Two men and two women stepped out of the vehicle, their attire immediately signaling their attendance at the grand year-end assembly hosted annually by the Grand Sido Hotel in Macau.

“Young Master, this is the Grand Sido Hotel. Legend has it that this was where the early British, during their occupation of Macau, frequently held lavish banquets. The Grand Sido Hotel belongs neither to the Dragon Syndicate nor the Macau government; since the handover of Macau, this hotel has fallen entirely under the jurisdiction of the Central Government.” Feng Shi, noticing the faint smile on Yang Yi’s face, explained with patience.

“Hmm, this hotel certainly has taste. The European style of dress and such an ancient exterior—if Yanran hadn’t given me a heads-up, I would have genuinely thought this was the home of a Western vampire from the movies!” Yang Yi remarked, looking at the extremely antique villa-style hotel before them.

“Brother Yi, tonight isn’t really going to be a Hongmen Banquet, is it?” Having followed Yang Yi through countless ‘Hongmen Banquets’—scenarios where they always ended up fighting tooth and nail, barely escaping being torn apart if not for their own skills—she felt a familiar anxiety.

“I’m not sure. Although I predict nothing particularly untoward will happen tonight, events often carry unforeseen variables. It’s not over just because you and I say it is.” With that, Yang Yi led them inside.

The year-end assembly at the Grand Sido Hotel, judging by the stream of arrivals, was far removed from the heavily guarded compounds of old triad bosses; it felt remarkably open. Yet, this very scene demonstrated that every single person present was of extremely high standing, perhaps even high-ranking officials.

Therefore, there were virtually no guards at the Grand Sido Hotel. Anyone foolish enough to cause trouble here would instantly secure a grim fate for their entire family—the implied meaning of ‘family fortune’ in this context was chillingly clear.

Since Macau’s return, the Grand Sido Hotel had remained under the banner of a central government agency. To cause a disturbance here meant directly opposing the Central Government, clarifying the chilling implication of the phrase used earlier.

“This place is owned by a central government body. For us minor figures of the triads to dare set foot here—doesn’t that seem a bit too audacious?” Yang Yi maintained his characteristic smile as he moved inside. He quickly realized that this venue wasn't just for those of the highest status, but for those possessing immense hidden power to even dare cross the threshold.

The sight of numerous distinguished figures in military dress uniforms, adorned with many stars on their shoulders—foreigners, people from Hong Kong, Macau locals, overseas Chinese—many of whom could swing fortunes worth hundreds of millions or billions of US dollars with a mere gesture, even stunned Fatty Lin.

“There are quite a few big fish in this pond.”

“Heh heh, let’s go in.” Yang Yi glanced around indifferently, showing no concern for these high officials or tycoons. He simply located a spot, sat down, and surveyed the room with eyes that were both focused and alight with a subtle glow, as if searching for a specific target.

Just then, a young man impeccably dressed descended from the upper floor, holding the hand of a stunning beauty who was clad in gorgeous, vibrant attire. Together, they appeared perfectly matched, at least in the eyes of many onlookers.

“Tian.” Let us formally introduce the professional beauty accompanying Long Tian: her surname is Li, and her given name is Yun—a name that hinted at her value amidst the multitude.

Undoubtedly, the man holding Li Yun’s hand was Long Tian, the leader of the Dragon Syndicate, known by almost everyone here. Of course, Long Tian was not the owner of this place; no one attending tonight dared to flaunt their status, as doing so would only earn them an immediate dismissal. Naturally, some imbeciles who only knew how to boast were inevitably present.

“This is the first time you’ve addressed me so formally!” Long Tian chuckled lightly.

“Look over there!” Li Yun shifted her head slightly toward a specific direction downstairs.

Long Tian followed her gaze, and a fleeting, cold glint crossed his eyes. “This is the second time I’ve seen him.”

“En.” Li Yun shivered inexplicably.

“What is it, Xiao Yun?” Long Tian’s brow furrowed again as he asked directly this time, “Xiao Yun, tell me, every time you see him, why does it seem like you’re terribly afraid of him?”

“I… I don’t know.” Li Yun felt a chill run through her as Long Tian suddenly questioned her. Her mind frantically cycled through that familiar figure, causing her body to tremble uncontrollably.

“Xiao Yun, Xiao Yun?” Long Tian quickly steadied her, calling out softly.

“I’m fine!” Li Yun took a deep breath, regaining her composure, and said, “Tian, I’m fine!”

“Are you sure? Perhaps you should rest in the car for a while?”

“No need. Didn’t you want to go say hello to him? I’ll go with you.” A sharp glint flashed in Li Yun’s eyes. She had long been desperate to understand why she felt such a profound sense of dread every time she looked at Yang Yi.

“You…!” Long Tian paused, then sighed softly. “Ah, forget it. I can’t refuse you. Let’s go, we’ll go and greet him.”

“En!”

“Brother Yi, is that dame possibly related to you in that…?” Fatty Lin started, suddenly adopting a rather shameless expression for reasons unknown.

This caused Feng Shi and Xuanyuan Bing beside him to widen their eyes, their delicate brows furrowed as they looked at Yang Yi, as if suspecting something about him.

“Damn it, Fatty Lin, are you looking for a beating?” Yang Yi cursed irritably.

What the guy said was far too suggestive, implying Yang Yi had some prior connection with Li Yun. Coupled with his lewd expression, it was little wonder others harbored doubts.

“Uh!” Fatty Lin managed a sheepish smile. “Sorry, I misspoke. Actually, that dame, Brother Yi, you… damn, no, that’s not it!” Halfway through his sentence, Fatty Lin realized he was about to say the wrong thing again. Seeing Yang Yi’s murderous glare, and the looks of disdain from Feng Shi and Xuanyuan Bing, he quickly clamped his mouth shut.

“Young Master, they are coming,” Feng Shi suddenly whispered to Yang Yi.

“Mmm-hmm.” Yang Yi picked up his glass of crimson wine, took a delicate sip, and watched the approaching Long Tian with a smile.

“Lord of the Black God Triad, I’ve long admired you, long admired you!” Long Tian got straight to the point, his eyes narrowed with coldness, staring at Yang Yi brazenly without any attempt to conceal it.

For an opponent to lack even a spark of fighting spirit when facing him—Long Tian could certainly be called a contemporary overlord, having become the head of the Dragon Syndicate at only twenty-eight. Yang Yi’s face remained wreathed in smiles, showing no offense at Long Tian’s demeanor.

“Leader of the Dragon Syndicate, this Young Master has also longed to meet you for a long time.”

“I didn’t expect the esteemed Lord Long to honor our invitation; truly remarkable,” Long Tian noted, continuously sizing up Yang Yi. Their last meeting had been brief, but this time, he was truly scrutinizing him, and a deeply unsettling thought began to surface in his mind.

To be afraid of an enemy, a rival, was tantamount to admitting defeat before the battle even began. Yet, this was precisely how Long Tian felt now. That unique, chilling aura evoked a sense of dread, and the sudden feeling of danger made him completely disbelieve that such an oppressive presence could emanate from a youth under twenty.

“Heh heh, Lord Long’s invitation was so gracious, how could this Young Master refuse to attend?”

“Ah… ah, ha ha!” Long Tian laughed, though the sound held no warmth.

“Please, have a seat!” Yang Yi gestured toward a sofa nearby.

“Thank you.”

After sitting down, Long Tian picked up a glass of red wine and spoke to Yang Yi with a beaming smile, “Come, I toast you, esteemed guest.”

“You’re too kind!” The two clinked glasses in a show of amity and then began chatting and laughing congenially nearby.

Watching Yang Yi and Long Tian act so courteously, Fatty Lin felt deeply confused. These two were clearly enemies, clear rivals—why were they suddenly acting so friendly?

“Ha ha, I didn’t expect, I didn’t expect that Lord Long would be so heroic, managing to completely control the Hong Kong underworld in such a volatile situation.” Long Tian roared with laughter.

“Lord Long is not lacking either, to react so swiftly after I gained complete control over your casinos!” Yang Yi’s tone seemed subtly mocking.

“...!” Long Tian merely smiled without replying, took a sip of wine, and then asked, “Then I must ask, Lord Long, how do you view the current situation in Huaxia?”

“How do I view it?” Yang Yi paused at the question, but quickly grasped the hidden meaning. “Lord Long, are you asking about the future trajectory of the Huaxia underworld?”

“Precisely. With your Black God Triad as the new force, rising to become one of the Four Great Triads of Huaxia in just a few short years, and considering your current methods, the situation is undeniably difficult to predict.”

“No, it’s not difficult to predict.”

“Oh? How so?”

“Because the Black God Triad will become the premier dominant force in Huaxia.”

“…………” Not only Long Tian and Li Yun, but even a certain woman who had been intently observing Yang Yi’s group had an enigmatic gleam flicker in her eyes.

“The audacity of this man is unbelievable, and I wonder if those two are mentally unstable. They are clearly enemies, yet they are sitting together, even conversing pleasantly.” The woman frowned, her gaze never leaving Yang Yi and his party.