84: Chapter 84: Using the most blatant act of "protecting one's food" as a pledge of allegiance to secure an alliance with Shanghai business tycoons.

A suffocating silence fell over the reception hall.

The expressions of Wu Tianheng, Zhou Zhenghai, and Zhu Qingshan were grave to the extreme.

They were the gods who toyed with traditional capital and manipulated the real economy.

But when it came to the internet era, that kind of "dimensional reduction strike" capable of destroying the reputation of a century-old enterprise overnight—

they were actually filled with an unknown fear deep in their bones.

However, fear was one thing, but the innate suspicious nature of these old foxes would not diminish in the slightest because of it.

"Zhengye, what you've said is truly heart-piercing, and it completely aligns with the consistent style of that Beijing Circle crowd—eating people without spitting out the bones."

Wu Tianheng narrowed his eyes slightly; in those sharp, hawk-like eyes, the killing intent had not completely dissipated.

Instead, it became even deeper: "But this is also precisely the biggest flaw in your words today!"

Zhou Zhenghai and Zhu Qingshan also sneered simultaneously.

They leaned forward slightly, once again forming a surrounding posture of oppression against Qin Zhengye.

Wu Tianheng tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his tone bone-chillingly cold:

"Since this Plan B of the Beijing Circle is so perfect and lethal, and since the butcher's knife in their hands has already been raised...",

"Then you, Qin Zhengye, as the sharpest dagger they have inserted into Shanghai, only need to obediently cooperate with them to break through our defenses."

"Once the deed is done, you will naturally be a meritorious subject who followed the dragon, and there will be a share of the spoils for you."

"Why would you, at the critical juncture of the decisive battle, reveal your masters' trump card to us 'prey'?",

"And even go so far as to completely break ties with them?"

Wu Tianheng's voice rose sharply, filled with absolute skepticism: "This simply doesn't conform to the logic of profit-seeking!"

Facing this final and most lethal soul-searching question from the three big shots, Qin Zhengye did not panic.

On the contrary, his tense shoulders suddenly relaxed, and a sneer of absurdity and self-deprecation even curled at the corner of his mouth.

He spread his hands helplessly, meeting the knife-like gazes of the three, and finally threw out a reason that was the most impeccable and consistent with the bloody nature of the current situation in this circle:

"A share of the spoils? A share for me?"

A flash of intense resentment and unwillingness crossed Qin Zhengye's eyes, and he said through gritted teeth:

"Do you think that's why my Qin Family was sent to Shanghai back then?",

"In name, I was an 'imperial envoy with full authority' sent south with heavy capital."

"But in reality? I had long been marginalized within the core circle of the Beijing Circle!",

"I damn well had to sell off my family assets in the north just to barely take root in your territory here in the Magic City!"

He slammed the table, his voice echoing in the reception hall:

"From the very beginning, I haven't gained any substantial benefits from those old guys in the Beijing Circle!",

"I've acted as their white glove for so many years, doing all the dirty and exhausting work, and what was the result?"

Qin Zhengye took a deep breath and pointed unreservedly at the land beneath his feet:

"The result is. I, Qin Zhengye, have long since seen all my efforts and my entire industrial foundation take root and sprout in Shanghai!"

He stared fixedly into Wu Tianheng's eyes and asked word by word:

"Brothers, ask yourselves with a clear conscience. If it were you, do you think I, Qin Zhengye, am crazy?",

"Would I stake my entire life and fortune on a force that offers no substantial help to my family and is even ready to treat me as cannon fodder at any moment?"

"In the Beijing Circle, I can't even get a sip of hot soup! But here in Shanghai, I, Qin Zhengye, have meat to eat every day!"

Qin Zhengye's eyes became fierce and pure; it was a protective instinct for his food after his core interests had been touched:

"How could I not fight with my life to protect such a great environment that allows my Qin Family to be well-fed and allows me to make money securely?",

"Helping them destroy the foundation of you Shanghai Merchants is equivalent to smashing my own Qin Family's meat pot!",

"Cutting off someone's path to wealth is like killing their parents. I, Qin Zhengye, am not stupid enough to become someone's free burial object!"

Qin Zhengye's naked declaration of "self-preservation" echoed for a long time in the luxurious reception hall.

There was no rendering of patriotism, nor was there any impassioned moral posturing.

There was only the purest, bloodiest calculation of interests.

However, it was precisely this beast-like instinctual logic that, to the ears of the three veteran capitalists Wu Tianheng, Zhou Zhenghai, and Zhu Qingshan, became the most pleasant and irrefutable pledge of allegiance in the world.

In this cold circle, loyalty is often just a result of insufficient chips for betrayal. But the deep binding of interests is an iron law that is ten thousand times more reliable than blood ties.

The foundation that Qin Zhengye had built in Shanghai was his lifeline.

Now that the Beijing Circle wanted to smash his rice bowl along with everything else, he naturally had to fight for his life alongside the Shanghai Merchants. This logic was simply impeccable.

The cold, blade-like gazes of the three finally softened completely at this moment.

Zhou Zhenghai nodded slightly and picked up the purple clay cup on the table. The signature smiling-tiger expression of Zhu Qingshan also reappeared on his face.

Wu Tianheng let out a long breath and slowly leaned his tense back against the wide leather chair back.

He took a deep look at Qin Zhengye; although his voice was still low, he had completely unloaded that suffocating killing intent:

"Zhengye, the fact that you can speak to this extent and lay everything bare for us to see shows your sincerity.",

"Since those old guys in the north won't even leave you a sip of soup after eating the meat, it is only right that you stand on the same front line with us to protect the market."

Wu Tianheng paused, hammering home the decision, and gave the promise of the Old Money family:

"In that case, I will tentatively believe you. From now on, we point our guns at the outside together."

Thus, this sudden internal crisis of trust was completely resolved.

With the complete defection of this "Trojan Horse," Qin Zhengye, the biggest internal hidden danger to the Shanghai capital defense line was temporarily removed.

When the mole became an ally, the attention of this group of old foxes instantly bypassed the immediate trivialities and focused directly on the northern torrent about to pour in.

The atmosphere in the reception hall shifted in a subtle yet shocking way at this moment.

Wu Tianheng, Zhou Zhenghai, Zhu Qingshan, and Qin Zhengye, who had just completed his change of camp—these four first-generation power-holders who controlled half of the Magic City's landscape turned their heads in tacit understanding.

Four pairs of unfathomable eyes, capable of striking fear into countless entrepreneurs, converged in unison on the young man sitting in the main seat.

They were as clear as a mirror in their hearts. Since Shen Du dared to set up this unprecedented, heaven-shocking deadly trap today.

And dared to ruthlessly strip away the underpants of the Shanghai capital that was being comprehensively invaded.

And even dared, with his own strength, to hard-carry the dual-core sniping by the Beijing Circle against Xinghuo and Meituan...

Then this dragon crossing the river, representing the will of the Shen Family, must have already held a trump card capable of overturning the entire chessboard!"

Wu Tianheng stared at Shen Du with burning eyes, and even his form of address for him changed from the initial "Young Master Shen," which carried a bit of polite probing, to an honorific that completely incorporated him into the core alliance and even implicitly handed over half of the leadership.

"Nephew Shen."

Wu Tianheng crossed his hands, leaned forward slightly, and with a posture full of anticipation, threw out the most core question of this closed-door meeting—the ultimate question that would determine the survival of the entire Yangtze River Delta business world in the future:

"Since everyone has tied their lives to the same rope, and the situation has become clear to this point, let's not hide anything anymore."

"Facing the upcoming butcher's knife of the Beijing Circle..."

Wu Tianheng's eyes shot out a burst of brilliance: "What is your plan?"

Chapter 85: Public Opinion Blitzkrieg! Using Their Own Methods to Reverse-Dismantle the North's Multi-Billion Killing Trap

Facing Wu Tianheng's highly penetrating and oppressive gaze, Shen Du did not feel the slightest bit of stage fright; instead, he smiled calmly.

It was a cold smile that only a top-tier hunter would show after seeing the prey caught in the net.

"Uncle Wu, actually, breaking this trap is difficult, but it's also simple."

Shen Du placed his hands back on the rosewood table, his eyes flashing with a cold, blade-like gleam:

"It's nothing more than eight words: Use their own methods to repay them!"

The four giants present narrowed their eyes simultaneously.

Shen Du did not shy away at all from the shady grey areas in capital games, and he laid his words out with extreme straightforwardness:

"Since those families in the Beijing Circle."

"They want to forcibly dismantle our Shanghai defense lines by laundering money through Wall Street and overseas tax havens, while wearing the legal disguise of 'foreign venture capital'.

Then why can't we use the exact same methods to dismantle them in return?"

Shen Du's gaze swept across Wu Tianheng, Zhou Zhenghai, and Zhu Qingshan in turn, his tone laced with powerful incitement:

"When it comes to overseas asset accumulation, reserves of offshore shell companies, and secret channels for cross-border capital operations...

surely you uncles, with your century-long heritage and businesses that have long since reached across the ocean,

wouldn't be afraid of that group from the North, those landlubbers who haven't been in the game for long?"

These words were like a sudden enlightenment, instantly striking a chord with this group of old foxes!

Indeed!

When it comes to manipulating overseas capital and financial leverage, the Shanghai Merchants who made their fortunes on these bustling streets are the true masters of all China!

Since the Beijing Circle dares to "borrow a shell to go south," then we in Shanghai can naturally "take a secret path."

We can all park our funds in overseas pools and engage in a meat-grinder battle that no one will see coming!

But before the three old-money tycoons could even curl their lips into a smile,

Shen Du's tone shifted abruptly, turning heavy and serious:

"But at the very first step of this hedging plan, we face a fatal flaw.

It is also the core reason I asked all you elders to stay here today."

Shen Du didn't hold anything back, frankly laying his cards on the table:

"To be honest, with Jiyuan Technology's current liquid funds, plus the reserve ammunition I hold from Meituan and JD.com in the Yangtze River Delta,

we absolutely cannot withstand the saturation attack from the Beijing Circle's 30-million-dollar vanguard force."

He straightened his back.

Looking down at the four tycoons around the round table, he formally presented his request:

"Facing this level of dimensional-reduction attack, my physical defense lines won't hold for long.

If we want to hurt them and beat them back in the first wave of confrontation, I need massive funding.

A hedging fund just as massive, one capable of instantly establishing firepower superiority!"

Shen Du's gaze was like a hawk, sharply sweeping over the four men lost in thought.

Without giving them much time to weigh the pros and cons, he immediately threw out his second killer move:

"With this hedging fund as a moat, we will no longer be sandbags waiting to be pummeled."

Shen Du tapped the table, drawing everyone's attention back to the big screen:

"Second, and this is the most critical winning move:

Strike first!"

"Uncle Qin was absolutely right just now. The Beijing Circle is throwing huge amounts of money to squeeze Xinghuo.

They are sparing no resources to support the Short Video ecosystems of Douyin and Tencent.

Their core objective is to seize 'public opinion hegemony' in this arena."

A dangerous sneer curled the corners of Shen Du's mouth:

"Since we've already seen through their cards, why should we play to the rhythm they've set?

Why must we wait for them to sharpen their knives and lay their traps before letting them cut our throats?"

The air in the reception hall suddenly turned solemn.

"The business world is like a battlefield; speed is of the essence.

I have no intention of fighting a long-term war of attrition with them."

Shen Du crossed his arms, his entire demeanor exuding the aura of a warlord far beyond his years:

"Before their Short Video ecosystem and public opinion matrix are fully formed,

I will detonate the public opinion nuclear bomb that Xinghuo is holding and launch an unprecedented public opinion blitzkrieg!"

Hearing the phrase "public opinion blitzkrieg,"

even the calculating Wu Tianheng felt a flicker of surprise and shock in his eyes.

In this era where traditional offline brick-and-mortar businesses are king,

these old-money tycoons had never witnessed an attack truly launched by internet giants.

"As long as I have your capital as a backstop,

ensuring that my Xinghuo and Meituan won't collapse from a broken capital chain in the first round of impact..."

Shen Du's murderous intent was undisguised: "I can leverage Xinghuo's current absolute monopoly on traffic in the Yangtze River Delta.

I can pinpoint and expose the dirt on their disguised foreign capital, the trickery in their capital chains,

and even all the shady dealings they hide within their offline brick-and-mortar industries!"

"Then, within twenty-four hours, through countless influencers, internet celebrities, and algorithmic recommendations,

I will push this content directly to the mobile phone screen of every ordinary citizen!"

Shen Du waved his hand sharply in a violent slashing motion:

"Before their main forces have completed their airdrop and established a foothold, we will launch our strangulation strike!

We will let their proud vanguard force instantly drown in a vast ocean of people's war and public outrage.

I will uproot their camp right at the source!"

"But this is only the beginning of breaking the deadlock."

Before the big shots present could recover from the shock of the "public opinion blitzkrieg," Shen Du had already coldly pushed the entire game toward its final endgame simulation.

He used a laser pointer to outline a massive blank area on the holographic screen, his tone becoming graver than ever:

"All you elders are veterans who have fought your way through the business world; you should understand a cruel reality better than I do.

Wars never end with the destruction of the enemy; they end with the re-division of the spoils!"

"Once my public opinion war and capital hedging plan are fully underway,

and we have successfully repelled that 30-million-dollar vanguard,

and even uprooted those 'nails' they secretly buried in the Yangtze River Delta..."

Shen Du looked directly at Wu Tianheng. "It will inevitably create a massive vacuum of interests in the Shanghai market."

"For example, those real estate companies that followed the Beijing Circle in short-selling, only to have their capital chains break.

Who will take over the unfinished projects and land reserves they hold in core locations?

For example, who will reorganize the upstream and downstream supply chains that were squeezed into bankruptcy?"

Shen Du leaned his hands on the table, his eyes filled with undisguised madness and greed:

"In normal times, everyone could bid at their leisure.

But on this meat-grinder battlefield, where it's kill or be killed,

these vacated industries must—and can only—be seamlessly taken over by our own people as quickly as possible!

We absolutely cannot give outsiders any chance to catch their breath or counterattack!"

As a financial tycoon, Zhou Zhenghai instantly grasped the terrifying price behind Shen Du's words.

He drew a sharp breath, his voice slightly strained: "Nephew Shen, if we follow your method of takeover,

the subsequent capital injection required... would be a bottomless pit."

"Exactly, it is a bottomless pit!"

Shen Du admitted this without hesitation, looking at the three old-money heads before him with extreme composure:

"So, uncles, in this business war against the North, I need more than just that first round of hedging ammunition.

I need you to provide a massive flow of capital over the coming period—one that will make your entire families feel the sting.

You must firmly support this full-scale counterattack plan!"

This was essentially asking these three great families to stake their century-long heritage on a gamble with a nineteen-year-old boy!

The air in the reception hall was so oppressive it was hard to breathe.

Yet Shen Du gave them no reason to retreat; he immediately laid out the blueprint for the ultimate strategic victory in this gamble:

"As long as the funding holds up, and as long as we can complete the realignment of the entire Shanghai Merchants camp in the shortest possible time,"

"by then, the Beijing Circle families' plan to annex the South will have already been more than half declared bankrupt!"

"Once we regain the absolute controlling red line, the rules on these bustling streets will once again be set by us!

As for the twenty or thirty percent of leftovers they have left..."

A bloodthirsty sneer curled the corners of Shen Du's mouth:

"that will become prime meat on the Shanghai Merchants' chopping block, ready for you uncles to slowly pick apart, occupy, and strip to the bone!"

As Shen Du's final strategic vision, dripping with ambition and murderous intent, landed,

the top-floor reception hall of Bund 18 fell into a dead silence, so heavy that it was difficult to even breathe.