Chapter Thirty-Four: True Colors Revealed

Qian Zhen sat on the sofa, his head tilted back as he gazed at the ceiling. He knew only one person could help him now, so he opened JuChat and sent a message to that old friend he had never met, explaining that he was facing a major crisis and needed help.

He waited—how long, he couldn’t tell—before a reply came through: “Contact me tomorrow at three in the afternoon. JuChat video.”

Staring at the message, Qian Zhen lapsed into deep thought once more. He had first come to know this mysterious figure right after dealing with Zhu Qiyu. Back then, he and his brother had just taken control of the company. Though they had completely inherited Zhu Qiyu’s network, the brothers’ ambitions went far beyond maintaining the status quo. To achieve a breakthrough, change was necessary.

It was then that the mysterious figure appeared, making contact via JuChat. Not only did he bring Qian Zhen a large sum of capital, but he also pointed the brothers toward a bright path: internet finance.

From there, Qian Zhen and Qian Gui rapidly expanded the company through P2P wealth management and online high-interest loans, giving rise to today’s Qian Group.

Yet this enigmatic benefactor had never shown his face. All contact was through JuChat, and all funds moved online. His investments in the Qian brothers’ enterprise left no trace on the company’s books.

Qian Zhen had always been deeply curious about his identity, trying repeatedly to arrange a meeting, but was refused each time. This time was no different—the mysterious man had no intention of meeting. Qian Zhen could not understand why someone would invest such a vast sum in a stranger like him without a shred of concern that he might simply abscond with the money. He longed to meet this powerful old friend, but perhaps, he realized, he never would.

At three o’clock the next afternoon, Qian Zhen started the JuChat video call on time. After the other party accepted, his screen was filled with blackness.

Qian Zhen spoke first. “Professor Song, I’ve remitted the quarterly funds to the account you specified as agreed. The amount is correct, isn’t it?”

Professor Song replied, “No problem. I doubt you contacted me urgently just to talk about money. What’s happened? Speak plainly.”

Qian Zhen explained, “It’s hard to say exactly. It feels like, overnight, all my debt collection companies simply vanished. For now, things are still running, but if this isn’t resolved, I’m afraid disaster will strike soon.”

Professor Song said, “You mean there could be a butterfly effect?”

Qian Zhen nodded and continued, “Much of the company’s lending is high-risk. With those collection agencies in place, there’s no problem, but now that link is broken. If there’s a large-scale delay in repayments, it’ll be impossible to handle.”

Professor Song asked, “You’re not being watched, are you? You and your brother have followed my legal avoidance advice, haven’t you?”

Qian Zhen nodded. “Of course. My brother studied finance, so he understands these basics. The company only handles legitimate lending. All high-interest loans are managed through nine separate companies—legally, there’s no issue.”

Professor Song asked again, “Then how could your collection companies disappear into thin air?”

Qian Zhen shook his head. “I don’t know. I still haven’t figured out why. Something just feels off, but I can’t say what it is.”

He knew his explanation must sound baffling to the other party, but this was the truth. The companies shared no connections, so a mass escape with funds seemed unlikely—especially since they only profited by working with the finance companies. He couldn’t think of a reason for their disappearance. If the police had arrested them, the nine finance companies should also have been affected, yet they were untouched. That made no sense.

At that moment, Professor Song asked, “Has anything unusual happened to you recently? Think carefully.”

Qian Zhen lowered his head and thought for a long while before slowly raising it. “There was one incident, but it wasn’t serious, and it’s already been handled.”

Professor Song pressed, “What happened?”

Qian Zhen replied, “One of my collection companies under Shiheng Finance was investigated—the whole operation was shut down. But I’ve smoothed things over. Shiheng has fled, and those who were investigating have left Tanghua.”

Professor Song asked, “Are you sure Shiheng didn’t betray you? Do you know who those investigators were?”

Qian Zhen smiled. “Even if Shiheng wanted to betray me, he couldn’t. He doesn’t know me. At most, he could expose the lending companies he worked with, but not me. And those companies wouldn’t sell me out either—I’m their golden goose. Compared to having no money, prison is probably less of a torment.”

He paused and continued, “As for the investigators, I recall they were police from Mingzhou. The lead was someone named Hai Feng—the young officer who turned Mingcheng upside down.”

The other party’s tone grew noticeably more serious. “Are you sure it was Hai Feng from Mingzhou?”

Qian Zhen nodded. “Absolutely. Director Xu from the Tangping precinct is my man. He told me himself—it was Mingzhou’s Hai Feng investigating Shiheng. Internally, they call him ‘the Policeman Who Gives Ghosts Nightmares.’ But here in Tanghua, he’s like a drowned rat—Director Xu brushed him off with ease. They didn’t catch Shiheng, ended up empty-handed, and left Tanghua in frustration.”

Professor Song asked, “Are you certain Hai Feng really left Tanghua? Can you still reach Shiheng?”

Qian Zhen said, “I’m sure he’s gone—he left with the Shiheng Finance team. As for Shiheng, I don’t have his contact info. Wait, I’ll make a call and see if someone else can reach him.”

He made a call. After a while, someone called back. Qian Zhen’s face clouded as he relayed, “They said they can’t get hold of Shiheng. Maybe he cut off contact himself, afraid of being caught.”

A cold voice sounded, “Or perhaps he’s already been arrested.”

Qian Zhen shook his head. “Impossible. Shiheng fled long ago, thanks to Director Xu’s help. There’s no reason he’d be caught.”

Professor Song pressed, “Are you that sure? Can your Director Xu find Shiheng now?”

Qian Zhen replied, “I’m certain Shiheng wasn’t arrested—he left Tanghua that same night, and reported in safe the next day. As for Director Xu, he’s away on a business trip and can’t be reached. We’ll have to wait for his return.”

Now, even Qian Zhen felt uneasy. Shiheng was unreachable, Xu Dong was out of touch, and right at this critical juncture, all his collection companies had vanished. To think all this was mere coincidence and just a stroke of bad luck was something even he couldn’t believe. Yet, if these events were linked, he couldn’t see how. Facing Professor Song’s doubts, he could only feign confidence.

The other party said, “If it really is Hai Feng from Mingzhou, you’d best be careful. I doubt he’d leave so easily. What do you want me to help you with this time?”

Qian Zhen answered quickly, “The banks are suddenly tightening up on loans, and I’m having cashflow problems. I was hoping you could help.”

But the other party replied, “There’s no need to rush repaying the banks. If the banks are tightening up, once you pay them back, it’ll be hard to borrow again. Your priority is the core business. If you don’t solve that, the company can’t survive. In that case, you’d be better off taking the money and running than repaying the bank.”

Qian Zhen hurried to say, “But if I don’t repay and the accounts get frozen, the consequences will be even worse.”

The reply was firm. “Which is why you need to address the business issue right away. Didn’t you mention a client in Annan? How are those negotiations going?”

Qian Zhen replied, “We’re almost there. I sent someone to Annan two days ago to finalize the partnership. Once that’s settled, cash flow won’t be a problem.”

The other party said, “Good. Don’t worry about repaying the banks for now. Focus on closing that deal. As for the missing collection companies, just find replacements—no need to panic. But if you do need to run, I can help you get the money out quickly.”

Qian Zhen realized Professor Song wouldn’t solve his liquidity crisis, but thinking it over, he saw the logic. If he could solve the business problem, he wouldn’t have to fear the banks. If he couldn’t, then he might as well run with the money rather than pay it back. But for now, how to resolve the business issue?

After pondering, Qian Zhen seemed to make up his mind. He said to Professor Song, “I understand. I’ll focus on the business. Please prepare the money-laundering channel for me in advance, just in case.”

Professor Song sent over a link and said, “Install this app on your phone. I’ll have the channel ready so you can transfer funds anytime you need.”

Qian Zhen nodded. “Understood. Thank you, Professor Song.”

As soon as Qian Zhen spoke, the video call ended.

He had hoped Professor Song could help, but the results of their conversation were disappointing. Still, he knew he had no better options. For now, securing the partnership and stabilizing the situation came first. The rest could be tackled later. Picking up his phone, he dialed a number.

“Brother Qian, what’s up?” came the voice on the other end.

“Zhang Yue, where are you now?”

“Just as you instructed, I’m in Annan negotiating with Director Chai. Why?”

“Keep negotiating. When you return, come straight to my house.”

“Understood!” came the reply.

Replacing the receiver, Qian Zhen muttered to himself, “Looks like I’ll have to handle this myself.” With that, he picked up a glass of liquor from the table, raised his head, and drained it in one go.