The male supporting character was actually myself.

"A shootout took place this morning at the border between our territory and that of the old Cobb family."

Our informant reported that fake cop Oliver and a dozen of his men were ambushed by several gangs, and the fighting was fierce.

Benson pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses and looked at Joyce with a worried expression. "The worst part is that although both sides suffered losses, they did not suffer annihilation."

"And those unscrupulous gangsters leaked the information, saying that you told them Oliver's whereabouts."

Joyce shrugged and spread his hands, saying, "Words are no proof."

“Whether there’s evidence or not, those guys are trying to drag us down with them!” April said angrily, tapping the table with a cigarette between her fingers. “I know what they’re planning.”

Either bring Oliver to deal with us;

Either they think they've fought enough to temporarily unite and then turn against us!

Ed exhaled a puff of smoke and cursed, "And those damn Thunder Gang!"

"The Thunder Gang?" April immediately became alert. "Guys, what exactly did you do today?"

Joyce frowned slightly and said, "We've been ambushed, April."

Either an inside agent leaked our whereabouts;

Either Anderson deliberately arranged it this way to weaken the gangs and try to stir up trouble in the Shengtis sphere so that he could profit from it.

We encountered an ambush by the Thunder Gang on the road, but fortunately Daniel was thoughtful and had arranged for informants to discover it in advance, so we launched a brilliant surprise attack.

But the result was that he angered those guys.

April spat angrily, "Could it be that Bella leaked the information?"

"She should be Oliver's woman."

“Damn it! Then it’s only Anderson.” Susanna said gravely. “We know Oliver has ulterior motives, otherwise he wouldn’t have offended so many gangs.”

It's impossible for him to contact the Thunder Gang and predict your route so accurately.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been ambushed.

Now, we're going to start the fight, right?

Joyce let out a sigh of relief and nodded. "That's right, Susanna, you're absolutely right. We're about to start fighting. This time it's not just the Thunder Gang, but also Oliver, the Riverside gangs of Sentis, and... Anderson."

"We are the Owen family, and we fear no battle!" Fourteen-year-old Edmund jumped up from the sofa, slammed his fist on the table, and shouted with fervor, "Whoever they are, let's fight them!"

Jiang Chen couldn't help but rub his forehead;

The little white cat stared in disbelief, "This kid is amazing!"

Without turning his head, Ed pushed him back onto the sofa and asked, "Have you finished your homework?"

How did you do on the exam?

Edmund, wait until all of you are dead before you think about such things.

"You should spend more time reading books, so you can start a big company and become a boss someday!"

Edmund: ╮(─▽─)╭

Being the youngest child in my family is so tough.

Chapter Twenty-Three Important Matters

The taciturn Lily remained silent until the family meeting ended. She led Edmund silently through the back door into the carriage and returned to her residence.

"You need to talk to her," Jiang Chen reminded her, watching the carriage disappear into the distance.

Joyce took a deep drag on his cigarette. "I'm going tonight. What about the Thunder Gang? Oliver's probably in hiding too; the informant reports he hasn't returned to his place."

The enemy is in the shadows while we are in the open; it's a very difficult situation.

"Leave the expansion to me." Jiang Chen confidently patted his shoulder with a cigarette dangling from his lips and laughed, "Just wait and see the good news."

He came out of the hall and sat on the wrought iron chair in the courtyard, casually blowing smoke rings.

The little white cat looked worried. "Host, what should we do if we can't find Oliver? And there are so many gangsters eyeing us. I'm so worried!"

"What's there to worry about?" Jiang Chen took out a folded map from his pocket and said casually as he looked at it, "According to the plot, I won't die until next week."

The storyline involving the protagonist Joyce remains unchanged;

As for Ed dying in two days, I will make sure it doesn't happen.

Your task remains the same: keep an eye on Bella. If you keep an eye on her, you'll find Oliver. That girl's pretty smart; she probably realized Joyce wanted to use her as a bargaining chip, so she ran away beforehand.

Go keep an eye on her, make sure she doesn't actually get away.

"Okay, I'll go right now!" The little white cat took the order and hopped away.

Jiang Chen drew an X on a few circles with his pen, folded the map, stuffed it back into his pocket, and sighed, "Going to be an assassin again, and time is so tight."

Many important things happened to the Irving family that day.

First, around mid-afternoon, someone delivered a legal horse racing license and Mr. Anderson's message: "Go ahead and do it to ensure the transaction goes smoothly. The fake police will not provide assistance, but they will not interfere with the cleanup work."

This message is just as important as a valid ID.

This proves Joyce's guess was correct; Anderson desperately needed to stir up trouble among the gangs.

Whether it's mutual attrition or the ability to stand out and grow into a major gang like Dom Privé, both can effectively help Anderson counterbalance Dom.

In addition, smuggling boats on waterways can get free bodyguards.

Anderson will not stop the Irving family from wiping out other gangs.

He reaped huge profits from a single legal document, and he simply reaped the benefits without lifting a finger.

The Irving family celebrated the hard-won legal document.

Secondly, Joyce decided to confront Lily.

When he pushed open the door to Lily's room, he saw her engrossed in writing and drawing in a notebook.

"Studying?" Joyce stubbed out her cigarette and asked softly, "Could I take a few minutes of your time?"

Lily looked up, the gold chain on her pearl headband swaying slightly. "Sit down, Second Brother. I'm all done here."

Joyce sat down opposite her, and before he could even speak, he noticed a booklet filled with names and details of many people. He leaned over and took a closer look; it turned out to be information on various gangs.

What are you doing?

"Find a promising man and marry him!" Lily explained without hesitation, her tone even revealing a hint of pride. "Everyone knows my health isn't very good. I want to contribute to the Owen family, and the only way is to find a powerful and promising mob boss and marry him!"

Joyce stared in disbelief for a moment, then snatched the booklet and asked, "Who taught you to do this?"

"Do I need to be taught this?" Lily looked at him strangely. "I have to plan for my future."

I can't fight like Aunt April and the others;

And we can't openly sit in the office and do calculations.

Why don't you marry a powerful mob boss and lend him a hand? Are Edmund and I just going to be parasites, living off the Owen family fortune every day?

Joyce, I know you've been good to us, but you've never said it out loud.

But how long can you support us?

When we are twenty, thirty, or fifty or sixty, we will rely on your sons to support us.

Moreover, we have such a father…

Before she could finish speaking, her eyes reddened.

Joyce lit another cigarette and took a puff. "Don't overthink it, Lily. Your father is a separate matter from you. You and Edmund are members of the Owen family, and he has nothing to do with you."

Actually, I've had a plan for a while but haven't found the right opportunity to tell you.

We are facing a major crisis, and this plan must be launched ahead of schedule.

You and Edmund should move to the city.

I will buy you a big house and arrange for proper people to protect your safety.

Listen, there will be a safe in the basement of the new house that's as big as a bank vault.

I got these from a factory a few years ago; they were the kind they specifically produced to sell to banks.

At that time, all the money we earn will be deposited into it.

You and Edmund will have respectable professions and identities like everyone else, and you will have no connection with the mob.

In the future, you will fall in love, marry, and have children with elites from respectable families. At that time, I will see whether to lead everyone out of the filth of the underworld.

As the first step in the Irving family's efforts to clear their name, the two of you are crucial.

Lily was shocked for a while, her eyes red, and she asked softly, "What should I do?"

The brother and sister had their first heart-to-heart talk for a long time.

The result was very gratifying. After Joyce finished telling Jiang Chen with great enthusiasm, he patted him on the shoulder and said happily, "I had already arranged for Uncle Benson to find a house. He will buy it tomorrow in the names of Lily and Edmund."

Although the situation is difficult, taking this step will at least preserve our strength.

Jiang Chen nodded, noticing the new content appearing in the characters of the script.

Lily and Edmund will live happily ever after, just as he expected.

A few years later, she will marry a lawyer, and the two will live happily ever after.

Edmund will start a freight company, get married, have children, and have nothing to do with the mob anymore.

The only problem is Ed, who will die in a gang shootout in two days.

Jiang Chen rubbed his temples and left the bustling bar early; he needed to finish off his target tonight.

Bella didn't come to the bar to sing.

Of course, ordinary drinkers wouldn't dare say anything, but Ed kept nagging his brother for a long time.

The end result was that Joyce went to Bella's cramped rented room, and the two had a heart-wrenching conversation through the thin wooden door.

Bella believed Joyce's motives were impure;

Joyce stated that she had absolutely no such thoughts and complained bitterly that her group had been looking for her for a long time.

Through the wooden door, they went from arguing to pouring out their hearts to each other. Finally, Bella, with tears in her eyes, opened the door and hugged his neck, saying tearfully, "You're a devil, Joyce! You stole my heart and tore it to shreds!"