Li could hardly hide the shock on his face. The reason he was so surprised was that the uninvited man in front of him was actually the president of the True Dragon Society - Ryuzaki Shin!
In order to invade the SWORD region, he had naturally conducted a detailed investigation of the distribution of power in the entire region beforehand. The True Dragon Society was of paramount importance, and he had seen the portrait of Ryuzaki Makoto before.
However, he never expected that the other party would appear in front of him in this way.
And as the mastermind behind all of this, attempting to annex the SWORD region, could it be that...
Was the other party here specifically to seek revenge?
Alarm bells rang in Li's mind instantly. His hand moved slowly and imperceptibly to the waistband of his suit jacket, where a loaded pistol was tucked.
Just as tensions were about to rise, Ryuzaki Makoto suddenly showed a perfectly timed look of confusion and spoke up.
"Sir... do you know me?"
These words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly dousing Li's tense nerves.
His expression clearly froze for a moment, and his hand on his waist stopped moving.
But just a second later, he realized what was happening.
Yes, Ryuzaki Shin probably doesn't recognize himself.
They could never have known that they were the real mastermind behind that series of events.
After Amber's disastrous defeat at the docks, he simply vanished without a trace and was never seen again.
The rabble of DOUBT was completely wiped out by the police in Toyaru City, and they were all arrested.
In this way, the True Dragon Society might not even know that they were the ones who orchestrated all of this behind the scenes.
Once Li understood all of this, his mind immediately became active.
The True Dragon Society is now the absolute hegemon of the SWORD region, and there is no doubt about that.
So why did I insist on stubbornly taking over SWORD by force?
Isn't cooperating with Ryuzaki Makoto in front of me and using him to help me gain a foothold in this country also an option?
It might even be a better choice!
The SWORD region is so vast, and the True Dragon Society is currently in a period of rapid growth, so it will inevitably need a lot of resources.
If I could become their sole arms supplier, this deal might just take off!
When that time comes, my father will definitely look at me with new respect!
Thinking of this, the stiff expression on Li's face instantly melted away like ice and snow, transforming into a warm and enthusiastic smile.
He strode forward, opened his arms wide, as if he were seeing an old friend he hadn't seen for many years.
"Haha! Ryuzaki-kun! Of course I recognize you! Your True Dragon Society is doing very well in the SWORD area now, and I, Li, naturally admire you very much!"
Seeing this, Ryuzaki Makoto also broke into a bright smile and opened his arms to greet her.
"Young Master Li, you're too kind! I've long admired your reputation!"
The two men, each with their own ulterior motives, embraced tightly. To the uninitiated, they would have seemed like true, inseparable friends.
Ryuzaki patted the other person's back symbolically, then let go.
"Young Master Li, why don't we sit down and have a proper chat?"
Li immediately nodded, turned around and personally led Ryuzaki Makoto to the floor-to-ceiling window, next to a set of top-quality genuine leather sofas.
The two sat facing each other.
Behind Li stood two burly, sharp-eyed white bodyguards hired from abroad at high salaries.
Behind Ryuzaki Makoto stood only one person—Ishida Goro, who stood as silent as an iron tower.
The burly bodyguards and the expressionless Ishida Goro exchanged glances in the air, both sensing a deadly aura emanating from each other.
Li picked up the corkscrew on the table and skillfully uncorked a bottle of red wine. With a soft "pop," a rich and complex aroma of wine instantly filled the air.
Ryuzaki Makoto knew it was a top-quality wine just by taking a sniff.
Li picked up the bottle and first filled Ryuzaki Makoto's glass with wine; the deep red liquid swayed gracefully in the crystal glass.
Then he poured it for himself.
He raised his glass and gestured towards Ryuzaki Makoto.
"please."
Just then, Ishida Goro, who had been standing behind Ryuzaki Makoto, suddenly stepped forward, took out a small silver testing pen from his pocket, and dipped it into the wine glass in front of Ryuzaki Makoto.
The indicator light on the testing pen flashed a few times before finally lighting up a safe green.
After confirming that there were no problems, Ishida Goro nodded slightly to Ryuzaki Makoto.
Ryuzaki Makoto picked up his glass, looked at Lee across from him who was smiling, and said with a smile in return:
"Young Master Li, please don't misunderstand. It's not that I don't trust you. After all, this is our first meeting, and we're both in the same business, so it's always good to be cautious."
There was no displeasure on Li's face.
To him, this was perfectly normal.
If you were to go to an unfamiliar place for an appointment, you would be even more cautious than the other person.
He even held Ryuzaki Makoto in higher regard because of this.
To dare to attend the meeting with only one subordinate shows a level of courage that few people possess.
"Ryuzaki-kun, what are you saying! I can understand this little matter very well! If it were me, I probably wouldn't have agreed to come to my private club. I would have definitely chosen a neutral area. I truly admire your courage!"
Ryuzaki didn't say anything more, just laughed heartily, raised his glass and gently clinked it against the other person's.
After the crisp sound, the two of them simultaneously downed their glasses of red wine.
After finishing his drink, Ryuzaki smacked his lips twice in a serious manner.
"This wine is silky smooth on the palate, full-bodied, with a fruity aroma and a hint of oak. If I'm not mistaken, this should be a 1975 Romanée-Conti, right?"
These words made Li's eyes light up.
He originally thought that Ryuzaki Makoto, this so-called "chairman" who had fought his way up from the bottom of the streets, was at best just a nouveau riche from humble beginnings.
Now it seems that the other party's knowledge far exceeded my expectations.
The smile on Li's face became even more genuine.
"Ryuzaki-kun, you have excellent taste! This wine is a 1975 Romanée-Conti! It's a treasure I've kept for many years, and I only share it when entertaining my most distinguished guests!"
Ryuzaki Makoto laughed heartily.
"Looks like I'm getting lucky today too! Haha!"
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Li put down his wine glass and got straight to business.
"I heard that Ryuzaki-kun came to my place this time to discuss... something like arms dealing?"
Ryuzaki Makoto took another slow sip of red wine before speaking unhurriedly:
"Young Master Li is right. As you know, my True Dragon Society has expanded significantly and has many brothers under my command. If we don't have some decent guys on our side, we will always feel insecure."
Li nodded upon hearing this.
"That's easy to say. Our family has been in this business for a long time. Whether it's quality or quantity, we guarantee you'll be satisfied."
He picked up the bottle again and poured more wine for Ryuzaki Makoto, while tentatively asking:
"However, I don't think Ryuzaki-kun just bought these things to arm himself, right? Would you mind chatting with me about what you mainly intend to do with them?"
Ryuzaki gave Li a deep look, then pretended to ponder for a moment before letting out a helpless sigh.
"There's nothing we can't talk about, Mr. Li. Have you heard of the Kowloon Group?"
Kowloon Group?!
When Li heard those four words, the hand holding his wine glass suddenly trembled!
The red wine in the glass spilled out instantly, staining the pristine white tablecloth a striking crimson.
Some of the wine even dripped down the edge of the table and onto the clean floor...