Chapter 335: Reluctant to Leave

At the South Jiang Railway Station, Zhou Ming, Du Peng, and Kong Xiaolin boarded the train heading to Linyang. After settling their luggage, the train slowly departed from the platform. Watching the scenery recede, Du Peng remarked, "I can't believe we're leaving South Jiang like this. It's so frustrating!"

Compared to Du Peng, Kong Xiaolin, being a woman, appeared even more downcast. Her once bright eyes were now dim, and there were even traces of tears.

Zhou Ming's mood was similarly troubled. The reason for their departure was entirely due to the machinations of Tan Qianjun, making it the first time since his rebirth that Zhou Ming felt such a deep sense of frustration.

Zhou Ming sat on the lower bunk, gazing out the window, his thoughts drifting back to a few days earlier. That was the third day after the South Jiang Nightclub was shut down by the South Jiang City Public Security Bureau. Zhou Ming, Du Peng, and Kong Xiaolin had invited all the nightclub's employees for a meal at the East Gate Hotel. This was to both bring everyone together and personally deliver the promised wages.

Though this gesture seemed unnecessary, it was actually a form of human investment—an intangible and immediate return on investment that might prove valuable in the future. Just as the wealthy overseas Chinese from Port City took care of everyone's feelings, this was a similar form of human investment.

The meal for the nightclub employees was uneventful until Zhou Ming and Du Peng, the nightclub's main stakeholders, had to leave abruptly due to another pressing matter.

The South Jiang Nightclub was part of Jinpeng Industrial Co., Ltd., a company owned by Zhou Ming and Du Peng. Zhou Ming, being a pragmatist, had taken the company public. The issue arose here.

While Zhou Ming and Du Peng were dining at the East Gate Hotel, the Securities Regulatory Commission suddenly ordered all stock trading for Jinpeng Co. to be halted, citing illegal activities and stock price manipulation.

The stock exchange was not yet established, so the South Jiang Securities Company was fulfilling its role. The Securities Regulatory Commission was set up after the last stock market crash, directly under the State Council, with no conflicts between central and local authorities. The commission had received a tip-off and acted accordingly.

Upon receiving the news, Zhou Ming and Du Peng rushed to the securities company, only to find a team from the Securities Regulatory Commission waiting at the entrance. As Zhou Ming and Du Peng arrived, the inspectors approached them and said, "We suspect you are involved in the Jinpeng Co. stock manipulation case. Please come with us."

Du Peng, already irate, exploded, shouting at the inspector, "What the hell are you doing? How dare you come and arrest us? You should know that Du Peng here is furious and could wipe you out in no time!"

On the other hand, Zhou Ming remained calm: "If I remember correctly, the Securities Regulatory Commission does not have arrest authority. You would need to coordinate with the police or disciplinary committee."

Hearing this, Du Peng became even more enraged and spat in the inspector's face, "Do you hear that? You don't have arrest authority? Then what are you doing here? Get out of the way! This person next to me is the only civilian honored with the Red Star Medal, and even the concept for your commission came from him. In terms of creation, he is your father! Are you really going to arrest your own father? How unfilial can you be?"

The inspector was visibly shaken but understood the gravity of Zhou Ming and Du Peng's positions, so he dared not act recklessly.

Despite the inspector's hesitance, the situation did not resolve. Inside the securities company, Zhou Ming and Du Peng encountered two very familiar faces: Tan Qianjun and Jiang Chunhua.

"So it's you two behind this!" Du Peng fumed.

Tan Qianjun and Jiang Chunhua were indeed seated there. Tan Qianjun coldly remarked, "Du Peng, you're getting bolder by the day. You don't even address me as 'brother' anymore?"

Du Peng spat on the ground, refusing to speak. With his grandfather now the president, Du Peng's status in the capital had risen, but he still found it difficult to surpass Tan Qianjun, who had established a strong position in Yanjing over the years.

Tan Qianjun had now sealed their nightclub and reported them for stock manipulation, leaving Du Peng and Zhou Ming helpless.

Tan Qianjun's style was not to bully juniors. Seeing that Du Peng had lost his temper, he turned his attention to Zhou Ming: "Advisor Zhou, you should focus on your business. Why resort to such underhanded methods? Do you really expect not to face misfortune?"

This provoked Du Peng again, but before he could speak, Zhou Ming said, "Thank you for your advice, Tan. I suppose I should improve. What areas do you think I need to work on?"

This unexpected response took everyone by surprise, including Tan Qianjun, Jiang Chunhua, and Securities Company Deputy General Manager Luo Han. They were astonished by Zhou Ming's reaction.

Zhou Ming had always been known for his aggressive approach, tackling challenges head-on. His previous encounters, including with Tao Guoling and Xing Yuan, had all seen him confront difficulties directly.

Tan Qianjun had orchestrated many schemes against Zhou Ming, and hearing about Zhou Ming's actions against Tao Guoling, Tan Qianjun had been ecstatic, almost envisioning Zhou Ming being executed.

Now, Zhou Ming's response seemed to suggest surrender, which confused Tan Qianjun. Was this a facade?

Tan Qianjun, struggling with his feelings, said, "Advisor Zhou, you are indeed smart, and your business acumen seems almost innate…"

Realizing he was praising Zhou Ming, Tan Qianjun quickly corrected himself: "But you're too impatient. Look at your ventures in South Jiang and Linyang—from the nightclub to the stock market to rural industrial parks and highways. You want to run before you've learned to walk. Every project you undertake is riddled with flaws."

Zhou Ming responded, "Is that so? What do you suggest I do?"

"Just get out of South Jiang and go back to Linyang. Maybe you'll save yourself from total ruin!" Tan Qianjun shouted.

"Alright, Tan. I'll buy a ticket and leave South Jiang in a few days. Is that acceptable?" Zhou Ming replied.

Tan Qianjun was taken aback. He had expected Zhou Ming to react angrily, but instead, he had accepted the terms.

What was going on? Was this really Zhou Ming?

Tan Qianjun wondered, but this was more about his own lack of insight. If he were as perceptive as the chief designer Yang Lao or President Du Zhongyuan, he would have sensed the resilience behind Zhou Ming's facade.

Despite Tan Qianjun's limitations, his intuition told him something was off about Zhou Ming's response. He felt like telling Zhou Ming to "fight until dawn" or provoke him with a belly dance, but he quickly dismissed such thoughts.

As Tan Qianjun pondered these questions, Zhou Ming had already left the securities company, halting all business at Jinpeng Co., and retrieving as much of the external funds as possible. He prepared all accounts, ready to surrender, but handed them to the South Jiang Securities Regulatory Bureau, not the commission from the State Council.

With official matters settled, Zhou Ming turned to personal concerns. After the previous incident with Tao Guoling and Kong Xiaolin, he needed to ensure her safety.

Zhou Ming decided to ask Cao Jianing to look after his women. Cao's family had dominated Lingnan for decades, and Cao Jianing held a higher status than Tan Qianjun, making him a reliable protector.

Though Zhou Ming initially planned to entrust both Tang Ran and Kong Xiaolin to Cao Jianing, Kong Xiaolin insisted on leaving with him, even if it meant working as a waitress in Linyang. Zhou Ming relented and took her along.