Zhang Ting had no idea when it started, but his legs suddenly felt as though they were no longer under his control. They kept trembling, no matter how hard he tried to stop them.
“Mr. Xie, do you think we’ve… offended someone we really shouldn’t have?”
The color had drained from Xie Jichuan’s face as well. His lips moved twice, but he didn’t know how to respond.
What they had just witnessed had shaken them to the core.
Qi Tianhu had been taken away by the police, and then, right in front of those same police officers, his son had leaped from the roof of a building more than twenty stories high, putting on an aerial performance.
Even in the familiar streets of Hong Kong, back in the days when criminal organizations ran rampant, few people would have dared to act so brazenly.
They truly should never have held on to any illusions!
They had actually thought about going head-to-head with the Wanlong Association in the bidding. Now, they regretted it more than anything.
They regretted it so much they could have slapped their thighs raw!
Inside the auction hall, the others were whispering among themselves as well.
“Are we still bidding?”
“What’s the point? Didn’t you see Tiger Qi’s son fly off the building?”
“Do you think Qi Licheng jumped of his own accord, or…”
“Shh! Do you have a death wish? How dare you say things like that?”
“Anyway, I’m not going to compete with the Wanlong Association. I wouldn’t fight them over any amount of money. I still want to make it home alive.”
“They’re untouchable, absolutely untouchable. This isn’t doing business—it’s risking your life!”
“Exactly. When the gods fight, ordinary people suffer. We really can’t afford to provoke them.”
“…”
The auctioneer stood alone on the stage, his expression impossible to describe.
Normally, after something this serious happened, the auction should have been suspended immediately, or even postponed altogether. But the higher-ups had yet to issue any instructions, and he didn’t dare make the decision on his own. All he could do was stand there and wait.
Just then, Zhang Ting and Xie Jichuan returned through the entrance.
Instead of going back to their seats, they walked straight over to Yang Xin and Xu Shishi, adopting an extremely deferential attitude.
“General Manager Yang, Ms. Xu, could we have a word in private?”
Yang Xin and Xu Shishi exchanged a glance, then nodded.
The four of them went to the lounge area in a corner of the hall.
Zhang Ting and Xie Jichuan didn’t waste any time with pleasantries. They got straight to the point.
“General Manager Yang, Ms. Xu, we’ve just discussed the matter carefully. Regarding the Qingyan Mountain lithium mine, why don’t we work together?”
“In what way?”
“Joint development.”
“Let’s be frank. We have the utmost respect for the Wanlong Association’s strength. We don’t want to compete for this lithium mine anymore, and we couldn’t win even if we did. But Zhang Mining is one of the top companies in Eastland when it comes to lithium mining and processing technology. We already have the equipment, technical teams, and downstream channels in place. If we cooperate, the Wanlong Association can provide the capital and resources, while we provide the technology and equipment. We’d complement each other’s strengths, making it a highly profitable arrangement for everyone.”
Xie Jichuan quickly nodded. “The Xie family also has a very deep presence in the new-energy sector. Our downstream customer base can be connected directly and seamlessly. Between our two families, we may not be number one in the world when it comes to technology and the market, but at least in Eastland, we have no rivals.”
Yang Xin remained expressionless, but he secretly approved of their proposal.
What they had said was indeed true.
The Wanlong Association had the money and would soon obtain the mining rights, but the technical threshold and experience required for mining could not be overcome overnight simply by throwing money at them.
Although The Young Lady had said that they could slowly build their own technical team, directly partnering with an established mining company would undoubtedly make things far more efficient. It could save them at least three to five years of trial and error.
“How will the shares be divided?”
Zhang Ting gritted his teeth and held up three fingers.
“Together, our two companies will take thirty percent. We’ll advance the funds for the auction. The Wanlong Association will hold seventy percent, while our two companies will provide all the technical support and equipment. We won’t participate in day-to-day management; we’ll only collect dividends. All we ask is to be allowed to take a sip from the pot.”
His offer could be regarded as a complete surrender—one made on his knees. He was practically begging Yang Xin and Xu Shishi for a chance.
Of course, from a business perspective, they were taking a tremendous loss. But they were genuinely frightened.
They were afraid of being targeted by the Wanlong Association. They were afraid that the next person to jump from a building would be one of them.
Their compromise was less a partnership than a protection payment—a way to buy their own safety.
Yang Xin did not answer immediately. Instead, he took out his phone, walked a short distance away, and called Liu Yutong. He briefly reported Zhang Ting and Xie Jichuan’s proposal.
After listening, Liu Yutong said only two words:
“Accept it.”
Yang Xin hung up and returned to the lounge area. He extended his hand toward Zhang Ting and Xie Jichuan.
“The Young Lady agrees. I look forward to working with you.”
Hearing this, Zhang Ting and Xie Jichuan released a long, simultaneous sigh of relief. They hurriedly extended their hands in return.
“Likewise! Likewise!”
After returning to the auction hall, Yang Xin announced publicly that the Wanlong Association was withdrawing from the bidding.
The auctioneer was somewhat surprised, but he still followed procedure and asked whether anyone else wished to raise their paddle.
The entire hall fell silent. Not a single person dared to raise a hand.
Who would be insane enough to challenge the Wanlong Association over something it had set its sights on?
The auctioneer took a deep breath. He raised the gavel high, then brought it down with a heavy thud.
“Three point one billion! Sold!”
“Congratulations to Mr. Zhang on successfully acquiring the exploration and mining rights to the Qingyan Mountain lithium mine!”
With the fall of the gavel, the development rights to the Qingyan Mountain lithium mine officially landed in Zhang Ting’s hands.
Of course, on the surface, he was the one who had purchased it. But everyone knew that the mine’s true owner was only one entity: the Wanlong Association.
Thunderous applause broke out. As they looked at Xu Shishi and Yang Xin, everyone present was left with the same thought:
The Wanlong Association had truly established an unshakable foothold in Jinchuan this time. From now on, the city’s mining industry would probably be monopolized by the Wanlong Association.
Anyone could see that the two businessmen from Hong Kong had been forced into compromising. Otherwise, even if they had ten times the courage, they would never have dared to raise their paddles under those circumstances.
“Joint development” might have sounded pleasant, but in reality, they had simply handed over control in exchange for a talisman of safety.
After the event ended, Zhang Ting and Xie Jichuan—men who were considered important figures by many—followed closely behind Yang Xin and Xu Shishi with ingratiating smiles. Their obsequious, subservient manner left everyone present sighing inwardly.
At the same time, it further confirmed their suspicions:
The power behind the Wanlong Association was indeed both formidable and ruthless.
…
Three days later.
In a top-floor suite at a hotel in Jinchuan, Liu Yutong sat on the sofa, listening as Yun Cheng gave her a full report on the investigation into the Qi Licheng incident.
Every detail had been recounted, from the moment Qi Licheng escaped the warehouse to the moment he jumped to his death.
“Qi Licheng probably reached the rooftop at around five in the morning. The surveillance cameras on the roof of the commercial building opposite captured the final part of his movements in full. He stayed on the roof for nearly five hours, smoking and pacing back and forth. At one point, he even crouched down and cried for a while.”
“It wasn’t until after ten in the morning, when the crowd below had grown dense, that he climbed over the railing and jumped. Before doing so, he left behind a lengthy suicide note, taking all the blame upon himself.”
“What did it say?”
“In essence, it said that he was responsible for the drug trafficking, the organization of the criminal gang, the unlawful imprisonment, and the illegal mining operation. He claimed that he had handled everything himself and that his father, Qi Tianhu, had known nothing about it.
“He also provided a detailed list of the businesses under his control, his drug-trafficking network, the exact locations of the illegal mines, and the enormous gambling debts he had personally accumulated in Aocheng. He confessed to everything in detail, and the chain of evidence was remarkably complete.”
“Looks like he intended to take all the charges upon himself and trade his life for a chance to get his father off the hook.”
“Yes. At the end of the suicide note, he even included a passage aimed at our Wanlong Association. He claimed that all of this had been forced on him by the Wanlong Association—that we had driven him into a corner. He also emphasized that there were problems within our organization, implying that the Wanlong Association was a criminal organization as well.”
Hearing this, Liu Yutong let out a humorless laugh.
That bastard was still trying to smear them even with death staring him in the face.
The Wanlong Association had always been a legitimate, law-abiding company!
But after calming down and thinking it over, she had to admit that what Qi Licheng had done was indeed a clever move.
While alive, he had been arrogant, conceited, foolish, and vicious... His faults were too numerous to count. Yet, at the very last moment of his life, he had done something absolutely right.
He had used his own life to buy his father a chance to escape.
“What’s the police’s reaction?”
“They’re still investigating. However, Qi Licheng took all the blame in his suicide note and provided a large amount of verifiable evidence to support his claims. So far, the police haven’t found any conclusive evidence directly implicating Qi Tianhu. Besides, Qi Tianhu’s lawyers are pulling every string they can. It probably won’t be long before he gets out.”
“Understood. We need to make every possible preparation as well.”
“Yes, The Young Lady!”
Liu Yutong was still somewhat worried about how Qi Tianhu would retaliate once he was released. After all, his only son had leaped from the roof of a building more than twenty stories high right in front of him.
Qi Tianhu would certainly blame the Wanlong Association for this blood feud and make them pay.
