The moment Deng Zheyan hung up the phone, the woman across from him seemed to sense it, suddenly glancing in his direction and making his heart skip a beat.
Truth be told, two million was already a bargain to settle things with Liu Yutong. If the person on the other end of the call knew her identity as the young mistress of the Ten Thousand Dragons Society, demanding ten million would’ve been reasonable.
But the problem was, he didn’t have that kind of money.
Because of past incidents, his family had already cleaned up enough of his messes and refused to support him further. On top of that, he was in the middle of launching his business—the funds raised for his internet café and its revenue were all being funneled into opening new branches, leaving no extra cash to spare.
Unless he sold all his shares, which was obviously out of the question.
For now, he had no choice but to let Liu Yutong off the hook, suppressing his desire for revenge until he had the means to act.
The pressing issue now was how to deal with his current predicament.
He had already figured out that the Ten Thousand Dragons Society was deliberately using these "legal and compliant" underhanded tactics to cripple his internet café’s profits.
What made it even more frustrating was that he didn’t dare report it to the police—he didn’t even dare call over Huang Lüdeng and his two lackeys.
After all, he had previously paid them to plant viruses in the rival café, which was outright illegal. If the other side had solid evidence, he could end up behind bars.
So, he had no choice but to swallow this bitter pill.
Just as Deng Zheyan was at his wit’s end, another large group of people—dozens of them, all looking like street thugs—poured into the café.
Deng Zheyan assumed they were more reinforcements called by Ma Da, and his frustration grew.
Enough was enough! Were they really going to keep this up?
Before he could even vent his anger, the leader of the group, a young man, walked straight up to Ma Da and greeted him.
"I remember you—Ma Da from the Ten Thousand Dragons Society, right?"
Ma Da, a cigarette dangling from his lips, eyed the dozens of men behind the young man with disdain. "Tsk tsk tsk, Zhao Junjie, just out of prison and already making such a grand entrance? Looking for a fight?"
Zhao Junjie smirked insincerely and waved his hand. "No, no, it’s a misunderstanding. My boys and I are just here to get online. What, Brother Ma, you’re not gonna stop us from using the internet, are you?"
Ma Da scoffed. "Wouldn’t dream of it. But, bad luck—the café’s full right now. How about you wait outside?"
"Sure thing!" Zhao Junjie turned to his men without a care. "You heard him, boys. Wait till there’s space, then we’ll log on. In the meantime, go ahead and sign up for memberships, top up your accounts."
Seeing Zhao Junjie’s attitude, Ma Da instantly understood—he was stepping in to back up Yanwang Internet Café.
This was Deng Zheyan’s first time meeting Zhao Junjie, but the hostility in their exchange made it clear they were on opposing sides. A surge of relief washed over him.
Talk about perfect timing! He had been racking his brain over how to deal with Ma Da and his annoying crew, and now, out of nowhere, reinforcements had arrived!
And judging by the scene, this guy was definitely a major player in the underworld.
Deng Zheyan immediately put on a smile and approached Zhao Junjie, striking up a conversation.
When he learned that the man was none other than the young master of the East Sea Alliance—a notorious name in Bright Pearl City’s underworld—his excitement grew, and he unconsciously straightened his posture.
He had heard of the East Sea Alliance before—one of Bright Pearl City’s most prominent gangs, second only to the Yilien Society in its prime.
With the backing of a heavyweight like this, why would he still fear that wretched Liu Yutong?
In his eyes, an established force like the East Sea Alliance had to be stronger than the Ten Thousand Dragons Society.
After exchanging a few words, Deng Zheyan eagerly ushered Zhao Junjie inside, followed by his dozens of underlings.
Ma Da didn’t stop them. He flicked away his cigarette and strode across the street toward Phoenix Reign Internet Café.
The young mistress was here for an inspection—perfect timing to report Zhao Junjie’s release and his interference in the café business.
The fact that he had come out swinging so soon meant he must’ve caught wind of something.
Not long after Ma Da left, two young men in baseball caps exchanged a discreet glance outside Yanwang Internet Café before slipping inside.
Shortly after, a woman bundled up in a black down jacket, also wearing a hat, entered the café.
......
Phoenix Reign Internet Café.
Ma Da found Liu Yutong in the lounge area and quickly approached her. "Young Mistress, Zhao Junjie’s out. He brought over thirty men to Yanwang Internet Café."
Liu Yutong’s red lips curled slightly. "Oh? Released so soon? His father must’ve pulled quite a few strings behind bars."
Ma Da’s tone turned grave. "Not just that. Zhao Junjie clearly came looking for trouble—he started provoking me the moment we met. Now Deng Zheyan’s treating him like royalty. Looks like he’s stepping in to take sides."
"Young Mistress, what if Zhao Junjie keeps bringing his men to hog our machines and seats? Should I gather some brothers and—"
Liu Yutong shook her head. "No need. We’ve had our fun messing with Deng Zheyan. No point dragging it out—we’ll beat them fair and square."
"If we want investors, we’ll make them willingly open their wallets."
"If Zhao Junjie wants to back Deng Zheyan, let him. Just focus on running our promotions."
Seeing the young mistress so calm and confident, Ma Da had no choice but to drop the matter.
He had absolute faith in her.
Then his gaze drifted to the massive high-end projector screen newly installed in the lounge.
The young mistress had said it was for broadcasting esports tournaments—likely one of her trump cards.
......
