091 The Cloud Pavilion Gathering in the North

"Mr. Li, you are in excellent physical condition."

"It’s all thanks to the orphanage; the food was decent enough when I was growing up."

"..."

Faced with Li Jie’s nonsensical mode of answering, the interrogator was silently trying to build a psychological profile. Yet, even while seated, Li Jie showed no defensive posture. He wasn't crossing his arms or hunching over; he looked exactly like someone sitting back for a casual, aimless chat.

All that was missing was a cup of tea and a handful of melon seeds.

Li Jie remained perfectly calm. Without evidence, everything was just hot air. He currently had forty or fifty million in cash, and after a little inflation at the bank and some investments, he was effectively a multi-millionaire.

And what did that mean?

It meant he was the master of his own fate.

Wealth dictates power, my old baby!

The world after his transmigration was entirely different from the one before.

If he were to stand at the gates of the Jianye Municipal Government, he would be considered a gentleman regardless of whether he was wearing clothes or not.

Yang Ying had become the "Flying Naked Man," but did that stop him from being the noble Second Young Master Yang?

Although there was a distinction between "old money" and "new money," as long as Li Jie—under his alias as Boss Li—didn't string the local "old money" from a lamppost, there wouldn't be much of a problem.

With that figured out, the rest was up to fate.

As it stood, he seemed to have quite a bit of chemistry with the Jianye Academy of Arts, the Jianye Municipal Government, and so on.

"What is your opinion of Mr. Yang Ying, Mr. Li?"

"I like his 'Chunjiang Folk Songs.' I enjoy listening to them."

"And what about him as a person? Any comments?"

"His physique management is a bit poor. He could learn a thing or two from me in that regard."

The man smiled, ended the small talk, rose, and extended his arm to shake Li Jie’s hand. "Mr. Li, thank you for your cooperation."

"Is that it? Done already?"

"Done."

Li Jie was equally straightforward, rising to leave. But as he stepped out the door, someone reached out to grab him. Without a moment’s hesitation, Li Jie caught the arm, swung the man around, and slammed him into the room.

*Thud!!*

A burly man was smashed directly onto the table, losing consciousness almost instantly.

"Whew, you almost scared me."

Li Jie shrugged, then added, "Expert Di, tell your people to be more careful. They’re too impulsive. I’m off."

Waving a hand, Li Jie stuck his hands in his pockets and sauntered away.

The lawyer following him was dumbfounded. He was a newly hired legal counsel, an elite from one of Jianye’s big four law firms, well-versed in criminal law.

"Boss Li, what a move."

"Born with divine strength, you see."

Boss Li lapped up the minor flattery, while Di Huaiying, the Deputy Director of the Criminal Investigation Consulting Division of the Ministry of Homeland Security, who had traveled from Chang'an, felt as if he had swallowed a fly.

Many of his usual methods simply didn't work in Jianye, including the "Great Memory Recovery Technique."

By the time the medical staff arrived, the burly man on the table was regaining consciousness. He shook his head, and upon coming to, he bowed his head to Di Huaiying, his face flushed with embarrassment. "Director, I’m sorry."

"It’s fine."

Di Huaiying waved him off, unbothered. He understood the gazes of his Jianye counterparts, but it didn't matter.

As long as it was confirmed that Li Jie was no simple character, that was enough.

Leaving the Jianye Municipal Police Station, Di Huaiying sat in the car and pulled out a digital recorder. "Psychological resilience is rock-solid, physical function is formidable, possesses extremely sharp alertness, but proactively chooses not to use it. Potential danger level: extremely high..."

A moment later, Di Huaiying turned to his two assistants. "Just go through the motions. There's no need to break your teeth on this case. Provoking this man's destructive potential will only add unnecessary risks for us."

"Director, what if the copycat crimes create widespread influence..."

"That is not something ordinary people can imitate."

Di Huaiying shook his head calmly. "As long as order and stability remain, there is no need to waste time."

"But the Yang family is applying pressure from the Guanzhong Special Administrative Region..."

"Then let them apply pressure. After all, don't the wealthy, influential clans have their own resources?"

Without further explanation, Di Huaiying waved his hand. "Do what you can. Do you really intend to risk your lives here in Sanjiang Province? Don't be foolish."

Li Jie had knocked his man unconscious, and the attitude of the Jianye counterparts was crystal clear.

No matter how high his rank was, if the "local snakes" refused to cooperate, it was all for nothing.

Meanwhile, on his way home, Boss Li tagged the Luzhou Police again: "My 'Black Cat Hero' is expected to launch in the latter half of the first lunar month. I'm learning from the officers in Luzhou—everyone should be a good role model for the kids. Fighting crime is a duty! Welcome the Luzhou officers to come and show their support~"

"That was fast! I just logged on and saw Crab-bro assaulting the police online!"

"Not Crab-bro, how are we supposed to use Weibo if you do this? What's the point if things are this clean?"

"Tagging @WangShiyin, Fairy Sister, there’s something good here. Crab-bro says he wants to perform 'Welcoming Spring with a Smile' with you on the Spring Festival Gala!"

"Stop! Are you the one bringing the fairy fans to Crab-bro’s page? I... like it."

"A week of missing the fairy fans."

"Damn it, I just can't stand how calm Crab-bro's comment section is."

"To be honest, the 'Black Cat Hero' is super cool."

"I think you just want to be 'supered' by the 'Black Cat Hero,' you little flirt."

The comment section was lively again, but no matter how many times they tagged the Luzhou police, there was zero reaction.

However, the forums of various police academies were incredibly active.

"Holy crap, 'God Di' went to Jianye. Seems like it's because of the 'Black Cat Hero' copycat in Luzhou."

"Is that real? They sent 'God Di' for this?"

"It's true. The interns at the Jianye Police Academy saw 'God Di,' and Li Jie was there too."

"Who is Li Jie?"

"The Gourd Hero."

"What does that mean? Are they implying Li Jie is the 'Black Cat Hero'?"

"It's not impossible. If 'God Di' shows up, that's basically an explicit hint."

"Then why aren't they arresting him?"

"Arrest him for what? Torture? If there were evidence, they would have done it already."

The buzz was loud in professional circles, but in the lives of the general public, it barely caused a ripple.

Ordinary people were still focused on who the "Black Cat Hero" copycat was; as for "God Di," it was none of their business.

At the construction site of the "Shenyao Entertainment" film city, things were even simpler. Du Yao, the foreman, had been treating the brothers to braised beef for several days straight.

That dog Yang Ying deserved to be beaten to death.

Even if he didn't know if the "Luzhou Black Cat Hero" was Li Jie, Du Yao was sticking with him.

Li Jie’s surname, *Jie*, was the *Jie* for "venting one's anger"!

Awesome!!

After "God Di" failed to handle Boss Li, Yang Ying, the chairman of "Daye Film and Television," threw another tantrum at the Kaihuang Sanatorium in Xuzhou, until his mother mentioned she had reached out to his uncle in the Anbei Frontier Region.

"Your fifth uncle isn't busy with business lately. On New Year's Eve, your cousin will bring people to Jianye."

"Mom, tell Dugu Sheng to bring more men. It would be best to grind that mongrel into paste!"

Clenching his teeth, Yang Ying was in extreme agony. Both his legs were broken; his mental state was unstable, and he frequently woke up from nightmares, muttering that he was a cripple.

Ever since being transferred from Luzhou to Xuzhou, he hadn't had a single good night's sleep.

Li Jie was his absolute "inner demon." He wouldn't feel at peace until the man was dead.

The "Kaihuang Group" and "Daxing Consortium" were useless; they couldn't provide him with a sense of security.

Unless the Yang family's own "armed forces" were deployed to surround and annihilate Li Jie in Jianye, the current family prestige couldn't calm him down.

But the head of the Yang family would never do such a thing.

While local clans had their own "private armies," they didn't exist officially. They operated under the guise of security firms, mining guards, or simply as regular employees.

For Yang Renshou, the chairman of "Kaihuang Group" and the current head of the Yang family, a son was just a son. And Yang Ying wasn't even the eldest. Even if he died, it was just one son lost.

He had plenty of sons.

If there was any real loss, it was the tarnishing of the Yang family’s reputation.

After investigating Li Jie’s "innate orphan physique," Yang Renshou had no desire to escalate the conflict. A settlement would suffice.

If Li Jie came out and said a few polite words, the matter would pass.

As for Yang Ying, that son was better suited for the arts.

Yang Renshou hadn't expected his wife to be so doting that she’d lose her mind and go begging to her maiden family for help.

At the end of the year, construction sites across the country generally shut down. The "Yunzhong Group"’s main business in the Anbei Frontier Region was mineral development and real estate.

"Sheng'le Real Estate" was one of their subsidiaries, and its business director, Dugu Sheng, was Yang Ying’s cousin—the eldest son of the fifth uncle, Dugu Wucheng.

The "Yunzhong Group" had massive influence across the Anbei Frontier Region. Its predecessor was the pre-war "Yunzhong Society," and its contemporary leader was Yang Ying’s maternal grandfather, Dugu Ruyuan. At its peak, the group was known as "The Banner of Anbei, Thirty Thousand Yunzhong Men."

After the post-war crackdown on organized crime, the "Yunzhong Society" went underground, operating as the "Yunzhong Group," a legitimate company.

However, internationally, it was still considered a "violent gang" and remained active in Central Asia and the Japanese-American occupation zones.

"Cousin, is it really as exaggerated as you say? An orphan from an orphanage—no matter how well he fights, how many can he take? Don't worry, Cousin. We’ll handle it quickly. A few dozen blades will finish him off."

"I'm not joking! No matter how well you fight, can you fight better than Han Zitong?!"

"Wait, what did Uncle Han say? Should I talk to him first?"

"Call Han Zitong and listen to what he says... No, wait."

Yang Ying suddenly stopped Dugu Sheng. "Sheng, don't call Han Zitong. If he finds out, he'll definitely notify the old man. Just bring more people—as many as you can."

"Don't worry, Cousin!"

Upon hearing this, Dugu Sheng was instantly excited.

He had seen plenty of experts. No matter how good they were, could they take on a hundred or a thousand?

They’d cut him down.

If blades didn't work, there were guns. If guns didn't work, there were grenades. There was always something that would do the trick.

This time, Dugu Sheng hand-picked his men from the "Yunzhong Society"—several hundred people who weren't planning to celebrate the New Year.

They had no choice; his cousin was offering a "bounty" of twelve million.

If they succeeded, the brothers who struck the first blow would get an additional 2.5 million in red envelopes.

With a hundred men, that was still over a hundred thousand per person. Why wouldn't they do it?

Just do it!

No one in the North China underworld knew about this; it was an internal benefit for the "Yunzhong Society."

But Li Jie knew about it in advance.

This time, it wasn't through his mysterious uncle's connections. It was Liu Yi, the owner of "Shence Apparel." He had a buddy in the "Yunzhong Society," a younger brother he used to run with who was now over forty and wanted one last big score before retiring.

With three or four million in cash, his family would be set.

For various reasons, he had dropped a hint to Liu Yi, the big brother who used to look after him, especially since the "Shence · Frost" series currently selling out was advertised by Li Jie.

The "Yunzhong Society" had plenty of goons wearing the same gear, and since Li Jie’s ads featured motorcycle elements, and the "Yunzhong Group" was in the Anbei Frontier, where motorcycles were everywhere—grasslands, deserts, wastelands, mines—it was a perfect fit.

Wearing sunglasses and a trench coat while riding a motorcycle—you couldn't look cooler.

"Boss Liu, thanks. I’ll come find you in Bohai for barbecue after the New Year."

"Deal, brother. Take care of yourself. The 'Yunzhong Society' doesn't have the best reputation in Anbei. Safety first, money second. You need your life to spend the cash."

"Got it, I'll be careful. Thanks, Brother Liu."

"Just give me a discount on the endorsement fee next year."

"Hahahaha..."

Li Jie burst into laughter. This Boss Liu was a decent guy.

Quite interesting.