Ryuzaki Makoto sat on the sofa, watching the farce unfold before him, and gently shook his head, the mocking smile on his lips deepening.
"Sigh, what did I just say? People always have a侥幸 mentality, so there's an old saying that goes, 'Those who don't listen to the elders will suffer the consequences.' Why don't you guys believe it?"
As soon as Ryuzaki Makoto finished speaking, three figures walked up the stairs unhurriedly.
ICE looked up, his eyes filled with even greater terror.
These three people are none other than Kohaku and the Amamiya brothers!
With these three powerful figures guarding the stairwell, even if Pearl and Bernie were at full ICE power, let alone the injured Bernie, they wouldn't be able to break through.
At the same time, the deafening, adrenaline-pumping music downstairs suddenly stopped without warning, as if it had been cut off by an invisible knife.
Immediately following was a chorus of exclamations and screams.
ICE instinctively walked to the railing and looked down.
Hundreds of True Dragon Society members dressed in black uniforms stormed into the bar and instantly took control of all exits and key locations.
The crowd that was reveling in the dance floor was thrown into a panic by this sudden turn of events.
Driven away by the members of the True Dragon Society, the guests fled towards the door like headless flies.
Screams, the crashing of tables and chairs, and the shattering of wine glasses mingled together, instantly turning this so-called "utopia" into a chaotic nightmare.
Seeing this, ICE's last shred of hope and desire to resist were completely extinguished.
A deep sense of powerlessness wrapped around his entire body like vines, making it difficult for him to even breathe.
He dejectedly withdrew his gaze, his voice dry and hoarse:
"Okay... whatever your request is, I agree to it."
After ICE finished speaking, his once straight and upright spine seemed to collapse instantly, and he looked several years older. The spirited demeanor of a team leader was gone from his face.
He slumped back onto the sofa, looking utterly dejected, and let out a heavy sigh—a sigh of resignation to his fate.
Ryuzaki was very satisfied with ICE's attitude, and he clapped his hands lightly.
As he moved, several more elite members of the True Dragon Society came up from downstairs.
Ryuzaki nodded towards Pearl and Bernie, who were lying motionless on the ground, and gave them a wink.
Several people immediately stepped forward, swiftly lifted the seriously injured Pearl and Bernie, and carried them downstairs without any hesitation.
Meanwhile, two other members approached Sarah, who was sitting silently in the corner.
Sarah raised her head, her defiant eyes coldly fixed on the approaching True Dragon Society members.
She did not resist, but slowly stood up and cast a complicated gaze at ICE, who was sitting on the sofa with his head down and silent.
In those eyes, there was understanding, heartache, and a hint of unspeakable resolve.
ICE felt the gaze, his Adam's apple bobbed twice, but he ultimately didn't raise his head to face Sarah, nor did he know what to say to comfort her, or to comfort himself.
Just as the two members were about to grab Sarah, she suddenly stepped forward and walked up to ICE.
She bent down, bringing her exotic face close to ICE's ear, her red lips parted slightly, and her tone held an unprecedented tenderness:
"Bro, do you remember that night? Thank you for saving me from those damn human traffickers that night. Meeting you is the luckiest thing that has ever happened to me."
Her voice was as soft as a breeze:
"Don't agree to that man's demands. Making a deal with him is like doing business with the devil, and you will be doomed."
ICE suddenly looked up, about to say something.
Sarah stretched out her long, slender fingers and gently pressed them against his lips, silencing him completely.
"Boy, promise me that if you ever have the chance to leave, go find your own true utopia. Cherry blossoms don't offer the utopia you're looking for. Even if you don't find it in the end, live freely like the wind..."
Sarah's words still lingered in ICE's ears.
She had already turned around resolutely, and without looking back, followed the True Dragon Society members down the stairs and disappeared around the corner at the bottom of the stairs.
ICE stared blankly at Sarah's departing figure, unable to come back to his senses for a long time, his eyes even turning slightly red.
Ryuzaki Makoto did not interrupt this somewhat touching farewell scene. Only after everyone had completely gone did his calm voice sound again, ruthlessly pulling ICE back to the cruel reality.
"So? Now that you have no worries, you should have thought it through."
ICE knew the matter was settled; they were at the mercy of others, and there was no point in thinking about it anymore.
He raised his head, staring blankly at Ryuzaki Makoto, his voice numb:
"Tell me, what do you want me to do? Murder? Or arson?"
Ryuzaki leaned forward slightly, looking directly into ICE's dim eyes, and said, word by word:
"I don't need to kill anyone or set fires. What I need you to do is very simple."
He paused, his deep voice booming in ICE's mind.
"I want you to bring Liu Longren to me within three days!"
Upon hearing this request, ICE's pupils suddenly contracted to pinpoints as he stared at Ryuzaki Makoto in disbelief.
He never expected that Ryuzaki Makoto's elaborate threats and kidnapping were ultimately aimed at getting him to harm his own brother, Liu Longren.
Ryuzaki Makoto didn't urge ICE to agree immediately. He leaned back on the sofa, waiting with great interest for ICE's inner struggle.
How many steps are involved in completely swallowing up the behemoth that is Kowloon Group?
In Ryuzaki Makoto's game, the answer is clear and simple.
The first step is to clip the wings, causing the conservative faction, led by Kurosaki Kimryu, to completely lose power or disappear.
The second step is to confront them head-on and completely defeat the radical faction led by Shanxin Jilong.
The third and final step is to strike at the heart of the matter and completely bring down the Ninth Generation Society, which serves as its spiritual pillar.
Then the Kowloon Group completely fell apart.
Now, Kurosaki's faction has been severely weakened by the last purge and is outnumbered and outmatched, so it is not a threat for the time being.
Keeping this old fox around allows him to continue to pull in and out of Kowloon with the Shanxin faction, thus depleting Kowloon's internal strength.
And that manic believer, Yoshitsu, didn't Akutsu say that?
This madman may soon declare a full-scale war on the True Dragon Society.
Simply relying on intrigue and clever tricks cannot completely defeat this kind of extreme behavior.
Therefore, Ryuzaki Shinya was prepared to confront them head-on and defeat the Zenshinkai fair and square on the battlefield.
As for the Ninth Generation Society, as the true foundation and totem of the Kowloon Group, its actual controller has long since become Ninth Generation Pear Blossom.
Although this woman was highly skilled, she had one major weakness: her son, Liu Longren, whom she cherished as her life.
By controlling Liu Longren, it's as if the lifeline of the Ninth Generation Pear Blossom Princess is firmly in their grasp.
If you tell her to go east, she won't dare go west.
If he could, Ryuzaki would have wanted to find an opportunity to take down Liu Longren, that spoiled brat, a long time ago.
Unfortunately, when they first met at the container terminal, a fight broke out between the two sides, which was not the best time to capture him.
At that time, the True Dragon Society had just been established and its foundation was not yet stable.
Now, ever since he suffered a loss last time, Liu Longren has become like a coward, hiding in the Kowloon Group all day and refusing to come out.
In this situation, who is the most suitable person to lure him out or even capture him?
That means only ICE.
After all, Liu Longren had been a member of the Century Warriors in his earlier pursuit of so-called freedom and excitement, and had even wandered the streets with them, sharing life and death experiences, and had a fairly good relationship with them.
Liu Longren may be wary of everyone, but he would never be wary of his good brother, ICE.
ICE wasn't stupid. After his initial shock, he instantly understood the deeper meaning and ruthlessness behind Ryuzaki's move.
This not only forced him to betray his friendship, but also forced him to personally push the brother who once trusted him into the abyss.
He opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.
In the end, he didn't give Ryuzaki any clear answer. Instead, he stood up dejectedly and walked slowly down the stairs like a walking corpse, leaving the bar that was called "Free Jungle" but had no freedom whatsoever.
Standing to the side, Amber watched ICE's desolate and desperate figure gradually disappear through the doorway, frowned slightly, and turned to ask Ryuzaki Makoto:
"Are we just going to let him go like that? What if he tries something funny or runs away?"
Ryuzaki didn't seem to care. He slowly finished his last puff of cigarette, then stubbed it out hard in the ashtray until the last spark went out.
"Life is mostly beyond our control, Amber, you should understand the meaning of this better than I do."
"He can't escape..."
Seeing that Amber seemed about to ask another question, Ryuzaki Makoto suddenly clapped his hands and stood up.
His gaze swept over Kohaku in front of him, as well as the Amamiya brothers who had remained silent, and his tone became serious.
"Alright, let's put ICE aside for now. The reason I specifically called the three of you here today isn't because of these music punks. There's something more important I need to discuss with you..."