Late August 2019. A small gang of local toughs — possibly connected to Wang Hao — had been sniffing around the outer industrial zone asking about "the rich young man buying up land."
Chen Hao's patrol team caught two of them trying to cut through the outer fence with bolt cutters at 3 a.m.
Interrogation in the factory wing basement.
The men — mid-20s, tattooed, arrogant at first — broke quickly under controlled pressure (no permanent damage, just fear).
"Wang Hao sent us. Said the rich kid owes him money. Said his ex-girlfriend's family got a fortune and cut him out."
Li Wei watched the feed from the command center.
He gave the order quietly: "Print their faces. Send anonymous tip to local police about illegal firearm possession — plant one of our clean throwaways on them later."
The two were released at dawn, bruised and terrified, with a final message:
"Tell Wang Hao if he comes closer, he disappears."
The next week Wang Hao vanished from Beijing. Rumors said he fled south after receiving a package containing photos of himself sleeping — taken from outside his window at 4 a.m.
PI confirmed: Wang Hao left the city. No forwarding address.
Li Na's KTV shifts increased. Mother's condition worsened — oxygen now required at home, paid for by Li Na's tips.
Li Wei added the new photos to the folder.
The system chimed softly.
[Ding! Minor threat neutralized indirectly. Bonus reward: +1% permanent cashback rate. New base: 106×]
Small, but compounding.
Every victory, no matter how minor, made the future brighter.