In another villa—
This one belonged to the eldest son of the Xiao family.
From the study, the sound of a woman crying and being whipped echoed out.
Then, silence.
Some time later, a young woman in an office uniform stepped out of the room.
Her face was flushed, and her expression was bitter.
She was the secretary of the eldest son, also his current primary pleasure companion.
Then came another sound from the study.
It was something breaking—perhaps a cup or some accessory.
Angry shouting followed.
And then again, silence.
Inside the room, the eldest son, Xiao Lei, wore a bitter and angry expression.
A few minutes later, his own eldest son, Xiao Rui, entered the study.
Xiao Rui was strikingly handsome—one of the top three young masters of Tianhai Royal University.
A typical Prince Charming: sharp, confident, and magnetic.
He was also the elder brother of Xiao Hao.
"What's happening, Father? Why are you so angry?" he asked.
Xiao Lei snapped out of his thoughts. He calmed down, then recounted what had happened in the earlier meeting.
Xiao Rui looked puzzled.
"So, Father, why are you so upset? Grandfather deciding not to help the Wang family doesn't seem worth this much anger."
Xiao Lei replied coldly,
"That is part of it, yes—but not the main issue.
What angers me is that Dad had already decided not to help the Wang family before the meeting. That entire gathering was just for show.
I gave my opinion first, but he dismissed it, then approved the suggestions of my younger brothers.
That's not just a disagreement. That was a signal.
A signal for me to be careful.
He thinks I'm growing too influential.
This is a subtle move to suppress me."
Xiao Rui's eyes narrowed.
"Are you sure, Dad?"
"Yes," Xiao Lei said firmly.
"But why would he do that?"
"Because I've been swaying too many elders toward cutting ties with that Gu Empire."
"Hmm... the Gu Empire. They were quiet for a long time, but now they're making moves toward us."
Truth be told, the Gu Empire had remained silent for so long that many in the Xiao family believed it had been destroyed or had simply faded away.
But recently, they returned and with leverage. A mighty one.
They controlled two of the most powerful Innate Tools of the Xiao family. If they truly wished to, those tools could be taken away from the Xiao family forever.
Xiao Rui frowned.
"Grandfather still isn't sure about confronting the Gu Empire, is he?"
Xiao Lei shook his head.
"If they really do take control of those tools… the loss would be unimaginable."
He then looked at his son and added,
"So, here comes your duty. You have to pursue one of those girls and marry her. If you can do that, then your grandfather may also make the decision to confront the Gu Empire.
At that point, we'll team up with the other Thirty-Three influences and fight back against the Gu Empire.
Otherwise, there's no chance. Our dream of becoming one of the Thirty-Three will remain just that—a dream."
"Father, if we stop resisting the Gu Empire, what do you think will become of us? Will we grow stronger?"
"It doesn't matter. In that case, no matter how powerful we become, someone will always be above us.
And I don't want that."
"Okay, Father. I'll do my best."
His mind then drifted toward two exceptional women—Bai Yue and Xia Qingyue.
Both had deep connections to the Thirty-Three.
If he could win over either of them, it would not only be a great feat for himself but also for the Xiao family.
It would almost guarantee that he'd become the next head of the family after his father. No one would be able to change that.
OH, only if I can marry both.
There was a trace of saliva on the corner of his mouth.
Tianhai Royal University's police station—
It was one of the most important in all of Tianhai.
The captain's post was especially significant. Its importance could be seen from the fact that the position was directly overseen by the provincial police chief, and the captain's rank was equivalent to that of a deputy city mayor.
There were only four such police stations in the entire Tianhai.
Suddenly, three cars pulled up in front of the station.
From their setup and license plates, it was clear they were government vehicles.
A group of people stepped out and entered the station.
Some of them showed their IDs and badges.
They came from different departments:
The Provincial Discipline Committee, The Audit Bureau, The Procurement Department, and The Provincial Legal Affairs Committee.
Each quickly took their position inside the building.
Then, four department heads entered the captain's office.
"Captain Leng, you are hereby suspended.
You must come with us for an official investigation.
There are charges against you—allegations that you have been aiding a criminal gang.
Also, you are suspected of suppressing reports related to multiple sexual misconduct incidents that happened at the Tianhai Royal University."
Captain Leng felt as if he had fallen from the sky.
He was around forty years old.
Although not related to the Wang family by blood, it was no secret within the inner circles that he was one of their most important pawns.
After the initial surprise, Captain Leng quickly composed himself.
After all, he had seen many things in his life.
He said, "Alright, I'll go with you—but let me see your IDs first."
They showed their identification.
Then he said, "Okay, just let me make one phone call."
"Sorry. No phone calls. Also, I should tell you, the evidence is solid. You're not walking away from this."
Across Tianhai, similar operations were unfolding in secret.
In just forty minutes, several of the Wang family's key pawns were taken down.
It was so sudden and well-coordinated that they had no time to react.
Later…
A high-level video conference was underway.
Ten participants were present:
Five heads from first-class families, the First Elder of the Xiao family, one of the most powerful people of the Xiao family, three government officials, and one representative from the military
The head of the Wang family wore an expression of anger and bitterness.
He glared at the others through the screen—his gaze especially sharp, almost venomous, when it landed on the head of the Hong family.
Then he spoke:
"So, why are you people doing this? Do you want to throw the entire situation into chaos?
I understand that you're trying to increase your influence, but isn't this a bit too hasty?"
Although his words sounded like those of a victim, there was a subtle note of threat in his voice.
Even if they were cornered, the Wang family could still stir up massive unrest in Tianhai—and no one wanted that.
There had to be a limit to the suppression.
And that limit had just been reached.
"So tell me," he said, "What are your terms? What will it take for you to stop?"
All eyes turned to the head of the Hong family.
He calmly replied,
"The Tianhai Royal University district will now fall under the control of the Imperial Bull Gang.
As for the Wang investment's share, it can be returned, but only if you buy it back.
Also, you're forbidden from entering into any future cooperation with Ning Corporation."
The moment the Ning Corporation was mentioned, the First Elder of the Xiao family's eyes narrowed sharply.
Interesting…
This condition was revealing.
The Hong family clearly didn't have the capability to oppose the Ning family on their own. Someone powerful was behind them. But who? The Eastern Bank? Another hidden hand?
It was well known that someone had backed the Hong family's sudden rise.
The other families had long been trying to trace this mysterious influence—
But until now, they had found nothing.
It seems it's time to start taking the investigation more seriously.
The head of the Wang family closed his eyes, trying to suppress his growing anger.
Then, he turned to look at the government officials.
One of them spoke firmly,
"The individuals who have been apprehended—none of them are going free.
We have solid evidence against each of them. Frankly, it's astonishing they were allowed to operate so freely for so long.
You should all remember:
While there may be many powerful people and influential forces in Country X, no one is above the law."
He did not say everything, nobody is above the law, but somebody can influence the creation of the law.
The Wang family head asked coldly,
"What about Wang Zhi?"
"He's also made some mistakes," the official replied.
"Nothing too severe, but the evidence is solid.
He will be punished—transferred to another province in the same rank.
His second-in-command will temporarily take over his duties."
The Wang family head turned and glared at the Hong family head, his eyes burning with fury.
Everyone in the room knew—Wang Zhi's second-in-command was from the Hong family. Although the Wang family head was aware of this, he was still enraged.
In fact, this was the Hong family's main bargaining chip. They held serious blackmail material, and if they released it, Wang Zhi would be completely destroyed. It was a helpless move for them to send Wang Zhi far, and some government officials helped them save Wang Zhi.
In the end, the Wang family head said nothing.
The situation was unfolding too fast, too suddenly. Everything was confusing, chaotic.
For now, they needed to regroup—consolidate their strength, investigate the true cause behind the attacks, and search for a chance to retaliate.
They also had to reestablish contact with their allies.
The Wang family had been a dominant force in Tianhai for generations.
Its roots ran deep, and no one dared to ignore them.
That this kind of assault had succeeded at all was a testament to how carefully and powerfully it had been orchestrated.
Under normal circumstances, it would have been nearly impossible to suppress them.
Without offering any closing words or pleasantries, the Wang family head left the meeting in silence.