“What’s wrong with your chest?”

Amid his busy schedule, Qin Guoguang casually glanced over and noticed the bloodstain on Qin Cheng’s shirt. His brows furrowed slightly.

Qin Cheng smoothed down his coat, fully concealing the mark. Calmly, he replied, “Bumped into a table. Coughed up a bit of blood. Nothing serious.”

“Didn’t your mom tell you to rest in the hospital? How’d you get out?”

Qin Guoguang suddenly recalled—Qin Cheng should’ve still been recovering from serious injuries. Yet the boy’s unnervingly composed aura had momentarily erased the memory.

A flicker of guilt stirred inside him. Lately, he’d been so swamped he didn’t even know when his own son was discharged.

*Guess I need to take a break soon…*

“My health’s fine,” Qin Cheng said, shaking his head. He had no patience for pointless questions. “I came to ask about something.”

Qin Guoguang narrowed his eyes slightly, leaning back in his chair. “What is it?”

“That guy Yu Zhe… Mom mentioned he has connections. I want to know who’s backing him.”

This was Qin Cheng’s first move. He knew Yu Zhe had backing—but not whose. For someone who demanded full clarity on every detail, this was non-negotiable.

Qin Guoguang studied him in silence, slowly lighting a cigarette and bringing it to his lips. A trace of uncertainty flickered in his shrewd eyes.

“If you’re thinking of sending someone to kill that kid after he’s out—don’t.”

“I have no such intention,” Qin Cheng replied evenly. “Know your enemy and know yourself—you win every battle. If I don’t even know my opponent’s background, what am I but useless?” He waved away the drifting smoke.

*This kid… He really has changed…*

Qin Guoguang’s lingering doubts vanished.

He paused, stubbed out the cigarette, and said slowly, “Amber Apricot Group. Roughly on par with our Azure Cloud Group.”

“They’re a titan in domestic finance, with countless subsidiaries. Within the group stands a senior elder—Xuan Mu, one of the founders. The boy you mentioned has some connection to him.”

As he spoke the name, Qin Guoguang’s expression tightened visibly. Even he found the group… tricky.

On the surface, Azure Cloud and Amber Apricot seemed evenly matched.

But insiders knew the truth: Azure Cloud was slightly weaker—about a 40-60 split.

Recently, though, Azure Cloud forged a marriage alliance with the influential Si Family. This partnership would finally bring them level with Amber Apricot.

“‘Some connection’?”

Qin Cheng zeroed in on the phrase.

“Yes. Vague, though,” Qin Guoguang continued. “Rumor says Elder Xuan shows Yu Zhe unusual favor. Some whisper he might be his illegitimate son. But no one can truly read Elder Xuan’s mind.”

This was recent gossip—accessible only to someone of Qin Guoguang’s standing.

Word was, the Xuan family had already stirred up trouble over it.

“I see… Understood.” Qin Cheng nodded thoughtfully, lifting his gaze. “There’s something I’d like to ask of you.”

Qin Guoguang’s brows twitched. He felt a slight sting—Qin Cheng hadn’t called him “Father,” just “you.”

But… rebellious phase. He let it go.

“What is it?”

“Disrupt his business ventures. Light pressure—just enough to make him feel the pinch and grasp the seriousness.”

“Still hung up on that girl? Lusting after her?”

“Yep. Honest man—I deserve praise!”

“…And after that?”

“I’ll go meet the young masters of the Xuan family at Amber Apricot Group. Like you once said—time to network with outstanding people, right?”