"Heh, I'm hanging up. Don't bother me again." Lin Ran spoke coldly before ending the call abruptly, leaving Luo Wushuang on the other end stunned.
Ten seconds later, the phone rang again.
"Don’t hang up so fast. There’s something else I need to tell you."
Lin Ran replied impatiently, "Spit it out then."
Suppressing his anger, Luo Wushuang said, "Listen, if you think Luo Yao hasn’t dared to touch me because of you, you’re wrong. I still have value—things she wants are in my hands. And I hold some standing in the Luo family. If she really tries to eliminate me, the rest of the family will turn against her."
"She doesn’t love anyone. To her, you’ll always just be a plaything."
Lin Ran couldn’t help but laugh at the words coming through the phone.
"So? What’s your point?"
"Cooperation."
Lin Ran fell silent for a moment before responding, "I don’t trust you.""You don’t need to trust me. You just need to know what you want."
Feigning a sigh, Lin Ran said, "Fine. I want this kept between just the two of us."
"Of course. I don’t want anyone else knowing either. Lin Ran, once we bring Luo Yao down, I’ll give you more wealth than you could spend in a lifetime—including the place you live now. It’ll all be yours."
Lin Ran curled his lips in disdain.
That’s already mine. Why would I need you to give it to me?
"That doesn’t matter. Just remember your promise. Now, tell me—what’s your plan?"
There was silence on the other end before Luo Wushuang finally spoke. "It’s not safe to discuss over the phone. We should meet in person."
Lin Ran: "Fine. I’ll pick the place."
"That’s not ideal."
"I don’t trust you, so I choose the location."
"Alright. I’ll wait for your message."
After hanging up, Lin Ran narrowed his eyes.
"Things just got interesting."
Meanwhile, Luo Wushuang smirked, as if everything had gone exactly as expected.
"What did Lin Ran say?" Bi Yaolian stood beside him, her remaining hand pressing an electronic voice generator against her throat, producing a hoarse, mechanical sound. Her hatred for Luo Yao had reached its peak.
Luo Yao had stripped her of a woman’s dignity.
"Just as I thought. Lin Ran’s submission to Luo Yao is an act. He agreed to work with me."
Bi Yaolian frowned, recalling Lin Ran’s wild behavior the last time they met at the Luo family estate.
Was all of that just an act? Her distorted voice rasped through the device.
"Could this be a trap?"
"Unlikely. I trust my instincts. My investigation confirmed that Lin Ran’s past has no connection to Luo Yao. Over the years, he’s done everything to escape her control. He’s definitely pretending—he’s just very convincing, which is why you were fooled."
Luo Wushuang narrowed his eyes. "Think about it—how could someone who despises you suddenly fall in love?"
"From the moment Luo Yao met Lin Ran, she showed extreme possessiveness. What man wouldn’t be terrified?"
Bi Yaolian found his reasoning sound.
"So that’s how it is. Husband, once we turn the tables, we must make Luo Yao suffer."
Luo Wushuang’s gaze darkened as he stared at her, making her flinch.
"Husband? What’s wrong?"
"Yesterday, when you passed information to Lin Ran… the bodyguards saw you, didn’t they?"
Bi Yaolian quickly shook her head. "No, no! They didn’t notice."
Luo Wushuang scoffed and said nothing more.
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Meanwhile, in Luo Corporation’s office, Luo Yao toyed with her phone, her expression unreadable.
"Ah Ran, I’m trusting you so much now. I hope you don’t disappoint me."
Liu Meng knocked and entered.
"President Luo, it’s time to go."
Luo Yao stood and left the office with Liu Meng, departing Luo Corporation.
After a journey of over half an hour, Luo Yao arrived at an underground entertainment den.
When Brother Dao heard of her arrival, tension gripped him.
Outwardly, he was a feared underworld boss, but in truth, he was nothing more than Luo Yao’s loyal subordinate.
The reason? About five years ago, Brother Dao wasn’t yet the undisputed ruler of the underground. Back then, three major factions coexisted, maintaining an uneasy peace—each keeping to their own territory, avoiding conflict, even sharing drinks occasionally.
But peace never lasts. As the saying goes, the empire, long divided, must unite; long united, must divide.
One of the bosses grew ambitious, dreaming of unifying the capital’s underworld—not just for greater profits, but to achieve what no one had in decades.
He invited Brother Dao and the other leader to a meeting, secretly mobilizing all his forces to eliminate them both.
One of them paid with his life.
Brother Dao was stunned. Back then, he still believed in loyalty. Watching one brother betray and kill another, now targeting him, left him broken.
He fled and hid, but the seed of vengeance took root.
Not long after, Brother Dao returned with an unknown force, sweeping through and wiping out the traitor in one swift strike.
When everyone expected him to claim dominance, he shocked them all by declaring that gangs would no longer exist in the capital.
Instead, he opened this underground entertainment den, which slowly became a gold mine.
Though he stepped back from the underworld, new factions still arose. Yet no matter who rose to power, all acknowledged Brother Dao’s status. Everyone still called him Big Brother.
With him around, no upstarts dared challenge the order.
That was Brother Dao’s story.
From a righteous leader to a ruthless yet principled figure, he had transformed.
But few knew his most unexpected identity.
Though his actions seemed reckless, they were actually part of a government strategy.
Criminal elements were like ants—impossible to eradicate completely. With Brother Dao in place, smaller factions stayed in line.
Without him, unruly newcomers would multiply unchecked, eventually forming new powers beyond control.
Using darkness to suppress darkness had always been a tactic.
And sometimes, certain tasks required men like him.
For instance, Brother Dao once helped authorities dismantle a major drug ring, nearly wiping out the capital’s supply—only a trickle remained.
Of course, he owed it all to Luo Yao—not just for helping him take revenge, but for showing him a new path afterward.
Otherwise, he would have long been dead in some back alley.
Brother Dao chose to follow Luo Yao, not just out of fear, but also respect and gratitude.
After all, without Luo Yao's support back then, he would never have gotten his revenge or lived this comfortably now.