The more you look into those eyes, the more they resemble a bottomless ocean, with deep blue waves surging within, concealing untold pasts and beliefs.

Xu Zhuohua suddenly felt that Chen Hede in front of her was different from any version of him in her memory. It was as if he had been reborn, or as if he had finally shed his layers of disguise and revealed his truest self.

In a daze, she felt that Chen Hede and Cheng Muyun's relationship had long since transcended that of a normal business partnership.

That unspoken understanding, that unwavering commitment to weathering storms together, was almost as significant as Liang Shaozun's presence by Cheng Muyun's side back then.

Chen Hede said, "No matter what the situation is on Lan Qingyi's side, I will tell everyone as soon as possible. A large part of the people on these lists are just observing and do not pose any threat to us."

Xu Jixin said anxiously, "It will be too late if we wait until they stop observing. In my opinion, we should strike first and take care of Lan Qingyi in one go, then we can rest easy."

Xu Zhuohua shook his head. "No, even if Lan Qingyi is gone, others will come. The fact that Lan Qingyi hasn't declared war directly means that Nanjing is still somewhat wary of the Dongzhou Army. But if we kill Lan Qingyi, Nanjing can come directly to suppress the bandits."

Xu Jixin pondered, "That's right, I almost gave them a reason to launch a full-scale attack. I didn't think it through."

Xu Zhuohua's gaze fell on Cheng Muyun's face, and she asked with a hint of expectation, "You must have some good ideas in mind, right?"

She knew Cheng Muyun too well. He had specially gathered everyone here today, not just to reveal Lan Qingyi's trump card, but because he must have already thought of a countermeasure.

Cheng Muyun took her hand in his, his fingertips gently stroking the back of her hand. A calm smile played on his lips, and his handsome eyes shone with unwavering confidence: "The people Lan Qingyi brought here, to put it bluntly, are mostly just coveting the Dongzhou Army and the Cheng family's assets. They were only afraid of me before, which is why they didn't dare to make any moves. Now, with just a little encouragement from Lan Qingyi, their inherent greed has been fully unleashed."

As Xu Zhuohua continued to think along the lines of his words, her mind gradually cleared.

More than half of the people on the list had never crossed paths with Cheng Muyun, but what Cheng Muyun held in his hands—the military power of the Dongzhou Army, the trade routes on the eastward and southward routes, and the arms factory in cooperation with Germany—wasn't it a treasure trove that everyone coveted?

These people probably didn't have the guts to directly challenge Cheng Muyun's foundation. Their cooperation with Lan Qingyi was mostly just an attempt to get a share of the pie through him, hoping for a mutually beneficial outcome. They might not have had the determination to fight Cheng Muyun to the death.

Thinking of this, Xu Zhuohua's eyes lit up as she looked at Cheng Muyun, like the surface of a lake where stars had fallen. She vaguely guessed his plan.

Sure enough, Cheng Muyun continued, "Instead of letting Lan Qingyi use them to steal my things, it's better for me to personally approach them and discuss cooperation directly. Dealing with me in person is much more reliable than going through Lan Qingyi, isn't it?"

"Brilliant!" Xu Jixin slapped his thigh and stood up excitedly. "This is simply a stroke of genius! It turns the situation from being on the defensive to taking the initiative in an instant. It's brilliant!"

Unlike Xu Jixin's excitement, Chen Hede smiled gently after hearing this, then frowned slightly and pondered, "However, many of these people are people who have always been jealous of you, or who have had disputes with you before and lost. They may not be willing to cooperate with you."

Cheng Muyun looked at Chen Hede, his smile deepening, a smile that went straight to the bottom, making Chen Hede feel inexplicably uneasy.

“You’re right,” Cheng Muyun said slowly. “These people probably wish they could get rid of me, so they won’t cooperate with me easily. Therefore, you need to do something—go undercover.”

Upon hearing this, Chen Hede laughed instead, a knowing glint in his eyes: "I knew I'd play a part in your plan. You want me to feign allegiance, to trick these people into believing I also want to deal with you, to keep them in the dark and let us manipulate them?"

Cheng Muyun raised his chin, a sly glint in his eyes: "That's true."

Chen Hede's smile deepened, tinged with a hint of eager anticipation: "Alright, this is interesting, I'll take it."

Afterwards, the group discussed how to cooperate with those people, and the conversation continued until midnight.

Cheng Muyun was leaning over Xu Jixin, whispering details to him about the map on the table, his fingertips emphasizing key points as he spoke with a tone of caution.

Chen Hede sat quietly to the side and listened for a while. Seeing that their discussion was getting into a good mood, he got up quietly and tiptoed out the door.

Xu Zhuohua followed almost instinctively, her steps extremely light, as if afraid of disturbing the plans inside the house.

Chen Hede walked down the wooden stairs from the second floor. The old wooden planks creaked under his feet, a sound that was particularly clear in the quiet night, like a thin needle piercing the deep stillness around him.

He didn't stop walking; his figure quickly disappeared around the corner of the stairs, until he reached the iron gate of the station.

The door was ajar, letting in a bit of cool moonlight, which cast a long shadow of him.

Just as he was about to step out the door, Chen Hede suddenly stopped, slowly turned around, and his gaze fell precisely on Xu Zhuohua, who was a few steps behind him.

In the darkness of night, his eyes seemed to hold a faint radiance undisturbed by the moonlight, calm as a still pool.

There was no one else in the empty courtyard, only the soft rustling of the wind through the withered grass at the corner of the wall. His voice was so clear that you could hear the subtle resonance, carrying an undeniable firmness: "If you don't stop me, I'm really going to walk out."

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