The atmosphere suddenly grew incredibly tense after Yang Yi's statement. Yet, it must be acknowledged that Shangguan Qingyun, worthy of his position as the current head of the Shangguan family—the foremost among the Eight Great Families—maintained superb composure, his face betraying no sign of shock. Though directly confronted by Yang Yi’s gaze, he remained utterly unperturbed, maintaining that same cool, smiling demeanor.

"Since you require me to speak plainly, then I shall not be polite either," Shangguan Qingyun offered with a faint smile before continuing, "To withdraw the Shangguan Corporation from Shanghai's economy, I certainly need a convincing pretext. Naturally, my side cannot afford to sustain any losses. That is precisely why I sought this conversation with you today, something you already know and fully understand!"

At this point, Shangguan Qingyun glanced towards Yang Yi. "What solution do you propose that allows both our interests to be preserved—without external interference—while enabling me to withdraw completely unscathed?"

"Withdraw completely unscathed?" Yang Yi murmured noncommittally, glancing back at Shangguan Qingyun. "That's simple. The very essence of Black God Enterprise is to establish an unshakeable foothold in Shanghai’s economy. So, tell me, what pretext do you still require? Perhaps put it more directly: state your ultimate objective, even if it's a king's ransom!"

"Straightforward," Shangguan Qingyun chuckled wickedly, picking up a glass of red wine from the table, taking a sip, and fixing Yang Yi with a smiling gaze. "For me to withdraw entirely without implicating your interests, there is only one path."

"I wonder what the Shangguan Patriarch's solution is?"

"Cooperation!"

"Cooperation?" A flicker of surprise crossed Yang Yi’s mind. He had initially assumed Shangguan Qingyun merely intended to extort a substantial sum, perhaps forcing Black God Enterprise to issue a retraction or make a concession so that the Shangguan Corporation could retreat from Shanghai's economy safely. He hadn't anticipated that Shangguan Qingyun would propose outright collaboration. This was certainly beyond Yang Yi's expectations.

"How do you envision this cooperation working?"

"Naturally, if you agree to cooperate with us, the Shangguan Corporation can withdraw from Shanghai's economy without needing any excuse. We can make a grand, high-profile exit," Shangguan Qingyun finished, sipping his wine with a smile.

Yang Yi narrowed his eyes, silently labeling the man an old fox. Indeed, under the current circumstances, the Shangguan family’s only viable option was to ally with Black God Enterprise. Once they cooperated, the Shangguan Corporation's exit from Shanghai’s economy would seem logical.

However, the idea of a "grand, high-profile exit" made Yang Yi inwardly despise the old man. After all, aligning with Black God Enterprise offered far greater benefits to the Shangguan Corporation than merely developing further in Shanghai—a fact even Yang Yi, who wasn't solely a businessman, understood, let alone Feng Shi and the others present.

"Hahahaha!" Yang Yi suddenly erupted into a strange, loud laugh, causing everyone to stare at him in confusion. Ignoring them, Yang Yi turned towards Xuanyuan Bing, rubbing his face against hers in an intimate gesture. Xuanyuan Bing inwardly regretted her decision to attend tonight; this lecherous man was taking outrageous liberties. She wanted to pull away and stop such ambiguous behavior, but the setting forbade it; any overt resistance would result in immense public embarrassment. Thus, her only recourse was to let Yang Yi have his way.

"I wonder, esteemed guest..." Shangguan Qingyun asked, looking at Yang Yi with puzzlement.

"Cooperation is possible," Yang Yi stated cryptically, "but I am the principal party, and you are the subordinate one."

"This..." Shangguan Qingyun hesitated. Deep down, he had hoped his side would take the leading role. If news of the cooperation spread, the Shangguan family’s commercial reputation would soar. Black God Enterprise, which had seemingly crushed half of Shanghai’s economy within a week, was already the talk of the commercial world. If it appeared that Black God Enterprise sought cooperation with the Shangguan Corporation, the benefits would be substantial.

At that precise moment, Yang Yi seized this crucial point, forcing Shangguan Qingyun to view him with newfound respect. "Heh, I suppose I have been defeated on this ground today."

"There's no concept of winning or losing here," Yang Yi countered, tightly embracing Xuanyuan Bing, inhaling her unique fragrance, completely unconcerned by the old servant's piercing stare. "There is only thinking critically at the critical moment, and speaking the decisive words when the moment demands it!"

Perhaps due to Yang Yi's dissolute, flamboyant, and frivolous appearance, the old servant's intense gaze shifted from scrutiny to one of scorn, even contempt. The look of hopeful expectation he’d initially held for Yang Yi had vanished, replaced by disdain. In the servant’s eyes, Yang Yi might have devolved into a wastrel squandering his potential. But Shangguan Qingyun saw it differently; he felt growing admiration. He knew a great deal about Xuanyuan Bing—he had even entertained the notion of her becoming his daughter-in-law before things shifted entirely.

"Well said, excellently said!" Shangguan Qingyun laughed heartily, raising his glass toward Yang Yi. "May our cooperation be fruitful!"

"To a fruitful cooperation!" Yang Yi finally let out a breath of relief; at least Shangguan Qingyun hadn't pressed the issue relentlessly.

The path forward was now settled; this was unequivocally the best solution available. Following a round of intense discussion and negotiation, the parties agreed on a cooperative framework allowing the Shangguan Corporation to exit Shanghai’s economy gracefully. Without further ado, the agreement was signed, and the moment the pens were lowered, both sides felt a palpable release of tension.

Shangguan Qingyun feared the formidable might of the Black God Gang, while Yang Yi dreaded accumulating unnecessary complications, as he had many other tasks to attend to. Things needed to be handled efficiently where possible—all decisions remaining firmly within the boundaries of Yang Yi’s established bottom line.

"Nephew Yang, why don't you join the revelry downstairs? Many of Shanghai's prominent business figures are present today. It would be excellent for you to make some introductions!" Shangguan Qingyun said with a mild smile. The man was certainly audacious; just moments ago he was addressing Yang Yi formally, and now he was 'Nephew Yang.'

Yang Yi paused, his expression uncertain. "I apologize, I can certainly join you downstairs for a drink, but I will not be discussing business matters. After all, I am not a businessman."

"You are not a businessman?" Shangguan Qingyun blinked in surprise. After a moment of realization, he chuckled. "If even you claim you aren't a businessman, then I certainly am not one either."

Yang Yi’s lips twitched, but he remained silent, understanding perfectly the implications behind Shangguan Qingyun’s amusement.

Descending the stairs, Yang Yi merely tossed Shangguan Qingyun the phrase, 'I'll amuse myself,' and headed toward a secluded corner booth without another glance. Shangguan Qingyun shook his head with a wry smile, but considering the cooperation had been secured today, it was a minor issue. No need to force someone who preferred not to socialize or seek the limelight.

"This child will undoubtedly be trouble in the future," Shangguan Qingyun sighed deeply, watching Yang Yi's retreating figure. "It seems the Eight Great Families are in for a significant stir."

"Patriarch, don't you think that assessment is a bit excessive?" the old servant inquired as he stepped forward.

"Not excessive, not excessive at all!" Shangguan Qingyun replied, looking back at the servant. "Uncle Lai, one must never be deceived by appearances. This young man is considerably more formidable than our family's Tengfei."

".................." The old servant offered no reply, only occasionally glancing at Yang Yi, his thoughts unreadable.

"They're down here, look..." Ximen Ling observed Yang Yi and the others in the distant corner, speaking to Tang Shen.

Tang Shen, however, avoided looking in Yang Yi's direction. He took a deep breath and asked Ximen Ling with grave seriousness, "Have you thought this through? If we make a move today, we risk offending not just the Black God Gang, but possibly the Shangguan family as well!"

"Hmph. Since we have come this far, and this opportunity is so rare, either Xuanyuan Bing dies, or Yang Yi must fall. Only then can our plan proceed smoothly, and Nangong will also..." Ximen Ling let out a cold snort, sounding as if he had committed everything to a final, desperate throw of the dice.

"Very well, it is decided." Tang Shen glanced towards a specific corner and said, "It seems there are only four of them over there. I don't know the strength of the other three, but they won't be simple opponents. Only Xuanyuan Bing is troublesome; after all, she is an S-class ability user."

"Don't worry. My assassination squad has over a dozen S-class ability users. I'm not afraid of failing to kill her, and I’ve brought extra personnel today."

"Understood. I have twenty top-tier assassination experts myself. If this considerable force can't eliminate them tonight, then disaster awaits us." Tang Shen generally planned with thoroughness and never embarked on ventures without sufficient confidence, but right now, he was clearly wrestling with the fifty-fifty odds as he analyzed the situation.

"Good, execute the plan!" Ximen Ling said, immediately tapping a few keys on his phone before stepping aside to speak quietly.

Tang Shen also took a deep breath, feeling an inexplicable sense of unease. His eyes involuntarily flickered toward Shangguan Qingyun’s location, a cold glint passing through them before he, too, pulled out his phone to make a call. A shadow of impending malice slowly began to loom.