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Rong Li had verified its authenticity without any damage, and it returned intact. Rong Li was not pleased with this outcome; although the item was retrieved, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he had been played by someone.

“Stolen for less than a day, and then returned in perfect condition. Could there be a thief so foolish?”

“No,” Lu Zhiyuan chuckled, “someone obtained the information they wanted, and this item no longer holds any allure for them.”

Lu Zhiyuan had a strong ability to appraise old objects. He quickly noticed something amiss with the painting, running his finger over the canvas. “Ji Chi, fetch a magnifying glass.”

Ji Chi brought over the magnifying glass, and Lu Zhiyuan said calmly, “This canvas has been tampered with. Have you found any information about the origin of this antique?”

“No news yet,” Rong Li replied. “Third Master, what’s wrong with this painting?”

“The fact that it was confidently returned indicates that they believe we can’t decipher it,” Lu Zhiyuan said with a light smile as he took a pen from the table and began analyzing the information on the canvas.

Ji Chi asked, “Should we continue to investigate the person who stole the painting?”

“No need. They only wanted information, and they didn’t harm our relations. We should be understanding and not escalate the situation,” Lu Zhiyuan glanced at Ji Chi. “It’s rare to find someone with such temperament in our country.”

Ji Chi nodded in agreement.

Third Master, you should report this to Jiang Junlin!

At night, Jiang Junlin came to the Blue Fields Villa to discuss matters with Gu Ci regarding meeting Lu Zhiyuan.

“Are you coming with me?”

“I’d rather not,” Gu Ci resisted. Lately, she had been forcing herself not to think about him or see him. She had been doing well in controlling herself, but she was afraid that her feelings might resurface when she saw Lu Zhiyuan again.

“Cici, if you’re going to take over the underworld, you’ll inevitably have dealings with Black Hawk. You can’t avoid them forever,” Jiang Junlin said softly. “Of course, I’m not pressuring you. The choice is yours. Let’s meet in the afternoon.”

“1 understand,” Gu Ci replied in a subdued tone. “1’11 have Qin Wan drive me there.”

“Alright.”

Jiang Junlin had been extremely busy lately. After discussing the matter with Gu Ci, he had to go to the National Security Bureau to meet someone. He didn’t stay long, and Gu Ci sat by the window, looking at the starlight. She remembered the time she had spent stargazing with Lu Zhiyuan that day. In that moment, she had truly felt happy.

Lately, she had been leading a fulfilling life. Even though she hadn’t seen Dr. North’s diagnosis report, she knew she was gradually improving. While her condition couldn’t be cured, her mindset had changed significantly.

She had learned how to please herself.

From a young age, she had lived for others, constantly striving for her parents’ love. Later, her heart turned to ashes, living for Lu Zhiyuan. After Lu Zhiyuan’s death, she had lost all her aspirations.

She hadn’t learned how to love someone; she only knew how to possess, hold on tightly, and develop obsessions. Now, she was gradually learning how to please herself. If she didn’t love herself, who would?

Lu Zhiyuan loved her but had to leave her.

Although she had told Lu Zhiyuan they would never meet again, she was Jiang Junlin’s sister and would eventually take over as the leader of the underworld. How could they never meet again? She had to face Lu Zhiyuan with composure.

Jiang Junlin arrived at the National Security Bureau, where Chen Liangdong was waiting for him. They went to a special prison area and met with a prisoner. Chen Liangdong had detained influential figures who once held significant power. They all enjoyed comfortable treatment, with soft sofas, computers connected to an intranet, gaming, movie-watching, and learning opportunities. The man Jiang Junlin saw looked quite young, having not seen sunlight for years, with pale skin and slightly lighter-than-usual irises. He wore a gray prisoner’s uniform and was currently playing cards, entertaining himself.

“Tang Mingzhou, implicated in a coastal economic case five years ago, refused to provide the names of the masterminds and has been imprisoned here for five years,” Jiang Junlin said calmly. “Do you still refuse to say anything?” “Mr. Chen, who is this?” Tang Mingzhou asked with a smile, looking at Chen Liangdong.

Seemingly reminded of something joyful, Jiang Junlin extended his hand and said, “Let me introduce myself. I’m Jiang Junlin, the owner of the underworld’s dark web. Five years ago, 1 was the one who sent you to prison.”

The smile faded from Tang Mingzhou’s face.

“It’s you…” Tang Mingzhou rested his chin on his hand, carefully examining Jiang Junlin. “1 never expected the owner of the dark web to be so young.”

“I didn’t expect that after five years, there would be such a big twist in this matter,” Jiang Junlin squatted down, locking eyes with him. “The former Black Hawk leader, Mr. Tang Mingzhou.”

Their eyes met, and the distance between them was very close. Every expression couldn’t escape each other’s scrutiny. Tang Mingzhou’s hair stood on end. How did Jiang Junlin know this?

He was being deceived!

“People have always said that Third Master was secretly groomed by you, parachuted into Black Hawk. Five years ago, when you passed away, he took over in a crisis. But in reality, it was he who personally handed over the evidence of your crimes to me. This information, after five years, has fallen into my hands,” Jiang Junlin said with a hint of malice in his smile. “1 didn’t even know that Third Master had helped me out like this. The Crown Prince usurped the throne, and you were betrayed. Is that surprising?”

At the same time, at the Global Center.

Lu Zhiyuan looked at the extracted characters, his brow furrowed deeply. Neither Rong Li nor Ji Chi could decipher the hidden information within the intelligence. To them, it looked like gibberish, but it should be an exclusive secret communication code. Extracting information from it should be challenging for outsiders, but Lu Zhiyuan could decipher one name from it. Tang Mingzhou!

No matter what message was being conveyed, the transmission of a name usually had some fixed patterns. The reappearance of this name after five years gave him a bad feeling. Ji Chi asked, “Who is Tang Mingzhou?”

Rong Li also turned to Lu Zhiyuan.

“The former leader of Black Hawk.”

“Isn’t he supposed to be dead?” The leader of Black Hawk never revealed their real names, and Rong Li was hearing his true name for the first time.

“Yeah, isn’t he supposed to be dead?” Lu Zhiyuan raised an eyebrow.

Ji Chi frowned. “A person who died five years ago suddenly reappearing is quite strange. Who could have given my brother a clue related to Black Hawk, and what could it be?”

Rong Li had just retrieved Tang Mingzhou’s information on his phone. “Third Master, Tang Mingzhou’s parents died in a car accident before he died. After his death, his wife remarried and gave birth to a son.”

Rong Li hesitated for a moment. “His son was bitten by a rabid dog in the neighborhood three years ago and passed away. His wife also went insane.” “He was the leader of Black Hawk, and he didn’t leave any protection for his wife and child?” Ji Chi couldn’t understand. Just like when Third Master had groomed him, he had given specific orders to ensure Gu Ci’s safety in case anything happened to Third Master.

Lu Zhiyuan explained, “At the time, he was being pressured heavily by the major families within Black Hawk. He took a risky collaboration with Chen Liangyou, hoping to use Chen’s power to gain control. However, he was manipulated by Chen Liangyou, committing numerous crimes. He handled land approvals, a position not too significant but with substantial power. 1 compiled and organized the information about his crimes, which led to his capture. After that, he disappeared from the scene, and apart from Chen Liangyou, few should know that he was the former leader of Black Hawk.. Why would his name appear in this painting?”