According to the plot, Xu Mu had a pretty good grasp of what kind of person Feng Kang was.
He was deep and calculating — the kind of man who could endure anything.
If Xu Mu were to send the video to him directly, Feng Kang would probably swallow his anger, quietly dissolve the issue, and either divorce Chen Cai in secret or dispose of her discreetly.
That wasn't what Xu Mu wanted.
What he wanted was to make the video public — openly and spectacularly.
He wanted every top businessman in Yang City to see that the "grassland" atop Feng Kang's head was flourishing.
Even a man with his composure would lose control once his pride was trampled like that.
Although the recording hadn't captured exactly what Feng Kang and Lin Yan had discussed, one thing was clear — the two had joined forces.
Which meant that Xu Mu could finally strike back without hesitation.
His plan was to use Feng Family's anniversary celebration as the perfect opportunity to set things in motion.
After lunch with Meng Wanyue, Xu Mu returned to his office and pulled up the surveillance feed again, checking the footage after yesterday's encounter.
The video showed no further intimacy, but their conversation was telling.
On screen, Chen Cai sat in a chair and said to Dai Xiao,
"Young Master Dai, now that your anger's cooled, shouldn't you help me deal with Xu Mu?"
"You really hate him that much?" Dai Xiao asked with a smirk.
"That video in his hands is my eternal nightmare. As long as he lives, I can't sleep peacefully," Chen Cai said coldly.
Dai Xiao chuckled.
"Aren't you worried that he's not the only one who has the video? If he dies, maybe Xu Shou will release it instead."
"Right now, they hold leverage over us. We have to take the initiative — that's the only way to stop being threatened."
Clenching her fist, Chen Cai declared,
"He used that video to threaten me. I'll make sure he dies for it. And once Xu Shou finds out, do you think he'll dare gamble?"
Dai Xiao grinned and raised a thumb.
"Chen Cai, you're no ordinary woman. I love it. A ruthless devil like you serving me — that gives me real satisfaction."
Xu Mu finished watching and set his phone down.
He hadn't expected Chen Cai to be so vicious.
He actually began to pity Feng Yue — in the original story, even if she'd turned dark, she never would've stood a chance.
Forget taking back everything from Feng Family — she probably wouldn't even have survived Chen Cai.
Just then, his phone rang.
He glanced at the caller ID — Jiang Huihui.
Xu Mu frowned slightly before answering.
"Huihui, what's the matter?"
"I've been swamped these days and forgot about your situation," Jiang Huihui said over the line. "That female bodyguard of yours — is she still around?"
"She is."
"Good. Tell her to come to the Sanitation Bureau for registration."
Xu Mu thought for a moment, then chuckled.
"But we're not in Yang City right now."
"It's only an hour's drive! You guys spend that long in the bathroom anyway," Jiang Huihui said half-jokingly.
Xu Mu smiled faintly.
"I've got a question — not sure if I should ask."
"Go ahead."
"Have all the hidden-clan martial artists registered with you yet?"
"Most of them," Jiang Huihui answered honestly.
"Most? So some haven't. Yet instead of going after them, you're targeting my bodyguard? What's the matter, are you scared of them?"
"Scared my ass!" she snapped. "The ones who haven't registered are just small fries. Your bodyguard isn't."
Xu Mu was about to reply when Meng Wanyue quietly pushed open the door and stepped inside. Seeing him on the phone, she closed it softly.
"She's not here," Xu Mu said into the receiver. "She took the day off."
"Xu Mu!" Jiang Huihui's voice suddenly turned sharp.
"What? You going to threaten me now?" Xu Mu replied coldly.
Then, her tone softened into a pleading one.
"Brother… please, your little sister's begging you — give me some credit, okay?"
"As long as you bring her to register, I'll give you anything you want. Have a little mercy?"
"...Huh?"
Xu Mu blinked, confused. What's going on now?
"Look," Jiang Huihui explained, "aside from dealing with rogue martial artists, we also get huge rewards when experts come in for registration. Your bodyguard's at least early Gang Qi stage — she's worth three hundred points!"
"What are the points for?" Xu Mu asked curiously. In the original plot, there hadn't been anything like this.
"You think all those martial artists joined the Bureau out of goodwill? Points can be exchanged for treasures, heavenly herbs, and even rank promotion. The higher your rank, the better your monthly rewards."
She sighed dramatically. "I'm stationed in the Yang City branch. I'm begging you, Brother, please come!"
Xu Mu chuckled.
"Fine. Let me call Wanyue first."
He hung up the call.
Meng Wanyue, standing across the desk, had caught bits of the conversation.
"Director Xu… was that the cleaner?"
"Yeah. She's begging me to take you in for registration," Xu Mu said, leaning back in his chair, looking serious. "Don't worry — I won't make you go."
"It's actually fine if I do," Meng Wanyue said softly.
"My mission now is to protect you and Miss Ye — not to kill like before."
"There's a benefit to registering?" Xu Mu asked.
"Yes," she nodded. "If I register, and we ever encounter martial artists again, I can call the Bureau directly for support."
"That could be useful," Xu Mu mused. "At least we'd have backup in case of trouble."
He paused, then nodded.
"Alright, Wanyue. Let's go to Yang City."
Meng Wanyue smiled and nodded in agreement.
They drove Xu Mu's Cadillac Escalade this time — far faster than the old minivan.
After exiting the highway, they arrived at the branch office.
There, they spotted Jiang Huihui — dressed in a black cleaner's uniform, sitting on an electric scooter, blowing bubbles while playing on her phone.
"Director Xu… look! She's got two white stripes — that means she's a intermediate-level cleaner!"
Meng Wanyue's expression turned serious. No wonder she'd lost to her in their last sparring session.
Xu Mu was equally stunned.
He'd thought Du Yan, that fisherman, was young enough — but Jiang Huihui was even younger and already a mid-ranked operative.
Meng Wanyue parked the car, and Xu Mu stepped out from the passenger seat.
"Huihui."
He walked toward her.
Jiang Huihui looked up, pocketed her phone, and asked,
"Is your bodyguard here?"
"She's here."
Xu Mu looked her up and down — the loose black uniform, the bright, heroic face, and the casually tied hair. The combination looked oddly mismatched.
"Then come with me," Jiang Huihui said coolly, hopping on her scooter and riding off.
Xu Mu laughed.
"Why the sudden attitude shift? You're making this hard for me — maybe I should just go back."
Hearing that, Jiang Huihui quickly circled around and stopped beside him again.
In a low voice, she muttered,
"There are too many people here. I'll beg you properly when no one's around."
"What's the point of begging me?" Xu Mu said casually, hands in his pockets.
"I only came because you said you'd 'satisfy me with anything.'"