Siheyuan came through and sent Jia Zhang to prison

He Feng smiled faintly, his fingertips tapping lightly on the smooth tabletop, making a rhythmic sound. His tone was unhurried: "I just did what I was supposed to do, stepping forward to prove the fairness of this competition. As for your subsequent entanglements, they have nothing to do with me."

Jiang Hu rubbed his hands together, a warm smile plastered on his face, but his eyes flickered slightly. "That's true, but you've really helped me a lot, so it's only right that I treat you to a meal to express my gratitude. Please don't refuse." He leaned forward, adopting an extremely humble posture, as if afraid the other party would refuse.

He Feng shook his head, his tone still calm, revealing little emotion: "Forget it, this is ultimately a dispute between you two. I'm just an observer, there's no need for me to get involved. I appreciate your kind intentions."

Jiang Hu's heart skipped a beat, and a fine layer of cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead. He hadn't wanted to get involved in these complicated matters, but the thought of Zhang Jie's sinister gaze and the potential threat to his family—if he didn't do as Zhang Jie wished to win over He Feng, or even use the opportunity to eliminate him, his family might actually be harmed by Zhang Jie, and the consequences would be unimaginable—made him take a deep breath, suppressing his panic. He took another half step forward, his tone deliberately earnest: "Director He, we've known each other for a while now, so we're friends, right? I really don't have any other intentions; I just want to invite you for a casual meal, have a chat, and reconnect. Please do me this favor."

He Feng noticed the complex emotions that flashed across Jiang Hu's eyes—anxiety, fear, and a hint of barely concealed struggle—and he already guessed what was going on. Jiang Hu's attitude was too persistent; it didn't seem like a simple thank you, but rather like he was carrying out some kind of mission. He hesitated for a moment, then smiled: "Alright, since you put it that way, it would be too formal for me to refuse. You decide the time and place."

Jiang Hu was taken aback by He Feng's quick agreement. He paused for a moment before realizing what was happening, and his smile became even more genuine. He quickly said, "Then let's set it for tonight, at the Peace Hotel, at six o'clock. See you there!"

He Feng nodded in agreement: "Okay, see you then." He appeared calm on the surface, but inwardly he sneered—he wanted to see what tricks Zhang Jie, the man behind Jiang Hu, was up to.

Jiang Hu felt as if he had been granted a pardon and hurriedly took his leave, his steps quick as if something was chasing him. He Feng watched his departing figure, his gaze gradually darkening, and the tapping of his fingers stopped: "Interesting. It seems he's planning to use dinner as an excuse to have someone deal with me. This hasty approach is quite like Zhang Jie's style."

He turned and walked straight towards Zhao Lei's lounge. Zhao Lei was dozing off in his chair when he heard the familiar footsteps and was startled awake. He quickly stood up, his posture ramrod straight: "Director, you wanted to see me?"

He Feng sat down on the sofa and recounted in detail how Jiang Hu had invited him to dinner. At the end, his eyes sharpened, and his tone became resolute: "Remember, proceed according to the plan I set tonight. Set up surveillance at the Peace Hotel in advance, and arrange for more people to hide in the surrounding area. Act according to the situation, and don't let anything go wrong. Do you understand?"

Zhao Lei nodded emphatically, a sharp glint in his eyes: "Don't worry, Director, I'll arrange the manpower right away. I guarantee it will be foolproof, and we'll make sure they walk right into our trap."

Meanwhile, Ma Xin happened to be passing by in the corridor and saw He Feng and Jiang Hu talking from afar. Seeing Jiang Hu's strange expression and his close proximity, she felt a little suspicious. After Jiang Hu left, she hesitated for a moment, then went straight to He Feng's office and knocked on the door: "He Feng, are you free? I have something to talk to you about."

He Feng nodded, tapping his fingertips lightly twice on the smooth desk surface, producing a crisp "tap-tap" sound. He initially thought there had been new progress in the smuggling case he had been monitoring for a long time, and looked up at Ma Xin as she approached, his eyes filled with inquiry: "What's wrong? Is there any news from Jiang Hu's side?"

Ma Xin took two steps forward, her brows furrowed, her tone revealing obvious worry: "I just saw Jiang Hu at the gatehouse downstairs. He was sneaking around your office, and even asked the security guard if you were there. Have you forgotten? He still has a criminal record. That tax evasion case isn't closed yet; he's just out on bail. How can you be seeing him privately at a time like this? If someone sees you, it'll be hard to explain, and you might get into trouble."

He Feng smiled upon hearing this, picked up the enamel teacup on the table, took a sip, and the warm steam softened his sharp eyes, making them appear gentler. "You mean Director Jiang? He did call me just now, saying he wanted to discuss something in person, and he sounded quite urgent. What, have you found any new leads? Otherwise, you wouldn't have specifically come to remind me."

Ma Xin was momentarily speechless. She had only caught a glimpse of Jiang Hu from afar and hadn't figured out the specifics yet, so she couldn't just make wild guesses and draw conclusions. She paused for a moment and could only vaguely say, "Nothing special, I just think he's a shady guy and I'm just reminding you. After all, Jiang Hu is cunning and doesn't keep his hands clean, so you have to be careful when dealing with him and not get caught up in his schemes."

"I understand." He Feng waved his hand, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. "When he gets here, I want to see what he's up to. If he dares to play tricks on me, or accidentally drags Zhang Jie into this, I'll take him down on the spot, so he won't be able to cause trouble outside and think about some crooked schemes that will make people uneasy."

Ma Xin nodded, saying nothing more—she knew He Feng was well-informed and always handled cases with meticulous care, never fighting unprepared battles; any further words from her would be superfluous. "Then I'll get back to work. There are still a few old files to organize in the archives; they're the records of the theft case from ten years ago that you requested." With that, she turned and quickly left the office, as she had a lot of work to do and couldn't afford to delay.

He Feng watched Ma Xin's figure disappear through the doorway, the door closing gently to shut out the outside noise. The smile on his lips faded slightly, and his eyes regained their composure. He knew in his heart that Ma Xin was worried about him; this quiet concern warmed his heart. But right now, the most important thing was to seize Jiang Hu's lead and, following the clues, completely expose Zhang Jie's gang. Every extra day Zhang Jie stayed outside could lead to more trouble, perhaps even destroying evidence or transferring stolen goods. He had to close the net quickly and prevent them from stirring up any more trouble. He picked up his teacup, his gaze falling on the old locust tree outside the window. The leaves swayed gently in the wind, much like the undercurrents of the situation. He quietly waited for Jiang Hu to arrive—this long-brewing drama was about to begin.