sakata’s mind like a devil’s sound.
“Advisor Lin… Beichen Commodities’ capital chain… Huge risks of overseas investment… Haitun Plan!”
Every word was like a heavy hammer, hitting his nerves hard!
Especially the “Dolphin Project”!
These four words were the most confidential secret in his heart! They were the code name for the cross-border foreign exchange speculation that he had embezzled huge amounts of company funds and teamed up with a few of his most trusted confidants to bring about his downfall and even imprisonment!
Including himself, there are no more than one person who knows this code name! And every one of them has signed a strict confidentiality agreement, and their lives and fortunes are tied to his!
How could it be leaked?! How could anyone know?!
unless……
A young and calm face suddenly broke into Masao Sakata’s confused thoughts.
Lin Feng!
The young man who had picked up his secret recorder in the Amber Palace a few days ago and warned him in a meaningful way with a look as if he could see through all his dirty secrets!
It’s him! It must be him!
This realization was like ice water being poured over his head, making Masao Sakata feel as if he had fallen into an icy cave!
Not only did the other party get the recorder and know about the shady deal, he even knew about his most core and deadly “Dolphin Plan”!
How much does he know?!
Masao Sakata felt a chill running from his feet straight to his head, and the blood in his body seemed to freeze instantly! Fear was like an invisible giant hand, tightly strangling his heart, making it almost impossible for him to breathe!
He felt like a prisoner who had been stripped naked and thrown into the snow. All his secrets and sins were exposed nakedly under the cold gaze of the young man named Lin Feng!
It’s over…
This time it’s really over…
Once these things are exposed, not only will his wealth empire that he has worked hard to build for many years collapse in an instant, but his best fate will be to spend the rest of his life in prison! He even has no doubt that some bigwigs who are deeply involved in the “Dolphin Project” will not hesitate to make him “accidentally disappear” from this world in order to protect themselves!
“No…No! I can’t just let this go!”
Masao Sakata’s eyes were bloodshot and he growled like a mad beast.
Help? To whom?
Uncle Cheng? That old fox! Going to him now would be like walking into a trap! I should be thankful that he didn’t push me out as a scapegoat right away!
That high and mighty congressman? Humph! In the eyes of that kind of politician, I am nothing but a dog that can be sacrificed at any time! Counting on him for help? It’s simply a pipe dream!
Call the police? Hahahaha… Sakata let out a dry and desperate laugh. That’s not asking for help, that’s suicide!
All roads seemed to be blocked.
Despair surged over him like a tide, almost swallowing him completely.
At this moment, Lin Feng’s face, with a faint smile but as if able to see through people’s hearts, appeared clearly in his mind again.
A thought flashed through my mind like lightning.
Since the other party had such a fatal handle, why didn’t they attack him immediately? Instead, they went through such a big circle and used such ambiguous and mixed information through an insignificant middleman to hit him?
What does this mean?
This means that the other party may not want to kill him immediately!
What does the other party want?
money?
A glimmer of hope flashed in Masao Sakata’s eyes. Yes! It must be money! For someone like him who knows other people’s secrets, the ultimate goal is nothing more than blackmail! As long as the problem can be solved with money, it is not a problem! He can give it! No matter how much the other party wants, as long as he can buy back his secrets and save his life and status, he is willing to pay!
Or… the other party wants to take advantage of him?
Sakata stopped abruptly, his brain working rapidly. Lin Feng… That young man has a mysterious background, and seems to have a close relationship with the Yukinoshita family. Could it be… that he wants to use me to deal with Uncle Cheng, or even… wants to interfere in the internal affairs of Beichen Commodities?
No matter which possibility it is, it means… there is still a glimmer of hope!
As long as the other party asks for something, there is room for negotiation!
He must hold on to this life-saving straw!
Masao Sakata took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He walked to his desk and took out a private cell phone from a hidden drawer with trembling hands. He searched through the address book and hesitated for a moment on a number marked with only the word “Lin”.
This number was Lin Feng’s mobile phone number that he had memorized at a quick glance in the Amber Palace that day, relying on his amazing memory. He was not even sure if it was completely correct.
But now, this is his only hope!
Trembling, he edited a text message that was extremely humble and fearful, weighing every word carefully, fearing that if he used a wrong word, he would anger the “King of Hell” who controlled his fate.
At the same time, in a quiet apartment somewhere in Tokyo.
Yukinoshita Yukino was sitting at the desk, with a hint of excitement and concentration on her fair and delicate face, reporting the latest investigation progress to Lin Feng through an encrypted line.
“Lin Feng, I have obtained the permission through a special channel! Although it is only a temporary second-level access permission and the operation records will be monitored, it is enough for us to verify some key information!”
Her voice was cold, but her speaking speed was obviously faster than usual, revealing her inner excitement.
“I have asked Sister Yang Nai to help. Using our preset screening model, we are cross-checking all the large-amount fund flows of Beichen Commodities over the past three years, especially the correlation with the several ‘dark chess’ accounts you mentioned earlier.”
“The preliminary results are out!” Yukino’s eyes lit up. “We have discovered at least five suspicious fund outflows totaling more than 3 billion yen! The timing and amount are highly consistent with the anonymous investment behavior of several overseas shell companies controlled by Uncle Makoto! Moreover, several key financial personnel in charge of these accounts received abnormal promotions or resignation compensation afterwards!”
“More importantly,” Yukino’s tone became serious, “we found that these accounts have very obvious, professional-level forgery and cover-up signs! The other party’s anti-reconnaissance capabilities are very strong!”
“In addition,” she adjusted her sitting position and continued to report, “there is also news from Grandpa Saeki. Through the internal records of the supervisory department, it is confirmed that Uncle Cheng and several core executives of Beichen Commodities, including Masao Sakata, have had at least seven non-public secret meetings in the past year. The locations were all extremely hidden private clubs, which far exceeded the frequency of normal business dealings!”
“There were also several large-scale internal special fund transfer applications. Although they were ultimately rejected by the board of directors due to ‘too high risk’, the signatures of the applicants and the ultimate beneficiaries all pointed to Uncle Cheng and the several shadow companies he actually controlled! This is almost proof!”
Clues were put together, pointing to an increasingly clear goal.
The chain of evidence is taking shape at an astonishing speed!
“Very good.” Lin Feng’s voice came through the headset, as calm as ever, without any emotional fluctuations. “Continue to dig deeper, especially the final destination of the funds and the specific methods of falsifying the accounts. We need a complete chain of evidence, enough to make a fatal blow.”
“We must act quickly, but we must ensure absolute secrecy and not alert anyone, especially Uncle Makoto’s spies who have been planted in the Yukinoshita family.”
“Understood!” Xueno nodded heavily, with a sharp and determined light flashing in her eyes, “I will personally keep an eye on every step!”
After ending the call with Xueno, Lin Feng leaned back in his chair and looked out the window.
Everything was proceeding in an orderly manner according to his script.
Uncle Cheng, Masao Sakata, Beichen Products… these seemingly powerful entities have begun to show internal cracks under his layout.
After school at Sobu High School, the setting sun dyed the campus a warm golden color.
Kato Megumi was walking silently on the way home, carrying her schoolbag. Her figure was stretched out under the long setting sun, with a sense of transparency that almost blended into the background.
She was once again ignored by her classmates today. During group discussions, her opinions were always ignored; when tasks were assigned, she was always forgotten in the corner. It was as if she didn’t exist at all.
She has gotten used to this feeling.
From childhood to adulthood, she always seemed like this, like air, not easy to be noticed or remembered. She was not pretty, not lively, had average grades, had no outstanding specialties, and was as ordinary as a blade of grass by the roadside.
Sometimes, she even doubted whether she really existed.
“Um… is that Kato-san?”
A gentle and slightly familiar voice sounded behind him.
Kato Megumi paused and turned back in a daze.
What came into view was Lin Feng’s handsome face with a gentle smile.
“Lin… Lin Senior?” Kato Megumi was a little surprised and confirmed in a low voice. She remembered him. She had met him several times in the service club before. He was a very special and eye-catching senior.
“It’s me.” Lin Feng walked up to her and walked side by side with her naturally. “I saw you at the school gate just now. You seemed to be worried?”
“Eh? No, no…” Kato Hui denied subconsciously, lowered her head slightly, and twisted her schoolbag straps nervously. She was not used to being paid attention to like this, especially by someone as dazzling as Lin Feng.
“Really?” Lin Feng smiled and did not ask further questions. Instead, he changed the subject. “Speaking of which, I saw the part of the last service club’s activity report compiled by you, Kato. It was very detailed and thoughtful. You noticed many details that others overlooked. You did a great job.”
Kato Hui raised her head suddenly, with a gleam of disbelief in her eyes: “Eh? Senior, did you see it?”
“Yes, I saw it.” Lin Feng’s tone was very affirmative, “That kind of meticulousness and patience is not something that everyone can do. I think Kato is actually a very observant and reliable person.”
reliable……
This word was like a small stone thrown into the calm lake of Kato Megumi’s heart, causing tiny ripples.
Chapter 35 Puppet Lines at the Negotiation Table (Old Version)
No one had ever said that about her…
People either ignored her or thought she was dull and ordinary.
“Thank you…senpai…” Kato Megumi’s voice was as soft as a mosquito’s, and her cheeks were slightly hot. A feeling of being recognized that she had never experienced before quietly spread in her heart.
“You’re welcome. I’m just telling the truth.” Lin Feng smiled. “Everyone has their own unique shining points, but sometimes they don’t realize it, or… others don’t pay attention to it.”
He stopped and looked at Kato Megumi with a gentle and encouraging look: “Kato-san, don’t underestimate yourself. You are great.”
After saying that, he nodded slightly, turned and walked in another direction, leaving Kato Megumi standing there alone.
The light of the setting sun shone on her, as if giving her a faint halo.
She looked at Lin Feng’s receding back, and her heart began to beat uncontrollably.
“Very observant…very reliable…”
“You’re great…”
Senior Lin Feng’s words echoed in her mind over and over again.
So… I am also being watched?
So… I have advantages too?
An inexplicable emotion, like a quietly sprouting seed, gently broke through the ground in her heart which she had always thought was empty.
Night falls and the lights come on.
Lin Feng’s personal cell phone suddenly vibrated in the silent room, and the screen lit up, indicating that a new text message had been received.
The sender is from an unfamiliar number.
[Good evening, Mr. Lin, consultant. I apologize for disturbing you. I am Masao Sakata from Beichen Commodities. I wonder if you are available recently. I have some important questions about the future development of the company and hope to ask you in person. I will fully cooperate with you at any time. I hope you will take the time to give me advice. Sincerely, Masao Sakata.]The wording of the text message was extremely humble, and the words were full of cautious temptations, unconcealable anxiety, and almost pleading.
Lin Feng picked up the phone, looked at the text message, and a smile of understanding slowly appeared on the corner of his mouth.
The fish, which had been struggling frantically on the brink of death for half a day, finally exhausted all its strength and luck, and swam obediently towards the fishing net he had prepared.
Fear is the best motivating force.
However, now is not the time to close the net.
Let the prey wait a little longer in unknown fear and torment.
The longer it ferments, the mellower the taste will be.
He casually threw his phone on the table, the light of the screen quickly went out, and the room returned to silence again.
Lin Feng walked to the window and looked down at the city that never sleeps where desires and neon lights are intertwined. In his deep eyes, the lights of thousands of homes were reflected, as if the whole world was already on his chessboard.
Masao Sakata spent the entire night in extreme agony.
Just like a death row inmate awaiting the final trial, every minute and every second is like cutting flesh with a blunt knife, slow and painful.
It was not until the next morning, when the sunlight shone into the room through the gaps in the curtains, that his cell phone suddenly vibrated.
A text message from an unfamiliar number, the content was so concise that it was frightening.
“Mr. Sakata, would you like to ask me a question? Sure.”
Sakata’s heart suddenly rose to his throat! The other party finally responded!
He continued to look down with trembling fingers.
“Tonight at nine o’clock, in the abandoned third warehouse area on the outskirts of the city, on the third floor of Building A. Come alone.”
Outskirts of town…abandoned warehouse…one person…
Every word was like a heavy hammer, hitting Sakata’s tense nerves!
How can this be a question? This is clearly a Hongmen Banquet! Even… worse!
The location chosen by Lin Feng is remote, desolate, with little surveillance, and extremely easy to control.
This in itself is a silent warning, a naked psychological suggestion – your destiny has left the glamour of the bustling city and sunk into this dark and decadent corner.
Sakata felt cold all over, and an unprecedented sense of fear instantly gripped him.
To go or not to go?
His mind told him that this was extremely dangerous, but a voice deep in his heart was screaming wildly – he dared not not go!
Since the other party can find out all his details clearly, and even knows his self-proclaimed secret tricks, then wanting to kill him would be no different from killing an ant!
The last glimmer of hope was completely shattered.
With extreme fear and the last humble desire to survive, Masao Sakata drove alone under the cover of night, like a walking corpse, to a place that looked particularly desolate even on the map.
The abandoned Third Warehouse District lives up to its name.
The dilapidated factory building was like a silent giant beast lurking in the darkness. The wind blew through the empty windows, making strange whimpering sounds, adding to the eeriness.
The air smelled of rust and dust.
Sakata parked the car far away, took a few deep breaths, and then walked towards the huge warehouse marked “A” with trembling legs.
Third floor…
The stairwell was covered with cobwebs and dust, and the sound of footsteps echoed in the empty space, sounding extremely harsh.
The higher you go, the dimmer the light becomes and the heavier the feeling of oppression becomes.
Finally, he reached the third floor.
The interior of the huge warehouse was empty, with only a few rusty load-bearing columns standing.
With the faint lights of the city in the distance, Sakata saw a tall figure standing quietly near the window with his back to him.
Like a silent statue, blending into the deep darkness.
Just a back view exudes an indescribable sense of oppression.
Sakata’s heart almost beat out of his chest and he felt his calves trembling uncontrollably.
He moved his feet with difficulty and stopped a few meters away from the figure, not even daring to breathe.
“Lin… Consultant Lin…”
His voice was dry and hoarse, and seemed insignificant in the empty warehouse.
The figure slowly turned around.
It was Lin Feng.
There was no expression on his face, and his eyes were as calm as a bottomless pool of cold water. He just looked at Sakata indifferently.
No questions, no threats, not even a word spoken again.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment.
Dead silence.
Absolute silence.
There was only the sound of Sakata’s heavy, suppressed breathing and the crazy beating of his heart.
One second, two seconds… one minute…
Lin Feng just looked at him calmly, and that gaze seemed to have some strange penetrating power, which wanted to dissect all the dirty, despicable and fearful thoughts deep in his soul and expose them to the cold air.
Sakata felt like a sinner who had been stripped naked and thrown on the judgment seat, with nowhere to hide.
This kind of silent trial is countless times more terrifying than any harsh rebuke or torture!
Cold sweat oozed from his forehead and back like streams, quickly soaking his expensive custom-made shirt, sticking sticky to his skin and bringing waves of chills.
His legs were shaking more and more violently, and he could hardly support the weight of his body.
The spiritual string was tightened inch by inch, and then tightened again… Finally…
“Plop!”
Masao Sakata could no longer bear the enormous pressure that seemed like a physical object. His knees went weak and he fell to his knees in a miserable state on the cold and rough concrete floor!
“Advisor Lin! I know I was wrong! I really know I was wrong!”
He was in tears, completely losing the dignity and dignity of a business elite. He crawled on the ground like a stray dog, his voice filled with tears.
“Please! Please, please have mercy on me and give me a chance to live! As long as you let me go, I will give you whatever you want! Money! Shares! Women! I…”
It was not until this moment that Lin Feng finally broke the suffocating silence.
He walked slowly up to Sakata, who was kneeling on the ground begging for mercy, and looked down at him condescendingly.
“Survival?”
Lin Feng’s voice was cold, without a trace of emotion, like an icy spike in the cold winter, which could easily pierce people’s hearts.
“Mr. Sakata, do you think you are still qualified to negotiate terms?”
He paused, and every word he spoke seemed to strike at Sakata’s heart.
“He misappropriated a huge amount of the company’s public funds and invested everything in the foreign exchange market for speculation, resulting in a huge loss that was difficult to make up…”
Sakata’s face turned pale in an instant!
“He secretly colluded with Yukinoshita Makoto and attempted to embezzle the assets of the Yukinoshita family through improper means…”
Sakata’s body began to tremble violently!
“It even involved that dishonest congressman, who was trying to seek political asylum…”
Sakata’s pupils suddenly contracted!
Lin Feng bent down slightly, moved closer, and said softly in a voice that only the two of them could hear, with a hint of playfulness and mockery:
“Oh, by the way… and the ‘insurance’ you secretly hid in your personal space on that old book-sharing website… did you really think those recordings and files could protect you?”
This last sentence, like thunder from the sky, completely shattered the last line of defense in Sakata’s heart!
He suddenly raised his head, his eyes filled with incredible horror and utter despair!
That… that was his last trump card! It was his last resort to either die together or seek a glimmer of hope in case of failure! He thought he had hidden it perfectly!
This young man…how could he know? !
Sakata’s body completely collapsed to the ground, and the last glimmer of light in his eyes was extinguished, leaving only a dullness like dead ash.
It’s over… it’s all over…
Lin Feng looked at him in complete collapse, with a barely perceptible curve at the corner of his mouth.
He reached out his hand and gently patted Sakata’s cheek, which was covered with cold sweat and tears, like he was treating a pet.
“But, I am a kind person sometimes.”
Lin Feng’s voice was still calm, but it made Sakata on the ground raise his head suddenly, with a strong desire to survive bursting out of his eyes.
“I am willing to… give you a chance.” Lin Feng said slowly, “A chance… to be a dog.”
“Dog?” Sakata was stunned for a moment, then nodded frantically. As long as he could survive, he would be willing to be anything, let alone a dog!
“From now on, you will continue to play the role of Yukinoshita Makoto’s loyal lackey.” Lin Feng stood up and said in an unquestionable tone, “His every move, all his plans, any intentions he has towards me and Miss Yukino, no matter how big or small, must be reported to me in detail.”
“And, when I need you, you must follow my instructions and act in coordination with me. Do you understand?”
“It’s ready. I can pretend I don’t know about your ‘little secrets’, including the ‘insurance’, and even help you cover it up.”
Lin Feng paused, and his eyes suddenly became sharp.
“But if… you dare to play any tricks, or make me unhappy…”
He didn’t finish his words, but the chilling look in his eyes left Sakata with no doubt that his fate would be miserable.
“I…I’ll do it! I’ll do anything!!”
Sakata seemed to have grasped the last straw. He burst into tears, agreed frantically and incoherently, and kowtowed to Lin Feng repeatedly.
“Please! Consultant Lin, please spare my life! I will definitely serve you at my utmost!”
Lin Feng looked at him, his humble appearance, a trace of disgust flashed in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.
“very good.”
He stood up again and resumed his commanding attitude.
“Then, your first mission: Yukinoshita Makoto suffered a great loss because of the last shareholders’ meeting, and he will never let it go. He must be planning how to fight back, and he may even want to harm me or Miss Yukino.”
“Go and find out his next specific plan. The more detailed the better. Manpower, time, location, target… I want to know everything.”
“I want results within three days.”
“Yes! Yes! I’ll do it right away! I will complete the task!” Sakata assured hurriedly.
Lin Feng no longer looked at Sakata who was lying on the ground, as if looking at him any longer would pollute his eyes.
He turned around, and his figure merged into the shadows deep in the warehouse again, silently, as if he had never appeared.
In the empty warehouse, only Masao Sakata was left.
He remained kneeling on the cold, hard concrete floor, shivering for a long time before slowly raising his head.
His eyes were filled with the fear of surviving a disaster, unforgettable humiliation, and a hint of… twisted relief.
He knew that from tonight on, his life, Masao Sakata, no longer belonged to him.
He became a puppet in the hands of the young devil.