"Uncle Han, is there something else?" Yang Yi naturally perceived this and inquired.

"It's about the Bing Jian Hui—?" Han Zhong did not finish his sentence, merely conveying a sense of wanting to know Yang Yi's arrangement.

"Heh, rest assured about that. On the surface, the Bing Jian Hui belongs to me now, but honestly, I haven't managed to fully control them. After all, these are remnants separated long ago; forcing them into our fold immediately would be tricky," Yang Yi admitted, feeling a knot of frustration hearing Han Zhong mention it. After two decades of evolution, most of the Bing Jian Hui members were new faces, but the management structure was not. The most vexing part was that the Bing Jian Hui’s strength was formidable, and he was reluctant to use the influence of the old man, as that would only exacerbate the situation.

"Dragon Lord, the Bing Jian Hui was split off from our Black God Gang's Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits and Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends back then. As a result, the Black God Gang is now left only with the Thirty-Six Heavenly Spirits, while the Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends were separated to form the Bing Jian Hui, expanding to what it is today. Using brute force will only make matters worse!" Han Zhong stated, frowning. In essence, twenty years ago, the Bing Jian Hui were subordinates of the Black God Gang, and they remained so today. However, without a strategy combining soft and hard tactics, it risked sparking fratricidal conflict among the brothers.

"Don't worry about that; I already have a plan. I’ll deal with the Bing Jian Hui matters after this examination period is over," Yang Yi smiled faintly, though a lingering, unidentifiable feeling persisted in his mind. Not wanting to elaborate further, he glanced at the time and realized it was nearly time for him to leave for another engagement. "Alright, you all go about your business!"

"Yes!" the three acknowledged.

Meanwhile, on the other side.

"Crack!" A heavily ornamented door swung open. A woman, heavily made up with striking attire and holding a small clutch bag, walked in. Seeing only a Filipino maid cleaning, and not the person she most wanted to see, she inquired, "Are the Master and Young Master not back yet?"

"No, Madam," the Filipino maid replied respectfully.

"This child stays out playing so late every day. If he returns late tonight, he’ll get an earful again," the woman murmured, her face filled with doting affection. This woman was Zhou Ling, the wife of the A City Police Chief—a figure of considerable standing. She had just returned from playing thirty-eight rounds of mahjong.

Not long after her return, the grand, ornate door opened once more. Indeed, the Police Chief’s home was excessively lavish. It seemed this official was corrupt; how else could he afford such ornamentation? The state regulated the monthly salary for every official, yet the Chief’s residence was far from modest, confirming what the man who once told Yang Yi he was an influential figure had implied. But one could hardly blame him; as the saying went, those who do not hoard power are rarely officials, and officials are almost always hoarders.

"You're back!" the woman exclaimed in a delicate voice upon seeing the person enter.

"Mmm," the entrant was undoubtedly Ling Shan, the A City Police Chief. He tucked his briefcase under his arm, glanced around the room, and his expression instantly turned cold.

The woman immediately understood his train of thought and quickly spoke up, "Heh heh, Xiao Bin went to a classmate’s place today, so he might be a little late coming back, but he should be here soon."

"Hmph, playing at a classmate’s house? All he knows is play. You, with your constant indulgence, will be the death of him sooner or later," Ling Shan scoffed, tossing his briefcase onto a side table before sinking onto the sofa.

The woman seemed utterly unable to offer a rebuttal, merely sitting beside him and feigning a pout. "He’s just a child, why must you always get so angry with him?"

"You..." Ling Shan was filled with exasperation. His wife indeed spoiled and indulged that brat too much; it would surely harm him eventually.

"Alright, alright. By the way, why are you back so late today?" the woman asked, seemingly trying to change the subject.

"Sigh, there was a petroleum explosion incident in a derelict area in the suburbs of A City today. I just finished handling it, so I’m late. Enough about that; I need to clean up; I’m drenched in sweaty grime." Ling Shan knew his wife was attempting to divert the conversation to prevent him from scolding their son upon his return.

The woman smiled faintly, picking up a newspaper from the table. The top headline read: "Petroleum Explosion in A City Suburb; No Casualties Reported Yet; Further Details Await Police Investigation." Reading this, the woman suddenly paused inexplicably, then let out a casual smile, murmuring to herself, "A petroleum explosion? Hmph, boring stuff." She tossed the paper back onto the table and walked toward the rooms.

"Mom, it’s really nothing. He’s just a classmate from my school; don't jump to conclusions!" Xia Shiyun's face was flushed crimson, but she was still meticulously focused on preparing some dishes.

Beside her was Xia Shiyun’s mother, who said softly, "Haha, child, why are you so shy? You’re grown up now; it’s time to find a boyfriend to add some spice to your life, otherwise..."

"Stop it, Mom, please stop talking! Look, the soup is about to boil over!" Xia Shiyun admonished.

"Alright, alright, I won't say another word. You are truly something else, child!"

"Mom, you’re still saying it?" Xia Shiyun was utterly speechless. Since returning home, far from remembering the day's events, they had relentlessly questioned her about Yang Yi—boyfriends, men, and so on. This constant teasing left Xia Shiyun deeply embarrassed.

"What are you talking about?" Xia Shiyun’s father, Xia Tian, stood at the kitchen doorway, watching his wife and daughter with a smile.

"Dad, Dad, I know, I know what Mom and Big Sister are talking about." Even the youngest, Xia Yu, chimed in.

"Xiao Yu," Xia Shiyun pretended to be angry. "Did you finish your homework today?"

"Big Sister, relax! Your little brother is currently raising the banner of righteousness in the direction of farming; the mission is long accomplished," Xia Yu declared with enthusiasm.

"Haha, haha!" Hearing this, the three of them burst into laughter.

Being together as a family—that was what mattered: happiness, and the ability to remain together, regardless of poverty or wealth. This, perhaps, was the definition of simple happiness.

[Everyone can guess: If Yang Yi were to [text obscured in original] now, who would he push down first? Prizes for the correct guess! I’ve already laid out the suspense earlier, take a guess, hehe!]

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