Zhao Feng had never seen such a situation before, so he couldn't help but ask.

"There's no other way… there's telluric fire there!"

"Telluric fire?" Zhao Feng was even more surprised. "Logically, telluric fire only exists near rivers and volcanoes. How could such a thing possibly be in the Central Plains?"

He looked utterly perplexed. Chen Zheng let out a long sigh, his gaze flickering. "If I'm not mistaken, there is a juvenile dragon vein beneath this land."

"The key is that it's a fire dragon… and it harbors the Core of Lihuo!"

"The Core of Lihuo?" A glint of greed flashed in Zhao Feng's eyes. He had heard of this item before; it was a treasure found only in legends. This is the very essence of fire!

"What if… I immediately have someone secure that entire mineral vein and prevent anyone from getting close?" Zhao Feng asked after a moment of thought.

Although he still didn't know the specific uses of the Core of Lihuo, he knew it was definitely significant to Chen Zheng. Such a priceless treasure absolutely could not fall into someone else's hands.

Chen Zheng chuckled softly and shook his head. "That fire dragon is in the depths of the earth. Only a hint of its aura has leaked out, and ordinary people simply can't withstand it."

"Even before I was injured, I wouldn't have dared claim with absolute certainty that I could refine it. It's impossible for anyone else to take it."

"You just need to lock down the information so no one else finds out."

"Understood." Zhao Feng nodded seriously.

After Zhao Feng left, Chen Zheng began to ponder. According to the records in the Ji Qing Technique, the Core of Lihuo was an essential ingredient for refining the Nine Revolutions Golden Pill! That means it was an ingredient that the technique's original master used to create the Nine Revolutions Golden Pill. If I could claim this fire dragon for myself, I might be able to refine the pill without needing to gather all the parchment scrolls. But the problem is... how could refining the Core of Lihuo possibly be that simple?

The pill furnace transported from the borderlands had already been set up in the villa's backyard. Since the residence was secluded, there was no fear of being discovered. Chen Zheng had already ordered Zhao Feng to gather all the ingredients. Zhao Feng's only responsibility was to stoke the fire furiously and worry about nothing else.

Once all the preparations were complete, Chen Zheng followed the instructions and added the ingredients in sequence, with the Zhu Ling Grass naturally being the last.

"This temperature must be maintained for three days and three nights. The final day is especially important, so you cannot be negligent in the slightest!" Chen Zheng warned with the utmost gravity.

"Rest assured, War God. I will give it my all!" Zhao Feng immediately promised.

After dealing with his affairs, Chen Zheng had just washed his face and was about to get some rest when he suddenly received a call from Feng Yueyue.

"Mr. Chen… In one more day, Mouxixi will hold its final round of financing. When that happens, its stock price is sure to fluctuate wildly! Our decisive battle with the Ronghua Group is about to begin!" Feng Yueyue said with great seriousness.

"I've already received news that the Fan and Zheng Families have chosen to ally with the Ronghua Group. They now hold about five hundred thousand more shares than we do! As it stands, the situation is not optimistic for us!"

Feng Yueyue couldn't help but worry as she said this. This was a high-stakes gamble on the stock market, where the smallest mistake could lead to a huge divergence. The competition came down to fundamental capital. Now that their opponents had joined forces, the Jingsheng Group was at a distinct disadvantage.

"Don't be afraid. Just follow your plan," Chen Zheng said nonchalantly. "You have my support, so don't worry about anything else."

Hearing his words, Feng Yueyue immediately felt relieved, but a sliver of worry remained. Hesitating for a moment, she asked, "Mr. Chen..."

"Of course, I believe that with you involved, there won't be any problems. But shouldn't we still have a plan? This time, are we short-selling as usual, or are we going long?"

"Our choice depends on Xu Ronghua's move. Just follow his lead," Chen Zheng said dismissively.

Hearing this, Feng Yueyue was stunned. She knew that in the stock market, the competition was all about who could seize the initiative. Only by becoming the market maker could you guarantee a greater chance of winning. By doing this, Chen Zheng was effectively relinquishing all initiative and handing it directly to their opponent. This would make their position even more passive!

"You don't need to worry about that. Over the next two days, just gather as much capital as you possibly can. Leave the rest to me," Chen Zheng said calmly.

On the surface, this was a battle between two large financial groups. But at its core, it was a personal grudge between him and Xu Ronghua. A winner would have to be decided.

「In a Western restaurant in the city center.」

A young man and woman were seated across from each other. The man gazed at the woman with a gentle, loving expression.

"I've heard that if two people can hold each other's gaze for more than five seconds, it means they don't dislike each other. If they can surpass ten seconds, it proves they have genuine feelings for one another. And if it goes beyond a minute… well, many other wonderful things can happen," Zhang Ming smiled. "Zi Xuan… shall we give it a try?"

Zhang Ming was dressed very smartly today, with his hair slicked back. His spotless white Armani suit was strikingly impressive.

Hearing this, Wei Zixuan flushed and turned her head away. "Director Zhang… Please don't joke like that. I'm only here to treat you to dinner because my boss ordered me to. It's to thank you for your help on the project and for listing our company as a candidate. Rest assured, if we do end up cooperating, we will definitely…"

Before she could finish, Zhang Ming interjected meaningfully, "Zi Xuan, you should know full well in your heart. The reason I chose your company as a candidate wasn't because of its own strength, but purely because of you."

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