In the blink of an eye, Ace Kellen, Yang Yi, and their group were already in their cars driving away from Chinatown.

“Lord Los, shouldn’t we be leaving as well?” Rhys asked, watching the procession of vehicles departing ahead.

“En, let’s go then!” A meaningful sneer touched the corner of Los’s mouth. “Lord Rhys, it seems we’ll need a serious discussion when we return about how to deal with them.”

“Indeed, Lord Los!” Rhys glanced at Los, who was intermittently chuckling sinisterly, and replied.

“Young Master!” A burly man in black gave a sharp, cold look as he saw Ace Kellen returning with several strangers.

Yang Yi paid them no mind; these types of people were only on par with the lowest-tier members of his Black God Gang, hardly worth surprise. However, Merian Lilith, trailing behind Yang Yi, was different. Her face held a touch of fear, and she tightened her grip on Feng Shi’s hand—a sign of her current tension. This was understandable, given her unique upbringing and the heavy shadow cast by her past experiences.

Yet, Ace Kellen, leading the way, was inwardly astonished. He was leading Yang Yi directly into his own viper's nest. Wasn’t the man afraid of being overwhelmed by his men? Even if the files showed his strength, brute force in numbers could still be overwhelming.

“Dragon Lord, please wait here for a moment,” Ace Kellen said, leading Yang Yi and the others into a rather opulent hall.

“!” Yang Yi made no pretense of politeness, walking straight to the sofa and settling in. He watched Ace Kellen exit, a smile playing on his lips that held a certain intriguing flavor.

Merian Lilith, who had also sat down beside him, turned to Yang Yi and asked, “Um, Big Brother, may I call you that?”

“En, if Your Highness the Princess does not object, you may,” Yang Yi replied, offering the young girl a smile.

“You really are willing to help me?”

Though the question felt contradictory, as she had already expressed faith in Feng Shi, perhaps it was her subconscious need to have things firmly clarified.

“Does this Young Master look like a bad person to Your Highness the Princess?”

“No, I just…” Merian Lilith saw the strange curve of Yang Yi’s smile and shyly retreated behind Feng Shi. After all, she was only a sixteen-year-old girl, instinctively seeking a measure of security from Feng Shi.

“Young Master!” Feng Shi shot Yang Yi a gentle reprimand.

“Alright, alright, I won’t tease her anymore. Her Highness Princess Merian Lilith, rest assured. Though I, Yang Yi, might be a rogue, I am a rogue with principles. I will certainly keep my promise to you.”

“Really? Thank you, Big Brother!”

“Father, that’s the situation. I have brought him and Princess Lilith here,” Ace Kellen reported.

“You brought him?” Ace Linde was clearly no fool; he understood that details often sealed the fate of an endeavor. He had initially assumed that the noble and luxurious often turned out to be mere wastrels, but as the godfather of the Mafia, he recognized that the presence of the Black God Gang’s Dragon Lord tonight meant the chessboard had shifted.

“Yes, I brought him, but I also sensed that he wished to meet you.”

“Hmph!” Ace Linde let out a cold laugh. “Let’s go, we’ll meet him!”

Less than ten minutes later, Yang Yi and his party saw Ace Kellen escorting the Mafia Godfather, Ace Linde, into the hall. The perfectly tailored suit accentuated Ace Linde’s unique aura, and a smile that was difficult to decipher hid beneath his radiant face—this was Yang Yi’s first impression of the Mafia Godfather.

“Lord Dragon Lord, this is my father, Ace Linde, the Godfather of the Mafia!”

“Greetings, Lord Linde!”

“Lord Dragon Lord is too kind!”

The handshake between the Mafia Godfather, whose influence spanned Britain and Italy, and the leader of the foremost Chinese underworld organization—also known as the godfather of the Chinese underworld—was a rare sight. Neither man stood on ceremony; after a brief greeting, they both sat down.

“Lord Dragon Lord, I hear you came to see me?” Ace Linde wasted no time, directly extinguishing the awkwardness of who was visiting whom or who had issued the invitation.

Yang Yi merely smiled upon hearing this, unconcerned by the question. He said, “Lord Linde, I believe you are also quite clear on the purpose of my visit.”

“Heh, please be explicit, Lord Dragon Lord,” Ace Linde replied with a faint smile, pulling out a cigar and offering it to Yang Yi. As he did so, his gaze flickered, intentionally or not, toward Merian Lilith sitting beside them—the legitimate royal princess.

Tap! Yang Yi lit the cigar and inhaled deeply. He remembered someone giving him one before; yes, it was Long Tian of the Dragon Gang. The flavor was still richly aged and intensely potent, inhaling it felt almost like ascending to heaven. While it was tobacco, this cigar was no different from narcotics, given how much more nicotine it contained than ordinary cigarettes.

“Lord Linde, you’ve been bowing to the whims of that old fellow John of the British Royal Family for many years now, haven’t you?” Yang Yi asked with a half-smile, his eyes full of playful scrutiny.

Ace Linde merely paused at the remark, showing no major reaction. He laughed, “Lord Dragon Lord, what exactly do you mean by that?”

“It’s simple: I want to cooperate with you!”

“Cooperation?” Ace Linde knew they were both clever people, so there was no need for pretense. “How do you propose we cooperate?”

“Just stop serving that old dog John of the British Royal Family, and play along with a show I’m setting up. I guarantee that once everything is concluded, your Mafia will never again be restricted by the British Royals, and you can expand your operations across Britain on a large scale. Of course, within reason,” Yang Yi said, his gaze sharp.

“On what grounds, Lord Dragon Lord? On the strength of that fallen princess by your side?” Ace Linde understood the implication of Yang Yi’s caveat about limits. Though he didn't know what ‘show’ Yang Yi intended, anyone would be tempted by such a massive opportunity.

“We are both clever men. Do you truly believe this dethroned princess is the only chip I hold?”

“But how can I trust you?”

“You have no choice but to trust me!”

“Heh heh!” Ace Linde chuckled, a somewhat eerie sound. “I can agree to cooperate with you, but I have one condition?”

“You want Chinatown?”

“Precisely. Can Lord Dragon Lord offer Chinatown as the bargaining chip?”

Chinatown, in Britain, was the most densely populated area for Chinese people, and also a refuge for some British citizens—Merian Lilith being a prime example. However, there was one essential truth to consider: the boss of Britain's Chinatown was Yang Yi. Why? Because Yang Yi had long set his sights on Chinatown, which was why he had earlier dispatched the Tenth Army General to develop overseas, focusing specifically on that district. If Yang Yi walked down Chinatown’s main thoroughfare now and gave a single command, over five thousand Chinese men whose strength rivaled the Black God Guard would appear.

Furthermore, Chinatown wasn't just the most populous Chinese area; it was the most vibrant locale in all of Britain, for both the legitimate and the criminal elements. Perhaps the phrase ‘a den of monsters and demons’ fit it best. Since learning from Long Yi that Chinatown was already under his jurisdiction, Yang Yi had kept a close watch on it. But the more he watched, the more he felt Chinatown was a deep pool—a place where there were individuals even he, Yang Yi, dared not offend.

“Doesn’t Lord Linde feel his appetite is a bit too large?” Yang Yi smiled faintly, seemingly having anticipated that the man would demand Chinatown.

“Heh, Lord Dragon Lord, please don’t misunderstand. I don’t want the entirety of Chinatown; just a small section.” Ace Linde knew better than to ask for the whole district; he merely needed a location.

“Oh? Which area do you desire?”

“You need not worry about that, Lord Dragon Lord. That place will have no bearing on you or on Chinatown. Therefore, agreeing to my request would be no loss for you,” Ace Linde explained.

“Then I shall take my leave for now.” Yang Yi nodded toward Feng Shi and the others, and the group moved toward the door.

At that moment, Ace Kellen, who had been silently bewildered, finally asked, “Lord Dragon Lord, may I ask what exactly is the play you need us to cooperate in?”

Hearing this, Yang Yi turned back to look at Ace Kellen and smiled, “Young Master of the Mafia, you still have much to learn from your father.”

“……” Ace Kellen frowned. He understood the implication of Yang Yi’s words—it wasn't mockery, but rather a message: Your father already knows.

“Kellen, this young man has much you could learn from. Don’t assume that your current intellect is all that matters; often, those who think themselves cleverest are the most foolish,” Ace Linde said, sounding entirely as if he were aware of the situation, and as if he completely understood what Yang Yi intended for his side to do. Yet, beneath it all, a great surprise stirred within him as he thought: It seems that old bastard John has finally met his match.

For more novels, visit storyread.net.