Chapter 144: What a truly momentous event

Chen Yang nodded at Qin Hu as well, then asked with a smile, "How are things going at the martial arts hall recently?"

Qin Hu quickly replied, "Everything is developing well. The good news is that during this period, we've recruited another twenty-three suitable candidates. Some of them are military veterans, and others previously worked for overseas security companies. I've tested every single one of them, and their combat skills are quite good. I believe this should meet your expectations."

"Is that so? Well, you've been working hard lately," Chen Yang said with a slight smile.

Qin Hu hastily responded, "What hard work? It's no trouble at all."

Chen Yang smiled faintly once more, said nothing further, and led Qin Hu toward the entrance of the martial arts hall.

Accompanied by Qin Hu, Chen Yang first took a tour around the hall. Seeing that both the interior and exterior were impeccably clean, he naturally felt quite satisfied.

After finishing the tour, Chen Yang made a request to Qin Hu: he wanted to go see Xu Tianmeng.

After all, Xu Tianmeng had been locked up inside the martial arts hall all this time by Chen Yang's command, and Chen Yang believed in taking full responsibility for his actions.

In a small room in the backyard, Chen Yang and Qin Hu found Xu Tianmeng confined inside an iron cage.

Having gone without a bath for many days, Xu Tianmeng looked disheveled and unkempt, bearing not the slightest resemblance to his former demeanor as a powerful underworld boss.

Upon seeing that Chen Yang had actually come to visit him, Xu Tianmeng hastily grabbed the iron bars of the cage and pleaded, "Brother Yang, please, let me go! Let me go! I swear, once I get out, I'll just run some small business and never get involved in the underworld again. Believe me, you must believe me!"

Chen Yang just looked at Xu Tianmeng and chuckled quietly, without saying a word.

Xu Tianmeng stared back at Chen Yang, his eyes filled with desperate hope. It was obvious how intensely he wished for Chen Yang to set him free.

After staring at Xu Tianmeng for two full seconds, Chen Yang slowly opened his mouth and said, "Rest assured, the Dongjiang underworld will definitely be ruled by me in the future."

With an excited expression, Xu Tianmeng said, "That's for sure, absolutely for sure! Brother Yang, look at me now, I'm like a piece of mud. How could I possibly pose any threat to you? I really don't want to stay here anymore. I'm begging you, let me go."

"No, now is not the time. Can you guess when I will let you go?" Chen Yang asked indifferently.

Xu Tianmeng shook his head and replied, "I don't know, I don't know."

"Then think about it slowly. Qin Hu, let's go," Chen Yang said coldly.

With that, he turned and left the small room, accompanied by Qin Hu.

Naturally, as Chen Yang walked away, Xu Tianmeng's frantic shouts echoed behind him: "Brother Yang, Brother Yang..."

Chen Yang ignored the cries entirely.

Once they stepped out of the small room, Chen Yang looked seriously at Qin Hu and asked, "Do you know what the current situation is in the Dongjiang underworld?"

Qin Hu hurriedly answered, "President Chen, if I may say so, I actually had people investigate this recently. The most powerful faction in the Dongjiang underworld right now is a guy named Liu Qiang. He used to be a subordinate under Xu Tianmeng, but given Xu Tianmeng's current predicament, well, you understand."

"As for Xu Tianmeng's former subordinates, internal conflicts have already broken out among them because two of his lieutenants want to seize his position. Those who remain loyal to Xu Tianmeng are fighting back desperately. With everyone tearing each other apart over that seat of power, Xu Tianmeng's faction will certainly never recover its former strength."

"Good, then now is a good time. A very good time indeed," Chen Yang said, a look of excitement on his face.

Qin Hu was a clever man and immediately grasped Chen Yang's meaning. He asked earnestly, "President Chen, do you mean that now is the perfect time to unify the Dongjiang underworld?"

"Exactly," Chen Yang replied without hesitation.

Qin Hu thought for a moment and said nothing more, as there seemed to be nothing left to discuss on the matter.

Subsequently, at Chen Yang's behest, Qin Hu summoned all twenty-three newly recruited members along with the previous ten to the training hall to receive instructions from Chen Yang.

As soon as Chen Yang spoke, his face beamed with anticipation. "Comrades, now is a prime opportunity—a magnificent opportunity. Are you all ready to make your mark?"

As Chen Yang's voice trailed off, Qin Hu and the thirty-three men were left stunned, their faces painted with utter bewilderment.

Continuing with enthusiasm, Chen Yang said, "Next, I am going to assign a major mission to you all. If you can successfully complete this mission, the Dongjiang underworld will belong to us."

"My mission is simple: I want you to unify the Dongjiang underworld for me."

Hearing these words, shock registered on the faces of every single person present, including Qin Hu.

Though Qin Hu had long guessed that Chen Yang's mission would involve taking over the Dongjiang underworld, hearing those words actually spoken aloud by Chen Yang still left him deeply astonished.

"Does anyone have anything to say?" Chen Yang looked at the thirty-three men before him, offering them an opportunity to speak.

Yet, not a single one of the thirty-three voiced an opinion.

Seeing this, Chen Yang turned decisively and firmly toward Qin Hu. "You have two months to secure the Dongjiang underworld for me. During this period, no matter what problems you encounter, you can seek help from President Lin of the Huading Group or from me. Understood?"

With a solemn expression, Qin Hu replied, "President Chen, to be honest, while this mission won't be easy, I am willing to give it a try."

"Good."

Chen Yang heavily patted Qin Hu on the shoulder. Naturally, he was quite pleased with Qin Hu as a man.

After finishing his discussion with Qin Hu, Chen Yang had a meal at the martial arts hall in the evening and drove back to Linhai City that very night.

He wanted to return to Linhai as early as possible. After all, the last time he had stayed in Dongjiang for too long, it had displeased Qin Muxue. Therefore, Chen Yang wanted to avoid lingering in Dongjiang for too long this time to prevent any unnecessary trouble.

It was nine o'clock in the evening when Chen Yang returned to the villa. At that moment, neither Qin Muxue nor Su Xiaoling had gone to sleep yet; they were sitting together on the sofa, watching television.

When Chen Yang opened the villa door and caught sight of Qin Muxue, he smiled and said, "Darling, I'm back."

Surprised, Qin Muxue looked over at him and asked, "How come you're back tonight?"

"I finished my business over there, and staying around didn't serve any purpose. Besides, the company assigned me a car, so I hurried back early," Chen Yang said with a smile.

Qin Muxue nodded and didn't pry further.

Su Xiaoling, however, seemed determined to touch a nerve. Turning to Chen Yang, she asked, "Chen... No, brother-in-law, what on earth are you and President Shen busy with all day? Why does it feel like you're offending people everywhere you go? If it's not offending this person today, it's offending that person tomorrow. I heard my second aunt's husband was kidnapped last time, right? And that was because of you."

"Who did you hear from that your second aunt's husband was kidnapped last time?" Chen Yang asked, looking annoyed. To himself, he muttered that Su Xiaoling truly loved stirring up trouble.

Su Xiaoling retorted, "Just tell me whether it's true or not."

"It could be true, or it could be false. Figure it out yourself; I have no desire to answer," Chen Yang replied with a faint smile.

"Hmph, it definitely is. Afraid to admit it now that you've done it," Su Xiaoling said dismissively.

"Believe whatever you want," Chen Yang said indifferently, feeling too lazy to waste another breath on Su Xiaoling.

He went upstairs, took a quick wash, and went to bed to rest.

In the blink of an eye, the night passed.

Early the next morning, as soon as Chen Yang woke up, he received major news via a phone call from Shen Donghua: early that morning, the Qin Group had officially announced the suspension of its business operations.

Upon hearing this, Chen Yang remained quite calm.

After all, in his eyes, the Qin Group was nothing more than a hunting hound.

Now that the hound had been put down, how much of a ripple could it possibly stir in his heart?

After hanging up with Shen Donghua, Chen Yang looked at Qin Muxue and said, "Muxue, let me tell you some major news."

With a curious look, Qin Muxue asked, "What is it?"

"The Qin Group announced the suspension of its business operations this morning. This means the Yu family has completely abandoned them," Chen Yang said with a cold smile.

"The group announced a suspension of operations? That's so sudden. A lot must have happened behind the scenes," Qin Muxue remarked.

"True," Chen Yang nodded with a smile. "Still, when all is said and done, the Qin Group lost the support of the people. It deserved to go bankrupt."

"Your President Shen must have played a significant role in this," Qin Muxue said earnestly.

"I wouldn't know about that. Those are all behind-the-scenes matters—who can say for sure? But in any case, with the Qin Group bankrupt, your eldest uncle and Qin Chao won't be able to act arrogantly anymore," Chen Yang chuckled.

"Well, let's not worry about all that. Time to get to work early," Qin Muxue said softly. With that, she truly said nothing more and got out of bed.

Meanwhile, inside Qin Guofu's hospital room, Qin Chao was attentively keeping watch by his father's bedside. Since Qin Guofu had not yet learned that the group had been ordered to suspend operations by the Yu family, Qin Chao was terrified that if his father accidentally found out, his health wouldn't be able to bear the shock.