“Brother Qi!”

At the bar, Lin Xingyue entered through the back door. She instructed her assistants to wait outside and pushed open the door to the private room.

Inside, a few men were sitting, each covered in tattoos—just one look was enough to tell they weren’t good people.

The man called Brother Qi was the leader of the Sanlong Gang.

The Sanlong Gang was a small to medium-sized underworld group in Kowloon. Though they couldn’t compare to larger gangs like Hongxing, they were young, vigorous, and fearless, which allowed them to dominate several districts as their territory.

Brother Qi put an arm around Lin Xingyue’s waist. “Ah Yue, what’s with the sour face? Are you unhappy about coming to keep me company?”

Lin Xingyue playfully patted him and poured him a glass of wine. “Brother Qi, how can you say that? I’m always delighted to see you. It’s just that I’ve been running into some trouble on set lately.”

Sun Lehu, the bespectacled man with the fan, laughed and said, “Sister-in-law, who dared to offend you? Just say the word, and the boss will take care of them for you!”

“Don’t mention it. I’ve been so wronged this time. I was just joking around with Zhou Minwen, and out of nowhere, someone else intervened. Zhou Minwen brought in some so-called master who accused me of being a thief. Brother Qi, don’t you think that’s outrageous?”

Lin Xingyue pouted, her voice sweet and soft, though a trace of malice flashed in her eyes.

She had always been petty, and this time, she bore grudges not only against Zhou Minwen but also Gu Xicao.

“A master? Wow, Sister-in-law, you must be joking.”

Sun Lehu took a sip of wine and shook his head with a wry smile.

Lin Zheng, couldn’t help but speak up. “Dealing with other people is one thing, but targeting some so-called master? If word gets out, won’t our Sanlong Gang become a laughingstock?”

In truth, neither of them wanted to get involved in this matter.

Lin Xingyue could tell what they were thinking, but she didn’t dare show her displeasure. Instead, she lightly punched Brother Qi’s shoulder. “Brother Qi, that master is just a girl—and a pretty one at that.”

“A girl?”

Brother Qi’s face lit up with interest as he rubbed his chin. “How old is she?”

“I’m not sure, but she looks about eighteen or nineteen. She’s fresh and delicate,” Lin Xingyue hinted. “Brother Qi, you could go over there, help me vent my frustrations, and teach that little brat a lesson.”

Brother Qi chuckled. “You won’t get jealous?”

Lin Xingyue snorted. “As long as you’re happy, why would I get jealous? Just don’t go easy on her.”

“Got it.” Brother Qi’s imagination began to run wild, and a lecherous grin spread across his face.

Sun Lehu was unfazed—what gang leader wasn’t a lustful scoundrel?

Lin Zheng frowned slightly, disapproving but unwilling to oppose his boss.

“Achoo!”

Gu Xicao grabbed a tissue and wiped her nose.

Lin Yuan poured her a glass of warm water. “Sister, are you catching a cold? Maybe take tomorrow off and rest at home?”

“No need. I have something important to do tomorrow,” Gu Xicao replied, her lips curling into a cold smile.

Sanlong Gang, huh?

Tomorrow, the Sanlong Gang would be leaderless.

Clang—

The tin door creaked open as Wang Laoshi peeked out cautiously, looking around.

Gu Xicao entered, carrying a packed breakfast of rice noodle rolls. “Uncle Wang, what are you looking at so early in the morning?”

“I’m watching for anyone suspicious who might be keeping an eye on us,” Wang Laoshi replied, glancing at Gu Xicao. He couldn’t help but admire her composure—she didn’t seem worried or afraid at all. In contrast, he had been so anxious he hadn’t slept a wink.

“Relax. Even if they’re coming, gangsters don’t wake up this early,” Gu Xicao said, placing breakfast on the table and inviting Wang Laoshi to join her.

Wang Laoshi thought about it and realized she had a point.

He sat down, broke open a pair of chopsticks, and picked up a box of rice noodle rolls with lean meat and eggs. “Miss Zhou contacted me yesterday. She said she’s sending two people to help us this afternoon.”

“Two people? What do they do?” Gu Xicao asked curiously.

“Probably martial artists. Miss Zhou is quite thoughtful,” Wang Laoshi replied.

The phone rang loudly early in the morning. Wang Laoshi answered, and upon hearing it was Zhou Minwen, his tone became more polite. “Miss Zhou, what can I do for you?”

Holding the phone, Zhou Minwen nervously bit her lip. “Uncle Wang, could you ask Master Gu to come to the phone? I have something important to tell her.”

Wang Laoshi felt a bad premonition from her tone. He quickly called Gu Xicao over but stayed nearby to listen.

Gu Xicao put the call on speaker. “Miss Zhou, is something wrong?”

“Yes! It’s my fault for dragging you into this. I just found out this morning that Lin Xingyue has spread word not to let anyone help us. The two martial artists I arranged called to say they can’t come because of ‘family emergencies.’”

Zhou Minwen sounded regretful and uneasy. “I’m okay since I have my company’s backing, so Lin Xingyue doesn’t dare be too obvious. But you—what if she takes her anger out on you?”

Wang Laoshi’s face turned pale, and his eyelid twitched as he felt the urge to curse.

Gu Xicao, however, remained calm and even reassured Zhou Minwen. “I understand. Don’t worry about it. I’ll handle things on my end.”

“Master Gu, please don’t comfort me. I feel terrible already!”

Zhou Minwen was overwhelmed with guilt. Even now, Master Gu was being considerate of her. “Lin Xingyue’s backer is the leader of the Sanlong Gang. Those gangsters are capable of anything! Maybe you should close your doors for a few days. I’ll figure something out and ask my company’s higher-ups for help. I’ll compensate you double for the losses.”

“You’re very kind, Miss Zhou, but that won’t be necessary,” Gu Xicao replied, genuinely touched by Zhou Minwen’s concern. “This will be resolved quickly. Let’s leave it at that for now.”

Wang Laoshi stared at her in shock. “You just hung up like that?”

“What else was I supposed to do?” Gu Xicao said. “Uncle Wang, stop worrying. If the sky falls, I’ll hold it up!”

“But you’re so small! If the sky falls, we’ll all die!” Wang Laoshi shook his head. “I think we should call the police or ask Jianyi for help.”

Gu Xicao initially wanted to stop him but had a sudden idea, her eyes lighting up. “Wait, listen to me…”

Meanwhile, Zhou Minwen’s manager walked in to find her frowning in distress. The manager leaned on the desk. “What did Master Gu say?”

“She said not to worry about her side,” Zhou Minwen replied helplessly.

“She’s just a young girl. How could she understand how dangerous this is?” The manager frowned, equally troubled. “What do we do now?”

Zhou Minwen lowered her gaze and suddenly stood up, heading for the door.

Her manager didn’t react immediately, but when she saw Zhou Minwen almost biting her lip to the point of bleeding, she realized what Zhou Minwen intended to do. Grabbing her hand, she exclaimed, “Ah Wen, what are you trying to do?”

“Don’t stop me. This is all my fault for dragging Master Gu into it,” Zhou Minwen said, closing her eyes to suppress the grievances and anger welling up in her heart. “Lin Xingyue just wants to get back at me. If that’s the case, I’ll apologize and agree to whatever she wants. I can’t let Master Gu pay for this.”

The manager, desperate, tightened her grip on Zhou Minwen’s hand. “Ah Wen, don’t be foolish! Lin Xingyue is ruthless—her revenge methods are despicable. Think about Fang Miaomiao. She suddenly retired from the industry for no apparent reason. Wasn’t it because Lin Xingyue blackmailed her with nude photos?”

“Precisely because of that, I must step up!”

Zhou Minwen pried off the manager’s fingers one by one, her eyes bloodshot and tears brimming. “Some things I can endure, but why should an innocent young girl suffer such bullying?”

“Ah Wen…”

The manager sniffled, her heart aching. Tears were already streaming down her face before she even realized it.

For a woman to climb to her current position in this industry without sleeping around or relying on wealthy men, she must have endured unimaginable hardships.

If Zhou Minwen went to beg Lin Xingyue, the latter would undoubtedly humiliate her to the extreme. Not because of anything Zhou Minwen had done, but simply because Lin Xingyue resented her for succeeding without compromising herself.

People who’ve fallen into depravity often harbor one singular thought when they see others thriving: to drag them down into the same darkness.

“I’ll go with you.” The manager wiped her face, pulled out a tissue from her bag to dry her tears, and spoke resolutely.

“You—” Zhou Minwen wanted to refuse.

But the manager smiled and said, “Remember what we promised each other when we started in this industry? You’d be the star, I’d be your agent, and we’d face hardships and share joys together as sisters. Isn’t that right?”

Zhou Minwen blinked, and tears spilled uncontrollably.

“Idiot. I’ve never seen a manager like you.”

“And I’ve never seen anyone buy their manager a house,” the manager retorted with a huff. “Enough with the sentiment. If we’re going, let’s go now. If she starts hitting people, stay away. I’ve got thick skin—I can take a few punches. You, on the other hand, still have filming to do, so don’t get your face messed up.”

“Alright.” Zhou Minwen hesitated for a moment before nodding.