23: The navy is cleaning the ground, Liu Sang, the cherry blossoms in my hometown are blooming!

Green View Real Estate mobilized everyone from top to bottom, but they couldn't get in touch with Kameda no matter what.

"Chairman, why don't we just run away?"

"Run your head! With so many assets here, how are we supposed to run?"

Liu Jiujian scolded him sharply, when his cell phone suddenly rang in his pocket.

"Is that Liu-san?"

"President Kameda, I've finally reached you."

"Liu-san, don't panic."

"President Kameda, how can I not panic? The internet is attacking Green View Real Estate everywhere, and the National Bureau of Industry and Commerce wants to investigate us too."

"Rest assured, we will handle your affairs."

Kameda Jiro had already secretly hired 20,000 internet trolls to prepare to turn the tide of public opinion. When it came to twisting facts, no one was a match for Japan.

"What do you need me to do?"

"Just stay silent. In three days, we can suppress the heat and cast Julong Steel into the abyss."

With Kameda Jiro's promise, Liu Jiujian's panic subsided temporarily.

"President Kameda, this time, for the sake of your company's plan, Green View Real Estate's normal operations have been affected. You see..."

"Our corporation has already transferred 20 million to your private account. Remember to check it when you have time, Liu-san."

"Really? You've gone to great expense, President Kameda."

"Liu-san, the cherry blossoms in my hometown have bloomed. Once this matter is finished, I invite you to come and see them."

Liu Jiujian nodded excitedly. Julong Steel, right? Trying to mess with my head? You want to topple Green View Real Estate? Keep dreaming!

That night, several self-media outlets posted articles simultaneously, accusing Julong Steel of polluting the environment and hiring internet trolls to clean up their image.

They specifically named Bai Xiaoying and Mu Guchan, smearing them as unscrupulous media figures who accepted kickbacks from Julong Steel.

"Sister Mu, have you seen the videos? Why has the direction of public opinion suddenly reversed?"

Bai Xiaoying's account was banned, and the video she had previously uploaded about Lu Shenwei battling the "green tea bitch" was also taken down.

Mu Guchan said in a low voice, "If you don't occupy the position of public opinion, the enemy will. Pull yourself together and prepare to fight with all your might; our opponent is not simple."

Bai Xiaoying nodded and sought out friends in the industry to back her up.

"Xiao Ying, we've all heard about your situation. Just tell us what to do."

"Just help me post the videos—the ones where Lu Shenwei exposes the green tea bitch."

"The financial backer behind Green View Real Estate approached us, offering 500,000 in operating fees each, demanding that we slander you and Mu Guchan, and focus our attacks on Julong Steel."

"Really? When did this happen?"

Bai Xiaoying was shocked. A financial backer capable of offering 500,000 in operating fees was extraordinary.

"Almost everyone doing self-media in Qinchuan received it. Anyway, I refused. That kind of money doesn't feel right to take."

"Thank you, thank you. I'll treat you to a meal another day."

"But you should also be careful; not everyone can hold onto their bottom line."

Bai Xiaoying and Mu Guchan were busy finding people to clarify the situation, and Julong Steel wasn't idle either.

Lu Shenwei uploaded the sequence of events to a video platform, attaching Su Qing's self-exposure video, but it was taken down by the platform on the grounds of "obscenity and pornography."

"Uncle Ma, this is getting interesting."

"How so?"

"I suspect Green View Real Estate is just a 'black glove'—there must be someone else behind them."

A mere Green View Real Estate, a real estate company with a scale of only 1 billion—could they really have this much power?

They were suppressing Julong Steel in every aspect, and had even managed to get Director Zhou and the others detained.

"Our lawyers have already prepared the legal documents. Tomorrow, we will officially file a lawsuit against Su Qing and Green View Real Estate."

Engaging in a war of words is pointless; if we're going to play, let's do it for real.

"Will this work?"

"We don't have the advantage in the arena of public opinion; we can only pin our hopes on a court trial."

"That's all we can do. I'll keep an eye on things with Old Wang in a bit."

Julong Steel was fighting like a trapped beast, while inside the Qinchuan City Inspection Bureau, Zhou Wen looked at the two inspectors with a solemn expression.

Under the dim lights, an inspector said sharply, "Director Zhou Wen, now that you're at the Inspection Bureau, you might as well honestly confess."

"Confess what? That I racked my brains helping Qinchuan enterprises develop? That I couldn't sleep for nights on end just to bring in projects?"

Zhou Wen rolled his eyes at the two inspectors, and the latter became furious: "Zhou Wen! Behave yourself! What are you acting so high and mighty for when you're already in the Inspection Bureau?"

"Don't be angry. After all, I am a bureau director. You ask, and I'll answer!"

Facing the yammering Zhou Wen, the inspectors also had a headache.

The leaders had instructed them not to use force on Zhou Wen; after all, he was only suspected of illegally handling state-owned assets, not proven guilty with concrete evidence.

"How did you collude with Lu Shenwei to embezzle and sell off state-owned assets at a low price?"

"I didn't. Don't talk nonsense. At the time, Julong Steel was tens of millions in debt. After Lu Shenwei took over, he turned the factory from a loss to a profit in half a year."

"So you're saying you're a hero who saved a state-owned factory?"

"You could say that, but I'm a low-key person and have never liked taking credit."

"I told you to confess honestly, and you're getting cocky? Let me ask you again: why did you suddenly authorize the city waterworks to purchase steel pipes from Julong Steel? How much of a kickback did you get?"

Back then, the General Administration had specifically instructed him to take care of Julong Steel, saying that Julong Steel was a patriotic enterprise.

But this had only been said to Zhou Wen, and the General Administration had required confidentiality.

Zhou Wen thought for a moment and casually fobbed them off: "Julong Steel's pipes are of high quality and reasonably priced, so of course I would purchase theirs."

"You're lying! Julong Steel's pipes aren't cheap. Are you going to confess honestly or not?"

"I felt like it. Is that not allowed?"

Zhou Wen looked indifferent, and the inspectors were fuming with rage.

Seeing that hard tactics didn't work, they switched to soft ones.

"Director Zhou, you're not an unreasonable person. Public opinion outside has already crushed Lu Shenwei and Julong Steel. You just need to prove that the procedures when Lu Shenwei took over Julong Steel were illegal, and that the evaluation value was too low."

"Wouldn't that settle this whole thing? You're a dignified bureau director; why suffer this indignity?"

"Exactly, exactly. This matter doesn't have much to do with you; as long as you confirm that there were problems with Julong Steel's restructuring procedures, that's enough."

"You won't face any disciplinary action, and we'll both be able to report back."

The two cajoled and pestered him, but Zhou Wen refused to budge.

"If you want me to agree, I can, but let me make a phone call," Zhou Wen said after some thought.

The one who tied the knot must be the one to untie it. The Inspection Bureau was simply harping on him acting as a broker to drum up business for Julong Steel, but this was instructed by the General Administration.

Since you insist on getting to the bottom of this, then let's ask the Dragon Summer National Bureau of Industry and Commerce.

"Really? You can make the call, but we need to listen in."

"Listen however you want, but I have to make it clear: once you listen to this call, there will be no turning back."

Facing Zhou Wen's warning, the two didn't take it seriously at all.

"Just make the call. There isn't a phone call in Qinchuan that we can't listen to."

The Inspection Bureau Section Chief handed over the phone, but Zhou Wen suddenly hesitated.

The General Administration Section Chief had demanded confidentiality from everyone. Would this action count as leaking a secret?

Zhou Wen was a veteran cadre transferred from the military, with extremely strong principles and discipline.

He took the phone and dialed the number: "Jingjing, has our son been good these past two days?"

"Huh???"

"This old guy is playing us? He called his wife!"