"Boss, everything's been arranged. Not only did I get them to back off, but I also had them promote the restaurant. From now on, anyone hosting a banquet will have to go to Yuyuefang," Crazy Dog Brother strode into Niu Ben's office, his tone laced with a hint of pride.
Niu Ben felt something was off about the whole situation.
Promoting the enemy?
Even drumming up business for them?
What kind of strategy was this?
But after a moment’s thought, he realized there was no real downside.
That group had secretly taken out nearly ten million in loans from his lending companies without his knowledge. If that money wasn’t recovered, or if they simply refused to pay, he’d be facing massive losses.
Even if he had the means to track them down, what if the money was already gone?
So, no matter what, the restaurant had to stay untouched.
As for promoting the place and bringing in customers—sure, they might make more money in the short term, but there was no way they could earn enough in just two or three months to repay the loans.
And let’s not forget, his companies dealt in high-interest loans. The compounding interest alone would crush them!
After some consideration, Niu Ben said, "The restaurant stays untouched, but that doesn’t mean the people do."
Crazy Dog Brother froze, his smile vanishing instantly. He leaned in closer and asked in a low voice, "Boss, you mean…?"
A ruthless glint flashed in Niu Ben’s eyes. "Crazy Dog, send someone to Bright Pearl City. See if you can get in touch with the current leader of the Righteous Union. If I remember correctly, their new boss is the former third-in-command, Pan Xing."
"He may have taken the top seat, but the previous boss’s daughter is right here in Wushui County. Don’t you think that’d be interesting news for him?"
Crazy Dog Brother immediately grasped Niu Ben’s plan. "So you want them to tear each other apart while we watch from the sidelines, then swoop in and clean up after they’ve weakened each other?"
Niu Ben nodded. "Exactly."
A grin spread across Crazy Dog Brother’s face as he flattered, "Boss, that’s brilliant! I’ll get it done right away—no slip-ups!"
With a dismissive wave from Niu Ben, Crazy Dog Brother hurried off to make arrangements.
.................
Yun Cheng had been restless for days.
It wasn’t because they’d crossed Wushui County’s local power players like Niu Ben. No, what unsettled him was the news he’d received—Bright Pearl City already knew they were in Wushui County, and they knew they’d found the young mistress.
Pan Xing, once the third-in-command, was now the leader of the Righteous Union.
After the internal power struggle, Pan Xing had seized control with an iron fist, backed by over seventy percent of the gang’s members.
In a way, his rise had brought the previously leaderless Righteous Union back together.
This had its pros and cons.
The upside was that the gang was no longer as weak as it had been right after the boss’s death. It had regained strength, even if it wasn’t quite what it used to be—at least it wasn’t a disorganized mess anymore.
The downside? No leader would tolerate someone who could threaten their position.
Which meant Pan Xing would likely send people after the young mistress.
Yun Cheng was torn. Should he tell her? Should he tell Ma Da and the others? What about the vocational school graduates who’d followed them because of their status?
He worried that if he revealed the truth, the fragile unity they’d built might shatter.
At that moment, Liu Yutong was strolling through the snack street at Youth Plaza, completely unaware of Yun Cheng’s inner turmoil.
Then again, Yun Cheng had always been the type to keep his emotions hidden. Even if the sky were falling, his expression wouldn’t change.
But today, something was off about him.
"Yun Cheng, here, have this lamb skewer."
"Yun Cheng? Yun Cheng?"
"Yun Cheng! What’s with the daze?" Liu Yutong called out to him several times, puzzled.
Snapping back to reality, Yun Cheng hastily took the skewer. "Ah… thank you, young mistress."
Liu Yutong studied his face but didn’t press further. Instead, she carried her snacks toward the plaza’s leisure area.
Yun Cheng followed in silence.
She found an empty swing and sat down, turning to him. "Yun Cheng, push me."
Without a word, he stepped behind her, gripping the chains as he gently set the swing in motion.
As it swayed forward, Liu Yutong’s peach-blossom eyes curved into crescents, her face lighting up with joy.
Holding her snack in one hand and the swing’s chain in the other, she let the breeze brush against her face.
Watching her carefree happiness, Yun Cheng felt some of his tension ease.
Once she finished eating, she handed him the wrapper.
He took it, walked to a nearby trash can, and tossed it in.
When he returned to resume pushing, Liu Yutong suddenly said something that caught him completely off guard.
"Yun Cheng, you’ve known for a long time that I’m not actually the Righteous Union’s young mistress, haven’t you?"
His hand froze mid-air, his heart tightening.
He opened his mouth to deny it, but under her earnest gaze, the lies stuck in his throat.
After a long pause, he finally lowered his head and admitted in a quiet voice, "Yes."
He’d found the photo among the late boss’s belongings, but there was no concrete proof that the little girl in it was actually his daughter.
Yet Yun Cheng had convinced himself—and everyone else—that she was.
Not because he was stubborn, but because of the dozen or so brothers who’d followed him.
After the boss’s death, Yun Cheng had planned to leave the gang for good.
But Ma Da and the others had insisted on sticking with him, vowing to go wherever he went.
Loyalty meant everything to Yun Cheng, so he couldn’t refuse.
The problem was, they’d spent most of their lives in the underworld. Outside of that life, they had no idea what else to do.
Worried they’d lose their way, Yun Cheng had shown them the photo and made finding the girl their mission.
At least it gave them a purpose.
Eventually, through a twist of fate, they’d found Liu Yutong.
The rest, as they say, was history.
Now, aside from Yun Cheng himself, everyone else truly believed she was the young mistress.
After all, the extraordinary skills and intelligence she displayed weren’t something an ordinary girl could possess.
Naturally, they trusted her even more—and were even more devoted to her.
Hearing his admission, Liu Yutong nodded softly. "I thought so."
"Young mistress… will you leave us?" Yun Cheng couldn’t stop himself from asking, his voice carrying a barely noticeable tremor.
At this point, whether she was the real young mistress or not didn’t matter to him anymore.
He’d already found a new purpose—to stay by her side and protect her.
If Liu Yutong really decided to part ways with them, to be honest, he truly couldn’t accept it.
Even though he knew how selfish this was of him.
After all, it meant dragging an innocent girl into the whirlpool of their gang’s affairs.
Hearing Yun Cheng’s question, Liu Yutong paused for a moment before turning her head, her gaze softening as she looked at him.
"Though I’m not the real young mistress, I’ve grown quite attached to all of you."
She didn’t directly answer whether she would stay or leave, but her words were enough to convey her feelings.
Yun Cheng let out a quiet sigh of relief, warmth flooding his chest.
"Yun Cheng, gather all the members. There’s something I need to announce," Liu Yutong suddenly said.
A lie would eventually be exposed—better to come clean early and let everyone prepare themselves.
Yun Cheng was momentarily stunned, then nodded. "Understood, Young Mistress. I’ll arrange it right away."
