Chapter 156: Warning!
"Of course, if anyone does not wish to stay, they can leave now."
Guan Chengye narrowed his eyes and said, "Rest assured, Master Lin won’t mind, nor will he hold a grudge."
Lin Mu nodded, acknowledging Guan Chengye’s words.
The crowd exchanged glances. Two of them hesitated, looking as if they were about to stand up.
"But don’t blame me for speaking bluntly; once you leave through this door, forget about ever coming back in," Guan Chengye warned. At this, the two individuals immediately sat back down, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
The implication was clear—if they couldn’t grasp that, they deserved to miss out on a great opportunity. Everyone knew that once someone left, there would be no chance of building a connection with Master Lin in the future.
Those who sat were considered family; those who left were another matter entirely.
"Elder Guan, please tell us what this second matter is," Ma Wei said.
The others looked on with curiosity, but only Liang Yue’s expression was slightly grave, for he had an inkling of what Guan Chengye was about to say.
Guan Chengye glanced at Lin Mu.
Lin Mu waved his hand lightly. A muffled groan sounded from outside, but it quickly faded into silence.
"Speak."
Lin Mu’s tone was as placid as ever. As for those who had been trying to eavesdrop from outside, he had already struck them dead with a remote palm strike.
Seeing Guan Chengye act with such caution, the expressions of Song Wen and the others grew serious.
Guan Chengye coughed twice and said, "As everyone knows, my Guan Family came to River City under orders from above to handle a certain matter."
Song Wen nodded slightly, indicating his understanding. Given his status, he was naturally aware of the Guan Family’s purpose in River City. This was also why he had spoken to Jiang Ming as he did earlier.
"Currently, there is an underground organization in River City called the ’Dark Web.’ Has anyone here heard of it?"
Guan Chengye’s words stunned the entire room.
Ma Wei exclaimed, "Elder Guan, are you talking about the Dark Web known for their ruthless and unscrupulous methods?"
Guan Chengye nodded. "Yes, them precisely."
The others seemed to recall something as well, and the color drained from their faces. Everyone present was an influential figure, so they had naturally heard of the Dark Web. Even those who hadn’t, paled slightly after asking the person next to them.
"What in the world does this Dark Web want?" Song Wen’s face filled with anger. As a man of integrity, he despised organizations that wreaked havoc on people’s lives. After hearing Guan Chengye’s words, his face was filled with loathing.
"No one knows their objective. But based on all the clues I have gathered, the River City branch of the Dark Web alone has committed countless murders over the years."
Guan Chengye spoke gravely, "I’m sure you all remember the incident at the Huanan Chemical Plant five years ago?"
One of the tycoons recalled, "Is Elder Guan referring to the plant in the suburbs of River City? Wasn’t it destroyed in a fire caused by a fuel leak?"
"That’s right. I heard the casualties numbered in the hundreds."
The others remembered the incident as well.
Ma Wei’s pupils shrank. "Don’t tell me that incident was also the work of the Dark Web?"
"Indeed."
The word landed like a bombshell, and the crowd burst into an uproar.
Ma Wei was the most agitated of them all. One of his sons had been working at the Huanan Chemical Plant at the time and had been killed in the incident.
"Damn that Dark Web!" Ma Wei gritted his teeth. "Elder Guan, just say the word! If you’re going to excise this cancerous tumor from River City, count the Ma Family in!"
"Eight years ago, my father was assassinated," Liang Yue added grimly. "Although we had evidence it was the Dark Web, we could never find them. Now that we have the chance, we certainly won’t let it slip by!"
The others all spoke up, unanimously agreeing with Guan Chengye’s plan to purge the Dark Web.
Guan Chengye said, "I would like to thank everyone in advance. However, the Dark Web has been operating in River City for many years. Eradicating it completely will not be an easy task."
Song Wen declared, "If we can’t do it in a day, we’ll take two. If not in a year, then two years. Even if we die, the younger generation will rise to take our place! In short, we must uproot the Dark Web completely. We cannot allow them to exist any longer!"
At Song Wen’s words, everyone nodded in agreement.
Guan Chengye sighed inwardly, his admiration for Lin Mu growing even deeper. He had initially refused when Lin Mu first proposed this course of action. After all, this was supposed to be his duty. But after the incident in Wufeng Town, he learned that the Dark Web had been operating in River City for many years, deeply entrenched and hidden. Some prominent families even had dealings with them.
Uniting the major figures of River City could rally a great force, but it also risked alerting the enemy, causing leaks and widespread panic. However, Lin Mu had told him not to worry and even offered several suggestions. It was only after careful consideration that Guan Chengye decided to gather these specific people here. The families and factions under suspicion, of course, were not invited.
And Lin Mu was here to back him up.
With this in mind, Guan Chengye no longer hesitated and revealed his plan.
After he finished speaking, everyone was stunned.
"Elder Guan, is it really that simple?" Ma Wei asked, surprised.
He had assumed Guan Chengye would ask for manpower and resources. To his surprise, they were only required to cut off the Dark Web financially.
"That will be enough," Guan Chengye said. "The reason the Dark Web has thrived in River City for so many years is because they’ve established a complex network of business models. Once we cut off their financial lifelines, the rest will be a matter for my Guan Family."
After a moment’s thought, everyone agreed it made sense. They were ordinary people; for them to contribute even this much was commendable.
"Rest assured, you are all heroes of River City," Guan Chengye promised. "Once the Dark Web is eradicated, I will personally report your contributions to my superiors."
Liang Yue immediately replied, "Elder Guan, you do me too much honor. I was born a man of River City, and I will die a ghost of River City. It is my privilege to do my small part for our home!"
"Exactly! As citizens of River City, it is our duty to do something for it!"
Ma Wei patted his chest. "I, Ma Wei, may not have much, but I do have a conscience!"
Guan Chengye stood up and bowed to the crowd with his fists clasped.
"I, on behalf of the millions of people in River City, thank you all for your great righteousness!"
If the Dark Web were to learn of this meeting, everyone present would surely face ruthless suppression and retaliation. Yet, these individuals remained fearless, their eyes resolute.
Once the discussion was more or less concluded, the guests stood up to take their leave.
It was then that Lin Mu finally spoke.
"I don’t care if you are truly sincere or merely feigning it. I will say this only once: if I find out that anyone has leaked what was said here, Elder Guan won’t have to lift a finger. I will personally take up my sword and create a river of blood."
With those words, Lin Mu stood up and departed.
The remaining people struggled to breathe, their bodies turning cold with fear.