153: farewell

The following afternoon...

A sea breeze blew gently across the Tiger Gate Wharf, carrying a faint, salty tang.

Members of the Hong Kong and Macau delegation were boarding a luxury passenger ship one after another.

As the host, Bai Shaqiang and several of his men had been waiting there to see them off.

Not long after, Li Zhan arrived at the Wharf with his core members, including Lao Zhou, Big Ox, and AZu.

"Mr. Su, Brother Bing, please forgive me for the lack of hospitality this time!"

Bai Shaqiang smiled and stepped forward to shake hands with Su Jingtang and Gold Tooth Bing, exchanging pleasantries,

"Thank you both for coming, and thanks to all the brothers from Hong Kong and Macau for supporting us; your presence really added a lot to the tournament!"

"Brother Qiang, you're too kind... The arrangements this time were very thoughtful, and we were truly impressed!"

Su Jingtang replied with a smile, his demeanor poised and appropriate.

"That's right, that's right. Next time you come to Macau, you must let me play the host!"

Gold Tooth Bing chimed in enthusiastically, revealing his gold teeth.

After a few moments of polite conversation, both men turned their attention to Li Zhan.

"It's been an honor to meet Mr. Li this time. I hope we can keep in touch..."

Su Jingtang reached out his hand, his tone sincere,

"In two months, we will be waiting for you in Hong Kong or Macau, where we can discuss some of the details in depth."

He was referring to the previously agreed-upon further cooperation, as well as some arrangements for the China-Japan-Korea underground tournament.

Gold Tooth Bing leaned in and whispered,

"That's right! Mr. Li... when you come, I'll show you what the real Oriental Las Vegas is all about!"

Li Zhan shook hands with both of them and nodded in agreement,

"Definitely... rest assured, I will make time to go then."

"However, there are still some loose ends to deal with here in Dongguan recently. The takeover of the Port Authority Company, as well as settling some 'accounts' with certain people... I still need to sort those out slowly."

His words carried a hint of imperceptible coldness.

"Understood... We will wait for the good news then!"

Su Jingtang patted Li Zhan on the arm.

Seeing that it was almost time to board, Su Jingtang made a gesture for Li Zhan to follow, and the two walked a few more steps toward the ship's gangway for a final private conversation.

Just then...

Su Ziqing, who was following behind Su Jingtang and still dressed in men's clothing, couldn't help but look up again, her gaze complex as she looked at Li Zhan.

That gaze was a mixture of curiosity, inquiry, and a hint of reluctance and flutter that she herself had not yet fully understood.

This subtle anomaly was instantly captured by the meticulous Su Jingtang.

Su Jingtang sighed inwardly.

How could he not notice his niece's absent-mindedness over the past few days and the way her gaze kept drifting toward Li Zhan?

In all fairness,

the strength, courage, and acumen Li Zhan displayed during this tournament were indeed extremely charismatic.

For a girl like Su Ziqing, who was inexperienced in the world and somewhat rebellious against the greenhouse life arranged by her family, he held a fatal attraction.

But this was absolutely impossible!

Su Jingtang was extremely clear-headed.

Not to mention the confirmed information he had received indicating that Li Zhan was a womanizer, with ambiguous relationships with several women.

Just based on the Su Family's status and reputation in Hong Kong, it would never be allowed for their carefully nurtured precious daughter to have any entanglement beyond business cooperation with a rising overlord from the mainland who had a complicated background and operated in the grey areas.

Bringing her along was truly his biggest mistake...

Su Jingtang felt some regret and decided he must nip this dangerous budding interest in the bud immediately.

He quickly ended the conversation with Li Zhan, turned, and naturally put his arm around Su Ziqing's shoulder, guiding her toward the ship's gangway with an irresistible force, his tone normal but carrying an unquestionable meaning,

"Let's go, Nickname, the ship is about to sail. There are many things to deal with back home..."

Su Ziqing was steered by her uncle,

subconsciously turning her head to take one last look at the tall, upright figure on the Wharf before reluctantly following him aboard.

Su Jingtang made up his mind that after returning, he must find a way to completely eradicate this inappropriate thought from his niece, and in the future, he would absolutely not allow her to have any unnecessary contact with Li Zhan.

However, in this world,

plans often cannot keep up with changes...

Who can truly predict the trajectory of the future?

Watching the Hong Kong and Macau delegation's passenger ship slowly depart from the Wharf and finally disappear from view...

only Li Zhan's group and Bai Shaqiang's group remained at the Wharf.

A smile that was slightly apologetic yet carried a touch of ingratiation hung on Bai Shaqiang's face as he walked toward Li Zhan...

As the organizer, having the incident with the banned substances occur meant he was indeed in the wrong, not to mention that he still had places where he would need to ask for Li Zhan's help in the future.

He walked up to Li Zhan, his tone much more sincere than before, even carrying a hint of self-reproach,

"Mr. Li... this time... sigh, it was truly my negligence and poor supervision that almost allowed the villain to succeed, causing a disaster and giving you a scare."

He made no mention of the fact that he had known about it all along, only pushing the responsibility onto "negligence" and "villains".

He enthusiastically made a gesture of invitation,

"Regardless, it is my fault. Tonight, you must give me a chance to host a banquet to formally apologize to you, and also to celebrate your trip to Tiger Gate! I've already arranged the venue, and I'm sure you'll be satisfied."

A faint smile hung on Li Zhan's face, and he did not answer immediately. He just looked at Bai Shaqiang with a calm gaze.

Whether it was truly "negligence," both men knew clearly in their hearts. Whether or not to accept this "apology" did not depend on this meal, but on how much tangible "sincerity" Bai Shaqiang could offer in the future to make up for it.

Seeing that Li Zhan did not respond, Bai Shaqiang knew that the other party was playing hard to get. He cursed inwardly, calling him a little fox, but his smile remained unchanged, and he became even more enthusiastic.

Having reached his position in the underworld, he understood how to judge the situation better; when one needs to bow, one must bow, especially when facing a rising strong dragon with great potential.

He laughed twice, skillfully using the laughter to cover up the momentary awkwardness, then took a step forward and patted Li Zhan's arm more intimately,

"Haha, Mr. Li, just give Brother Qiang some face! Let's go, the car is already prepared... Tonight, we won't stop until we're drunk..."

He lowered his posture significantly, personally leading the way for Li Zhan, and the two got into a black luxury mercedes-benz sedan together.

The motorcade drove all the way and finally stopped in front of an extremely high-end and luxurious hotel.

Bai Shaqiang personally led Li Zhan and his group to a huge VIP private room.

The interior of the private room was divided into main and secondary areas, separated by an exquisite screen.

In the main area, there was a huge round table that could accommodate more than a dozen people, already set with exquisite tableware and pre-meal refreshments.

The secondary area was a larger space with several round tables, clearly prepared for the trusted subordinates brought by the various bosses; it was already noisy and bustling with activity.

Bai Shaqiang smiled and said to Brother Jiang, Big Ox, AZu, and the others brought by Li Zhan,

"Gentlemen, please go to the outer area; everything has been arranged. You must eat and drink well tonight!"

Brother Jiang and the others nodded and walked to the outer area with a tacit understanding.

Li Zhan took Yang Yuying and Lao Zhou into the main private room.

Several people were already sitting at the main table.

Prince Hui from Huangjiang Town was prominently seated there. He was still wearing an elegant Zhongshan suit today, the gaze behind his gold-rimmed glasses carrying a smile, and beside him sat a young female companion with a beautiful appearance and a capable temperament.

In addition, there were two other spokespersons he had seen during the tournament, each with a female companion or a core subordinate by their side.

Seeing Bai Shaqiang leading Li Zhan in, everyone at the table stood up to greet him. The atmosphere was warm, but their eyes were filled with scrutiny and appraisal of Li Zhan, this rising tough guy...

"Mr. Li, welcome, welcome!"

"Is this Mr. Li from Chang'an? I've heard so much about you!"

Prince Hui also smiled and adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses. "Mr. Li, we meet again."

Bai Shaqiang enthusiastically arranged for Li Zhan to sit in the VIP seat next to him. Yang Yuying naturally sat beside Li Zhan, and Lao Zhou sat on the other side of Li Zhan...

Yang Yuying's appearance attracted the gaze of the other female companions at the table; their eyes were filled with curiosity and a hint of imperceptible comparison.

A banquet that seemed to be for an apology was actually a meal that would initiate a new round of power division and interest negotiation in the Dongguan underworld, which was about to unfold amidst the clinking of glasses...