Chapter 148: Conditions

Chen Peifeng was stunned, having no idea why Yang Jiekai would say such a thing.

Before he even had a chance to speak, his phone rang. Glancing at the screen, it was indeed a call from Chen Peifeng.

"Hello, President He." Chen Peifeng looked at Yang Jiekai in surprise and answered the call.

"It must be for me."

Yang Jiekai smiled at Chen Peifeng and motioned for him to hand the phone over.

"President He, long time no see. I'll be waiting for you at the open-air food stall by the river."

Yang Jiekai uttered only that single sentence before hanging up. Then, he pulled the bewildered Chen Peifeng into the car and instructed Long Xiaoman to drive straight to the riverside.

"How did you know he would call you?" Chen Peifeng asked in astonishment.

Yang Jiekai offered a knowing, mischievous smile and replied, "If you were in his shoes, you would take the initiative to find me, too."

Chen Peifeng was still completely in the dark. It wasn't because he lacked intelligence, but rather because he was unaware of the previous grudge between Yang Jiekai and He Yuan. During that past encounter, Yang Jiekai had fully demonstrated his strength, giving him absolute confidence that He Yuan would eventually seek him out in private.

Only after listening to Yang Jiekai recount his past conflict with He Yuan did Chen Peifeng finally see the light.

"You mean... you were with your wife when you met He Yuan? You're married?" Chen Peifeng asked with a hint of surprise.

Yang Jiekai let out a wry smile. "You could say that."

As the vehicle drove slowly toward the riverside, Yang Jiekai's thoughts drifted back to Han Ning. They hadn't seen each other or had any contact for over three months, and he had no idea how she was doing.

In truth, during these past three months, even though Yang Jiekai kept himself swamped with work every day to the point of exhaustion, the moment he found a single shred of leisure, Han Ning would involuntarily pop into his mind.

At this moment, Han Ning was like a sharp thorn embedded deep within Yang Jiekai's heart—he dared not think of her, for the mere thought brought an aching pain.

The reason he had moved out to live on his own for the past three months was largely to escape. He truly did not want to divorce Han Ning, so he needed to stay as far away as possible, depriving her of any chance to process the divorce papers with him.

Before long, a black Mercedes pulled up. The people stepping out of the car were none other than He Yuan and Zhou Dongcheng.

"President He, President Zhou, please sit. Let me pour you some drinks."

Chen Peifeng, playing the role of the peacemaker, hurried forward to welcome them.

As men accustomed to seeing the grand spectacles of the world, He Yuan and Zhou Dongcheng showed no disdain whatsoever for the modest, rustic setting of the open-air food stall.

"Brother Yang, I'll dispense with polite pleasantries. We had our differences in the past, but that's all water under the bridge," He Yuan said directly to Yang Jiekai as soon as he took his seat.

Yang Jiekai looked at He Yuan and smiled. "What are you talking about, President He? Everything before was just a misunderstanding. I thought President He had forgotten all about me."

"Oh? You two know each other?" Zhou Dongcheng, completely unaware of the backstory, watched the two nod at each other before laughing heartily. "That makes things much easier! Since you're acquainted, you're family. We spend all our time eating grand banquets, so coming to a food stall for some skewers actually has its own unique charm. Tonight, we brothers are going to drink until we drop."

As they sipped their beer, the group initially chatted about casual, trivial matters.

After a few glasses of alcohol, He Yuan finally steered the conversation toward the main topic. He raised his glass, looked at Yang Jiekai, and said, "Brother Yang, your Dragon Hall has been developing at a ferocious pace lately. I wonder what plans you have for the future?"

Yang Jiekai smiled back at He Yuan. He understood the underlying meaning of He Yuan's words all too well—it was a probe. "President He flatters me. It's just a small-time operation. If I can simply manage to carve out a living in Anhai City in the future, I'll be more than satisfied."

Zhou Dongcheng picked up the thread of the conversation. "Brother Yang is too modest. Although this is our first meeting, I can tell that Brother Yang is definitely not someone who will stay confined to a small pond."

Yang Jiekai downed the contents of his glass in a single gulp, wiped his mouth, and said, "There's no need for the two of you to test me anymore. Everything I just said was the truth, and continuing to probe like this gets tiresome. Why don't we talk about something substantive—for instance, how we plan to deal with one of the Ten Sharp Blades under the triumphant banner of the Kaixuan Group this time around?"

"Good! Brother Yang is truly a hero among youths. In that case, I won't beat around the bush either," Zhou Dongcheng said. "Since Brother Yang already knows who the opponent is, I won't elaborate further. I simply want Brother Yang to lay his cards on the table. What kind of strength do you actually possess that gives you the audacity to take on Wu Lianhai?"

Yang Jiekai rolled his neck, took a deep breath, and replied, "Brother Zhou, talking about those details is pointless. It's hard for me to describe the exact extent of my strength. I will only say this: in dealing with Wu Lianhai this time, I not only have absolute confidence, but I also have the full certainty that we will swallow Wu Lianhai whole in one single bite."

"Splendid!"

Hearing this, He Yuan immediately chimed in, "Since that's the case, I won't mince words anymore. If Brother Yang can genuinely drive Wu Lianhai out of Anhai, I will unite the other gangs and allocate ten lucrative business venues in the downtown area directly to your Dragon Hall."

"And there's more!"

He Yuan paused briefly before continuing, "If we succeed in defeating Wu Lianhai this time, I, He Yuan, will swear an oath of brotherhood with you. From then on, as long as we are in Anhai, your affairs are my affairs."

"Indeed, count Zhou Dongcheng in on that as well!"

Hearing these terms, Chen Peifeng's eyelids involuntarily twitched. While he had anticipated that He Yuan and Zhou Dongcheng would surely offer something significant, he never imagined the conditions would be this lavish.

Leaving aside the immense profits generated by ten thriving establishments, the mere promise from He Yuan and Zhou Dongcheng to form a sworn brotherhood with Dragon Hall was enough to make countless people drool with envy.

One had to realize that the He family and the Zhou Group had run rampant across all of Anhai for over a decade as the two largest behemoths in the region. Securing their support and alliance meant that the future of Dragon Hall would soar straight up like a roc spreading its wings.

"I have one more condition," Yang Jiekai said, picking up his wine glass and taking a light sip.

"Oh?" Zhou Dongcheng looked at Yang Jiekai and quickly asked, "What other conditions does Brother Yang have? Feel free to state them. As long as it is within our power, we will go all out to make it happen."

Yang Jiekai gently set his glass back down on the table. "Going head-to-head with Wu Lianhai this time will inevitably lead to several brutal battles, and they are bound to cause a massive commotion. Our Dragon Hall's foundation is still shallow, so when that time comes, I will have to ask the two of you to provide plenty of cover and support."

Upon hearing this, both He Yuan and Zhou Dongcheng nodded repeatedly in agreement.

They understood the underlying intent of Yang Jiekai's words completely. It meant that Yang Jiekai would lead Dragon Hall to charge into battle at the front lines, while they would handle cleaning up the mess from behind. Given that these two factions practically covered the sky with one hand in Anhai, handling such minor logistical matters was well within their capabilities.

After finishing, Yang Jiekai stretched his arms and said, "If the two of you have other matters to attend to, please go ahead and handle them. I'd like to chat alone with my friend for a while."

Hearing this caused Chen Peifeng's eyelids to twitch wildly. Sitting and drinking with the supreme bosses of Anhai City's two largest underworld forces was an immense honor, yet this guy had the audacity to directly issue an eviction notice.

Across the entire city of Anhai, aside from Yang Jiekai, there was likely not a second person who would dare speak to these two figures in such a manner.

However, neither He Yuan nor Zhou Dongcheng grew angry. After raising their glasses to drain the remaining alcohol, they cleanly and decisively stood up to take their leave.

"Come on, let's drink among ourselves. Pay no attention to them."

Once He Yuan and Zhou Dongcheng had departed, Yang Jiekai finally relaxed his posture a bit, picking up his wine glass with a faint smile.

Chen Peifeng felt a wave of speechlessness wash over him, muttering gloomily, "Brother Yang, I'm afraid that across all of Anhai City, you are the only person alive who would dare speak to those two like that."

Yang Jiekai shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't care who they are. I only share drinks with friends, and those two aren't my friends."

Having known Yang Jiekai for some time now, Chen Peifeng understood his temperament to a certain degree and didn't press the issue further. Instead, he shifted the topic: "Brother Yang, now that you've secured the backing of the two major factions to watch your back, you've essentially rid yourself of any worries in the rear. But as you rightly pointed out, there are bound to be several brutal fights this time. You'll need to watch your own step when the time comes."

Yang Jiekai glanced at Chen Peifeng, smiled, and remained silent.

In truth, he knew perfectly well what Chen Peifeng's words implied—essentially: *You fight your battles; I won't be able to help you with this.*

Yet Yang Jiekai didn't mind. While he considered Chen Peifeng a decent fellow, their current association was strictly limited to mutual interests. The impending opponent was Wu Lianhai, one of the elite "Ten Sharp Blades" under the Kaixuan Group from Beihai City. It was entirely understandable that Chen Peifeng would weigh the pros and cons to steer clear and avoid getting splattered with blood.

"Xiaoman, are you afraid?" Yang Jiekai asked the woman beside him.

Long Xiaoman let out a soft sigh. "It would be a lie to say I'm not afraid. I've heard the reputation of the Kaixuan Group. Forget about us—even local local tyrants like He Yuan and Zhou Dongcheng are nothing more than a mob of rabble in front of them."

"Then why didn't you try to stop me?" Yang Jiekai asked, looking at Long Xiaoman with a hint of amusement.

Long Xiaoman picked up her glass, took a sip, and replied, "As I've said before, you're my man, so whatever you say goes. In the worst-case scenario, the absolute worst that can happen is death. This life of mine was never worth much anyway."

For reasons unknown, hearing these words stirred an inexplicable sense of warmth and emotion deep within Yang Jiekai.

With his relationship with Han Ning currently hanging by such a frozen thread, over these past three months, it was actually Long Xiaoman who had quietly stayed by his side, even entrusting her very destiny into his hands. What kind of profound trust was this?

"Xiaoman, I toast to you," Yang Jiekai said, raising his glass.

Long Xiaoman lifted her glass as well, clinking it gently against his. "No matter what, this step had to be taken eventually."

Yang Jiekai nodded heavily. "Trust me, this time I will carve out a whole new world for Dragon Hall!"

It was now past ten o'clock at night. A black Mercedes was cruising slowly through the downtown streets.

Inside the vehicle sat two men, both with their eyes closed in deep concentration, each presumably lost in their own thoughts.

"President He, do you really trust that young man that much?" Zhou Dongcheng opened his eyes, gazing at the bustling traffic outside the window.

He Yuan also opened his eyes, gently stroking a translucent jade ring on his finger. His expression remained completely unreadable as he calmly replied, "I have a gut feeling that this man is far more formidable than we imagine."

Zhou Dongcheng let out a soft sigh and said nothing more. In truth, how could he not share that exact same intuition?

Zhou Dongcheng himself was a practitioner of martial arts; rumor had it that in his youth, he had studied under a Daoist master on Mount Wudang, mastering formidable skills that allowed him to effortlessly fend off a dozen ordinary men at once.

Just moments earlier, when Yang Jiekai had effortlessly laid out those bodyguards in the private dining room, Zhou Dongcheng—possessing martial arts training himself—had instantly realized that if he were to go toe-to-toe with that young man in a one-on-one fight, he likely wouldn't stand a single chance of winning.