Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
I find it strange why he would be willing to help me, but my father definitely cannot have an illegitimate child; I am his only daughter. Linna said this with a confidence that was evident in her voice.
"Don't you have a brother?" I asked, as the information on Lin Tianfeng indicated that he had one son and one daughter.
"My brother is adopted; he is the grandson of my grandfather's comrade-in-arms," Linna explained. I understood after hearing this and then asked, "So you really don't have any emotional ties with Zheng Yu? Like, has he ever pursued you or anything?"
"No! I've barely seen him a few times; what kind of feelings are we talking about? I think he might just be grateful for my father's recognition of him," Linna replied dismissively. After hearing this, I didn't find her reasoning convincing. Gratitude? The underworld today is not what it used to be; people talk more about interests than loyalty. There are plenty who would betray their saviors for personal gain, let alone for mere gratitude.
While nothing is absolute, the likelihood that Zheng Yu would help me out of gratitude seemed exceedingly low. After all, if this matter were discovered, it could cost him his life!
Linna clearly didn't want to continue discussing it. When I pressed her, she couldn't make sense of it either. Asking too many questions would only lead to frustration, so I decided to investigate this matter on my own.
After chatting with Linna for a while longer, I informed her that Liu Haoran would be voting to determine the leader of White Tiger Hall and that he was optimistic about my situation. Linna was already aware of this, so there wasn't much more to say. I told her to get some rest before ending the call.
The next day, news of Xiong Li's death spread like wildfire, causing quite a stir among the criminal factions in Kyoto South District. Everyone was talking about it; many remarked on how quickly things can change in the underworld—just yesterday he was thriving, and now he was gone.
But none of this concerned me; I still had my own path to navigate in this underworld! Even though I was no longer a police officer, the sense of duty within me stirred once again. I needed to eradicate this vast criminal network! To restore peace to the world and avenge my beloved Linna! To reclaim everything that rightfully belonged to her!
In the afternoon, Cao Minghui notified me about a meeting at Tian Ye Gang's headquarters, Aishang Club, in Kyoto South District. This venue is quite famous throughout southern Kyoto, frequented by many influential figures.
The purpose of the meeting was obvious: with Xiong Li dead, everyone knew that Liu Haoran was looking to elect a new leader for White Tiger Hall. Just after Cao Minghui called me, Zheng Yu also reached out.
Zheng Yu informed me that the leaders of Azure Dragon Hall and Xuanwu Hall had approached him, wanting to recommend him for the position of White Tiger Hall leader!
"Be careful; if I refuse them, they'll go looking for He Wei. He Wei will definitely not turn them down. According to protocol, candidates are only selected first; voting happens three days later. If I withdraw, you'll be their biggest opponent—they might very well target you," Zheng Yu warned.
I frowned at his words. While I understood his reasoning, the situation wasn't as straightforward as he suggested. Since Liu Haoran intended to cast a vote for me, how bold would Azure Dragon Hall and Xuanwu Hall have to be to support their own candidates? Would they dare harm someone Liu Haoran favored?
"Wouldn't that be going against Liu Haoran?" I voiced my confusion.
Zheng Yu chuckled and said, "There are many things you don't understand; it's too complicated. Not every hall leader fears Liu Haoran like Xiong Li and Cao Minghui do."
"What leverage does the Qinglong Hall Master have? Or what about the Xuanwu Hall Master?" I pressed further.
Zheng Yu didn't provide an answer but mentioned that Liu Haoran had long wanted to eliminate those two leaders but couldn't due to complex relationships. Otherwise, when Xiong Li first made his mistake, Liu Haoran wouldn't have borne pressure from above just to protect him.
I began to grasp the situation: Liu Haoran wasn't having an easy time either. He had only four hall leaders under him—two were banding together against him while one trusted subordinate was incompetent and repeatedly violated family rules, leading Liu Haoran himself to enforce discipline. Now Liu Haoran had only Cao Minghui left as a usable subordinate, and even his loyalty was questionable.
Here comes the interesting part.
What will happen after I take my position? Liu Haoran will definitely invest heavily in training me and Cao Minghui to suppress the powers of the Azure Dragon Hall and the Xuanwu Hall. Cao Minghui, thinking he has leverage to send me to prison, will try to coerce me into supporting his ambitions, ensuring that all the benefits fall into his lap.
But in reality?
Haha, Cao Minghui can't threaten me at all! Sooner or later, he and I will engage in a battle for favor! This fight is bound to be quite entertaining!
After finishing a call with Zheng Yu, I summoned Liu Sen. Although my skills are decent, Liu Sen, a retired scout, is even more capable. Just as Zheng Yu said, since the leaders of the Azure Dragon Hall and Xuanwu Hall have openly joined forces, I am indeed in danger.
Just as I finished telling Liu Sen that I wanted him to stay by my side for a while, Wang Meng walked into my office and respectfully said, "Dong Ge, Xiao Dao is back."
Oh?
I was instantly delighted. Xiao Dao is back? He is the only friend I made in Tianchi, and our relationship has always been good.
As for Wang Meng in front of me, I had almost forgotten about him. Now that Liu Haoran knows about my threat against him, it’s best if Wang Meng doesn’t stay around.
"Alright, let him in," I told Wang Meng. He responded with an "Okay" and turned to leave. I had already decided that since Xiao Dao was back, I would let him take the position of Hall Manager at Tianchi; it would be better for Wang Meng to just leave.
"Dong Ge, this Xiao Dao is the friend you met here, right?" Liu Sen asked curiously. I smiled and nodded, saying, "Yes, he's very honest and has learned some martial arts. I really need a couple of capable people by my side."
"Oh."
Liu Sen nodded with a smile. I could tell that when he heard Xiao Dao practiced martial arts, interest sparked in his eyes. Liu Sen is quite a fighter; whenever he meets someone skilled, he always wants to test his abilities.
"Dong Ge, I'm ready."
Xiao Dao walked into my office with a smile. I took a look at him; he was wearing a cheap sports shirt but looked quite energetic—he was indeed doing well.
"Haha! Good! Good! Since you're back, Wang Meng, you can leave!"
I said directly to Wang Meng, who was standing nearby with a forced smile. Wang Meng was taken aback.
"Dong Ge, what’s wrong with me?"
Wang Meng asked in confusion. He probably thought that he had been flattering me enough to earn some favor.
"Do I really need to explain again? Everyone knows about my situation by now. It’s already polite of me to ask you to leave."
I looked at Wang Meng, who spoke coldly. Wang Meng was taken aback for a moment, then quickly understood and hurriedly apologized, not daring to offend me as he left my office with his tail between his legs.
“Dong Ge, thank you,” Xiao Dao said deeply bowing to me. I smiled and replied that it was no problem. Xiao Dao was my friend, and since I had helped him when he was being bullied, it was only natural for me to take care of him.
“Hey! Brother, I heard you practiced martial arts. How did you end up in the hospital?” I could tell that Liu Sen admired Xiao Dao and was eager to challenge him.
Liu Sen looked at Xiao Dao with a smile, and I knew he would say something like that. Xiao Dao had lost his father due to a fight, and despite being bullied, he never dared to retaliate. By the time he wanted to fight back, he had already been injured and had no strength left to continue. I was genuinely curious about Xiao Dao’s skills; after all, we were brothers, and sparring could strengthen our bond.
However, Xiao Dao wore a troubled expression. In fact, I noticed he hadn’t seemed very happy since he walked in.
“I’m sorry, big brother. I really don’t have time to spar with you today,” Xiao Dao said awkwardly. “Actually, I came here to borrow some money.”
I was taken aback for a moment; borrowing money? Then I laughed.
“Borrowing money is fine! Why all this drama? Just tell me how much you need; I’ll get it for you!” I said with a smile as I pulled out my wallet. But then Xiao Dao hesitated and finally blurted out three words: “Five hundred thousand.”
“What?”
I was stunned. Damn! Five hundred thousand? I really don’t have that!
“I know it might be too much,” Xiao Dao continued with a troubled look. “But Dong Ge, I really have no other choice. My grandmother is sick and urgently needs this surgery fee. I’ll work my whole life to pay you back!”
Xiao Dao’s expression was filled with difficulty. After hearing this, I understood; it was about an elderly person’s illness. This money had to be provided!
I glanced at my watch; there were still four hours until the afternoon meeting.
“Okay, I don’t have that money right now, but I’ll find a way for you. Just wait here in the office,” I told Xiao Dao. He nodded gratefully in response. Then I called Liu Sen to accompany me on a trip.
Once we left the office, Liu Sen handed me a bank card and said there were two hundred thousand in it. Although it wasn’t enough, it was his heartfelt gesture.
I refused the offer; Liu Sen had helped me with many things without earning a dime from me—how could I take his money? I would find a way to come up with the funds myself.
Comment 0 Comment Count