* * *
"Crack!"
Li Qianfan slammed his mobile phone onto the table, startling both Jiao Yin and Murong Mingyuan, causing their bodies to tremble. Murong Mingyuan's face instantly turned pale, while Jiao Yin's pupils constricted sharply. This was because Li Qianfan had sternly accused Murong Mingyuan of secretly dealing with the Dark Web behind his back.
Li Qianfan's gaze, sharper than a knife, fixed on Murong Mingyuan. "Tell me, who exactly is Tang Xueli, the owner of Yalai Lingerie Store at 79 Shunhe Street? And what is her relationship with you?"
Upon hearing the name of the lingerie store owner, Tang Xueli, Murong Mingyuan stumbled.
Jiao Yin, on the other hand, reacted purely on instinct, rapidly searching her memory banks for the name. She had no recollection of it. Yet, Li Qianfan claimed Tang Xueli was connected to the Dark Web!
Crucially, Jiao Yin knew that if Li Qianfan lacked concrete evidence of Tang Xueli's affiliation with the Dark Web, he wouldn't confront Murong Mingyuan like this.
"Tang Xueli is definitely not one of my people," Jiao Yin mused. "If she were, after establishing contact with the women around Li Qianfan, she wouldn't dare hide it from me, even if it meant losing her head."
"Then whose person is Tang Xueli?"
"Another president of the Dark Web—" Jiao Yin's mind raced, quickly deducing Tang Xueli's origins. A surge of anger welled up within her. She had already been displeased when the Chief President took Dai Paipai away, as she, Jiao Yin, was the overall head of the Dark Web in the Eastern Lands. For years, Jiao Yin had diligently and painstakingly dedicated herself to managing the Eastern Lands. However, due to the Chief President's prestige and authority, and the lack of any valid argument she could present, especially with the benefits of the gestation plan, Jiao Yin had "forgiven" the Chief President for benefiting from her territory.
But now! Just as Jiao Yin had finally anticipated Li Wujiang's departure and was meticulously arranging for her most elite subordinates to infiltrate Sijiu, Tang Xueli, a subordinate of some president, had revealed herself in Sijiu. What did this prove? It could only mean that other presidents of the Dark Web intended to encroach upon the empire Jiao Yin had painstakingly built!
Resentment. Jiao Yin's resentment towards the Chief President exploded at this moment. She was acutely aware that without the Chief President's permission, no president, not even the Second President, would dare to meddle in Jiao Yin's territory.
"Fine, if you dare to scheme against me like this, don't blame me for being impolite!" Jiao Yin's face displayed a perfectly feigned look of astonishment, masking her inner fury. She failed to notice that her bare feet, clad in slippers, completely betrayed her. In her desperate attempt to suppress her rage, Jiao Yin channeled all her strength into her toes, almost digging through the soles of her slippers.
"This woman's feet are indeed delicate," Li Qianfan thought, a fleeting appreciation crossing his mind as his peripheral vision caught sight of Jiao Yin's delicate feet. Just then, he saw Murong Mingyuan fall heavily to her knees. In those few brief seconds, Murong Mingyuan had thought of many things. "The matter is exposed, I'm as good as dead anyway, I'll fight Li Qianfan!" This thought was the most potent. But as Murong Mingyuan prepared to lunge, her knees, against her will, buckled and she dropped heavily to the ground. The pain in her knees at that moment clearly and unmistakably told her: "You? What right do you have to risk your life against Li Qianfan? If you dare to fight, the only outcome is a miserable death! It's better to kneel and beg for mercy, perhaps then you can die a swift death." She wanted to say something, but her lips trembled so violently that no words would come out.
Li Qianfan spoke, "Murong Mingyuan, you know very well that I should have killed you when you tried to sell Chu Yazhi. I didn't kill you because I thought you might still be useful. I sent you to Sijiu to give you a chance to atone. But I never expected that not only would you not cherish it, but you would also take advantage of Li Santiao and the others' inconvenience in contacting your private life to engage with the Dark Web. Heh, you have quite the nerve."
"Li Qianfan—" Murong Mingyuan finally found her voice. "Considering the achievements I've made working for you during this period, please give me a quick end."
"Tell me everything you know." Li Qianfan picked up his phone, turned on the video recording, and pointed it at her. "Perhaps I'll grant your wish. Of course, you can lie, and you can be stubborn. But I will make you understand what regret is. You have personally experienced my cruelty. Last night, you even witnessed it firsthand. But to me, disfiguring your face and crippling Luo Ben's arm was just child's play." He wasn't bragging. As long as he went to Longxu, he would have enjoyed drinks with the Longxu Eunuch Li Xusi, who possessed a unique mastery in torture! Li Qianfan had learned about eighty percent of his torture skills. Any one of them could make Murong Mingyuan regret ever being born, even in death!
"I'll tell you." Murong Mingyuan offered no resistance, only hoping for leniency in exchange for a swift death.
It turned out—the six presidents of the Dark Web, according to their rank, were each responsible for a territory. The region with the strongest global economy, New York, was naturally handled by the Chief President of the Dark Web. Europe, with its deep economic foundations (primarily Western Europe), was managed by the Second President. Jiao Yin was in charge of the economically booming Eastern Lands (including Japan and Seoul). The Fourth President was responsible for South Asia, including India. The Fifth President managed the business in the Bear Country to the north of the Eastern Lands. The Sixth President was enduring hardships in Africa—
Although the Bear Country, managed by the Fifth President, was vast and its nuclear weapons were not to be trifled with, it could not compare to the Eastern Lands in terms of population and economy. Especially as the First and Second Powers, provoked by the Western Lands, began to clash, the economic situation in the Bear Country became increasingly dire. Conversely, the Eastern Lands, while the world's attention was focused elsewhere, quietly prospered. As the Eastern Lands' economy improved, so did Jiao Yin's situation. The neighboring Fifth President grew increasingly unbalanced. She somehow managed to persuade the Chief President and gradually extended her influence into Jiao Yin's territory, seeking a share of the pie.
Coincidentally, at this time, Li Wujiang voluntarily resigned. The Fifth President immediately seized this opportunity, dispatching a large number of elite troops and personnel to quickly seize the Sijiu market. To achieve brilliant results in the shortest possible time! After precise analysis, the Fifth President boldly identified Murong Mingyuan!! The Fifth President believed that Murong Mingyuan harbored deep hatred for Li Qianfan and, even if entrusted with important responsibilities, harbored dreams of "devouring her master."
Indeed, this was the case. Thus, people sent by the Fifth President soon found an opportunity to contact Murong Mingyuan. After several candid discussions, Murong Mingyuan decided to cooperate with the Fifth President.
"I have never met the Fifth President, nor do I even know her name," Murong Mingyuan stated. "I only interacted with Tang Xueli. Tang Xueli is a 'swallow' under the Fifth President. She is also one of the few Eastern Land native 'swallows' under the Fifth President's command. As for who else besides Tang Xueli is working for the Fifth President in Sijiu, I do not know."
"However, the Fifth President promised—" Murong Mingyuan looked up at this point. She stared intently at Li Qianfan, removed the mask from her face, revealing the terrifying cross-shaped scar. Her voice was hoarse as she said, "As long as I cooperate with her, she has a way to restore my face to its original state!"
No girl dislikes beauty. Especially for someone like Murong Mingyuan, with a stunning figure and originally a beauty, seeing her face in the mirror would cause her immense pain, and she would desperately long to regain her former beauty. For this reason, she was willing to take any risk!
"I promised them that as soon as my face is restored, I would immediately disappear from Sijiu and become a member of the Dark Web," Murong Mingyuan continued. "After joining the Dark Web, I will use all my intelligence and talents to work against you. These days, I often dream of capturing you alive and personally carving this terrible cross on your face. To let you also experience the pain of looking at this ghastly face day and night."
"Li Qianfan—" Murong Mingyuan raised her hand and threw the mask heavily onto the ground. "I've said everything I needed to say! If you are still a man, then give me a quick end!"
Having confessed all her secrets, Murong Mingyuan felt a sense of relief. She closed her eyes and exhaled. She extended her slender neck, hoping Li Qianfan would deliver a single punch to shatter her throat!
Li Qianfan could tell she was genuinely confessing in hopes of a lighter sentence. He just hadn't expected Murong Mingyuan's hatred for him to be so profound, and that she dared to betray him precisely because of her face.
Jiao Yin, sitting beside him, watched Murong Mingyuan's dazed expression with her mouth slightly agape, looking both sexy and adorable.
"If I say," Li Qianfan's voice was calm, "that I can restore your face to its original beauty within three days, and moreover, forgive your betrayal this time. Then, how will you treat me from now on?"
Huh? Murong Mingyuan froze, slowly opening her eyes. She never dreamed that as she offered her neck for slaughter, Li Qianfan would say such a thing to her.
"Although I am very angry that you dared to betray me," Li Qianfan sighed, "I also wish I could make you die a miserable death. However, no matter what, your buttocks and neck are tattooed with my name. In a certain sense, you are my woman. I, Li Qianfan, although absurd and cruel, would never do something like killing my own woman."
Murong Mingyuan stared at him blankly, appearing dazed. Li Qianfan stood up, walking back and forth in the office with his hands behind his back. "Especially your work during this period has been truly diligent and achieved great success, proving that you are indeed very capable."
"Stop praising me!" Murong Mingyuan suddenly shouted and lunged at Li Qianfan. She hugged his left leg with her left hand and pounded fiercely on that leg with her right fist. Crying hoarsely, she wailed, "Li Qianfan, you've already played with me to the point of questioning life. Please, stop scheming against me and playing with me. Kill me quickly and give me a swift end!"
Li Qianfan—he had expected that after he showed signs of letting her go, she would immediately kowtow and swear that she would never betray him again. Instead, she had seen through his "magnanimous" intentions at a glance. She was bent on death! This left Li Dashao feeling very awkward, even feeling as though he was truly despicable and vulgar. After all, for a dignified, seven-foot-tall man, the future Dragon Lord of Longxu, to scheme against a woman who had lost her home seemed truly embarrassing.
Murong Mingyuan's reaction, driven by a desire for death, completely disrupted the plan Li Qianfan and Su Nanyin had just discussed. However, it was not a big deal. This was also an excellent opportunity to test Li Qianfan's ability to react spontaneously in front of Jiao Yin.
"I, Li Qianfan!" Li Qianfan raised his left hand towards the sky, his face solemn. "I swear by the character of my father and my grandfather! I will restore Murong Mingyuan's original beauty within three days. I will absolutely not scheme against her again. I will only treat her as my most loyal subordinate. I will forgive her betrayal this time!"
Murong Mingyuan, who had been weeping, gradually quieted down. She raised her head. With tear-filled eyes, she looked at Li Qianfan, and her eyes began to shine. If she didn't have to die—who would want to die! Especially when Li Qianfan guaranteed with the honor of his grandfather and father that he would not only forgive Murong Mingyuan's betrayal but also treat her as his most loyal subordinate and allow her to regain her former beauty! Then, what should Murong Mingyuan do? Her hands gripped his leg tightly. Her long fingernails almost pierced his clothes and dug into his skin. She looked up at him—almost word by word, she said, "I, am willing, to die, for you."