Chapter 111

The banquet continued into the late night, after three rounds of drinks the atmosphere grew ever more lively.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Lu Xiao, holding his wine cup, staggered over to a few gang bosses and said, "I heard that a few days ago, Inspector Lin gave quite a few people a dressing-down at the banquet."

As soon as those words were spoken, the previously noisy corner fell silent. Du Yusheng narrowed his eyes, looking at this drunken young man. As one of the Jiangnan Four Young Masters, he had long heard of Lu Xiao's reputation, but he never expected Lu Xiao to bring up Inspector Lin in such a setting.

"Master Lu, have you had too much to drink?" Du Yusheng laughed, trying to smooth things over.

"I'm not drunk, I'm not drunk." Lu Xiao took another swig of foreign liquor, "I'm just curious—what kind of deity is this Inspector Lin? An outsider official, yet even Shen City's notables bow their heads when they see him."

The nearby gang bosses exchanged glances. Although they all knew Lu Xiao was feigning drunkenness, this topic was truly too sensitive.

"Master Lu, you're joking," a Green Gang boss chuckled dryly, "We merchants value harmony for profit. Inspector Lin is a court-appointed official, so we naturally give him some face."

"Face?" Lu Xiao snorted coldly, "I think you lot have been scared stiff. Even a warning can make Shen City's elite fall silent—what is that?"

"Master Lu!" Du Yusheng's face darkened. That remark went too far.

"What, I got it wrong?" Lu Xiao swayed his wine cup, "Whose turf is Shen City? Are we really supposed to let an outsider call the shots?"

"Young man," an old gang leader suddenly said, "Some things aren't as simple as you think. That Inspector Lin..." He paused, lowering his voice, "is no ordinary person."

"Oh?" Lu Xiao's interest was piqued, "How so?"

"Brother!" Du Yusheng suddenly interrupted, "It's better not to speak of such things."

Lu Xiao noticed that when Inspector Lin was mentioned, the faces of several gang bosses present changed—some showed fear, some contempt, but most displayed an indescribably complex expression.

"I understand." Lu Xiao raised his wine cup, "I was tactless. Come, let me toast you all."

The gang bosses each raised their cups in return, but the atmosphere was no longer as lively as before. Lu Xiao pretended to stagger as he went upstairs.

"That kid..." Du Yusheng watched Lu Xiao's retreating back, thoughtful.

On the second-floor balcony, Qin Chang'an and Liu Wen were waiting for him.

"How was it?" Liu Wen asked softly.

Lu Xiao's drunkenness vanished instantly: "It's more complicated than we imagined. These gang bosses' attitudes toward Inspector Lin are subtle—some fear him, some hate him, but many are just watching and waiting."

"Waiting for what?"

"Waiting to see whether he's really that formidable." Lu Xiao leaned on the railing, "But one thing is certain: these people's apprehension of him far exceeds our imagination."

The three exchanged glances, each seeing gravity in the other's eyes. This variable, Inspector Lin, seemed even more troublesome than they had anticipated.

"Brother Lu's probing like this might be a bit rash." Liu Wen gently swirled his wine cup, his gaze falling on the crowd below where glasses clinked.

"What do you suggest?" Qin Chang'an asked.

Liu Wen didn't answer directly, but smiled and raised his cup toward a figure downstairs, saying, "Look, isn't that Boss Xu? His textile mill is one of the largest in Shen City."

Saying that, Liu Wen went downstairs gracefully, as if merely going to greet an old friend.

"Boss Xu," Liu Wen approached a middle-aged man in a long gown, "I heard you're recently considering expanding your factory?"

Boss Xu clearly hadn't expected Liu Wen to know this, looking slightly surprised: "Master Liu, you're well-informed."

"Boss Xu also knows," Liu Wen lowered his voice, "Shen City now is a good time for investment. However..." He paused meaningfully, "some things still require cooperation from all sides."

A flicker of understanding crossed Boss Xu's eyes: "What do you mean, Master Liu?"

"I've heard Boss Xu has long wanted to open a branch in the French Concession." Liu Wen said lightly, "If Brother Sun handles it, it would surely be much easier."

Boss Xu's eyes lit up. As a merchant, he knew best what opening a branch in the French Concession meant. But what concerned him more was the implication in Liu Wen's words—the Jiangnan Four Young Masters were joining forces.

"But the current situation..." Boss Xu feigned hesitation.

"Boss Xu," Liu Wen's voice dropped even lower, "Do you think an outsider inspector can really gain a foothold in Shen City? Moreover..."

He didn't finish, but Boss Xu already grasped his meaning. Indeed, whether it was the Qin family's military power or the Sun family's influence across five provinces, neither could be matched by an inspector.

"Master Liu makes sense," Boss Xu nodded slightly, "I will certainly pay you a visit another day."

Liu Wen smiled satisfactorily. The Xu family was just a beginning; the entire Shen City business community was watching, waiting to see who could offer them more benefits and protection.

All night, Liu Wen wandered the banquet like this. Each of his words was gentle and polite, yet hid an edge; each suggestion seemed casual, yet struck at the core. Unnoticed, many began to lean toward siding with the Four Young Masters.

"No wonder it's Liu Wen." Lu Xiao observed clearly from the second floor, "A few words can win someone over—this method is far superior to mine."

Qin Chang'an, however, fell into thought: "He's telling everyone that the Jiangnan Four Young Masters have joined forces. With this stance, those still watching will have to reconsider their position."

Liu Wen appeared to be courting neutral forces, but in fact he was sending a signal: in the impending contest, the Four Young Masters had already taken the same side.

Qin Chang'an stood alone on the second-floor balcony, his gaze wandering aimlessly toward the distant night.

Downstairs the banquet was in full swing, Sun Lingyun chatting and laughing with various notables, Liu Wen moving gracefully through the crowd, Lu Xiao probing attitudes under the guise of drunkenness. But to Qin Chang'an, it all seemed utterly false.

"Still thinking about things?" Sun Lingyun appeared beside him without warning.

Qin Chang'an didn't answer, merely swirling his wine cup lightly. His father's departure, the turmoil of the Security Army, the threat of Inspector Lin... everything weighed on him so heavily he could barely breathe. Now he had to rely on these old playmates to steady his position.

"Lingyun," he suddenly said, "Do you think what we're doing is right or wrong?"

Sun Lingyun blinked: "What do you mean?"

"Look downstairs," Qin Chang'an gave a wry smile, "How many people truly support me? They're just betting we'll win. Once the situation changes..."

"That's politics." Sun Lingyun patted his shoulder, "What matters isn't whether they're sincere, but that they're on our side right now."

Qin Chang'an fell silent. He understood Sun Lingyun was right, but deep down he grew weary of this hollow pretense.

He recalled his father's words in life: true strength lies not in how many people echo you, but in whether you can truly control the situation.

Downstairs another wave of lively chatter rose. Those merchants and gang bosses were holding forth, as if Shen City's future lay firmly in their grasp. But Qin Chang'an knew this was merely an illusory show.

The real contest had not yet begun.

He gazed toward the distant Security Command Headquarters; that was where Shen City's fate would be decided. To hold it, relying solely on promises made over wine cups was far from enough.

"It's getting late," Qin Chang'an suddenly said, "I'll head out first."

"That early?"

"Hmm, I still have some matters to attend to."

Watching Qin Chang'an's silhouette fade into the night, Sun Lingyun fell into thought. He knew his old friend was undergoing a transformation.