In a dimly lit meeting room, several underworld bosses sat on either side, staring at a man seated at the head of the table. Their eyes brimmed with confusion, unsure why they had been summoned at this particular time.
In a dimly lit conference room, several underworld bosses sat on either side, their eyes filled with confusion as they gazed at the man seated at the head of the table. They were unsure why they had been summoned at this particular moment.
“One-Eyed Dragon, we’re here out of respect for you, having answered your call. But from the moment we arrived, you’ve been silent. What exactly do you want?” Finally, someone broke the awkward silence, addressing the man at the head of the table.
“If you don’t want to show me respect, you’re free to leave. I never said your presence was mandatory…”
The silent man, known in the underworld as One-Eyed Dragon Cheng Biao, had earned his fearsome reputation after single-handedly storming a gang’s headquarters. It was during that incident that he lost one of his eyes.
“Screw this! I’m not buying it. Who the hell do you think you are? If it weren’t for the matter with the Shadow Gate, no one would give a damn about you…”
Clearly, the two men were not on good terms. In the underworld, friction was inevitable. Just a few days prior, they had clashed over territory, and now, as enemies, their animosity was palpable.
Before the man could finish his sentence, gunfire erupted. Everyone instantly stood up, only to see the man who had just spoken collapse to the ground, along with his two bodyguards, lifeless.
“One-Eyed Dragon, what’s the meaning of this? We came here to discuss the Shadow Gate, and you resort to violence? This isn’t how things are done in the underworld. Aren’t you afraid of inciting everyone’s wrath?”
The room was in shock. No one had expected Cheng Biao to make such a move, swiftly eliminating the leader of the Thunder Gang. A chill ran down their spines—had they been the ones speaking, would they have met the same fate?
“I think everyone should be aware that the Fierce Tiger Gang has become the Shadow Gate’s lapdog. Even the underground forces once controlled by the Dongfang family have fallen under their influence. This poses a serious threat to our interests. This man was only concerned with personal vendettas—he deserved to die!”
Cheng Biao’s gaze swept across the room, a cold smile playing on his lips. The intimidation had clearly worked. As for the Thunder Gang’s leader, he had long wanted to eliminate him, and now he had rid himself of a potential threat.
Hearing this, the room slowly settled down. From Cheng Biao’s lightning-fast action, they could sense that One-Eyed Dragon had come prepared. Risking their lives for a dead man wasn’t worth it, so no one dared to speak up.
A few men entered the room and quickly dragged the three bodies outside. However, the pool of blood on the floor sent shivers down the spines of the underworld bosses. They weren’t fearless—in this situation, they were more afraid than anyone.
“You all know why I’ve called you here. I, Cheng Biao, am a figure of some standing in the underworld of the capital. I don’t want to see others snatch away our interests. Without money or territory, how can we support our men, or our women?”
One-Eyed Dragon’s voice, though hoarse, was compelling. The previously distracted crowd fell into deep thought upon hearing his words. The reason all these underworld bosses had gathered here was because the Shadow Gate’s presence had begun to threaten their interests, and they had to discuss how to respond.
However, those with a keen eye could see that Cheng Biao was likely aiming to capitalize on this opportunity. If everyone agreed to eliminate the Shadow Gate, his Four Seas Gang would emerge as the biggest winner.
“So, Brother Cheng Biao, how do you suggest we handle this? The Shadow Gate’s strength is beyond our imagination. The Fierce Tiger Gang, whose power rivals any of ours, has willingly submitted to them. It’s clear that the Shadow Gate is formidable!”
The man who had been seething with anger moments ago now referred to One-Eyed Dragon as “Brother Cheng Biao.” The speed of this change was astonishing, but everyone understood—strength ruled, and those with power held more sway.
A disdainful smile flickered at the corner of Cheng Biao’s lips. The Four Seas Gang was indeed stronger than the other gangs, though it hadn’t reached the heights once achieved by Dongfang Haoran. Cheng Biao was a man with grand ambitions—he wanted the entire underground of the capital under his control.
“None of us can stand against the Shadow Gate alone. That’s why we must unite, drive them out first, and then discuss other matters…”
“Unite?”
Frowns appeared on the faces of all the bosses. These underworld leaders usually kept to themselves, each walking their own path. The idea of suddenly uniting was unappealing to all of them. Moreover, if they did unite, they might face a different kind of dilemma.
None of these bosses respected each other. If they were to unite, they would inevitably need to choose a leader. Any disagreement could not only prevent unity but also spark a major upheaval in the underworld.
“I don’t think anyone will refuse this proposal. If the Shadow Gate continues to grow, we’ll all be doomed. If you remain stubborn, you’ll only be waiting for the Shadow Gate to wipe you out. Their methods are anything but gentle.”
Cheng Biao was gradually persuading everyone. In his view, he was the natural leader of this united underworld force. After all, he had no qualms about silencing those who opposed him.
“The Green Wolf Gang agrees to join. If we don’t deal with the Shadow Gate, we’ll be living in fear!”
“That’s right, we must eliminate them, or our future will be bleak…”
Voices of agreement rose, coming from bosses who had been bribed by One-Eyed Dragon. Their support made it clear to the others that Cheng Biao had already taken control of the situation. Even if they opposed him, it would be futile. They couldn’t help but admire the depth of his cunning.
“Since everyone agrees with my proposal, the next step is to choose a leader who can guide us in expelling the Shadow Gate…”
After a moment of hesitation, a broad smile spread across Cheng Biao’s face. In this moment, he could already envision himself controlling the capital’s underground. In his mind, it was all within reach, and he had even begun to fantasize about taking action against the Shadow Gate…
“If you don’t want to respect me, you can leave right now. I never insisted that you had to be here…”
The man who had been silent was known on the streets as Duyanlong Cheng Biao. He earned his nickname after a brutal solo attack on a rival gang’s headquarters, leaving one of his eyes permanently scarred. His reputation was one of fear and awe.
“Fuck that! I don’t have to respect you at all! What the hell do you think you are? If it weren’t for the Dark Gate, who the hell would even bother showing up here…”
Clearly, the two were not on good terms. In the underworld, conflicts were inevitable, and just a few days prior, they had clashed over territory. Old enemies meeting again only intensified the hatred.
But before the man could finish his words, gunshots rang out. Everyone instantly stood up, only to see the speaker fall lifelessly to the ground, along with two bodyguards beside him.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing, Duyanlong? We came here to discuss the Dark Gate, and you dare to open fire? That’s not how things are done in the underworld! Are you not afraid of sparking outrage from everyone?”
Shock filled the room. No one had expected Cheng Biao, the Duyanlong, to act so decisively and ruthlessly, killing off the leader of the Lei Gang without hesitation. A chill ran down their spines—had they been the ones speaking moments ago, would they now be lying dead?
“You all should understand, the Kuanghu Gang has already become a puppet of the Dark Gate. The underground forces once belonging to the Dongfang family are now under the Dark Gate’s control. This is a serious threat to our interests. This man was only concerned with personal grudges, so he deserved to die!”
Cheng Biao’s gaze swept across each of them, a chilling smile curling his lips. Clearly, his intimidation tactics were working. As for the Lei Gang leader, he had wanted him eliminated for a long time—this was just one less threat to worry about.
At his words, everyone slowly sat back down. From the swiftness of Cheng Biao’s actions, they could sense he had planned this well in advance. Dying over a dead man wasn’t worth their own lives, so no one dared to speak further.
A few men entered from outside, quickly dragging the three corpses away. But the crimson stains left on the floor made even these hardened gangsters uneasy. They weren’t fearless—they feared death more than anyone else in moments like this.
“You all must know why I called you here. I, Cheng Biao, am a significant figure in the Beijing underworld, and I naturally won’t stand by while others steal our profits. Without money or territory, how can we support our brothers and maintain our lifestyles?”
It had to be said—though Cheng Biao’s voice was hoarse, it carried immense persuasive power. Those who had moments ago been shaken by the violence now fell into deep thought. The reason all these underworld leaders had gathered here was precisely because the Dark Gate had already begun threatening their interests, and they needed to discuss how to respond.
But those with sharper insight could easily see Cheng Biao’s intentions. He was clearly aiming to seize the opportunity for personal gain. If all factions reached an agreement to expel the Dark Gate, then Cheng Biao’s Sihai Gang would be the biggest winner.
“So, Brother Cheng, what do you suggest we do about this? The Dark Gate’s strength is beyond anything we can imagine. The Kuanghu Gang is no weaker than any of us, yet they willingly became the Dark Gate’s subordinates. That alone shows how powerful the Dark Gate must be!”
The man who had previously spoken out angrily now quickly changed his tone, respectfully addressing Cheng Biao as “Brother Cheng.” The speed of his shift was astonishing, but everyone understood the unspoken rule—power dictated respect.
A sneer curled at the corner of Cheng Biao’s mouth. His expression was arrogant. While the Sihai Gang was indeed stronger than the other factions, it still hadn’t reached the level of Dongfang Haoran’s former power. Cheng Biao was an ambitious man—he dreamed of controlling all the underground forces in Beijing.
“None of us alone can stand against the Dark Gate. That’s why now is the time for us to unite, drive the Dark Gate out first, and then we can settle other matters later…”
“Unite?”
Everyone frowned. These gang leaders usually kept their distances, avoiding close alliances. Suddenly asking them to unite was naturally met with reluctance. Moreover, true unity would bring new challenges.
No one among these bosses respected another. If they did unite, they would need to choose a leader. Disagreements would not only prevent unity but might even trigger a major upheaval in the underworld.
“I think none of you would dare refuse this idea. If the Dark Gate continues to grow, we’ll all be doomed. If you insist on holding your own opinions, just wait for the Dark Gate to come after you. Their methods are anything but gentle!”
Cheng Biao subtly tempted each of them, convinced that he was the natural choice to lead this united front. After all, he had no problem ensuring that dissenting voices remained silent.
“I, the Qinglang Gang, agree to join. If we don’t deal with the Dark Gate, we’ll always live in fear!”
“Yes, we must eliminate them, or our future will be filled with endless troubles…”
A few voices chimed in, actually those secretly bribed by Cheng Biao. As soon as they spoke, others realized that Cheng Biao had already maneuvered the situation to his advantage. Even if they opposed, it would be in vain. They couldn’t help but admire how deep his schemes ran.
“Now that everyone seems to agree with my proposal, the next step is to choose a leader who can guide us all in eliminating the Dark Gate…”
After a moment’s hesitation, Cheng Biao’s face broke into a broad smile. At this moment, he could already envision himself ruling the entire underworld of Beijing. In his mind, the moment had already arrived—he was already imagining the glorious scene of launching an attack against the Dark Gate…
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