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Just as Elder Long was puzzled by what Qin Fang meant with his words, he suddenly heard a sentence from Qin Fang that carried an almost chilling undertone. Instantly, an unusual gleam flashed in Elder Long's eyes.

Evidently, given Elder Long's status and position, even he was deeply shocked by the statement. So much so, he momentarily struggled to find the right words to respond.

This kind of reaction was extremely rare. For Elder Long to have reached his current position, he had waded through storms and waves of all kinds. What had he not faced before?

But even so, upon hearing those words, he couldn't help but lose his composure for a brief moment… it was exceedingly unexpected, to the point where his gaze toward Qin Fang changed as well.

To be honest, Elder Long's initial reaction upon hearing the statement was an urge to laugh—a cold and mocking laugh at that…

Who was Han Long?

As the leader of Hong Kong Island's largest underground gang, how could Elder Long not be familiar with him? He had even met with Han Long several times in the past for friendly dealings and transactions.

If Han Long were so easy to kill, he wouldn't have been Han Long. That seven-million-US-dollar bounty on his head in the underground world would have been claimed long ago by someone.

But in reality, Han Long was still alive and well, living a completely carefree life. Even a year ago, when he was apprehended by the police, he managed to swagger his way out of prison before his sentencing.

This incident became the biggest news on Hong Kong Island recently. Han Long's name repeatedly appeared in newspapers and on television, and he was currently the subject of a full-scale manhunt across the island as a dangerous criminal…

Yet Han Long remained as free and uninhibited as ever. He hadn't even fled Hong Kong Island after his prison break; instead, he chose to stay. Whether it was purely for business reasons or for some other motive, even Elder Long, a veteran player in local affairs, couldn't guess.

Under normal circumstances, Elder Long's relationship with Han Long could be considered amicable and neutral. Neither party crossed boundaries, and conflicts were few and far between.

Of course, if Han Long were to die, then until someone successfully filled Han Long's position, Elder Long undoubtedly wouldn't hesitate to act when opportunities presented themselves…

For instance, regarding this particular transaction, he might not be so polite about it if Han Long were out of the picture.

The Zhu Lian Gang on Little Island was also a very powerful organization. Their position on Little Island was akin to Xin'an on Hong Kong Island. However, Little Island's size far exceeded that of Hong Kong Island, and it had a higher concentration of various gangs, so Zhu Lian Gang's control over Little Island wasn't as absolute as Xin'an's reign in Hong Kong Island…

Still, the intermingling of black-market money and politics was a distinctive feature of Little Island. A significant number of government officials there had ties to the underworld since gangs held relatively more influence on Little Island.

In this way, when the two are compared, Xin'an and Zhu Lian Gang's strengths were actually quite comparable…

Moreover, Hong Kong Island and Little Island weren't too far apart geographically, and the two sides had cultivated certain connections across the years. For instance, gangsters fleeing Hong Kong Island often sought refuge on Little Island…

However, for this very reason, their respective forces had increasingly begun to seep into each other's territories. Though not outright overstepping boundaries, there was certainly a hint of such intentions.

Therefore, the relationship between these two organizations wasn't as friendly as it might appear on the surface…

As for Han Long's dealings with the Zhu Lian Gang, Elder Long claiming he hadn't heard a whisper of it would be outright nonsense. He simply didn't want to offend either party and thus chose to turn a blind eye, pretending to know nothing.

It wasn't that he feared breaking ties with Zhu Lian Gang. Their relationship wasn't very harmonious to begin with, and minor skirmishes occasionally flared up. What truly made Elder Long wary was none other than Han Long—this man whom Qin Fang had pronounced dead.

But if Han Long truly were dead…

With this restraint on Elder Long removed, the safety of the current transaction could no longer be guaranteed…

But still… was that even possible?

"Young man, there are some things you can say casually, but others you can't speak recklessly… I'm an old man; my ears don't work very well, and my memory's not great either. What did you just say? I don't think I heard it…"

The cooperation Qin Fang proposed was indeed highly tempting. However, expecting Elder Long to believe it based solely on a handful of words was clearly impossible.

One must remain guarded in such matters, especially in the Martial World, where caution was a survival skill. Moreover, Qin Fang and Elder Long weren't well-acquainted—this was their first meeting, after all.

In fact, just minutes ago, they had been trying to kill each other. Swapping enmity for collaboration this quickly would only seem plausible to someone with a broken head…

Yet Elder Long's response was intriguing. He feigned ignorance, pretending not to have heard what Qin Fang had just said.

Perhaps this was due to Elder Song's influence looming behind Qin Fang. Elder Long didn't wish to offend him unnecessarily either…

Of course, if Qin Fang truly managed to eliminate Han Long, Elder Long didn't explicitly refuse to cooperate, leaving room for negotiation.

"Elder Long truly lives up to his name…"

Qin Fang smiled faintly. He didn't expect to convince this bigshot with a few words. With a calm smile, he simply raised his thumb in a show of praise.

"That man's death is inevitable, and I have no interest in his goods. The reason I want to collaborate with Elder Long is simple: I just need Elder Long to do me a small favor. All I need is precise information on his movements. As for everything else, that's my business to handle!"

This was Qin Fang's true intent. This was Hong Kong Island—Elder Long's turf—where his hundreds of subordinates dominated the underground world. His intelligence network was unrivaled.

The police might not find Han Long, but if Elder Long wanted to, he could. His informants virtually covered every corner of the island…

While assassin platforms could track Han Long's whereabouts, the timeliness of their information wasn't always reliable. What Qin Fang needed was real-time intel, something Elder Long could undoubtedly provide much more effectively.

Such intel would greatly facilitate Qin Fang's assassination plans.

"And what else?"

Hearing this, Elder Long's brow furrowed slightly as he asked.

From the perspective of mutual benefit, Elder Long stood to gain much more, while Qin Fang appeared to have nothing to gain. Naturally, Elder Long suspected there might be additional demands.

"That's all, nothing more…"

Qin Fang shook his head, dismissing Elder Long's speculation.

"That simple?"

Despite already being surprised by Qin Fang, Elder Long couldn't believe his ears this time. The conditions for cooperation were unexpectedly basic… this was truly perplexing.

He stared intently at Qin Fang's face, studying him meticulously, trying to uncover any subtle flaws or ulterior motives. But Qin Fang stood there composed, allowing Elder Long to scrutinize him as much as he pleased, showing not the slightest hint of deception. Indeed, his conditions were as straightforward as they seemed.

With Han Long dead, Elder Long would naturally pocket the proceeds of the current transaction—a batch of drugs. Though the goods were highly valuable, Qin Fang clearly had no interest in dabbling in such despicable activities.

If it weren't beyond his power to intervene, he might even have considered destroying all the drugs to prevent further harm to others… but his focus remained solely on Han Long. The drugs were none of his concern.

Elder Long fell silent. He observed Qin Fang for a long while but failed to discern any ulterior motives. It seemed Qin Fang truly had no further demands.

While this astonished Elder Long, it also led him to a realization: Qin Fang harbored a grudge—a deep-seated, personal vendetta against Han Long!

A feud of this magnitude was the only plausible explanation for Qin Fang's unwavering resolve to see Han Long dead…

In Elder Long's perception, Qin Fang was a young man with formidable connections. Even someone of Elder Long's stature treated him with respect—not out of fear, but because there was no need to antagonize him.

As for Han Long, the preeminent drug lord of Southeast Asia, his notoriety was unmatched across the region, eclipsing even Elder Long's own reputation…

The imbalance extended beyond reputation. In terms of resources, Elder Long fell short compared to Han Long. It was rumored that Han Long commanded a mercenary group and possessed access to state-of-the-art weapons. The sheer firepower of this group was unimaginable.

While Elder Long also had his own guard squad, they were no match for Han Long's mercenaries. The two forces weren't even operating on the same level.

To put it bluntly, Han Long was akin to an aristocrat commanding a professional army, while Elder Long was more like a mountain bandit. Though Elder Long had greater numbers, his men were disorganized and could never stand toe-to-toe with mercenaries. In an actual confrontation, Elder Long's forces would likely scatter at the first sign of trouble.

This stark disparity explained why Elder Long maintained a deliberately neutral stance toward Han Long. He neither courted him nor opposed him, thus ensuring peace between them.

Now, Qin Fang—a young man with a solid background—was targeting Han Long. While this had little to do with Elder Long directly, the allure of the contraband in this transaction was undeniable.

However, it seemed foolish to risk offending Han Long over a meager batch of merchandise, especially without fully understanding Qin Fang's underlying intentions!

In the end, Elder Long shook his head, refraining from giving Qin Fang a definitive answer.

"I'll think about it…"

After a long deliberation, Elder Long still couldn't make a decisive commitment. Waving a hand to signal the conversation's end, he shifted the topic of discussion. With a glance toward Brother San Shui, he said, "But regardless of whether we go forward with this collaboration, you'll need to heal him first…" (To be continued. If you like this story, you're welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly votes! Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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