Although Jiang Lu felt a little disappointed, she still nodded vigorously: “Okay... okay! We’ll be there tomorrow, for sure! For sure!”
She didn’t dare to ask for too much. She truly didn’t.
As long as she could see her daughter again, even if it was just to sit quietly by her side for a while and steal another glance at her, that would be more than enough.
As for Liu Yutong saying she wanted to talk alone with her husband Lin Dong, she didn’t care at all. It didn’t even cross her mind.
At that moment, only one thought kept repeating in her head: she’d see Tongtong again tomorrow. She’d see her tomorrow.
Lin Dong nodded as well. “Tomorrow at nine in the morning—we’ll be there on time!”
Though he said it, his heart was pounding.
What the hell did this little girl suddenly want to talk to him about? Was she planning to take over or even swallow up the Lin family?
After all, the Lin family was a shadow of its former glory—down and out now.
On the other hand, Liu Yutong held such a terrifyingly massive force in her hands.
If she wanted to break out of Bright Pearl City and expand elsewhere, their family—though declining but still with some foundation—would indeed be her best option.
But he didn’t dare to refuse. Never mind speaking up to reject her—he didn’t even have the guts to ask what they’d be talking about.
Given tonight’s spectacle, even if his biological father showed up, he’d probably be kneeling and listening, let alone a stepfather like him with no real standing.
Lin Dong by now had completely forgotten his earlier vows at the Lin family estate about inducting this “stepdaughter” into the family registry.
In the face of absolute power, a person’s memory always seems to conveniently fade away.
The black-clad men nearby had also gradually loosened up, glancing at Lin Feng and his family with less hostility and more curiosity.
They could tell that Mr. Lin, Ms. Jiang, and that young guy who’d been chased through the streets had some kind of connection with the young lady.
But nobody dared to pry. The young lady’s personal affairs were never theirs to discuss. All they had to do was mind their own duties and keep her safe.
–––––
Lin Dong and his family didn’t head back to the hotel. They went straight to the hospital.
Even though Lin Feng kept insisting he was fine and only had minor scratches, Jiang Lu and Lin Dong refused to let it go. They wouldn’t be able to sleep without getting him checked out.
Only after the doctor confirmed with the X-rays that Lin Feng really wasn’t hurt badly did they finally breathe easy.
After all that running around until the dead of night, they were finally ready to head back and rest.
In the car.
Lin Dong couldn’t help but say to his wife, “Lu, do you know what I was thinking earlier?”
“I was thinking, if this were ancient times, with Tongtong’s abilities, she’d probably be at least a regional warlord.”
Jiang Lu blinked, surprised by where her husband’s mind had wandered.
Lin Feng also turned around, curious about what his father would say next.
“Look at tonight’s show—thousands of black-clad men filling an entire street. The cops showed up, took one look, and left without a word. What kind of power is that? That’s true control, ruling with an iron fist.”
“I’ve spent decades in the capital, always thought I’d seen it all, been through every big scene. But tonight? I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Lin Feng cut in, “Dad, you’re right. You should have seen it when I was being chased down that street. Those thousands of guys stood up in unison—I almost had a heart attack. Even now, I can’t believe they’re all her men. It was like a damn movie.”
Lin Dong nodded in agreement. “That’s authority. Tongtong is truly something special.”
Lin Feng asked, “Dad, Auntie Jiang, how do you think she did it?”
“How does a twenty-year-old girl get so many people to follow her and risk their lives for her?”
“Those thousands of black-clad men—the way they looked at her wasn’t fake. It was fervor, like believers looking at a shrine.”
Lin Dong fell silent.
He couldn’t figure it out either.
How did she do it?
After a long pause, he came up with a half-decent explanation.
“There are always people in this world who are natural-born leaders. They have an indescribable charisma that makes others willingly submit. Tongtong is probably one of those people.”
Lin Feng nodded thoughtfully.
This trip to Bright Pearl City had been worth it.
At the very least, it had opened their eyes.
For folks from the capital to see something like that was just... damn thrilling. Almost surreal.
–––––
On the other side.
Yun Cheng and Chu Yang, along with a few black-clad men, were surrounding the group of thugs.
They’d already gotten one key piece of intel: these thugs were the same bunch that Scarface had reported earlier—possible forerunners sent by Jiang Yuan to scout for info.
Of course, thugs at the bottom rungs of the underworld had no idea that their real boss was someone as big as Jiang Yuan. There had to be a middleman in between.
But no matter how much the Wanlong Society men used their infamous “special methods” that made people’s blood run cold, the leader in the cap never spilled who his contact was.
The Wanlong Society thugs carrying out the interrogation were genuinely surprised.
“Whoa, Yun, this guy’s tough—real stubborn.”
“First time any of our methods haven’t worked after almost an hour.”
“Gotta admit, he’s not wasted his time on the streets. Loyal as hell.”
“What do we do? If we can’t break him, we can’t report back to the young lady.”
“Maybe we call Brother Ji?”
“Good idea. Where is he?”
“I think he’s asleep...”
“...”
Yun Cheng was getting impatient. If the young lady hadn’t ordered them to stay within the law, he’d have already broken some bones.
He grabbed the cap leader by the collar and yanked his head up.
“Talk. Who sent you? Last chance!”
The man in the cap just shook his head. “We... we really just didn’t like that guy and decided to teach him a lesson. Everything I’ve said is true... Please, stop pushing me.”
In his heart, he knew that if he gave up his boss, he’d die an even worse death.
His boss was ruthless and would stop at nothing.
These Wanlong Society people looked even scarier, but either way, he was doomed. Holding out might be his only hope of a way out.
Just as Yun Cheng was about to put them back in their special vests, Yu Xin walked over.
She was wearing a black business suit, her hair loose over her shoulders. Her cheeks were slightly flushed from the wine she’d had, giving her a subtly alluring look. She was holding a bottle of red wine.
“Yun, hit a wall with a tough one?”
"Yu Xin, why don't you give it a try? This guy's got a hard mouth. We've been grilling him for an hour and haven't gotten a thing out of him."
Yu Xin nodded, walked over to the man in the cap, and looked him up and down from above.
The man in the cap felt a chill under her gaze but still gritted his teeth, putting on a defiant "I'd rather die than surrender" attitude.
Yu Xin didn't rush to speak. Instead, she pulled over a stool and sat down across from him.
"Big brother, what's your surname?"
The man in the cap was taken aback. He hadn't expected her first question to be that, and he answered instinctively, "Liu."
"Brother Liu, your accent sounds like you're from the south, right?" Yu Xin asked.
The man in the cap hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
Yu Xin smiled. Her smile, set against her slightly flushed face, seemed especially genuine. "Brother Liu, I can tell you're a smart man. Let's put our cards on the table. Did you really chase after that kid tonight just because you didn't like the look of him?"
The man in the cap stuck to his story. "Yes!"
Yu Xin nodded, then unhurriedly twisted open the stopper of the red wine bottle. She poured herself a glass, swirled it gently, and took a sip.
"Brother Liu, that watch you're wearing is nice."
The man in the cap instinctively pulled his hand back, but the guy in black beside him held it down.
Yu Xin looked at him with a half-smile. "A Rolex—market price must be over a hundred thousand, right? Your boss sure is generous to you, isn't he?"
