Watching Xiao Yufan’s retreating figure, Old Master Qiao fell into deep thought. He wasn’t sure whether Xiao Yufan would hold any resentment because, in essence, he had started to use this man. A young man as audacious as him surely had his own ambitions…
But as long as it didn’t backfire, everything would be fine. In Old Master Qiao’s opinion, Xiao Yufan always kept his word and would fulfill whatever he promised.
“Quan’er, Chuxi has grown up, and she will definitely have a better life. If you can see this from beyond, please bless this child…”
A faint bitter smile crossed Old Master Qiao’s lips as he murmured to himself, his eyes filled with anticipation. Perhaps, the only person in the entire Qiao family he truly worried about was this girl.
After leaving the Qiao residence, Xiao Yufan’s mood was clearly off. Thinking about Qiao Chuxi’s background, he suddenly felt a surge of compassion. Yet, he couldn’t tell whether this tenderness stemmed from pity or genuine concern…
“Boss, did Old Master Qiao say something to you? That’s why you seem so different…”
Tianxuan was the first to notice Xiao Yufan’s change. After a year of companionship, even though Xiao Yufan never wore his emotions on his sleeve, she could still understand his moods.
“It’s nothing. Old Master Qiao just discussed some matters regarding Qiao Corporation with me…”
Xiao Yufan wasn’t sure how to respond, so he told a small lie. It had to be said—lying had become second nature to him, without a flicker of guilt.
“I bet Old Master Qiao talked to you about Miss Qiao, right? Otherwise, why would there be so many taboos around Qiao Corporation? Am I right?”
At this moment, Qingluan also spoke up, though she had clearly seen through Xiao Yufan’s deception.
Xiao Yufan was momentarily speechless. He realized he couldn’t hide anything from this girl—she was like a worm inside his mind, knowing exactly what he was thinking. By trying to cover things up, he had unintentionally given the two women the wrong impression—that there was something improper between them.
“Got you, didn’t I?”
Qingluan laughed brightly, though she didn’t press further. Regardless of the relationship between Xiao Yufan and Qiao Chuxi, it wouldn’t affect her as long as Xiao Yufan loved her—that was enough.
Seeing Xiao Yufan’s expression change, Tianxuan also laughed. She understood that even if Xiao Yufan tried to hide things, it was only to avoid hurting them.
“If I guessed right, there should be a reward. So tonight, you’re going to keep me company several times—I still have a lot of moves left…”
“Come and get me then…”
Before Xiao Yufan could finish, Qingluan had already taken over the conversation. This girl was getting bolder by the day—his teasing meant nothing to her. Meanwhile, listening to their banter, a faint blush crept onto Tianxuan’s face.
Meanwhile, in Dongling, things were far from peaceful. The small moves orchestrated by Lei Gang had clearly started to bear fruit, especially after several high-level members of the Dongling Chamber of Commerce were assassinated on Qingyun Society’s turf. The two factions had become increasingly hostile, tensions rising sharply.
Lei Gang’s leader had always been ambitious. As the two factions began engaging in small-scale clashes, he knew that Lei Gang’s golden opportunity was approaching.
In a dimly lit, modest meeting room within Lei Gang’s base…
Wang Wei and Nie Xiaodao coldly surveyed the members of Lei Gang, a faint trace of mockery flickering across their lips. In their eyes, Lei Gang was merely a puppet—or a dog—of Anmen in Dongling.
But this dog was sometimes unruly, and without a leash, it might even bite its master.
“Lei Shan, lately Lei Gang has been very active. Many things have already been done without my knowledge. Are Qingyun Society and the Dongling Chamber of Commerce about to go to war? Do you think this is the time for Lei Gang to rise?”
Wang Wei’s gaze swept across the man seated at the head of the table, his brows slightly furrowing. Clearly, he was far from satisfied with Lei Gang’s recent actions.
“How could we trouble the two brothers? Anmen has already done so much. We at Lei Gang should take the initiative, shouldn’t we?”
The man addressed as Lei Shan was the current leader of Lei Gang. A selfish and arrogant man, though ambitious, he was difficult to control.
As he heard Wang Wei’s words, the muscles at the corner of Lei Shan’s mouth twitched violently. As the head of Lei Gang, being addressed so casually by these two men irritated him greatly. Yet, he knew Anmen’s power well, so for now, he had no intention of making any rash moves.
“Just wait until Dongling becomes my territory—I’ll make sure you never leave here again. What’s Anmen? Even if you’re a dragon in Linjiang, you’ll have to coil up nicely on my turf here in Dongling!”
Lei Shan thought to himself bitterly. Though he knew Wang Wei and Nie Xiaodao were formidable, he was still confident that once he controlled all of Dongling, he would completely eliminate Anmen’s influence.
Used to this man’s hypocrisy, Wang Wei maintained a stern expression and said nothing further. Of course, he had his own plans too.
“If Leader Lei truly wants to become the ruler of Dongling, then don’t act too hastily. Qingyun Society and the Dongling Chamber of Commerce have only just begun to clash. If you interfere too openly, anyone with half a brain will figure out who was behind those earlier incidents.”
Though Nie Xiaodao remained silent, he understood Dongling’s situation better and was well aware of the underhanded activities Lei Gang had been up to.
“Brother’s advice is spot on. All the arrangements have already taken effect, so naturally, I won’t ruin everything myself. But I have one question—what exactly does Anmen want? Why are you so focused on Dongling?”
“Because Dongling is one of the few major routes from Linjiang heading north. If Anmen wants to expand northward, it must pass through here. If Leader Lei becomes the ruler of this territory, wouldn’t it make our future operations much smoother?”
Nie Xiaodao smiled faintly, his expression carrying a touch of arrogance. As the head of Anmen’s assassination division, he had every reason to be proud.
“It seems Anmen’s Young Master is not only far-sighted but also highly ambitious. He’s aiming not just for Linjiang, but the entire north, isn’t he?”
Lei Shan scoffed slightly. Anmen’s so-called Young Master was truly fearless, like a young bull unaware of tigers. Did he really think that ruling Linjiang meant he could dominate the entire north?
“The Young Master possesses such power, and he is a god—an unstoppable god that no one can resist!”
Though the icy glint in Lei Shan’s eyes was subtle, Nie Xiaodao noticed it clearly. In his mind, this man was already as good as dead. All that remained was to squeeze out the last bit of usefulness from him…
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