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

Zhu Xun Chuan was not intimidated by this oppressive aura.

"You're hiding your true intentions." Zhu Xun Chuan's voice was extremely deep. "You investigated me, monitored my woman, and now you're trying to talk to me about cooperation. Give me a reason not to hang up."

Two violent coughs came from the other end of the phone. The old man didn't seem surprised by his toughness; his tone remained calm.

"Young man, too much brilliance can lead to ruin. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. You want the Zhao family line to end, and I want the Zhao family to fall. We share the same goal," the old man said slowly. "Your confidantes have impressive backgrounds, but they're still a bit outdated when it comes to dealing with the Zhao family."

"Who are you?" Zhu Xunchuan cut straight to the heart of the matter.

"The time is not right." The old man's voice turned cold. "You will see my sincerity on Tuesday at Diaoyutai."

beep.

The call was unilaterally cut off.

Zhu Xun Chuan stared at the black screen. The other party's timing was extremely precise; this condescending attitude was definitely that of someone who had been in the center of power for many years.

He unlocked his phone and sent the virtual number that had just called to the four women's encrypted group chat.

[Zhu Xunchuan]: "Check this number."

Half a minute later.

[Starry Sky]: "No such person found. The physical address was disguised as nodes in eight different countries, ultimately pointing to the high seas of the Atlantic Ocean. The government intranet has no access to the bottom line."

[Qingfeng Mingyue]: "The highest key of the Municipal Bureau's Technical Investigation Department has been forcibly extracted. This number is wrapped in twelve layers of military-grade disguise and encryption; forcibly deciphering it will trigger a countermeasure alarm."

[Little Candy]: "Brother Chuan! I tried using the military region's mainframe, and they directly reverse-tracked my IP! That old man unplugged my network cable! Ugh, I'm so angry!"

Zhu Xunchuan looked at the messages in the group chat.

Fu Xinghe represented the Municipal Party Committee, Gu Qinghan represented the Municipal Public Security Bureau, and Shen Tianxi controlled military network resources. These three women with top-tier backgrounds acted simultaneously, yet they couldn't even get close to their opponent.

The other party's background is incredibly powerful.

[Zhu Xunchuan]: "No need to check the number anymore. Let's change our approach."

He tapped the screen rapidly.

[Zhu Xun Chuan]: "Since he wants to use me to kill Zhao Tingzhi, he must have an irreconcilable blood feud with the Zhao family. Investigate the Zhao family's political enemies over the years, and investigate those families that have been driven to the brink of ruin by the Zhao family."

[Dark Night Rose]: "Leave it to me! There's no mouth in the capital's underground black market that my Jiang family can't pry open. I'm going back to the branch now. Brother Chuan, wait for my good news, and while you're at it, prepare the bathwater."

Jiang Yao's message was unabashedly flamboyant and straightforward.

The group chat was silent for two seconds.

[Qingfengmingyue]: "Jiang, please watch your words on the public channel. Also, Zhu Xunchuan is injured, so don't be unreasonable."

[Starry Sky]: "Teacher Gu is right. Young people need to learn self-control."

[Little Milk Candy]: "Jiang Yao, you vixen! Brother Chuan is mine! If you dare touch him, I'll blast you with a tank!"

Zhu Xun Chuan decisively locked the screen, threw the phone on the passenger seat, held the half of the pink hairband in his hand, and started the car.

……

In the eastern district of Beijing, there is an extremely secluded private club with two underground floors.

This is the main branch of the Jiang family from the Northern Territory in Beijing.

In the dim light, a two-meter-tall mahogany statue of Guan Yu was enshrined. The air was filled with the aroma of high-end cigars and incense.

"Bang!"

The solid wood door was kicked open.

Jiang Yao strode into the hall, wearing a tight black motorcycle leather jacket over a white cropped tank top and military-style Martin boots. She exuded a fierce aura, her delicate face revealing a wildness.

On both sides of the hall, dozens of Jiang family elites dressed in black suits bowed their heads in unison, not daring to breathe.

In the very center of the hall sat a middle-aged man in a grand chair.

The man was dressed in a Tang suit, holding two walnuts in his hands. He was burly, with a scar running from the corner of his eye to his cheekbone. He was none other than Jiang Ting, the infamous "Underground Ceiling" of the Northern Territory, the "King of Hell" of the Northern Territory.

"In the middle of the night, you almost kicked the door frame down." Jiang Ting stopped turning the walnuts, his voice deep and resonant, carrying the menacing aura of someone who had been in a position of power for many years.

Jiang Yao wasn't buying it at all. She walked straight to the long table and slammed a newly printed top-secret dossier onto it.

"Old man, stop playing with your broken walnuts." Jiang Yao braced herself on the table, leaning forward, her eyes flashing with bloodlust. "Gather the eight hundred elite troops stationed in the capital, confiscate their entire fortune. And kill one of them."

Jiang Ting frowned. His daughter had grown up amidst swords and spears, and while she was eccentric, she rarely lost her temper like this.

"Who should be investigated?" Jiang Ting asked casually, picking up the files on the table.

"Zhao Tingzhi," Jiang Yao uttered the name.

crunch.

Jiang Ting managed to crack a pair of century-old dragon-patterned walnuts in his hand by squeezing them.

He suddenly stood up, his previously composed expression changing drastically. He stared intently at the name on the file, a look of extreme apprehension flashing in his eyes.

"Are you insane!" Jiang Ting roared, his voice so loud it made the chandelier in the hall sway slightly. "Do you know who Zhao Tingzhi is? Do you know what the Zhao family represents in Beijing?!"

Jiang Yao, her neck stiff with refusal to back down, declared, "I don't care what he represents. He touched my man's body, and I'll take his life. If you're too scared to go, I'll bring my own people!"

"Nonsense!"

Jiang Ting slammed his hand on the long table, the solid wood surface making a loud thud. The elite soldiers around him lowered their heads even further.

He strode up to Jiang Yao, his eyes sharp as lightning.

"The Jiang family can dominate the northern border, but they're nothing compared to the deeply entrenched interest groups in the capital like the Zhao family!" Jiang Ting gritted his teeth, his voice filled with suppressed rage.

"They don't need to use knives or guns. As long as Zhao Tingzhi moves the power levers above—taxation, industry and commerce, public security, national security—all of the Jiang family's legitimate businesses will be seized within a day, and all their shady branches will be uprooted."

Jiang Ting pointed at Jiang Yao's nose, his chest heaving violently.

"We are the underworld, they are power. Power suppresses the underworld—that's a crushing defeat! Do you want tens of thousands of members of the Jiang family to die along with your so-called Brother Chuan?!"

Jiang Yao was stunned.

She had been a powerful figure in the Northern Frontier since childhood, and Jiang Ting dared to lead his men to tackle any tough challenge. She had never seen her father show such a fearful and yielding attitude before.

"Then...what about Brother Chuan?" Jiang Yao's voice weakened, she bit her lower lip, and her eyes instantly reddened. The arrogant and domineering aura of a triad heiress that she had just exuded vanished completely.

"Sever all ties!" Jiang Ting ordered decisively. "Immediately withdraw all the personnel you've mobilized. The Jiang family is not allowed to get a single drop involved in the Zhao family's mess!"

"No!" Jiang Yao clenched her fists, tears welling up in her eyes.

"Lock the young lady in the backyard! Without my order, she is not allowed to step out of the hall!" Jiang Ting waved his hand in an unquestionable manner.

Several trusted subordinates stepped forward, bracing themselves, and blocked Jiang Yao's path.

Jiang Yao understood the situation. She knew she couldn't force her way out. She glared fiercely at Jiang Ting, then turned and strode towards the backyard in her Martin boots.

Back in the room where she had been confined, the moment the door was locked from the inside, Jiang Yao's defenses completely crumbled.

She crouched on the ground, hugging her knees. The ruthless Dark Rose in front of outsiders was now as aggrieved as a little girl who had lost her toy.

She took out her satellite phone, sniffed, and sent a WeChat message to Zhu Xunchuan.

……

The Audi A8L has entered the city.

Zhu Xun Chuan parked the car on the side of the road and picked up his phone. Jiang Yao's private chat message popped up on the screen.

[Dark Rose]: "Brother Chuan... I'm sorry. My old man chickened out."

[Dark Rose]: "He locked me up and won't let me transfer people. The Zhao family's power is terrifying; he's afraid the Jiang family will be dragged down with them. Waaah, I'm a useless piece of trash; I can't help you anymore."

The humility and self-blame conveyed in her words were completely different from her domineering attitude when competing for attention with the other three women in the group chat.

P.S.: I'll be giving away another 52! New followers, remember to leave a 5-star review and follow!