Chapter 537: Many People!

The commotion at Heavenly Club naturally didn’t escape the attention of certain interested parties.

Months earlier, when Wanlong Society’s people first appeared in South City, they had already caught the eye of several local crime bosses.

At the time, they hadn’t yet understood what these people were after, assuming they were simply there to throw down with Vulture Master.

On the streets of South City, Vulture Master was undoubtedly one of the most seasoned veterans. He commanded the largest crew, controlled the most extensive network of entertainment venues, underground gambling dens, and gray-market territories, and his web of connections was tangled and complex. Calling him the local kingpin wouldn’t be an exaggeration.

Though in recent years he’d grown arrogant, his methods becoming increasingly rapacious and making him plenty of enemies, his foundation remained rock-solid. Everyone believed that even if Wanlong Society from Pearl City wanted to move against him, it would be a Pyrrhic victory at best, with neither side coming out ahead.

But the spectacle before them now completely shattered their expectations.

What era were they living in that someone still dared to gather this many people for a showdown?

Of course, if you ignored how reckless the other side was being, this display was absolutely the largest and most intimidating show of force they’d witnessed since entering this life.

Neither Vulture Master nor any of them could easily muster this many people.

In a hotel not far from Heavenly Club…

Several South City bosses sat drinking tea by the window.

From their vantage point, hundreds of meters away they could see the dense mass of Wanlong Society members. From this perspective, though, all that was visible was an unbroken sea of black umbrellas.

After their underlings spotted Wanlong Society’s people mobilizing today, they’d rushed to this restaurant diagonally opposite Heavenly Club and booked this window-side private dining room, wanting to see for themselves what Wanlong Society was really made of.

Of course, most of them hadn’t believed Wanlong Society would actually dare to start trouble directly inside someone else’s establishment.

The same old logic applied: this was the 21st century, and they were on the mainland.

Unless your backing was so powerful you could ignore the rules, making a scene would guarantee a bad ending.

They also believed that the young lady who’d grown Wanlong Society to this size without incident would have the sense to understand this.

Yet when they actually saw that dense crowd of black-clad figures surrounding Heavenly Club, they all fell silent.

Were they getting old?

Or did the youth of today simply not know how to write the character for ‘fear’?

What they didn’t know was that scenes like this had played out countless times in Pearl City.

“Old Chen, it seems we all misjudged the situation. We thought it would be a clash of titans, but this is more like a mountain falling on our heads,” a man in an exquisite suit and glasses couldn’t help but remark.

The man called Old Chen stared at the black mass below and said slowly, “We didn’t misjudge. This Wanlong Society mistress never intended to play by the rules from the start. I feel she’s not just here to seize territory—she’s here to make a statement.”

Another slightly portly man beside him clicked his tongue. “Make a statement? Is she making a statement to that old ghoul Vulture? Or to us locals of South City?”

“I think it’s both.”

“I think so too.”

“They say a mighty dragon cannot crush a local snake, but this bunch seems to pay that saying no mind. Arrogant as hell!”

“They have the capital to be arrogant. You try rallying five or six hundred people. Could you do it?”

“I really couldn’t. I’m afraid the cops would sweep us all up in one go.”

“Hahaha… you two cowards, such small balls. And you call yourselves having been in the game.”

“Old Song, don’t laugh at us. If you had this many people, in this day and age, would you dare to bring them out this blatantly to smash up someone else’s place? Would you dare?!”

“I wouldn’t! So what? Am I proud of it? Am I boasting?”

“Damn, you’re shameless!”

“Are we just getting old? Or are the youngsters these days regressing? I really don’t understand anymore.”

“Tsk tsk… what a display, what presence! That old ghoul Vulture is probably going down for good this time!”

“Vulture Master has overextended his reach these past few years, his appetite too large, making many enemies. Wanlong Society’s move likely suits plenty of people’s wishes. It’s just unexpected that she’d use such a direct, overbearing method.”

“This is what’s most frightening about these youngsters today—they don’t give a damn about propriety and just charge straight in. If this battle really takes out Vulture Master, who in South City would dare defy Wanlong Society?”

“Exactly! Having such an overbearing master in South City isn’t good for us either.”

“Sigh. The old guard gives way to the new. From now on, South City belongs to Wanlong Society. We’ll all have to learn to keep our heads down.”

“Screw it. I’ve already washed my hands of this life anyway. I’ll just avoid them from now on.”

“Right now I just want to know what expression that old ghoul Vulture has on his face in his office right now? Must be priceless! Hahaha!”

“………”

Heavenly Club, top floor.

Vulture Master was currently discussing with the club’s general manager—also his number one confidant—how to deal with the potential threat from Wanlong Society.

Especially when he learned that the despicable pair who’d been in his office earlier had actually dared to target Liu Yutong’s sister. He’d only later discovered that the Wanlong Society mistress even had a sister.

This terrified him.

He’d only just reconciled with her through the mediation of the city’s richest man, and now this happened.

Nearly all the losses he’d suffered in recent years had been at Wanlong Society’s hands. He wished for Liu Yutong to have an accident—if those two could eliminate Liu Yutong, he’d probably be so happy he’d run naked through the streets.

But if only Liu Yutong’s sister was harmed, that would absolutely be the last thing he wanted to see.

That woman would go berserk.

In any case, if they were going to make a move, the timing couldn’t be worse. They should’ve at least waited until he’d transferred his assets and gotten what he needed from that green-haired kid.

After receiving the news, Vulture Master immediately sent men to capture that man and woman, planning to give Liu Yutong an explanation. But he was a step too late—they’d already boarded a plane and left the country.

There was no doubt he’d have to face Liu Yutong’s wrath.

Vulture Master had just finished listening to the general manager’s report on asset reorganization and how to placate the woman who might come knocking.

Bang!

A lackey came tumbling and crawling into the office.

“Boss! Boss! Something’s wrong! The… the lobby… it’s… it’s surrounded!”

Vulture Master, interrupted so abruptly, immediately lost his temper and cursed, “What’s the panic? Have some dignity! Which blind bastard dares cause trouble on my turf? Take a few boys and send them packing! You bother me with such a trivial matter?!”

He’d been in the game for over a decade, survived every storm. The occasional drunk causing trouble or clueless punks looking for a fight were par for the course.

Deal with it and be done.

“No, B-Boss!”

The lackey could barely get his words out: “Not a few! It’s… it’s many! So many people! A dark mass, blocking our front entrance, back entrance, every single exit! All dressed in black!”

“Wanlong Society?”

Vulture Master leapt to his feet, asking with some alarm, “Is it that woman from Wanlong Society? She actually dares to come? How many did she bring?”

In his heart he still clung to some hope, thinking the other side wouldn’t dare be so brazen, that she wouldn’t bring too many people.

After all, in this day and age, large gatherings are taboo.

If you gather in numbers and smash up someone else’s establishment, that’s taboo upon taboo.

Unless your backing reaches the heavens, you absolutely cannot escape the iron fist of the authorities.

In all his years in this life, he rarely gathered more than a hundred people.

Large numbers attract too much attention, and even when deploying many people, they’d have to operate in small groups, ready to run at any moment.

Like when they went after those green-haired kids previously—they’d acted in waves.

Of course, this approach had its drawbacks, namely that it made it easy for people to escape.

The lackey was nearly in tears. He held up two fingers, then realized that wasn’t right, and frantically gestured with his hands.

“So many people! At least… at least this many! No, no, it’s impossible to count, Boss, we should run!”