Some people, some events, some paths—they demand a collision. In the beginning of all things, the universe followed the Dao. The southern route, a storm of battle brewing, the tempest raging; only by remaining unmoved amid the fury can one establish an unshakeable position and truly display one's prowess. — The Memoirs of Yang Yi

Inside the villa's grand hall, Ye Xiaohou sat on the sofa, looking utterly dejected and displeased, occasionally picking up the file lying on the table, letting out a sigh each time.

"Alas, the Third Brother is a Major General, the Second Brother a fearsome general, and only I am left guarding an empty room. Heaven's ways are unjust!" Ye Xiaohou muttered, gazing forlornly at the documents.

"Why the sigh? Am I not stuck guarding Shanghai as well?" Long Yi walked in from the doorway, his first words echoing Ye Xiaohou's complaint about being left alone.

"So be it then." Ye Xiaohou exhaled deeply and asked, "Long Yi, Shanghai's economy is finally on track. All that remains is to make the Black Guard and Dragon Guard brands famous."

"Aren't they famous already? I believe everyone in Huaxia knows them by now," Long Yi replied with a look of confusion.

"No, my ambitions stretch further than that." Ye Xiaohou picked up the file and walked toward Long Yi, stating, "My sights are set not on Huaxia, but the entire world! Come on, accompany me to book tickets. We're going to Hollywood."

"Hollywood?" A sliver of doubt crept into Long Yi's mind.

Logically, Hollywood (Heliwo) was the paradise of cinema, primarily situated in the southern regions of America. Furthermore, the Black God Gang held no known influence there. Where exactly was Ye Xiaohou heading, and for what purpose? Moreover, the Dark Council and the forces of the Holy See were definitely present in America.

Seeing Long Yi's bewildered expression, Ye Xiaohou adopted a look of resignation as if defeated by the puzzle, saying, "Hollywood isn't just a film paradise; it’s the location with the world's most potent cinematic entertainment cohesion and the strongest commercial potential. We could use this chance to expand the Black God Gang's influence to Hollywood, and perhaps even the whole of America!"

"You can't possibly think these things will be simple, can you?" Long Yi’s lips curled slightly. While he seemed to agree with Ye Xiaohou's idea, his heart harbored serious reservations.

"You mean the Holy See and the Dark Council?"

"What else would I mean?"

"The Holy See is a local power in the central regions of the US! The Dark Council is a gang influence near America, originating from Italy, much like the Mafia. I understand all that. But don't you think that even if we fail to establish our commercial foothold there, at the very least, it will make things much more interesting over there, and perhaps even alleviate some of the Boss's troubles! Besides..." Ye Xiaohou glanced at him, asking, "Are you coming or not?"

"Going, of course, I'm going!" Long Yi nodded and followed him. Although he felt the move was reckless—given how immensely difficult it had been for Yang Yi to send the Ten Generals abroad to establish power—he went along.

Operating overseas was entirely different from operating within Huaxia. The styles of conduct and the points of entry for foreigners were vastly dissimilar to those of the Chinese. To be more precise, foreign affairs were conducted with a heavy aristocratic air, layered with intense political maneuvering among high officials; young scions of noble houses—Marquises and Earls—occupied high positions, presenting a completely opposite structure to Huaxia. Crucially, the Holy See and the Dark Council frequently clashed, making the expansion of influence in America a genuinely arduous task.

Los Angeles, in particular, though far from New York and the directly governed local powers of the US, lay quite close to the Dark Council, the Italian-linked gang influence. Currently, they were the established authority in LA. In America today, apart from the Holy See, few dared to provoke them. Of course, this did not include Chinese nationals.

############################################################################# Today was truly an auspicious day.

Of the Ten Generals, Long Yi remained to guard Shanghai and manage affairs between the Black Guard and Dragon Guard. Among the Rogue Four, apart from Xu Ming, who was striving toward Yang Yi's goal of becoming a full General, only Ye Xiaohou had been left behind with the specific mission of developing a film career. Whether in Huaxia or globally, establishing a presence in the film and entertainment industry carried influence far beyond the ordinary—indeed, influence of the most extreme magnitude.

"Young Master, aside from myself, all members of the Ten Generals have already departed in advance. Shouldn't we be boarding now?" Feng Shi called out to Yang Yi, who was standing by the boarding ramp.

"Mm, let's go in." Yang Yi offered a faint smile, a thought suddenly surfacing: "Hong Kong, it truly is an excellent place."

As soon as Yang Yi spoke, the others eagerly headed toward the boarding ramp. Unbeknownst to them, just after they entered, a graceful figure, her face etched with icy resolve yet retaining the undeniable aura of a beauty, pulled a small bag. She glanced at the boarding ramp and muttered to herself, "Don't think you can leave me behind, Hmph!"

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city.

This place was a paradise for girls, yet simultaneously their purgatory, because the number who successfully graduated from here—in Shanghai, or perhaps more accurately, in all of Huaxia—with a Master's degree in music was exceedingly small. The Shanghai International Music Academy was the institution chosen by Xia Shiyun and Li Qian, ostensibly for their dreams, but the more pragmatic reasons were known only to the two of them.

"Good... good... very good!" A group of instructors and students relentlessly spurred on the two figures on stage, who were lauded as the twin stars of the academy. They clapped their hands until they ached, offering the most fervent applause and sincere praise.

"Thank you!" The pair bowed in unison, one holding a violin case, the other standing beside the grand piano, offering their bows to the teachers and students below before retreating backstage.

"Sister Shiyun, your piano playing has improved so much. I was almost completely mesmerized just now," Li Qian said to Xia Shiyun, her voice filled with astonishment.

"This is still not enough. If the rumors from our time at No. 1 High School were true, that rascal’s skill level might even surpass mine!" Xia Shiyun rubbed her slightly fatigued hands.

"Uh, that's probably true! I witnessed it firsthand back then. That rascal's artistry was at least at a master level; even my grandfather said so," Li Qian remarked, pouting slightly as she mentioned the scoundrel Yang Yi.

"He’s heading to Hong Kong today. I wonder how things will go..." Xia Shiyun's face betrayed a hint of concern. Though only one night had passed, her thoughts inevitably drifted to him.

Upon hearing this, Li Qian suddenly smiled in a peculiar manner, leaning in close to Xia Shiyun’s ear and whispering something that caused Xia Shiyun’s face to flush crimson. "Qianqian, you..."

"Haha, Sister Shiyun, you were so wild last night! It’s only been one night; do you really need to miss that scoundrel that much?" Li Qian laughed heartily.

"Hmph! You're no better yourself!" Xia Shiyun shot her a sidelong glance but then her expression darkened as a thought struck her.

Li Qian noticed the shift and asked with concern, "Sister Shiyun, what's wrong?"

"Do you think we’ve accomplished nothing? Yi works so hard every day, tirelessly busy, and we can't help him at all..."

"Sister Shiyun, don't overthink it. As long as we continue doing what we need to do and walking the path we've chosen, that's enough. Besides, I already told Ye Xiaohou and Long Yi. They promised not to let Yi know about this for now," Li Qian said gently, understanding Xia Shiyun’s worries.

"Mm, I hope we can actually help him."

"Alright, let's go. Let's grab some food first..."

"Okay."

Hong Kong: Delineated by the Southern District as a massive shopping paradise, not only because its economy surpasses mainland China, but also because Hong Kong’s developmental trajectory is a subject of admiration and learning for the mainland.

The sky hummed softly as an aircraft glided through the air.

"Brother Yi, why are we going to Hong Kong?" Fatty Lin had been constantly questioning things since they boarded the plane.

"Oh?" Yang Yi looked up, his gaze meeting Lin’s with a faint smile, and asked, "Then where do you think we should go?"

"It should be Macau or Hainan. You aren't close to either of those two," Fatty Lin queried, puzzled.

"Heh, you're right! Logically, Macau belongs to the Green Gang, and Hainan to the Dragon Gang. I should be heading to one of their territories. But have you considered what kind of place Hong Kong is, and how many people we’ve brought with us this time?" Yang Yi stated calmly.

"This!" Fatty Lin pondered for a moment before saying, "Brother Yi, you aren't planning on stirring up some trouble in Hong Kong, are you?"

"Stir up trouble? Hong Kong’s Sun Yee On, the 14K, Hung Hing, and Red Star Society—these are all interesting assets!" Yang Yi's lips twitched slightly as he spoke.

"Just as I suspected..." Fatty Lin shook his head, speechless. He didn't know much about the Hong Kong syndicates, but Yang Yi’s statement made it abundantly clear that the crucial territories for the Dragon Gang and the Green Gang converged right there in Hong Kong.