A little after nine in the evening, Liang Jingyue brought Liu Hui and Mei Peng to the congee shop she had mentioned. It was called Zhengyuan Congee Shop, a small place, but its business was booming.

Liu Hui and the others waited a full twenty minutes before the plain congee was served, accompanied by some refreshing pickled vegetables. Having driven several hundred kilometers and gone through so much today, Liu Hui was quite hungry by now. He smelled the aroma of the congee, ignored the heat, and downed half a bowl in one go.

"A-Hui, slow down, be careful it’s hot," Liang Jingyue said, handing Liu Hui a napkin to wipe the rice soup from the corner of his mouth.

"Jingyue, this is really superb. How did you find this place? The flavor is incredible, and these exquisite pickles really whet the appetite," Mei Peng praised Liang Jingyue while slurping his congee loudly.

"Oh, I came here with friends before, so I know the spot!" Liang Jingyue smiled as she watched Liu Hui, who had already finished one bowl in a short time and was now lifting the second.

"A-Hui, sip it slowly. What do you think of the congee here?" Liang Jingyue asked.

"This congee is good, but it isn't filling. Looks like I’ll need a few more bowls," Liu Hui mumbled indistinctly.

"If you like it so much, how about I bring it for you every day from now on?"

"Great!"

Mei Peng could not stand their intimate exchange and buried his head in his congee.

When they settled the bill after eating, Liu Hui had downed five bowls of congee, Mei Peng had three, and Liang Jingyue had two. Seeing Mei Peng's strange look, Liu Hui awkwardly explained, "There's too little rice in this plain congee, it’s mostly just soup, so it’s not filling. That’s why I had a few extra bowls."

Mei Peng pursed his lips and said nothing. Considering that Zhou Tengyun might be hungry when he woke up after his treatment ended that evening, and since he was severely injured and just recovering, plain congee was the best food. Thus, Liu Hui packed two bowls of congee and some pickles for him.

Liu Hui drove Liang Jingyue home first. He and Mei Peng still had to return to the hospital; Zhou Tengyun needed their care that night, so Liu Hui didn't enter Liang Jingyue's house to greet Liang Bo and Qiu Yue.

Liu Hui turned the car around and headed toward the hospital. Perhaps because he had drunk a bit too much congee that evening, not long into the drive his bladder began to ache, urgently needing to urinate. He scanned the road all the way but couldn't find a single public restroom, which frustrated him to no end; Mei Peng teased him from the side. Finally spotting a park, Liu Hui immediately pulled over and rushed into the bushes, finding a secluded spot to relieve himself. After a wave of satisfying release, his whole body felt incomparably comfortable.

As Liu Hui finished urinating and was preparing to leave the area, several people suddenly approached from the other side of the park. He didn't want anyone to see him urinating in public, as it wasn't exactly a commendable act; he quickly hid behind a tree.

The group walked over and unexpectedly stopped right in front of the large tree where Liu Hui was hiding. A voice pleaded, "Brother Qiang, it really wasn't my fault last time. You know we all acted together after hiding that batch of goods; we never separated. And before we did anything, the Boss confiscated all our communication devices, so we couldn't contact the outside world at all. How can you blame me for the missing goods?"

Brother Qiang said, "Monkey, I believe you, but the higher-ups don't trust us. Tell me, how could that heavy batch of goods just vanish silently, especially with the police nearby?"

"Brother Qiang, I honestly have no idea what happened," Monkey replied with a crestfallen face.

"This time, the higher-ups summoned us, and I don't know what they'll ask. After all, that last batch was 100 kilograms, valued at 30 million on the market. I can't bear such a huge responsibility either," Brother Qiang admitted, also feeling anxious.

"Monkey, come with me to see the bosses. You know how powerful these figures are; you can't run away. Don't implicate your family. If we go up, maybe there's still a way out."

"Alright, Brother Qiang, I'll go up with you to see the bosses." Monkey considered his family and decided to face the gang leaders with him.

"Let's go then. This damned place stinks. I wonder which bastard was urinating here," Brother Qiang cursed.

The group passed through the park and entered a nightclub next door named Frog Prince. Liu Hui slowly emerged from behind the large tree. One hundred kilograms, worth thirty million, bosses, missing—with such obvious keywords, he'd be an idiot not to connect the dots. Heh heh, the Kuang Long Gang, I was just looking for you guys, and you’ve delivered yourselves right to my door!

Liu Hui looked at Brother Qiang and his men entering the nightclub, a fervent light flashing in his eyes. He had been worrying about lacking leads; now, a clue had presented itself. He decided to tail Brother Qiang, hoping to gain some advantage.

Liu Hui returned to the car and told Mei Peng, "Second brother, I just remembered there are still some things I need to take care of. You head back on your own!"

"Boss, be careful. I'll leave the car for you; I'll take a cab back," Mei Peng offered, preparing to get out.

Liu Hui closed the car door and chuckled, "Second brother, you'd better drive the car back. It won't be convenient for me to drive where I'm going."

After Mei Peng drove away, Liu Hui immediately took out a trench coat and a hat from his dimensional storage space, put them on, took out a pair of new shoes, and placed his worn ones back into storage. Finally, he put on a pair of medical gloves. His current appearance wouldn't lead anyone to recognize Liu Hui at a glance; he needed to be as cautious as possible to minimize the chance of exposure.

Wrapped in the trench coat and wearing the hat, Liu Hui loitered near the Frog Prince nightclub. The Frog Prince was a five-story building, its front choked with parked cars, and several security guards patrolling. Unwilling to use the main entrance where they might spot him, Liu Hui deliberately skirted around to the back. The rear door of the nightclub was locked and eerily quiet, with no sign of anyone. He was secretly delighted. With just a running start, his hand reached the second-floor windowsill, and with a surge of strength, he vaulted up to the second floor.

Liu Hui pressed against the window and peered inside. The interior was obscured by curtains, and he could only hear the noisy music—likely patrons singing. He considered that the first three floors of the Frog Prince were the commercial areas. A meeting among gangsters would hardly take place in such a chaotic setting; it must be on one of the upper two floors. So, he leaped again, easily grabbing the third-floor windowsill, and pulled himself up. Following this pattern, scaling the window ledges between floors, Liu Hui quickly reached the fifth floor. Occasionally, a flashlight beam swept across the exterior wall from below, and he would immediately flatten himself onto the ledge, motionless.

Reaching the fifth floor, Liu Hui looked in through his window; it was pitch black inside, empty. He gripped a protrusion on the wall and swiftly crawled to the next window. This one was also dark and empty. He crawled to another window; this time, there was light inside, and fortunately, the curtains were open. Hiding by the sill, he peered stealthily inside. Several men were conversing. However, because the room was so well-sealed, even with Liu Hui's excellent hearing, he couldn't make out their words; he could only see their mouths moving, and regrettably, Liu Hui didn't know lip-reading. After a brief thought, he retreated to the adjacent window, pulled hard with both hands, and the window slid open; it hadn't been locked at all.

Liu Hui jumped into the room and surveyed it. In the faint glow of the flickering neon lights outside, combined with his terrifying vision, he quickly took in the entire space. This room appeared to be a conference room, with a ventilation window near the ceiling. Liu Hui placed a chair on the conference table, carefully climbed onto it, and his hands could just reach the vent. He gripped the grille in front of the vent, applied force, and forcibly removed the grille, then slid into the duct, carefully crawling toward the adjacent room.

Liu Hui crawled forward cautiously within the ventilation shaft. His body had excellent flexibility, and he made no sound throughout the entire crawl, stopping only when he reached the grille of the vent in the next room, where he peered down through the slats.

Six or seven people were below, discussing something. A young man said, "Boss Liu is too kind. If you hadn't helped this time, I would have had to put in much more effort to get this done!"

An old man chuckled, "These are trivial matters to us. If it weren't for Young Master Lu's assistance, our Kuang Long Gang wouldn't even have a foothold in Shuzhou Province. Young Master Lu is truly capable, setting us up with the guise of a demolition company so we can mobilize openly."

"Heh heh, it's because your Kuang Long Gang has the strength. I only offered a tiny bit of help in the middle. Besides, the higher-ups currently need companies like yours to resolve matters they find inconvenient to handle directly!" Young Master Lu said modestly.

"Our Kuang Long Gang is deeply grateful to Young Master Lu. Helping you eliminate obstacles this time is what we should do," a scarred middle-aged man standing behind Boss Liu added with a laugh.

"Thank you, Old Second Ma. If it weren't for you this time, I might still be entangled with that holdout," Young Master Lu chuckled.

"A mere peasant farmer dared to oppose the Young Master? He clearly overestimated himself. Doesn't he realize his own standing? It's his fortune that Young Master Lu wants his farmhouse resort; yet, he refuses. What a ridiculous name he gave it; he actually thought that place was a paradise!" Old Second Ma roared with laughter.

Liu Hui gasped in shock. Could they be talking about Zhou Tengyun's farmhouse resort? Startled, his body shifted slightly, making a faint noise. A large man in black next to Young Master Lu immediately noticed something and looked in Liu Hui's direction. Liu Hui quickly retracted his body, closed his eyes, lest the large man sense him. The large man in black glanced in Liu Hui's direction, then looked at Boss Liu with confusion, thought for a moment, retracted his gaze, and remained silent.

Liu Hui secretly shivered. He hadn't expected this large man in black to be so perceptive, noticing such a subtle sound, but since he hadn't exposed Liu Hui and he was hearing crucial information, there was no need to retreat for the moment.

"However, I don't think Old Second Ma handled this matter very elegantly," Young Master Lu suddenly said.

Old Second Ma, who had been speaking happily, immediately fell silent awkwardly when Young Master Lu said that. Boss Liu took a sip of tea and asked mildly, "Why do you say that, Young Master Lu?"

"Old Second Ma ended up causing two deaths this time. If it weren't for me leveraging my father's connections, this matter truly couldn't have been covered up, and your Xing Long Demolition Services Company would probably be shut down immediately," Young Master Lu spoke slowly.

"Second, what is going on?" Boss Liu slammed his teacup onto the table, demanding sternly.

"Boss, it was all because of that peasant farmer refusing to hand over the resort. We brought dozens of our men to tear down their house. They resisted, and in the scuffle, the farmer's wife and child died accidentally. It wasn't intentional! By the rules of our Kuang Long Gang, we should have taken men to slaughter his entire family long ago; why bother with all this trouble!" Old Second Ma argued aggrievedly.

"Nonsense! This is a sensitive time; we must keep a low profile. How could you still be so impulsive? Every day the papers report on forced demolitions resulting in death somewhere. If this trend continues, the state will surely regulate these demolition activities and make an example of a few to warn the rest. If we cause fatalities, we risk being targeted by the state. Don't you understand the principle of the tallest tree catches the strongest wind? If we keep acting this way, eventually, no matter how large China is, there will be no place for us!" Boss Liu scolded harshly.

"Boss Liu, actually, it’s not a big deal. We just need to be more careful in the future and try to avoid casualties. In Shuzhou Province, as long as no one dies, everything else is a minor issue," Young Master Lu interjected, smoothing things over.

"Hmph. Today, for Young Master Lu's sake, I won't pursue it further, but use your brain next time you act," Boss Liu told Old Second Ma.

Old Second Ma hung his head and said nothing.

"Boss Liu, my father sent me to pay my respects, and I hope we can strengthen our cooperation in the future," Young Master Lu stated.

"Heh heh, Young Master Lu, rest assured. In the future, if you need anything, just say the word, and our Kuang Long Gang will not refuse," Boss Liu chuckled heartily.

"Since that is the case, I shall take my leave now." Young Master Lu bowed slightly to Boss Liu.

"Please convey my regards to your esteemed father," Boss Liu returned the bow.

"Farewell!"

"Go safely!"

Young Master Lu left with the two men in black beside him. Once Young Master Lu was gone, the smile dropped from Boss Liu's face. He sneered, "The Lu family of Shuzhou? Heh heh. If it weren't for requirements from above, why would my dignified Kuang Long Gang cooperate with you? And they still nag and dictate terms to our Kuang Long Gang."

Old Second Ma said cautiously nearby, "I wonder what the higher-ups are thinking, wanting to cooperate with the Lu family. This trivial demolition matter actually required my personal involvement, and doesn't the Lu family in Shuzhou have their own people? Why rely on our strength?"

"Second, this is the higher-ups' decision; let's not discuss it. By the way, has A-Qiang arrived?" Boss Liu asked.

"Boss, they are outside now. Should I ask them to come in?"

"Let them in!"

Old Second Ma waved his hand, and a bald-headed man nearby pushed the door open and went out. Soon, he brought Brother Qiang and Monkey and the others in. The moment Monkey saw Boss Liu, he immediately knelt and kowtowed, "Boss, it wasn't my fault!"

"Shut your damn mouth!" Brother Qiang kicked Monkey, who immediately fell silent, daring not speak again.

"A-Qiang, is this the man who lost the shipment?" Boss Liu asked.

"Boss, it's him. But the process was very strange. After he hid the goods, we left together and never separated until we went back to retrieve them. The brothers here can all testify," A-Qiang, showing loyalty, defended Monkey.

"A-Qiang, I know what you mean, and I trust our brothers, but 30 million worth of goods went missing. I must give the brothers an accounting," Boss Liu said slowly, taking a sip of tea.

"This?" A-Qiang looked at Monkey and asked, "What kind of accounting does the Boss want?"

"If we lose 30 million in goods for the Kuang Long Gang and there's no accountability, won't outsiders ridicule us? Moreover, who will abide by the rules in the future? We must enforce rewards and punishments clearly," Boss Liu leaned back and closed his eyes.

"This?" A-Qiang looked at Boss Liu hesitantly.

"A-Qiang, are you an idiot? The Boss means for Monkey to pay with his life," Old Second Ma shouted from the side.

Monkey, hearing this, immediately grabbed A-Qiang's leg and cried, "Brother Qiang, you have to save me! I don't want to die; I still have a wife and children!"

A-Qiang hesitated, looking at Boss Liu, but seeing no reaction from him, he reluctantly pushed Monkey away. Monkey collapsed onto the floor, subconsciously mumbling, "Brother Qiang, you brought me up; you told me being a gangster had a bright future, that we could eat well and live lavishly. I listened to you in everything. Are you going to take my life today?"

"A-Qiang, aren't you going to act?" Boss Liu suddenly opened his eyes and shouted.

A-Qiang startled, drew a pistol from his waist, and pressed the muzzle to Monkey's head. He whispered softly, "Brother Monkey, I have wronged you. Rest in peace; I will take care of your family." Under Monkey's despairing gaze, he pulled the trigger. With a dull bang, Monkey fell to the ground, blood pooling everywhere. The room was soundproof; no noise from the gunshot could be heard outside.

Boss Liu didn't spare the fallen Monkey a glance, merely waving his hand, signaling his subordinates to drag Monkey out and clean the floor. The subordinates were highly practiced; they quickly tidied the room as if nothing had happened. If it weren't for the metallic smell of blood hanging in the air, no one would have known a murder had just occurred here. Boss Liu looked at the silent A-Qiang and sighed, saying, "A-Qiang, pay 100,000 yuan from the gang funds and send it to Monkey's family."

A-Qiang forced a smile, "Thank you, Boss. I will send it to Monkey's family. I wonder who swallowed our goods. If I find out, I swear I will seek retribution!"

"I will continue to investigate that later. You go down first; Old Second and I need to talk," Boss Liu patted A-Qiang's shoulder.

A-Qiang led his silent group of brothers out, leaving only Boss Liu and Old Second Ma in the room. Boss Liu said to Old Second Ma, "A-Qiang has always been very loyal to us, but the problem arose in his area this time. We need to be wary of him going forward."

Old Second Ma replied, "The loss of the goods this time, coupled with the police strategically appearing right after our transaction, suggests we have a mole inside. Are you suspecting A-Qiang is the mole?"

"Not necessarily, but since trouble just arose in his sector, it's never wrong to keep a closer eye on him," Boss Liu stated.

"Boss, losing those goods means we haven't had anything to sell for a month. The addicts are preparing to riot. And Little Huang and the others say that because Bashan is short on supply recently, some bosses from outside have sent people to inquire in Bashan. I suspect they want to enter our Bashan City," Old Second Ma reported.

"Our inventory is usually based on sales volume. We prepared 100 kilograms of goods intended to last two months, but it got lost. And contacting the next shipment won't be that fast. Luckily, we still have some old stock, and after scrambling to gather a little more, we've barely managed to hold out until now," Boss Liu sighed.

"Boss, what do you think the person who took our goods is planning? We haven't seen them moving the merchandise on the market, and we've had men staked out in the market for so long without any news. Is he planning to let the goods rot in his hands?" Old Second Ma asked curiously.

"This person is very bizarre, or perhaps there's an organization behind him. He swallowed our goods this time, and I will keep investigating. One day, I will make him spit everything back out," Boss Liu vowed.

"It's a good thing we've held out this long. Boss, once the new shipment arrives tomorrow night, we can supply the market heavily and satisfy those addicts. Those bastards from outside won't even dream of entering our Bashan market," Old Second Ma said happily.

"Right, have you checked the delivery location for tomorrow? We must ensure absolute security," Boss Liu inquired.

"Boss, rest assured. This time, for safety, I specifically chose the secluded Honghuagou. I've scouted the terrain; the mountains are high, the forest is dense, and the topography is complex. Even if the police show up, they won't be able to catch us. I haven't told the brothers below the transaction location either, so the mole can't possibly know the rendezvous point. There shouldn't be any surprises," Old Second Ma declared, thumping his chest.

"En, that’s good. I’ve worried so much this month that I’ve gone gray at the temples. I haven't even visited Sister Zhao Lian as often," Boss Liu said with relief.

"Boss, don't worry. The higher-ups have sent a 'Tiger' down to help us tomorrow; there definitely won't be any problems. You should go visit Sister Lian; I know how to speak with the sister-in-law."

Liu Hui forcibly suppressed the fury churning in his gut, watching the two thugs saunter out, one after the other. He quietly slipped back from the ventilation shaft, restoring everything in the room to its original state. Then, he flipped out the window, returning soundlessly to the ground floor, where he surveyed the imposing building.

The Kuanglong Gang (Mad Dragon Syndicate)... I never expected the trouble involving Third Brother to be connected to you lot. Since enmity already exists between us, compounded by the deep, bloody vengeance owed for Third Brother, I will simply wipe you off the map! Liu Hui gritted his teeth, tightening the collar of his trench coat, and slowly melted away from the nightclub.

Author's Note: Yesterday, many readers provided recommendations and collections for Qian Yu, making the stats for my work look significantly more impressive. I hope readers who are able will continue their support with more recommendation tickets and collections!