Looking at the small stack of bank cards on the table, Lin Yu hesitated only for a moment before gathering them up and slipping them into his pocket.
This money was rightfully his to begin with—there was no reason to refuse it.
"Thanks," Lin Yu nodded in appreciation.
Zhao She leaned his elbows against the desk, rubbing his hands together with a smile as he replied,
"No big deal."
"Don’t mention it."
After a brief pause, Zhao She’s expression sobered slightly, his eyes sharpening with focus as he studied Lin Yu and ventured cautiously,
"Yu-ye."
"About how to deal with Li Yuan..."
"I was wondering what your thoughts are."
The moment Zhao She asked that question, Lin Yu immediately understood why he’d kept Zhao Dahu waiting outside.
This meeting wasn’t really about the money—that could’ve been transferred directly to his account. No, the main reason he’d been called here was to discuss this very matter.
Lin Yu mulled it over, unsure how to respond, and decided to probe Zhao She’s intentions first by deflecting the question:
"What was your original plan?"
Zhao She blinked in surprise, then chuckled. His gaze grew distant, his hands still rubbing together slowly, his smile tinged with self-mockery as he admitted,
"A big part of why I ended up inside last time was because I didn’t clean up my mess properly."
"I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed, but my memory’s good. I don’t plan on making the same mistake twice."
At this point, his tone lightened, and he shrugged with feigned indifference.
"Of course, Li Yuan’s different. He doesn’t have any dirt on me, and he’s no threat."
"If Yu-ye wants to spare him, I won’t object."
Lin Yu took a deep breath, not answering right away.
This wasn’t exactly a small matter—it carried some weight.
From Zhao She’s words, it was clear he had no intention of letting Li Yuan live.
Even if he claimed Li Yuan wasn’t a threat, someone like him was always a loose end. Who knew what schemes he might cook up in the shadows, waiting to stab Zhao She in the back when he least expected it?
Li Yuan was absolutely capable of that—he was no honest man, and he held grudges like no other.
But Zhao She had also made it clear: if Lin Yu wanted to, he’d let Li Yuan live.
Meaning whatever Lin Yu said next would be Li Yuan’s death sentence.
Tch.
After a moment’s thought, Lin Yu felt a pang of frustration.
This Zhao She—why couldn’t he just toss Li Yuan into the river to feed the fish and be done with it? Why bother asking for his opinion?
Sure, he and Li Yuan weren’t on good terms, but to outright condemn him to death with his own words...
That was still hard to say out loud!
...
...Maybe Zhao She had been spooked by those rumors in the gang about Lin Yu risking his life to protect his brother-in-law.
Afraid that acting without Lin Yu’s approval would cause problems...
So what now?
Lin Yu was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Sparing Li Yuan would cost him a hefty favor, and Li Yuan wasn’t worth that kind of debt.
But telling Zhao She to go ahead with his original plan...
That was just as hard to say!
After another moment of deliberation, Lin Yu decided to "follow the gang’s way."
He’d drop a hint and leave the rest to fate.
"It’s your call."
"There’s no loyalty between him and me."
"If you think he’s trouble, handle him like trouble. If you think he’s harmless..."
Lin Yu gave a slight shrug.
"Then do whatever."
His implication was clear: Zhao She should decide for himself.
If Li Yuan was a real threat, then deal with him.
If not, then let him live.
Zhao She fell silent for a moment after hearing this, then nodded with a smile.
"Got it."
Lin Yu nodded back and asked,
"Anything else?"
"If not, I’ll head out."
"Nothing else."
Zhao She shook his head.
"Yu-ye, take care. I won’t see you out."
"Appreciate it."
Stepping out of the office, Lin Yu spotted Zhao Dahu still standing guard outside. He asked,
"How’ve you been lately?"
The simple-minded air Zhao Dahu once carried was gone, replaced by a chilling ruthlessness—though when he grinned, that old simpleton look returned, just like before.
Now, scratching his head, he chuckled and said,
"Not bad. Beats school, anyway."
Lin Yu smiled helplessly and nodded.
Everyone had their own path—no use forcing things.
With a brother like Zhao She guiding him, maybe the underworld was the better choice for him.
Lin Yu had meant to leave after a quick word, but something nagged at him, and he couldn’t resist adding,
"Pay attention to how your brother handles things. Learn from him, stay sharp—don’t let yourself get played later."
Zhao Dahu’s smile faded, and he nodded seriously.
"I will."
Satisfied that his words had sunk in, Lin Yu said no more and turned to leave.
The crowd inside Jufu Mahjong Parlor hadn’t dispersed yet. Seeing Li Yuan’s former subordinates, Lin Yu couldn’t help but feel a surge of mixed emotions.
Truly, you never knew what lurked in a man’s heart.
Every one of them had seemed fiercely loyal, yet here they were, all siding with Zhao She.
His gaze drifted to Black Tiger, once the Black Blood Gang’s second-in-command.
Of them all, he was the most surprising.
Black Tiger wasn’t like Lin Yu—he didn’t put on acts. Back then, he’d genuinely been willing to take a knife for Li Yuan. And now? He’d thrown his lot in with Zhao She too...
The irony was almost laughable.
Human nature.
Truly impossible to predict.
As Lin Yu studied Black Tiger, lost in thought, the man seemed to sense it. He looked up from his phone, his eyes meeting Lin Yu’s.
"Step out for a smoke?"
Lin Yu tilted his head toward the exit.
Black Tiger hesitated, then nodded and stood.
The two walked out of Jufu Mahjong Parlor, trudging across the packed snow for a while before stopping about a hundred meters away.
Lin Yu pulled out a pack of cigarettes, handed one to Black Tiger, and lit it for him before lighting his own.
Exhaling a thick cloud of white smoke, he watched as his breath and the smoke scattered in the wind. Then, turning to Black Tiger, who was similarly lost in his own haze, Lin Yu asked curiously,
"How’d he win you over?"
Black Tiger slowly blew out another lungful of smoke. The once-imposing man now looked utterly defeated, aged beyond his years.
"I backed him."
"In exchange for my family’s safety."
Hearing Black Tiger say this so calmly sent a chill down Lin Yu’s spine.
with countless casualties. As a top-tier gamer, Liu Xuan volunteered to join the fight, intending to dominate with his skills, but instead he obtained the hidden class: [Pacifist]. Unable to attack. Unable to use active skills. Fortunately, with each level gained, he acquired a new passive skill. And so, armed with a body full of passives, Liu Xuan slaughtered his way through the battlefield of ten thousand races! [You attacked Liu Xuan] [You gained the debuffs: 'Poison', 'Fear', 'Burning', 'Bleeding', 'Freeze', 'Silence', etc.] [Your attack speed has been reduced by 99%] [Your armor and magic resistance have been reduced by 99%] Warriors of the Ten Thousand Races: How the hell am I supposed to fight this?!
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
] This is a dark fantasy-themed dating simulation game. The main gameplay involves containing various monster girls and investigating the truth of a world shrouded in mist alongside your companions. However, due to his love for the dark and bizarre atmosphere, Luo Wei ended up turning a dating game into a detective mystery game. Women? Women only slow down his quickdraw! To Luo Wei, the female leads in the game are more like tools to perfectly clear levels and squeeze out rewards. For Luo Wei, flirting with every girl he meets and then discarding them is standard procedure. Worried about characters losing affection points? No need. With his maxed-out charm stat, Luo Wei is practically a "human incubus." A little psychological manipulation and those points come right back. It's a bit scummy, but the paper cutout heroines in the game won't actually come at him with real cleavers. However... Luo Wei has transmigrated. He's accidentally entered the second playthrough of this game. His past actions have caused all the girls to transform into terrifying yanderes. Due to the game's setting, most of the heroines he once contained are "troubled girls." Obsessive, twisted, mentally unstable, all aggressive yanderes... The type who will kill you if they can't have you... Luo Wei wants to cry but has no tears left. "I really just want to survive..." In short, this is a story of battling wits and engaging in a love-hate relationship with yanderes.
iemie, male, Race: Moon. Hobby: Collecting anomalies. At first, he thought he possessed two systems: the Crimson Rainbow Moon and the Clear Cold Frost Moon. One day, he discovered that he himself could also become a system for others, holding the chessboard of fate. The Eighth Epoch, also known as the Eternal Moon Epoch. Humans, witches, elves, bloodline descendants, specters, demons, and spirits together compose a new history. Walking the path on behalf of the moon, before he knew it, Chen Miemie's footsteps were followed by all manner of strange and wondrous anomalies. As time passed, many titles circulated about him—The King in Yellow, Lord of Anomalies, Heart of the Eternal Moon, and more. "Me? I'm just a traveler who enjoys collecting interesting creatures," Chen Miemie said.
