After ninety-nine online romances, I finally met my ex in person when school started.

As soon as Jiang Yao sent her message in the four-person encrypted group, the frantic debate on the screen instantly stopped.

The elite circles of Beijing are very small, and the name of the Zhao family's heir was extremely prominent a few years ago. This force of capital ran rampant in the entertainment industry, ultimately shattering the career of top actress Pei Yanyu.

After a brief silence, the group chat exploded with messages.

[Starry River]: "Guangying Media? The Zhao family behind that powerful Prince Zhao back then? So Pei Yanyu, who blocked the boys' dormitory in a high-profile manner, was also your romantic entanglement."

Fu Xinghe truly lives up to her reputation as the daughter of a municipal party committee member. Through Jiang Yao's few words, she instantly grasped the core of the matter, pointing out the scandalous affair hidden behind the incident.

[Little Candy]: "Pei Yanyu? That old woman is trying to steal Brother Chuan too?! Ugh, I'm so angry! Brother Chuan, how many vixens are you hiding outside?! You come to the military compound right now, I'm going to lock you in the basement, and no one is allowed to see you!"

Shen Tianxi's possessive and obsessive nature was completely unleashed. The screen was filled with exclamation marks, revealing her madness and determination to protect her food at all costs.

[Dark Night Rose]: "Shut up, little girl! Let's get down to business! Brother Chuan, I don't care what your relationship is with this woman. Since the Zhao family dared to post a $100 million bounty on the dark web targeting people around you, the Northern Border can't just sit idly by. Tonight, I'll send eight hundred elite soldiers to the capital and raze the Zhao family's ancestral graves to the ground!"

Jiang Yao was jealous, but her protective instincts overwhelmed all reason. The Northern Demoness was ruthless and decisive, resorting to the most violent methods of the underworld.

[Qingfeng Mingyue]: "Jiang, this is a society governed by law. Put away your gangster ways. If the Northern Border assassins dare to enter Beijing in large numbers, the National Security Bureau will shoot them on the spot. Shen Tianxi, illegal detention constitutes a criminal offense. Do you want to push Zhu Xunchuan to his death?"

Gu Qinghan's reply carried an extremely strong sense of pressure. She ruthlessly suppressed the impulses of the other two from an administrative and legal perspective.

[Qingfeng Mingyue]: "Zhu Xunchuan, your ability to attract women far surpasses your academic research. But I must remind you, Zhao Tingzhi's birthday banquet is extremely grand. If you want to make a move, you must have a legitimate reason."

Zhu Xun Chuan sat in the dimly lit basement, watching the messages constantly refreshing on his phone screen.

These four women, who are of extremely high status and usually have absolute authority, are now arguing fiercely in the group chat over his safety and his romantic entanglements.

Police, gangsters, military, and government.

Four powerful factions, without hesitation, handed over their resources to Di Chaotian at his mere command. This scene of being extremely favored and fawned over by the daughters of the powerful and wealthy showcased the most sophisticated power struggles in Beijing.

[Starry River] added a crucial piece of information: "This situation isn't so easy to resolve. The Municipal Party Committee Office has already issued a top-level security plan for Zhao Tingzhi's 70th birthday banquet. My father is at the top of the invitee list. Not only that, Xia Wanting from Dinghe Group is also seated at the head table. This birthday banquet has gathered one-third of the most powerful figures in Beijing."

After this message was sent, the group fell silent again.

If Bai He were to commit murder at a banquet of this caliber, he would undoubtedly perish. Furthermore, if bloodshed were to occur, the Fu family and Xia Wanying would be dragged into it. Zhu Xunchuan's backyard would be completely engulfed in flames.

Zhu Xunchuan pressed the voice button.

His voice was deep and carried an unyielding authority.

That's enough.

"My scheme doesn't require you to sacrifice your family's lifeline."

"That's the past. Now I'm settling the score. Just follow my orders. Yao Yao, cut off the black market supply; Qing Han, keep watch on the perimeter; Xing He, prepare the invitations; Tian hope, control the communication frequency. No one is allowed to overstep their bounds and interfere in the core area."

"I'll handle the rest myself."

Thirty seconds later, four haughty women replied in unison. Not a single word of rebuttal.

[Dark Rose]: "I'll listen to you. Come to the hospital tomorrow; I want to personally check if you've done anything reckless."

[Starry Sky]: "Be careful. No matter the outcome, the municipal party committee's door is always open to you. I'll be waiting for you to come back and drink that can of aged tangerine peel Pu'er tea."

[Little Candy]: "You promised me double homework! Not a minute less!"

[Qingfengmingyue]: "Write a detailed safety assessment report and send it to my email before the operation. If you're missing even a single hair, I'll deduct all your participation points."

Four distinct ways of showing care: violent and direct, gentle and reserved, spoiled and yandere, and cold and stern.

Zhu Xunchuan put away his phone.

He turned around, his gaze sweeping once more over the photos on the wall that were scribbled over with a red marker.

The two clues merged completely in my mind.

A fire broke out at the orphanage. The lives of seventy-three children were lost. Zhao Tingzhi was in charge of the old city redevelopment project at the time.

Pei Yanyu paid an exorbitant penalty for breach of contract and fled overseas. Meanwhile, Prince Zhao, with his powerful backer, held absolute power.

The turbulent changes in Beijing all hinge on the Zhao family, a behemoth that dominates the capital. Zhao Tingzhi, that old fox, not only covered up the shady dealings of biological experiments and organ trafficking, but also used this security company to build a vast network for transferring profits.

The person who posted the "god-killing" bounty on the dark web must be some force that was destroyed by the Zhao family. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. He can use this force.

Zhu Xun Chuan walked out of the basement and strode towards the red-plated Audi A8L.

I opened the car door and got into the driver's seat.

On the passenger seat, in the leather, lay half of the pink hair ribbon left behind by Bai He. The edges of the ribbon were badly worn, and a faint scent of black datura remained.

That female assassin, who licks blood off the edge of a knife every day, forced herself into becoming a yandere with no way out because of this deep-seated hatred.

Zhu Xun Chuan picked up the hair ribbon and wrapped it around his left wrist.

"A one-year observation period?" Zhu Xun Chuan looked at the boundless night outside the windshield, his eyes revealing an extremely sharp killing intent. "I can't wait even a day longer. The Zhao family is doomed to die out."

He pressed the start button.

The V8 engine roared furiously. The Audi A8L burst through the tall grass and onto the main road. Its speed instantly reached 120 mph. The night wind rushed in through the half-lowered window, ruffling the stray hairs on his forehead. The dim yellow streetlights flashed alternately on his handsome profile.

A storm sweeping through Kyoto's most elite circles is taking shape under his control.

Ten minutes later, the vehicle approached the entrance to the South Fourth Ring Road elevated highway.

Suddenly, the satellite phone on the control panel started vibrating.

The screen lights up. It displays an unknown number encrypted with twelve layers of virtual IP jumpers.

Zhu Xun Chuan's eyes turned cold. He hadn't even removed Shen Tianxi's military region tracing system, yet the other party was able to directly call his encrypted private line, which meant that the person's technical level had reached the ceiling of the highest national authority.

He pressed the speakerphone button to answer.

The sound of the engine echoed through the carriage. There was no response on the other end of the phone.

A full five seconds passed.

An extremely aged voice, yet imbued with a profound sense of authority and bloodlust, emanated from the loudspeaker.

"Wish you well, little Xun Chuan?"

The voice carried a commanding, condescending tone, accompanied by two very soft coughs.

"Those girls around you are very capable and quite energetic. This stagnant pool in the capital hasn't been stirred up like this in a long time."

The old man paused for a moment, then let out a cold laugh.

"Zhao Tingzhi is not easy to kill. If you want to save that reckless young wife and protect your beautiful female companions, we can cooperate."