「Yes, Young Master Sun.」
Sun Zhong was hardly surprised by Sun Qian's sudden outburst—he was used to it by now.
After all, this troublemaker had caused quite a stir back in the imperial capital over a woman once, even going so far as to cave in the skulls of two young scions from the Gu family.
Now, picking a fight over another woman? Business as usual.
As Young Master Sun liked to say: what happened in Magic City before he arrived didn't matter one bit.
But now that he was here, no one else in this city was allowed to act as arrogant as he pleased.
That was the weight of the Sun family of Qianyuan.
...
Century Hotel, Supreme VIP Suite
A special "birthday party" was in full swing.
The guests in attendance were almost all the most influential figures in Magic City—big shots with power and prestige to spare.
And for good reason: the host of this birthday bash was Zhao Kun, the eldest young master of the Zhao family.
The Zhao family was one of Magic City's Four Great Noble Clans, a powerhouse whose influence permeated every corner of the city.
In the eyes of most Magic Citynese, these four noble clans were the true rulers of the city—the real powers that be.
Even the imperial-appointed city governor had to curry favor with these local aristocrats to get anything done.
Naturally, every guest here had come to butter up Zhao Kun, the heir apparent to one of these great clans.
Yet despite being the center of attention, swarmed by flatterers, Zhao Kun's brows were furrowed in irritation. He kept glancing toward the bathroom door, his patience wearing thin.
What's taking so long? Liu Yue's been in the bathroom for almost twenty minutes. Could it be the drug finally kicked in and she's stuck in there...
On the surface, tonight's "banquet" was a celebration of his twenty-sixth birthday.
But everyone in the know understood it was a ruse with an ulterior motive.
Zhao Kun had been coveting Liu Yue—the icy-cold campus belle—for ages, but he'd never been able to win her over.
Though the Liu family was just a second-rate clan in Magic City, far beneath the Zhao family's status, Liu Yue had always been cold and aloof.
Back at Magic City University, she'd ignored even the young masters of the imperial aristocratic clans who'd come down to the city.
Compared to them, Zhao Kun was practically a nobody.
That was why someone had cooked up this scheme for him: lure Liu Yue to his birthday party under the pretense of a class reunion, then slip something into her drink...
To pull this off, Zhao Kun had gone to great lengths to distract Liu Yue's bodyguard—the scruffy, country bumpkin-looking kid who was always by her side.
And Liu Yue had taken the bait, drinking the spiked red wine without hesitation. But she'd quickly excused herself to the bathroom and never come back out.
Twenty minutes had passed now.
No wonder Zhao Kun was getting antsy!
He'd already booked a suite upstairs, after all—everything was ready except the girl.
As time ticked by, his patience frayed further and further, his annoyance growing more and more obvious by the second.
Seeing his foul mood, the guests and his former classmates wisely kept their distance, not daring to approach him for fear of drawing his wrath.
Only one figure remained unfazed by Zhao Kun's irritation. He swaggered over, a glass of red wine in hand, wearing a bright smile.
What's the hurry, Zhao Kun? A bird in the hand won't fly away, will it?
He was a handsome young man in a sharp tailored suit, exuding an air of refined elegance. His smile was warm and charming, like a spring breeze caressing one's face.
This was Li Yang, the young master of the Li family—another of Magic City's Four Great Noble Clans, every bit as powerful as the Zhao family.
What's more, the Li family was related by marriage to the Sun family, one of the most prominent aristocratic clans in the imperial capital.
In Magic City, the Li family's power was absolute.
Only someone like Li Yang would dare to speak to Zhao Kun in such a teasing tone at a time like this.
Though his words were friendly, the look in Li Yang's eyes as he stared at Zhao Kun was cold—as if he were looking at a dead man.
Brainless fool.He actually thinks he's going to get his hands on Liu Yue tonight? Pathetic.
His men had already tampered with the bathroom window, helping Liu Yue escape long ago.
Cut the crap, Li Yang, Zhao Kun shot back coldly, showing no courtesy whatsoever. Don't forget you're in on this too. And I call dibs on the first go.
Li Yang had been the one to propose this scheme in the first place—Zhao Kun was just the one executing it.
According to Li Yang, he wanted a piece of the action too once it was all said and done.
Zhao Kun hadn't objected. After all, what was one more person to share a woman with? Just an extra pair of chopsticks at the dinner table.
Yeah, yeah, you go first, Li Yang shrugged, too lazy to argue with this walking dead man. He feigned a nonchalant expression.
Let's see... by now, Liu Yue should've run straight into our target and been picked up by him. And the Thousand Shadows Assassin is already in position nearby, ready to strike.
Once the target was dead, Zhao Kun here would be the prime suspect—the perfect scapegoat to bear the full fury of the Sun family of Qianyuan.
With the Zhao family destroyed, the Li family could swoop in and seize all their assets. Two birds with one stone. A flawless plan.
Just thinking about it made Li Yang's heart race with excitement.
Just as Zhao Kun's patience snapped, ready to explode like a volcano, a flustered figure came scurrying out of the bathroom, yelling in panic.
Young Master Zhao! It's bad! There's a hole smashed through the bathroom window—Miss Liu's gone!
What did you say?!
Zhao Kun's face turned ashen. He grabbed his underling by the collar, yanking him close.
I... I said Miss Liu escaped, Young Master Zhao!
Goddammit!
Finding out the woman he'd been salivating over had gotten away, Zhao Kun's mind short-circuited. He kicked the underling hard, sending him flying across the room.
Watching Zhao Kun fly into a rage, the guests jumped in alarm.
Some of them had already guessed what was going on. They quietly stepped back, melting into the crowd to avoid being caught in the crossfire.
She couldn't have gotten far. It hasn't been long, and the drug in that wine should be kicking in by now, Zhao Kun gritted his teeth, managing to maintain the modicum of rationality expected of a noble clan heir.
Someone, check the surveillance footage! Find out where she went...
At his command, his men scrambled to comply.
Young Master Zhao! Miss Liu collapsed not far from the hotel after escaping! Then a young man got out of a car and picked her up...
The nerve of him! Daring to steal what's mine! Zhao Kun's blood boiled at the news of someone stealing his prize. He was practically foaming at the mouth with rage. Trace that car's license plate! Find out where he is! I'll make sure he has nowhere to hide in Magic City!
Li Yang stood off to the side, swirling the red wine in his glass—Romanee-Conti, a vintage so rare it was practically priceless. He watched the scene unfold with amusement, like a man watching a monkey show.
The man in charge of checking the surveillance footage jumped at Zhao Kun's order, frantically tapping away at his keyboard to lock onto the car's location.
Young Master Zhao! I'm locking onto the license plate now... Wait a minute! That car—it's moving! But it's not leaving... It's heading straight for us!
BOOM!
A deafening crash shook the suite.
A Maybach, its body forged from a special bulletproof alloy, smashed through the door like a rampaging beast, barreling into the room...
SLAM!
The car door swung open.
A tall, imposing figure stepped out, slinging the unconscious, drunken beauty over his shoulder. A mocking, arrogant grin played on his lips as he surveyed the stunned crowd.
I heard someone was going to make sure I have nowhere to hide in Magic City?