You, a living person, are telling me I've served in the underworld for ten years?

Chen Yang maintained his humble smile as he picked up the bottle and refilled "Mr. Zhao's" glass.

"Mr. Zhao, you are truly magnanimous! Here, let me toast you again. With your demeanor, you are clearly someone who can accomplish great things!"

Taking advantage of everyone's attention being focused on the lively drinking, Chen Yang subtly took a half-step back. His body was momentarily blocked by a beam of light projected by a rotating, flashing ambient light. In that brief moment, he swiftly and silently slipped out of the noisy private room.

Outside the door, Wang Shengxiong was waiting anxiously in the shadows of the corridor, a cigarette dangling from his lips.

"Boss!"

Upon seeing Chen Yang emerge, Wang Shengxiong hurriedly stubbed out his cigarette and approached him, asking in a low voice.

"What's going on? Who are those guys inside? I just heard the waiter say that Mr. Li and Mr. Zhang are incredibly wealthy people in China! And those young men with them, they seem to have quite the air about them, but there's something off about them!"

Chen Yang pulled him to a corner where the surveillance cameras were blind, and lowered his voice to a whisper.

"Brother Xiong, it's those three young men!"

They are from the Heavenly Dao Alliance!

"What?!"

Wang Shengxiong gasped, his eyes widening instantly.

"The Heavenly Alliance?! You mean that... mysterious organization that does genetic modification... and causes trouble everywhere? The one that's rumored to kill without blinking an eye?"

His voice trembled slightly, clearly indicating that the name had a significant impact on someone like him who operated in the gray area.

He subconsciously touched the skin on his lower back, where a protective magic artifact given to him by Chen Yang had recently been implanted.

"It's them!"

Chen Yang's expression was solemn.

"They are all quite strong, especially the one who looks most like a scholar; he is likely a master."

This time, they've partnered with two of the most prestigious companies in China; their motives are definitely not simple!

Wang Shengxiong's fierce aura was instantly ignited.

"Damn it! They dare to come to our turf and play tricks! Boss, what do you say we do to them? Break their legs and throw them into the sea to feed the fish, or..."

"Don't be impulsive!"

Chen Yang grabbed his restless shoulder.

"These three are just scouts; messing with them will alert the enemy and unleash even more difficult countermeasures."

The power behind them is beyond our ability to challenge; the Li and Zhang families are proof of that.

Wang Shengxiong gritted his teeth, and the veins on his forehead bulged.

"So... are we just going to watch them run rampant on your turf, boss?"

"Hmph, we can't let them off so easily."

A cold smile curled at the corner of Chen Yang's lips.

"Brother Xiong, do me a favor."

He brought his mouth close to Wang Shengxiong's ear, his voice so low it was almost a whisper.

"I need you... to find the most trustworthy bartender or the most honest server... to subtly add something to every bottle of alcohol served in this private room, whether it's freshly opened or still in the glass... anything they're drinking!"

Wang Shengxiong's eyes sharpened.

"Drug...seduce them? Just knock them out? And then what?"

"Yes, it needs to be colorless and odorless, fast-acting but not harmful to the body, just a potent sleep aid that will keep them asleep for several hours without waking them up!"

A glint of light flashed in Chen Yang's eyes.

"Remember, it's all the drinks! Including the drinks in those two big bosses' glasses and John's glasses, you have to drink them all! Do it subtly, so that no one can tell that someone is deliberately targeting those three guys! The effect should be that everyone thinks they're drunk and have 'blacked out'."

Then, immediately clear the area around the private room, ensuring only your most trusted confidants guard the door, and say that the distinguished guest has had too much to drink and needs to rest quietly, and no one is to disturb them!

Wang Shengxiong immediately understood Chen Yang's intention—to deceive the enemy and create the illusion of an accident! The real target was those three ruthless men, but the appearances had to be perfect for the Li and Zhang families to see!

He licked his slightly dry lips, revealing a smile that was both ruthless and excited.

"Understood! Don't worry, boss! I'll handle it personally! It'll be done cleanly and efficiently, leaving no loose ends! I happen to have some potent 'Divine Intoxication' that I got from abroad; it'll be perfect for bartending! I'll have Black Snake get it; he's the most reliable one!"

"Don't cause anyone to die!"

"Don't worry, boss, I know what I'm doing! I guarantee they're just sleeping like logs!"

Wang Shengxiong nodded, his eyes gleaming with excitement, then turned and quickly disappeared into the depths of the corridor, his figure once again merging into the darkness.

Chen Yang straightened his collar and pushed open the heavy, soundproof door to the "Crystal Palace" private room again. A deafening chorus of singing and urging to drink rushed out.

"Mr. Zhao" is holding a bottle of tequila and performing flair bartending.

"Mr. Qian" was playing a drinking game with Li Hanyue, his voice booming.

Mr. Sun and Lina sat on a single sofa at the other end, talking in hushed tones. Lina frowned slightly, as if the other party's question was crucial and sensitive. John was clearly drunk, patting Zhang Chengkun's shoulder and mumbling something about "market prospects," his face flushed and his eyes somewhat glazed.

Chen Yang sat back down in the seat slightly behind Lina, as if he had never left.

Less than ten minutes later, the door to the private room was gently pushed open.

A middle-aged man in a bar uniform, wearing white gloves, with an extremely respectful yet somewhat indifferent expression, directed two other waiters to bring in a large tray. The tray contained several large bottles of freshly mixed, colorful cocktails, as well as some newly opened bottles of fine wine, champagne, and beer.

"Gentlemen, this is a specially made 'Neptune Kiss' set menu, along with freshly chilled Romanée-Conti and top-quality champagne. Please enjoy."

The black snake's voice was completely calm, yet its movements were extremely swift.

He personally picked up a bottle of red wine that had already been opened and began pouring wine for Chairman Li, Chairman Zhang, Lina, and John.

Wang Shengxiong followed in, carrying a large wine glass, with an extremely warm yet uncompromising smile on his face.

"Oh my! Distinguished guests, esteemed bosses!"
This is our latest signature cocktail! And these are some of our treasured items! I apologize for the slight neglect earlier; I, Fatty Wang, will punish myself with a drink. Everyone must try them!

As he spoke, his gaze met the black snake's for a fleeting moment.

Wang Shengxiong indeed poured himself a glass of the newly mixed blue cocktail and drank it all in one gulp.

This forthright and chivalrous attitude immediately won him favor.

Mr. Qian was the first to pick up a glass of the "Neptune's Kiss" special cocktail that was handed to him.

“Mr. Wang is so kind! We’ll have a taste too!” Mr. Zhao also picked up his glass.

"Yes, yes, this place has a really nice style!"

Mr. Sun looked at the wine in his glass and found nothing unusual. Seeing that his companion and the wealthy man had both drunk from it, he also picked up his glass and took a symbolic sip. At the same time, he secretly channeled a wisp of his power to examine the wine—there was no abnormal reaction.

He nodded slightly and continued his previous conversation with Lina.

The atmosphere seemed to become even more lively.

In an effort to outshine Chen Yang, John went on a drinking contest, toasting and drinking heavily, especially targeting the three "advisors" who seemed to be heavy drinkers.

Chairman Li and Chairman Zhang were getting on in years. After drinking a round of new wine, they leaned back on the sofa, their eyes somewhat glazed over, and waved their hands, saying they couldn't drink anymore and needed to rest.

Only Lina remained relatively sober; she was self-disciplined and only drank in moderation.

Time passed little by little.

Chen Yang was practically timing his arrival. The medicine took a little longer to take effect than he expected, but it was gentler and less noticeable.

John, who was trying his best to perform, was the first to fall victim.

He had just raised his glass, about to say something to "Mr. Qian," when the glass crashed onto the smooth coffee table. He swayed, his eyes rolled back, and he slumped into the corner of the sofa like a boneless lump of mud. He lost consciousness before he could even snore, the smile that had been urging him to drink still frozen on his face.

Next up was Zhang Chengkun, the head of the Li family. He mumbled something indistinctly, "The aftereffects of this alcohol..." Before he could finish speaking, his head lolled to the side, and he too leaned against the back of the sofa and fell silent.

When Li Hanyue saw his old friend fall, he tried to get up, but his body went limp and he collapsed as well.

"Hmm? Chairman Li? Chairman Zhang? These two gentlemen have quite a drinking capacity..."

Lina was the first to notice.

But before she could finish speaking, she saw "Mr. Qian" on the far left of the seating area shake his enormous head, trying to open his eyes wide in vain, and let out a short "uh..." before his body slumped to the side on the sofa with a "thud," making the leather sofa shake.

"Mr. Qian!"

Lina gasped in surprise.

Almost simultaneously, Mr. Sun, who had been trying to muster his mental strength to resist the sudden and intense drowsiness and whose face had changed slightly, also groaned. He felt as if his brain was filled with lead, and the bright lights and dazzling colors in front of him were spinning rapidly and blurring. All his consciousness was rapidly sinking!
He suddenly raised his hand to grab Lina beside him, his fingertips only an inch away from Lina's arm!
Chen Yang moved slightly, taking a half-step forward at just the right moment, seemingly wanting to help him. With a "light" nudge of his elbow, he deflected "Mr. Sun's" outstretched hand and then supported him on the other side of his body, saying with concern.

"Mr. Sun? How are you? Are you feeling unwell?"

Mr. Sun's last bit of strength was exhausted after being "supported" by Chen Yang, and his consciousness completely disappeared into darkness, his head tilting in Chen Yang's arms.

Almost at the same second that Chen Yang helped "Mr. Sun" up.

Mr. Zhao also lost his support, his head drooped and hit the hard crystal coffee table with a thud, then slid down and lay limp on the carpet, motionless.

The once noisy and boisterous private room, filled with people urging each other to drink, suddenly fell into a deathly silence. The deafening music, still playing the intro to "Can't Help Falling in Love," created an eerie contrast with the people sprawled out haphazardly.

Oh my god!
What...what happened?

Lina was stunned by this sudden turn of events, her face filled with astonishment as she looked at the room full of people who had collapsed in an instant.

"So drunk? That wine..."

"It's not a problem with the alcohol."

Chen Yang quickly laid the unconscious "Mr. Sun" down on the sofa, then scanned the room rapidly, his tone carrying a calm and composed judgment that subconsciously convinced people.

"It was probably a concentrated physical discomfort caused by jet lag and excessive emotional excitement. In addition, the air conditioning here was set a bit low, and the owners are elderly. These gentlemen may have been tired from their journey and had drunk alcohol quickly, which caused a momentary lack of blood supply to their brains."

He pointed to John and the three members of the Heavenly Alliance and continued his analysis.

"Look at Mr. Wang's cocktail set, it's a blend of various high-proof base spirits. If you drink it quickly, the aftereffects are extremely strong, and it's easy to get into trouble. Vice President John and these three gentlemen drank the most and the most, so they collapsed the most completely."

The two elderly gentlemen were simply tired and unaccustomed to the changes. Mr. Qian, though physically robust, also experienced this due to the heavy workload on his blood circulation.

His seemingly reasonable but actually flawed explanation, combined with his calm movements and tone, managed to calm Lina's panicked heart a little.

At that moment, Wang Shengxiong pushed open the door and poked his head in, looking "shocked".

Oh my goodness!
What's going on? Distinguished guests... this..."

He strode in, squatted down to check on the condition of Chairman Li and the others, and his acting was extremely convincing, checking their pulses and breathing.

"Mr. Wang."

Chen Yang immediately replied.

"The bosses and these three gentlemen may have drunk a bit too quickly and were too tired, so they all fell asleep. The situation was very sudden, and I think President Lina was quite frightened as well."

Lina nodded, still shaken.

Chen Yang looked at Lina with sincere eyes.

"Alright, President Lina, you and Vice President John should go back and rest first. John is sleeping soundly and needs someone to take care of him. I'll stay here and wait until the other bosses have recovered and woken up before I properly take them back."

They are our honored guests; we cannot afford any mishaps.

Lina looked at the room full of unconscious people, especially the two heavyweight heads of the family who had also collapsed. She felt uneasy, but Chen Yang's calm attitude and Wang Shengxiong's concerned expression gave her a sense of security.

She glanced hesitantly at the unconscious John, but finally nodded.

"Well... that's fine too."

"Chen Yang, then I'll trouble you to stay here and keep an eye on things! Mr. Wang, please also arrange a place for them to rest."

"Of course, of course! Don't worry, President Lina! I'll personally guard this floor! No one will disturb us!"

Wang Shengxiong patted his chest and guaranteed it.

Lina picked up her handbag, glanced again at the motionless figures on the sofa, and then turned and left the private room, feeling somewhat uneasy.

Wang Shengxiong personally saw Lina out of the private room and watched her disappear in the direction of the elevator. The respect on his face instantly turned into a ferocious look. After confirming that the elevator was going down, he immediately locked the heavy door of the private room.

The moment the door closed, the warm and soothing love song in the private room was still playing melodiously, creating an extremely ironic scene with the bodies on the sofa, all deeply anesthetized and unconscious.

The fawning and panic on Wang Shengxiong's face vanished completely, leaving only a murderous aura like that of a ferocious beast ready to devour its prey.

He rushed to the sofa in two steps, pointing at "Mr. Sun," whose head was slumped on the coffee table and who had been knocked down by Chen Yang, "Mr. Zhao," who was slumped on the floor, and "Mr. Qian," who was lying on the sofa like a hill and snoring like thunder. His breathing was a little heavy and rapid, and his eyes flashed with disbelief and a huge impact. He asked Chen Yang again in a low voice as if he were roaring.

"Boss! You just said...they...they really are...people from the Heavenly Dao Alliance?!"

The private room was filled with the strong smell of alcohol and a mixture of expensive perfume and leather, but this could not mask the chill that emanated from his very bones.

Heavenly Alliance!
These three words, like icy curses, struck the heart of this ruthless, life-or-death gang leader, carrying the weight of a thousand pounds! (End of Chapter)