"Please, the master is waiting for you inside."
The steward walked to the castle gate, opened the door, and let Ning Fei in.
This was Ning Fei's first time in this place, and everything here was new to him. Especially the ancient wall lamps and oil paintings inside the gate, which sparked a hint of curiosity in Ning Fei's heart.
What did that person look like?
He had only heard of this person from his father before and had never actually met them.
Walking through the main gate, a dining table seven or eight meters long was placed in the center. At the head of this rectangular dining table sat a handsome young man. This young man did not look a day over 35, and Ning Fei thought he should be around the same age.
However—
Why did he feel like he had seen this person somewhere before?
Ning Fei quickly dismissed these thoughts and said to the young man, "Hello, I am Ning Fei, and I am the son of Ning Pin Guo. My father asked me to visit you before he was imprisoned. I've been busy and delayed until now, so I apologize for not coming sooner."
The young man looked up at Ning Fei, not offering him a seat.
Instead, he teased, "I don't think you were busy, were you? You probably felt there was no need to ask for my help, is that right?"
Ning Fei felt as if he had been seen through, causing him to break into a cold sweat and feel immense pressure.
"Sir, I..." Ning Fei wanted to explain.
The young man waved his hand, a gentle smile on his face, whether out of mockery or politeness, he said with a faint smile, "No need to explain in front of me. Explanations are just a cover-up."
"Uh..."
Ning Fei was speechless.
"Sit down, don't be nervous. Your father isn't as nervous as you are," the young man laughed.
"My name is Fang Mingchao. I acquired foreign citizenship many years ago. My current public identity is the Greater China President of the multinational investment bank, Danshui Capital."
Ning Fei stared at Fang Mingchao in shock.
No wonder he found the face so familiar. He was a business magnate. He had met Fang Mingchao at several business forums, but at the time, he had no idea that Fang Mingchao was the Ning family's backer.
For so many years, Fang Mingchao had been controlling and supporting the Ning family in various ways.
He could guess with his toes that Fang Mingchao must have possessed damning evidence.
"If you hadn't come soon, I might have come to your house to find you myself," Fang Mingchao's words made Ning Fei tremble. If that day had come, his life might not have been spared.
Ning Fei quickly apologized to Fang Mingchao and promised that he would not do so again.
Fang Mingchao was satisfied with Ning Fei's attitude, but still felt he was a bit defiant. He smiled and said, "Let's eat first. After dinner, I'll take you around the castle, and all your problems will be answered."
Ning Fei hesitated to speak.
Seeing Fang Mingchao eating intently, he closed his mouth.
There was no conversation between them during the meal, which made Ning Fei feel even more suppressed.
Fang Mingchao was very inscrutable, making him impossible to fathom.
After the meal, Fang Mingchao called the steward and asked him to give Ning Fei a tour of the castle.
Half an hour passed.
Ning Fei returned to the first floor, completely in shock, looking at Fang Mingchao with fear in his eyes.
This castle was a "Women's Kingdom." It had hundreds of spacious rooms, each with a distinct style, from antique to exotic. It had everything one could imagine!
Ning Fei couldn't imagine it all!
What shocked Ning Fei even more were the women living there.
These women seemed willing to be controlled by Fang Mingchao and become tools for him to weave his network of connections. Among them were popular actresses, and one was even Ning Fei's dream girl. He had once tried to pursue that actress, only to be ruthlessly rejected.
Who would have thought she was one of the women in this kingdom?
Of course.
These actresses only stayed in the castle during designated times. They were free to come and go, unlike others who were imprisoned there.
No wonder this villa was not listed on any map application. It was for this reason.
Ning Fei looked at Fang Mingchao again, his eyes full of reverence!
How many people had this non-publicly accessible castle served? How much profit had it brought to Fang Mingchao? Without a doubt, it must be a terrifying astronomical figure.
Danshui Capital's influence in the country over the years relied on this network of connections.
"Mr. Fang, you truly have remarkable methods!" Ning Fei sighed.
Fang Mingchao said lightly, "It's not much of a method, just relying on some background."
He also had another unknown identity—
A key member of the Black Blood Group!
"Now do you believe in my strength? From now on, you just need to focus on your own business. Chen Jin Chao won't be able to do anything to you for a while," Fang Mingchao said confidently.
Ning Fei nodded repeatedly, extremely obedient.
Fang Mingchao smiled, "Interested in staying overnight here?"
How could Ning Fei refuse?
Considering he needed to win over people after Chu Zixiong's death, he had to decline Fang Mingchao's kind offer. Fang Mingchao did not insist. As Ning Fei was leaving, he gave him a task: to probe Wen Fu Lai's experimental progress.
If an opportunity arose, Fang Mingchao intended to make a move.
Ning Fei didn't know why Fang Mingchao was so interested in Xu Nian Qing and Wen Fu Lai's experiment. Due to his status, he didn't ask further. After a few flattering words, he hurried away from the villa.
After leaving the villa, Ning Fei sat in his car for a while, slowly digesting what had happened that night.
At this moment.
A black car arrived at the villa's entrance and drove inside under Ning Fei's gaze. Through the half-open car window, Ning Fei saw a face full of defiance.
"Why is it him?" Ning Fei's mouth went dry.
If he wasn't mistaken, the person who had just driven into the villa was Su Hao, the second son of Su Cang Hai, a member of the Su family!
Even Su Hao had such deep ties with Fang Mingchao, which showed how terrifying Fang Mingchao's network of connections was.
Ning Fei's mind instantly cleared. After the shock, he chuckled, "When the cart reaches the mountain, there will be a way. When the boat reaches the bridge, it will naturally be straight. The ancients never deceived me! Chen Jin Chao, you think colluding with Qian De Shui makes you qualified to contend with me?"
"Mere Qian De Shui is nothing special."
After a burst of laughter, his mood became light and cheerful, and he drove away from Fang Mingchao's villa.
Inside the villa.
The defiant Su Hao was warmly welcomed by Fang Mingchao. Su Hao had been quite depressed these past few days. His younger brother was almost killed by Chen Jin Chao! When had the dignified Su family ever suffered such humiliation?
"Damn commoners! If not for my great-grandfather, would we have this peace today? These commoners dare to resist the Su family. I see they no longer have any reverence for the Su family in their eyes!"
"And that Chen Jin Chao!"
"Damn it!"
Su Hao complained incessantly as soon as he entered.
Fang Mingchao smiled and advised Su Hao to relax before discussing business. Su Hao grinned and said, "That's right. I'm here to relax today. By the way, there was a car at the gate when I entered the villa. Is that a problem?"
"No problem, that's Ning Fei from Jiangnan Real Estate," Fang Mingchao replied.
Su Hao hummed, vaguely remembering.
To Su Hao, Ning Fei was just a slightly larger ant, and he wouldn't dare to reveal what happened tonight.
Fang Mingchao handed Su Hao a menu-like booklet. Each page of the book represented a woman, with her accurate data and personality, like ordering from a menu.
Su Hao flipped through a few pages and ordered three.
After flipping through a few more pages, Su Hao let out a slight exclamation, "Mr. Fang, why did you tear this page?"
Fang Mingchao leaned in to look. If he remembered correctly, the woman on that page was Zhuang Xiaoyue. However, he had a special feeling for Zhuang Xiaoyue and decided to tear out the page after careful consideration.
"It's nothing, just a very ordinary girl. She probably wouldn't catch young master Su's eye."