"Li Ge, I'm sorry, I have to rush back for a meeting."
Li Chonglou, being considerate, stood up and raised his glass to Mu Qi. "It's me who has troubled you. You go back to work. I'll treat you to a good meal when you have time!"
Mu Qi smiled. "Don't say that, Li Ge. I'm happy to help you. Let's chat again next time."
The two parted ways. Li Chonglou walked Mu Qi to the entrance of the restaurant, where a driver was already waiting. Mu Qi waved goodbye to him. "I'm leaving then, Li Ge. By the way, you must be cautious about Brother Wu Long's affairs. It's best not to get involved with his company if you can avoid it. After all, aren't you aiming to break into the financial world, Li Ge?"
Li Chonglou nodded. "I will. Thank you."
Mu Qi said no more and got into the car under the signal of the staff.
Li Chonglou watched her leave.
"It seems I need to re-evaluate this matter."
Li Chonglou's smile faded. In the past few hours, the most frequent phrase he had heard was Pingmin Hui.
It was only then that he realized the vast difference between the martial arts world and the financial world, and that there was indeed a mutual adversarial relationship between them.
In Shangjing, although the martial arts circle was the true dominant force, the financial circles, at least on the surface, held sway. After all, the majority of the world's population were ordinary people.
And human nature is selfish. No one wishes to live in another's shadow. This has led the financial circles to constantly seek ways to counterbalance the martial arts world. The much-hyped new weapons were also products of the financial circles!
What made Li Chonglou feel the need to re-plan was precisely this point.
Du Tian's intention was to forcefully enter the financial circle through the martial arts world. After clearing his path with force, by the time the financial circles reacted, they would have already established a firm foothold.
Initially, Li Chonglou agreed with this approach. After all, as Zhou Tong had said, they had the advantage of timing, location, and human relations. As long as they moved quickly enough, achieving this was not difficult.
However, from Mu Qi, he learned about an unavoidable organization in Shangjing: Pingmin Hui.
This was an organization formed by the top bosses of the financial circles. Only ordinary people from the financial circles could join. But do not underestimate this organization called "Pingmin." Its experts could make even the General Bureau retreat!
The primary purpose of this organization was to protect the financial world's complete independence from the martial arts world!
To put it plainly, it was a group of ordinary people, ordinary people with absolute wealth, who, through their connections and abilities, gathered like-minded experts to specifically target the various elites in Shangjing.
Once someone attempted to dictate to the financial circles using their martial arts power, they would come forward to help resolve the situation. If the situation couldn't be resolved, then they would resolve the person!
Most importantly, according to Mu Qi, the top powers of Pingmin Hui were enough to make even the General Bureau wary!
According to Mu Qi, Shangjing had three top-tier forces: the General Bureau, Pingmin Hui, and the Zhan Hui, led by the Wu family.
These three forces were on equal footing, mutually restraining each other. In Shangjing, they were like three giants, guiding all affairs!
Li Chonglou sighed, "It seems I am still too weak. I thought I had reached the true top, but it turns out I'm still an outsider."
Meanwhile, at the entrance of Tonggu Mingjin Company.
The security guard who had previously stopped Yi Defa encountered three more troublemakers.
"Call out your boss and tell him people from Pingmin Hui are looking for him."
The newcomers were three men. The leader was a middle-aged man in his forties wearing black-rimmed glasses. He had a refined demeanor, but his tone of voice was like an authority issuing orders.
The security guard immediately felt displeased.
However, out of professional courtesy, the security guard politely said, "Hello, sir. You need an appointment to see the boss. Do you have one?"
The man with glasses sneered, "Can't you understand human language, or are you deaf? I told you to notify your boss to come out. Didn't you hear me?"
Anger flashed in the security guard's eyes, but he suppressed his emotions and said, "I'm sorry, sir, but without an appointment, you cannot see our boss. This is the company's policy."
At this moment, a young man in his early twenties next to the man with glasses spoke up, "Uncle Jing, why waste so much time talking to a subordinate? We can just go in."
The security guard's expression changed instantly. He quickly stepped forward to block the three men. "Hey, this is a private place. If you try anything, I'll call for help!"
"Noisy!"
The young man waved his hand impatiently. The security guard didn't know what had happened. He only felt himself suddenly airborne, followed by a sharp pain in his chest.
*Puff!*
He was just an ordinary person and had never experienced such a thing. A large mouthful of fresh blood spurted from his mouth, and after spinning around erratically, he fell heavily to the ground.
This scene was witnessed by Kulinan, who was returning from shopping. His eyes sharpened, and his body flashed.
The next moment, two figures collided.
*Bang!*
A dull thud sounded. At the company entrance, Kulinan's body was sent flying backward, crashing into the electric gate. The stainless steel gate instantly caved in significantly. Kulinan clutched his chest, staring at the other party with terror in his eyes.
"A trash who hasn't even reached the fifth level. This is just a warning this time. Next time, I'll kill you directly!"
Kulinan's strength had improved significantly after these days, and he had successfully entered the fourth level. But in that brief exchange, he felt the aura of death!
This person in front of him was definitely at least the fifth level!
Kulinan's eyes immediately became anxious, not because of the opponent's age, but because someone with such strength had come to cause trouble. Although he wasn't the strongest in the company at the moment, no one else had reached the fifth level either!
The young man sneered dismissively and walked into the company as if it were his own. The man with glasses and another man in his thirties, who had remained silent and hadn't acted, followed him.
Kulinan wanted to stop them, but the throbbing pain in his chest made him realize he couldn't stop them alone. He could only struggle to get up.
The security guard also hurried over and helped him up.
"Senior Kulinan, are you alright? Should I call the police?"
Even if he were thick-skinned, he knew the current situation was beyond his capabilities. However, Kulinan waved his hand. "No, hurry and notify Chen Pao and the others. Tell them there's a strong enemy invasion!"
After all, Li Chonglou had hired them precisely to handle such situations. If they called the police, what would be the point of having them?