"Hmph!" Long Yi was momentarily stunned, and a moment later, his smile grew even warmer. "Sell off everything immediately, drive the price down to the absolute lowest, and comprehensively acquire everything under the Nakagawa Group..." "Yes!" The assembled senior gang members responded with palpable excitement.

Instantly—a massive wave swept across Shanghai. Nakagawa Group Incorporated had been completely routed by an unknown force.

Consequently, every major television station, every newspaper, and even the radio broadcasts were filled with news about it. "To all the viewers in Shanghai, I now bring you a breaking report: the Nakagawa Group, which pioneered the corporate path introduced from Japan into our nation, officially announced at exactly three o'clock this afternoon that it has completely divested, selling off its remaining ten percent stake at a low price to a mysterious, unidentified entity.

Our official channels have also received secret word that after four o'clock this afternoon, someone will arrive to comprehensively acquire all assets under the Nakagawa Group!" "The Nakagawa Group has controlled half of Shanghai's economic lifeline for years; today, it becomes history. Whoever even Chief Fujimi Nakagawa couldn't handle must truly be extraordinary.

Good thing I was sharp enough this time!" A middle-aged man said, sitting in his chair, sipping a cup of coffee with a smile playing on his lips. "Director, what should we do now!

If the Nakagawa Group changes hands, our cooperation goes up in smoke. Should we perhaps..." a female secretary asked the middle-aged man, holding a folder of black-bound documents.

"No need to rush. It won't be too late to act once that force shows its true colors." The middle-aged man was the director of a certain commercial bank, the very one Chief Fujimi Nakagawa had called earlier.

Even a blind man could tell that the director was currently enjoying a vacation, right? However, on the other side, mirroring his situation, this was the residence of the Shanghai Public Security Bureau Chief.

A burly man wearing dark sunglasses sat on the sofa. Shanghai Public Security Bureau Chief Zhou Bo was watching the news, beads of cold sweat covering his face.

"Hmph, the task is accomplished. Since things are settled, I shall take my leave and report back.

Director Zhou, I hope you will be more careful in your future conduct. There is no need to offend people you cannot afford to cross." The burly man stood up, preparing to depart.

"Yes, your subordinate understands! Please convey my respects to the Commander-in-Chief on my behalf!" Director Zhou said, drenched in cold sweat.

He had originally intended to help Fujimi Nakagawa, given the significant benefits involved. But the moment that voice echoed over the phone line, the sudden appearance of the burly man had nearly scared Director Zhou into wetting himself.

The Commander of the Southern Military Region, the highest authority in the region, holding a rank among the Generals—this level of authority was far beyond Director Zhou's. Furthermore, the burly man, upon entering, had immediately presented Director Zhou with a notebook designated for Major Generals.

This sight nearly drove Director Zhou to hide under the bed, for these were the military, and a Major General at that, several ranks above a mere municipal bureau chief. One careless word from him could end Zhou’s life, so Director Zhou complied fully with the burly man's directives.

"You need not worry about that point. As long as you diligently perform your duties, I trust you will encounter no trouble," the burly man sneered slightly, the very tip of his toes aware of Director Zhou's desperate attempt to forge connections.

"Yes, yes!" Director Zhou responded meekly. Only after seeing the burly man off did he let out a huge sigh of relief!

"Bobo, who exactly was that person just now?" Suddenly, a voice, somewhat sweet, inquired. One had to admit, Director Zhou’s wife was quite young.

He was forty-five, yet his wife was barely thirty—Director Zhou certainly had a penchant for romance. And the way Mrs.

Zhou addressed him, 'Bobo'? It was enough to give one goosebumps.

"Sigh, someone from the Southern Military Region! It seems my decision not to help that Nakagawa Fujimi fellow this time was definitely the right one.

Offending them would lead to severe consequences," Director Zhou sighed faintly. His wife, Zhou Furen, seemed not to grasp the gravity and merely pursed her lips without saying anything further.

"Chief, the matter has been handled," the burly man said now, sitting inside a sleek, pitch-black luxury van, addressing a middle-aged man dressed in a black suit, smoking a cigarette, whose face remained obscured in the dim light. "Hmph," the middle-aged man took a drag of his cigarette and exhaled a perfect ring of smoke.

Seeing the burly man hesitate as if he had more to say, he smiled faintly, "Whatever you wish to say, just say it." "Yes, Chief!" The burly man stood with an air of deep deference and asked, "Your subordinate does not understand why the Chief wishes to assist that individual, especially since that person is a figure in the underworld. For those of us who serve the nation as generals, they should be our enemies, the targets for annihilation?" "Targets for annihilation?" The middle-aged man seemed choked by the statement, the smoke ring he had just blown dissipating violently.

"From a purely positive perspective, he is indeed a target for annihilation. But from a negative perspective, he is an entity we are compelled to cultivate." "Cultivate?" The burly man frowned in confusion.

"Yes, a very simple principle. In this world, where there are people representing the official structure, there must also be people representing the underworld.

The two are mutually dependent. Even if we eliminate one underworld figure, how many of the countless underworld figures globally can you truly wipe out?" The middle-aged man chuckled softly.

"This..." The burly man suddenly seemed to grasp something, yet a thread of doubt remained. He asked, "Chief, even if we help him now, it yields us no direct benefit.

Moreover, he might not even thank us!" "Heh heh, in truth, sending you to Zhou Bo today wasn't primarily to aid that person, but merely to prevent more deaths," the middle-aged man said. As he spoke, his eyes glimmered with sharp intensity in the darkness.

"Most importantly, if we hadn't come to inform Zhou Bo today, the entire situation in Shanghai would likely have escalated far beyond these minor ripples we see now." "Chief, are you perhaps overestimating that individual?" the burly man replied, sounding unconvinced. "Whether I overestimate him or not, you will understand when you meet him shortly." "We are going to meet him?

Isn't our mission just to escort the Young Master back?" "The two matters cannot be conflated. Our Southern Military Region is merely an independent military faction; we do not align with the other three major military regions.

You should understand that much," the middle-aged man said. He opened the car window, extinguished his cigarette, and tossed the butt out.

"Drive, Longwei Entertainment Corporation!" "Yes! Chief!" The driver, who had been sitting rigidly upright, immediately started the car upon hearing the middle-aged man's command.

######################################### "Master, Master!" An old servant rushed in from outside calling out. "What is it?" Shangguan Qingyun turned around seriously and asked; "Has the Black God Gang surfaced yet?" "Not yet!" The old servant struggled to steady his breath and reported, "The Nakagawa Group has been completely acquired, but it has had a massive impact on us." "A massive impact?

Have our stocks fallen?" Shangguan Qingyun was inwardly blaming himself at this moment—why had he been so careless? Why did he treat business so much like a game?

Although Shanghai's industries were insufficient to cause fluctuations in the Shangguan family's total assets, their reputation had definitely been affected. Though Shangguan Enterprises wasn't as famous in Shanghai as the Nakagawa Group, it was still renowned throughout Huaxia and even the world.

If they couldn't handle such a minor incident, what would people domestically and internationally think? Without a doubt, suspicion would arise, and some might even go so far as to terminate their cooperative agreements with the Shangguan family in Shanghai, shifting their investments to the newly emerged force—this was, after all, based on cold, hard business calculation.

"The stock price hasn't seen a significant drop, but due to various factors in Shanghai's economy, many people have already suspended their partnerships with us," the old servant stated. "Hmph!" Shangguan Qingyun snorted, a strange, calculating look suddenly appearing on his face.

"It seems I truly underestimated the Dragon Lord of the Black God Gang this time. He is indeed a figure to reckon with." "Master, what should we do now?" the old servant inquired.

"Pay it no mind. Document every single entity that has severed ties with us in these past few days; I need to review the list.

Simultaneously, keep a close watch on the movements of those two companies once the Black God Gang officially surfaces!" Shangguan Qingyun commanded. "Yes!" the old servant replied.

"It seems that once the Black God Gang makes its full appearance, their next target is very likely to be us!" "Master, what do you mean by that...?" "If the Black God Gang intends to establish a foothold in Shanghai, they must gain control of the city's entire lifeline and expand their influence. Only then will they possess the qualifications to truly take root here in Shanghai," Shangguan Qingyun spoke as if he had already seen through everything.

"Could this mean we will clash head-on with the Black God Gang?" "It's hard to say. If handled improperly, Shangguan Enterprises might have to withdraw from Shanghai, but I absolutely will not allow that to happen." "Master, have you already devised a solution?" The old servant wasn't slow-witted; Shangguan Qingyun wouldn't say that without reason.

"Is there any news from the Xuanyuan family yet?" "I called them yesterday. The Master himself intends to pay a personal visit these next few days specifically regarding the matter of the two families forming an alliance through marriage!" As he mentioned this, a flicker of surprise crossed the old servant's face.

"Could the Master's intention be...?" "Alas, the reason I was so determined to marry into the Xuanyuan family was entirely based on current and future developments. It’s just that Tengfei..." Shangguan Qingyun shook his head with a sigh.

"Should I talk to the Young Master again?" "Yes, you go call the Xuanyuan family first. I plan to visit them within these next few days anyway; after all, too much is happening right now." "Yes, your subordinate understands." The old servant bowed and left.

Watching the old servant depart, Shangguan Qingyun murmured to himself, "I hope that child won't refuse this time. That child, Yun Meng..." As he spoke the name, a sudden spark of resolve flashed in Shangguan Qingyun's eyes.