198: 198. Press down with a large hand

Meanwhile, Young Master Zhao was in a luxurious villa, savoring red wine with a look of smug satisfaction.

He had already leveraged his family's influence in Jiangcheng and its surroundings, launching a series of coordinated attacks.

Several department heads closely associated with the Zhao family had promised to conduct 'routine inspections' and 'supervision for standardization' at Tingfeng Capital and Tingfeng Energy, ensuring they would be overwhelmed and have no peace, even if no major issues were found.

However, the chaotic scene he had envisioned for Tingfeng Energy did not materialize.

At a certain tax branch in Jiangcheng, Wang Fugui had just hung up the phone with Young Master Zhao's confidant, a trace of excitement and flattery still on his face from completing a 'special mission'.

He cleared his throat and, with a spirited wave of his hand, addressed several subordinates in the office who had already prepared their documents and were ready to depart:

"Stay sharp, everyone! This is a key target assigned from above: Tingfeng Energy! Everyone, open your eyes wide; scrutinize every single detail of their accounts, cost accounting, input deductions, especially the additional deduction for R&D expenses! We must ensure strict compliance and help the company develop healthily, understand?"

The subordinates, understanding implicitly, responded in unison: "Understood, boss!"

They were well aware of the intensity and scope of such 'routine inspections'.

Just as Wang Fugui, with his belly protruding, was about to personally lead the team and put on a show of an 'imperial envoy', his private phone on his desk suddenly rang.

The caller ID displayed a number he absolutely dared not ignore.

The top boss!

Wang Fugui's heart sank. Why would he call at this moment? An ominous premonition instantly enveloped him.

He quickly waved for his subordinates to wait, took a deep breath, plastered on his most respectful smile, and pressed the answer button:

"Boss, what are your instruct..."

Before he could finish, an unprecedentedly stern roar came from the receiver, so loud that even the subordinates nearby, with ears perked, could vaguely hear it:

"Wang Fugui! Are you out of your damn mind?! Who told you to touch Tingfeng Energy?! Immediately! Right now! Call back everyone you sent out! Not a single one is allowed to go! Do you hear me?!"

Wang Fugui was so dazed by the scolding that cold sweat instantly poured down his back. He covered the receiver and argued in a low voice: "Boss, this... this is Young Master Zhao's side..."

"Zhao my ass!"

The other party rudely interrupted him, his voice slightly distorted by agitation: "I'm telling you, Wang Fugui! Tingfeng Energy is now a registered entity! It's a key protected enterprise at the national strategic level! The top brass has spoken directly! Anyone who dares to trip them up at this time is undermining national strategy! Do you still want your job?! Huh?!"

"National strategy?!"

Wang Fugui's legs went weak, and he nearly collapsed onto the floor, his face ashen, his lips trembling. "I... I understand! I'll pull them back immediately! Immediately!"

After hanging up the phone, Wang Fugui looked as if he had just been pulled out of water, drenched in cold sweat.

He looked at his bewildered subordinates, waved his hand weakly, his voice trembling with the relief of a narrow escape: "Withdraw... Everyone withdraw... The inspection is canceled... No, it's postponed indefinitely! Quick! Call those who have already left, tell them to return to the office immediately! Don't say a word to anyone who asks! Hurry!"

The office instantly erupted in chaos.

Not only was this department warned, but several other departments simultaneously went quiet, and the atmosphere became incredibly eerie.

On the other side, several media outlets under the Zhao family had already meticulously prepared negative articles targeting Tingfeng Energy, ready for a major campaign.

At the editorial department of "Financial All-Eyes," 8 PM, in the editor-in-chief's office.

Amidst a haze of smoke, Editor-in-Chief Wang Rui and several trusted editors were excitedly proofreading the final draft of "Tingfeng Energy: Solid-State Myth or Capital Scam?" on their computer screens.

This was an order personally issued by Young Master Zhao; it had to be completed well.

"Make the title sharper! Bold the words 'scam'!" Wang Rui, cigarette in mouth, tapped his finger hard on the desk. "Is the content okay? Have the data been processed?"

The chief reporter said with a fawning smile: "Don't worry, Editor Wang, the doubts from several anonymous industry insiders have been included, and the data comparisons have also been processed, ensuring it looks well-founded and can spark endless speculation. As soon as midnight passes, it will be pushed across the entire network!"

Just then, Wang Rui's phone on his desk vibrated violently, and the name flashing on the screen made his heart sink—it was the municipal official department in charge of their area of business!

He quickly waved away the smoke, cleared his throat, and answered the phone in a respectful tone: "Leader, you're still working so late? Any instructions..."

Before he could finish, an extremely stern voice came from the other end of the line, speaking at an astonishing speed: "Wang Rui! Are you preparing to publish an article about Tingfeng Energy?!"

Wang Rui's heart sank, but he forced himself to remain calm: "Ah... yes, leader. We've received some reader feedback and industry doubts, and we feel it's necessary to conduct some investigative reporting to fulfill our media oversight responsibilities..."

"Oversight responsibilities my ass!"

The leader swore directly: "Are you looking to die? All negative reports about Tingfeng Energy, no matter what form they take—web pages, newspapers, app pushes—take them all down! Not a single picture, not a single word is allowed to remain! Understand?"

Wang Rui was stunned by the barrage of reprimands and instinctively tried to struggle: "Leader, this... we've verified this article for a long time, and it's about to be published. Suddenly retracting it, what about our readers, our advertisers...?"

"Verified my ass! You know in your heart whether you verified it or took money to do a job!"

The other party exposed him mercilessly, his tone icy cold, "I'm warning you, this water is ten thousand times deeper than you imagine! This is not something you can touch, nor is it something the Zhao family's money can settle! This is a direct death order from above! If you dare to delay for even one second, tomorrow it won't just be a matter of retracting the article. Do you still want to run 'Financial All-Eyes'?! You weigh the consequences yourself!"

"Above... death order..."

When Wang Rui heard these words, he almost peed his pants.

Having been in the media circle for decades, he understood perfectly what a "direct death order from above" meant—it was absolutely heaven-shaking!

"Yes, yes, yes! Leader! I understand! I'll do it immediately! I guarantee not a single word will leak out!" Wang Rui's voice was trembling as he repeatedly assured the person on the phone.

After hanging up, he stumbled and scrambled to push open the office door, roaring: "Retract! Quick! All articles about Tingfeng Energy, take them all down! Immediately delete anything that's already typeset! Quick! Hurry!"

The editorial department exploded. Keyboards and mice clattered, and everyone sensed the seriousness of the situation from the editor-in-chief's frantic reaction, scrambling to execute the order, terrified that a moment's delay would bring disaster.

That night, multiple media outlets that had been sharpening their knives were forcibly restrained by an invisible giant hand at the last minute, silently turning their efforts to naught.

Well-informed insiders quickly caught an unusual scent, secretly clicking their tongues: The background of this Tingfeng Energy is too terrifying! The Zhao family, this time, has probably kicked a titanium alloy steel plate!