The male supporting character was actually myself.

“Mr. Jones, to be honest, I really didn’t expect to be attacked so close to your residence.” Joyce declined the offer from the family doctor the attacker had called to bandage him, waving his hand and smiling, “I’ll take care of this minor injury myself when I get back.”

I chose to come back immediately because I was worried about your safety, Mr. Jones.

Please go and take a look at those despicable guys.

We couldn't get any results from them, and we even accidentally killed one. But the police teams you sent out all had hunting dogs, so they're sure to find something.

Please forgive my intrusion.

We had originally planned to meet tomorrow to discuss the deal, but you've moved it forward.

"Besides you, who else knew about this last-minute change of time?"

Upon hearing this, Anderson frowned even more deeply.

When giving instructions to your assistants, make sure they are quick and keep a close eye on the situation, so that the other party has no opportunity to make any arrangements.

The person in charge gave a detailed report, and they went straight to Joyce's residence, where the blonde girl was also there. The two of them got into the car and followed. The whole process took less than two minutes, and even the rest of the Owen family happened to be unaware of it.

Unless Joyce had some kind of premonition or arranged for someone to keep watch over his residence beforehand, the probability of him doing something wrong is low.

Assuming he was unaware, where did these guys come from?

Anderson covered his nose with a white handkerchief, glanced at the bodies lined up by the door, and waved for his assistant to take them away.

“Looks like a gambler, a homeless man!” he muttered, his throat constricted as if phlegm were stuck in it. “To be cut like that and still not confess? Sounds more like a suicide bomber.”

Joyce showed off his scars and explained, "Don't be fooled by their dirty appearance and clothes. Look at these scars. They're ruthless and work together seamlessly. They're definitely not ordinary people. I bet they've been trained."

The most crucial question now is—whose people are they on our side!

Imagine, Mr. Jones, what would have happened if my brother Daniel hadn't arrived in time, and Yelena and I had been killed just a mile and a half from your residence?

The trading hours were suddenly changed;

Disappeared without a sound.

Fortunately, I was the person involved and knew that you made this decision on a whim without any other intention, otherwise people might have mistakenly thought there was something hidden.

Then our mutually beneficial transaction will be ruined.

It could even be worse.

Mr. Jones, it is obvious that someone wants to start a war between us and then reap the benefits.

Bella and I didn't have the time or opportunity to reveal our whereabouts;

what do you say? "

Anderson nodded, paused for a few seconds, and then changed the subject, "Daniel, your timing is perfect. Luckily you were here, otherwise the world would have been in chaos. I must toast you!"

Jiang Chen, who was suspected, explained without hesitation: "I had something I wanted to talk to Joyce about before one o'clock in the afternoon."

When they arrived at his residence, they found no one there.

You should know that he usually stays at home writing and calculating on Fridays and rarely goes out.

But today is strange; he's neither in the car nor in the vehicle.

I asked a few people, and a child playing at the street corner told me that he had seen Joyce's car heading towards the city center from the riverbank, along with two other cars, one in front of the other.

At that time, I didn't understand the situation and thought something had happened.

So they asked around and dawdled for a long time before finally reaching the tree-lined road, where they happened to witness those guys committing the crime.

To be honest, I have never been to Mr. Jones's residence.

Otherwise, if I had known you invited him, I might have given up and turned back halfway.

Fortunately, it was in time; Joyce was incredibly lucky to survive.

Jiang Chen glanced at the other person as he spoke.

Knowing full well that he was going to deal with other gangs with Ed today, Joyce gave him a deep look and gave him a faint smile.

As they were talking, the deputy captain of the guards returned with the hunting dogs to report on the situation.

There were many messy footprints on the grass on both sides of the bushes. Following one side, they went straight to the bustling street. With the help of the hound's keen sense of smell, they successfully found a dirty and dilapidated little room in a filthy rental area.

Anderson wields considerable power; at least openly, most of the thugs are under his control.

The guards spread the word, and soon someone reported it and claimed the reward.

One of the guys had been wandering around the area for several days, clearly having planned this all along.

Furthermore, based on the analysis of various traces from the fight scene, it can be largely ruled out that Joyce orchestrated the entire incident.

Moreover, he never mentioned any compensation, but only reminded himself to be wary of malicious people trying to sow discord.

From a purely economic standpoint, the Irving family is tied to him, so there's no need for him to do something so unnecessary.

Anderson saw the Irving brothers off with a smile, then turned around and whispered a few words to his assistant with a serious expression.

The other party accepted the order and quickly left.

"Hopefully this move will work." Joyce sat obediently as the doctor disinfected and bandaged him, then took a couple of sips of his drink and chuckled at his brother, "Good lad, sending someone to keep an eye on me, huh?"

Jiang Chen fiddled with the matchbox, shook his head and laughed, "I'm just worried about your safety. You know, there's a guy outside who knows witchcraft and can make people disappear from a room without a sound."

I wouldn't dare risk gambling!

"You're really something! But thankfully you made the arrangements today, otherwise I really would have died there." Joyce took two more gulps of wine.

After the doctor finished his work and left, he lit a cigarette, puffed out smoke, looked at the ceiling, and sighed, "Hopefully Anderson's self-investigation will uncover some hidden agents. If that happens, he'll have to tacitly agree to our growing power."

Jiang Chen nodded in agreement, "Dom will probably plant some spies, once Anderson finds them out."

He's going to take the blame for this!

Anderson needs us to keep Dom in check, so he'll turn a blind eye to our moves to take over other gangs.

I also arranged a gift for Dom.

If the time is right, perhaps we can team up with him and turn the tables on Anderson!

"What have you arranged?" Joyce asked curiously.

Jiang Chen leaned over and whispered in his ear for a moment. A look of surprise appeared on the other man's face. Then he patted his shoulder and laughed, "Daniel, you've really learned a lot on the battlefield!"

By the way, keep a close eye on Yelena.

Let's check if she has any problems first.

"I'm sorry I had to resell our cleaning lady; she'll have to take over the job."

"Susanna and the others will be very happy to hear this news," Jiang Chen joked. "It saves them from paying the cleaning lady's salary last month."

The Blue Shell Bar's living room became lively that evening, with people either concerned about or joking about Joyce's injury. Meanwhile, the atmosphere in Anderson's luxurious villa was somber.

A guard who had been subjected to severe interrogation lay dying in the lobby.

"It has been found out. When you instructed the relevant personnel to invite Mr. Owen and Ms. Bella to the banquet, this guy wrote the message on a note and rolled it up in a banknote."

During a break from his patrol along the river, he bought a pack of cigarettes from a peddler who ran back and forth on the Sentis River selling trinkets, and then sent out the information.

We couldn't find the steamship with the white stripes he mentioned; perhaps they sensed something was wrong and didn't dare to dock.

As you know, there are many of those peddler boats on the river, mostly selling cigarettes and alcohol to the workers in the factories along the riverbank. They stop whenever called, and there are just too many of them; they're very difficult to manage and eliminate.

After Leib finished his report, he saw the other man's face growing increasingly grim and said in a low voice, "This guy passed the message on to Dom Privion."

Chapter Thirty-Four: Anderson's Treasure Trove

"Ha, not surprising at all!" Anderson cursed a couple of times and muttered, "I knew that guy had been probing and infiltrating, but I never expected he could actually plant a spy in my house!"

Drag him to feed the dogs.

His family members, the men of whom had their hands and feet cut off and fed to the dogs;

Women, it's the same old rules.

You take your men and continue the investigation. Make sure you find out exactly who each person is!

The thought of this guy acting as a guard and walking around outside my bedroom terrifies me.

After this thorough investigation, if any suspects still slip through the net...

Let the butler and the head of security think it over themselves!

Leib was ordered to have him dragged away.

A large pool of blood remained on the beautiful floor tiles, which was quickly cleaned up by a maid with an expressionless face.

Bella sat on a velvet sofa, wearing an exquisite long dress that shimmered like starlight, her hair loosely gathered and adorned with a sparkling diamond headdress.

She wore an expensive and elaborate pearl necklace around her neck;

On her white-gloved hand was a sapphire ring the size of a pigeon's egg;

Even her high heels were adorned with jewels, making her breathtakingly beautiful under the bright lights.

She sat gracefully, slowly swirling a glass of red wine and savoring it like a hostess.

Even his gaze towards the bloodstains remained calm and unperturbed.

It's normal for gang leaders to be ruthless and bloody.

Aren't those lunatics from the Irving family always using razors to cut open their enemies' faces, ears, and necks?

However, even among gang leaders, there are different ranks.

I've been with Joyce for quite some time now, but what has he given me?

Forget about jewels, they didn't even have a nice custom-made dress!

Having only been under Anderson's wing for less than a day, look at the outfit he's prepared for himself—it's more expensive than anything the wealthy heiresses in the capital could afford! Even princesses probably don't have shoes this beautiful…

“Come on, honey, it’s time for dinner.” Anderson wiped his hands with a hot towel and invited her to the restaurant with a big smile. “I’ve never liked talking about serious matters in front of women.”

Fighting, killing, intrigue, and schemes are things men need to consider.

To me, all a woman needs to do is be beautiful.

But today is an exception; you are the first woman to see me handling serious business.

You should be grateful for that.