Jinchuan City, the headquarters of the Tiger Might Group.
Qi Tianhu sat behind the broad mahogany desk, looking impassively at his own good-for-nothing son standing before him.
“Licheng, is there something you’re hiding from me?”
“Dad, no.” Qi Licheng quickly shook his head.
“No?”
Qi Tianhu let out a cold laugh. “Then tell me—how did one of your establishments get taken down?”
The expression on Qi Licheng’s face froze. “Dad... you already know?”
“Of course I know. Have you found out who did it?”
Qi Licheng immediately replied, “It was the Myriad Dragons Society! They sent people to smash up my place. Dad, I was just about to gather our men and hit them back. We have to make them pay!”
“You idiot!”
Qi Tianhu slammed his hand on the desk and rose to his feet.
“This had nothing to do with the Myriad Dragons Society. You’ve been played, understand?!”
Qi Licheng was stunned. “If it wasn’t them, then who was it?”
“I’m asking you—who told you that the Myriad Dragons Society was behind it?”
“One of my men. A guy named Jia Dan.”
“The little punk who used to stop cars on the provincial highway and extort tolls?”
“My son, I really don’t know how you choose your people. You’ll take in any piece of trash. Do you honestly think that guy could take an establishment back from the Myriad Dragons Society?”
“Are you underestimating them?”
“But Dad, I confirmed it with Wumao too.”
“I’m asking you—was that Wumao the guy who came to see you last time?”
“Yes, him!”
“Heh... They’ve already sold you out, and you’re still helping them count the money!”
“Dad, what are you saying? Wumao and Jia Dan—they...”
“Licheng, how many times have I told you? When you’re out in the world, the most important thing is to use your brain.”
Qi Tianhu spoke with exasperation. “You can’t even control the people under you. They’ve made a fool of you, and you’re still standing here swearing that the Myriad Dragons Society did it.”
“You’re hopelessly stupid!”
“I’m telling you, this was definitely Wumao’s doing. He’s trying to drive a wedge between us! I knew the first time I saw that kid that he wasn’t simple. He’s vicious and scheming.”
Qi Licheng’s face flushed red with embarrassment and fury.
He was the young master of the Tiger Might Group, yet he had been completely played by two insignificant nobodies.
At the same time, he realized that his father had probably planted an informant at his side.
Fortunately, the informant probably wasn’t anyone important. Otherwise, everything he had done might have been exposed.
“Dad, I’ll have people drag those two bastards back here right now. I’ll skin them alive myself!” Qi Licheng said murderously.
“Drag them back for what? Sit down!” Qi Tianhu shouted.
Qi Licheng instantly deflated like a punctured balloon and meekly sat back down.
“Now you’re panicking? Where were you before?”
“I’ve told you that when dealing with people, you need to show both kindness and authority. But you? You cut off someone’s ear, let your men humiliate him, and stole his woman. You’ve driven him into a corner without eliminating him completely. Of course he’s going to hate you!”
“Use your brain from now on. Don’t just think about fighting and killing. If you offend someone, either don’t offend them in the first place, or wipe them out completely and leave no loose ends. Don’t put yourself in danger by leaving things half-finished!”
“Yes... I understand, Dad.”
Qi Licheng lowered his head in shame.
Seeing his son’s dejected expression, Qi Tianhu let out a long sigh. His anger had eased somewhat.
“Still, Wumao using the Myriad Dragons Society’s name to set this up has given us an opportunity.”
Qi Licheng raised his head and hurriedly asked, “What opportunity?”
“To borrow their strength.”
Qi Tianhu slowly stood up and walked over to the map of Jinchuan hanging on the wall. He pointed at Qingyan Mountain.
“The auction for the Qingyan Mountain lithium mine is tomorrow. Its confirmed reserves rank among the top three in the country. It’s incredibly valuable, and I’m determined to win it.”
“Besides us, the bidders include the provincial XN Mining Group, Chengyu Group, three major mining companies from other provinces, and possibly the Myriad Dragons Society Group as well. The competition will be intense.”
“If we bid normally, we might not be able to beat those major corporations. So we need to make them withdraw voluntarily.”
Qi Licheng suddenly understood, and his eyes lit up. “So you’re going to use the Myriad Dragons Society as an example—to kill one chicken and scare the monkeys?”
“Exactly.”
Qi Tianhu nodded, a smile spreading across his face. “Whether or not they were responsible for smashing our establishment, from this moment on, they were. I’ve already had people gather evidence and submit it. Then, at the auction, we’ll have them arrested on the spot. We’ll use the authorities to intimidate the other bidders.”
“And once this gets out, the Myriad Dragons Society’s reputation in Jinchuan will be ruined. Their construction sites will have to shut down, and all the money they’ve invested in the Jinchuan area will go down the drain. We won’t even need to act. They’ll be forced to kneel before us on their own.”
“Once the Myriad Dragons Society falls, the other competitors will understand how deep the waters in Jinchuan really are. By then, they’ll withdraw without us having to say a word.”
The more Qi Licheng listened, the more excited he became. The gloom from being reprimanded moments earlier had vanished completely.
“Dad, that’s brilliant! Using borrowed power to strike at them—one move takes care of the Myriad Dragons Society and intimidates everyone else. Two birds with one stone!”
Qi Tianhu gave him a deep look and said earnestly, “Son, Wumao may be vicious, but he does have a bit of cunning. Once we bring down the Myriad Dragons Society Group, you can deal with him however you like.”
“But on one condition: make sure you clean up after yourself. Don’t make me wipe your ass again!”
“I understand, Dad.”
“Dad, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be going.”
Qi Licheng didn’t want to spend another second in that office. His entire body felt uncomfortable.
“Wait.”
Qi Tianhu stopped him, his gaze turning sharp.
“Licheng, I want to ask you something. You’d better answer honestly.”
Qi Licheng’s heart jolted. Bracing himself, he said, “Go ahead, Dad.”
“Someone told me that people have been moving drugs in Jinchuan recently. Do you know anything about it?”
Qi Licheng’s heart sank. He guessed that the report had come from the informant his father had planted, but he still forced himself to remain calm.
“I... I don’t know anything about it.”
“You really don’t?”
“Really!”
Qi Tianhu stared at him for a long while. Only after making Qi Licheng’s back prickle with fear did he slowly speak.
“Licheng, you’re my son. I know you better than anyone. I know exactly how many crooked thoughts are running through your head. I’ll ask you one last time: do you know about this or not?!”
Sweat began to bead on Qi Licheng’s forehead.
Of course he knew.
Not only did he know, but the drugs were being sold throughout Jinchuan from locations he had provided.
Of course, he never touched the stuff himself or handled it directly. He merely used the establishments under his control to provide that man with places to conduct transactions, taking a cut of the profits.
He had kept this matter hidden from his father all along.
Although his father, Qi Tianhu, ran roughshod over Jinchuan and engaged in all kinds of shady dealings, he had one absolute bottom line: he would never touch drugs.
Getting involved with that stuff meant crossing his most forbidden line.
“Dad, I really didn’t know. We’ve already got so much money—why would I deal in that stuff?” Qi Licheng said guiltily.
At last, Qi Tianhu withdrew his gaze. “Hmm. I didn’t think you’d dare.”
“Licheng, remember this. The Qi family can do anything—cheat, swindle, force people into buying or selling, bully and dominate the market. Even if we get caught for those things, the worst that happens is a few years in prison. But drugs are different. Touch them, and you die.”
“If you get pulled in, you won’t be the only one to die. The entire Qi family will be buried alongside you.”
Qi Licheng hurriedly nodded. “Dad, I’ll keep that in mind. I absolutely won’t touch the stuff!”
Qi Tianhu waved a hand. “When you go back later, have someone inspect every establishment under your control. If you find anyone secretly involved in this kind of business, clean them out completely. Even your most trusted aides are not to be spared. Understand?”
“Understood!”
“Go!”
Only then did Qi Licheng breathe a sigh of relief before hurriedly leaving the office.
Watching his son’s departing back, Qi Tianhu sighed inwardly.
Hopefully, he really was unaware of it.
