6:00 AM in Beihai. The streetlights along the Seaside Boulevard were still flickering when Chen Feng sent out his first wave of "feeding" for the day.
This wasn't a random greeting. It was a precise "Morning Anchor."
Lin Yue (Pink Phone): A hand-drawn map of a breakfast spot in Old Street.
Caption: "Woke up early to line up for your favorite shrimp dumplings. Even though you misunderstood me last night, I remembered your stomach hasn't been great. Eat them while they're hot when you wake up."
(Note: He was actually asleep in a hotel; the dumplings were delivered by a courier.)
Manny (Rhinestone Phone): A white noise recording of morning waves.
Caption: "Do you hear that? That's the sound of me missing you. I dreamed of you in that lace dress all night. It left me restless; didn't sleep a wink."
Sister Zhou (Black Phone): A screenshot of a concise industry research report.
Caption: "Sister Zhou, you looked stressed yesterday, so I mapped out the trends for the South Sea Pearl market. Breakfast is at the front desk; remember to drink your milk warm."
This was Chen Feng's "Emotional Value Template." For the office girl, give care. For the lonely divorcee, give passion and presence. For the high-powered executive, give utility and absolute submission.
After sending these, he tapped on the fourth phone—the cool-toned profile of Su Ya.
A wealthy divorcee like Su Ya had seen every form of male flattery. Chen Feng's tactic for her was simple: Delayed Gratification.
He ignored Su Ya for twelve hours. He waited until she finally sent a single " ? "
Only then did he slowly type back:
"Just finished fishing with a client. Miss Su, the fish in Beihai are interesting—the more valuable they are, the slower they bite. You're so eager to see me... is it to talk business, or to talk about me?"
Su Ya: "Manager Chen is quite the hunter. 9:00 PM, penthouse at the Furama. I've reserved a table."
Chen Feng: "9:30 PM. I prefer to let the prey run a little longer."
He set the phone down with a cold smirk. This psychological tug-of-war was his favorite part. Controlling someone's emotions was far more satisfying than controlling a stock curve.
However, crisis always lurks beneath the surface of absolute comfort.
At noon, Chen Feng was eating at a seafood stall in Xichang with Manny. She was excitedly scrolling through a customization list for a Porsche 718, her eyes sparkling with shallow vanity.
"Hubby, look at this Bordeaux Red interior. Doesn't it match me perfectly?" Manny clung to his arm, practically leaning her whole body against him.
"As long as you like it, we can trim it in solid gold," Chen Feng smiled, patting her head while his eyes scanned the surroundings.
Suddenly, he froze.
At the table next to them sat a group of young girls drinking herbal tea. One of their backs looked terrifyingly familiar—Lin Yue.
Lin Yue hadn't gone to work today. Her eyes were red; clearly, she had been shaken by the "police station" incident last night and had asked her best friend to come to Old Street to clear her head.
"Feng? What's wrong?" Manny noticed his sudden stiffness.
"My stomach... I need to use the restroom."
Chen Feng stood up abruptly, keeping his head down as he slipped toward the back hallway. His mind raced: Lin Yue was less than ten meters away. If she looked up and saw him being so intimate with a mature woman, the game would end right here in Episode 3.
He ducked into the cramped bathroom, pulled out the Pink Phone, and his fingers flew:
"Yueyue, I'm in Old Street on business and I think I see you. Are you at the seafood stall across from me? DON'T TURN AROUND! Whatever you do, don't look back!"
Lin Yue's phone buzzed. She instinctively started to turn her head to look for him.
Chen Feng (Voice note, hushed and urgent):
"Don't turn around! That debt collector named Wang is sitting right behind me, watching! I just spotted him. Listen to me: take your friend and leave immediately. Go to the milk tea shop nearby. If you acknowledge me now, he'll corner you too! Go, for my sake!"
Through a crack in the window, Chen Feng watched Lin Yue turn pale. Terrified, she grabbed her friend and ran, nearly dropping her bag in the process.
"Phew..." Chen Feng exhaled, a thin layer of cold sweat on his forehead.
Returning to his seat, Manny was impatient. "What took so long?"
"Sister Zhou has an emergency. She needs me to sign a document immediately." Chen Feng grabbed his bag, his tone brook no argument. "Manny, finish up here. I'll come to your place tonight and make it up to you... double time."
Manny blushed and let him go with a coy smile.
Chen Feng walked out of the stall and got into the BMW. He didn't go to see Sister Zhou, nor did he go to find Lin Yue.
He opened the matte black "Master" phone and sent a message:
"The emotional levels of the three targets are maxed out. Capital recovery is smooth. But Lin Yue is becoming an unstable variable. I suggest 'scrapping' her early and moving to the first liquidation."
The reply came instantly—a cold string of text:
"No. Squeeze her one more time. I want to see the look of despair on her face once she's lost everything."
Chen Feng let out a dark laugh and started the engine.
"As you wish."
A second later, he dialed Lin Yue. His voice became soft, fragile, and weary:
"Yueyue... were you scared just now? I had to pretend I didn't know you to protect you. But... I saw that debt collector holding a list. Your name was on it. I think we need a large sum of money to 'buy' your name off that list."