Kick somebody when he is down

Butler Wang couldn't help but glance at Lin Xuan.

"Young Master Lin, your impression of the young lady might be a bit too idealized," he remarked.

"She takes great pleasure in making people suffer—it’s practically her favorite pastime."

Then again, the young lady’s perception of Lin Xuan was equally rose-tinted.

She always saw him as some pure, fragile soul, completely unaware that even the elite shadow guards were no match for his martial skills.

Lin Xuan stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Must be some brave soul with a grudge against Lin Li, trying to play the hero," he mused.

"No, I should lend a hand. Can’t let them get caught."

He made to head upstairs, but Butler Wang swiftly intercepted him.

"Young Master Lin, there’s no need to worry. I’ve already looked into it—those beggars were shipped abroad. No one knows where they are now, and there’s no trail left to follow. Even if they investigate, they’ll hit a dead end."

As if their young lady would ever leave loose ends.

"Good," Lin Xuan nodded, settling back at the dining table with a relieved sigh.

After a moment’s thought, he dialed Lin Li’s number.

Not seizing the chance to kick a man while he was down? That just wasn’t his style.

Lin Li answered the call.

"Lin Li, how are you holding up?" Lin Xuan asked, a smirk in his voice.

"Lin Xuan—it’s you!" Lin Li’s voice was laced with venom.

"So, a group session, huh? How’d that feel?" Lin Xuan inquired with feigned curiosity.

"Cut the act!" Lin Li snarled. "I know you orchestrated this. Those people were sent by you."

Even if Lin Xuan wasn’t directly responsible, whoever was behind it had to be connected to him.

Lin Xuan chuckled. "If you say it’s me, then sure—it’s me."

What was one more accusation added to the mountain of blame he’d already shouldered?

"Lin Xuan." Lin Li’s voice trembled with hatred. "I won’t forget the humiliation you’ve brought upon me."

One day, he’d make Lin Xuan pay.

Just wait.

"Good, I’ll keep that in mind," Lin Xuan replied, his lips curling. "Feel free to scheme all you want."

The more Lin Li tried, the more satisfying it would be to turn the tables and let him taste his own medicine.

Lin Li’s eyes darkened.

This was pure provocation—Lin Xuan was mocking him, certain he’d never succeed. But after so many losses, surely his luck would turn.

One victory was all it would take to ruin Lin Xuan forever.

Let him gloat for now.

"Oh, and Lin Li," Lin Xuan added, "the gap between us keeps widening. My company’s now among the top in Yundu City, while the Starlight Group you relied on has gone bankrupt."

"Your reputation’s in the gutter, your legacy’s dead, and here I am—flawless."

He smirked. "You wanted to crush me, didn’t you? Too bad. At this rate, you’ll never get the chance in this lifetime."

With a light laugh, Lin Xuan ended the call.

Lin Li’s grip on the phone turned bone-white.

"Lin! Xuan!"

His eyes burned with rage.

Jiang Shuqin approached with a bowl of fruit, startled by his expression.

"What’s wrong, son? You look terrifying."

Noticing her presence, Lin Li quickly schooled his features, masking the fury beneath.

"Mom, why are you here? Shouldn't you be resting at home at this hour?" Lin Li said.

Jiang Shuqin looked at her son, who remained as obedient and sensible as ever, and the fear in her heart dissipated.

She must have just imagined it earlier.

There was no way her Li'er could have made such an expression.

Jiang Shuqin walked over to Lin Li with a gentle smile. "Li'er, I had nothing to do, so I thought I'd come talk with you."

Her main intention was to properly console him.

Li'er had gone through such a painful ordeal.

She was afraid he might lose hope and take his own life.

For now, they had to take turns keeping a close watch on him.

Meanwhile, at Night Garden.

Lin Xuan returned to his study, still plotting how to deal with Night Rose.

This Night Rose was stronger than he had anticipated, especially with their leader, Dark Night Rose, at the helm. If he clashed with them head-on, both sides would likely suffer heavy losses.

Avoiding Night Rose was no longer an option either—they had already crossed paths.

Lin Xuan frowned.

He had originally assumed that once their gang reached a certain level of strength, dealing with Night Rose would be effortless.

Now, it seemed there was only one way left.

Wang Ba called again.

"What is it?" Lin Xuan answered the phone and asked.

"Boss," Wang Ba said cheerfully, "didn’t you say you’d handle Night Rose after your good friend Wang Dahe’s birthday banquet? It’s been days now—when are you making your move?"

"Right, it’s about time we dealt with Night Rose," Lin Xuan agreed.

Wang Ba’s eyes lit up.

With their boss personally stepping in, it wouldn’t be long before the Golden Dragon Gang replaced Night Rose as the top underground organization.

Back when he was the leader of the Black Tiger Gang, he had dreamed daily of making it the most powerful gang.

Instead, the Black Tiger Gang had only declined.

Thankfully, Lin Xuan had taken over—otherwise, they’d never have reached their current glory.

Now, Wang Ba had an almost blind faith in Lin Xuan.

To him, Lin Xuan was practically invincible.

"So, Boss, when are you planning to strike?" Wang Ba pressed.

"The day after tomorrow," Lin Xuan replied.

"Got it!" Wang Ba was thrilled to have a definite answer.

Lin Xuan added, "Gather the men and head to Black Triangle."

Black Triangle housed one of Night Rose’s key operations.

He was sure Night Rose was already keeping tabs on their movements.

The moment they made a move, Night Rose would react.

And their leader, Dark Night Rose, would likely show up as well.

"Boss, I’ll make sure it’s done."

After hanging up, Wang Ba excitedly relayed the orders.

"Listen up, brothers!"

He announced loudly, "We’re setting off for Black Triangle tomorrow!"

One of the gang members asked curiously, "Second Boss, what’s the mission?"

Wang Ba grinned. "We’re going to do something big."

"Like what?" Others grew intrigued.

Wang Ba chuckled. "That’s a secret!"

"For now, everyone should put aside non-urgent tasks, rest up, and prepare. When the boss leads us into action, we’ll be ready."

After Wang Ba left, the gang members couldn't help but start discussing.

"What exactly is Second Master sending us to do? So mysterious."

It had piqued their curiosity.

Moreover, they had never seen Second Master so excited and worked up before.

Another member rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "This mission of ours definitely isn’t small. Could it be about taking on Night Rose? Second Master’s been talking about dealing with them nonstop lately."

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