Chapter Seventy-Nine: Worry

After leaving the Fukang Entertainment Club, Zhang Ding, who had received the news, was already waiting at the entrance with his car. As soon as he saw the two of them come out, he immediately opened the trunk and carefully stowed the money away.

Once in the car, Wang Yong looked at Ling Tian with a face full of doubt and asked, “Boss, Qinglong Hall—no, rather, the Fukang Group—although it appears to be a group company on the surface, it’s a typical case of putting up a front while doing shady business. In reality, it’s still a gang organization. And now you’ve beaten up their third-in-command…”

He trailed off, not finishing his thought. Everyone understood the consequences of offending a gang: relentless, deadly trouble with no end. So Wang Yong left it unsaid.

Zhang Ding, who was driving, was so shocked he was speechless. What kind of boss had he gotten himself tangled up with? Every other day, it seemed, there was a fight. Just a few days ago, they’d put the hurt on the eldest son of the Gu family, one of the city’s four great clans; today, they’d gone to Fukang Entertainment Club and started another brawl. In Yunhai City, anyone with a bit of information knew that, while Fukang Club was officially managed by Liu Zhiping, it actually belonged to Qinglong Hall.

And what kind of force was Qinglong Hall? It was one of the four major gangs in Yunhai. Even though they’d cleaned up their image in recent years, they still preferred to handle matters the old-fashioned way.

For gang organizations, violence was always the first choice to settle problems.

Ling Tian smiled faintly and said, “Qinglong Hall is nothing to me.” In truth, his objective was simple: to give them a show of force, so that before Qinglong Hall made any moves, they would have to weigh their options carefully.

Sometimes, thoroughly intimidating an opponent on a psychological level was far more effective than physically destroying them. This was a lesson Ling Tian had learned through years of experience.

Both Wang Yong and Zhang Ding were dumbstruck. There were very few people in Yunhai City who dared say such words. Even the four great clans would never claim to disregard Qinglong Hall. Where did Ling Tian’s confidence come from? Their awe for him had morphed into outright reverence.

By the time they arrived at the Qingcheng Group headquarters, night had already fallen.

Just like during their last mission, Xue Kun and Zhang Ming were nowhere to be seen outside; both remained in the office, anxiously waiting for news. This was different from the last time at Lechao Bar: no matter how ruthless Sun Yibin was, he wasn’t a true underworld figure. But the real boss behind Fukang Club was Qinglong Hall.

One of the four great gangs of Yunhai City, Qinglong Hall might not match the four great clans in wealth or prestige, but in terms of ruthlessness, they outstripped them by far.

“Why aren’t they back yet?” Xue Kun, who rarely smoked, was nervously pacing the office with a cigar between his teeth, as restless as an ant on a hot pan.

Zhang Ming was slightly calmer. After all, they’d had a similar experience before—tasks that seemed impossible always became easy once Ling Tian stepped in. Still, until Ling Tian returned, nervousness gnawed at him. He kept chain-smoking, the floor littered with cigarette butts.

“Why haven’t you two gone home yet?” Mu Qingcheng entered the office, pinching her nose. “What’s with all the smoke?”

Zhang Ming and Xue Kun quickly got up, opened a window to air out the room, and fetched her a chair.

Once seated, Mu Qingcheng asked, “So diligent? Working overtime so late?”

Zhang Ming and Xue Kun exchanged glances, neither wanting to speak first. They both knew that, although the group had found a new supply channel and no longer feared Liu Zhiping cutting them off, Mu Qingcheng had never ordered anyone to collect the debt—for a simple reason: the Mu family didn’t want to fall out with the people behind Liu Zhiping.

This time, sending Ling Tian to collect the debt had been their own decision. They’d recognized his exceptional abilities and wanted him to contribute more to the company.

“What’s the matter? Cat got your tongues?” Mu Qingcheng, sharp as ever, sensed something was wrong the moment she entered. Seeing the floor covered in cigarette butts, she immediately guessed that something serious had happened; otherwise, Zhang Ming and Xue Kun wouldn’t be so troubled.

Under the pressure of her presence, Zhang Ming spoke up nervously, “We sent someone to Fukang Entertainment Club to collect the debt…”

After Zhang Ming briefly explained the situation, Mu Qingcheng’s expression grew heavier and heavier. When she finally heard Ling Tian’s name, her face turned ashen. She slammed the table and said icily, “Absurd! Didn’t I tell you the debt with Liu Zhiping should be left with the finance department for now? And you sent Ling Tian to collect it? Don’t you know the background of Fukang?”

What worried Mu Qingcheng most was the possibility of Ling Tian running into trouble. Although he was only her fiancé in name, the old man at home valued him highly—he’d even asked her to bring Ling Tian home for a visit. If something happened to Ling Tian—if he ended up dead, or even crippled—she’d have no way to explain it to the old man.

“You two are getting bold, aren’t you? Ignoring my instructions—are you trying to drive me mad?” The more she spoke, the colder her voice became.

Mu Qingcheng, known as the Ice Queen CEO, was not someone ordinary people could withstand when she lost her temper. The two men were so cowed they didn’t dare lift their heads.

Zhang Ming and Xue Kun bitterly regretted their actions. They’d wanted to help the company, but their meddling had only made things worse.

“Call Liu Zhiping immediately. Tell him to stay calm—I’ll go explain in person.” She paused, then shook her head. “No, I’ll call him myself.”

Just as Mu Qingcheng pulled out her phone and made the call, Ling Tian, Wang Yong, and Zhang Ding returned with the money. At the entrance, they saw Mu Qingcheng on the phone and stayed silent.

Xue Kun and Zhang Ming were so excited to see Ling Tian back safe and sound that they could only gape in silence.

“Liu Zhiping, this is Mu Qingcheng. I think there must be some misunderstanding between us.” To ensure Ling Tian’s safe return, Mu Qingcheng tried to sound as gentle as possible, a stark contrast to her usual icy tone.

Liu Zhiping, who had been thrown into a garbage heap by Black Panther, trembled as he held the phone. Hearing Mu Qingcheng’s words, he immediately wailed, “Madam, you’re too polite! There’s no misunderstanding at all. As long as you don’t pursue this further, I’d get on my knees for you.”

Mu Qingcheng raised her delicate brows in surprise. What was going on? In the past, whenever she spoke with Liu Zhiping, he acted cocky and arrogant. Why was he so meek today?

“Madam, that Ling Tian is terrifying. Not only did he walk off with several million, he beat everyone up. And that master even took down Black Panther and Lone Wolf. In the end, even our third-in-command was thrashed by him. It was a massacre…”