<h4>Chapter 223: Machinations</h4>


    In the bustling night market of Guanglin in the eastern district of Zhonghai, the streets would be at their most vibrant at night, with all kinds of characters mingling among the countless hotels, nightclubs, and clubs, indulging in extravagant lifestyles. Of course, there would also be countless people seeking any opportunity to make ends meet.


    Inside an entertainment club named "Golden Age," the dark gold decor made the entire space appear mysterious and enchanting. The peach and yellow lights made it difficult to see the faces of the people moving around.


    In a luxurious private room, the deafening speakers yed the 70s hit "Spring of the Nortnd." The magnificent voice apanied the traditional pop music from Japan, enveloping the atmosphere of the entire room in a mix of fashion and nostalgia.


    On the ck leather sofa, a middle-aged man with slightly receding hair and a rugged appearance held a charming woman with an ivory-whiteplexion in his arms.


    "Hate it, Jian Ge, you''re pinching me," the woman said seductively.


    Jian Ge, as he was called, emptied the ss of red wine in his other hand in one gulp, listening to the woman''s voice full of softness and temptation, his lips curling into a wicked smile.


    Tossing the ss carelessly onto the carpet, the thick plush immediately absorbed the red liquid.


    "If it hurts here, I won''t pinch you here. Let''s try another ce..."


    Ignoring the woman''s pleading, Jian Ge forcefully pushed her onto the sofa...


    The music in the room drowned out the woman''s ambiguous cries, and Jian Ge''s excitement grew.


    Just then, the phone on the low table rang.


    Annoyed, Jian Ge picked up the phone. But when he saw the number, his anger subsided by half, and he immediately answered, "Chairman! What are your orders?"


    "Ah Jian, return to your hall immediately. We''ve received intelligence that the Hongjing Society is about to go to war with us."


    "What?! Has Situ Qiangwei lost her mind? Why do they want to fight us?! Do they think we''re as easy to deal with as her useless old man?!"


    "The Criminal Investigation Division is also involved. Hurry back; I''ll be in charge."


    "Damn it! They''re rebelling! Chairman, rest assured, as soon as I get back, I''ll gather all the brothers in the hall!"


    Jian Ge hung up the phone and immediately grabbed the suit jacket next to him, preparing to leave.


    The woman, with a look of resentment, threw herself onto Jian Ge''s back from behind, wrapping her arms around his neck and coquettishly saying, "Jian Ge, you said you''d apany me tonight. Why are you leaving again? Hate it! You lied to me!"


    "Ah, my little darling, how can I bear to deceive you? It''s really urgent, and I must go!" Jian Ge said, looking frustrated.


    "No, tell me what''s so urgent!" the woman insisted, still clinging to Jian Ge.


    Jian Ge could only put on his clothes and exin, "Situ Qiangwei from the Hongjing Society has gone mad. She wants toe after us with the police. I need to take our brothers, get some guns, and show them the difference in strength!"


    "Jian Ge, I don''t think you''ll be able to go tonight," the woman said softly.


    "Why?" Jian Ge asked subconsciously, without thinking.


    "Because you''re going to die now."


    The woman''s soft arms wrapped around Jian Ge''s neck suddenly turned into steel bars, tightening around his neck in an instant!


    Just as Jian Ge reacted and tried to elbow the woman in the stomach, she crossed her arms forcefully!


    "Crack!"


    Jian Ge''s head twisted out of alignment with his neck! He died instantly!


    The woman released Jian Ge''s lifeless body without closing his eyes, sneered coldly, her seductive demeanor unchanged. She picked up her delicate pink phone from the low table and dialed a strange number.


    "Hello, Sister, Jian Ge from the Dongxing White Tiger Hall is dead. The White Tiger Hall is now without a leader."


    "Haitang, well done. You cane back and be with your sisters now."


    "Of course,pared to Sister, this is nothing!"


    Haitang hung up the phone happily and put on a ck cloak over her shoulders.


    Walking out of the box, two suit-wearing men at the door immediately smiled and asked, "Miss Tito, where''s the boss?"


    "Hush, Jian Ge is drunk. I''m going to the bathroom. Don''t disturb him. You know, he has a bad temper when he''s drunk. If he gets angry, I can''t help you," Haitang said coquettishly.


    "Yes, thank you for your concern, Miss Tito," the two henchmen nodded gratefully.


    Haitang smiled charmingly and walked away towards the entrance of the Golden Age.


    The two men in suits watched Haitang''s figure disappear around the corner before they restrained their smiles and smirked at each other.


    "Just a mistress of the boss who''s taken care of every day, she really thinks she''s a princess."


    "Yeah, well, once the boss gets tired of her, the few of us brothers can take care of her."


    "Yeah, hahaha..."


    Meanwhile, in an inconspicuous little coffee shop on the side of the Middle Ring Road in the eastern district, Yang Chen and Qiangwei sat by the window, drinking coffee.


    On theputer screen in front of Qiangwei, various details of the squads kept appearing, and the crimson rose pattern on the map was steadily encroaching on locations marked with ck "East" characters.


    Yang Chen listened as Qiangwei finished another call, his eyes strange as he looked at her, feeling a hint of regret.


    Rose noticed Yang Chen''s thoughtful gaze and blinked her eyes. "Honey, why are you looking at me like that? Do I have something on my face?"


    "Sweetheart, when did you arrange your spies to be around those key figures in Dongxing?" Yang Chen asked curiously.


    "I sent them over when I was confronting the Western Alliance Society. At that time, Redbud Society was at a disadvantage. Normally, those elites should have stayed at the headquarters. But because of your appearance, I gambled that I would eventually win," Rose said yfully. "Honey, don''t me me. I did it because I trust you. I knew you would eventually help me."


    Yang Chen rubbed his forehead and sighed. "So everything was nned by you. I bet the people in Dongxing never expected you to choose that moment to focus on them instead of strategizing against the Western Alliance Society."


    "Yeah, that''s what I thought at the time. Honey, you''re not mad, are you?" Rose coaxed, reaching out to hold Yang Chen''s hand, looking somewhat pitiful.


    "Hmm," Yang Chen chuckled softly. "Well, I''vee to understand. None of you women are easy to deal with."


    Yang Chen remembered Lin Ruoxi''s recent series of schemes, just as cunning as Rose''s.


    When it came to plotting, he might not be able to outsmart Lin Ruoxi and Rose. His strength meant he didn''t need to strategize much, whereas independent women like them often thought far ahead and more intricately.


    Rose pursed her lips and smiled. "I knew you wouldn''t me me. But, honey, when you said ''us women,'' how many women are you talking about?"


    "Um," Yang Chen coughed twice, evasively saying, "How''s the progress going? Shouldn''t we move forward? Do we need to go to the front lines?"


    "No need. Whether we go or not, it''s the same. There are over two hundred targets in this raid, with about fifty main ones. We can''t all go at once. It''s better to sit here and give orders," Rose said gleefully.


    Seeing Rose''s excited and adorable expression, Yang Chen couldn''t help butugh. "It seems our Rose Queen is quite happy about ascending to the true throne of the underworld in the Zhonghai."


    "Honey, you know, the real happiness in this line of work isn''t after defeating the enemy or before defeating them. Even if I be the sole underground leader in Zhonghai, I won''t feel much excitement," Rose''s beautiful eyes sparkled with an inexplicable light. "True happinesses when we defeat the enemy, swallow up their territory. In that moment of sess, I can feel my heart pounding, so intense!"


    "Not sleeping tonight?" Yang Chen smirked.


    "Not sleeping," Rose said embarrassedly. "Honey, why don''t you go home? I''m so happy right now. The Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee is cooperating with me to annex Dongxing. I won''t apany you to sleep tonight, so you might as well go home. There''s nothing for you to do here anyway."


    Yang Chen sighed helplessly. "If that guy, Fang Zhongping, dares to bother you afterwards, let me know. I''ll help you deal with him."


    "Well, don''t worry. As long as we cooperate well, me being the leader of the Zhonghai underworld will definitely be helpful to him. He''s not that stupid," Rose smiled. On theputer screen, various symbols of "conflict" kept appearing, with the ck "East" marks being continuously engulfed by the fiery "Rose" pattern that seemed to be drenched in blood.


    Yang Chen watched Rose, smiling happily like a child who had discovered a new toy. He shook his head wryly and left the café.


    Since he had arranged for someone from the Redbud Society to bring his BMW along, Yang Chen didn''t need anyone to drive him. It was already close to one-thirty in the morning. As he drove out of the city, he nced at the still brightly lit Zhonghai East District through the rearview mirror.


    After tonight, Dongxing, the Zhou family, and even the Xu family would be removed from Zhonghai. But for Yang Chen, these matters were not significant. Frankly, if there hadn''t been such an opportunity, allowing others to do the work and benefiting Rose, Yang Chen could have single-handedly dealt with Zhou Guangnian, Xu Zhihong, and the others, even if it meant resorting to drugs again.


    After driving for about fifteen minutes at high speed, Yang Chen returned to the Longjing Vi.


    As soon as he got out of the car, Yang Chen was surprised to see the lights on in the living room. It was almost two in the morning, and Yang Chen furrowed his brows. He had experienced instances where Lin Ruoxi waited for him toe home before, but it was already sote this time. Yang Chen found it unlikely. He remembered being scolded by Lin Ruoxi as a "hooligan" in the morning, so he spected whether the two women in the house had forgotten to turn off the lights.


    With a sense of puzzlement, Yang Chen opened the door and stepped into the house.