The death of Lei Ye sent ripples of shock through the entire Shengmen. The eight-zero electronic book group found themselves leaderless. As they recalled the true patriarch of Shengmen, Hong Ye, they had barely managed to invite him to take the helm when news arrived—Hong Ye had passed away, slain by Lei Ye himself. Whether or not they believed the police's account, Hong Ye's death was now a settled fact. While they were at a loss, the police stepped in and launched a sharp crackdown. Police forces across the region coordinated seamlessly, striking Shengmen unexpectedly, and many were taken into custody without even knowing what was happening, handcuffed and escorted to the local police stations. Behind the scenes, it was Major He Muqing who orchestrated the entire operation. Lu Man had played a crucial role in this matter—without her intelligence, the regional police would have found it difficult to locate the established strongholds of the Shengmen leaders. Of course, many fish were caught—police launched a large-scale manhunt, and as a result, the people from Shengmen became fugitives, retreating into their homes and refusing to show themselves. As she reviewed the performance reports compiled by various police departments, Romane's brow grew increasingly furrowed. He Muqing didn't understand why she was showing such a serious expression—just a moment ago, she had been cheerful. So she asked, "What's wrong? Is there something amiss?" The elegant manager set down her materials and said, "Apart from intentional exaggerations and boasts, on the surface, it seems as though Shengmen has been completely wiped out. Even those who managed to escape are merely minor figures. But I believe the situation is far from simple." Her superior also furrowed her brow, adding, "Please be more specific." "Actually, it's the ones who escaped who are the true pillars of the organization," Romane analyzed. "It doesn't make sense that the biggest fish—those most deserving of capture—were all apprehended, while the smaller ones, the minor players, managed to slip away. This goes against general expectations." I have a feeling that the so-called decisive defeat of Shengmen might have only touched the surface—far from a complete breakdown of its core structures. Shengmen has quietly cultivated its influence for several decades, with its reach now spanning numerous industries and sectors. Yet, in this latest operation, all the individuals apprehended were those with underworld backgrounds—merchants, officials, military and police officers—none of the others. Strictly speaking, this campaign qualifies as a successful "anti-corruption drive," and in fact, one of the most effective. To attribute it to any other name would no longer be accurate. "You're suggesting that the local police were deceived?" Hu Muqing furrowed her brows, utterly surprised by this outcome. How could Shengmen's members have been so astute, managing such a timely and effective response even when their leadership was in disarray? Qin Feng, seated beside her, interjected, "I believe it wasn't merely a matter of being deceived. If anyone hadn't deliberately watered down the efforts, I simply wouldn't believe it." "The leadership has already guessed the most serious outcome—that either there's a deep-cover officer within the police force, or that the police have accepted bribes from Shengmen members and deliberately let them off the hook. To fulfill their superiors' assigned tasks, they've targeted Shengmen members with strong underworld backgrounds, thus completing the task, making a good report to higher-ups, and preserving Shengmen's core strength. As a result, the deceived superiors will perceive Shengmen as completely crippled, shifting their focus to other areas, while the surviving members can then gradually rebuild their influence and power." "Jing, get fresh reports from each local police bureau," she said, her voice rising with frustration. "These people are absolutely outrageous—I'm not even going to pretend anymore." Qin Feng shook his head. "It's useless. You know better than we do about the bureaucratic dynamics in the People's Republic—the constant policy adjustments from top to bottom. Do you really think one person can break such ingrained habits?" He Muqing simply shook her head. As the saying goes, "It takes three feet of ice to freeze over—not overnight." Such a situation isn't something that just two or three people can achieve, nor can it be resolved within just one or two years. There have certainly been upright individuals—remember when a Premier launched a serious campaign against corrupt officials? What happened? The corrupt officials remained as carefree as ever. That Premier only served one term before being forced out, nearly losing his reputation in the end. Therefore, even if He Muqing applies pressure to these bureau directors, the final outcome won't differ much from what's happening now. Qin Feng raised his thumb in approval. Though He Muqing had repeatedly set traps for him and even defeated him time and again, she remained a principled person who never bowed to evil forces—something truly admirable. Given her status and background, she could easily have ignored all these琐碎 matters, settled comfortably in her current position, and waited for her father's word to secure a promotion and a prosperous career. Any further negotiations would have been pointless. Qin, the young lord, gave a glance to Shu Yajing and stood up, saying, "I'll just head out now. Feel free to call me anytime—I'm always available." Shu, the dedicated officer, also found a reason of her own: "Sir, relatives have come to visit at home, and I need to go back and host them. I'll be leaving too." He Muqing remained expressionless, merely waved her hand as both of them departed. Lu Man, too, intended to leave, but was held back. A few minutes later, she stood by the window, watching the couple of dogs embracing as they appeared at the foot of the building, biting her lips and saying, "Indeed, they've ended up together. I've always wondered why Xiao Jing has been consistently standing by Qin Feng these days, going out of her way to praise him." Luo Man shrugged, saying, "It's no surprise. Qin Feng is talented and well-off, and he's known as 'Feng Mo' in the industry. A girl like Shu Yajing, who's always admired heroes since childhood, simply has no resistance when it comes to him." He Muqing felt her headache intensifying. The hard-won alliance she'd built with Shu Jinghua was now completely dissolved with her own downfall. Previously, they had united to face Qin Feng together; now, it was the other two who had united to challenge her alone—how could she possibly lead this team? Just as she was utterly frustrated, her eyes suddenly fell upon Luo Man. Luo Man felt a sudden chill. The look in He Muqing's eyes at that moment reminded him so much of a particular person he had always disliked. To her credit, she chuckled and rubbed her hands together. "Manman, would you be interested in joining my team? Though you've already stepped out of the birth gate, you still carry a somewhat tarnished history—there's no guarantee that someone won't seize upon that little flaw and use it against you in the future. As long as you join the Special Operations Team, your status will be fully refreshed. Take Qin Feng, for instance—he's now a captain in the Internal Security Force. Who even remembers that he used to be Fengmo?" It must be said that this condition holds considerable appeal for Luoman.