The overcast sky, thick black clouds obscured the morning sun's rays, the whole world turned gloomy, a suffocating atmosphere pressed down, making it almost impossible for people to breathe. Gray, oppressive, hopeless emotions unwittingly infected everyone—

At ten o'clock in the morning, outside Li Bin's room at the famed hotel of the border city, there came a muffled knock on the door: "Young Master, wake up, today you still have to take the Black Tiger Gang Leader to tour the sights of Ruili."

Two burly men in well-tailored black suits whispered at the door. They dared not shout, for if they angered the guy inside, they'd be in for trouble. They've seen Li Bin's cruelty many times.

"Young Master, huh, how come the door is open—" The two knocked once, only to find the door ajar.

"Could the Young Master have already gotten up?" The two exchanged glances and slowly pushed the door open, stepping inside.

"Young Master, Young Master, Young..." They called as they walked in, but after a couple of calls, they could no longer utter a word, their eyes fixated on the heart-shaped bed in front of them—or rather, on Li Bin on the bed.

On the rose-colored heart-shaped bed, Li Bin lay spread-eagle on his back, a silver-white folding knife stabbed in his chest, a patch of dark red blood around it. Li Bin's face was pale, his eyes wide open, dying with a grievance.

"Young Master—" The two rushed to the bedside, shaking Li Bin, but his body was rigid.

"Dead—" One of the burly men reached his hand in front of Li Bin's nose and found no breath entering or leaving, shouting in horror.

...

"Breaking news, breaking news, Qingmu Society's Young Master Li Bin was assassinated last night in the renowned Great Hotel in the border city. Rumors say it was the work of the Black Tiger Gang's leader's men from Yingjiang. Five yuan a copy, five yuan a copy!" In the streets and alleys of Ruili, a child around ten hugged a stack of newspapers, shouting as he ran quickly.

Ruili Daily, front page headline, in bold black font: Qingmu Society's Young Master murdered, grabbing attention. On the page, a photo showed Li Bin lying on the heart-shaped bed, eyes wide open in death.

Thailand International Airport, a black, elongated sedan slowly drove in and stopped in the plaza in front of the airport lobby.

Behind the elongated sedan followed two other black cars. As the cars stopped, four young men in black suits and sunglasses stepped out from each car.

The men quickly walked to the side door of the elongated sedan, forming two lines. One young man near the door reached out to open it, making a welcoming gesture, and out stepped a pair of polished, eye-catching leather shoes. Next, a slightly thin man in his fifties wearing a gray suit emerged.

Li Yang, the president of Qingmu Society, also Li Bin's father, as the leader of one of Ruili's three major gangs, was naturally no ordinary figure. Otherwise, he couldn't have developed Qingmu Society to its current state. Although many aspects involved the Black Tiger Gang, this also indicated Li Yang's extraordinary nature. Otherwise, why would no other gang or the Black Tiger Gang ally with anyone other than him and his Qingmu Society?

Qingmu Society had a branch in this part of Thailand, running operations here. Li Yang had initially planned to stay a while to inspect the business, but upon suddenly hearing that the Black Tiger had arrived in Ruili, he decided not to linger and promptly booked a ticket to fly back to Ruili.

"Boss, phone!" As Li Yang stepped out of the elongated sedan, a man in black approached respectfully, handing over a brick-like big cell phone. Although technology was now quite advanced, phones getting smaller and with better performance, leaders of gangs like them still used brick-like big devices to display their status. Of course, these modern brick phones were nowhere near as primitive as the first-generation ones; their performance was on par with modern smartphones.

"Hello!" Li Yang took the phone and casually greeted the caller without saying more.

"Big Brother, something terrible has happened. You must come back quickly. I can barely hold the situation!" A hurried voice came through the phone. Li Yang recognized the voice as his sworn brother, Li Tang. Li Tang was highly esteemed among the gang members, second only to Li Yang, and Li Yang knew his brother's capabilities. If even he couldn't handle the situation, things were indeed dire.

"Damn it, what happened? Speak slowly!" Li Yang was shocked and immediately asked.

"Big brother, young Bin was killed, murdered at the famed hotel in the border city. Rumors outside claim the Black Tiger Gang Leader ordered the hit. Qingmu Society is in chaos, many vowing revenge on the Black Tiger for Bin." Li Tang's urgent voice continued.

"What?" Li Yang felt as if struck by lightning on a clear day. Li Bin was his only son, one could even say his treasure. Hearing of Li Bin's death, the pain in Li Yang's heart was unimaginable.

"Boss, are you okay—" The man in black beside him supported Li Yang, asking worriedly.

"I'm fine—" Li Yang waved dismissively at the man in black.

"Big Brother, you must stay strong despite your grief. If this situation isn't handled properly, we could face dire consequences!" The voice on the other end said after a moment of silence. Li Tang didn't mention it, but if they didn't manage this properly, Qingmu Society would meet with disaster.

"Second brother, you must restrain the brothers. No one can go looking for trouble with the Black Tiger leader. More than that, you must assign people to ensure the Black Tiger leader's safety. If anything happens to him now, Qingmu Society is truly finished." As the gang leader, Li Yang was naturally beyond the average person. Despite his sorrow over his loss, he quickly judged the situation. He knew the Black Tiger leader well and was sure he hadn't ordered the murder of Li Bin. Even if there were evidence, Li Yang wouldn't believe it. The only possibility was someone trying to frame the Black Tiger, causing a rift in their alliance, or it was all a trap leading Qingmu Society to its doom.

"Okay, big brother, I'll follow your instructions. But, you must return soon! I fear it might be too late otherwise!" Li Tang implored.

"Alright, I'm already at the airport; I'll be there in two hours." With that, Li Yang hung up the call, handing the phone back to the man in black, then hurried toward the departure hall.

Now, although technology was advanced, some wealthy individuals liked to pursue more antiquated things. The legendary "brick phone" that could supposedly crack walnuts was one of them, especially among gang leaders like Li Yang, who pursued these old-school items even more.

Can Li Yang, rushing back at full speed, stop what's about to unfold?

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