Faced with Yang Yi’s sudden exclamation, Fujiki felt a wave of oppression wash over him. Given the current situation, he had no choice left. If he agreed, he had no guarantee of success; if he refused, he would not only lose face but likely offend Marquis Qin, perhaps even the entire casino operation, making him hesitant to utter a word.

The assembled group was momentarily stunned by the unexpected turn of events. Marquis Qin even forgot what he had intended to press the fat man, Lin, about. Meanwhile, Tian She, standing nearby, gained a flicker of clarity, thinking, "It seems the Lord has brought someone formidable tonight, perhaps even a harbinger of imperial destiny."

"Hmph—" To everyone's surprise, Fujiki let out a cold snort before turning and walking toward the exit, clearly signaling his departure.

A cold glint flashed in Marquis Qin’s eyes. He was beginning to find Yang Yi increasingly dangerous. Moreover, everything they had done, both before and just now, felt orchestrated, as if laying groundwork for some grand design.

"Heh heh, my Lord, may I ask if this gambling session is still to continue?" Yang Yi’s question was clearly rhetorical. Who among them would still desire to gamble after all that had transpired? They might have lost some money, but surely that was preferable to losing their lives?

"I'm done gambling. My Lord, I have other pressing matters. Please excuse me first!"

"I shall take my leave as well."

"Pardon me, but I think I need to find a few ladies to cool down first."

"Heh heh, since it seems no one else remains, my dear Lord, I won't be staying either. I must excuse myself."

After exchanging these few words with Marquis Qin, this group, and others, began making their way out.

"Gentlemen, please do take your time!" Marquis Qin’s expression soured. He had already lost a fair bit of money tonight, all in a single round. The amount shifting from his immediate grasp wouldn't be too difficult to cover with an IOU, but the money Yang Yi had won downstairs—that was no small sum. If the higher echelons of the Dragon Gang demanded accountability later... the more he thought, the more uneasy he became.

"My Lord, since the crowds have thinned, we won't delay your casino business any further!" Yang Yi said to Marquis Qin with a smile.

"Heh heh!" Marquis Qin’s current smile was terribly forced. If Tian She hadn't seen the Marquis before, he would have blurted out, 'My Lord, your current smile is uglier than a grimace.'

"Tian She, assist Brother Yang with exchanging his chips for currency. I need to attend to a few matters."

"Yes, My Lord." Tian She understood exactly what Marquis Qin implied.

And it wasn't just him; Yang Yi understood perfectly too, a cold sneer deepening inside. "Fatty, let’s go."

The objective had been achieved; the act of taking what one came for and walking away perfectly described Yang Yi’s current demeanor. There was no need for further words, as Marquis Qin had already stepped out, likely intending to report the evening's events to his superiors. After all, this was merely a matter concerning floor security; if it wasn't under his direct management, interfering too much could invite unnecessary trouble.

After securing the exchange for tens of millions of US dollars from the Century Grand Casino, the funds were wired directly into Yang Yi’s account—a substantial income officially logged. His goal for the night had been perfectly executed: sowing panic among the Century Casino’s senior management and generating maximum speculation among the Dragon Gang’s high command. This was precisely the environment that would benefit Yang Yi’s next set of arrangements.

Once inside the car, Lin Fatty was practically bursting with questions, but Yang Yi waved him off. He addressed Feng Shi instead: "Yan Ran, instruct Uncle Han to prepare a contingent of high-ranking Black God Gang members, alongside a group of assassins drawn from the Blood-Wringing Mercenary Guild. Divide them into teams of four or five people. Designate deployment zones across Shanghai, Britain, Japan, Hong Kong, and so forth, circling around the northern and southern regions near Hainan, ensuring they arrive at this Macau only after circling back, appearing as an unknown entity. Have them begin their operations by targeting my initial point of entry here at the Macau Century Casino, and subsequently extend to all high-revenue casinos belonging to the Dragon Gang, as well as their other dispersed assets. Use whatever methods necessary, but take covert control of them all."

"Yes, Young Master." Feng Shi acknowledged before pulling out her phone to make the calls.

Meanwhile, Xuanyuan Bing remained inscrutable, her expression grim, unable to fathom Yang Yi's intentions or his ultimate objective. Lin Fatty felt the same, though he grasped a tiny fraction of the plan, just a sliver.

"Brother Yi, you plan to strike the Dragon Gang covertly first? Aren't you worried the Green Gang will find out?"

"Consuming the Green Gang is only a matter of time, and when it comes to everything related to the Dragon Gang, I am absolutely determined to have it," Yang Yi stated outwardly. Inwardly, however, another question gnawed at him: why were the powers behind both the Green Gang and the Dragon Gang suddenly keeping silent? Was there some other entanglement?

"This young man is truly favored by heaven. That girl, Rong'er, has been gone a long time without sending word back. It seems this boy truly has ties to my Celestial Dragon lineage." A white-haired old man materialized silently atop a tree, standing isolated against the backdrop of the sparsely populated road. He muttered to himself, "The Celestial Ghost lineage, the heir to the Ye family—truly not simple. This time, the southern campaign he orchestrated has smoothed the path considerably for him. However, what exactly is his purpose in all this? I must ensure Rong'er finds out quickly. Otherwise, if this boy is indeed one of our own and suffers harm, those individuals within the Clan won't easily forgive it."

The legendary Celestial Dragon and Celestial Ghost lineages—they seemed like clans passed down through generations since ancient times, possessing unique bloodlines and formidable strength. Most terrifyingly, they were masters who lived as hermits and were fiercely protective of their own. Should any member of their lineage be harmed, be it Dragon or Ghost, they would hesitate for no reason to annihilate the family, or even the entire clan, responsible for the injury, regardless of whether that target was the head of a nation.

As the car pulled away, even an expert like Yang Yi, a Cyan-rank Grandmaster, failed to detect the presence of the white-haired elder. This spoke volumes about the old man's power. More critically, this elder had followed Yang Yi from Shanghai to Hong Kong, and then to Macau. What was his true motive? Was it solely suspicion that Yang Yi belonged to the Celestial Dragon lineage? Perhaps, more simply, he felt a need to protect Yang Yi? These explanations sounded like utter nonsense, yet currently, no other rationale presented itself.

[Author's Note: A reminder: This book does not feature an overwhelming number of unresolved plot points or mysteries—only four or five woven by my pen. I trust the discerning readers recognize them. I hope you speculate frequently, so when the moment comes, you can spray more water and prepare more tissues.]

"Yes, yes, I will expedite the dispatch of personnel to monitor the situation! Yes, yes, I understand." Marquis Qin repeatedly responded meekly into his phone.

A floor security chief, no matter how capable, was ultimately just a manager of surveillance. He had no true connection to the formal operations of the underworld. Thus, all he could do now was delegate the unexpected incidents to his immediate management team, who would then relay the news up to the highest tier of the Dragon Gang leadership.

"Sigh, I feel strangely uneasy tonight," Marquis Qin murmured after hanging up the phone.

"My Lord!"

"Tian She, you're here?"

"Yes. We suffered heavy losses tonight, totaling..."

"No need to discuss the figures; I have a general idea," Marquis Qin waved his hand. "Tian She, we've been working side-by-side for over a decade. Although we've always been mere 'floor security' for a single casino, by conscience, we are true confidantes. Tell me, how do you view what happened tonight?"

"My Lord, I understand. If this incident escalates and implicates us, it will indeed be troublesome."

Indeed. After all, they were just security staff. If the higher-ups became displeased, they could be summarily dismissed—which, in the underworld, translated directly to 'erased,' or silenced permanently.

Even in large casinos, especially in Macau, both the security detail and floor staff invariably knew too much. If the leadership grew dissatisfied, eliminating them would be an exceptionally simple matter.

Tian She looked at the deeply worried Marquis Qin and stated, somewhat unexpectedly, "My Lord, are you perhaps concerned that even if the immediate superiors have no issues, the higher authorities might use this opportunity to replace us, or worse, silence us?"

"Sigh—are you asking the obvious? On the casino floor, such incidents are hardly rare, especially among those factions already discontented with us. If they seize this chance to eliminate us, it’s not impossible."

"My Lord, you asked me how I viewed tonight's events." Tian She paused, then looked back at Marquis Qin, who was now watching him intently, and continued, "That young man is far from simple. Although I initially described him as merely someone bearing the signs of imperial destiny, everything that unfolded tonight makes me feel he is like a demon, capable of concealing brutal savagery, ready to erupt. Once he loses control, I believe whatever he intends to achieve can be accomplished with a mere wave of his hand."

"You mean?" Marquis Qin frowned.

"No, I cannot be certain. At the very least, I suspect. If he is not the Dragon Lord of the Black God Gang, then tell me, which other young man in this world is rising so rapidly and powerfully in recent memory?"

"Hmm, these suspicions cannot be dismissed, but..."

"I understand your reservations. Therefore, to safeguard our retreat, I have a plan. I wonder if you think it feasible, My Lord," Tian She said.