The hierarchy within the Martial Association is strict, divided into Outer Sect Disciple, Inner Sect Disciple, Steward, Helmsman, Elder, Protector, and Association President. The Elders are further divided into Nine Bags, from one to nine, with the higher numbers representing greater power.

A Three-Bag Elder, for instance, ranked in the lower-middle tier among all Elders in the Martial Association, but outside the organization, he was considered an immensely powerful figure. Even Xue Gang had to find ways to curry favor with such a person. This was precisely why Xue Gang was willing to act as Huang Zhijie's henchman.

"Boss, I had someone look into it. This Huang Zhijie is in charge of the Martial Association's pharmaceutical operations here in Lingjin City," Yang Hu reported with a faint smile. "He likes to engage in philanthropy and has built a decent reputation among the public. However, the charity he does is all smoke and mirrors, with almost nothing of substance ever being delivered."

"Businessmen. They all love to play two-faced games," Chen Yang said nonchalantly, lighting a cigarette. "But it doesn't matter. He'll be dealt with shortly."

Xue Gang was left speechless. His words were nothing short of earth-shattering. To the ears of everyone present, they were like a clap of thunder. The atmosphere in the room grew heavy and oppressive, making it hard to breathe. The members of the Xue Family and Xia Yuqing alike felt their backs drenched in cold sweat.

Before long, another set of footsteps approached from a distance. The newcomer was Huang Zhijie. In the prime of his life, he radiated ambition and vigor. He wore a crisply tailored blue suit, one hand in his pocket and the other holding a cigar as he walked over at a leisurely pace.

"Xue Gang, why is your home so lively today?" As he drew closer, Huang Zhijie sensed something was amiss, but he merely frowned, not giving it much thought.

A pale-faced Xue Gang pointed at Chen Yang and said, "It's… it's him. He's looking for you."

Huang Zhijie turned his head in confusion and saw the unremarkable, expressionless Chen Yang staring at him coolly.

"Who are you?" Huang Zhijie asked, puzzled.

Chen Yang took two steps forward, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "I hear you're the great philanthropist of Lingjin City. That you spend most of your time engaged in charity work?"

"Haha!" Huang Zhijie waved his hand dismissively with a light laugh, his head held high. "That's just idle talk from outsiders. Besides, it's just an empty title, not worth paying any mind to. As a person, one should always do more good deeds. It benefits others and oneself."

Chen Yang smiled. "Then how do you explain hiring an assassin?"

"Someone works tirelessly to develop a medicinal formula, and you want to snatch it away for the price of cabbage? When you can't steal it, you decide to have them killed?" Chen Yang adopted an expression of utter bewilderment. "Is this how a great philanthropist conducts himself?"

Huang Zhijie was struck dumb.

"Are you trying to slander me?" He shot a surprised glance at Xue Gang, and understanding dawned on him. He then scoffed, "Besides, as a Three-Bag Elder of the Martial Association, what I do is none of your business. Who do you think you are?"

"If Qin Donglai weren't my father-in-law, I would indeed have no right to interfere," Chen Yang said with a smile.

Huang Zhijie froze.

"You… you're here for revenge?" Huang Zhijie mulled it over for a moment, not bothering to deny it as his expression gradually darkened. "Kid, I was planning on visiting the Qin Family in the next couple of days to retrieve that formula anyway. Since you're here today, you've saved me a trip. Hand over the formula, and I might spare your life!"

Yang Hu spat the toothpick from his mouth, cracked his knuckles, and grinned. "What an arrogant dog."

"I am a Three-Bag Elder of the Martial Association! To fight me is to fight the entire Martial Association! Let me give you a piece of advice: sometimes you just have to swallow your losses. Be smart about it, or people will die," Huang Zhijie warned, a cold smirk on his face. "The fate of Qin Donglai should be a lesson to you all!"

SMACK!

Yang Hu's palm struck his face. "You dare threaten the Zhennan Prince? Are you tired of living?"

Huang Zhijie was completely dumbfounded. The anger that had just been rising within him was instantly extinguished, as if doused with a bucket of ice water.

Zhen-Zhennan Prince?

Scared out of his wits, Huang Zhijie subconsciously looked at Xue Gang and whispered, "You… you set me up?"

Xue Gang scoffed, "Even if I had told you, did you really think you could escape?"

Huang Zhijie was speechless.

"You murder someone and then threaten their family, telling them to just swallow the loss? Is everyone from the Martial Association this arrogant?" Chen Yang patted Huang Zhijie's cheek. "And from what you just said, it sounds like you didn't plan on sparing the rest of the Qin Family either?"

Here, Chen Yang mused aloud, "That makes sense. How else could you get your hands on that formula without wiping out the entire Qin Family?"

"I… I didn't mean that! I absolutely didn't!" Huang Zhijie explained, his composure shattered.

"Then what did you mean?"

Huang Zhijie had no answer.

"This is a terrible misunderstanding! Our Martial Association's President has an excellent relationship with the Martial Department! Governor, please, how about our Martial Association presents the Qin Family with a compensation package and signs a cooperation agreement with Qin Corporation? What do you think?"

SMACK!

Yang Hu sent Huang Zhijie sprawling to the ground with another slap, a sinister smile on his face. "If I killed your father and offered you a pile of money, would you take it?"

Blood trickled from the corner of Huang Zhijie's mouth. He propped himself up on his hands, not daring to make another move. How could he possibly have imagined that the head of a small pharmaceutical company would be connected to the Zhennan Prince? He had kicked a steel plate—no, a titanium alloy one.

"Contact the media," Chen Yang ordered Yang Hu, not sparing Huang Zhijie another glance. "I want them to confess everything they've done on camera."

"This…" A shiver of pure terror ran down Huang Zhijie's spine, his limbs turning rigid with fear. He pleaded, "G-Governor, please, don't do this! I admit my mistake, I apologize! I'll agree to any conditions, just name them!"

Yang Hu planted his foot on Huang Zhijie's back, pressing him to the floor. "First, you admit your crimes in front of the media," he sneered. "We'll discuss the conditions later."

Less than half an hour later, more than a dozen media crews rushed to the scene. At Yang Hu's instruction, they refrained from filming indiscriminately, focusing their cameras squarely on Xue Gang and Huang Zhijie.

"Kneel in a line. You'll speak one by one," Yang Hu commanded, pulling out a handgun and pointing it pointedly at Xue Gang, Xue Wenlong, and Huang Zhijie.

With a gun drawn on them, who would dare to delay? Despite their extreme reluctance, they had no choice but to comply.

"Tell the truth. One wrong word, and you die," Yang Hu said with a cold laugh.

"I'll talk!" Xue Wenlong screamed, on the verge of a mental collapse. "It was me! I hired someone to drive the car that killed Qin Donglai of Qin Corporation! And all of it was under the orders of Huang Zhijie from the Martial Association!"

「Meanwhile, at Qin Corporation.」

Zhang Xiaowen staggered into the chairman's office, shouting anxiously, "Chairman, quick, look at the TV!"

Qin Qiu, who was reviewing documents, looked up in confusion. Before she could say a word, Zhang Xiaowen switched on the television.

"My Xue Family has no grievance with the Qin Corporation!" Xue Gang's voice came from the screen. Like his son, he shifted the blame entirely to Huang Zhijie. "It was under Huang Zhijie's threats and inducements that we arranged for someone to kill Qin Donglai!"

Seeing this, Qin Qiu shot up from her chair and rushed to the television, her beautiful, autumn-like eyes gradually turning crimson.

...

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