C3 Lyi Tianzhao of the Scent Sovereignty

Soong Xianxian stood silently to the side, overwhelmed by the sensation of having stumbled upon a monumental secret.

Tang Ye answered the phone.

"Listen up, I don't care who you're with; if you dare mess with my people, you're a dead man!" came a raspy, furious voice from the other end.

"Lei Ming, didn't you promise Mr. Lyi four years ago to leave the orphanage land alone? At the Spring Meadow dinner, Mr. Lyi questioned you in front of everyone, and you publicly vowed not to betray him. Are you now planning to disrupt the harmony Zluftin has enjoyed these past few years?" Tang Ye's voice was relentless in its questioning.

The line went silent.

Lei Ming was utterly flabbergasted.

Someone dared to strike his underling?

And so viciously?

Who even remembered the Spring Meadow dinner from four years ago?

"Are... Are you... Are you one of Mr. Lyi's men?" Lei Ming managed to ask, his voice shaking.

"Someone asked me to give you a message: keep your people in line, got it?" Tang Ye stated plainly.

"I've had my issues with Wang Hao for a while now. Rest assured, I'll handle it and give you a proper resolution."

Tang Ye ended the call abruptly, neither confirming nor denying his affiliation. Yet his words left Lei Ming with the impression that Wang Hao had indeed crossed a line with someone untouchable. Lei Ming's immediate acceptance of his mistake indicated his genuine fear of Mr. Lyi.

Soong Xianxian was astounded.

Could someone really be that formidable?

This was Lei Ming, the renowned Second Master Lei of Zluftin. She hadn't caught every word over the phone, but the tone of Lei Ming's voice, combined with Tang Ye's assertiveness, left her with the impression that the man before her was incredibly cool, suave, and intimidating.

Before Soong Xianxian could snap out of her awe, Tang Ye had already exited the hospital room and descended the stairs.

During his three-year stint in the detention center, he had managed to acquaint himself with all the notable figures in Zluftin. He knew Lei Ming's character well.

Tang Ye had indeed bluffed Lei Ming over the phone. Knowing Lei Ming, he would immediately dispatch someone to the hospital to locate Wang Hao after the call. If Wang Hao had truly provoked Mr. Lyi's people, Lei Ming would capture him without a second thought for a sacrificial 'rite to the heavens'. However, if Wang Hao revealed that the phone call was a bluff, Lei Ming would waste no time identifying Tang Ye through Wang Hao and initiate a city-wide manhunt to erase the person who dared to fool Lei Ming from the face of Zluftin.

Therefore, Tang Ye couldn't linger in the hospital for long.

Over the past three years in detention, Tang Ye had familiarized himself with virtually all the notable figures in Zluftin, including Wang Hao, Lei Ming, and the Mr. Lyi whom Lei Ming feared. In fact, Tang Ye might be considered the most knowledgeable person about them in the world, themselves included.

As such, to many in Zluftin's upper echelons, Tang Ye was akin to a ticking time bomb.

Upon exiting the hospital, Tang Ye hailed a taxi.

"To the east side, Serene Way, please."

Serene Way was nestled in Zluftin's historic district, along the banks of the ancient moat, where buildings rarely rose above six stories.

After paying the driver, Tang Ye retrieved his keys and ascended the stairs to his apartment.

Inside, everything remained as it had been three years prior. Judging by the pristine state of the bedding, someone had cleaned the place no more than a week ago.

After freshening up in the bathroom, Tang Ye pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

"Who's this?" A young man's voice answered after a brief pause.

"Your sister's company is heading for trouble within a month, and Scent & Sovereignty was arsoned, wasn't it?" Tang Ye lit a cigarette and stepped out onto the balcony.

"Who are you?" The man on the line tensed up.

The background noise suggested he had moved to a quieter spot.

"Why not meet and find out?" Tang Ye exhaled a plume of smoke.

"Do you think my sister's company will definitely face problems just because you say so?" The tone was laced with sarcasm.

"Half a month ago, Scent & Sovereignty hired a batch of attractive technicians—thirty-two girls in total. They also brought on three middle management staff. Together with the hires from two months prior, that's fifty-eight people. Over half of these fifty-eight are spies Lee Jingzhou has placed around you. In short, not only is your sister's company in jeopardy, but Scent & Sovereignty is as well—and the crisis is imminent."

The line went quiet for a moment.

"You'll be escorted to the Oceanview Hall," the voice on the other end said before hanging up.

Tang Ye pocketed his phone and snuffed out his cigarette. He selected a fresh outfit from his wardrobe, got dressed, locked his door, and departed.

Beyond Serene Way lay the bustling heart of Zluftin, where numerous luxury cars filled the open-air parking lot.

Shortly, a blue Maserati pulled out of the lot and merged into the peak-hour traffic.

Scent & Sovereignty.

Situated in the CBD of Dongcheng, the 8,000-square-meter building boasted a European palace-style architecture, with a first-floor hall that was the epitome of opulence.

The blue Maserati executed a sleek tail-brake maneuver in the underground parking lot. Tang Ye left the keys in the ignition and made a beeline for the elevator.

Two bodyguards awaited in the grand lobby, their instincts immediately identifying the well-dressed man sporting a designer watch as the individual their boss had instructed them to meet. Tang Ye offered no words, his expression conveying all that needed to be understood, and he calmly followed the bodyguards to the private elevator.

*Beep! Beep!*

The bodyguard swiped his card to change elevators.

Access to the floor housing the Oceanview Hall at Scent & Sovereignty was exclusive, necessitating a special elevator card. Although Tang Ye had passed by Scent & Sovereignty countless times, this was his inaugural visit. He braced himself for the expected lavishness, but still, the extravagant opulence that greeted him as the elevator doors opened onto the Oceanview Hall made him furrow his brow ever so slightly.

The expansive space, spanning seven to eight hundred square meters, was carpeted in rich, solid colors. A massive, vibrant oil painting dominated the wall opposite the elevator, while the entire left side featured a glass wall offering a panoramic view of Zluftin's port bay.

Adjacent to the glass wall stood a piano, with a man seated on the bench. His features were soft yet strikingly handsome. Standing next to him were two men in their thirties, one with a delicate appearance marred by a knife scar on his left cheek.

Another man, clad in an expensive tailored suit, boasted a robust physique and a slightly dark complexion. He cast a glance at Tang Ye as he approached.

Tang Ye, now standing before the trio, casually lifted his wrist to check his watch, then turned with a smile to the man in the fine suit.

Lei Ming.

The second son of the Lei family, he was one of the most infamous figures in Zluftin!