"How about a trip to Macau?" "Yes, let's go have some fun!" And just like that, among the four figures walking in a line, the other three wore expressions of confusion, joining the proposed outing to Macau, with the exception of Yang Yi.

Currently in the southern reaches of Hainan, at the headquarters of the Green Gang.

Qing Long sat in his office, continuously flipping through various documents, his brow furrowing tighter with every passing moment. To be precise, ever since the Black God Gang established itself as one of the Four Great Gangs of China, his forehead had known no respite.

"The Black God Gang originated from Jiangsu, conquering the entire East China underworld in one year. Then, in another year, they seized significant influence in both Japan and the UK. Today, with only a week's effort, they have managed to throw Hong Kong into utter chaos."

"Manipulating the 14K and Hung Hing as the two primary factions to dominate the Hong Kong triad scene, and then leveraging the powers behind these two gangs to open pathways across the Asian underworld—this Dragon Lord of the Black God Gang is becoming an increasingly formidable opponent. His ambition is by no means smaller than those northern factions," Qing Long murmured to himself.

It turned out he had been monitoring the Black God Gang's development trajectory at every turn, paying close attention to the motives, direction, and potential goals behind every action Yang Yi took, all while trying to gauge his ambition. This demonstrated how highly he regarded Yang Yi. Consequently, he no longer just valued Yang Yi; he feared him. After all, it wouldn't take long for the Black God Gang to knock on his doorstep; how could he not be apprehensive?

"Gang Leader!" Liu Xinbei entered from the doorway, seeing Qing Long so intently focused on the documents that even his call sounded somewhat muted.

Qing Long didn't respond immediately. Even without a reply, he understood what Liu Xinbei intended to convey. After a few minutes, Qing Long finally set the documents down and glanced at Liu Xinbei, asking, "What is it?"

"We received a message from the Dragon Gang." Liu Xinbei stated.

"What message?"

"The Black God Gang has made a move."

"Have members of the Black God Gang already established a presence in the territory between our two factions?"

"Not about that!" Liu Xinbei paused before continuing, "It’s that the Dragon Lord of the Black God Gang has appeared in Macau."

"Hmm? Shouldn't we have anticipated that long ago?" Qing Long's brow twitched slightly as he asked, "Is there some unforeseen development?"

"Nothing sudden, exactly, but there's something peculiar, which is why the Dragon Gang Leader felt he should notify you so we can discuss it," Liu Xinbei replied.

"What's peculiar?"

"The Dragon Lord of the Black God Gang has been in Macau for a week now, yet he hasn't made the slightest move. Meanwhile, the Dragon Gang has sent numerous assassins after him, all repeatedly failing."

"Repeatedly failing?" Qing Long's voice deepened, "Hasn't he, Long Tian, learned his lesson? Knowing full well that ordinary men cannot handle him, isn't this..."

"No, Gang Leader, you are mistaken. Your subordinate suspects that the Dragon Gang Leader is using these assassination attempts to probe the true objective of the Black God Gang's Dragon Lord." Liu Xinbei's brow was deeply furrowed. "If that weren't the case, why would he send men out to assassinate him time and again, only to face repeated failure? It's not because the Dragon Gang lacks manpower; he has another motive."

"Yes, that is indeed so. It seems the Dragon Lord of the Black God Gang is genuinely suspicious this time. Listen, contact Long Tian and tell him that if any further developments occur, he should pass the information along immediately, and we will dispatch support without delay!"

"Yes, Gang Leader!" Liu Xinbei acknowledged and then departed.

Qing Long, however, picked up all the Black God Gang's files once more, staring at them with the same intense focus. To know yourself and know your enemy guarantees victory in a hundred battles. The more he understood the data on his rival force, the better he could grasp the crux of the matter—this was an axiom learned through years navigating the underworld, cementing Qing Long's reputation as a shrewd leader.

"Young Master Long!" The professional beauty called out as she approached Long Tian's side.

"What is it? Any news from the Green Gang?" Long Tian inquired.

"They called. They said if you uncover any sudden intelligence, you should relay it to him immediately, and they will dispatch reinforcements right away," the professional beauty said, adjusting her gold-rimmed glasses.

"Hmm?" Long Tian frowned, stood up, and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window, asking, "Any recent unusual movements from the Black God Gang's Dragon Lord?"

"Still the same as usual—either staying at the hotel or going out to eat elsewhere. No abnormal behavior at all. The most suspicious thing is that they give the impression they are on vacation," she reported.

"And our men have failed again?"

"Yes. Among the several groups sent out, nine were killed for every ten sent, and one is now permanently paralyzed!"

"Hmph, this Black God Gang's Dragon Lord is certainly a tricky character to play with. It seems we truly cannot decipher their current objective."

Hearing Long Tian say this, the professional beauty seemed unconvinced, remarking, "Young Master Long, I think the objective of the Black God Gang's Dragon Lord is quite obvious!"

"You mean that regarding the Southern underworld, it’s just the Dragon Gang and the Green Gang?" Long Tian turned to face her and asked.

"Exactly. It means, quite literally, that he wants to swallow us whole."

"Hmph, swallowing us isn't that easy." Long Tian snorted coldly, then suddenly seemed to recall something, asking, "Are there any movements from the North?"

"None. Since the Black God Gang emerged, they have remained silent there. No contact regarding the Black God Gang, nor have they sent anyone to communicate with us. I presume they aren't afraid that the Black God Gang, after conquering the South, might pose a threat to them in the North!" the professional beauty analyzed.

"No, the reason the Northern Crown Princes' faction hasn't made a move is likely because the Black God Gang hasn't yet posed a significant threat to them. After all, the entire North, combined with the forces backing them, might still struggle against the Black God Gang controlling the entire South," Long Tian mused. Here, he suddenly gave a strange, cunning smile. "The Black God Emperor of the North, the three Crown Princes, are all spoiled rich kids. More importantly, they possess sufficient resources to be complacent and arrogant, which is why there has been no reaction."

"Could it be..." The professional beauty suddenly looked utterly astonished.

Seeing her surprise, Long Tian pondered, "This suggests the Crown Princes' faction also harbors ambitions to rule the entire nation's underworld. They are currently attempting to use the Black God Gang's hands to conquer the territory for them. If the Black God Gang truly manages to take the South, it will result in a standoff between two major underworld powers; the moment they clash will be instantaneous."

"But..."

"Indeed, the Crown Princes' faction underestimates the Black God Gang's Dragon Lord too much. Even we, the two major southern factions, are now wary of him. To put it plainly, the Black God Gang certainly has the strength to take over the Southern underworld, but it won't be easy. And if he makes one misstep, he could be divided up by us and the Green Gang," Long Tian stated with a grave demeanor, appearing as if he had completely discerned the entire situation, a strange, cold glint in his eyes.

Although Long Tian interrupted her several times when she tried to speak, the professional beauty felt no annoyance. On the contrary, she became more lost in thought. Although she had only met Yang Yi once, that impression remained unforgettable to her.

That air of cynical detachment. That rogue-like smile. That chilling aura. That sense of immense danger. That captivating intelligence, coupled with a modus operandi that inspired a desire for worship, and that inscrutable power.

The professional beauty felt as if an indelible mark had been burned onto her soul—a feeling she had never experienced before. Neither Long Tian nor anyone else in the world possessed the means to instill such fear in her.

"Xiao Yun, Xiao Yun, Xiao Yun?" Long Tian frowned, looking at the professional beauty whose face had turned increasingly pale, calling out softly a few times.

"Ah!" The professional beauty clutched her head and cried out, as if she had been jolted by some stimulus.

"Xiao Yun!" Long Tian jolted, his figure moving with spectral swiftness to her side, steadying her and shaking her gently. "Xiao Yun, Xiao Yun, are you alright?"

"Young Master Long!" The professional beauty seemed to instantly return to normal, though her face remained somewhat pale. "I'm fine, just feeling a bit tired!"

"Here, let me help you to rest." Long Tian didn't truly believe she was merely tired, as her complexion clearly indicated this was far beyond simple exhaustion.

"Brother Yi, what exactly did you do to her?" On the top of a high-rise building, Fatty Lin asked Yang Yi after lowering his binoculars.

"Mind Reading."

"Mind Reading?" Fatty Lin frowned.

"Yes, this is an unparalleled profound technique of the Xuan Sect, relying on the principles of heaven and earth to discern a person's innermost thoughts. I spent considerable effort and time to master this technique back then, and..." At this point, Yang Yi's expression suddenly turned cold. He took a deep breath to compose himself before continuing, "I actually owe a lot to that girl, Lian Xue, for guiding me in refining it; otherwise, I wouldn't have learned it so quickly."

"Uh!" Fatty Lin let out a gasp. He understood that Yang Yi was remembering Murong Lian Xue. After all, that little sprite had been gone for half a year now, unseen since the battle in Japan.

"Is this Mind Reading really that powerful? Can it truly see through a person's thoughts?"

"What? Do you want to learn it?" Yang Yi smiled faintly, then added, "I can teach you if you want, but I must state this clearly: to learn this profound technique, one must be a disciple of the Xuan Sect, and it requires more than half a year of dedication. Most importantly, this technique demands extremely deep internal energy to sustain it."

"Ah!" Fatty Lin’s mouth dropped open in astonishment.