"Leader Lin, I'm sorry, I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have taken Lin Li's money to go after you."
Li Dongfeng's entire body trembled.
He had thought Lin Xuan was just an ordinary student and entrepreneur. Never could he have imagined that Lin Xuan also held the identity of the leader of the Golden Dragon Gang.
Had he known how formidable Lin Xuan was, he wouldn’t have dared to lay a finger on him even if offered a hundred times the money.
If anything had happened to Lin Xuan, the Golden Dragon Gang would never have let him off the hook.
Thankfully, thankfully—Lin Xuan was unharmed.
Lin Xuan smiled and helped him up. "Leader Li, don’t worry. I came here today just to discuss a collaboration with you."
"What kind of collaboration?" Li Dongfeng hurriedly asked.
Lin Xuan chuckled. "Just tell Lin Li that you’ve completed the task. Also, send him this photo."
He opened his phone and showed a selfie he had taken.
In the photo, Lin Xuan’s hands and feet were bound, and even his mouth was gagged with tape—looking every bit like a kidnapping victim.
"This is…?" Li Dongfeng was utterly confused.
Lin Xuan smirked. "Tell Lin Li that you’ve captured me and completed everything he asked for. Demand that he pays the remaining balance as agreed. Also, let him know you’ve uncovered his identity and ask for an extra ten million."
"If he refuses, send your men to expose his scheme—how he hired you to kidnap me—at the Jiang Family’s recognition banquet."
Though the Starlight Group had gone bankrupt, the Lin family still had deep pockets.
He needed to drain the Lin family of their wealth—only then would they truly suffer in poverty.
"But… this could damage our gang’s reputation," Li Dongfeng hesitated.
Underground organizations valued credibility above all else.
If word got out that they hadn’t completed the job and instead extorted money from their employer, how could they continue operating in this world?
"What? Not willing?" Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow.
"No, no! Of course I’m willing! Leader Lin, rest assured, I’ll follow your instructions exactly," Li Dongfeng shook his head vigorously.
Compared to offending the leader of the Golden Dragon Gang, what did a little reputation matter?
Lin Xuan nodded in satisfaction.
At least he knew how to read the situation.
"Leader Li, don’t worry about reputation. Now that you know who hired you to target me, a little intimidation will ensure they don’t dare make a sound," Lin Xuan said.
Ordinary people feared nothing more than being targeted by underground gangs.
Lin Li was no exception.
Li Dongfeng’s eyes lit up. "Thank you for the advice, Leader Lin."
"Oh, and the money Lin Li paid you to kidnap me, plus the extra ten million you’ll squeeze out of him—remember to transfer it to me. I’ll send you my account details," Lin Xuan added.
Li Dongfeng’s expression twisted.
Leader Lin, you already control the Golden Dragon Gang and own a major corporation, raking in billions yearly—how could you still care about a measly ten million?
Lin Xuan glanced at him and said coolly, "Don’t want to hand over the money?"
"No, no!" Li Dongfeng shook his head frantically. "Once the payment comes through, I’ll transfer it to you immediately."
"Good."
Lin Xuan nodded approvingly. "Leader Li, let’s meet again if fate allows."
Li Dongfeng wiped the sweat from his forehead.
He’d rather never see Lin Xuan again.
As soon as Lin Xuan left—
Thud!
Old Liu dropped to his knees before Li Dongfeng. "Boss, I didn’t bring Lin Xuan here willingly! He dug up dirt on my wife. If I didn’t cooperate, he threatened to send her to prison. I had no choice!"
Li Dongfeng frowned. "When you captured him today, did you hurt him at all?"
"No!" Old Liu swore. "I didn’t lay a finger on Lin Xuan. He set up some haunted house stunt and made me and Old Wang beat each other up."
"My injuries are all from my own men. As for Old Wang… Lin Xuan stabbed him in the throat. He’s dead."
Hearing this, Li Dongfeng sighed in relief.
So they really hadn’t harmed Lin Xuan. Good, good—no need to worry now.
"Get up," Li Dongfeng said, eyeing Old Liu. "Luckily, you idiots were stupid enough not to hurt him. If you’d been smarter and injured Lin Xuan, we’d all be doomed."
Old Liu: "…"
Was that supposed to be a compliment?
Rubbing his temples, Li Dongfeng ordered, "From now on, follow Leader Lin’s instructions. Contact Lin Li immediately."
"Got it! I’ll handle it right away!" Old Liu said eagerly.
Honestly, this was all Lin Li’s fault.
If he hadn’t hidden the truth, if they’d known how powerful Lin Xuan was from the start, they’d never have targeted him. They’d never have offended the leader of the Golden Dragon Gang!
He couldn’t wait to teach Lin Li a lesson himself.
As Old Liu turned to leave—
"Wait!" Li Dongfeng called him back.
"Boss, anything else?" Old Liu asked respectfully.
Li Dongfeng sighed. "Never mind. I’ll deal with Lin Li myself. I don’t trust a brainless fool like you with this."
Old Liu: "…"
Li Dongfeng personally called Lin Li.
"Well?" Lin Li asked eagerly. "Did you capture Lin Xuan?"
Li Dongfeng replied, "Sir, we’ve completed your request. Lin Xuan’s legs are broken, he’s been castrated, and his face is beaten beyond recognition."
Lin Li’s eyes gleamed.
No matter what method he’d tried earlier, Lin Xuan had refused to meet. He’d thought today’s plan was doomed.
But now—they’d actually caught him!
With Lin Xuan out of the picture, he wouldn’t be able to ruin the recognition banquet.
Li Dongfeng continued, "I’ve sent the photos to your email. Check them. And don’t forget to settle the final payment."
Lin Li grinned. "Don’t worry, I’ll transfer the money right away."
After hanging up, Lin Li eagerly opened his phone to see Lin Xuan’s miserable state—only to find a video of Lin Xuan tied up.
What?
Why just a video of him bound?
Then again, the Black Snake Gang had no reason to deceive him. They’d already captured Lin Xuan—they wouldn’t just let him go, right?
They must have tortured him thoroughly first.
---
Author’s Note:
The author has fallen ill—weak, nose clogged, throat burning. Ouch.
Take care of yourselves, my dear readers. Goodnight!
Thanks to .Flowering Period.., Lazy Capybara, Tiny Panda 06, and other sweethearts for the gifts.
<3
ts me of treason?" "Correct. The host must return to the capital and gradually build up influence." "Wait—I have half a million soldiers, and you want me to go back to the capital to 'build influence'?" "Host, you are currently the Northern Garrison General, loyal to the Great Xia Dynasty." "Of course I am loyal to Great Xia! Absolutely loyal!" "But you keep referring to yourself as 'We'..." "Never mind the details! Summon all the regional commanders and military officers! We suspect treacherous officials are manipulating the court! They shall march with Us to the capital and purge the corrupt!" "......"
to panic—he has a system. As long as an investment target dies, he can claim a reward. And since he is immortal, the one thing he has plenty of is time. ... Countless years later. “Immortal Emperor of Longevity? I invested in him.” “Supreme Celestial Venerable? I invested in him.” “Undying Empress? I invested in her.” “...” “Heh. Once they’ve all died, even the Heavenly Dao will have to kneel and call me Dad.”
his freshman year, Su Bai accidentally bound the "Indulgence Tycoon System." 【Sleeping in? Reward: +$1,000】 【Spent $288 at a street barbecue stall? Cashback: +$2,880】 【Dropped $14,396 on in-game skins? Special reward unlocked: A brand-new Porsche Panamera!】 Luxury cars, penthouses, corporate shares, financial empires… College life was all about living freely and doing whatever he pleased! … When the adorably naive academic genius faced family medical bills and financial struggles, Su Bai waved his hand dismissively: "Your future is on me." "Wuwu~ Big Brother is so good to me! I’ll become a scientist to repay you!" When the genius girl got bullied by a shady professor? Su Bai casually dropped a billion-dollar investment, forcing the university to grovel and beg for her return. A company’s funding chain collapsing? Su Bai smirked—cash was the one thing he’d never run out of. Years later, when people traced the rise of the AI prodigy beauty, who was the man behind her success? Not just that—Su Bai also became the tsundere campus belle’s unattainable dream, the contrast senior’s daily necessity, and the beautiful counselor’s emotional anchor…
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.
