I chose one of four options at the start, and I chose the number one clan in Lingnan.

After Scarface mentioned the abandoned meat processing plant in the north of the city, no one in the top-floor corridor uttered a sound.

The carpet was scratched by a knife blade, and shards of glass were stuck in the corner. Red short-sleeved shirts lay scattered haphazardly in the stairwell, and screams of agony rose from the fire escape.

Lin Ting stood in front of Bai Zongming, tapping the ground with his cane.

"Patriarch Bai, don't go back tonight."

Bai Zongming looked up, his jaw clenched so tightly it was hard.

"Lin Ting, how dare you detain me?"

Lin Ting didn't answer, but turned to instruct Lin Fu.

"Take his phone and leave two people to watch over him. If anyone from the Bai family asks, just say that the Bai family head is having tea at Buckingham Palace."

Lin Fu walked over and took both cell phones and a set of keys from Bai Zongming's body. He then had someone help Bai Zongming back to the Emperor's private room.

Bai Zongming struggled twice, but couldn't break free.

Lin Fei squatted down in front of Scarface.

"How many entrances does the meat processing plant in the north of the city have?"

Scarface clutched his shoulder, his lips dry.

"The main entrance, the back entrance, and the underground passage beneath the cold storage. The gang leader, Qiu Wanshan, is inside, and the casino is also inside."

How many people?

"The hotel transferred over three hundred people tonight, leaving about two hundred at the factory. There are still gamblers, accountants, and a few security guards."

Lin Fei stood up and looked at Lin Ting.

"Grandpa, are you going or not?"

Lin Ting put the walnuts back into his pocket.

"If the Blood Robe Gang can come to the hotel, they can go to Tazhai. Once they catch their breath, the trouble will be even greater."

He looked at Lin Dabiao.

"Leave fifty people at the hotel. Bai Zongming can't leave, and neither can Manager Zhang. The rest of you, come with me to the north of the city."

Lin Dabiao raised his hand and waved.

"Change vehicles, get shields."

The plaza downstairs quickly came to life.

The injured members of the Bloodstained Hall were dragged to the back door of the hotel and sent to nearby clinics and hospitals in batches.

Those who were still alive had their identification documents taken, photos taken, and registrations made. No one at Zhongtang Hotel touched the hotel guests' belongings, and no one vandalized the front desk.

Lin Fu, holding his laptop, retrieved the hotel's equity holding documents from Manager Zhang's office.

"Grandpa, the Bai family has three layers of hidden shares in this hotel. Manager Zhang's account receives a consulting fee every month, and the company that makes the payments is a shell company under Bai's Port Holdings."

"Keep it."

Lin Ting walked out of the hotel.

The night was still going strong in the southern part of the provincial capital, and the signs on the bar street in the distance were dazzlingly bright.

The entrance to Buckingham Palace was blocked by the Lin family's cars, and more and more people gathered on the roadside, but no one dared to get close.

Ten minutes later, thirty SUVs drove out of the hotel's side gate and headed straight for the north of the city.

The abandoned meat processing plant in the north of the city was built next to the old railway. Quarantine slogans from ten years ago still hang on the factory walls, the red characters peeling off, and the iron gate rusted black.

There was no formal lighting in the factory area, only two incandescent bulbs hanging in the guardhouse. Four people in red short-sleeved shirts sat under the bulbs, with beer bottles and playing cards on the table.

The lead vehicle did not slow down and crashed directly through the movable railing next to the gate.

The metal frame was rolled under the tires, the vehicle wobbled twice, and then stopped in front of the guardhouse.

The four people in red short-sleeved shirts had just gotten up when the car door opened.

Lin Fei and his men got out of the car, and Lin Fei used a baton to press against the throat of one of the men, forcing him back into his chair.

Where is Qiu Wanshan?

The man was still trying to argue, but Lin Fei kicked the table over, scattering playing cards and bottles all over the floor.

"Below the cold storage... an underground casino."

Lin Ting got out of the car and walked into the factory area with his crutches.

The meat processing plant had a musty, greasy smell, the ground was slippery, and the drainage ditches were filled with black water.

Several rows of cold storage doors were half-open, and inside were piles of discarded wooden crates and plastic baskets.

Lin Dabiao led a team to seal the back door, while Lin Fei led twenty men straight to the cold storage.

As soon as I arrived at the entrance of the cold storage, seven or eight people in red short-sleeved shirts rushed out, carrying steel pipes and short knives.

"Who dares to trespass into the Blood-Clad Hall!"

As soon as the shout was finished, riot shields were deployed.

The man in the red short-sleeved shirt at the front hadn't even raised his sword properly before he was slammed against the wall by the shield.

The men behind him turned to run, but Lin Fei approached from the side and struck them three times with his baton. The three men clutched their knees and fell to the ground.

The sound of hurried footsteps came from deep inside the cold storage.

Lin Fu opened his laptop at the door and connected the network cable he had taken from the guardhouse.

"There are surveillance cameras inside, the wiring is very old, and it's connected to an underground casino. I've locked the footage."

Lin Ting stood in front of the cold storage door.

"Don't hurt the gamblers, but don't let a single member of the Blood Robe Gang escape."

At the end of the cold storage is an iron door disguised as a shelf, with an electronic lock on it.

Scarface had given the password, and Lin Fei entered a six-digit number, causing the iron door to pop open.

The sounds of dominoes, dice, and a woman crying came from underground.

A concrete staircase leads downwards, with yellowed lucky charms pasted all over the walls. Reaching the bottom floor, the space suddenly opens up.

The abandoned meat processing plant has been converted into a casino, with a dozen gambling tables set up in the hall and an accounting room against the wall where people are counting cash.

The gamblers in the hall were so frightened by the influx of people in black suits that they froze in place.

A chubby dealer grabbed the walkie-talkie on the table, but before he could utter a word, Lin Fei smashed it with his baton.

"Squat down and put your hands behind your head. The Lin family is only looking for the Blood Robe Hall."

The gamblers dared not argue and all squatted down.

A hidden door on the right side of the casino was pulled open from the inside, and more than twenty people in red short-sleeved shirts rushed out, followed by a bald middle-aged man.

The man had a gold chain around his neck and was carrying a short-handled hammer.

"The Lin family of Tazhai?"

Lin Dabiao walked out from the other side of the passage, blocking the way out.

"You're Qiu Wanshan?"

The bald middle-aged man spat.

"Where's Lin Ting? Tell him to come out. Patriarch Bai gave me money, not to play with you country bumpkins."

Lin Ting walked down the stairs, and the casino instantly fell silent.

Qiu Wanshan saw Lin Ting, grabbed a nearby tent and held a short knife to the tent's neck.

"If we go any further, I'll cripple him first."

The accountant was so frightened that his legs went weak, and Lin Ting didn't even look at him.

"Your man is already lying in the hotel. You're using your own accountant as a shield now. Is the money Bai Zongming gave you worth it?"

Qiu Wanshan's Adam's apple bobbed as Lin Dabiao took three steps forward, and Qiu Wanshan pressed the knife in his hand even tighter.

Lin Dabiao suddenly raised his hand and swung the riot shield horizontally.

The shield struck Qiu Wanshan's wrist, causing him to drop his dagger and crawl to the side.

Qiu Wanshan swung the hammer and smashed it.

Lin Dabiao dodged to the side, grabbed Qiu Wanshan's gold chain with his left hand, and held the back of his neck with his right hand, pressing him down onto the nearest gambling table.

The gambling chips were scattered all over the floor.

Lin Dabiao took out a steel nail from his tool bag and pressed it down on Qiu Wanshan's right hand.

"How much did the Bai family pay you?"

Qiu Wanshan launched into a tirade of curses.

Lin Dabiao raised the iron hammer.

boom.

The steel nail pierced through the edge of the palm and was driven into the wooden board of the gambling table.

Qiu Wanshan's voice became hoarse from shouting, and he was pinned to the table, unable to move.

Lin Ting walked up to him.

"Who gave the order for the Blood-Clad Gang to go to Buckingham Palace tonight?"

Qiu Wanshan gritted his teeth and remained silent.

Lin Dabiao placed the second steel nail next to his other hand.

Qiu Wanshan couldn't hold on any longer.

"Bai Zongming! It's a text message from Bai Zongming! He says the Lin family brought account books into the provincial capital and wants me to lead men to the top floor, kill Lin Ting, capture Leng Qiu, and retrieve the combination lock!"

Lin Fu raised his hand, and the man from Zhongtang behind him placed the recording pen on the gambling table.

"Explain yourself more clearly. Where did the money come from?"

Qiu Wanshan was panting and trembling.

"Shenghai Consulting, under Bai's Port Affairs, pays Xueyitang money every month."

"We support them normally, but if something goes wrong, we'll settle things separately. If things go well tonight, the Bai family will give us 20 million, and Bai Yu will add another 5 million."

"Where are the ledgers?"

"The secret cabinet in the accounting room, behind the wall. There are also screenshots of Bai Zongming's text messages, bank transfer slips, and lists of several old cases."

Lin Fu led his men to pry open the hidden cabinet in the accounting room.

Inside were three ledgers, two old cell phones, six USB drives, and a bag of unopened cash.

The first page of the ledger lists the expenses for Bai's Port Affairs, Sheng Hai Consulting, and Baiyun Villa Security Fees.

Lin Ting flipped through two pages and tossed the ledger to Lin Fu.

"Make copies, create backups, and send them out in three separate routes."

Lin Fu nodded.

"One copy each for the provincial inspection team, the tax bureau, and the economic crime investigation department."

Just then, a knock came from deep inside the cold storage room.

The sound came from behind a small iron gate, outside which were piles of frozen meat crates, with chains pressing down on them.

Lin Fei walked over, unzipped the chain, and opened the door.

Inside was a small storage room.

A young woman was curled up on the ground, with marks on her wrists and an old camera in her arms.

Her hair was messy, and her clothes were dusty. When she looked up and saw Lin Fei, she shrank back a little.

Lin Fei did not approach.

"Who are you?"

The woman leaned against the wall to stand up; her throat was extremely dry.

Xia Xue, reporter for the provincial capital's evening newspaper.

Lin Fu walked in and took out his phone to check.

"Grandpa, a reporter in the investigative department of the provincial evening newspaper, has been missing for eleven days. Her family reported her missing, but the case was later suppressed."

Xia Xue looked at Lin Ting.

"Are you Lin Ting from Tazhai?"

Lin Ting nodded.

"Why is the Blood-Clad Hall locking you up?"

Xia Xue hugged the camera tightly.

"I investigated the Bai family and the provincial capital's chamber of commerce, and found out they were using underground casinos to launder money. I had just obtained the materials when they dragged me here."

Lin Fu looked at the camera in her hand.

"Are the ingredients inside?"

Xia Xue shook her head.

"It's not here; I hid the hard drive."

Lin Ting turned and walked out.

"Take her to the car, and also take Qiu Wanshan and the account book with you."

Xia Xue stood at the door, staring at the rows of people in red short-sleeved shirts kneeling inside the casino, her throat tightening.

"Grandpa Lin, I have an investigation report that could uproot the provincial capital's chamber of commerce. Do you dare to look at it?"