The resonance of Jiang Cheng's fingertips tapping on the display case still vibrated in the air. With a slight curl of his lips and eyes as sharp as torches, he looked at An Jingsheng and spoke slowly:
"President An's influence in Great Goose Country indeed exceeded my expectations." Jiang Cheng's voice was as steady as the surface of a frozen lake.
He paused, then continued: "However, no matter how fierce the Siberian cold current is, it ultimately cannot blow down the red walls of the Forbidden City."
These words were spoken very lightly.
Yet, it was this seemingly casual sentence that made An Jingsheng's pupils contract sharply.
The red walls of the Forbidden City?
An Jingsheng naturally knew what kind of place that was.
It was a symbol of power and majesty.
Representing supreme status and unshakable force.
Jiang Cheng using such a metaphor shouldn't be a mere bluff.
After a few moments, the tapping of Jiang Cheng's fingertips stopped. The aura of "Sit Like a Divine Bell" made the air around him feel as if it had stagnated.
He slowly raised his eyes; the previous teasing was gone, replaced only by a bottomless calm, as if the chips An Jingsheng had thrown out—enough to make anyone tremble—were nothing more than ordinary exhibits in the display case.
Jiang Cheng knew that the larger the behemoth, the harder it was to control.
But once they became an ally, the energy they could leverage was all the more staggering.
An Jingsheng showing these trump cards was both a deterrent and a test.
He simply wanted to see if Jiang Cheng was qualified to have an equal dialogue with such an An Group.
His gaze swept over the dark gold family crest on An Jingsheng's cuff, where the Shu brocade python pattern intertwined with an Orthodox cross.
It inherently exuded a kind of contradictory tension.
This An Jingsheng was both rooted in Huaxia and deeply bound to foreign power.
The corners of Jiang Cheng's mouth curled up slightly, revealing a faint smile, but that smile did not reach his eyes, making it difficult to fathom his true thoughts.
He said softly: "An Group's ship might indeed be able to run rampant and unopposed on the Volga River, but after sailing into the Yangtze River, the situation becomes quite different. The Yangtze has the Yangtze's rules. As long as you stay on the soil of Huaxia for a single day, no matter who you are, you must see if the lighthouses on that river can reach you. When it really comes time to take the helm, do you think a person familiar with the river's hidden reefs is useful, or someone holding an overseas nautical chart?"
An Jingsheng's pupils contracted slightly.
Although this subtle change was almost imperceptible, it was still keenly captured by Jiang Cheng.
Clearly, his words had precisely hit the man's weakness.
No matter how illustrious he was overseas, his roots were ultimately planted in Huaxia.
And the rules of this land were never something that could be fully controlled by hard power alone.
An Jingsheng fell silent for a moment.
Then he slowly spoke, his voice slightly deeper: "Are you trying to say that you are the one familiar with the riverbed?"
His fingertips subconsciously rubbed the wolf tooth pendant, as if this could bring him some psychological comfort.
His expression became increasingly solemn as he continued: "Jiang Cheng, I admit you are indeed not simple. Cheng Gui and his lot are simply insignificant compared to you; they aren't even fit to carry your shoes. But you must understand, once the An Group encounters real trouble, it absolutely won't be as simple as a minor squabble. It could very well be a massive tsunami capable of overturning the entire shipping lane."
After finishing, An Jingsheng locked his gaze onto Jiang Cheng like a hawk, asking the most critical question in his heart.
"I ask you this: if one day the An Group truly reaches a dead end and needs you to act, to what extent can you protect me? Don't forget, your hand cannot reach Moscow."
These words were like a blade tempered in ice, striking directly at the core.
He knew Jiang Cheng had a background, could navigate freely in Magic City, could make Cheng Gui obedient, and could make his own daughter look at him in a new light—he even dared to negotiate terms with him.
But he couldn't guess the depth of this background, and he was even less certain if Jiang Cheng could cover the An Group's most fatal weakness.
Jiang Cheng met An Jingsheng's gaze without the slightest flinch.
He knew that at this moment, any ambiguity would be seen as a lack of confidence.
"President An, to tell you the truth," Jiang Cheng's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unquestionable certainty.
"I indeed cannot interfere in the affairs of Great Goose Country. That is your home turf, and you know better than I do how to handle it."
An Jingsheng's brow was just about to furrow when he heard Jiang Cheng's tone shift: "But as long as you are within the borders of Huaxia, as long as your roots are still planted in this soil, I can protect far more of you than you imagine."
After saying this, Jiang Cheng walked to the display case and quietly gazed at the exquisite Wusheng headpiece.
He just stood there quietly, patiently waiting for An Jingsheng's response.
"Is it to ensure the An Group's foundation doesn't crumble, or to ensure the An Family's lives are safe?"
Hearing this, Jiang Cheng turned sideways, his gaze level with An Jingsheng's.
There was no trace of arrogance on his young face, only a weightiness that was inconsistent with his age.
Jiang Cheng did not immediately answer An Jingsheng's question. Instead, he unhurriedly fished an ancient copper coin out of his suit's inner pocket.
The copper coin looked quite old; the inscriptions on it were somewhat blurred, but its exquisiteness was still apparent.
Placing the copper coin on his fingertip, he gave it a light flick, producing a crisp "ding—".
The copper coin flipped through the air, tracing a graceful arc before landing steadily back in Jiang Cheng's palm.
Glancing down at the coin in his palm, Jiang Cheng slowly raised his head, his eyes like a deep pool, making them impossible to read.
"That depends on whether President An wants to 'withdraw unscathed' or 'make a comeback'."
An Jingsheng's brow twitched slightly: "Oh? What is the difference?"
Jiang Cheng smiled slightly: "If it's the former, I can guarantee that no matter how great the storm, no one will touch a single finger of yours."
"If it's the latter..."
He paused, his gaze as sharp as a blade:
"Then it depends on how many chips President An is willing to pay."
Jiang Cheng's previous "enthusiasm" for the intangible cultural heritage project had been a test from the very beginning.
Using a seemingly insignificant project to pry into his attitude and figure out his concerns.
Only at the end did he reveal his true trump card.
"You..." An Jingsheng opened his mouth, wanting to ask something, but then swallowed it back down.
He didn't need to know Jiang Cheng's specific identity anymore.
Because with certain identities, the less one knows, the safer it is.
He only needed to confirm whether Jiang Cheng had the qualification to say those words.
And at this moment, looking into Jiang Cheng's clear yet bottomless eyes, An Jingsheng already had his answer.
He had originally thought Jiang Cheng was just a scion of some Red Family.
But now it seemed his background might be even a level higher than he had estimated.
After all, someone who dared to promise to "withdraw unscathed" in such a situation...
...was definitely not something an ordinary scion of the elite could do.
An Jingsheng pondered for a moment, then suddenly laughed:
"President Jiang, you are even more interesting than I imagined."
"However, in my entire life, I, An Jingsheng, have never liked the word 'withdraw'."
Hearing this, Jiang Cheng also laughed:
"That's perfect. I don't like it either."
The two looked at each other, sharing a tacit understanding.
This game was no longer a simple test, but a true exchange of interests.
An Jingsheng finally stopped concealing his intentions and asked directly:
"Then, if I can provide chips that satisfy or even exceed your expectations? Can you really...?"