The sudden burst of gunfire inside the room terrified everyone who had just reached the doorway.
Before they could even recover from the shock and fear, they saw Liu Yutong walk out, her face slightly pale.
A police officer apologetically asked Liu Yutong if she was frightened and whether she needed to go to the hospital for a check-up, and so on.
After all, what had just happened was too sudden; it was perfectly normal to be scared.
Liu Yutong shook her head, indicating she was fine, then looked at the investors and said, "Gentlemen, let's go. I've already had a private room reserved."
Those investors, including Ji Zhe and Chu Hai, had beads of cold sweat on their foreheads.
Although they hadn't witnessed what had just happened inside the Emperor's private room, the sound of gunfire was more than enough to suggest the outcome.
That Zhao Tianxing was probably not long for this world.
Otherwise, there wouldn't have been gunfire for no reason, and so many shots at that.
Simultaneously, they had gained a thorough understanding of just how ruthless Miss Liu could be. To leave no loose ends, she had actually had Zhao Tianxing dealt with directly.
This was just too terrifying, too downright insane!
Upon hearing Liu Yutong's words, the investors became more eager than the next.
"Y-yes, Miss Liu, please, after you!"
"This is really... really too much trouble for you, Miss Liu."
"It's our honor to taste the signature dishes at Miss Liu's establishment!"
"Yes, yes, I can hardly wait already, hehe..."
"........"
The group headed towards the elevator.
The investors almost instinctively followed behind Liu Yutong, as obedient as a group of schoolchildren, not even daring to breathe too heavily.
They had previously thought about being perfunctory and then making a quick exit later, as they still felt the public security in Bright Pearl City was too poor.
After the gunshots, those thoughts were immediately flung to the far ends of the earth.
Now their only thought was: This Wanlonghui project must be invested in! At any cost!
This was no longer a simple commercial investment; it was paying for protection!
After all, this Miss Liu was too unpredictable in her actions. If they upset her, she might just mow them all down too.
And honestly, that possibility was not small at all.
That Zhao Tianxing had already been in such a miserable state—his establishment smashed, his underlings taken out, himself detained by the police and facing prison time.
It could be said he was utterly ruined, and yet he still got whacked!
Even these bosses, who were usually treated as honored guests wherever they went, had never witnessed such a frightening scene.
It was downright pitch black, wasn't it!
Liu Yutong had no idea that her persona as the mob matriarch had been firmly cemented in the minds of these investors, likely never to be shaken off in this lifetime.
Not long after, a rumor began circulating in investment circles.
It said that no matter who went to Bright Pearl City, their efficiency would become exceptionally high. If you dared to dawdle even a little, your host would promptly treat you to a live performance demonstrating marksmanship that was both fast and accurate within seven paces.
Naturally, the result was that the big shots were 'moved' to tears, signing contracts with remarkable alacrity.
When Liu Yutong got into her car and left, Zhao Weixiang, with a grim expression, followed and got into a police car; he also needed to give a statement.
Although he should have been happy about Zhao Tianxing's sudden death, as it would make it harder for the matter to be traced back to him, the true mastermind behind the scenes, he couldn't feel any joy at all.
Zhao Tianxing was dead, but Liu Yutong was completely unscathed. In fact, her relationship with the authorities seemed even more 'solid' now.
Not only had she not fallen, she had instead established a terrifying persona of someone absolutely not to be messed with in the investors' minds. Without a doubt, her subsequent fundraising would become even smoother.
He could tell those investors were utterly terrified of Liu Yutong. He estimated the valuation for the Wanlonghui group-buy would likely surge because of this.
"Damn it!" Zhao Weixiang roared inwardly.
He prided himself on being a master strategist, believing everything was under his control.
Yet ever since Liu Yutong appeared, he felt as if everything he did was effortlessly anticipated and neutralized by her, as if he were transparent in her eyes.
It was utterly frustrating and infuriating!
Once in the police car, Zhao Weixiang closed his eyes and began carefully reviewing the events.
No matter how he analyzed it, he could only reach one conclusion: the backing hidden behind Liu Yutong was likely immense.
Otherwise, how could she have caused Deputy Chief Liu and the investment attraction officials to do a complete one-eighty in their attitudes in such a short time?
He was absolutely certain those two officials had never had any dealings with Liu Yutong before.
Therefore, the only reasonable explanation was that the patron behind Liu Yutong held a higher rank than the two officials he had gone to great lengths to invite today.
He originally thought Liu Yutong's backer was that precinct chief, Qi Wei. Now it seemed he had been wildly mistaken.
If this assumption held true, then everything made sense. How could a girl with no foundation grow Wanlonghui so large in just over half a year?
Was it possible without powerful backing?
Almost impossible!
It would never occur to Zhao Weixiang that Liu Yutong actually had no backing at all.
He could only speculate in that direction; it was impossible for him to guess something as absurd as her being a reincarnator.
The more Zhao Weixiang thought about it, the more resentful and jealous he became.
Why?
He had painstakingly laid out such an elaborate scheme, dragging all the local gang bosses in Bright Pearl City into the mess to eliminate them, all to gain complete control over the city's underworld. After that, he planned to find an opportunity to latch onto an even more powerful patron.
By then, he would become the true underground emperor of Bright Pearl City.
Power, wealth—he would possess it all.
He might even escape a life of dependence on others' whims, truly seizing control of his own destiny.
He absolutely would not allow some suddenly appearing young upstart to so easily snatch away everything that was rightfully his!
"Liu Yutong, no matter who stands behind you, no matter what your true origins are, if you dare block my path, you must be eliminated!"
..........
Time passed bit by bit.
During this period, several major events occurred in Bright Pearl City.
First, the Donghai Alliance was completely wiped out by Wanlonghui. Many people witnessed Wanlonghui mobilizing almost its entire force, charging straight for the Donghai Alliance headquarters.
That day, crowds of people in black gathered, blotting out the sky. The scale of the scene was unprecedented in Bright Pearl City's recent history.
Besides the Donghai Alliance, many other underworld bosses were also dealt with by Wanlonghui, mostly those connected to the Alliance.
Although the scale used wasn't as large as against the Donghai Alliance, the results were similar.
Those gang bosses' operations were almost completely uprooted, and most of the people involved were sent to secure locations offering free room and board to contribute their labor.
Through this campaign, Wanlonghui thoroughly established its fearsome reputation. Its prestige in the underworld, in particular, became unmatched for a time, even surpassing the Yilian Society at its peak.
Although the Righteous Union Society was once hailed as the top syndicate in Bright Pearl City, it never reached the level of absolute dominance. When faced with police crackdowns, it could only obediently take its lumps.
But today's Ten Thousand Dragons Society is a completely different story. They seem to utterly disregard the unspoken red lines of this world, operating with ruthless and overbearing brutality.
What's even more astonishing is the police's remarkably tolerant attitude towards them, almost turning a blind eye.
This sends chills down the spines of many.
The scenarios they once only fantasized about have actually materialized with the Ten Thousand Dragons Society.
As denizens of the gray underworld, who hasn't dreamed of having sway in both the black and white worlds, acting with impunity, and holding absolute power?
Yet, until now, no one had ever achieved it—until the emergence of the Ten Thousand Dragons Society.
That fantasy has become reality.
