Lin Ran nodded, "Hello, my name is Lin Ran."
Lin Ran didn’t dislike people like Wei Xiang. In fact, in this lifetime, he didn’t dislike him at all.
Everyone has their own life to lead, and what happened in his past life wasn’t Wei Xiang’s fault. He hadn’t known that there was a traitor among his subordinates.
Besides, Lin Ran wasn’t exactly a good person himself now. The naivety he once had would never resurface in this life.
Wei Xiang didn’t dare to be careless and quickly shook hands with him. "Hello, I’m Wei Xiang, Wu Zhishang’s cousin. Let me take you to see Brother Dao."
Following Wei Xiang into an unfinished building, they entered an elevator in a very hidden spot.
Lin Ran couldn’t help but marvel at how strange this world was. Who would have thought that beneath such a dilapidated place lay a dazzling underground money-making hub?
Lin Ran followed Wei Xiang straight down to the third underground level.
As they stepped out of the elevator, there was a cage-enclosed fighting ring. Even if Lin Ran hadn’t seen one before, he knew this was an underground fighting arena.
The ceiling of this level was exceptionally high, and the design was quite ingenious.
Lin Ran followed Wei Xiang to a private box on the second floor of this level, which offered the best view of the ring.
Inside the box, Lin Ran saw the man who was considered the top figure in the underground scene of the capital, known in the underworld as Brother Dao.
Brother Dao was around forty years old, and true to his name, a scar ran diagonally across his face, starting from his skull and ending at his chin.
Surviving such a severe injury was a testament to his resilience.
Wei Xiang had served time in prison with Brother Dao, which was why Brother Dao held him in high regard.
Wei Xiang confidently walked to one side of the sofa in the box.
"Brother Dao! I’ve brought him. This is Lin Ran, my cousin’s classmate."
Lin Ran nodded at Brother Dao, who gave him a once-over.
Hmm, a young man, probably here to ask for help dealing with someone.
Upon closer inspection, his attire suggested he was a wealthy second-generation heir.
But then, Brother Dao’s eyes widened in shock, and he nearly fell to the ground.
Holy crap! Isn’t this the man of Boss Luo?
What’s he doing here?
"So it’s Young Master Lin. Please, have a seat."
Lin Ran was surprised by Brother Dao’s polite demeanor, thinking to himself that the top figure of the capital’s underworld was surprisingly courteous.
Sitting across from Brother Dao, Lin Ran watched as Brother Dao personally pushed a freshly brewed cup of Longjing tea toward him. This scene made the surrounding underlings widen their eyes in disbelief.
Brother Dao was treating this young man with unusual respect.
Lin Ran took a small sip and complimented, "Not bad. Thank you for the hospitality, Brother Dao."
Brother Dao was equally polite, showing none of the usual arrogance of a big shot. "So, Young Master Lin, what business do you have to discuss?"
Lin Ran handed over an IOU.
Brother Dao took it with a puzzled look, glanced at it, and asked, "Young Master Lin, are you asking me to help you collect this debt? You’ve come to the right person. We’re very professional at this."
Naturally, he wouldn’t scoff at the relatively small amount on the IOU. After all, even small profits added up.
According to underworld rules, debt collection came with a 20% service fee.
Lin Ran shook his head and raised a finger.
"There’s a much bigger deal here, Brother Dao. One that could make you a fortune, and it’s completely legal. As for this IOU, consider it a gesture of goodwill. If you can collect it, the money can be used to treat your men to drinks."
Brother Dao looked at Lin Ran in surprise. From what he knew, Lin Ran was still a student.
Yet, the young man showed no trace of nervousness or discomfort in his presence. This was truly unexpected.
What’s more, Lin Ran was willing to hand over the IOU as a gesture of friendship. While the IOU might not be worth much in someone else’s hands, Brother Dao was confident he could cash it in.
This showed that Lin Ran was both bold and generous.
And considering he was connected to Boss Luo, even without the IOU, Brother Dao couldn’t afford to not befriend him.
After a moment of silence, Brother Dao said, "Brother Lin, I consider you a friend now. I’ll take on your job, and whether it’s legal or not is our concern. If anything goes wrong, it won’t involve you."
With that, he reached out and shook Lin Ran’s hand. Lin Ran hadn’t expected things to go so smoothly.
Brother Dao thought to himself, how could it not go smoothly? You’re the real boss here.
If I dared to give you a hard time, I might end up floating in the ocean tomorrow, and some shark might have a feast tonight.
Lin Ran didn’t fully trust Brother Dao. After all, people in the gray areas of society weren’t exactly known for their integrity.
The term "brother" was just a polite formality. The only true brother he had was Wu Zhishang.
But for now, Brother Dao would undoubtedly be willing to cooperate, as there was nothing more appealing to them than money.
Lin Ran glanced at the few underlings around Brother Dao, who wisely cleared the room, leaving only Lin Ran and Brother Dao inside.
Only then did Lin Ran explain what was about to happen to the Lin family. Upon hearing this, Brother Dao’s eyes lit up.
Well, well, well. This wasn’t exactly illegal, and it could make him a fortune.
But wasn’t Young Master Lin part of the Lin family? Why was he being so ruthless toward them?
Well, that wasn’t for him to ponder, nor did he dare to think too deeply about it.
Perhaps it was all part of Boss Luo’s plan, and Lin Ran’s appearance today might even be a test from Boss Luo.
With that in mind, Brother Dao didn’t dare to delay and readily agreed to Lin Ran’s request. In fact, even if Lin Ran hadn’t come to him, he would have done the same if he had gotten wind of the situation.
But since it was Lin Ran who had orchestrated this, Brother Dao felt a sense of gratitude toward him. He even invited Lin Ran to take a look upstairs.
Lin Ran didn’t refuse. He was curious about this place.
The entire underground entertainment complex was nearly empty, as it was still daytime.
When they reached the second floor, Lin Ran was immediately struck by the sight before him.
It was a massive den of indulgence, the kind of casino one only saw in movies, but here it was, real and alive.
However, since it was still daytime, only a dozen or so people were gathered around a single gambling table.
Brother Dao said, "Brother Lin, care to play a few rounds? If you lose, it’s on me."
Lin Ran shook his head. "I have no tolerance for gambling or drugs."
Brother Dao thought to himself, you’re conveniently leaving out the "prostitution" part, huh?
Seeing that Lin Ran had no interest in gambling, Brother Dao simply smiled and didn’t press further.
Just then, a man at the gambling table was suddenly kicked to the ground.
"Damn it, I told you I don’t touch that stuff, and you keep asking. Are you looking for trouble?"
At these words, the entire casino fell silent, and Brother Dao’s face turned dark.
Everyone knew that while Brother Dao’s establishment offered gambling and other vices, drugs were strictly off-limits.
No one knew why a gangster like Brother Dao was so against drugs, but that was the rule.
Brother Dao glanced at Wei Xiang and said coldly, "If I’m not mistaken, that’s one of your men, right?"
Wei Xiang wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied, "Yes, Brother Dao. His name is Zhang Dahai. I’ll make sure you get a satisfactory resolution."
With that, he walked over, grabbed Zhang Dahai by the collar, and yanked him up, snatching the drugs from his hand.
"Damn it, do you have a death wish? Selling this crap here?"
s + Rent Collection Wealth】 At the start, he inherited a rundown house in the urban village from his grandfather. The house had no tenants, but the moment he was diagnosed with a terminal illness, a self-proclaimed empress from the Tianxuan Continent arrived as his first tenant. Ye Chuan soon discovered that with every new tenant moving in, not only did he receive massive daily payments, but he also obtained unique items related to their backgrounds. 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Tiger Strength Pill—dramatically enhances physical power!】 【Acquired Bai Qianshuang’s related item: Deer Blood Pill—significantly boosts vitality!】 …… From that day on, all sorts of bizarre tenants began appearing in the house: the empress from Tianxuan Continent, an apocalyptic sorceress from the Magic Realm, a mysterious scientific girl who fell through a spacetime rift… Every single day, he received strange, powerful items and endless money. Then one day, he suddenly realized—he had become invincible. Enough, enough! Stop giving me more!
end. Thus one must continue to cultivate, and become a saint or great emperor, in order to prolong one's life. Chen Xia, however, completely reversed this. Since his transmigration, he has gained immortality, and also a system that awards him with attribute points for every year he lives. Thus between the myriad worlds, the legend of an unparalleled senior appeared. "A gentleman takes revenge; it is never too late even after ten thousand years." "When you were at your peak I yielded, now in your old age I shall trample on you." - Chen Xia
nd fell into a coma while saving his younger sister from an out-of-control car. He became a vegetable. No one knew that his consciousness had crossed into a world of cultivation. Over the course of sixty years, he began as the lowest kind of mine slave, struggling to survive amid mountains of corpses and seas of blood. By sheer chance, he eventually obtained the complete memories of a fallen Immortal King. Alchemy, medicine, formations, feng shui, physiognomy, artifact forging… Every great inheritance of the cultivation world was now his. But when he opened his eyes again, he discovered that ten full years had passed in the modern world. To pay for his treatment, his father had sold the family’s shop and house, leaving himself covered in lasting injuries and illness. His mother had cared for him day and night, and more than half of her hair had already turned white. His younger sister, who had been only fifteen back then, was now twenty-five. To help repay the family’s debts, she had been forced to lower her head and put on a smiling face in places of glittering lights and endless revelry. Only then did Chen Xuan understand that what he had lost was not merely ten years. He had lost the life his entire family was meant to have. The good news was that he had brought back the memories of an Immortal King’s entire lifetime. The bad news was that his soul had returned alone—his cultivation had not come with him. Spiritual energy was scarce, resources were depleted, and the modern world still had firearms, surveillance, capital, and laws. If he wanted to protect his family, break free from everyone’s control, and become truly invincible beneath the heavens, he would have to start all over again.
uld barely embark on the path to immortality. Just as he was on the verge of death, his golden finger awakened. No matter whether it was poison, drained blood and vital energy, diminished lifespan, or any other physical debuff caused by paying a price—once midnight passed, everything would be refreshed. From then on, whenever someone asked what kind of person Chu Ran was, the answer was simple: Forbidden arts that other cultivators dared not learn? Chu Ran would learn them. Prices that even demonic cultivators dared not pay? Chu Ran would pay them. Lifespan that even righteous cultivators dared not burn? Chu Ran would burn it. All the blood essence in his body? Take it. Want both his hands and feet? He would cut them off and send them to you. You say he’s finished? He wasn’t built to sit idle. You think he’s gone mad? No—he was simply waiting for midnight. From that day onward, Chu Ran would respect neither Heaven nor Earth, bow to neither gods nor ghosts. He had only one wish: For midnight to arrive a little sooner.
