"Damn it all!" Yang Yi glared at Xu Ming, but seeing the expressions of the others, he was utterly speechless.

After all, whether it was Ye Xiaohou and Fatty Lin, or even Han Zhong, they all wore expressions that confirmed it, leaving Yang Yi with nothing to say.

"Boss, you didn't actually let Yanran take care of that Secretary Liu just now, did you?" Xu Ming felt it was better to ask clearly, since Yang Yi was always full of surprises.

"I'm sure the Boss would do exactly that. For instance, I would too. After all, in this world, fewer enemies mean fewer troubles. Especially considering Secretary Liu just extorted five hundred million from the Boss," Ye Xiaohou commented.

Fatty Lin seemed less naive than the others. He glanced at the smile playing on Yang Yi's face before finally speaking, "Brother Yi, you didn't just wipe the slate clean, did you?"

"That's right. I dislike trouble, but trouble keeps coming to me. To cut this off, I don't mind killing a few more people. After all, in this world, if you don't kill others, others will kill you," Yang Yi said, a slight grin spreading across his lips.

Hearing this, none of the people present were fools; they understood Yang Yi's meaning. First, a feint using their own scheme, followed by pure extortion, and then a complete eradication—was this strategy a bit too ruthless and sinister?

Even if it was a bit ruthless and sinister, the matter was finally put to rest.

"Uncle Han... keep a close eye on the movements of the underworld elements. I sense that some people are starting to stir," Yang Yi said to Han Zhong.

"Yes, Dragon Lord!" Han Zhong replied.

Hearing Han Zhong call Yang Yi Dragon Lord, Fatty Lin and the others immediately became serious. They knew that Han Zhong addressing Yang Yi as such meant serious business was coming; this was no international joke.

"Brother Yi, are we about to start?" Fatty Lin asked Yang Yi.

"I'm afraid it won't be long now..." As Yang Yi spoke, while his expression seemed slightly eager, his heart carried a sliver of unease because that strange voice had returned in his sleep recently.

"When you feel your life is threatened, then come back and find me," a very eerie voice had been appearing in Yang Yi's mind with increasing frequency lately.

"Then we should also prepare ourselves, after all..."

Before he could finish his sentence, everyone suddenly felt the air convulse, growing suddenly cold. Their eyes involuntarily turned toward Yang Yi, only to see him looking completely dazed.

"Brother Yi—!" Fatty Lin called out softly.

"Boss..."

Ye Xiaohou and Xu Ming exchanged a look, both appearing deeply puzzled, and it wasn't just them; even Han Zhong was caught in the same bewilderment.

"Brother Yi—!"

"—Hmm?" Yang Yi seemed to snap back to attention and quickly responded.

"Brother Yi, what's wrong..."

"It's nothing, I'm fine!" Yang Yi quickly interrupted whatever Fatty Lin was about to ask next, then walked towards the door. As he walked, he said, "Why aren't you all leaving quickly? You'll be late otherwise."

"Oh!"

#####################

School had already started for two full weeks, and the atmosphere on campus was tense. After all, this was the final semester leading up to the College Entrance Examination, though that anxiety only applied to the seniors.

When Yang Yi returned to school, he simply offered his friends, including Fatty Lin, an excuse: he was feeling a bit restless and needed some quiet time, so he wouldn't attend the afternoon classes.

Wandering aimlessly around the school grounds, he eventually found himself by the large tree he used to favor. A wry, unreadable smile touched his lips as he sat down beside it, gazing at the calm surface of the small lake, sinking instantly into a daze.

"Child... child... when your life feels threatened, come back and find me."

"Child... child...."

"Ah—!" Yang Yi suddenly jerked, letting out a sharp, startled cry.

"Ah—!" A woman's voice suddenly cried out in alarm.

"Uh!" Yang Yi blinked open his eyes and glanced at the source of the shriek. "Xia Shiyun?"

"—Yes, why are you daydreaming here? And your complexion looks a bit pale; are you not feeling well?" Xia Shiyun had come to this spot to stretch her legs after finishing her elective class, bored. She hadn't expected to find Yang Yi slacking off, perhaps sleeping. Just as she was about to greet him, she was startled by his sudden shout, which nearly frightened her to death.

"Uh, no!" Yang Yi was momentarily stunned. Although he found that voice incredibly annoying, he still managed a smile and asked Xia Shiyun, "Long time no see. Don't you have classes today?"

"My classes finished earlier. I came out for some air because I felt restless. How about you?" Xia Shiyun looked at him and smiled.

"Heh heh, me too. Just felt restless, so I came out," Yang Yi thought that 'restless' was an understatement; his mind was utterly chaotic, which was why he was rambling so much right now.

Having a stunning beauty sit right next to him was undoubtedly a prime opportunity. Couldn't he seize the moment?

Xia Shiyun sensed Yang Yi's unease and her face flushed slightly. She asked, "Yang Yi, are you really alright?"

"Uh... I'm fine. By the way, did you have a good summer vacation?" Yang Yi quickly changed the subject. He certainly didn't want Xia Shiyun to realize he was on the verge of a breakdown.

As for what was breaking down, only Yang Yi himself could answer that.

"It was fine, quite fulfilling..." Xia Shiyun's words didn't quite match her tone.

Since Yang Yi had last eaten at her house, her father, Xia Tian, and her younger brother, Xia Yu, had been constantly urging her to invite Yang Yi over for dinner again. Today, she coincidentally had the chance, but her youthful shyness prevented her from saying it directly.

"Oh—!" Yang Yi responded dumbly.

"Um... Yang Yi... tonight..."

"Ding!" Yang Yi felt his senses returning. He glanced at the hesitant Xia Shiyun and thought to himself, Could it be she's asking me out tonight...? Heh heh! The previous feeling of awkwardness seemed to vanish, and a smile immediately spread across his lips as he asked, "What... what about tonight?"

"Actually... actually, it's like this: I don't know if you're free tonight. My dad asked me to invite you over for dinner." Xia Shiyun was incredibly shy. This was the first time she had asked a boy out, and she had been so direct; the blush on her face had spread all the way down to her neck.

"Heh heh, tonight?" Upon hearing this, Yang Yi felt a surge of joy. Looking at Xia Shiyun's delicate appearance, he suppressed the masculine stirrings within him and chuckled lightly.

"Yeah, are you free?" Xia Shiyun didn't dare meet Yang Yi's gaze directly; whenever their eyes met, she felt her limbs go weak—a feeling she had never experienced before.

"Sure, I happen to be free tonight," the 'certain someone' said this perhaps deliberately.

Tonight, he had clearly intended to return to the Black God Gang headquarters to discuss how to deal with the underworld elements. Yet now he claimed to be free. It seemed the handsome young man prioritized the beauty...

"That's great. I'll wait for you at the school gate after classes dismiss today," Xia Shiyun said with a gentle smile, then stood up.

Yang Yi watched Xia Shiyun rise, a strange glint flashing in his eyes, and responded, "Alright."

"Okay, I'll leave first then. See you later," Xia Shiyun said with a smile and turned to leave.

But not long after she was gone, Yang Yi muttered to himself, "Whew, it's truly unbearable. A beauty revealing herself! It's only been two months, and this girl's figure is getting better and better. Tonight will be interesting, hehe..."

"Gang Leader, everything is prepared. Do you plan to make a move tonight?" Zhao Qing asked Zhou Hu.

"Yes. First, tell me the current situation in City A," Zhou Hu stood before the floor-to-ceiling window, exuding an air of solitude.

Zhao Qing had sent men to scout City A over the past few days but hadn't gathered much information, only learning that the Black God Gang was expanding on a large scale, with their numbers growing rapidly. Because of this, he had to speak cautiously: "Gang Leader, I fear we have encountered a formidable enemy this time."

"Oh? How so?" Zhou Hu understood that any gang Zhao Qing would describe this way was not to be underestimated.

"According to the intelligence we gathered, the Black God Gang is indeed not a group to be trifled with. In terms of both growth speed and numbers, they have already surpassed us. Moreover, I heard they've divided their members into outer circle, junior, and senior ranks. The junior and senior ranks are clearly on a similar level to our own people. This time, things might actually be quite difficult," Zhao Qing said with a serious expression.

He had been deeply shaken when his informants reported back, even finding it hard to believe that the Black God Gang possessed such strength, but the evidence forced him to accept that the Black God Gang was rapidly gaining on his own underworld organization.

"It seems this is the result of their cooperation with the Laisser family... sigh..." Zhou Hu marveled inwardly. It was rare for a gang to rise so quickly within the Chinese underworld today. And if it weren't for matters concerning his child, he probably wouldn't have found himself opposing the Black God Gang.

"Old Zhao, what do you estimate our chances of winning this battle to be?" Zhou Hu asked.