In Yang Ce's office at the White Horse Club.
A strikingly beautiful woman in blue, with a graceful figure, was sitting in Yang Ce's three-thousand-dollar crocodile-skin office chair, elegantly twirling a pen.
Yang Ce, the owner of the office, stood by, his expression one of utter dread.
After a long moment, the woman in blue spoke in a cold voice, "Yang Ce, Young Master Kong had an accident in your club. How do you plan to explain this to the Kong family?"
Hearing this, Yang Ce's face changed. He wiped the sweat from his brow and said, "Reporting to Miss Yu, I have already investigated this matter thoroughly. It was a young man named Shen Lang who attacked Young Master Kong."
"It's just… it's just…"
Yang Ce stammered, unable to finish his sentence for a long time.
The woman in blue before him was none other than Yu Linling, Kong Wudao's strategist.
Yang Ce, facing not Yu Linling but the scrutiny of Kong Wudao, couldn't help but be nervous.
"Yang Ce, you're called the King of Nanling, yet you show no sign of a true hero. Why are you stammering? Speak your mind."
Seeing Yang Ce's subservient demeanor, Yu Linling felt a surge of disgust.
This was supposed to be the formidable King of Nanling, whose name struck fear into both the underworld and the righteous. His bearing was infinitely inferior to that of Young Master Kong.
Indeed, the true hero of today was none other than Young Master Kong.
"Miss Yu, the situation is this…"
Seeing Yu Linling's anger, Yang Ce wiped away new beads of sweat and said, "I have indeed identified the culprit, but that young man is too ferocious. I am powerless against him…"
"What?"
At these words, Yu Linling's face contorted in disbelief as she cursed, "Yang Ce, you are a complete waste!"
"How ferocious can a single culprit be? You are powerless against one attacker and you call yourself an ally of the Kong family?"
Yu Linling glared at Yang Ce, her anger evident. "You don't need to worry about the culprit; I will handle it. However, Young Master Kong met with misfortune on your territory, and you bear inescapable responsibility. The White Horse Club will be your compensation for Young Master Kong's treatment and emotional damages."
"What?"
Upon hearing Yu Linling's words, Yang Ce's pupils widened.
Yang Ce knew he would have to pay a price for Kong Zixiong's accident within his domain.
The worst-case scenario he had envisioned was giving half of the White Horse Club to the Kong family as atonement.
He never imagined the Kong family's appetite would be so voracious, demanding the entire White Horse Club from the outset.
"Why?"
Yang Ce remained silent at her words.
At this moment, Chi Gui, who stood by Yang Ce, could not contain himself.
Chi Gui glared at Yu Linling and angrily retorted, "Although Young Master Kong had an accident at the White Horse Club and we bear some responsibility, ever since he arrived in Nanling, His Highness has treated him as an honored guest. Not only did we arrange the most enjoyable entertainment and the most luxurious accommodations, but we also found him the most beautiful women."
"When he met with misfortune, His Highness immediately sought out the true culprit. It's just that the culprit was too ferocious, and His Highness narrowly escaped with his life. However, Tang Liuzhi, who had served him for years and whom he regarded as his own son, was killed by the attacker."
"While the White Horse Club is responsible for Young Master Kong's accident, it is at most a responsibility for inadequate care. Why do you demand the entire White Horse Club with one statement?"
Chi Gui was Tang Liuzhi's subordinate. After Tang Liuzhi's death, he immediately became Yang Ce's trusted confidant.
Seeing Yu Linling's aggressive stance, Chi Gui felt compelled to step forward to show his loyalty.
"Yang Ce, does his statement represent his attitude or yours?"
Hearing Chi Gui's words, Yu Linling casually crossed her shapely, long legs over the desk, a playful glint in her eyes.
"Is there a difference?"
Yang Ce met her gaze and asked.
"Of course, there is," Yu Linling replied with a faint smile. "If his words represent only his attitude, then only he will die. Conversely, you and he will both die."
*Bang—*
As soon as Yu Linling finished speaking, the office door was violently and brutally smashed to pieces with a single punch.
"What?"
Chi Gui had just sensed something was amiss when, in the next second, a colossal figure appeared before him.
Without a word, the figure threw a punch.
It was a simple, unadorned punch, lacking any flourish and not particularly fast.
Yet, Chi Gui felt as if he were locked on by the attacker, utterly unable to evade it. The punch pierced his chest directly, sending him crashing to the ground.
In his fading vision, Chi Gui saw a man over two meters tall and powerfully built.
On his back was a giant sword, two meters long and half a meter wide.
Though the man's face was expressionless, Chi Gui could clearly sense the intense ferocity and brutality within him.
However, Chi Gui soon felt nothing more.
For the man stepped forward and brutally, savagely, crushed his throat with his foot.
"This…"
Seeing this, Yang Ce's face turned ashen with terror, and he was rendered speechless for a long time.
Yang Ce had thought Shen Lang and Can Dao were terrifying enough, but he never expected the man before him to be even more dreadful than them.
"Yang Ce, answer me. Did his words just now represent his attitude or yours?"
As Yang Ce trembled, on the verge of collapsing, Yu Linling's voice, tinged with mischief, asked.
Hearing this, Yang Ce glanced at the gruesome sight of Chi Gui and reflexively replied, "Reporting to Miss Yu, his words just now represented only his own attitude and have nothing to do with me."
"Good—"
Yu Linling chuckled at his response. "It seems you have some merit as the King of Nanling. At least in terms of knowing your place, you are superior to most. Since that is the case, please sign this equity transfer agreement."
Yu Linling produced a file from her handbag and tossed it directly onto Yang Ce's desk without looking.
Yang Ce opened the file and found the equity transfer agreement for the entire White Horse Club.
However, when Yang Ce saw the date the agreement was drawn up, his pupils dilated.
The date indicated was the very day Kong Zixiong had arrived in Nanling.
In other words, from the moment Kong Zixiong set foot in Nanling, the Kong family had already considered the White Horse Club their own.
Among the five great families of Longdu, the Qin were powerful, the Qi were overbearing, and the Kongs were the most avaricious.
According to the Kong family's principles, what was yours was theirs, and what was theirs was still theirs. There was no "yours," only "theirs."
Only now did Yang Ce truly understand why the Kong family was known as the most rapacious noble house in Longdu.
Yang Ce had always sought to align himself with the Kong family, hoping to expand the White Horse Club beyond Nanling. How laughable that seemed now.
Despite his reluctance and humiliation, Yang Ce ultimately signed his name on the equity transfer agreement.
Upon receiving the White Horse Club's equity transfer agreement, Yu Linling withdrew her long legs from the desk and slowly stood up.
She looked at the burly man carrying the giant sword and simply said, "Find the one who harmed Young Master Kong and bring back his head."