The Yilian Society's Dragon Head meeting this time was initiated by Vermilion Bird Hall's leader, Wu Rong.
Once everyone had taken their seats, Wu Rong stood up and clasped his hands in salute to those present.
"Brothers, esteemed members of our society, I’ve asked you all to gather here today to discuss two urgent matters."
"The first concerns Pan Xing’s situation."
"Everyone here knows the state Pan Xing is in—it’s far from optimistic. What has our Yilian Society relied on to get this far? Unity among brothers and adherence to our rules."
"But now, with Pan Xing’s fate uncertain and our society left leaderless, how many eyes are watching us from the outside? How many matters require the boss’s decision? Accounts, territories, the upcoming tournament after the New Year… which of these can wait? Which can be delayed?"
"As the old saying goes, 'A kingdom cannot be without a king for even a day.' The same goes for our society—we cannot be without a leader!"
"So, our top priority is to quickly elect an interim Dragon Head to stabilize the situation."
As soon as Wu Rong finished speaking, Elder Wang couldn’t help but challenge him.
"Leader Wu, your words make sense, but Pan Xing isn’t dead yet. Why are you in such a hurry to propose electing a new Dragon Head?"
"Do you think Pan Xing won’t wake up? Or are you, Wu Rong, just too eager to sit in that Dragon Head’s chair?"
Since Pan Xing’s accident, Wu Rong had taken over the Dragon Head’s duties by virtue of his seniority, which had long stirred discontent among some.
Without consulting anyone, he had orchestrated this meeting—had he even considered others’ opinions?
Then, Elder Wang turned to the woman in a red cheongsam sitting across from him. "Hong Jiao, you represent Pan Xing’s Azure Dragon Hall now. Tell me, is this appropriate?"
"Elder Wang flatters me."
Hong Jiao smiled faintly. "I’m just a woman with limited insight. I can’t speak on grand principles, nor dare I make reckless comments on such important matters."
But Elder Wang pressed her. "Hong Jiao, since you’re sitting here, you have every right to speak your mind. Say what you think—no need to hold back."
Hong Jiao raised her eyes slightly, pausing in thought. "Since Elder Wang insists, I’ll say a few words. Electing an interim Dragon Head is a major decision for our society, affecting everyone. So, I’ll ask boldly—do you already have someone in mind for the role?"
Elder Wang was momentarily speechless at her counter-question.
Of course, he had his own candidate—himself.
Who wouldn’t want to be the boss? His ambition was only natural.
Even though he had stepped back from the frontlines, he still had to fight for what he wanted.
Moreover, he believed that if he took charge temporarily, it would be easier to return power to Pan Xing once he recovered.
At that moment, Scarface suddenly interjected. "If you ask me, we can set aside the Dragon Head discussion for now. I think Leader Wu should finish what he was saying."
Wu Rong had been waiting for this. "Let’s table the interim Dragon Head matter. Before that, I’d like to bring up the second issue."
"Liu Yutong—I’m sure you’ve all heard of this girl?"
The mention of that name instantly sharpened the focus of everyone present, even drawing a flicker of surprise in Hong Jiao’s eyes.
Jiang Bing, however, couldn’t stay composed.
He had clashed with Liu Yutong before and knew she might be the daughter of the former boss.
What was Wu Rong getting at by bringing her up now?
"Leader Wu, this is the Yilian Society’s Dragon Head meeting. Why mention an outsider? Or do you also believe she’s Liu Lei’s daughter and want her to 'return to her roots'?"
Wu Rong didn’t mince words. "Whether Liu Yutong is truly Liu Lei’s daughter remains unconfirmed. But if she is, then our society has both the responsibility and the duty to invite her here for a proper discussion."
"The rise of the Ten Thousand Dragons Society is undeniable. If we could merge them into our Yilian Society, our strength would multiply several times over..."
His words took many by surprise.
When Pan Xing fell into crisis, Wu Rong had stepped forward to take control, acting as the interim leader. Everyone assumed he was paving his way to becoming the next Dragon Head.
Even now, those eyeing the position saw him as their biggest rival.
Yet here he was, bringing up Liu Yutong—the supposed daughter of the former boss, Liu Lei.
And from the sound of it, he genuinely intended to welcome this "princess of the past" back into the fold, even using her as a stepping stone to absorb the Ten Thousand Dragons Society.
If successful, it would indeed be a massive boost to the Yilian Society’s power.
But not everyone could see that far ahead.
Jiang Bing could hold back no longer. He slammed the table and stood up.
"I object!"
"A woman, trying to be the boss of our Yilian Society? I don’t know why those useless fools from the Wanlong Gang are happy to let a woman rule over them, but if it were up to me, I’d never allow such a woman to be the boss. A woman like her only belongs beneath me, gasping for breath!"
The others didn’t react much to Jiang Bing’s blatantly insulting words.
But Scarface, who had personally witnessed Liu Yutong’s ruthlessness, felt his eyelids twitch. He couldn’t help but give Jiang Bing a thumbs-up in his mind.
Damn, you’ve got some guts!
The Wanlong Gang is still a major syndicate with hundreds of members. If word of this gets out, no one would be surprised if you ended up at the bottom of a river one day.
Jiang Bing’s sudden attack on Liu Yutong immediately sparked discontent among some of the group.
Ever since they learned that the Wanlong Gang might have been founded by the Yilian Society’s young mistress, their minds had already started racing.
This young mistress was quite capable—not only did she build the syndicate from scratch into something this big, but she also had a knack for making money.
The businesses under the Wanlong Gang were now worth billions. To say they weren’t envious would be a lie.
Supporting the young mistress’s return meant they could get a slice of that enormous pie—a chance at massive wealth!
Instead of the way things were now, where profits kept shrinking, and they lived in constant fear of the cops raiding them any day.
Plain and simple, what the Yilian Society lacked was someone who could lead them to safety, stability, and big money—a financial god.
So, it wasn’t hard to understand why they felt this way.
"Jiang Bing, watch your damn mouth! Liu Yutong is still the young mistress of our Yilian Society! Insulting her is no different from insulting Boss Liu Lei and all of us brothers who fought alongside him back in the day!"
"Old Li’s right. Look at the scale of the Wanlong Gang now—a business worth billions! The young mistress built that syndicate from nothing and made it thrive. Her money-making skills are undeniable. What are we lacking right now? Someone who can lead us to profit, give us stability—not this life of constant bloodshed, always one step away from getting busted by the cops!"
"I agree. Times have changed. We need to find a way to clean up our business!"
"We have to think long-term..."
"........."
Those who spoke up were mostly driven by self-interest—essentially, the faction supporting Liu Yutong’s return.
But the opposition wasn’t small either.
And from this point on, the Yilian Society began its irreversible split.
