What was that? Confronting a superpower with sheer physical force? "Hiss!" Fatty Lin's clothes tore in fragile shreds.

The bald black man flinched violently, releasing the hands locked with Fatty Lin. He leaped backward, his form blurring momentarily as he put distance between himself and Fatty Lin, staring at the man with utter disbelief.

"What, isn't your superpower very strong?" A strange smile touched Fatty Lin's lips. He finally understood the power of an esper's attack; while it caused a slight shock to his now Adamantine body, it couldn't truly harm him.

"Your body is actually this strong!" The bald black man couldn't believe it, his eyes reflecting confusion. He had used nearly his maximum output of psychic energy, yet it had only managed to tear Lin's clothing without inflicting even the slightest injury.

"Heh, I can still handle this level," Fatty Lin stated calmly.

"Incredible, truly incredible!" Leith Smark exclaimed, visibly astonished. After a pause, he turned to Yang Yi. "I didn't expect your subordinate to be this formidable. Rn was practically at his limit for psychic output, and he sustained absolutely no damage?"

"Heh, you flatter me!" Yang Yi chuckled, though internally he was amazed. Fatty Lin's Adamantine Body had reached a state of perfection; he was a figure tougher than a rampaging bull.

"Young Master... please forgive me, your subordinate has lost!" the bald black man suddenly declared to Smark.

"It's fine, you truly were no match for him." Smark stared intently at the spot where Fatty Lin had been struck by Rn’s attack. There was no injury there, only ripped fabric.

"Then perhaps Mr. Smark can now tell us your ultimate objective?" Yang Yi asked, the corner of his mouth curving upward as he glanced at him.

"YE~~!" Smark responded, then his expression sobered. "Actually, I wish to cooperate with you."

"Cooperate?" Yang Yi scoffed internally. As expected, I guessed correctly!

Indeed, before even arriving, Yang Yi had already suspected that Leith Smark hadn't come to cause trouble over a mere hundred million—a paltry sum to Yang Yi—even though Smark was an assassin, he was also the young master of a powerful drug cartel.

"I wonder what Mr. Smark desires to cooperate with me on?" Yang Yi inquired.

Smark glanced at Yang Yi, a flicker of amusement in his eyes. "Dear Yang, isn't that an obvious question?"

"Dear Yang? Damn it, this cursed effeminate manner again!" Yang Yi cursed inwardly. He knew this was a common affectation among the British, but he still found it somewhat distasteful, though he made no outward display of it.

"You want to collaborate on the drug trade with me?"

"Precisely. Are you interested?" Smark asked with a smile.

"I believe Mr. Smark lacks sincerity in this proposal. If you truly wished to cooperate, why the hesitation and timidity?" Yang Yi said, sneering inwardly. Having reviewed Smark's profile, he was certain the real purpose of summoning him tonight had nothing to do with drugs.

Hearing Yang Yi’s words, Smark paused, his expression momentarily stunned. He looked at Yang Yi, a wave of disheartened realization washing over him. He chuckled. "I suppose I underestimated you. You truly live up to your reputation as the Dragon Lord of the Black God Syndicate; you surpass the Dragon Lord of twenty years ago!"

"Heh, that sounds rather grating to my ears," Yang Yi replied with a casual laugh. He wasn't surprised Smark knew about the Black God Syndicate's leader from two decades past, merely watching him with great interest.

"N... that is my honest appraisal. I won't beat around the bush. My arrival in Huaxia is ostensibly to handle some affairs for my father, but in reality, I came to find you." As Smark said this, the smile that had been plastered on his face vanished, indicating his absolute seriousness.

"To find me?" Yang Yi frowned slightly, scrutinizing him intently.

"Yes, actually, I..." Smark slowly began to explain to Yang Yi.

It turned out that Leith Smark was indeed from a notorious, almost royal lineage of British drug lords. However, his family was in decline and held historical conflict with the official British Royal Family. Due to the machinations of the established Mafia, their family had been continually suppressed by other houses, including the Royal-aligned factions.

To counteract the relentless ambition of those who sought to eradicate the Leith family, they were forced to recruit widely, even engaging in trades and forming alliances with various international gangs to bolster their house's strength. Yet, because the British Mafia was dominated by factions loyal to the official Royal Family, many perceived alliances were superficial; beneath the surface, there was always a mutual self-interest, and those allies would never lift a finger to help if the Leith family faced annihilation the next day.

This was the dark reality: exploitation. Therefore, Smark’s trip to Huaxia wasn't just about the supposed cooperation previously discussed by the underworld; it was primarily for Yang Yi, as they had received intelligence that 'the Black God Syndicate, capable of ruling the entire underworld twenty years ago, has re-emerged.' This opportunity provided the perfect cover to seek out Yang Yi.

Of course, Smark hadn't initially realized that the supposed easy target he intended to prey upon was, in fact, the Dragon Lord of the Black God Syndicate—a detail he conveniently omitted.

"That is the situation. Mr. Yang, are you willing to cooperate with us?" Smark finished, looking earnestly at Yang Yi, as if demanding an immediate answer.

These matters truly could not be delayed any longer. If time dragged on, the Leith family might well be mysteriously wiped out.

"Mr. Smark, there is something I don't quite understand. Your family has significant influence in neighboring Vietnam and Myanmar in Asia. Are those forces insufficient to contend with the British Mafia aligned with the Royal Family?" Yang Yi questioned.

"It seems you know my family well. Indeed, we hold sway in those regions you mentioned. However, those are merely facades. Within our family structure, there are branches, and the influence you speak of belongs to a branch. My father recently received intelligence that these very branches have secretly colluded with the main Mafia," Smark revealed, a shadow of sorrow crossing his face.

It was understandable; imagine discovering that one's own wife was having an affair—it would surely bring sorrow. If Yang Yi were in that position, he’d grab a kitchen knife without hesitation. But the infighting within noble families involved mortal stakes, far removed from domestic infidelity.

Yang Yi pondered the explanation for a moment, grasping the essence of his predicament, yet one doubt remained. "Why choose me?"

"Because you are the Dragon Lord of the Black God Syndicate, and more importantly, you are the first person who has made me genuinely feel endangered," Smark stated, raising an eyebrow with stark seriousness.

"Hah!" Yang Yi burst into laughter. He wasn't an idiot; such a simplistic reason would never convince him.

"My Black God Syndicate now is vastly different from the one twenty years ago. Furthermore, on what grounds do you assume I would cooperate with you?" Yang Yi asked after his laughter subsided.

"For no specific reason other than that your current Black God Syndicate is weaker than it was twenty years ago. That is precisely why you must cooperate with us, because only then can the Black God Syndicate achieve global standing," Smark argued, sounding quite persuasive.

At least for the moment, Yang Yi felt a flicker of surprise and watched him narrowly.

Smark seemed to sense the shift and continued smoothly, "Currently, your Black God Syndicate focuses its operations within City A. But I believe it won't be long before you expand into Jiangsu Province, and then strive to establish a foothold among the major factions across Huaxia. Before achieving any of that, you will require substantial capital for operational liquidity. No matter how astonishing your development pace, it requires time—two years? Three? If it takes that long, Mr. Yang, you surely won't be patient, will you?"

Indeed, Yang Yi had entertained such thoughts previously. The growth of any faction was inextricably linked to funding, and the British Leith family was notoriously wealthy. Most crucially, the Black God Syndicate currently did need outside partnership, preferably with the wealthiest available—otherwise, it would take exactly as Smark suggested, two or three years to establish dominance in Jiangsu or even achieve parity with the major Huaxia syndicates. That timeline was a waste of precious opportunity.

"Do you assume I can only expand into Jiangsu Province by cooperating with you?" Yang Yi challenged, a smirk playing on his lips.

"No, Mr. Yang, you misunderstand. That is not my intention. I merely mean that if we cooperate and form an alliance, with the backing of the Leith family, you could swiftly dominate Jiangsu Province and secure a strong position among the major factions across Huaxia," Smark clarified, meeting Yang Yi's gaze.

"Oh—is that so?" Yang Yi watched him intently, his interest piqued.