Lin Xuan casually came up with an excuse to brush him off.
[Lin Xuan]: "Yeah, I had it all prepared beforehand. The details I asked you for were just to verify whether my plan had any flaws."
Wang Ba nodded.
So that was it.
He had been wondering—how could the gang leader possibly have drafted an entire strategic plan in just over three minutes?
Even if the gang leader had supernatural abilities, that would still be impossible.
Wang Ba went back to studying Lin Xuan’s meticulously laid-out plan.
A trusted subordinate peeked over curiously.
Frowning in confusion, he asked, "The gang leader made this?"
"Right," Wang Ba confirmed with a nod.
The subordinate grew even more puzzled. "I’ve never seen the gang leader write such a lengthy strategic plan before. Why is it so detailed this time?"
Wang Ba replied, "We’re going up against Night Rose for this arms deal. Of course it has to be detailed."
Wait.
Wang Ba’s brow furrowed as well.
The gang leader had only just learned about Night Rose’s interference in the arms deal—how could he have prepared such an extensive plan in advance?
Unless he had prior knowledge.
At that thought, Wang Ba nodded to himself. Given the gang leader’s almost omniscient capabilities, it wasn’t impossible for him to have gotten wind of it early.
Just like that, Wang Ba had conjured up a perfectly reasonable explanation for Lin Xuan, sparing him any need for further justification.
"Wait, Night Rose?!"
The subordinate’s eyes widened in shock.
He had been dealing with a sudden stomachache and missed the earlier conversation between the gang leader and Wang Ba. They were actually discussing something this serious?!
"Second Boss," the subordinate gulped nervously, "are you sure we should be going head-to-head with Night Rose?"
Wang Ba nodded. "That’s the gang leader’s arrangement. The odds must be in our favor."
"But even if we win this time, Night Rose is notorious for holding grudges. What if they retaliate?" The subordinate voiced his concerns anxiously.
Wang Ba felt both anticipation and unease.
The worry was that provoking Night Rose could backfire—if the Golden Dragon Gang couldn’t withstand their counterattack, what then?
But if they succeeded, the Golden Dragon Gang would rise to become the top underworld faction, untouchable and feared by all.
"Do you think we stand a chance against Night Rose?" Wang Ba asked, his voice laced with worry.
"I don’t know," the subordinate admitted, shaking his head.
"But the gang leader never fights a battle he isn’t confident in. If he’s made this move, he must believe we can win."
"True."
Wang Ba felt somewhat reassured.
---
On a chair adorned with intricate serpent patterns sat a man with long silver hair. His fingers, which had been idly turning prayer beads, suddenly stilled.
His cold eyes snapped open. "What’s the delay? Has that bastard who seduced Ling still not been captured?"
"No," a subordinate answered, head bowed.
"Useless!"
Zhao Long clenched his fist, snapping the prayer beads in his grip. They scattered across the floor with a sharp clatter.
"All of you—worthless!" he hissed through gritted teeth.
"How long has it been? And you still can’t even catch one man!"
"Boss," the subordinate stammered nervously, "he’s always in crowded areas or stays within the Night Garden. Besides, he’s not only guarded by personal bodyguards but also has hidden protection. We haven’t found an opening yet."
Zhao Long’s fists tightened.
He couldn’t wait any longer.
With Shadow’s influence waning, he needed Ling back to restore its former glory.
He had to capture Lin Xuan as soon as possible—to crush Ling’s hope, to make her heartless again, to mold her back into the perfect, obedient assassin who followed only his orders.
"Keep hunting Lin Xuan down!" Zhao Long commanded in a low, dangerous voice. "I’m giving you two more weeks. If you fail, you’d better take care of yourselves!"
The subordinate shuddered and hastily nodded. "Understood, Boss."
"Ling," Zhao Long murmured to himself, "come back to me. Shadow is your home."
"Boss," another subordinate suggested cautiously, "perhaps we could intensify Ling’s sense of urgency. It might be more effective."
"Explain!" Zhao Long’s piercing gaze locked onto him.
The subordinate hurriedly continued, "We could make sure Ling keeps reliving that day. If she knows what awaits Lin Xuan if he regains his memories, the betrayal will hit her even harder."
Zhao Long let out a chilling chuckle.
"Good. Very good," he said, pleased. "Do as you’ve suggested."
"Yes."
"Also," the subordinate added after a moment, "we could arrange for beautiful women to surround Lin Xuan. No man resists temptation. If Ling sees him indulging, her despair will deepen."
Zhao Long smirked. "Fine. Find him some beauties. Let him enjoy one last fling before his end."
This Lin Xuan had lured Ling away, filling her head with foolish notions of love, making her refuse to return to Shadow. He deserved nothing less than a thousand cuts.
---
Inside the CEO’s office, Su Hua stared at the message on her phone.
Shadow.
Zhao Long.
Her fingers clenched around the device, her eyes burning with murderous intent—and unease.
"President Su."
Jiang Qing knocked and entered.
Su Hua calmly switched off her phone.
Jiang Qing bowed slightly. "The dance instructor has arrived. She’s waiting in the studio."
The studio had been custom-built for Su Hua’s dance practice.
Originally, she had only dabbled in contemporary jazz before abandoning it.
But after reading somewhere that dance improved flexibility and poise, Su Hua had Jiang Qing hire an instructor. Now, whenever she had free time at the office, she practiced.
With the date of her performance for Lin Xuan approaching, she had Jiang Qing bring back the jazz instructor for refinement.
Su Hua moved gracefully across the studio, her every motion exuding an alluring charm.
The instructor watched in admiration.
She fought the urge to recruit Su Hua as a full-time dancer, reminding herself repeatedly: She’s the CEO of Su Corporation. She won’t abandon everything for dance.
As the music faded, the instructor sighed in amazement.
"President Su, even after all this time, your skills haven’t faded at all."
"I don’t think there’s anything left for me to teach you."
Su Hua cut straight to the point.
"Are there any dance moves particularly effective at seducing men?"
] [Lone Wolf, No Male Gaze] [Protagonist is pursued early on; extreme protagonist-stans, stay away!] The "Carnival Paradise" descends and slowly devours the real world in the form of a game. By chance, Zhu Yan awakens the talent [Roleplay], becoming one of the first beta players. He thought he could develop safely, but after clearing the first instance, he is branded by humanity as the chief culprit behind the game's spread—a traitorous villain. A villain? Who would ever... become one! He'll be the villain! From then on, Zhu Yan is not only a player but also a lackey for the Carnival Paradise. Between the straight path and the crooked path, he chooses the con. With his left hand, he dons the villain's mantle, staging scenes within instances, infuriating players who decry him as a despicable traitor, all while the game happily promotes him. With his right hand, he joins the non-human organization "Fangcun Mountain," which opposes the Carnival Paradise, transforming into a mysterious player who slaughters game bosses, earning cheers of "Long live the expert!" from fellow players. Gradually, Zhu Yan rises to become an S-rank human player in Fangcun Mountain's archives, while also being the Carnival Paradise's certified top game Boss. But when the final war erupts and both major factions place their hopes in him— Players tag his various aliases: "Experts, this offensive depends on you." The Carnival Paradise's supreme Boss throws an arm around his neck: "Bro, you're the iron, I'm the steel; you can't let me down again!"
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
nce】【Lighthearted Comedy】【Ultimate Gentleman's Novel】【Viewer Discretion Advised for Under 16】 The mightiest human hero, Sharen Morian, is resurrected after a thousand years by his wife—the Demon King. This is not your typical hero-vs-demon-king tale.
ine. During your journey, you save an abandoned baby girl and become her elder brother】 【You rely on each other, becoming each other's support】 【At the end of the simulation, you shield the now-grown girl with your life, sacrificing yourself to block numerous demonic cultivators. You die, and the light in the girl's eyes fades】 …… 【Second Simulation: You are transported to a world where steam and magic coexist】 【You immerse yourself in the study of magic, obsessed with its research. One day, while out, you encounter a half-blooded demon girl wandering the streets. You take her in as your student】 【You teach the demoness what it means to be human, show her the beauty of the world, and nurture her into a miracle that surpasses even the gods】 【At the end of the simulation, you die of old age in front of the nearly immortal demoness due to your mortal lifespan】 …… One simulation after another, one encounter after another. Xu Xi suddenly felt something was off: "Wait, you said you're coming to the real world to find me?"
