Severing Ye Chen's Retreat Path

The next day, morning.

The Zhao family mansion.

Ye Chen hadn't closed his eyes all night.

He had called his master seventeen times, but none were answered.

He had sent five text messages, but they all sank like stones in the ocean.

This was not normal.

Although his master was an elder of the Profound Heaven Sect and usually busy with affairs, he would never go over ten hours without replying to his messages.

Unless something had happened.

A faint sense of unease lingered in Ye Chen's heart, but he didn't have time to dwell on it.

Zhao Debiao had been arrested, leaving the Zhao family in a state of disarray.

Su Qingxue's tone was growing increasingly cold.

He had to do something fast to turn the situation around.

Standing by the window, Ye Chen pondered his options repeatedly.

Direct confrontation? He alone couldn't defeat the Shen family's hidden guards.

Business tactics? He barely had any money in his bank account.

Martial deterrence? Zhao Debiao's fate was a cautionary tale.

After thinking it over and over, only one path remained.

Whistleblowing.

The Shen family had been in business for decades. With such a massive scale, it was impossible for them to be completely clean. Tax evasion, regulatory violations, gray-market transactions—a casual investigation would definitely uncover problems.

As long as he could draw in an investigation team from above, the Shen family would have to lay low for a few days, no matter how powerful they were.

By then, he would have time to catch his breath.

Ye Chen took out his phone and found a number.

This number was given to him by his master, who said it belonged to a division director of a certain department in the capital, someone with ties to the Profound Heaven Sect.

His master had told him not to use this number lightly unless he encountered a truly major problem.

Now was a major problem.

Ye Chen dialed.

After two rings, the call connected.

"Who is this?"

The other party's voice was indifferent.

"Hello, I am Ye Chen, a disciple of the Third Elder of the Profound Heaven Sect. My master told me to contact you when I ran into difficulties."

The other end of the line fell silent for a second.

"Oh, Lao Zhang's disciple? Speak, what is it."

Ye Chen's spirits lifted!

There was a chance!

He quickly explained the Shen family's situation, emphasizing that several of the Shen family's properties in Jinling might be involved in regulatory violations and gray transactions.

Of course, he phrased it cleverly, omitting his personal grudge against Shen Fei and reporting them purely in the name of "social justice."

After listening, the division director on the other end was silent for another few seconds.

"The Shen family..."

The director's tone was somewhat subtle.

"Alright, I'll send an investigation team down to take a look. But let me make this clear: if it turns out you're making false accusations, you'll bear the consequences yourself."

"I wouldn't! I have reliable sources of information!"

Ye Chen was brimming with confidence.

During his days at the Zhao family, Zhao Debiao had shown him quite a few internal documents concerning the Jinling business world, which included financial discrepancies of several companies under the Shen family.

Although those discrepancies weren't hard evidence, they were enough to bring an investigation team to their door.

As long as the team arrived, the Shen family's normal operations would be affected.

Even if no major issues were found in the end, just the news of them "being investigated" would be enough to cause panic among the Shen family's business partners.

Give them a taste of their own medicine!

If you, Shen Fei, can use business tactics to ruin the Su family, I, Ye Chen, will use your own methods against you!

Hanging up the phone, Ye Chen let out a long breath.

A cold sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth.

"Shen Fei, did you think you were the only one who knew how to borrow a knife to kill?"

...

Two days later.

Jinling, Shen Group Headquarters.

A black minibus pulled up at the entrance of the building, and seven or eight people in formal suits carrying briefcases stepped out.

The leader was a middle-aged man in his forties with a stern face and sharp eyes.

He walked up to the reception desk and flashed his badge.

"A joint investigation team from the capital. We are here to conduct a special review of three subsidiaries under the Shen Group in accordance with the law. Please cooperate."

The young receptionist's face instantly turned pale.

Ten minutes later, the Shen Group was in an uproar.

"The investigation team is here! They came down from the capital!"

"What's going on? Who reported us?"

"We're doomed, did something major happen?"

The executives were in a panic.

The Chief Financial Officer ran around sweating profusely, making phone calls while flipping through documents.

The Director of the Legal Department, his face ashen, urgently convened a meeting with all the lawyers.

A sense of impending doom permeated the entire building.

After the investigation team moved in, they immediately sealed the financial archives of the three subsidiaries and demanded to retrieve all transaction records from the past three years.

Their actions were swift and professional.

The news soon reached Ye Chen's ears.

Standing by the window of the Zhao family mansion, a smug curve formed on the corner of his lips.

"They're here."

No matter how strong the Shen family was, they couldn't be stronger than the state apparatus.

Once the investigation team moved in, the Shen family's business operations would come to a complete halt. Banks would tighten loans, partners would hesitate and wait, and stock prices would plummet.

A series of chain reactions would be enough to severely cripple the Shen family.

Ye Chen had even started plotting his next move.

When the Shen family was too busy to fend for themselves, he would figure out a way to scrape together some money from the Zhao family to inject into the Su Group.

By then, Su Qingxue would definitely look at him with new respect.

Everything was under control.

At least, that was what Ye Chen thought.

...

Shen Group, top floor, CEO's office.

All the executives were as anxious as ants on a hot pan.

Except for one person who wasn't in a hurry at all.

Shen Fei sat in his boss's chair with his legs crossed, twirling a fountain pen in his hand.

On the system panel in front of him, a line of text was clearly displayed.

[Eye of Fortune Prompt: The Child of Fortune, Ye Chen, has brought in an investigation team through his connections in the capital, targeting three subsidiaries of the Shen Group. Investigation direction: financial violations, gray-market transactions, and tax evasion.]

This prompt had popped up three days ago.

When Ye Chen contacted that division director, Shen Fei already knew.

Not only did he know, but he had also made ample preparations over the past three days.

All financial records that might have discrepancies had been completely cleaned up.

Traces of gray transactions had all been laundered through legal means.

The accounts were flawless; even if the top auditors in the country were brought in, they wouldn't be able to find a single flaw.

The reason Shen Fei didn't stop the investigation team from coming was that he simply didn't need to.

Let them investigate.

Investigate all they want.

The deeper they dug, the better.

Because an investigation team that couldn't find any problems would actually become the Shen family's get-out-of-jail-free card once they left.

"The investigation team from the capital has checked everything, and the Shen family is clean."

Once this phrase spread, who would ever dare question the Shen family again?

Ye Chen thought he was borrowing a knife to kill.

In reality, he was helping Shen Fei clear his name.

Stupid.

Utterly stupid.

Shen Fei put down his pen and picked up the intercom phone on his desk.

"Let the investigation team check whatever they want. Cooperate fully, give them whatever they ask for."

The Legal Director on the other end was taken aback.

"Young Master Shen, let them check whatever they want? What if..."

"There are no 'what ifs'."

Shen Fei's tone was flat.

"I said cooperate fully, do you not understand?"

"Yes, sir!"

Hanging up the phone, Shen Fei leaned back in his chair.

A faint, almost imperceptible smile played on his lips.

Ye Chen's move hadn't harmed the Shen family in the slightest; instead, it had exposed his own network of connections in the capital.

That division director, surnamed Wu.

A figure with real power in a certain department in the capital.

He had ties with the Profound Heaven Sect.

Shen Fei had already investigated this connection thoroughly yesterday.

But he wasn't in a hurry to cut it off.

Because his grandfather's phone call should have arrived today.

Just as he was thinking this, his phone vibrated.

Shen Fei picked it up and took a look.

It was a text message from the old master.

Just two words.

"It's done."

Shen Fei smiled.

...

At the same time.

Mount Kunlun, Xuantian Sect.

Third Elder Zhang Xuanji was in secluded cultivation.

A rapid knocking on the door interrupted him.

"Third Elder! The Sect Leader requests your presence!"

Zhang Xuanji frowned as he walked out of his cultivation room and arrived at the Sect Leader's main hall.

The Sect Leader sat upright in the seat of honor, his expression somewhat displeased.

"Xuanji, did your disciple Ye Chen provoke the Shen family in Jinling?"

Zhang Xuanji's heart skipped a beat.

"Sect Leader, that child Ye Chen was just..."

"You know better than I do what kind of family the Shen family is!"

The Sect Leader slapped the armrest, his voice suddenly turning stern.

"When it comes to giving face to the old master of the Shen family, let alone our Xuantian Sect, even all the sects of Mount Kunlun combined wouldn't dare refuse! Do you have any idea what your good disciple has done?"

"He ordered people to smash the Shen family's properties! He used your connections to report the Shen family! Who does he think he is!"

Zhang Xuanji's face turned pale.

He never expected Ye Chen to cause such a huge disaster down the mountain!

"Sect Leader, I'll contact Ye Chen right now and have him..."

"There's no need to contact him."

The Sect Leader's voice turned cold.

"From today onwards, the Xuantian Sect will draw a clear line regarding Ye Chen's affairs. None of your connections are to be used by him anymore. Anyone who dares to disobey will be expelled from the sect."

"In addition, you need to reflect on yourself. Go into secluded cultivation for three months; you are not allowed to leave the mountain."

Zhang Xuanji's whole body trembled!

Secluded cultivation for three months!

This was equivalent to placing him under house arrest!

He wanted to argue, but seeing the Sect Leader's icy gaze, he swallowed all his words.

The Shen family's influence was simply too great.

So great that the entire Xuantian Sect did not dare to offend them.

Zhang Xuanji remained silent for a long time, eventually squeezing out just two words.

"Yes, Sect Leader."

He turned and walked out of the main hall, his footsteps heavy.

When he reached the door, he paused.

He took out his phone and glanced at the five cries for help sent by Ye Chen.

"Master, your disciple has run into some trouble and urgently needs your help. Please call back."

"Master, the situation is a bit urgent. Please contact me as soon as you see this message."

"Master? Are you in secluded cultivation? Your disciple really needs your help."

"Master, the Shen family in Jinling is targeting me. I need help from our connections in the capital."

"Master, I beg you to return my call..."

From brimming with confidence to anxious pleading, the five text messages formed the complete trajectory of Ye Chen's shifting mindset.

Zhang Xuanji looked at these messages, his eyes turning slightly red.

He wanted to reply.

But he couldn't.

Because once he did, the entire Xuantian Sect would be implicated.

Zhang Xuanji closed his eyes and turned off his phone.

"Ye Chen, you're on your own now."

"Your master can no longer protect you."

...

Three days later.

The investigation team withdrew from the Shen Group.

The conclusion: no solid evidence found, case dismissed.

As soon as the news came out, the Jinling business world was in an uproar.

Even the investigation team sent down from the capital couldn't find any problems. The Shen family's background was cleaner than anyone had imagined!

Those partners who had initially taken a wait-and-see approach due to the investigation team's arrival instantly did a 180-degree turn in their attitudes.

Calls flooded the Shen Group's switchboard.

"Young Master Shen, we still want to continue cooperating on that previous project. Would that be convenient for you?"

"President Shen, we were blind. From now on, whatever you need, just give the order!"

Shen Fei didn't answer a single call.

He had his secretary give a unified reply: Young Master Shen is very busy, please schedule for another day.

The more he refused to see them, the more anxious those people became.

The more anxious they were, the lower they lowered their posture.

This was the game of power.

Shen Fei sat in his office, looking at the latest data on the system panel.

[Investigation team withdrawn, report failed. Child of Destiny Ye Chen's reputation damaged, capital connections severed!]

[Ye Chen's Fortune Value: -500]

[Current Ye Chen Fortune Value: 7788 to 7288]

[Additional Effect: Xuantian Sect's Third Elder confined, Ye Chen loses sect protection. Ye Chen's Fortune Value extra -800!]

[Current Ye Chen Fortune Value: 7288 to 6488]

From 8888 at the beginning of his transmigration, down to 6488 now.

It had already dropped by nearly a third.

And through all this, Ye Chen was still kept in the dark.

He didn't know his master had been confined.

He didn't know the connection to the capital was completely severed.

He still thought the investigation team was causing trouble for the Shen family.

Until he saw the news.

In the Zhao family mansion, Ye Chen stared at the push notification on his phone screen.

"Capital investigation team withdraws from Shen Group, no solid evidence found. Shen Group's stock price rises by 12% in response, market value exceeds 400 billion."

Ye Chen's hands were shaking.

He dialed his master's number.

"The number you have dialed is powered off."

He dialed again.

"The number you have dialed is powered off."

Again!

"The number you have dialed is powered off."

Ye Chen viciously smashed his phone against the wall!

The screen shattered into a spiderweb pattern.

He panted heavily, his chest heaving violently.

Zhao Debiao had been arrested.

His master couldn't be reached.

The report had failed.

Su Qingxue wasn't answering his calls.

Everything he had built up in Jinling was collapsing at a speed he couldn't comprehend.

And there was only one culprit.

Shen Fei!

"Why..."

Ye Chen clenched his fists, his knuckles cracking.

"I am the one chosen by destiny! I have the Medical Immortal's inheritance! I am a once-in-a-century genius of the Xuantian Sect!"

"A playboy who relies on his family, what gives him the right to suppress me time and time again!"

He couldn't figure it out.

He really couldn't figure it out.

But whether he could figure it out or not, reality was just that cruel.

He was now isolated and helpless, without any chips left in his hand.

The only person who still cared about him was Su Qingxue.

As long as Su Qingxue was still around, he hadn't lost.

Ye Chen picked up the smashed phone; although the screen was cracked, it was still usable.

He dialed Su Qingxue's number.

Beep beep beep.

Beep beep beep.

Beep beep beep.

No one answered.

Ye Chen froze in place.

She's not answering?

He called again.

Still no answer.

Ye Chen held his phone, standing in the empty Zhao family mansion.

The sky outside was gloomy, the dark clouds pressing down low.

It looked exactly like his current situation.

What he didn't know was that at this very moment, Su Qingxue was sitting in a car.

Her destination was the rooftop terrace of the Jinling Grand Hotel.

To meet Shen Fei.