CHAPTER 89: CHAPTER 90 – FOREIGN HANDS, FAMILIAR SHADOWS

Even in silence, cities speak.

And in the days following Lin Feng’s counter-leak, Jincheng was whispering his name.

The media didn’t name Zixuan. Neither did Lin.

But a man like Zixuan didn’t need to be named to feel the fire.

Because reputations aren’t destroyed by accusations.

They crack from within—when doubt becomes direction.

Lin Feng didn’t celebrate.

Instead, he opened a private channel with his internal financial intelligence team—silent, deeply embedded analysts who monitored investment flows like blood in arteries.

Their latest report flashed onto the encrypted interface:

—ALERT FLAG—

Incoming capital detected via layered shell entities linked to offshore funds registered in Singapore and Estonia.

Target sector: Municipal Smart Infrastructure Tender

Proxy bidders: Three medium-tier tech startups formed within last 45 days

Controlling interest: 42% overlap with Nantai-associated funds

Analyst Note: "Zixuan may be preparing to seize partial control of Jincheng’s future smart-grid backbone via foreign fronts."

It was no longer just about smearing reputations.

Zixuan was laying infrastructure traps.

And if one of those tech firms won a government contract to manage the city’s next-generation utility backbone—energy, transit, security sensors—they wouldn’t just have data.

They’d have control.

Lin Feng leaned back in his chair, tension knotting at the base of his neck.

This wasn’t the kind of battle he could fight alone.

He needed reach.

And that meant involving people who had power—without ambition.

He reached for his phone.

By noon, he was seated across from Madam Zhao Meixuan, one of the city’s most respected elder stateswomen—retired from government, but with deep influence in public infrastructure policy.

They met in a quiet garden courtyard, where the sound of bamboo rustling was the only backdrop to their conversation.

"Your grandfather would have been proud," she said after their greetings. "But he’d also tell you to tread carefully. You’ve stirred the ground."

"I didn’t stir it," Lin replied. "I just exposed the creatures already crawling beneath it."

She arched an eyebrow. "Then I assume you came with evidence."

Lin slid a packet across the table—printed, not digital.

Inside:

Ownership chains of the bidding firms

Transaction timings that aligned suspiciously with media flare-ups

And a flagged alert on a particular Estonian fund with known ties to a sovereign entity with a history of corporate espionage

Zhao flipped through the folder, page by page.

"These documents alone won’t block the contracts," she said plainly.

"I don’t need them blocked yet," Lin replied. "I just need the public aware. The shadows only win when they’re allowed to operate quietly."

She closed the folder.

"I’ll make a few calls."

Meanwhile, Zixuan Xuanzhi’s inner circle convened in the lower conference chamber at Nantai Holdings.

The air was tense, clipped.

One of his advisors—a younger woman with sleek hair and a sharp expression—tapped her pen against a single sheet.

"This data is old. He has more," she said.

"He’s aiming for regulation," another murmured. "If he activates the Public Integrity Watchdog, we’ll have to disclose everything—backers included."

Zixuan was calm, too calm.

He stood by the edge of the room, staring at a slowly rotating 3D schematic of the smart-grid map on a digital display.

"We let him win the mirror game," he said flatly. "So now we change mirrors."

He turned toward the group.

"We go local. Quietly elevate a rival bidder. We pull resources from the foreign shell and push them through a domestic proxy."

"But the timing—"

"Doesn’t matter," Zixuan said. "We’re not here to win tenders. We’re here to create the illusion of alternatives. Enough noise to dilute his signal."

He pointed to a corner of the map.

"Divert attention here. Subdistrict Three. Small enough to seem insignificant. Big enough to anchor momentum."

The strategy was clear: distract, divide, delay.

Back at Celica HQ, Lin was already steps ahead.

He called a closed strategy meeting with Bingqing, Yuyan, and Guo Yuwei

—no assistants, no advisors.

Just core.

"I’ve confirmed Zixuan’s trying to insert foreign-controlled firms into the city’s tech structure," he said plainly. "And he’s prepared to create smokescreens using smaller rival bids."

Bingqing’s brows lifted. "So we’re chasing ghosts again?"

"No," Lin said. "This time we force them into daylight."

He laid out a new plan:

Expose the Estonian fund link, but frame it around national digital sovereignty, not personal accusations.

Partner with a reputable mid-scale domestic firm to announce an independent audit of the bidding process.

Launch a city-wide open discussion forum where engineers and citizens could debate and dissect public infrastructure bids in real time.

"It’s slow," Yuyan said. "But clean."

"And visible," Guo Yuwei added. "We’ll appear principled. He’ll look evasive."

Lin nodded.

"And if we time it right, we’ll force the municipal board to delay awarding the contract—until we’ve drowned the field in sunlight."

That evening, Lin received a message from Ruoxi:

"FYI: One of the startup proxies Zixuan’s backing just attempted to buy early PR clout via a ghostwritten tech op-ed. I’ve intercepted it."

Attached was a draft of an article titled:

"Why Smaller Firms Deserve Bigger Stakes in Our Smart Future"

It was subtle.

But the phrasing, tone, and timing screamed Zixuan.

Lin replied with a single line:

"Thanks. We’ll answer publicly—through code."

The next morning, a new civic data visualizer went live—built by a volunteer coalition of young developers Lin quietly supported.

It showed real-time maps of Jincheng, overlaying proposed infrastructure projects, their bidders, and financial transparency scores based on publicly available data.

It wasn’t defamatory.

It was informative.

And devastating.

Because Zixuan’s proxies lit up red.

Within hours, a major tech forum picked it up.

Then a civic oversight blogger.

Then a university think tank.

By afternoon, the city council had called for a special review of all smart-grid bids.

Zixuan’s phone rang.

It was his legal counsel.

"We just received an official letter requesting voluntary disclosure of all partner investments for SmartGrid Line 3."

He didn’t answer.

Because outside his window, a billboard played a live infographic from the new civic visualizer—showing his proxy firms flashing warning signs in bright, unignorable data.

The mirror had shattered.

Again.

At Celica HQ, Lin stared at the screen quietly as the visualizer traffic climbed.

Bingqing walked in, phone in hand.

"We’ve just been invited to a tech ethics symposium next week," she said. "They want you to speak."

Lin looked up. "Me?"

"You. And me. They want joint commentary. Female leadership, digital transparency, and citizen engagement."

Lin smiled slightly.

"Ironic."

"No," Bingqing said. "Earned."

She paused.

"Also, my dad sent me a message. Said he’s proud of me. First time in five years."

Lin raised his eyebrows.

"You sure that wasn’t for one of your fashion spreads?"

She threw a balled napkin at him.

They both laughed.

And for a moment, the weight in the room lifted.

But only for a moment.

Because Lin’s private line buzzed—an encrypted signal from a trusted internal source.

[Priority Alert]

Surveillance log flagged irregular activity.

One of Lin Feng’s trusted circle appears to be under monitored financial pressure.

Suspected attempt at manipulation or blackmail.

Subject: Guo Yuwei

Lin’s expression shifted.

Quiet. Focused. Cold.

Because foreign capital wasn’t the only thing trying to infiltrate his world.

Now they were targeting his people.