Hearing Yang Yi’s question, Ye Xiaohou and Xu Ming exchanged a look, as if they had read each other’s minds and understood the source of their apprehension. “Boss, the Black God Gang has already expanded to a national level.

I trust you are fully aware that other major factions across Huaxia will surely be targeting us. Please keep that in mind,” Xu Ming stated calmly.

“Yes... Boss, we’ve heard whispers about national-level triads.

Take the Northern Crown Prince Party, for instance. The three Crown Princes are outstanding figures among the younger generation.

Our fathers often compare them to us, and those three have extremely powerful backing,” Ye Xiaohou added, glancing at Yang Yi. A three-minute silence fell over the car’s occupants.

Even the usually boisterous Fatty Lin was subdued. Feng Shi, who was driving, had a cold glint flickering in her eyes, though what she was thinking remained unclear.

Li Qian, however, maintained her gentle smile. She seemed to have some prior knowledge of these matters.

Having spent years by her grandfather’s side, the young mistress of the Ice Mirror Society knew a thing or two about the Huaxia underworld, but now she merely smiled without interjecting. In truth, she felt Yang Yi knew no less than she did, which gave her another small glimpse into his true nature.

Ye Xiaohou and Xu Ming stared at Yang Yi for a full three minutes. When he suddenly smiled at them, a strange unease settled in their stomachs.

“Boss, what are you laughing at?” they asked in disbelief. “I’m laughing at you two...

laughing at how foolish you both are!” Yang Yi chuckled lightly, glancing at them before continuing, “I know what you’re worried about, and you are correct. Once the Black God Gang becomes a national entity, the conflicts will no longer be simple gang disputes.

I understand that. As for those heavily backed figures you mentioned, I’ve looked into them too.

Indeed, the backgrounds of those three from the Northern Crown Prince Party are formidable; they are heirs to military regions, the uncrowned kings of the northern underworld, and their cunning is no less than that of veteran operative Saber. However, the underworld is the underworld; you cannot compare it directly to the military.” As Yang Yi pointed out, the underworld was distinct from the military.

If the military had machine guns, the underworld had its own means; if the military commanded armies, the underworld had men unafraid to die. The military might eliminate a gang through overt means, but the underworld could employ shadowy schemes to kill them off.

This was the essence of righteousness versus evil, black versus white—they could not be discussed as equals. Having powerful connections certainly offered some advantages, but at times, having connections that were too strong could become a major headache, depending entirely on how one managed them.

Ye Xiaohou and Xu Ming both nodded, clearly grasping Yang Yi’s meaning. The worry that had gripped them began to subside.

“Haha!” “As expected of our Boss!” Xu Ming suddenly burst into loud laughter. “Exactly, exactly!

The Boss is the Boss,” Ye Xiaohou chimed in, puffing up with pride. Yang Yi gave them a look of mock exasperation.

“Stop showing off, you two. We’re probably going to be very busy from now on...” “True, but Boss, those ninjas today belonged to the Black Dragon Society.

What’s your plan? We can’t afford to stay reactive, can we?” Xu Ming inquired.

“Heh, I have my own way of dealing with the Black Dragon Society. Since they are now resorting to any means necessary to achieve their goals, attempting to seize those close to me as leverage, why should I let them have an easy time?” Yang Yi said, a chilling smirk playing on his lips.

For the moment, Yang Yi felt little concern for Xia Shiyun, as he had already dispatched several powerful Black God Guards to monitor her school. With Li Qian by his side, he could now focus entirely on the Black Dragon Society.

######################## That evening, in the basement of the Black Dragon Society headquarters, a middle-aged man stood with a dark expression, radiating a terrifying, icy aura. “You’re telling me all ten of the operatives sent out have failed?” The Black Lord asked the middle-aged man standing before him, his face grim.

“Yes…” “And my son failed too?” The Black Lord jolted, his voice hoarse with strain as he asked. “Yes…” “What exactly happened?” “The ten Shadows and Young Master Hei were discovered by the enemy while executing the mission in City A!” The middle-aged man trembled slightly; merely standing before the Black Lord and enduring that chilling aura was enough to strip away any sense of comfort.

“Baka!” “Baka!” “Baka!” “Slap!” “Slap!” “Slap!” Tears welled in the Black Lord’s eyes. He advanced toward the middle-aged man, screaming profanities with every strike he landed.

The sheer extent of the Black Lord’s grief was evident, yet the middle-aged man was truly unlucky—serving as a punching bag for his superior. In fairness, one couldn’t entirely blame the Black Lord; his own son was among the fallen Shadows.

Furthermore, the subordinate dared not resist; he was just that, a subordinate, essentially an enforcer. The Black Lord could treat him however he wished, even kill him outright.

“Get out!” The Black Lord took a deep, ragged breath, seemingly attempting to suppress the pain in his heart, and roared. “Yes!” The middle-aged man withdrew instantly, breathing a profound sigh of relief internally.

If the Black Lord had succumbed to madness, his own life would have been forfeit. “Taro… Taro!” “The Black God Gang, Yang Yi… Argh!” The Black Lord muttered his son’s name a few times, then spun around with a fierce roar, slamming his palm down onto the table before him.

“Crack!” “Bang!” The entire table warped under the force of his strike, shattering into pieces that scattered across the floor. While it hadn't disintegrated into legendary dust, the power behind that single blow was sufficient to destroy the furniture, confirming that he was undoubtedly a master.

“Taro, it’s all my fault, my fault. If I hadn't sent you into City A prematurely, this wouldn't have happened today.

Taro, rest assured, your father will avenge you. I will personally take Yang Yi’s head as an offering for you,” the Black Lord murmured coldly, maintaining that icy aura, now laced with a pure, concentrated hatred that made the chill even deeper.

“Someone!” “Yes!” The middle-aged man rushed back in response to the summons. “Assemble everyone immediately.

We move out tonight!” The Black Lord closed his eyes, forcefully controlling his emotions, and commanded. “Yes!” The middle-aged man acknowledged and left.

While these events unfolded on his side, far away in R Country… In a courtyard, an elderly man clad in a flowing black kimono, his hair tied in a small topknot, a thin black beard connecting his nose to his upper lip, sat kneeling before a low table. He appeared stern, perhaps in his early fifties.

Before him were several tea implements, which he handled with meticulous care while pouring tea, showing deep respect for the Japanese tea ceremony. Simultaneously, a black silhouette materialized not far from him, just outside the courtyard edge, kneeling and calling out, “My Lord!” “Oh?

What is it?” the elder asked, seeing the sudden appearance of the shadow. “Lord Black seems to have encountered a worthy opponent,” the shadow reported.

“Oh?” The elder hummed, continuing to pour his tea with the same serious demeanor. After a moment of contemplation, he asked, “Who is this opponent?” “It is the newly rising faction, the Black God Gang,” the shadow replied.

“The Black God Gang?” The elder seemed to recognize the name, but after a slight frown, he said no more. “My Lord, should we dispatch some support for Lord Black?” the shadow asked.

“If that minor matter is something Lord Black cannot handle, does he deserve the position of Black Lord?” The elder spoke only these words before rising. After a pause, he continued, “Deliver a message to Lord Black: we are not the Yakuza.

If he cannot establish a foothold in Huaxia, why did we send him there in the first place?” “Yes…” The shadow acknowledged and vanished. The elder’s face remained severe, yet a flicker of something subtly sinister crossed his eyes, undetectable to others.

He murmured to himself, “The Black God Gang, you say? It’s been a long time since I heard news of them—nearly twenty years?

I wonder if the current Black God Gang possesses the same strength as they did two decades ago?” In truth, he was not entirely certain of the Black God Gang’s current power. While their former influence in City A twenty years prior was known, their true strength then was vastly different from their current reality.

However, the Black God Gang now was drastically altered, not only due to incorporating various underworld elements but also because of the passage of time; their numbers of both low and high-ranking members were steadily increasing at a pace this R Countryman could not possibly fathom. The implication behind his parting statement—‘We are not the Yakuza’—was something only the Black Lord, currently in Jiangsu, China, would truly grasp later.

It likely meant he should fight the Black God Gang with everything he had, seizing the opportunity to finally establish a firm base in Huaxia.