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

The top floor of the hillside villa offers panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the dazzling night view of Victoria Harbour.

The main lights in the study were not on; only a brass table lamp emitted a warm yellow light.

The gambling tycoon, Mr. Pan, leaned back in his rosewood armchair. This old man, who had controlled Hong Kong's gambling and shipping for half a century, rested his hands on his dragon-head cane.

Zhu Xun Chuan sat on the sofa opposite him. His legs were naturally crossed, and he held a freshly brewed cup of Da Hong Pao tea in his hand, the steam rising between them.

Su Mucheng sat down next to him, clasped her hands together on her knees, and remained quiet.

The old butler bent over and walked forward, placing two heavy black folders on the marble coffee table.

"The document on the left is a copy of Shao Yu and Shao Ze's confessions. As for the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau (OCTB), the third branch of the family won't hire lawyers; they will take all the blame," Old Master Pan said, his voice tinged with weariness.

Zhu Xun Chuan put down his teacup without saying a word.

"This document on the right is a share transfer agreement for six listed companies under the third branch of the family, including Daomei Entertainment. I've already had it stamped with the company seal, and all the shares have been transferred to Chengcheng's name," the old man continued.

Zhu Xun Chuan glanced at the two documents, put his left arm around Su Mu Cheng's shoulder, and pulled her into his embrace.

"Old Pan is a respectable man," Zhu Xun Chuan said calmly. "Since someone from the third branch has stepped forward to take responsibility, the debt for the mountain road will be settled here. As long as no one covets the fourth branch's property anymore, Hong Kong Island's feng shui will continue to be auspicious."

Two sentences sealed the future of the Pan family.

A complex emotion flashed in Old Master Pan's eyes. He was used to seeing young people become arrogant after achieving success, but Zhu Xun Chuan only possessed the composure of someone in a position of power. This demeanor was unmatched in the third generation of the Pan family.

Zhu Xunchuan picked up the equity transfer document on the right and handed it to Su Mucheng.

"Here you go," Zhu Xun Chuan said. "Your start-up capital."

Su Mucheng took the folder. The edges of the files were a little rough on her hands, but their weight meant that she had truly established herself in Hong Kong.

Leaving the top-floor study, the two walked down the corridor covered with a thick wool carpet.

Su Mucheng stopped in her tracks. She turned around, wrapped her arms around Zhu Xunchuan's waist, and pressed her face tightly against his chest.

"Brother Chuan." Su Mucheng looked up, her peach blossom eyes filled with tears.

Less than twelve hours later, this man emerged from the rubble of the car accident, without even changing his clothes. He then mobilized top-tier resources across the sea to force the third branch of the family, who had attempted to kill her, into a corner, thus securing half of the Pan family's empire for her.

"Are you touched?" Zhu Xun Chuan lowered his head, his fingertips tracing the red mole at the corner of her eye.

Su Mucheng nodded. She took out the last orange candy of the day from her pocket, peeled off the transparent wrapper, stood on tiptoe, and put the candy into Zhu Xunchuan's mouth.

Her fingertips brushed against his lips, and she hooked her arm around his neck, offering him her red lips.

The sweetness of the orange candy melted between their lips and teeth.

Zhu Xun Chuan held the back of her head with one hand, deepening the kiss. The wall lamp at the end of the corridor cast long shadows of the two of them.

……

8 PM, banquet hall on the rooftop of the hillside villa.

The melodious strains of saxophone jazz flowed through the air. The lights were dimmed, and the entire venue was filled with the oppressive heat of expensive perfumes and Cuban cigars.

Tonight's banquet is an internal networking event hosted by the Pan family to quell the negative impact of the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau's arrests earlier that day. Those present are among Hong Kong's top financial tycoons.

Zhu Xun Chuan changed into a dark-patterned black suit and stood beside a tall round table with a green velvet top.

The double mahogany doors of the banquet hall were pushed open.

The high heels clicked rhythmically on the floor.

A woman walked into the banquet hall. All eyes in the room involuntarily turned to her.

She has striking mixed-race features. Beneath her defined brow bone are a pair of deep, emerald green eyes. Long, wavy black hair falls casually over her shoulders.

She wore a scarlet, backless haute couture evening gown. The bold cut hugged her breathtakingly curvaceous waist and hips. Her exposed back was fair and radiant, its skin glowing alluringly in the dim light.

The eldest granddaughter of the first wife, of mixed Chinese and Finnish descent, is named Pan Jiali.

Pan Jiali refused the advances of several wealthy young men. Holding a glass of champagne, she strode towards Zhu Xunchuan.

Zhu Xun Chuan, holding a half-full glass of whiskey, watched her approach calmly.

Pan Jiali stopped less than half a meter away from him. A mixed fragrance with the scent of iris wafted over.

"Mr. Zhu," Pan Jiali said softly, her red lips parting slightly in a perfect Beijing accent, "you really gave our Pan family quite a hard time today."

She doesn't have the accent that people from Hong Kong Island usually have.

"Just cleaning house," Zhu Xun Chuan said indifferently.

Pan Jiali chuckled softly. She put down her champagne glass and took out a deck of playing cards with gold-plated edges from her small handbag.

"Hong Kong Island is so boring." Pan Jiali held the deck of cards, her scarlet fingernails lightly tapping the casing. "Those young masters don't even dare to go all in on the chips. Mr. Zhu, would you be interested in playing a couple of rounds of Texas Hold'em with me?"

She leaned forward, revealing a striking curve at the neckline of her dress. Her emerald green eyes stared directly at Zhu Xun Chuan.

The crisp sound of high heels came from the other side.

Jiang Yao walked briskly over, wearing a black deep-V halter dress and high heels.

The leader of the Northern Borders noticed this blatantly seductive aura. She walked to Zhu Xun Chuan's side, took his left arm, and pressed herself against him.

"Playing cards, huh?" Jiang Yao raised an eyebrow, her narrow eyes fixed on Pan Jiali. "Our Brother Chuan usually plays with me, and the stakes are always high. Miss Pan, have you brought enough chips?"

Pan Jiali lowered her gaze and glanced at Jiang Yao's arm linked with Zhu Xun Chuan's.

She didn't back down; instead, she slammed the gold-edged deck of cards directly onto the green velvet table in front of Zhu Xun Chuan.

"I lost. The land in the south of the city goes to the fourth family." Pan Jiali's voice was languid. "I won. Mr. Zhu, have a drink with me tonight. Miss Jiang from the North, do you think this deal is worthwhile?"

The two women's gazes met in mid-air. Jiang Yao tightened her grip on Zhu Xun Chuan's arm.

Su Mucheng was talking with several investors when she noticed the commotion out of the corner of her eye, and she lifted her skirt and walked over.

At the heart of the chaotic scene, Zhu Xun Chuan maintained a relaxed demeanor throughout.

He pulled his arm away from Jiang Yao's, wrapped his arm around her waist, and pulled her behind him.

"Interesting." Zhu Xun Chuan picked up the deck of gold-edged playing cards on the table. "Deal the cards."

Only two people remained standing opposite each other at the round table.

The waiter brought over chips and several glasses of ice water.

Pan Jiali unpacked the playing cards. Instead of calling the dealer, she pushed the entire deck in front of Zhu Xunchuan.

"Mr. Zhu, shuffle the cards." Pan Jiali leaned against the edge of the table.

Zhu Xun Chuan placed his hands on the cards. His slender fingers flew across the deck, the cards making a rapid "swish" sound in his hands.

He did not use the standard shuffling techniques found in casinos.

Cut the cards, spread them out with one hand, and flick the edge with your thumb. The cards trace a short arc in the air and land precisely in your other palm.

Three times in a row, his movements were fluid and carried a very unique personal habit. Each time he cut the cards, he would lightly tap the upper left corner of the back of the cards with his index finger.

She stared at Zhu Xun Chuan's increasingly serious face, a look of surprise flashing in her emerald eyes.

The playful smile on Pan Jiali's face gradually disappeared.

Her red lips parted slightly. She suddenly leaned forward, placing her hands on the table, closing the distance between herself and Zhu Xunchuan.

The surrounding noise was completely shut out.

Pan Jiali looked into Zhu Xun Chuan's eyes and lowered her voice.

"Turns out Pakkun really is smarter than Naruto and Sasuke!" (This is a meme I recently saw online. It's said that Sasuke has an IQ of 100, Naruto's is 90, but Pakkun's is far higher than both! Sasuke's intelligence compared to Naruto lies in his quietness! He doesn't blab about things he doesn't understand! Hahahaha!)

P.S.: I'll be giving away 52 (presumably in-game currency) to one lucky reader. New readers, please remember to leave a 5-star review and follow! There's also some bad news: I think I was maliciously reported by a large number of competitors, and my new book has been shut down... This book has been losing readership for two weeks now, I hope I can persevere.