If Liu Yutong remembered correctly, the previous two leaders of the Yishe Association had both met tragic and violent ends.
Who would have thought that Pan Xing, who had only recently risen to power, would suffer the same fate?
It was hard not to suspect that the position of Yishe Association leader was cursed.
"Pan Xing left with so many people—how could he have been ambushed?"
"Miss, the details aren’t clear yet. We only know that after returning, Pan Xing left again by car with just three men, including the driver. On their way back, someone tampered with the vehicle. When they got out to inspect it, they were attacked. If Chu Yang and his men hadn’t arrived in time, his fate would’ve been the same as Boss Lei’s."
"Yun Cheng, who do you think is behind this?"
"Could it be the Zhao Family Father and Son from the Donghai Alliance? They’ve always had a grudge against the Yishe Association, and we even swindled a lot of money from them."
Liu Yutong didn’t voice her suspicion outright. Instead, she asked, "How did the first leader of the Yishe Association die?"
Yun Cheng shook his head. "I’m not sure about that. I hadn’t joined the Yishe Association back then. Maybe the leader of the Vermilion Bird Hall knows—he’s the most senior elder in the organization."
"The Vermilion Bird Hall leader? With Pan Xing gone, is he temporarily taking over the Yishe Association?"
"That’s right."
"Interesting… The Vermilion Bird Hall leader is in charge now? Isn’t he almost sixty?"
"Yes. Despite his age, the old man holds great authority in the organization. Especially after Boss Lei’s assassination, he stepped in to stabilize the situation and prevent further chaos."
A retired hall leader suddenly reclaiming power—was there something more to it?
Honestly, Liu Yutong also suspected the Vermilion Bird Hall leader might be the mastermind, but her intuition told her something didn’t add up.
In her past life, information about the Yishe Association had been sparse. She knew the outcome but not the details of how things unfolded.
Since many events had been glossed over, she could only make educated guesses based on what she knew.
Still, this incident gave Liu Yutong a sense of urgency. She felt she needed to form an alliance.
Having the Wanlong Society bear the brunt of everything wasn’t in their best interest.
At the very least, she needed allies who could take a bullet for her.
Her first thought was Yu Mo—he was qualified, but relying on him alone wasn’t enough. She needed more people.
Truthfully, she already had someone else in mind, but she hesitated.
She didn’t want to get too entangled with him, lest it bring trouble in the future.
That person was Lin Muyang, the hidden young master of Bright Pearl City.
Moreover, she had a nagging feeling that someone was deliberately "helping" her, pushing her toward a certain position.
She couldn’t shake the suspicion that those targeting Pan Xing weren’t just after him—it felt like a show staged for her benefit.
After instructing Yun Cheng to keep a close eye on the Yishe Association’s movements, Liu Yutong returned home.
By then, her cousin Liu Debao had also come back.
"Sis, I’ve pretty much mastered photography. When do we start scouting locations?" Liu Debao asked eagerly.
Liu Yutong studied him. "You’re sure you’ve learned enough?"
"Of course! Sis, my brain’s no joke—nothing’s too hard for me. Ask Lawyer Zhao or Brother Ma if you don’t believe me. They’ll tell you how well I’ve done."
Seeing his confidence, Liu Yutong didn’t think he was lying.
"Go home tomorrow."
"Sure—wait, what?"
Liu Debao’s eyes widened in disbelief. He hadn’t expected his cousin’s first words to be sending him away.
Truth be told, he wasn’t in a hurry to leave.
After witnessing Liu Yutong’s commanding presence and the Wanlong Society’s influence, he was reluctant to go back.
What young man wouldn’t dream of making a name for himself in the city?
"What? Don’t want to leave?" Liu Yutong smirked.
Liu Debao quickly shook his head. "No, no! It’s just… I’ll miss you, sis."
Liu Yutong laughed at his expression. "I doubt it’s me you’ll miss. Fine, I’ll be straight with you—the reason I had you learn photography was…"
She then laid out her entire plan.
By the time she finished, Liu Debao’s eyes were as wide as saucers. "Sis! Are you planning to turn against your own family?!"
The moment the words left his mouth, he realized his mistake and clamped a hand over it.
Liu Yutong didn’t mind. "Keep this to yourself. Do this well, and if you want to work in the city, I’ll arrange it."
She pulled out two cards.
"The first one has a million—don’t touch it. The other has a hundred thousand. Give it to Uncle when you go back."
Liu Debao took the cards, his hands trembling slightly. "Sis… this is too much."
He knew exactly how dire their family’s financial situation was—they were practically drowning in debt.
Some might wonder why, given their circumstances, they still insisted on sending his younger sister to a private school with tuition fees of four to five thousand per semester.
The answer was simple: he and his father didn’t want her distracted. A boarding school would let her focus on getting into a good high school in the second half of the year.
When it came to education, many rural families shared this mindset—no matter how hard life was, they’d scrape together every penny to support their children’s studies.
For those at the bottom, getting into university was almost an obsession, seen as the only way to change their fate.
Their family was no exception.
Rather than let his sister bike miles through the cold wind every day, sending her to a private school was the better choice.
"Oh, and don’t worry about Yingying. I’ve already arranged for someone to regularly send her spending money, food, and other necessities."
Liu Debao wasn’t one for empty pleasantries.
"Sis, don’t worry. I’ll take care of this family matter. I’ll make sure no one in the village badmouths you—it’ll all be on me!"
He knew how gossip spread in their village. If Liu Yutong were the one to send their father to prison, she’d be painted as a heartless, selfish woman.
No matter what, he was still her father—how could she do such a thing?
A few well-placed rumors would cement her reputation as a villain.
To some, especially the older generation, betraying one’s parents was the ultimate sin.
Liu Debao was prepared to shoulder the blame to protect his cousin’s name.
But Liu Yutong couldn’t care less about reputation. Could it be worse than what she already had in Bright Pearl City?
"Just focus on your task. Oh, and how are Grandfather and Grandma?"
She had originally planned to bring her Grandfather and Grandma to the company annual dinner, but Grandfather refused, saying it was a company gathering and they shouldn’t intrude, so they didn’t go.
“They just went out—probably strolling around the mall. Grandfather and the others have been really fond of visiting the mall lately.”
The elderly couple didn’t enjoy shopping; their fondness for malls stemmed from the fact that their granddaughter, Liu Yutong, owned several supermarkets.
Every time they visited other stores, Grandfather would walk with his hands behind his back, scrutinizing the product displays and customer service like an old expert, then comparing them to Wanlong Supermarket.
When he returned home, he would always murmur, “Our Tongtong’s supermarket is still the best.”
The way he said it was like any proud grandparent bragging about their grandchild’s perfect test scores—full of pride.
“Sis, I’ll go check on Grandfather and the others.”
“Alright, go ahead.”
