Chapter Seventy-Nine: The Jiang Family’s Reputation

That piece of jade was dazzlingly translucent, vibrant with a lush green reminiscent of the finest imperial jade, radiating a brilliant glow. What was even more astonishing was its shape—though untouched by any sculptor’s hands, it naturally resembled a dragon! The great beast coiled majestically, its head held high, eyes full of life, as if at any moment it might soar into the heavens.

“This... this is nothing short of a miracle!” Zhang Hu exclaimed, awe and reverence shining in his eyes.

He finally understood why Qin Feng had refused the overtures of those powerful figures before. With Qin Feng’s abilities, he needed no patron—he himself could become a giant among men.

“Brother Feng, you... you’re incredible!” Zhang Hu stammered, overwhelmed, wishing he could slap himself for ever having doubted Qin Feng’s discernment.

Qin Feng merely smiled faintly, ignoring the flattery. He bent down, gently picked up the dragon-shaped jade, and examined it closely.

“I’ll call you ‘Soaring Dragon,’” Qin Feng murmured, a trace of fondness in his tone.

“Soaring Dragon...” Zhang Hu echoed, eyes full of envy. To be valued so highly by Qin Feng, this jade’s worth was beyond measure.

“All right, pack things up. It’s time to head back,” Qin Feng said, tucking the Soaring Dragon jade safely away and striding toward the exit.

“Yes, Brother Feng!” Zhang Hu replied at once, hastily calling his men to start gathering their belongings.

Just then, a shrill ringtone shattered the silence.

Qin Feng frowned, checked his phone, and saw that the call was from Lin Wanting. She shouldn’t know he was back already—why would she be calling out of the blue?

“Hello, Wanting, what’s wrong?”

“Ah Feng, Baiyun Group just pulled their investment! They broke the contract and said they’ll pay us some compensation.”

Qin Feng’s brows knit tighter. That shouldn’t be. He’d just met with Bai Ruoxi a few days ago. If he hadn’t, he could understand Baiyun Group backing out, but now he sensed something had happened on Bai Ruoxi’s end.

“What reason did they give?”

“What else? They said our project was too risky, and after reassessment, decided to withdraw.” Lin Wanting’s voice sounded weary and helpless. “They agreed to pay the penalty, but a few million is barely enough to make a ripple...”

After a long silence, Qin Feng finally replied, “Put the expansion plans on hold for now. I’ll look into what’s happened.”

He hung up and immediately dialed Bai Ruoxi’s number, but no one answered, no matter how long he waited.

Qin Feng instantly understood—it wasn’t Baiyun Group having second thoughts. Something must have happened to Bai Ruoxi.

Hanging up, his face darkened as a surge of anger flared within him.

Damn it, someone dares play tricks on me?

He slammed his phone onto the table, startling Zhang Hu so much that he nearly dropped the jade fragments he’d just picked up.

“Brother Feng, what’s wrong?” Zhang Hu asked timidly, afraid to set him off.

“Something happened with Baiyun Group,” Qin Feng replied coldly. “Someone’s pulling strings in the background, targeting me on purpose.”

At that, Zhang Hu’s temper flared too. He rolled up his sleeves and cursed, “Which bastard dares provoke you? Just say the word, Brother Feng—we’ll make them pay!”

Qin Feng waved him down, signaling for patience. He narrowed his eyes, a cold glint flashing within. “Don’t rush. I want to see who’s behind these dirty tricks.”

With that, he pulled out his phone, about to dial a number when he suddenly recalled a conversation from a few days ago.

“Karma comes quickly,” he muttered, and without further hesitation, dialed the number.

A lazy female voice answered, “Hello, who’s this?”

“Didn’t you say you wanted to work together? I need you to look into someone for me,” Qin Feng said, his tone icy, completely different from before. “The Baiyun heiress, Bai Ruoxi.”

Jiang Yuechan’s voice came with a hint of teasing. “What, have your eyes landed on the Bai family’s young lady?”

“Cut the nonsense. Get to it,” Qin Feng snapped impatiently.

“Alright, hold on. I’ll check right away,” Jiang Yuechan replied with a light laugh, then hung up.

Qin Feng pocketed his phone, stood up, and walked outside into the courtyard.

Night had fallen, and lights shone in every home, but the city’s brilliance did nothing to dispel the shadow clouding his heart. He knew that from today, he would be branded with the Jiang family’s mark.

Barely ten minutes later, his phone rang again.

“I found out. The Bai family’s daughter is getting engaged to the Wang family in two days. Seems she’s in a dispute with her family,” Jiang Yuechan reported.

Upon hearing this, Qin Feng immediately understood. As the saying goes, a married daughter is like water spilled—irretrievable. The Bai family was stripping Bai Ruoxi of her power.

“Looks like my trip to the capital will have to come sooner than planned,” he muttered, then hung up.

“Huzi, pack everything up.”

Though Zhang Hu was usually rough and careless, when it came to important matters, he moved swiftly. He summoned a few men and loaded the jade from the courtyard onto a truck.

Qin Feng stood in the night, watching everyone’s busy movements, but his mind was occupied with another matter. He would have to visit the Bai family eventually, but not yet. He needed to settle things in Jiang City first—he couldn’t afford trouble at his back.

“Brother Feng, everything’s packed!” Zhang Hu said, wiping sweat from his brow as he approached.

“Good work. Have everyone stay alert these next few days—I suspect someone might get desperate,” Qin Feng said, handing Zhang Hu a cigarette. His tone was calm, but it brooked no argument.

“Don’t worry, Brother Feng. Anyone dares cause trouble, I’ll be the first to deal with them!” Zhang Hu promised, thumping his chest, his yellowed teeth gleaming in the dim light.

With everything arranged, Qin Feng drove alone to a villa on the outskirts of the city. He returned to his bedroom and lay on the bed, but sleep eluded him. Bai Ruoxi’s cool, stunning face kept appearing in his mind.

He wasn’t someone who fell easily for women, but Bai Ruoxi had stirred in him a long-lost feeling.

“The Wang family... Hmph, such arrogance! I’d like to see what makes you worthy of her,” he said coldly, a ruthless glint in his eyes. He picked up his phone and dialed a number.

“Book me the fastest flight to the capital,” he ordered.

...

The next day, at the Capital International Airport.

Qin Feng, dressed simply in casual clothes and wearing sunglasses, emerged from the VIP channel.

As soon as he stepped outside, a black Mercedes sedan pulled up in front of him. The window rolled down, revealing a stunningly seductive face.

“Mr. Qin, I didn’t expect to meet so soon,” said the woman, dressed in a tight red dress that accentuated her curves, her lips blazing crimson. Waves of long hair cascaded casually over her shoulders, every movement exuding the allure of a mature woman.

“Flower, your way of making an entrance is certainly unique,” Qin Feng teased with a smile as he opened the door and got in.

He hadn’t intended to get involved with the Jiang family, but circumstances had changed. Now, he had no choice but to accept their offer of help.