It seemed the local powers-that-be had long known that He Yining had arrived and were waiting for him in advance.
Shen Qi shot He Yining a meaningful glance. Brother Mo probably hadn’t just come to say hello, had he?
He Yining merely smiled faintly without offering any explanation, leading his people inside as they followed along.
Shen Qi looked around. The place was bristling with surveillance cameras and security, clearly turning this mountain into an iron fortress.
Once everyone had slowly entered the building, they headed downward. Obviously, the entire mountain had been hollowed out from within.
After Shen Qi followed them down three levels, another round of even stricter searches began.
Once the search was over, someone whispered something into He Yining’s ear.
The smile on He Yining’s face instantly vanished, and he nodded with an inscrutable expression.
Wen Yibo and Fan Sheng Fan Li, after completing their checks, were led to a different location.
He Yining turned to Shen Qi and Liu Yi and said, “You two go with Yibo and the others first. I need to handle something.”
Shen Qi looked at He Yining with a hint of worry. He Yining reached out and ruffled the top of her head. “Don’t worry, it’s just some business I need to check on.”
Only then did Shen Qi nod. “Alright.”
He Yining quickly left with the other party, and Shen Qi withdrew her gaze, turning to follow Liu Yi.
“I always feel like your husband is so mysterious,” Liu Yi sighed. “But I guess it makes sense. I only just found out who your husband really is! I never thought I’d end up friends with the wife of a world-class big shot.”
Shen Qi let out a soft laugh, her eyes sparkling. “Then should I be glad I’ve become good friends with a future boxing champion?”
Liu Yi’s face lit up. “I like that comparison!”
Shen Qi glanced back once more in the direction He Yining had gone. Though she didn’t show it on the surface, unease still lingered in her heart.
If she had never truly understood He Yining, she wouldn’t be this worried. But precisely because He Yining hadn’t kept most things from her, Shen Qi knew that the He Corporation wasn’t as simple as it appeared on the surface—it was deeply intertwined with various forces.
For one, everything on the He family’s island had already overturned any notion of what a normal company’s operations should be.
After all, what company buys an island to conduct scientific experiments?
And more importantly, how could the state allow land to be privatized?
So He Yining must still have secrets he hadn’t told her. And those secrets were probably the He family’s biggest trump cards.
By not telling her, he might also be protecting her.
After all, she was still too green, too naive.
Shen Qi’s guesses were pretty much on the mark.
After He Yining left with that person, he took the elevator down for a long time, finally stopping at the very bottom floor.
As soon as He Yining appeared, the Minister of Commerce greeted him with a smile, shaking his hand firmly. “President He, thank you for making the trip.”
He Yining’s phoenix eyes crinkled with amusement. “Not at all. It’s my honor to contribute what little I can for the country.”
“Come, let me introduce you. This is the head of a certain classified department.” The Minister of Commerce smiled, gesturing to a completely unremarkable middle-aged man. “From today on, the two of you will be handling this matter directly.”
He Yining shook hands politely with the man.
“The crops President He cultivated have played a decisive role in Sino-African exchanges. On behalf of the entire nation, I salute you.” The classified department head gripped He Yining’s hand firmly. “If every Chinese person were as patriotic as you, our true rise would be just around the corner.”
He Yining smiled lightly. “It’s only right. You called me here so urgently—what instructions do you have?”
“This matter is indeed a bit tricky. Didn’t you visit an ancient tomb a while back?” The classified department head sighed. “It would be inconvenient for us to intervene directly, so we have to trouble you, President He.”
He Yining frowned slightly. “What happened?”
After the underground palace collapsed and Ella and the others were rescued, He Yining and his group had left quickly, unaware of what happened afterward.
The other party nodded. “A batch of cultural relics has surfaced from there, and some have already been smuggled overseas. If it’s convenient, could you help recover them? Of course, we’ll provide partial funding.”
He Yining nodded. “If it were just recovering relics, I doubt you’d be this urgent. Is there something else?”
“Yes. We’ve heard that several foreign groups are secretly planning a second expedition into the underground palace. I hope you can covertly intervene in this matter.” The man said solemnly. “This is of great importance. Please prioritize the nation’s interests, Mr. He.”
“I understand.” He Yining nodded. “I’ll do my best.”
Their conversation was brief. As soon as it ended, someone immediately escorted He Yining out.
Back on the third floor, an old acquaintance was waiting at the door.
Seeing Shen Wu leaning against the wall, He Yining smiled. “My brother-in-law personally seeing me off—what an honor!”
Shen Wu laughed and walked shoulder to shoulder with He Yining, lowering his voice. “This base can’t be used anymore. After you leave, there’ll be a large-scale crackdown here. Of course, the excuse is already set—illegal gambling, underground boxing, that sort of thing. The minister asked me to tell you: the Feng family’s position in H Province is crucial. As long as you don’t destroy them too badly, the higher-ups won’t interfere.”
“Is this an olive branch they’re extending to me?” He Yining looked at Shen Wu with a half-smile.
Shen Wu gave a helpless grin. “How did I end up with such a shameless brother-in-law? Well, you could put it that way. Also, about that place where I was secretly investigating last time—the higher-ups have approved it. The territory is yours. How’s that for sincerity?”
He Yining finally broke into a cheerful smile.
“I’m just a businessman,” He Yining said lightly. “As long as I get enough profit, I’m happy to keep cooperating.”
“Shrewd businessman,” Shen Wu couldn’t help muttering.
“Xiao Qi is upstairs. Want to say hello to her?” He Yining asked.
“No. I came here secretly with the minister, and I still have a mission. Remember to treat my sister well!” Shen Wu reminded him. “Also, don’t rush too much about the tomb matter. Those people won’t move that fast.”
“Understood.” He Yining nodded. “Coincidentally, I want to check it out too. That day, even though I saw that mysterious man through a high-powered telescope, computer screen, and camera, I can’t shake this feeling of familiarity. I’ve been thinking about going to see him in person.”
Shen Qi had always watched matches through videos before. She had no other channels, so videos were her only option.
That included her favorite sport—racing.
Her knowledge of boxing was limited to snippets from online videos.
But now that Shen Qi was standing here, facing the match in person, she realized how electrifying the live atmosphere was.
The group sat in a small, wine-glass-shaped private booth. Shen Qi and Liu Yi took the front seats, while Wen Yibo and the Fan brothers sat behind.
The match had already started, but He Yining hadn’t returned yet. Shen Qi kept glancing outside, but all she could see were dark masses of people.
The lights dimmed, and Shen Qi couldn’t make out anything.
Liu Yi excitedly said to Shen Qi, “Xiao Qi, Xiao Qi! Look!”
Shen Qi’s attention was pulled back by Liu Yi, and her gaze landed on the central stage, where two boxers in red and black shorts had already entered the ring.
As soon as they appeared, the betting odds for each fighter flashed on the big screen.
Shen Qi noticed that everyone around them had a phone in hand, placing bets on their preferred fighters.
Liu Yi shoved a phone into Shen Qi’s hand, grinning. “I used to be the one in the ring, with people betting on me. Now I can just sit back and bet easily. This game is thrilling. Sometimes the fighter you favor might lose, and an underdog could be the dark horse.”
Shen Qi had no interest in playing this game at all. Seeing how excited everyone else was, she could only say, “I don’t have much money. I’d better not risk it.”
As soon as Shen Qi finished speaking, He Yining’s low voice came from beside her. “It’s fine. If you want to play, go ahead. I can afford to let you have some fun.”
He Yining sat down gently beside Shen Qi, picked up the betting device from her hand, and said softly, “Who do you favor?”
Seeing He Yining back, Shen Qi relaxed and shook her head. “I really don’t understand this.”
“Our booth is on credit. You can bet as much as you want.” He Yining casually glanced at the match on stage, where the two fighters had already started throwing punches. He tapped a finger, selected a fighter, and placed a million-yuan bet on him.
“This boxer has potential,” He Yining said lightly. “Though men’s boxing is a bit different from women’s, watching more matches is still beneficial.”
Liu Yi nodded vigorously. “I think so too.”
Wen Yibo, sitting behind, patted He Yining on the shoulder.
He Yining turned and nodded at Wen Yibo, who, along with the Fan brothers, immediately understood his intent.
Without another word, the three of them pulled out their phones and started sending messages.
The cards here were about to be reshuffled.
Sneaking in during the chaos was a businessman’s favorite move.
The local powers were about to be uprooted, so bottom-fishing was inevitable.
On the surface, the four men were just watching the match, but behind the scenes, they were mobilizing their forces, ready to swallow up the remaining scraps here.
Shen Qi and Liu Yi were on edge.
Liu Yi was nervous for her favorite boxer; Shen Qi was nervous about the million-yuan bet.
On the stage, the fight was fierce.
In a regulated match, there were rules about where you couldn’t hit.