This Is My Distinguished Guest

"Quickly untie the ropes and remove the towel from his mouth. This is my honored guest—treat him well," Zhao Long said with a laugh.

A man who could bring Ling back—wasn’t he indeed an honored guest?

"Yes, sir!"

The subordinate complied and immediately went to remove the ropes and towel from Lin Xuan’s body.

At this moment, the members of the Golden Dragon Gang remained on standby, waiting for Lin Xuan’s instructions.

"Second Master," one subordinate said anxiously, "can we really destroy the Shadow Organization? And will the gang leader return safely?"

The gang leader had ventured alone into the Shadow Organization’s territory—it was far too dangerous.

"Relax," Wang Ba replied. "Our gang leader is no ordinary man. He never acts without certainty. We just need to wait for his orders."

"But," the subordinate pressed, "the gang leader has been captured by the Shadow Organization. Surely they’ve confiscated his communication devices. How will he give us commands?"

The question gave Wang Ba pause.

The gang leader had said he would contact them via phone, but… would the Shadow Organization really let him keep one?

Still, Wang Ba trusted Lin Xuan completely. "Don’t worry. The gang leader isn’t reckless. If he made this plan, he must have a way. We just have to wait and see."

"Alright."

The subordinate nodded, though still half-doubting.

He did believe in the gang leader, but the Shadow Organization was the world’s top assassin group. Even after their recent setbacks, their foundation remained strong.

For someone to infiltrate them alone and still maintain contact—it was hard to imagine.

Please let the gang leader return safely.

The subordinate clasped his hands in prayer.

Before Lin Xuan took over, the Golden Dragon Gang had been in decline, often looked down upon. But under his leadership, it had flourished rapidly.

The gang leader was their lucky star—he couldn’t afford to come to harm.

Su Hua’s eyelid suddenly twitched, and a wave of unease washed over her.

Worried, she pulled out her phone and checked the surveillance feed.

Lin Xuan was still asleep in the bedroom.

Su Hua pinched the bridge of her nose. I must be overthinking things.

Jiang Qing, sitting beside her, accidentally caught a glimpse of the screen.

Her eyes widened in shock.

What’s going on?

Wasn’t Young Master Lin supposed to be captured by the Shadow Organization? Then who’s that in the bedroom?

Confusion filled Jiang Qing’s face.

This wasn’t a recording either—how had Lin Xuan pulled this off?

And how had he left the Night Manor without anyone noticing?

No matter how hard she racked her brain, she couldn’t figure out his methods.

Forget it.

I should focus on making sure Su Hua’s phone doesn’t receive any messages.

Meanwhile, Lin Xuan, now freed from the ropes, stood tall before Zhao Long.

Zhao Long smirked as he approached.

"Lin Xuan, you seem remarkably calm."

Lin Xuan’s lips curled coldly. "You’ve captured me—aren’t you afraid I’ll repeat what I did last time? Crush your forces, even destroy the Shadow Organization you built?"

Zhao Long burst into laughter.

"Last time, I underestimated you," he sneered. "A momentary lapse in judgment gave you an opening."

"But this time? You won’t get that chance."

He’d have Lin Xuan watched every second—no room for tricks. How could Lin Xuan possibly set another trap? Maybe his entire plan had been orchestrated by Ling.

Prejudice is a mountain in the heart.

Zhao Long still saw Lin Xuan as nothing but a worthless fool, incapable of real threat.

Ling never should have gotten involved with such trash.

"Leader Zhao," Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow, "you might want to temper your arrogance. Who’s to say I won’t pull it off again? And did it ever occur to you that I let your men capture me?"

"Lin Xuan, you’ve got quite the silver tongue," Zhao Long scoffed.

"Flattered."

Lin Xuan casually walked to the tea table and took a seat, pouring himself a cup with leisurely ease.

Zhao Long narrowed his eyes.

I’ve underestimated him.

Even now, Lin Xuan remained unshaken. Whether his calm was real or feigned, it spoke of formidable mental strength.

But strength meant little here.

Once in his grasp, Lin Xuan wouldn’t escape unscathed.

"You captured me to retaliate for the damage I dealt to your organization last time, right?" Lin Xuan set down his cup. "So, how do you plan to handle me?"

Zhao Long chuckled.

"Don’t worry. I won’t harm you. I just want to restore your memories."

"Restore my memories?" Lin Xuan frowned, gripping the cup tighter.

Just as I thought.

Zhao Long had gone to such lengths to erase the past he shared with Su Hua.

"Yes, your memories," Zhao Long nodded. "Did you know you lost two months of them?"

Lin Xuan fell silent for a moment before replying, "I remember running a high fever for two days. After recovering, I realized a gap in my memory. But I assumed it was just mundane life—nothing worth recalling."

Then he looked up sharply.

"How do you know about that?"

Ignoring the question, Zhao Long continued, "Those memories weren’t lost to fever. They were erased—deliberately."

"Erased?" Lin Xuan’s brow furrowed deeper.

"By whom?"

His acting was flawless; Zhao Long detected no tells.

"By Ling," Zhao Long grinned. "Or as you call her—Su Hua."

"Impossible!" Lin Xuan snapped. "I hadn’t even met her back then."

"Because those two months involved her," Zhao Long countered. "She wiped them to hide the truth."

"Lin Xuan, once your memories return, you’ll see—you two don’t belong together. You’re meant for an ordinary life. Ling belongs with the Shadow Organization, living by the blade."

"You’re from different worlds."

Lin Xuan clenched his fists.

"What exactly did I lose?"