A few minutes later.
Hawke was dragged out by several men in black. At this moment, he looked as if he had just been fished out of the water, completely drenched in sweat. Wet tear tracks hung on his face (actually from laughing), his eyes were unfocused, and the corners of his mouth twitched uncontrollably. Every now and then, he would let out a reflexive giggle, looking exactly like a madman.
Witnessing this scene, Jesse and the street thugs felt an ever-growing chill in their hearts.
How long does it take to torture a person into insanity?
These men in black had provided their answer: less than five minutes.
"Brother Ma, it's all handled. He confessed everything. Here is the badge." A young man in black handed a sealed bag to Ma Da.
Ma Da took the badge, casually stuffed it into his pocket, glanced at Hawke, and waved his hand in disgust. "Alright, pack up this foreigner and that bunch of guys and send them away!"
"Yes!" the men in black responded.
Jesse could barely understand some of the Dragon Kingdom's language. Hearing the words "send them away" at the end of Ma Da's sentence, he began to feel uneasy again.
Send away?
Send them where?
He knew that the language of the Dragon Kingdom had always been profound and expansive. The phrase "send away" could have many meanings, such as seeing a guest out or escorting someone, which were friendly intentions.
However, "send away" could also mean physical elimination or eco-friendly disposal.
Looking at the way these men in black operated, the latter was obviously much more likely!
The more Jesse thought about it, the colder his heart grew. He looked again at Ma Da's chubby, almost cute profile and subconsciously swallowed hard.
Just what kind of monsters were working under Miss Liu Yutong!
Ma Da turned around and looked at the inexplicably trembling Jesse, feeling a bit confused. Was this guy having a malarial shiver?
Sure enough, foreigners were just uninhibited, entirely shameless.
"Let's go, Mr. Jesse. The trouble is solved, and we should go back to report to the Eldest Miss."
Jesse stuttered in his broken Chinese, "O... okay... Mr. Ma... you... after you!"
Right now, he only had one thought in mind: to return to Italy immediately!
The waters of Pearl City were far too deep!
...
This was Jesse's first time visiting Liu Yutong's home, and his second time seeing her in person.
His mood at this moment was completely different from the last time.
Last time, he had still carried a bit of superiority from the Collaro family, feeling that he could stand on equal footing with her. But this time, he felt like a rabbit that had mistakenly wandered into a tiger's den, taking every step with extreme caution for fear of angering the other party.
This was also his most visceral realization during his time in Pearl City.
Only by coming to Pearl City could he truly feel the formidable power of the Wanlong Syndicate.
Such as the black-clad gangsters seen everywhere on the streets, the various terrifying rumors about the Wanlong Syndicate passed around by street thugs, and the scene he had just witnessed with his own eyes...
The source of all this stemmed from the incredibly beautiful woman right in front of him.
There is a saying that you can't judge a book by its cover, and it was perfectly exemplified here.
Who could have imagined that a woman whose looks surpassed those of female celebrities by several degrees was secretly a ruthless and black-hearted syndicate boss?
When Jesse walked into the living room, Liu Yutong was sitting on the sofa, holding a steaming cup of clear tea in her hands, her posture elegant and composed.
Today, she was wearing a simple silk shirt, her long black hair draped casually over her shoulders. She looked very much like the gentle and demure Oriental woman from Jesse's previous stereotypes.
Incredibly beautiful and graceful!
But he knew that beneath this highly deceptive exterior lay a depth of cunning and ruthlessness sufficient to strike fear into the hearts of many.
Without such cunning and ruthlessness, how could a woman possibly develop the Wanlong Syndicate to such a massive scale?
"Miss... Miss Liu."
Jesse approached Liu Yutong and subconsciously gave a slight bow. "Thank you very much... and Mr. Ma Da, for saving my life today."
Liu Yutong put down the teacup in her hands and raised her eyes to look at him. "Take a seat, Mr. Jesse."
Jesse sat down on the side sofa, his back perfectly straight, his attitude as sincere as if he were facing a reprimand from a family elder.
Liu Yutong took the badge that Ma Da handed to her and asked directly, "Mr. Jesse, I heard that you were all fighting over this badge?"
Jesse nodded hastily. "Y... yes, Miss Liu. It's because of this damn badge that that treacherous Hawke actually hired people to ambush me. If Mr. Ma Da hadn't arrived in time, I'm afraid I would have gone to see my great-grandmother!"
Liu Yutong asked, "You care so much about this badge. Does it hold some kind of secret? Is it convenient for you to tell me about it?"
She asked this on purpose, just to see exactly how much this guy knew.
Jesse hesitated for a moment but ultimately decided to confess. After all, the lady in front of him had just saved his life. Of course, the most crucial factor was her terrifying identity.
"It's a long story. The badge in your hand is actually a token of our Collaro family."
"Just a token? Is there anything else?"
"It is said that the badge also hides a certain secret, or a clue to a massive fortune. Miss Liu, that's all I know. To tell you the truth, the Collaro family is not in a good situation right now, and there is some internal turmoil. My father hopes that I can use this to turn the tide and consolidate our position within the family."
Liu Yutong listened quietly, her face betraying no expression.
Just when Jesse thought she would want to keep it for herself after hearing the secret of the badge, she made a move that left him completely dumbfounded.
He saw her casually toss the badge over to him.
"Catch."
Jesse scrambled to catch it. After confirming that the badge was indeed his family's lost token, he looked up at Liu Yutong, somewhat in disbelief. "Miss... Miss Liu, what... what are you doing?"
"Since it's your family's token and it's so important to you, I'll return it to you," Liu Yutong said casually.
Jesse instantly became excited and thanked her repeatedly. "Thank you! Thank you, Miss Liu! You are truly too generous! I don't know how to properly thank you!"
Right now, he felt that Liu Yutong's image had become incredibly grand. He even thought that perhaps Miss Liu wasn't as terrifying as the rumors suggested, but rather quite reasonable and understanding.
Just then, Liu Yutong made a request. "I'm very curious about what exactly is hidden inside. Open it up right now and let's take a look."
"R... right now?" The expression on Jesse's face froze, and one of his hands subconsciously reached for the pocket where he kept the key.
Could it be that she intentionally returned the badge to him just to trick him into opening it?
"What, is it inconvenient?" Liu Yutong asked.
"No, no, no! It's convenient! Of course it is!" Jesse shook his head hastily.
He had no choice now. Since Liu Yutong had spoken, the consequences would be unpredictable if he refused.
Just thinking about Hawke's fate made that perfectly clear.
Suppressing a trace of unease in his heart, Jesse took the key out of his pocket and inserted it into a particularly hidden small hole on the badge.
However, the mechanism felt a bit stiff.
But he didn't think much of it and twisted the key with a slight flick of his wrist. Then, he heard a sharp crack!
A heartbreaking sound of something snapping rang out, and the expression on his face instantly solidified.
A moment later.
Jesse slowly pulled out the key. It was only half a key. The other half had shockingly snapped off inside the badge's keyhole, fitting so tightly that it was completely impossible to ever get it out again.
He stared blankly at the key, his mind going completely blank.
"No! This is impossible! How could it break?!"
"It's over! It's all over!"
"The Collaro family is finished! Our last hope is gone! How am I supposed to explain this when I go back?!" Jesse fell into absolute despair, his tears finally welling up uncontrollably.
Liu Yutong did not comfort him, nor did she show any reaction at all. She merely watched his performance in silence.
Two minutes later.
Jesse finally recovered from his overwhelming grief. When he looked at Liu Yutong again, he noticed the dazzling red diamond necklace around her neck.
Wait!
Why did this necklace look so familiar to him?
Then, his gaze snapped to a yellowed photograph casually placed on the living room counter. He had noticed it when he first entered the house, but intimidated by Liu Yutong's overbearing presence, he had not dared to look closely.
Now, the simultaneous appearance of these two familiar items instantly triggered a memory.
It was a story his late grandfather had told him when he was a child.
Jesse was certain the necklace looked exactly like the precious token his grandfather had mentioned. Moreover, one of the people in the photograph looked remarkably like his grandfather's father, which was his own great-grandfather.
"Miss Liu, how... how do you have this necklace? And how do you have a picture of my great-grandfather?"
Suddenly, a wild possibility struck him.
"Great... Great-grandmother? Could it be that you are my great-grandmother?"
Liu Yutong: "???"
Who is your great-grandmother?
Did the emotional rollercoaster completely fry this guy's brain?
