Everyone present turned to look in the direction the voice had come from.
Two figures approached from the distance. They were "old acquaintances," so to speak. The members of the Flying Dragon Gang immediately recognized the pair as soon as they saw their faces.
"Fang Jingtang. Liu Qizhi." Many of the Flying Dragon Gang members who had suffered at their hands before spat out their names through gritted teeth.
Although Fang Jingtang and Liu Qizhi were being glared at by the crowd from the Flying Dragon Gang, neither showed any fear. They calmly walked through the mob and stood before the Flying Dragon Gang’s Leader.
The Red Blood Gang’s Leader had just been assassinated by an unknown assassin, and their strongest fighter was gone.
Logically, the members of the Red Blood Gang should have neither the courage nor the confidence to come and face the Flying Dragon Gang’s Leader.
But now, Fang Jingtang and Liu Qizhi showed no fear at all, their expressions calm as they stared at the Flying Dragon Gang’s Leader.
The Flying Dragon Gang’s Leader was not some simple-minded brute who was all brawn and no brains.
Seeing Fang Jingtang and Liu Qizhi’s abnormal behavior, he narrowed his eyes. His mind raced, wondering what could possibly give these two the confidence to face him so boldly.
After the death of the Red Blood Gang’s Leader, with the gang now without a head, Fang Jingtang—the gang’s strategist—had become the backbone for all its members.
He didn’t waste time exchanging words with the Flying Dragon Gang’s Leader, instead directly revealing the source of their newfound confidence.
Fang Jingtang pulled a golden Token from his pocket. The moment the Flying Dragon Gang’s Leader saw it, his pupils contracted sharply.
In an instant, he understood the source of Fang Jingtang and Liu Qizhi’s confidence to confront him so defiantly.
"After that guy Hong Jiu died, logically, that lord shouldn’t be protecting you anymore.
I didn’t expect this! You actually found a way to persuade that lord to continue providing you with protection," the Flying Dragon Gang’s Leader said coldly.
The moment he finished speaking, a powerful Spiritual Energy Wave erupted from the Flying Dragon Gang’s Leader. Liu Qizhi, standing beside Fang Jingtang, tensed up instantly, the calm expression on his face completely vanishing.
His reaction was only natural. After all, his strength was far inferior to that of the Flying Dragon Gang’s Leader. If the man attacked, he would surely be killed on the spot.
Fang Jingtang, on the other hand, faced the powerful Spiritual Energy Wave emanating from the Gang Leader with the same calm expression, completely unfazed.
"Hahaha... Good, Fang Jingtang. Very good. I’m very curious to see what the Red Blood Gang will become under your leadership."
Seeing that Fang Jingtang was not afraid of him, the Flying Dragon Gang’s Leader reined in his erupting Spiritual Energy.
The powerful Spiritual Energy Wave vanished. His eyes were filled with a murderous aura as he let out a loud laugh, then waved to his men and left with everyone in tow.
After all the members of the Flying Dragon Gang had left, the Red Blood Gang members—who had been feeling utterly humiliated after all the taunts—immediately broke into a fervent cheer.
The members of the Red Blood Gang already had great faith in Fang Jingtang. Now, they had witnessed him turn the tide, facing the Flying Dragon Gang’s Leader without even batting an eye.
His calm handling of such a terrifying foe left every member of the Red Blood Gang in complete awe.
Just as the Flying Dragon Gang’s Leader had said, from this day forward, there would be no dispute over who would lead the Red Blood Gang.
Fang Jingtang put the golden Token away and spoke to the cheering members of the Red Blood Gang.
"I know you all have a lot of questions, but it’s late now. Everyone, go home and rest. I’ll tell you everything tomorrow."
The members of the Red Blood Gang nodded, then dispersed to their own homes to rest.
When Fang Jingtang returned to his private courtyard and shut the door to his study, the calm expression on his face completely disappeared.
He hurried to his desk, reached out a trembling hand, and picked up a glass of water to drink.
Only after taking several gulps did he finally compose himself. He pulled out his chair, sat down, leaned back, and stared up at the ceiling, muttering to himself.
’The hardest part is over. Now, I need to think carefully about how to not only maintain the gang’s revenue but also ensure it grows steadily.
Today, I made a promise to that lord. Even without the Gang Leader, the annual tribute the gang pays from now on will only increase, never decrease.
If I fail to keep my promise, the golden Token will be taken back... and without that lord’s protection, the Flying Dragon Gang will never let us go.’
Tonight in Dongwu City, after the leaders of the various gangs received reports from their spies about the outcome of the confrontation between the Flying Dragon Gang and the Red Blood Gang, they were destined for disappointment. Many of them would face another sleepless night.
「The morning of September 1st.」
The sun shone brightly outside the window under a clear and cloudless sky. Occasionally, a few early birds searching for food would flit over the rooftop, CHIRPING as they flew into the distance.
An early-rising Zhang Yuxi stood at her window, watching the sanitation workers who were out cleaning the streets far below.
By now, the workers had nearly finished their tasks. A few of them began to walk toward the breakfast carts selling food on the side of the street.
Zhang Yuxi had slept soundly last night and woke up feeling very refreshed this morning. Tearing her gaze away from the workers buying breakfast in the distance, she returned to her desk and sat down.
During the kidnapping, her phone had been lost, and she had no idea where the thugs had taken it.
Fortunately, she had always kept a spare phone in her office drawer. So now, Zhang Yuxi didn’t have to run out to a phone store first thing in the morning to buy a new one.
She opened her contacts, found Lin Li’s number, and dialed.
In a dim room, Lin Li was fast asleep, spread-eagled on his bed.
Suddenly, the phone on his nightstand began to ring. The loud ringtone immediately woke the soundly sleeping Lin Li.
"Who is it? Calling so early and ruining my sleep."
Lin Li mumbled groggily as he opened his eyes and grabbed the ringing phone from his nightstand.
He glanced at the caller ID—it was an unknown number. ’I swear, if this is a telemarketer selling insurance, I’m going to lose it,’ Lin Li thought.
"Hello?"
"Lin Li, good morning!" Zhang Yuxi greeted him as soon as the call connected. Noticing his voice was a bit groggy, she asked, "Oh, sorry, did I wake you?"
Lin Li listened to the voice on the phone. Having just woken up, his mind was still fuzzy, and he didn’t immediately recognize who the woman on the other end was.
It took him four or five seconds of hesitation before he finally recognized her.
"It’s fine, I was about to get up anyway..." Lin Li replied, even though he hadn’t had nearly enough sleep. He then asked, "Is there something you needed?"
"Um... are you free for lunch? I’d like to treat you to a meal." After explaining her reason for calling and extending the invitation, Zhang Yuxi felt a little nervous. She had invited Lin Li to eat before, and he had always refused.
Lin Li knew Zhang Yuxi was inviting him to a meal to thank him for saving her yesterday.
He thought for a moment and said, "It hasn’t been long since what happened yesterday. You should rest for a few days. We can have a meal after you’ve recovered."
Hearing this, Zhang Yuxi quickly replied, "I’m fine now! I slept all night, and my spirits have completely recovered."
Since Zhang Yuxi insisted, Lin Li didn’t try to persuade her further. "Alright. In that case, just text me the location for lunch later."
Hearing Lin Li accept her invitation, Zhang Yuxi hummed happily in agreement.
After ending the call, Lin Li locked his phone, placed it back on the nightstand, and prepared to go back to sleep for a little while longer.
Just then, his phone buzzed again. Lin Li picked it up and saw it was a text from Zhang Yuxi with the location of the restaurant for lunch.