Liu Yutong had nearly finished handling her affairs and was preparing to head downstairs for her appointment.
She had arranged to meet Lin Muyang today for two main reasons.
First, she wanted to gather information about Zhao Weixiang’s current movements through him, so she could prepare accordingly.
Second, after much deliberation, she felt that Lin Muyang wasn’t entirely beyond redemption—perhaps she could lend him a helping hand.
She was currently planning to form a small, exclusive circle—something akin to a private business association.
Though she was confident she could succeed on her own, having a network would make it easier to navigate financial hurdles, like loan rejections, without being strangled by bureaucratic red tape.
Moreover, consolidating resources would allow her business empire to grow faster and establish a more solid foundation.
When promising projects arose, she wouldn’t have to wait until her own capabilities or funds were fully ready—she could collaborate with others in the circle.
As long as she remained in control, she would still be the primary beneficiary.
At the moment, Liu Yutong had only two candidates in mind.
The first was Yu Mo, who was undoubtedly her loyal follower and a natural fit for the circle.
The other was Lin Muyang.
Lin Muyang didn’t need to be wealthy or well-connected—his hidden status alone was enough.
Sometimes, borrowing influence was sufficient; there was no need to entangle oneself too deeply.
In short, securing Lin Muyang’s participation would undoubtedly make the process of forming this new business association smoother and more effortless.
Of course, if she were to discreetly reveal Li Xiaohui’s identity, the effect would be even more powerful.
But she had no intention of doing so—she genuinely considered Li Xiaohui a friend.
Li Xiaohui didn’t want her identity exposed, and her father likely felt the same, wary of exploitation by opportunists.
If Liu Yutong were to use her identity for business dealings or to establish the association, things might proceed more smoothly, but it would inevitably create a rift between them.
Li Xiaohui was straightforward—she might simply walk away without hesitation.
So, unless Li Xiaohui was willing, Liu Yutong would never force her hand.
In contrast, she had no such reservations about Lin Muyang.
Lin Muyang’s identity was already circulating in certain circles—whether he spread it himself or tacitly allowed it, the effect was the same.
Though he was arrogant, he was fully aware that without his father’s connections, he would never have thrived in Bright Pearl City.
Why had Zhao Weixiang gone to such lengths to get close to him?
Why had Wang Shi been eager to become his lackey?
The answers were obvious.
In the past, Liu Yutong had kept her distance from Lin Muyang precisely because she knew his downfall was inevitable—she wanted no association with him.
When that time came, the fallout from Lin Muyang’s missteps might even affect her mother, Lin Ke, Liu Yutong’s senior and deputy president of China Merchants Bank.
But now, it seemed his fund venture hadn’t yet reached the point of total collapse—there might still be hope.
If she could help him navigate this crisis and extricate himself from the fund in time, everything afterward would fall into place.
After all, many people’s fates had already been altered by her influence—what was one more?
As long as Lin Muyang cooperated, kept his dealings clean, and avoided crossing the Red Dragon Society’s bottom line, he would still be a valuable addition to the association.
As Liu Yutong stepped out of her company building, she spotted Lin Muyang waiting for her downstairs, leaning against his sports car.
Just like outside the university gates before, he held a bouquet of flowers.
But he seemed distracted, staring blankly at the flowers, so lost in thought that he didn’t even notice her approach.
"What’s on your mind?" Liu Yutong asked as she stopped in front of him.
Lin Muyang snapped out of his daze, his usual bright smile instantly returning.
Without hesitation, he extended the roses toward her.
"Yutong, you’re here! These are for you—to celebrate your narrow escape yesterday!"
Having known her for months, he was well aware that Liu Yutong wasn’t easily wooed, so he framed it as a congratulatory gesture to avoid another rejection.
This time, she actually accepted the flowers, offering a polite "Thank you."
"Shall we go?"
Lin Muyang eagerly opened the scissor door of the passenger seat and gestured for her to enter.
Liu Yutong didn’t hesitate, sliding into the seat without ceremony.
Lin Muyang then drove straight to the restaurant she had chosen.
Shortly after they left, a furtive figure glanced down at the camera screen, confirming they had captured a shot of the two together, before quickly slipping into a waiting car and speeding off.
Unbeknownst to Liu Yutong, the photo soon made its way into the hands of Zhao Tianxing and other influential figures.
If they had harbored doubts before, this photo was practically confirmation.
Today, alongside Liu Yutong’s movements, they had also received word that the person responsible for the gas leak at the shipyard—the attempt on their lives—was none other than Wang Shi, a former Red Dragon Society enforcer.
Rumors suggested Liu Yutong had orchestrated it, driven by her ambition to dominate Bright Pearl City.
Her deliberate concealment of the Red Dragon Society’s absorption into her empire only reinforced suspicions of her ruthlessness.
She had allegedly forced the desperate Wang Shi to carry out the act, then conveniently left the shipyard beforehand.
All signs pointed to her intent to eliminate them all in one sweep.
And wasn’t Wang Shi’s sudden suicide just a little too convenient? Almost like silencing a loose end.
Not long ago, Wang Shi had even met with them privately, warning them to beware of Liu Yutong and lamenting how she had cornered him.
Now, his words had come true.
Of course, these pieces alone might not have convinced them entirely.
But then came the revelation that Liu Yutong’s suitor was none other than Lin Muyang, Bright Pearl City’s golden boy.
Rumors painted him as a lovesick fool, willing to do anything to win her favor.
And now, to please her, he had reportedly decided to crush all obstacles in her path, clearing the way for her complete domination of the city.
When Zhao Tianxing and his associates heard this, panic set in.
Facing Liu Yutong alone was one thing—they could still put up a fight.
But with Lin Muyang’s formidable backing, their chances dwindled to zero.
He wouldn’t even need to lift a finger—just a word to his father about "inspecting" their businesses, and they’d be on their knees.
As they huddled in a private clubroom, urgently debating whether Lin Muyang and Liu Yutong were truly joining forces against them, the photo arrived.
Liu Yutong, holding the bouquet of flowers, stepping into Lin Muyang’s car.
At this moment...
In the private room, a group of heavily bandaged crime bosses stared at the photographs with grim expressions, their faces etched with frustration.
"What do we do now? Any bright ideas?"
"That woman is pure evil! I’ve never met anyone so vicious in my life!"
"That little witch—she didn’t finish us off at the docks, and now she’s teamed up with Lin Muyang to come after us. She’s leaving us no way out!"
"If nothing else works, I’ll call in some men right now and just…" One boss, his head wrapped in gauze, drew a finger across his throat.
But someone voiced their hesitation.
"She’s with Lin Muyang now. Won’t that make it harder to get to her?"
"We have no choice! If we don’t act, we’ll have to flee Bright Pearl City. Are any of you really willing to do that?"
The room fell silent. Of course they weren’t. Their wealth, their power—everything was rooted in Bright Pearl City. Starting over elsewhere would take years.
More importantly, here, they were kings. In another city? They’d be nobodies.
"I say we take out that Lin bastard too!"
"Agreed. Even if we deal with Liu Yutong, Lin Muyang won’t let us off the hook. Might as well go all the way!"
"I’m in! But it has to be clean—no loose ends."
Soon, the bosses reached a unanimous decision.
The most direct solution: eliminate Lin Muyang and Liu Yutong—permanently.
