“Alright, my task here is complete. You can head back now; I don’t need to give you a ride, right?” Li Han said with a faint smile.

Yang Yi glanced at him and asked, “Your identity is quite special; even the Bureau Chief of A City shows you deference.”

“Correct. Since you already understand, I won’t say more. I need to return and report back!” Li Han felt a surge of shock internally. He was unnerved by the youth before him, mocking himself internally. This young man is dangerously sharp. It seems the Vice Chairman had his reasons for sending me to assist him. Heh, I didn’t expect to see someone younger than myself possess such intelligence after all these years.

Yang Yi was unaware of Li Han’s inner thoughts. Seeing the man’s hurried departure, he understood perfectly that the youth was eager to leave, fearing Yang Yi might pry further information out of him. A faint smile touched Yang Yi’s lips, and he paid the retreating figure no mind, though a certain level of interest and curiosity about some matters remained piqued.

“Is that Brother Yi?” Fatty Lin asked immediately after Feng Shi hung up the phone.

“No, it’s the person who helped us. He said the Young Master is already out and should be on his way back now,” Feng Shi said with a relaxed smile, a significant portion of his anxiety dissolving.

“That’s a relief. Let’s go tell Li Qian; she’s worried sick,” Fatty Lin exhaled, feeling much lighter. Just moments ago, he had been contemplating taking his contingent of Black God Guards and storming the police station if Yang Yi hadn't been released by nightfall. Clearly, Fatty Lin had prepared for the worst-case scenario. If he had actually charged into the station with the Black God Guards, the situation would have escalated severely, potentially leading to consequences beyond imagining.

At that moment, Yang Yi arrived at a convenience store. He patted his pocket, found a coin, dropped it into a payphone, and dialed a few numbers. “I’m fine. I’m on the street now. Don’t come to pick me up yet; tell Li Qian to go back first. I want to walk around alone.”

“Yes!” Feng Shi’s voice came through the receiver.

Hanging up, Yang Yi stepped out of the phone booth. He looked up at the bright midday sky and took a deep breath. “Perhaps I’ve been too busy lately. It’s been so long since I felt this sudden sense of ease. Yes, I’ll take a walk first.”

######### In a luxurious villa, a foreign young man sat on the sofa in the grand hall, looking entirely composed and pleased with himself. He squinted, raising a glass of ruby-red wine, occasionally watching the sunlight stream through the window, and taking small sips. He seemed utterly devoted to the vintage liquid.

It was perhaps inevitable. Having grown up in England and been cultivated within the aristocratic lineages of Roman royalty, such figures invariably possess a special reverence for fine wine. Sometimes, a bottle of rare, aged Bordeaux held more sway over their hearts than even the most astonishingly beautiful woman, who, for someone of that royal lineage, would be as easily obtainable as one wished.

Perhaps influenced by the wine, a flicker of scarlet occasionally danced in his eyes before returning to their vibrant blue. However, upon closer inspection, one might perceive a subtle, flame-like substance within his gaze. If an expert in such matters were present, their jaw would surely drop in astonishment—was this not an 'Esper'?

“Young Master!” A voice suddenly reached the foreign youth’s ears.

The foreigner flicked his gaze toward his servant and said calmly, “Rn, you’ve kept me waiting. How has the situation progressed?”

“The organization has agreed to our terms and will expedite the progress of our cooperation,” the servant, a bald black man, replied. His face was utterly placid, as still and deep as a stagnant pool, as if nothing could stir his expression.

It is often precisely this type of person who is most dangerous. After all, a person who appears devoid of the normal spectrum of human joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure—what manner of existence is that? And if such a being possesses capability, how perilous must they be?

“Hmm, as anticipated. It seems the organization is indeed somewhat interesting,” the foreign youth murmured, taking another sip of wine with a smile. “By the way, how did the other matter turn out?”

“It has been thoroughly investigated. Does the Young Master require me to take action, or perhaps…” The bald black man’s eyes flashed with a hint of bloodlust as he inquired.

“First, tell me his background data. If it’s not stimulating, the hundred million won't be worth the trouble for me,” the foreign youth’s lips curved into a heavy, playful smirk.

“YE… According to the records, his real name is Yang Yi, a student at A City No. 1 High School, eighteen years old, and recently involved closely with the Black God Gang…”

“Wait, the Black God Gang?” The foreign youth’s eyes gleamed with an eerie light upon hearing the name. He suddenly laughed. “The Black God Gang. I seem to recall that name from a long time ago.”

“Young Master, shall I investigate further?” the bald black man asked.

“No need. Just based on those three words, Black God Gang, he warrants my personal attention. Prepare the car; we’re going to A City tonight,” the foreign youth declared, draining the last of his wine before setting the glass down and ascending the stairs.

“YE!” the bald black man responded, briefly glancing over the file, muttering to himself, “Black God Gang? I think I’ve heard that name somewhere too!”

############## The night air seemed unusually crisp. Under such weather, it felt as if the energy was even more potent, drawing social youths and young couples towards establishments like bars. With the holiday period underway, every bar and internet cafe was completely packed.

The Black God Gang’s overall influence had expanded to encompass all of A City. All minor gangs and factions had vanished; what remained were the core members and a vast network of peripheral affiliates. Both junior and senior gang members had already entered training, and the pace of their progress was exceptionally rapid.

Glancing out the window at the traffic flowing below, Yang Yi turned back to Han Zhong and asked, “When will the Entertainment Headquarters be completed?”

“It will likely take a few more days. We are rushing construction day and night right now!” Han Zhong understood that A City was a hub of commercial activity. The flow of people during the day and night here was more than triple that of other cities—this was the source of massive profit.

“Good. Speed it up as much as possible!” Yang Yi said faintly, his eyes narrowed.

“Yes!” Han Zhong acknowledged.

“Right, are there any developments from the Jiangsu Province area recently?” Yang Yi inquired.

“There are. Recently, large numbers of outsiders have been pouring in from Jiangsu Province. Moreover, most of them are unfamiliar faces, easily identifiable by their accents as non-A City natives,” Han Zhong reported based on intelligence received through their network.

“Oh? It seems they are beginning to take notice of us as well. In that case, we must be even more vigilant to prevent any unforeseen incidents,” Yang Yi smiled faintly. He was well aware that the current iteration of the Black God Gang was not ready to confront major forces like that established organization; they needed more time, especially while training was still ongoing.

“Understood.”

“Also, tighten the screening process for junior and senior members. Any who meet the qualification standards should be immediately assigned posts. We cannot afford to waste any more time.”

“Understood!”

Just as Yang Yi and Han Zhong concluded their discussion, the office door was suddenly thrown open. Fatty Lin, who was gaining his first real experience managing things, walked in and reported to Yang Yi, “Brother Yi, there’s a foreigner downstairs who claims he needs to discuss something with you!”

“A foreigner?” Yang Yi frowned. Without overthinking, he instructed Han Zhong, “Go down and oversee things for now. Remember the requirements I set earlier—do not waste a single resource, and keep the area free of distractions!”

“Yes.” Han Zhong fully grasped the critical nature of the situation; haphazard management could cause this commercial project to slowly erode, especially since they were only just gaining traction.

“What is his name?” Yang Yi asked Fatty Lin.

“I don’t know, I didn’t ask. But he looked very strange, which is why I came up to find you,” Fatty Lin said, rubbing the back of his head.

“Is that him?” Yang Yi asked, standing at the railing on the third floor landing.

“That’s the one!” Fatty Lin pointed toward the first floor, where the foreigner sat at a small booth.

Yang Yi followed the indicated direction. The first glance registered: bizarre. The second: dangerous. The third: suspicious.

The man had a head of golden hair, blue eyes, and a handsome face etched with unconcealed aristocratic bearing. His every movement betrayed an effortless grace. It was immediately clear he was a British man of foreign descent. An American, for instance, would seldom possess such aristocratic features. Looking at the other man, the bald black one, his expression was like that dead pool of water, yet his eyes were intensely sharp, completely unaffected by the loud noise emanating from the dance hall.

“He asked for me by name specifically?” Yang Yi asked, his expression becoming grave after his observation.

“Yes… Brother Yi, do you think they might be…?” Fatty Lin expressed some apprehension; both individuals gave him a profoundly perilous feeling.

“I don’t know. Come down with me!” Yang Yi said, then turned and headed downstairs.

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