Niu Ben was finally captured.
He swore he had never met a woman as heartless as Liu Yutong in his entire life.
Even when his knife had already cut into his father Liu Jianyi’s neck, Liu Yutong remained unmoved.
Truthfully, Niu Ben could have taken Liu Jianyi down with him, but at the critical moment, the police played a psychological game—they called his family.
Niu Ben’s mental defenses completely collapsed.
He knew he was doomed, but before facing judgment, he at least had a chance to see his family one last time. In the end, he chose to surrender.
After Niu Ben was apprehended, Liu Yutong briefly thanked the police before excusing herself, citing discomfort.
However, before leaving, she had someone hand a suitcase to Qi Wei.
Inside the suitcase was over nine million in cash—the principal she had previously extracted from Niu Ben through loans.
No matter what, she had to return this money. Even if no one came to claim it, she would do so.
After all, it was dirty money.
Once the money was handed to Qi Wei, the grudge between her and Niu Ben was officially settled.
As she walked away, only Master Jin stood there in stunned silence, as if unable to believe what he had just witnessed.
This was outright bribery!
No wonder Miss Liu had been so affectionate, addressing Deputy Director Qi as "Uncle" repeatedly.
That suitcase hadn’t been opened in public, but Master Jin knew exactly what was inside—over nine million in cash.
Don’t ask how he knew—because that money was what Miss Liu had borrowed from him in the first place.
Of course, the terms of the loan were simple: when Niu Ben’s assets went up for auction, Miss Liu would personally bid on his behalf, treating it as interest on the loan.
This was also why Master Jin had so readily agreed to lend her the money.
Even if she never repaid it, he wouldn’t have minded—as long as he could acquire Niu Ben’s golden-goose assets at a bargain price.
Because he believed that with Miss Liu’s current influence, no one would dare compete against her once she made her move.
And just as he predicted, after Niu Ben’s arrest, his assets quickly entered the auction process.
On the day of the auction, many local tycoons showed up, along with some out-of-town bidders.
Everyone had their eyes on Niu Ben’s lucrative assets—after all, they were all profitable ventures.
But every time Liu Yutong raised her bidder’s paddle, the room fell silent.
No one dared to counteroffer—some didn’t even have the courage to lift their paddles.
The out-of-town businessmen, puzzled, leaned over and asked those beside them:
"Why does everyone stop bidding when that girl raises her paddle?"
"Why? The original owner of these assets is about to face execution because he crossed her. You wanna try your luck too?"
"......"
With Niu Ben’s downfall, Miss Liu’s name spread rapidly throughout Wushui County, especially in the underworld—where she became practically legendary.
Meanwhile, Liu Yutong’s school start date was fast approaching.
By the end of August, Xinglong Supermarket was officially rebranded as Wanlong Supermarket.
The other three branches, including the one in Moshui Town at the border of Wushui County and Bright Pearl City, were nearing the end of their renovations.
Before school started, the final payments needed to be settled.
Liu Yutong checked her stock account—the initial investment of over ten million had now doubled to nearly fifty million.
After some consideration, she decided to cash out twenty million, leaving the rest invested for now.
Of that twenty million, part would cover the final renovation and acquisition payments, while the rest would serve as working capital for the company.
But before that, she had one more thing to do—pay salaries, distribute bonuses, and finalize personnel arrangements.
Once again at the Royal Capital Grand Hotel, this time the event was grander than ever.
Nearly two hundred people filled the hall—half dressed in black, the rest in casual attire.
Ever since Miss Liu’s Wanlong Society gained notoriety in Wushui County, especially among the underworld, applications to join had been pouring in.
Ma Da strictly adhered to Liu Yutong’s philosophy—no one was turned away, though most recruits were fresh graduates.
However, the entry requirements had since been raised.
Even joining the outer circle required undergoing ideological indoctrination first. Only those Zhao Tianyi deemed "enlightened" could stay—the rest were dismissed.
Of course, this was just the first step. Newcomers could only serve as outer-circle members—essentially temps.
Earning the right to wear black and become a core member was far more difficult, requiring rigorous testing.
Despite the tedious process, applicants still flooded in, keeping Zhao Tianyi swamped.
After Liu Yutong allocated five hundred thousand for operations, Zhao Tianyi worked with renewed vigor—even with a hoarse voice, he tirelessly lectured newcomers.
Still, he realized he needed to expand his law firm’s manpower, training more lawyers—otherwise, he’d collapse from exhaustion.
But the expansion would have to take place in Bright Pearl City.
At that moment, despite the packed hall, the room was eerily silent.
Everyone sat stiffly, awaiting the young mistress’s arrival.
Then, the crisp click of high heels echoed from outside.
For some reason, everyone’s heart tightened—especially the new outer-circle members.
A moment later, a striking figure clad in black, her black heels tapping rhythmically, stepped into the banquet hall.
Whoosh!
Nearly two hundred people rose in unison, their eyes locked on the composed, slightly aloof young woman.
Behind her followed Wanlong Society’s core members—Yun Cheng, Ma Da, Zhao Tianyi, Yu Xin, Yang Xin, Chu Yang—along with several black-clad men carrying suitcases.
When Liu Yutong reached the head table, the crowd immediately greeted her respectfully:
"Young Mistress!"
"Young Mistress!"
"..."
Liu Yutong gave a slight nod before taking her seat.
Ma Da barked, "Sit!"
Over a hundred people obeyed in perfect unison—a sight both awe-inspiring and intimidating.
Once everyone was seated, Liu Yutong wasted no time. She signaled Yun Cheng and Ma Da to open the suitcases filled with cash.
Click—
The latches snapped open, and as the lids lifted, stacks of neatly arranged bills came into view, stunning everyone present.
Honestly, none of them had ever seen so much cash in their lives.
Even at the last gathering, only a few hundred thousand had been displayed.
But now, mere months later, millions lay before them.
The early members felt an overwhelming sense of relief—they had bet on the right person.
The young mistress’s capabilities were no joke.
With her leading them, how could they fear the future?
Following seniority, every black-clad member’s table received a hundred thousand in cash—roughly ten thousand per person.
Of course, this wasn’t their salary—it was their well-earned bonus after months of battling Niu Ben.
Many had suffered injuries along the way.
As for the outer-circle members, each received only a thousand.
Though the gap was vast, no one complained.
They had no real achievements to their name, so receiving any money at all was an unexpected windfall.
Moreover, they had witnessed firsthand the young mistress’s generosity—how exceptionally kind she was to her people, never hesitating to reward them.
After distributing the money to Yun Cheng and the others, Liu Yutong handed out additional bonuses to those who had performed exceptionally well.
By then, she had given away roughly 1.3 million in total.
Once the rewards were handed out, Liu Yutong rose to her feet again, her gaze sweeping across everyone present.
"Three months ago, the Wanlong Society had just over a dozen members."
"Now? Two hundred!"
At this point, she paused briefly.
The crowd below held their breath, hanging on her every word.
When she mentioned "two hundred," some couldn’t contain their excitement, their faces alight with pride.
Especially the newcomers—learning that the Wanlong Society had grown from a mere dozen to its current size in just three months left them utterly awestruck.
"Some of you might think we’ve already grown strong enough to stand firm in this land. But let me tell you—Wushui County is just our starting point, just the beginning."
"What you’ve received today is nothing more than a fraction of what’s to come. In the future, you’ll gain far more—wealth, status, respect, even the chance to change your destiny!"
"After this meal, once you step through those doors, you’ll no longer be ordinary people. You’ll be members of the Wanlong Society, the architects of the future! Together, we’ll carry its banner to even greater heights!"
"Do you have the confidence?!"
"YES!!!" The crowd roared in unison, hearts surging with fervor.
"Good!"
Liu Yutong raised her hand and pointed toward the direction of Bright Pearl City.
"Our next conquest—Bright Pearl City!"
