After my divorce at thirty, I developed an intelligence network.

Gong Yuelong could imagine her on the other end of the phone, probably leaning against something, her face expressionless, but her mind racing, dissecting every word of his sentence.

Paying back money, with interest, is a sign of following the rules and knowing one's limits.

Inviting the people behind this to breakfast is both a way of settling things and drawing a line—I've done what I needed to do, but I don't intend to keep nagging. I'm giving you a way out, and from now on, we'll go our separate ways.

Having her deliver the message is both a way of giving her face and a subtle way of drawing her into the process of bringing things to a close, thus increasing credibility.

A series of swift and decisive moves brought a bloody conflict back to the negotiating table of rules and face.

Several seconds later, Jiang Yan's voice came again, the playfulness in her tone turning into something deeper, like surprise, or perhaps... admiration?

"Gong Yuelong," she called him by his full name, "Zhao Siyan and Liu Heita...you were the ones who did it?"

"Um."

"Hands and feet?"

"Um."

The Q&A is extremely concise. Not a single word is superfluous.

There was silence on the other end of the phone.

This time the quiet lasted even longer.

Then, Jiang Yan suddenly chuckled softly.

It was a kind of hearty laugh.

"Awesome."

She uttered two words, very direct and very down-to-earth.

"Cut off someone's hands and feet, take their compensation, then turn around and invite their boss out for breakfast to settle things..."

"Your approach is a bit wild, but... you're a real character."

She used the word "character".

This is not a simple recognition of his ability; it is a comprehensive assessment of his methods, courage, and character.

"I can pass on the message about breakfast."

Jiang Yan's smile faded, and her voice regained some composure. "But whether the other party answers or not, or whether they have other intentions, I can't guarantee."

"Understood. Thank you, Boss Jiang. Whether it works out or not, I'll be grateful," Gong Yuelong said.

"Mmm," Jiang Yan responded, then, as if about to hang up, added,

"I've been paying more attention to myself lately. Your method of playing is quick to produce results, but also has significant backlash."

"Thanks for reminding me, Boss Jiang. I understand."

The phone hangs up.

The room fell into darkness and silence once again.

Gong Yuelong tossed his phone aside, fell back onto the bed, and put his hands behind his head.

The phone screen dimmed.

The city outside the window seemed exceptionally quiet in the night after the rain.

He closed his eyes.

"He's someone important..."

Jiang Yan's words still seem to echo in my ears.

He twitched the corner of his mouth.

"You're right..."

……

……

The next day, at the Chengbei Labor Market.

The sky was just beginning to lighten, and everything was still gray and hazy.

The crowd was still huge, some squatting, some standing, but the whispers were much more frequent than usual.

Those thugs were unusually talkative today.

"Have you heard? Four-Eyes Bro and Black Tower Bro... Hey, what kind of 'bro' are they now!"

A blond-haired man, cigarette dangling from his lips, spat as he spoke to the group that had gathered around, "We're done for! We're really done for!"

"What happened? Tell me in detail!" Someone immediately leaned closer, looking like they were watching a drama unfold.

"What else could it be? They've kicked a hornet's nest!"

The blond-haired man lowered his voice, unable to contain his excitement.

"Just last night, at a barbecue stand in Daodong, someone took advantage of me! ...They even dismembered my hands and feet!"

Liu Heita's right hand, tsk tsk, completely useless!

Zhao Siyan? He's crippled! He'll need crutches from now on!

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd, mixed with smacking sounds.

"No way? Liu Heita's build, his ruthlessness... Zhao Si's eyes are so sharp!" someone doubted.

"What good is semen!"

Another skinny man who had originally been running errands chimed in, his face showing lingering fear mixed with a certain gleeful eagerness to kick him while he was down.

"They ran into someone even tougher! They went alone, or rather, they brought a few onlookers."

They barely exchanged a few words before getting to work! They were incredibly efficient!

Liu Heita reached for his weapon, but just as his hand touched the stool leg, *snap*! That's how it happened!

Zhao Siyan wanted to say something more, but... oh dear, that scream was so loud it could be heard across the street!

He spoke vividly and excitedly, as if Gong Yuelong were his elder brother.

"Who is it? So arrogant? The new big boss of the underworld?" someone asked.

The blond guy and the skinny guy exchanged a glance, their eyes both flickering.

The blond-haired man cleared his throat. "His surname is Gong. He used to hang around here too, the one with a ton of debt... his name was Gong Yuelong."

"Gong Yuelong?!" A chorus of exclamations erupted from the crowd.

Many people will recognize this name. Just a few months ago, he was here, looking disheveled and waiting for odd jobs. Later, we heard that he had managed to get some work from the sports center after climbing some connections. Who would have thought...

"It's him? No way? He seems like a very reliable person..."

"Steady? You haven't seen anything ruthless!" the skinny man immediately retorted.

"Before, it was a dragon trapped in shallow waters, but now... hey, it's a real dragon raising its head!"

Zhao Siyan tried to cut off someone's livelihood, even assaulting their henchmen and smashing their car... and now he's getting his comeuppance!

"Did you lose money?" That's the most practical question.

"We've already lost money! How can we not finish?" the blond-haired guy interrupted, holding up three fingers and waving them before quickly pulling them back.

"This amount! Plus, you'll have to pay for your own medical expenses! And Master Gong even said that from now on, in Zibo City, if he sees them once, he'll beat them up every time!"

The sighs grew louder.

Some people sighed that fortunes change, while others lamented that Gong Yuelong was too ruthless and that they should be careful in the future.

But more than anything, it was a mixture of fear and excitement at the recalculation.

"Thirty thousand... my goodness, that's enough to buy a decent little car."

"Zhao Siyan always acts so high and mighty, but turns out his family's wealth is only so-so? Won't he be completely broke after losing all his money?"

"Liu Heita is finished. His hand is ruined. What will he do in the future?"

"So you can't judge a book by its cover. I really didn't recognize Gong Yuelong before..."

"This area is likely to undergo a major transformation in the future."

Amidst the discussions, those in the market who are most adept at weighing things up have silently attached a new label to their minds:

He's a ruthless character.

We can't afford to mess with them.

Perhaps... I'll have a chance to benefit from it someday?

Several small-time foremen who originally relied on the names of Zhao Siyan and Liu Heita to find odd jobs quietly retreated to the outer edge of the crowd, took out cigarettes, lit them, and exchanged complicated glances.

They are reassessing the power dynamics in the region and figuring out which side they should take next, or at least how to avoid this newly emerging threat.

Suddenly, countless eyes turned to the market entrance.

A pickup truck, neither new nor old but clean, was parked there.

The car door opened, and someone got out.

It is Gong Yuelong.

He was wearing a light gray shirt and dark cargo pants today, and his shoes were polished; he looked clean and neat.

The sunlight fell perfectly on his profile, making him appear calm and composed.

The labor market was completely silent.

Even the blond guy and the skinny guy who were talking the most enthusiastically shrank back, subconsciously taking a half step back into the crowd, their eyes darting away, not daring to look directly at each other.

Gong Yuelong seemed oblivious to the sudden silence, or rather, he didn't care.

After a brief silence, a new commotion arose in the crowd.