Hearing that name instantly set off a flurry of chatter below, though it was strictly talk.

"Could it be... could Zhou Hu have gone to the Black God Gang last night?" Zhao Qing was completely blindsided by what was unfolding today, but he couldn't help asking, "Gang Leader, he's our enemy, why...?"

"Yeah, yeah! Gang Leader, what exactly is going on here?" Hearing Zhao Qing speak up, the others immediately turned to Zhou Hu with their questions.

Zhou Hu glanced at them, then exchanged a look with Yang Yi. Seeing Yang Yi nod, he immediately adopted a grave expression and announced, "Fine, I'll tell you all. Starting today, our 'Black Society' will vanish from the underworld. We will be incorporated under the banner of the Black God Gang."

"What?" A group stared at Zhou Hu in horror, their disbelief palpable.

Indeed, such unexpectedly staggering news caused a collective stunned silence. Some couldn't even process if they were dreaming. The 'Black Society,' one of the four major factions in Huaxia, was submitting to another faction, becoming their underlings?

Was this some international joke? Yet, looking at Zhou Hu's solemn expression, it didn't seem like one. There had to be a reason.

At this point, a gang member at the central command level inquired, "Gang Leader, why? Why are we submitting to the Black God Gang? For what reason?"

"You ask me why?" Zhou Hu sneered. Half of the people present weren't the brothers he started with back in the day. Did they really need to ask why?

"I absolutely disagree! Gang Leader, the achievements we painstakingly built are about to fall into someone else's hands. No matter what you do, I, Zhao Qing, will never agree!" Zhao Qing's face twisted into a grim mask as he spoke, his heart already turning cold towards Zhou Hu.

"Right—Gang Leader, we disagree too." While half the group remained deep in thought, the other half had already raised their hands in protest, revealing themselves as Zhao Qing's loyalists.

Smack...!

Zhou Hu slammed his hand on the table and let out a cold snort. "Hmph, who runs this gang—me, or all of you?"

"This..." The group fell silent.

Yang Yi had been sitting on the side, observing everything with cold detachment, his signature rogue smile plastered on his face. However, his eyes occasionally flickered towards Zhao Qing. For the first time, Yang Yi sensed an aura about this man, distinct from the usual martial artists. Even if Zhao Qing hid it deeply, Yang Yi felt certain that he was no simple figure.

"Actually, I understand your feelings perfectly. You are unwilling, and undoubtedly confused, as to why I would hand over our life's work so easily to outsiders. But have you ever considered what I am doing this for? Over the years, regarding the 'Black Society's' trajectory and operational management, I believe you all understand, especially Old Zhao... no... should I call you Yamamoto Keiichi!"

Buzz—! Upon hearing his true name, Zhao Qing's mind went momentarily blank. He inwardly fretted, Could it be he knew all along?

"Hmph, you never expected me to know your real name, Mr. Yamamoto?" Zhou Hu gazed coldly at Yamamoto Keiichi, who was Zhao Qing.

Among the assembled members, half stared blankly at Zhao Qing (Yamamoto Keiichi), while the other half felt a chilling dread creep into their hearts, cold sweat beading on their foreheads.

Yang Yi saw all of this, and Zhou Hu saw it too, but today he was prepared for any desperate struggle, fearing nothing.

"Hahahaha... hahahaha!" Zhao Qing suddenly burst into laughter. He glanced at Zhou Hu, who was fixed on him, and said coldly, "When did you find out?"

"Hmph, there are no eternal fools in this world. Did you truly think I wouldn't discover it?" Zhou Hu felt a complex surge of emotion. If this man hadn't been from Country R, Zhou Hu might have considered letting him go with a warning. But knowing he was Japanese enraged him deeply.

After all, given the history, the past, or even the present circumstances, no Huaxia person held anything but bitter hatred for the people of Country R. Even if this was an era of peace, even an era dictated by profit, a deep seed of hatred had been sown in the hearts of Huaxia people toward the Japanese.

It was said that a Huaxia man might admit that if he encountered two beggars on the street—one Chinese, one Japanese—and he had ten yuan, he would give it to the Chinese first. For the Japanese, he might not only refuse but might even kick him while he was down. The reason? Simply because he was Japanese.

"I didn't expect this. In the end, I underestimated you." Zhao Qing's nerves were now taut; every cell in his body seemed to be drawing breath. A strange, eerie smile played on his lips as he said, "Now that you've done this, aren't you afraid you'll never see your son again?"

The moment Zhao Qing finished speaking, about half of the gang members present immediately moved behind him, indicating that a standoff had clearly been reached.

"Hmph, don't use my son to threaten me. That's been enough over the years." When Zhou Hu heard his son mentioned, genuine fury flashed across his face.

Yang Yi judged that things were progressing along the usual tiresome lines; he was already disgusted, despite this being his first viewing of such an internal gang conflict. He stood up, narrowed his eyes, and surveyed the remaining gang members. "It’s very clear now. Are you willing to follow Gang Leader Zhou and integrate into my Black God Gang, or follow this Japanese man (little Nippon)?"

"Hmph, do you think you still have the right to speak now?" Zhao Qing scoffed, suddenly raising his hand and clapping once.

—Swish—! A crisp, loud, and chaotic sound echoed toward them.

—Tap!—Clack!— A group of men in black, armed with long rifles, some carrying A-47s—it was clear Zhao Qing had prepared thoroughly.

"Yo ho?" Yang Yi glanced at these men. Instead of contemplating how to defend, a mischievous thought sparked in his mind. "Firearms, huh? It seems the Black God Gang needs to acquire some machine guns too, hehe!"

Indeed, up until this point, the Black God Gang had no heavy weaponry like machine guns, only the Black God Guards, who carried daggers and handguns. While they weren't afraid of a few bullets, if dozens, or hundreds, of guns were aimed at them, damn, wouldn't they turn into a pincushion?

"Tell me, little Mr. Nippon, how do you plan to deal with us?"

Hearing this, not only did Zhou Hu’s face stiffen, but Zhao Qing and his cohort also froze, staring blankly at Yang Yi. They looked at the smile on his face—though he was smiling, the expression was unsettlingly strange, utterly devoid of fear or tension.

"Baka, is this guy just posturing? No, that can't be right. If he can sit in the Dragon Lord position of the Black God Gang, he must be formidable." Zhao Qing remained cautious, narrowing his eyes at Yang Yi. "Hmph... Of course, I'll eliminate all of you. Otherwise, how can I become the leader of the 'Black Society'?"

"Oh, so you wanted to be the leader of the 'Black Society' all along? Since you've already succeeded, why haven't you given the order yet?" Yang Yi continued to probe with a placid smile.

"What do you mean?" Zhao Qing wasn't entirely foolish; Yang Yi's provocation didn't seem to be working on him. Anyone else might have already given the command, resulting in the sound of machine guns.

"Hehe, you're still hesitant, thinking I'm just putting on a show?" Yang Yi casually waved his hand, his expression suddenly turning frigid. A chilling aura emanated from him as he called out toward the door, "Black God Guards, obey my order! Clear out this trash holding machine guns. Of course, we'll keep the guns for our own use later."

Whoosh—Whoosh!

The sound was strangely muted, but the figures were incredibly fast. Before Zhao Qing, or even Zhou Hu, and certainly before the black-clad men holding the rifles could react, a cold sensation swept across their necks—hiss! A swift stroke, clean and without hesitation. Each Black God Guard dragged the eliminated man backward, then promptly picked up the machine gun and aimed it at Zhao Qing and his group.

Breathing sounds were clearly audible; heartbeats were distinct.

"Who are these people? Monsters?" Zhou Hu was internally horrified. He had recognized the Black God Guards as experts the night before, but he hadn't expected them to be this terrifying—killing without the slightest flicker of emotion, their actions swift, as if murder were utterly trivial to them.

"Can Shadow counter them?" This was Zhao Qing's first thought. He could see the speed of these men, and if their subordinates were this formidable, what about their master? His gaze trembled slightly as he looked at Yang Yi.

"Well? What are you planning to do now?" Yang Yi asked with a smile.

Meanwhile, the 'Black Society' members trailing Zhao Qing were utterly stunned, standing motionless. They felt as if they had witnessed a supernatural event unfolding in reality. They couldn't believe who these people were.

It wasn't just them; the other central command members of the 'Black Society' who hadn't yet made a decision were also slack-jawed, staring intently at the Black God Guards whose faces were masks of icy calm. A spark of excitement and fervor ignited in their eyes.

It couldn't be denied: most people operating in the underworld sought to follow someone stronger than themselves—not just stronger, but overwhelmingly powerful—as that was the only path forward. Undoubtedly, at this very moment, these remaining central-level members had determined their allegiance.