As Liu Yutong's figure disappeared from sight, Guo Yani felt an inexplicable and indescribable sense of loss well up inside her.
It was a feeling as if there was suddenly an insurmountable chasm between her and someone she had once known so well—a gap she desperately wanted to cross but couldn’t.
She and Liu Yutong used to have a very good relationship. In fact, most of their fifth-grade class had been close.
After graduating from elementary school, they had all gone their separate ways.
In their hometown, middle school was where things split. Some classmates stayed at the local town school, some went to schools in neighboring towns, others moved to the county seat, and those with better financial means even transferred directly to middle schools in Bright Pearl City.
In short, at least half of their elementary school classmates no longer attended the same school.
But during holidays, whenever they returned to the village, they would gather with their old classmates—usually just to hang out and stroll around.
Liu Yutong had been introverted back then, and her father rarely let her leave the house.
It wasn’t out of concern for her safety, but because he didn’t want to be left without someone to do the household chores.
So it was always Guo Yani who rallied their village friends to go and drag Liu Yutong out.
With so many classmates showing up, Liu Yutong’s father couldn’t outright refuse—especially since some of those classmates came from families with influence in the village.
Then, Guo Yani and the other girls would link arms with Liu Yutong, laughing and chatting as they wandered from the north end of the village all the way to the south.
As for the boys, they’d blast music at full volume from their MP3 players (now replaced by phones), howling along like wild animals…
Liu Yutong had always enjoyed those moments—the rare reunions, the shared laughter, the warmth of reconnecting. It had felt truly special.
The only dark cloud had been Liu Yutong’s troublemaker of a father. Because of him, in her past life, she had barely returned home after leaving for university.
Guo Yani had just reminded Liu Yutong about him, though she wasn’t sure if her words had sunk in.
Honestly, Liu Yutong having money now should have been a good thing—but with a father like that, it might not be.
If he found out how wealthy his daughter was, wouldn’t he just gamble even harder?
He’d demand money from her, and if she refused, he’d make a scene. Just thinking about it gave Guo Yani a headache.
After all, he was still her father. That kind of relationship was always tricky to handle.
Guo Yani couldn’t help but wonder—just how rich was Liu Yutong now?
And why did everyone call her "Miss"?
She suspected Manager Chen knew more than he let on, but before she could ask, he was already fawning over her with a smile:
"Yani, how are you settling in here? Anything we can improve on?"
Guo Yani thought for a moment. "Manager, it’s a bit cold. Can we turn on the air conditioning?"
Bright Pearl City’s climate was awkward—too far north for central heating, yet winters could be brutally cold.
The only solution was air conditioning, but it guzzled electricity, so they usually avoided it.
With just her and one other colleague in the office, running the AC felt like a luxury. They mostly relied on hand warmers.
Manager Chen immediately agreed. "Of course! Turn it on! Keep it running all day!"
Guo Yani: "…"
His reaction only confirmed her suspicions—her childhood friend Liu Yutong was clearly doing very well for herself.
But even though she already had an answer in mind, she was still left speechless when she later stumbled upon a business report about the Wanlong Society and saw the staggering figures mentioned.
...........
Meanwhile.
As soon as Liu Yutong stepped downstairs, she turned to Yun Cheng and ordered, "Keep an eye on the Yilian Society’s movements. I have a feeling something big is about to happen. Zhao Junjie wouldn’t act so boldly today unless he had backing. Better safe than sorry."
Zhao Junjie’s earlier threats suggested he knew something.
That was one reason Liu Yutong had decided to let him go—for now.
Another reason was that he was reckless. In modern terms, he was a hotheaded fool.
In her past life, it was his series of impulsive decisions that had led to the downfall of the East Sea Alliance, an organization his father had built from scratch.
Bright Pearl City had no sea, but it did have a famous road called East Sea Road—where the East Sea Alliance was headquartered, hence the name.
Liu Yutong didn’t know the exact details of what had happened in her past life, but she knew one thing: the three major factions had all collapsed in the end.
What followed was the rise of a crime lord who nearly dominated the entire underworld.
Of course, even he hadn’t escaped unscathed. When the crackdowns came, very few made it out clean—only the small fry slipped through the net.
In the end, the higher you climbed, the harder you fell.
"If things escalate, recall everyone. There’s no need to take unnecessary risks. Unless Uncle Qi can secure explicit authorization—preferably signed by someone higher up—even with Gao Min’s testimony, some things are better left untouched."
"Understood, Miss."
Yun Cheng seemed to remember something and added, "Miss, the annual martial arts tournament is next month. This year, the Yilian Society is hosting. As usual, the three major factions will send their best fighters to settle disputes in the ring."
"Do you think the East Sea Alliance might try something?"
This was Liu Yutong’s first time hearing about the tournament, but Yun Cheng’s explanation made its purpose clear.
"Yun Cheng, what were the results in previous years?"
"The Yilian Society won five times, the East Sea Alliance three, and the Guangchang Society only once. The winner gets to decide territorial disputes and business allocations for the next year."
"From what I’ve heard, this year’s tournament might revolve around the prime location of Beilong Plaza. No faction has full control over it yet—not because they lack the power, but because everyone wants it."
"The key is the potential for redevelopment. If someone could build a shopping mall or commercial center there, combined with the existing business district and entertainment venues nearby, the profits would be astronomical."
Liu Yutong was impressed by Yun Cheng’s analysis. He had clearly grown a lot.
But his words also reminded her of Beilong Plaza’s troubled history in her past life.
The disputes over Beilong Plaza ran deep—its waters were murky.
Yet whoever managed to seize it would indeed rise to new heights.
At least in the short term, taking off was not a problem.
The later decline, however, was due to human factors.
This location was the absolute city center of Bright Pearl City, featuring a uniquely crescent-shaped shopping street, with the museum, plaza, cultural center, and more right across the street. Many bank headquarters were also established here, making it a place of immense commercial value.
Moreover, whenever events or New Year's Eve celebrations were held, locals' first instinct was to gather here.
One could say this place had the advantage of timing and geography—all it lacked was harmony among people.
Yet, to this day, the commercial development around Belon Plaza has remained sluggish, primarily because too many parties were eyeing this lucrative piece of real estate.
Later, even when someone successfully secured the development rights and initially brought some liveliness to the area, it ultimately fell into ruin after the behind-the-scenes owner was arrested.
A commercial plaza in the absolute heart of the city, with a rental occupancy rate of less than 10%—utterly absurd.
In other words, the shopping streets and malls built around Belon Plaza remained largely vacant, failing to recover even by the time Liu Yutong was reborn.
Instead, Qianda Plaza, originally slightly on the outskirts of the city center, and the nearby Wanlong Shopping Plaza, which Liu Yutong acquired, became the new bustling hubs, the go-to destinations for shopping, effectively becoming the new "city centers."
One could say they reaped the benefits without lifting a finger.
