Morning.
Qin Fengwu had already learned the final outcome of the public sea duel. He said nothing, merely lit a cigarette and stood by the window, waiting for the sun to rise.
It wasn't until he had finished an entire pack that he suddenly came to his senses. Watching the slowly ascending sun, he whispered, "A fine Chen Jinzhao, daring to kill the rightful heir of the Ross family. Isn't he afraid of being hunted by the entire world?"
He paused.
Qin Fengwu then murmured again, "Perhaps, I've underestimated Chen Jinzhao from the very beginning. He is like this rising sun, already my most formidable opponent."
"I'm starting to look forward to it."
A sharp glint appeared in his eyes, and Qin Fengwu began to feel excited.
At the same time.
Inside a super villa located at the border of Jiangning and Ninghai, Fang Mingchao had already smashed quite a few items. The scene was a mess. The reason for his fury was Ning Fei's unilateral action.
And his target was Chen Jinzhao.
If the operation had been successful, it would have been one thing, but the final result was a complete and utter defeat.
"That was the Eye of the Candle Dragon. I should have told him Chen Jinzhao's identity back then, to prevent him from doing something foolish!" Fang Mingchao was infuriated.
As expected.
Chen Jinzhao must have learned about this secret base from Ning Fei. This villa was no longer safe, and Fang Mingchao had to have people clear the traces overnight.
But this was definitely not enough.
Calming himself down, Fang Mingchao dialed Su Hao's number. A lazy voice came from the other end of the line, "Mr. Fang, why are you calling me so early? What's the matter?"
Clearly.
After a night of revelry, Su Hao had not fully woken up.
Fang Mingchao said with a heavy tone, "Second Young Master, our secret base has likely been exposed. I need your cooperation with some matters."
"What did you say?!" Su Hao immediately jolted awake from his groggy state!
If Fang Mingchao's dirty dealings were exposed, it would undoubtedly implicate him.
Su Hao had to take it seriously.
Fang Mingchao quickly recounted everything that had happened the previous night to Su Hao. After listening, Su Hao first cursed Ning Fei at length, and then said to Fang Mingchao, "Alright, tell me what you need me to do now, and I'll have people arrange it immediately."
Southwest region.
A strong scent of blood emanated from a luxurious manor.
In the manor's main hall, a middle-aged man with a rough face lay over several corpses. These were Hong Xingwen's martial arts teachers.
Hong Xingwen was dead, so these people were no longer useful.
"My son was lonely on his journey to the netherworld. I ask that you all accompany him after you go, to continue your teacher-student relationship." Hong Kui said with a chilling tone.
It was as if this was a favor to them.
"Liu Guangning, what do we do next?" Hong Kui asked the middle-aged man beside him.
Liu Guangning was the top strategist of the Qianmen sect. He had repeatedly helped Qianmen make optimal choices, enabling rapid development, and was deeply trusted and heavily relied upon by Hong Kui, holding a position second only to the Hong father and son within Qianmen.
At this moment.
Liu Guangning's brow was deeply furrowed. "Big Brother, I believe the most pressing matter is to give Xingwen a grand funeral, so that other organizations do not look down on us. Secondly, we should also sharpen our weapons and prepare to launch a large-scale offensive into the Jiangnan region!"
Hong Kui's eyes flickered. He didn't give an immediate reply.
Instead, he pondered, "My son is dead, and Mo Zongmao was also killed by the opponent, severely weakening Qianmen. Is it too hasty to attack Jiangnan now?"
"Big Brother, speed is of the essence in warfare!" Liu Guangning said earnestly.
Hong Kui fell into deep thought.
After a long while, he asked, "Are you saying that Qian Deshui is not much better off than us?"
Liu Guangning nodded, and then added, "That's right. I heard they also suffered heavy casualties this time, so our situation is likely comparable. However, they have a top-tier expert guarding them, which significantly reduces our chances of victory."
"Guangning, I don't understand what you mean. Since the opponent has a top-tier expert, wouldn't us going there now be sending ourselves to our deaths?" Hong Kui looked at Liu Guangning deeply.
"Big Brother, that is where you are mistaken." Liu Guangning shook his head.
"Have you ever heard the saying, 'When paths meet, the brave one wins'?"
"Both sides are severely weakened now, but Qian Deshui has more confidence than us. Naturally, he will assume that after our defeat, we would not dare to meddle in the Jiangnan region again. This means that acting now would achieve the effect of surprise."
"Big Brother, don't forget, we still have the backing of that magnate from the Golden Triangle."
Hong Kui grunted. Seeing this, Liu Guangning stepped forward and lit a cigarette for him.
*Click!*
The flame flared up, illuminating their faces.
Hong Kui took a few puffs, finally making up his mind and said to Liu Guangning, "Alright, we'll do as you say! You will be responsible for helping Xingwen with his funeral arrangements, and I will be responsible for gathering troops to prepare for the invasion of the Jiangnan region."
"On the seventh day of Xingwen's death, we will sound the bugle!"
Liu Guangning's expression was excited. He nodded and went to carry out Hong Kui's orders, "Big Brother, I will ensure that Xingwen's funeral is handled properly and magnificently!"
A bloody war, unique to the underground world, was about to begin.
Nine o'clock in the morning.
A yacht docked along the coastline, and Chen Jinzhao, Tao Qiyue, and others disembarked.
Tao Qiyue sighed, "What happened last night feels like a dream to me. Even now, it still feels somewhat unreal."
"You must have been tired last night. Go back and rest for a few days before investigating the Jiangnan real estate and Ning family cases," Chen Jinzhao suggested beside her.
"No, I need to start investigating immediately, to prevent any further accidents." Tao Qiyue didn't want to waste a single second and just wanted to close the case as soon as possible.
Chen Jinzhao was quite helpless and didn't try to persuade her further.
Tao Qiyue flashed a bright smile, "But thank you anyway for letting me broaden my horizons. I'll seek you out again if anything comes up in the future."
"Goodbye!"
Before Chen Jinzhao could say anything, Tao Qiyue quickly strode away from the coastline.
Chen Jinzhao stared at her receding figure. After a long while, he withdrew his gaze, thinking to himself—if everyone in China were like Tao Qiyue, how could the society not be at peace?
"Hey!"
"You like looking at her so much, why don't you chase after her? I won't have any objections." A familiar voice sounded in Chen Jinzhao's ear.
Chen Jinzhao turned his head.
He found Yu Mengzhi standing beside him, which made him freeze for a moment.
Could it be that he was too tired last night and was hallucinating?
Chen Jinzhao reached out and pinched Yu Mengzhi's cheek, causing her eyes to water with pain. "What are you doing? Let go quickly, it hurts so much!"
"Ahaha, so it's not a hallucination. Mengzhi, why are you here?" Chen Jinzhao gave an awkward smile.
Yu Mengzhi snorted, saying somewhat proudly, "If I hadn't shown up, would you have left with Tao Qiyue?"
Hearing this, Chen Jinzhao felt a headache coming on.
He quickly clutched his chest and said, "Ouch, the fight last night was too intense, I almost died. If she hadn't helped, you might never have seen me again."
Yu Mengzhi's face turned ashen with shock.
She quickly supported Chen Jinzhao and fussed over him, no longer asking about Tao Qiyue.
Chen Jinzhao looked at her anxious expression, on the verge of tears, and knew without a doubt that she must have spent the night in the village. If she didn't truly care, why would she be so concerned?
With such a girlfriend, what more could a man ask for?