Chapter 118: Turning the Tide

"Hello, Ye Fei! You finally called," Zhang Linsheng said with a bitter laugh.

"What? Can't hold on anymore?" Ye Fei asked, puzzled.

Zhang Linsheng replied, "It's not about that; it's about Xiaoxiao. She's been nagging me about you every single day. Ye Fei, tell me, what should I do?"

Ye Fei laughed aloud. "Chairman Zhang, Xiaoxiao is your daughter. This is a family matter, and I can't interfere. I've finished my business at Yingde School and won't be going back. As for anything else, you'll have to handle it yourself."

Zhang Linsheng sighed bitterly. "I found out about that this morning, which is why I don't know what to do! If Xiaoxiao returns to school and finds out you aren't teaching there anymore, who knows what kind of scene she'll make at home?" He rubbed his temples as he spoke.

After hanging up, Ye Fei asked Sun Yang for his father's number. He called to express his gratitude, extending his thanks to Liu Yiyi as well.

Next, Ye Fei dialed a foreign number given to him the night before by Cui Yanwu. It supposedly belonged to the heir of a major overseas financial group. Cui Yanwu had once saved this heir's life, and the two had formed a deep bond. Cui Yanwu couldn't do much himself, so he directed Ye Fei to this heir, promising that help would be provided once contact was made. Although the man was still an heir and couldn't fully dictate the group's decisions, a bit of assistance was well within his power, enough to significantly relieve the pressure applied by Fang Tingfang. As expected, once Ye Fei reached out, the man agreed to help.

After expressing his thanks, Ye Fei sat in the security office, bored with nothing to do. Just as he was drifting off, the light at the doorway was blocked by a tall, brawny figure.

"Mad Tiger," Ye Fei said, casting a glance at the visitor.

"Haha, Ye Fei, long time no see," Mad Tiger laughed heartily.

"Rare guest. You disappeared ever since Lu Weiming made his move. Why risk showing yourself now? Could it be that Lu Weiming has already..." Ye Fei asked in surprise.

"Hahaha!" Mad Tiger laughed boisterously.

Looking at Ye Fei, Mad Tiger said, "This time, it's a case of the man surnamed Lu bringing this on himself. He got too involved, and as a result, the Hualing Security Company is under investigation, and the Fang Group has been affected too. Fang Tingfang has deep pockets and solid connections, so she hasn't faced any major trouble yet. But Lu Weiming was collateral damage; he’s being investigated very strictly by the authorities. Even his backers are under immense pressure, so he’s had to shrink his influence and keep a low profile for now."

Ye Fei replied indifferently, "It's a pity that Lu Weiming is too shrewd; he didn't commit his full resources. Even if this incident wounds him, it certainly won't uproot his foundation."

"True, and that's exactly why I'm here today. Ye Fei, this is a golden opportunity," Mad Tiger said, his eyes burning as he stared at Ye Fei.

Ye Fei waved his hand. "I have plenty on my plate as it is; I'm already overwhelmed and don't want to get involved in your affairs."

"Ye Fei, this is a rare chance. If Lu Weiming recovers, he will be very difficult to deal with," Mad Tiger urged.

"Mad Tiger, you know the Fang Group is currently suppressing Tianxiang Company’s business. You also know the relationship between Shu Manyun and me. I cannot ignore that. I truly don't have the time to deal with Lu Weiming. My grudge against him isn't that deep; I believe that even if he recovers, he won't go to the lengths of mutual destruction with me," Ye Fei said calmly.

Mad Tiger’s expression flickered. He had come expecting Ye Fei to agree, as Lu Weiming was secretly behind the crisis at Tianxiang Company, and taking him down would have helped Shu Manyun as well. He hadn't expected Ye Fei to refuse. Of course, he dared not force the issue.

Ye Fei didn't want to burn bridges with Mad Tiger either; people like him could be useful at times. As the saying goes, every kind of person has their own path and their own utility.

"Mad Tiger, while I can't move against Lu Weiming, you don't need to worry. From what I know, there are people specifically assigned to investigate him now. You'd be better off taking your men and leaving the Ming Gang to protect yourself," Ye Fei revealed.

"Is that information accurate?" Mad Tiger asked urgently.

"It seems you don't understand the true nature of this case. For the sake of our past dealings, I advise you to leave the Ming Gang soon. I can't say more, but once you leave, Lu Weiming certainly won't have the energy to come after you," Ye Fei said.

"Fine. Ye Fei, I owe you one," Mad Tiger said. He knew Ye Fei wouldn't lie about this, as there was no benefit for him to do so.

Mad Tiger left. His goal had been to recruit Ye Fei to help take down Lu Weiming, but since Ye Fei had made his stance clear, he departed quickly after receiving the tip.

That very evening, Mad Tiger took all his men and defected from the Ming Gang. Although Lu Weiming was furious, he was currently embroiled in major investigations involving illegal arms and the Fang Group scandal. He was on thin ice and had to be extremely cautious with every step—how could he possibly find the capability to deal with a renegade like Mad Tiger?

That night, everyone returned to the villa after work. Shu Manyun gathered everyone in the living room, a rare occurrence.

"Ye Fei, thank you," Shu Manyun said earnestly.

"For what?" Ye Fei asked.

"You don't need to deny it. It must have been your help; otherwise, things wouldn't have improved," she said solemnly.

*Damn, I'm not denying it, but I don't even know what you're talking about! Just tell me what happened!* Ye Fei thought to himself, looking at the women with an innocent expression.

"Was it not you who found someone to help, which led to the turnaround in the company's crisis?" Shu Manyun asked, puzzled.

"Oh, so that's it. It was mainly my friend who helped. I'll thank him for you later," Ye Fei said, finally understanding. By "friend," he naturally meant Cui Yanwu and his connection.

The foreign heir found by Cui Yanwu was truly reliable; in just one day, he had effectively neutralized the crisis facing Tianxiang Company. Ye Fei didn't know that the Fang Group happened to be a competitor of this foreign financial house, which allowed the heir to leverage even more resources against them. Since the two groups were long-standing rivals, they were well-versed in each other's weaknesses. Once they struck, Fang Tingfang had no choice but to pull back and defend, lest she suffer a massive loss over a minor branch of Tianxiang.

"What is your friend's background? To be able to make a giant like the Fang Group wary," the women asked curiously.

Ye Fei replied, "My friend isn't anything extraordinary, but he happens to know the heir of a large overseas financial group and asked them to step in, which turned the tide."

"Ye Fei, I never would have guessed! The friends you know are no simple people," Shu Manyun laughed. "You know Zhang Linsheng of Shenhai, people from the Liu Group, and several other major corporations. Thanks to them, we didn't go under immediately. And now, you know someone connected to a huge foreign conglomerate! By the way, when the company had issues, many departments in Shenhai came to give us trouble, but then they all suddenly stopped. That must have been your doing as well, right?"

"You're something else! Dealing with both the underworld and the establishment? Ye Fei, you've been hiding quite a lot, haven't you?" Su Xue stared at him.

"Uh, I haven't been hiding anything! These are just people I met after coming to Shenhai!" Ye Fei protested. In truth, aside from Zhang Linsheng and Liu Yiyi, all his other connections were indeed built only after his arrival in the city.