175: rebellion

Hong Kong, Repulse Bay, the Su Residence

Su Ziqing sat in her spacious, bright room.

She wore a silk, pale lavender purple camisole nightgown,

with a matching silk robe draped over it.

The soft, clinging fabric outlined her delicate and shapely figure, far more feminine and alluring than when she was dressed in men's clothing.

Her originally neat short hair seemed to have grown a bit longer,

slicked softly behind her ears, revealing her delicate yet slightly heroic features.

Having shed her masculine disguise, her skin now appeared fair and delicate,

the sternness in her brows and eyes lessened, replaced by a softness and languid charm more befitting a girl her age.

Only those eyes remained clear and bright,

still holding a glint of untamed curiosity and independent spirit.

On the exquisite ivory-white coffee table before her,

lay scattered a stack of photographs and a brief dossier.

These had been 'specially' prepared for her by her uncle, Su Jingtang.

The subject of every photo, without exception,

was that man she had seen in Changan Town, Dongguan, on the mainland — Li Zhan.

But in each photo, a different woman leaned against him, each stunningly beautiful in her own unique way.

There were mature, bewitching ones, full of allure;

innocent, adorable ones with surprisingly fiery figures;

ones with a capable air and striking beauty;

and even ones who looked heroic and spirited, clearly from prominent families...

The dossier also briefly noted some information about these women,

covering almost every type imaginable, from young girls to mature women.

Su Jingtang's intention couldn't be more obvious.

He wanted his niece to see clearly that this Li Zhan was a womanizing playboy, indiscriminate and obsessed with female charms,

a person from a world completely different from hers.

That budding curiosity of hers should be nipped in the bud immediately.

Su Ziqing's slender fingers picked up one of the photos.

In the photo, Li Zhan was holding hands with a girl who looked extremely young and naive, strolling down the street.

The girl looked up at him with a brilliant smile, her eyes full of admiration and adoration.

"Such a young girl..."

Su Ziqing frowned slightly, instinctively feeling a bit uncomfortable.

But her gaze involuntarily fell on the girl's figure — the fullness of her chest and her slender waist, both far exceeding what one would expect for her age.

A thought inexplicably crossed her mind,

"...but her figure really is good."

She put the photo down.

Instead of the disgust and contempt her uncle had anticipated, the curiosity within her was only stirred deeper.

She had grown up in the strictly regulated, meticulously arranged world of a wealthy family.

The men she had seen were either authoritative family leaders like her father and uncle,

or those well-dressed, elegantly spoken scions from prominent families who always felt somewhat distant.

A man like Li Zhan, who had clawed his way up from the bloody struggles of the bottom,

carrying an aura of wildness, dominance, and mystery,

who could have so many strikingly different, yet each outstanding, women around him seemingly coexisting peacefully—

she had never encountered anyone like him.

"What kind of person... is he really?"

She murmured to herself...

Her uncle had intended these photos to make her back off,

but had inadvertently presented her with a puzzle she couldn't understand yet found utterly enticing.

Just then, there was a gentle knock on the door.

The maid's voice came through,

"Miss, Mr. Tang asks you to come downstairs. There's a guest."

Su Ziqing went downstairs and saw in the living room

her uncle, Su Jingtang, chatting amiably with a young man dressed in a bespoke suit, his hair meticulously combed.

Seeing her descend, Su Jingtang smiled and beckoned,

"Ah Qing, come, let me introduce you."

"This is the son of the chairman of Wing Lung Bank, Young Master Guo Zhaoji."

"Zhaoji just returned from Cambridge after completing his MBA. Young and promising!"

Guo Zhaoji immediately stood up,

a flawless gentlemanly smile on his face, extending his hand,

"Miss Su, I've long heard of you. Seeing you today, you are indeed even more radiant and captivating than the rumors."

His manners were impeccable, his words flattering.

He exuded a faint scent of expensive cologne, his fingers fair and slender—clearly a pampered son of a wealthy family.

Su Ziqing politely shook his hand, but an inexplicable sense of blandness washed over her.

Guo Zhaoji was undoubtedly the "ideal match" by the standards of her social circle—

a comparable family background, dazzling education, and a handsome enough appearance.

However, having just experienced the primitive, bloody, and testosterone-charged impact of the Tiger Gate underground boxing match,

looking at this fair-skinned, clean-cut young master before her whose smile seemed precisely calculated,

Su Ziqing could only think he was like a cup of lukewarm water—utterly bland and tasteless.

During the following afternoon tea, Guo Zhaoji pulled out all the stops.

He discussed the latest European art exhibitions, shared investment insights from Wall Street,

and even subtly hinted at an invitation to his family's newly purchased private island in the Maldives for a vacation...

Every luxurious tactic for pursuing a girl, he employed with practiced ease.

But Su Ziqing's thoughts kept drifting away.

Another scene uncontrollably flashed through her mind:

the dim, noisy boxing ring, sweat and blood flying,

that man named Li Zhan, bare-chested, his bronzed muscles bulging, his eyes fierce as a beast's,

utterly destroying his opponent in the most primitive and brutal way...

That image was full of violent aesthetics, carrying a kind of heart-pounding, intense allure.

In comparison,

Young Master Guo's carefully crafted flattery and elegant conversation seemed so pale and feeble.

"Miss Su? Miss Su?"

Noticing her distraction, Guo Zhaoji called out softly.

Su Ziqing snapped back to attention and offered an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Young Master Guo. I'm feeling a bit tired."

After seeing off a slightly disappointed Guo Zhaoji,

Su Jingtang looked at his niece's distracted expression, his brow furrowing slightly. That uneasy feeling in his heart grew stronger.

It seemed he had... overplayed his hand.

That underground boxing match and that man named Li Zhan were like a stone thrown into a lake,

the ripples they stirred in his niece's heart were far greater than he had imagined,

perhaps even enough to disturb the tranquil waters.

Su Ziqing returned to her room and picked up that photo of Li Zhan in the ring again.

Looking into those eyes filled with wildness and a desire to conquer,

her heartbeat,

once again, traitorously quickened...

——

Top floor of the Phoenix City Nightclub,

the atmosphere in the office was heavy and tense...

Big Ox stood guard at the door like an iron tower, arms crossed...

Behind Li Zhan,

Shui Sheng and Brother Jiang stood solemnly on either side.

Old Zhou, meanwhile, was focused on brewing gongfu tea at the nearby redwood tea table,

the fragrant steam of the tea unable to dispel the tension in the air.

Opposite them sat Bai Shaqiang with two of his trusted subordinates.

He wore a traditional Chinese suit today, trying to appear relaxed,

but his slightly leaning posture and the fingers tightly gripping the armrests betrayed his inner turmoil.

Bai Shaqiang cleared his throat.

"Mr. Li, let's speak plainly."

"I'm here today on behalf of Brother Hui, Brother Chang, Brother Ming, and myself."

"The situation now looks calm on the surface,"

"but that blade hanging over our heads has never gone away."

He pointed towards the ceiling, his gaze fixed intently on Li Zhan.

"Before, each town was its own territory, dealing with its own problems."

"But now... it's different."

"We think if we remain this scattered, we'll be picked off one by one sooner or later!"

"We have to band together to have any bargaining power!"

He leaned forward, his voice lowering with a hint of urgency,

"Forming a 'council' isn't about fighting for power, it's for self-preservation!"

"Sharing profits is one thing, but more importantly, when trouble comes, we need one unified voice to face the outside!"

"To make them think twice!"

"Mr. Li, you have the strongest momentum and the most influence right now."

"You're the only one who can lead this!"

"Only by binding ourselves together can we possibly fight for a way out!"

After finishing, he stared intently at Li Zhan,

his eyes full of expectation and a trace of barely concealed anxiety—

hoping Li Zhan would take up the banner, yet worried his ambitions might be too great.

Li Zhan listened in silence,

his fingers gently tapping the armrest of his chair.

Only when Old Zhou respectfully placed a cup of golden, translucent tea before him,

did he pick up the teacup, gently blow on the steam, and take a sip.

Then he slowly set the cup down.

He didn't refute immediately. Instead, he lifted his eyes,

his gaze calm as he looked at Bai Shaqiang and asked lightly,

"So this council..."

"when the time comes, who gets the final say?"

The question was asked casually,

yet it struck like a precise dagger, instantly piercing the core contradiction in Bai Shaqiang's words.

Upon hearing this,

Bai Shaqiang's face stiffened immediately, his eyes flickering.

He chuckled awkwardly, his confidence clearly shaken,

"Uh... well... naturally... major matters would be discussed together,"

"decided by... by vote..."

As soon as the words left his mouth,

even he felt his face grow warm.

He had just been saying "you're the only one who can lead" and "one unified voice,"

but when it came to the crucial distribution of power, he wanted to use "voting" to constrain the other party.

Having this petty scheming exposed on the spot

made the atmosphere instantly awkward...