Liu Yutong may not have taken that seat, but it no longer mattered.
From the moment she touched the chair, the sky of the Yishe Association had already changed.
This marked the beginning of a new era.
Only two choices remained for them: submit or be crushed!
Wu Rong couldn’t hold back and couldn’t help but ask, "Miss, are you really the daughter of Boss Liu Lei?"
Until now, it had only been rumors, with no one ever confirming it.
"Does it matter?" Liu Yutong didn’t answer directly.
Then, she waved at Gao Min, who had been silently observing the whole time. "Sister, come here."
At that moment, everyone instinctively turned their gaze toward the short-haired woman who had been following Liu Yutong like a shadow.
Especially Wu Rong—after staring at her face for a moment, his pupils abruptly constricted.
This… this face…
Though years had passed, those familiar features, particularly the eyes inherited from Liu Lei—sharp, spirited, and stubborn—were unmistakable.
"It’s… it’s uncanny!"
If he hadn’t been entirely sure just by looking at Liu Yutong, seeing Gao Min made it glaringly obvious.
Not only did their bone structure match, but Gao Min’s preference for short hair made the resemblance even more striking.
Sometimes, a person’s style could alter the perception of their features.
With her long hair, Liu Yutong’s resemblance was less pronounced.
But none of that mattered now.
What mattered was that Liu Yutong had called this woman "sister."
Thud!
Wu Rong dropped to one knee.
"Miss! From this day forward, you are the leader of the Yishe Association!"
His kneeling was like toppling the last domino.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
One after another, the elders and high-ranking members knelt in unison.
"Greetings, Miss!"
"We welcome the Miss’s rightful return!"
"..."
Liu Yutong waved her hand. "Rise."
Only then did the crowd stand.
Wu Rong immediately stepped forward, barely containing his eagerness. "Miss, now that you’ve returned to lead the Yishe Association, what about the Wanlong Society…?"
Though Wu Rong had outwardly submitted to Liu Yutong, his true ambition wasn’t her return—it was the merger with the Wanlong Society and his own eventual rise to power over an even stronger Yishe Association.
This old fox, while loudly supporting Liu Yutong’s claim, harbored the greatest ambition of them all.
Liu Yutong ignored Wu Rong’s question and instead whispered to Gao Min, whose expression was conflicted. "Sister, how do you feel?"
Gao Min replied, "Are you really going to take over the Yishe Association? You’ll regret it!"
Having been embedded in the Yishe Association for so long, she knew things—like their underground casinos.
If Liu Yutong truly became their leader, she’d be dragged into the filth… and Gao Min would have no choice but to arrest her.
Liu Yutong smiled. "Sister, you underestimate me. I never engage in illegal activities or businesses."
"In fact, let me give you a gift first."
Before Gao Min could ask what it was, Liu Yutong addressed the crowd. "I appreciate your desire for me to lead the Yishe Association. I accept your goodwill."
"But trust isn’t built on words alone. If you want me to believe in your loyalty, you’ll need to prove it—with a pledge of allegiance."
Someone immediately asked, "Miss, what kind of pledge do you want?"
Liu Yutong replied, "Simple. To ensure none of you betray me, I want a full, transparent account of every business under your control—both legal and illegal. Especially the dirty ones. Every crime, every scheme—times, locations, participants—spell it all out. I’ll have it recorded."
The hall erupted in uproar.
Wu Rong and the others turned pale, including Scarface, who had been the first to kneel earlier.
This wasn’t a pledge—it was handing over their own nooses, the evidence that could land them in prison for life.
Gao Min was stunned. She was the only one who truly understood Liu Yutong’s motive.
And it shattered her worldview.
Evidence could be collected like this?
It was so brazen, so direct.
It made her undercover work seem like a joke.
The Yishe Association was an old syndicate in Bright Pearl City. If these men confessed everything, the sheer scale of crimes would be staggering.
She had worked tirelessly as a mole but had barely scraped together any solid evidence. Even when she knew about their casinos, they could always pin it on underlings—pay a fine, maybe avoid jail entirely.
It had taken her forever just to uncover that much.
That was why she hadn’t pushed for a crackdown—there wasn’t enough hard proof.
But Liu Yutong’s method? She’d never seen anything like it.
This "gift" was indeed substantial.
Liu Yutong observed their fear and resistance with a faint smile. "Is my request unreasonable? I’m just a woman—one you nearly hunted down. Shouldn’t I have some means of self-protection?"
Soon, someone snapped. "No way! I won’t do it!"
"Neither will I! Miss, you’re going too far! Every man here has his secrets—what’s your game?!"
"Exactly! This isn’t a pledge—it’s suicide! Hand this over, and we’re finished!"
"Elder Wu, say something! Can we agree to this? She’s asking for our lives!"
Wu Rong’s face darkened. "Miss, this demand is too much. These men have bled for the syndicate just to survive. If they bare everything, who’ll dare lift a finger for you?"
"Right! The syndicate has rules! You waltz in and break them—who’ll follow you?!"
"This is madness! Liu Yutong, are you trying to destroy the Yishe Association today?!"
"Everyone, speak up! Do we submit or not?!"
"No!"
"Never! I’d rather die!"
"Let her play her games alone! I’m out!"
Their reactions were fierce, each man ready to fight to the death.
But Liu Yutong remained unshaken. She glanced at Scarface.
Scarface shuddered, suddenly recalling what had happened in Wushui County. He stepped forward, his face twisted in outrage as he pointed at Liu Yutong.
"Liu Yutong! You’ve gone too far! We knelt, and now you push us to the brink? Fine—today, I’ll be a real man and fight you to the death!"
With that, he snatched up Wang Shi’s fallen stun baton and charged at Liu Yutong, as if ready to die trying.
The other high-ranking elders of the Righteous Alliance saw this and felt a surge of morale, their hearts filled with guilt.
Scarface, we were all wrong about you!
We thought you were a coward afraid of death, but it turns out you’re the real deal!
The rest of us just shout slogans, but you’re the only one who actually dares to act!
Well done! A true man!
Even Wu Rong was taken aback. He never expected Scarface, the fence-sitter, to be so unyielding?
This isn’t like him at all!
Could they have misjudged him?
Before they could ponder further, a group of white-clad youths immediately surrounded Scarface, blocking everyone else’s view.
Yun Cheng swiftly drew a short blade.
A cold glint flashed.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Scarface’s charging figure suddenly froze, the "heroic and indignant" expression on his face instantly stiffening.
Then he looked down—his body was suddenly riddled with over a dozen ‘wounds,’ ‘blood’ gushing out as if it cost nothing.
"Uh… ah…"
Scarface let out a brief scream before collapsing to the ground. After a few convulsions, he lay completely still.
The entire sequence—from Scarface’s sudden outburst to his abrupt ‘demise’—lasted mere seconds.
The previously impassioned elders and leaders of the Righteous Alliance instantly paled.
Gao Min was utterly stunned.
Out of professional instinct, she instinctively moved forward to check, but Liu Yutong subtly pinched the back of her hand, stopping her.
Liu Yutong then took a few steps forward, leisurely pulling a handkerchief from her pocket and elegantly wiping the ‘bloodstains’ off Yun Cheng’s face.
"Next time, be gentler. It’s troublesome to clean up such a mess."
Yun Cheng nodded. "Understood, Young Miss!"
The cold-blooded scene sent chills down the spines of the Righteous Alliance elders.
Damn, this woman… is she a devil?!
Liu Yutong then turned to face them. "Anyone else who thinks my demands are unreasonable? Step forward!"
