Reborn in 72, I hunt to support my family and spoil my younger sister rotten.

Li Xiangyang sat alone in his office, his fingers tapping lightly on the desk.

Zhang Jianguo thought he had the upper hand, but he overlooked a crucial issue: Li Xiangyang had built up his network of connections over the years, and it was no joke.

In the afternoon, Zhang Xiaowei rushed into the office.

"Mr. Li, something's happened!" Zhang Xiaowei's face turned pale. "The tax bureau people are here, saying they're going to conduct a special inspection of us!"

Li Xiangyang's eyes narrowed; Zhang Jianguo's actions were faster than he had imagined.

"What's the panic?" Li Xiangyang stood up and straightened his clothes. "Our accounts are crystal clear, what's there to be afraid of?"

As he spoke, he walked straight to the conference room, where three uniformed staff members were already seated.

"Thank you for your hard work, leaders." Li Xiangyang said with a perfectly timed smile. "I'm Li Xiangyang. Please let me know if you need any assistance."

The middle-aged man at the head of the group glanced at him: "Mr. Li, we received a report alleging that your company has some tax-related issues, which we need to verify."

"A report?" Li Xiangyang feigned surprise. "Could you tell me what kind of problem it is?"

"It mainly involves the use of invoices and tax payment," the middle-aged man said.

Li Xiangyang nodded: "No problem, our CFO will be here soon, and all the ledgers and vouchers can be provided for your review."

For the next two hours, the tax officials carefully reviewed all the factory's financial documents. Li Xiangyang stayed by their side the whole time, explaining specific details from time to time.

Finally, the middle-aged man in the lead closed the last ledger.

"Mr. Li, based on the current inspection, your tax procedures are generally in compliance with regulations, and no obvious problems have been found."

Li Xiangyang breathed a sigh of relief, but remained outwardly calm: "That's good. We've always strictly followed the regulations and dared not be careless in the slightest."

After seeing the tax officials off, Li Xiangyang immediately called Wang Ergou over.

"How's the contact going?"

“We’ve made contact with everyone,” Wang Ergou reported. “Lin Yajing said that Hualian headquarters values ​​our cooperation and is willing to provide necessary support if we encounter any difficulties. Zhang Guohua also said that although he’s just a factory manager, he still has some connections in the machinery industry.”

Li Xiangyang nodded, his plan becoming clearer.

“There’s one more thing,” Wang Ergou continued, “I just inquired and found out that Zhang Jianguo is indeed a powerful figure. His Tianhua Trading Company has an investment group in the provincial capital backing him.”

“Provincial Capital Investment Group?” Li Xiangyang frowned.

“Yes, I heard that group specializes in mergers and acquisitions, and they’re very shrewd,” Wang Ergou said in a low voice. “But I also heard that Zhang Jianguo’s position within the group isn’t secure. He seems to be under a lot of pressure lately because of the setbacks in several projects.”

Li Xiangyang's eyes lit up: "Tell me in detail."

"It's said that their group originally had their eye on several projects, but they all failed for various reasons, resulting in significant losses. Now, Zhang Jianguo urgently needs a successful case to prove his capabilities, which is why he's set his sights on us."

Li Xiangyang pondered for a moment, then suddenly smiled: "Interesting. It seems Zhang Jianguo also has his weaknesses."

Just then, the office door was pushed open, and Lin Yajing walked in, looking travel-worn.

"Xiangyang, I came over as soon as I got the call," Lin Yajing said without taking a break. "The Hualian headquarters is very concerned about the difficulties you're facing and specifically sent me here to find out what's going on."

Li Xiangyang stood up to greet her: "Ya Jing, thank you so much for your help."

“Why bring this up? We’re partners; we should support each other.” Lin Yajing sat down in a chair. “What exactly is the situation?”

Li Xiangyang briefly recounted Zhang Jianguo's story, and Lin Yajing's expression turned serious after listening.

“I’ve heard of Tianhua Trading,” she said. “They have indeed used some less-than-honorable methods. But don’t worry, Hualian won’t stand idly by.”

"What are you planning to do?" Li Xiangyang asked.

Lin Yajing considered for a moment: "First, we will publicly express our support for Sanheshan Treasures, making a significant impact on the industry. Second, we will consider increasing our order volume to demonstrate our confidence in you through concrete actions."

“Most importantly,” Lin Yajing continued, “we will use our own channels to explain the situation to the relevant departments and ensure that you are treated fairly.”

Li Xiangyang was moved, but he knew that relying solely on Hualian's support was not enough; a more proactive counterattack was needed.

"Ya Jing, besides these, I'd like to ask you for a favor," Li Xiangyang said.

"you say."

"I need to understand the specifics of the investment group behind Zhang Jianguo, especially the progress of their recent projects."

Lin Yajing was slightly surprised: "What do you want to do?"

A cold glint flashed in Li Xiangyang's eyes: "Since they want to play, then I'll play along to the end. But this time, I'll show them what it means to lift a rock only to drop it on your own foot."

The next morning, Li Xiangyang received an unexpected phone call.

"Mr. Li, this is Xiao Zhao from the county's Administration for Industry and Commerce," a young voice came through the phone. "Someone has reported your company for suspected false advertising, and we need to go over and investigate."

Li Xiangyang gave a wry smile; Zhang Jianguo's second wave of attacks was coming.

“No problem, we’re ready to cooperate with the inspection at any time,” Li Xiangyang said.

After hanging up the phone, Li Xiangyang immediately convened a meeting with his core team.

"As everyone can see, the other side has launched a full-scale attack." Li Xiangyang surveyed everyone in the conference room. "Taxation, industry and commerce, and next, possibly fire protection and environmental protection—they're going to wear us down with a war of attrition."

The meeting room fell silent; everyone could feel the pressure.

“However,” Li Xiangyang changed the subject, “we are not lambs to the slaughter. From now on, we must take the initiative!”

"Then, Mr. Li, how should we retaliate?" someone asked.

Li Xiangyang smiled and said, "Zhang Jianguo thinks he can do whatever he wants, but he forgot one thing—in the business world, it's not about who has the strongest background that wins, but who understands the rules better."

He paused, then continued, "Starting tomorrow, whatever tricks he uses against us, I'll retaliate with the same tricks. And I'll do it more thoroughly and more professionally than him."

After the meeting, Li Xiangyang went alone to the factory rooftop. The sun was setting, and the entire county town stretched out before him. He reflected on the years since his rebirth, from a rural youth who only knew how to hunt to an entrepreneur with his own factory—every step had been hard-won.

But it was these experiences that taught him to survive and thrive in complex environments.