In the span of a single morning, the Triad, from its assets and membership to its various branch operations, had been completely taken over by the Black God Cult. However, to prevent any spies from infiltrating the newly absorbed ranks, Yang Yi mandated that all former Triad members undergo a stringent re-screening process based on the Black God Cult's own strict rules and procedures.

This approach immediately caused a stir. Although some lower-ranking members struggled to adapt initially, the wages and benefits package issued by the Black God Cult were unprecedented, surpassing anything they had ever received or even dreamed of before.

Zhou Hu observed everything, astonishment mounting internally. He had never conceived of managing a gang this way; not only were the rules followed without resistance, but the organization was simultaneously expanding. To Zhou Hu, these developments seemed utterly unbelievable.

“Dragon Lord, here is the file on the Black Dragon Society,” Han Zhong said, handing a dossier to Yang Yi.

“En,” Yang Yi confirmed, taking the documents. “Now, use every resource to seize control of the entire Jiangsu Province immediately. You can mobilize manpower from City A as well. The goal is complete dominion as quickly as possible, to prevent any opportunistic outsiders from interfering.”

“Yes!” Han Zhong acknowledged.

At that very moment, the underworld across Huaxia was thrown into upheaval.

The Triad, one of the four major factions in the East, had been absorbed by another gang in a single day—and even more significantly, by the 'Black God Cult.' This particular faction was legendary in the Huaxia underworld, known as a group capable of creating miracles.

“Young Master Long!” A stunning beauty dressed in sharp professional attire approached. Wearing gold-rimmed glasses, she possessed a full figure, with exquisitely fair legs emphasized by her short skirt and a pair of profoundly captivating breasts. Her voice was both melodious and serious as she addressed the adolescent seated in the grand armchair.

“Hmm? What is it?” The youth called Young Master Long, whose name was Long Tian, was the leader of the Dragon Gang. At only twenty-eight, he was already capable of dominating the entire landscape.

Under his stewardship, the Dragon Gang flourished daily. In terms of management, performance, and sheer military strength, the Dragon Gang was on par with the Green Gang, another major power located in the South.

“The Triad is no more… This is the latest intelligence received!” The professional beauty adjusted her glasses and handed an intelligence report to Long Tian.

“Oh?” A cold shadow flickered in Long Tian’s eyes, though a faint smile played on his lips. He took the report and began reading. In moments, he seemed to discover something highly interesting, murmuring to himself, “Haha, fascinating, truly fascinating.”

The professional beauty habitually pushed up her gold-rimmed glasses. “Young Master Long, perhaps we should move to carve out a piece of that rich meat ourselves?”

“No need. It’s been a while since we encountered a truly interesting adversary. Let him grow a bit stronger first; otherwise, it won’t be much fun to play with,” Long Tian replied, his face suddenly alight with a mocking grin as he studied the intelligence. He appeared entirely unconcerned by the Triad’s absorption into the Black God Cult.

“But Young Master Long, if we don’t move, I fear the Green Gang and the Crown Prince Party from the North won’t hold back either,” the professional beauty asked, narrowing her eyes.

“Don’t worry about them; they aren't fools. We’ve long heard rumors that the Triad was secretly manipulated by the Black Dragon Society, and Zhou Hu was forced into compliance because his family was in their hands. Now that he’s made such a move, I’m genuinely curious to see how this Black God Cult handles things…”

“Watching the tigers fight from the mountain?” The professional beauty concluded with a sudden summary.

“Haha, whether we’re watching from the mountain depends on whether the Crown Prince Party and the Green Gang decide to act. However, I suspect they are watching us closely. If we don’t make a move, they certainly won’t either, because any aggression now risks plunging the Huaxia underworld into chaos. The one organization that stands to profit the most is that one,” Long Tian stated, a fierce glint entering his eyes as he spoke.

“Then, Young Master Long, should we currently wait and see, or…” the professional beauty inquired.

“For now, we wait and observe. But before that… immediately arrange for twenty men for me—men with a solid foundation in combat…”

“Yes, Young Master Long!” the beauty complied.

“Heh heh, these matters are like a piece of fine meat; how can it taste good without adding a little spice?” Long Tian chuckled darkly, rising to his feet and gesturing toward the intelligence report lying on the desk.

The professional beauty shuddered, her expression momentarily shifting before she regained control, habitually adjusting her golden glasses before walking toward the door.

Meanwhile, on the other side, still in the South, at the headquarters of the Green Gang.

“Leader, Leader, Leader!” A middle-aged man hurried toward the Green Gang Leader’s office, clutching a document.

“What is it?” A middle-aged man, appearing only slightly older than thirty, named Qing Long, the leader of the Green Gang—a rather stout man currently enjoying tea in his office—called out toward the door upon hearing the commotion.

“Leader, big news, huge news!” The middle-aged man reached Qing Long and thrust the document into his hands.

Qing Long frowned, glanced over the document a few times, and a sharp light suddenly flashed in his eyes. “Zhou Hu, Zhou Hu, I never expected you to pull this off. Haha, I truly didn’t expect it.”

“Leader, should we make a move now and grab a piece of the action?” the middle-aged man asked.

“Hmm, first, go prepare a file detailing the Black God Cult for me. Also, send people to monitor both the Dragon Gang and the Crown Prince Party. If they make any move, report back immediately,” Qing Long said with a cold sneer.

“Yes, I’ll go right away,” the middle-aged man responded before departing.

Not long after the middle-aged man left, another middle-aged man, Qing Long’s peer in status, entered, calling out, “Leader!”

“Ah, you’re here! An interesting event occurred today; would you care to see…” Qing Long tossed the document onto his desk and took a sip of the still-steaming hot tea.

The newcomer had a slender face but a remarkably powerful build. With a look of confusion, he approached the desk, picked up the document, and skimmed through it. Suddenly, his pupils contracted. “Leader, this is…”

“Exactly. The Huaxia underworld is likely on the verge of a massive upheaval,” Qing Long stated meaningfully.

“I can’t believe Zhou Hu did this. So, those previous rumors were true then?” the other man asked.

“Is that even a question? If they weren't true, why would Zhou Hu surrender his entire gang to someone else?” Qing Long replied, taking another sip of tea.

“It’s just that this Black God Cult… aren’t they a bit…” As the man mentioned the faction, his heart skipped a beat. ‘Black God Cult? I think I’ve heard those three words somewhere before?’ He struggled to recall the memory, but ultimately, nothing came to mind.

Qing Long merely smiled faintly. “I’ve already ordered someone to prepare a file on the Black God Cult. I’m also very curious when such a small faction managed to rise. However, I wonder if they can handle the Black Dragon Society. Haha—things are certainly getting more interesting.”

Indeed, as they speculated, once the Black God Cult took control of the Triad, they would face not only the predatory gazes of gangs from all directions but, more importantly, a direct confrontation with the Black Dragon Society, the Japanese organization hidden within Huaxia.

Snap—! A strange sound echoed from a desk as a grinning young man stared at the document he had just placed there.

“Boss, what is this… What’s wrong?” the two youths flanking him asked simultaneously.

The youth called Boss was, in fact, the paramount leader of the Crown Prince Party. At only twenty-five, he had become the Emperor of the Northern underworld, an absolute standout among his generation. His surname was Ling; given this, one might suspect a connection to the Ling family of the Huaxia Four Great Military Regions. While his exact ties remained unconfirmed, it was certain his background was far from simple.

The Dragon Gang and the Green Gang in the South could not compare to the power of the Crown Prince Party in the North. The South hosted two major factions, whereas the Crown Prince Party’s influence was uniformly spread across the entire North, earning their leader the title of Northern Underworld Emperor. Moreover, Ling Tian was not the only ‘Crown Prince’; the party was jointly ruled by three: Ling Tian, Mo Leng, and Fang Kai.

Their respective backgrounds could be summarized in just two words: ‘Complex.’

“Heh heh, Second Brother, Third Brother, come take a look. Something very interesting happened today over in the East with the Triad,” Ling Tian said, settling into his seat, lighting a cigar, and exhaling rings of smoke with an air of extreme ease.

“Oh?” Mo Leng and Fang Kai exchanged glances before approaching Ling Tian and slowly beginning to read the file.

“The Triad was swallowed up by someone else? Heh heh, certainly amusing,” Mo Leng sneered darkly.

“No, Second Brother, this is the decision the old man Zhou made because he didn’t want to be controlled by the Black Dragon Society anymore. It seems that old dog has finally run out of patience after playing the coward for so many years,” Fang Kai said with a mocking laugh.

“Yes, that’s true. But, Boss, what are you planning to do?” Mo Leng asked Ling Tian.

“We never had such grand ambitions to rule the entire Huaxia underworld. We’ve only ever intended to develop the Northern territories peacefully, which is why the Black Dragon Society dared not show their faces in our domain. This time, the Huaxia underworld is likely due for a cleansing, so we’ll adopt a policy of quiet observation. I’m certain the Green Gang and the Dragon Gang won’t be able to sit still for long. It’s only a matter of time before they attack. After all, the Black God Cult is a newly risen faction; based on the Dragon Gang’s and Green Gang’s strength, they should be able to eliminate the Black God Cult easily. If they truly dare to do so, heh heh…” Ling Tian’s expression grew increasingly sinister as he spoke.

“Haha, exactly! If the Dragon Gang and the Green Gang dare to make that move, they’ll be doing us a huge favor!” Mo Leng and Fang Kai both laughed, seemingly understanding precisely what Ling Tian meant.

“The winds are rising, hidden currents surge; in this vast world, who shall prevail? The true curtain call for the underworld is being raised by me. Come on, let the storm rage even fiercer!” Yang Yi stood on a balcony, gazing at the sky slowly approaching dusk, murmuring these words to himself.