Chapter 54: The Boss

When Song Ren re-entered the nightclub, the place had already regained its previous bustle.

Yet, as he walked back in, various gazes swept toward him from all directions.

Curiosity, fear, awe, detachment...

Standing on the staircase leading to the second floor, amidst the high shadows, was Cai Shuangyu. Like a midnight queen, she looked down at Song Ren as he entered the establishment.

He was still stained with patches of blood, though his expression remained largely unchanged, suggesting he had caught up with that person.

Still, that was remarkably fast. How on earth did he pull it off?

Cai Shuangyu was just about to beckon him up for a chat.

However, her best friend Li Yuyao, who had been waiting by the bar for a long time, could no longer restrain herself and took the initiative to approach him.

Li Yuyao walked with a seductive, cat-like stride, her long legs encased in black silk stockings looking exceptionally alluring, while holding two glasses of sake in her hands.

She walked straight up to Song Ren, her eyes seemingly brimming with moisture: "Handsome, care for a drink together?"

Song Ren brushed aside the glass the woman offered, frowning as he asked, "Where are your friend and my few friends?"

Li Yuyao squinted her charming fox-like eyes, giggling as she tempted him: "Guess if I'll tell you or not? There's a reward if you guess right, you know."

Song Ren calmly replied, "I guess you definitely will."

Li Yuyao immediately covered her mouth and laughed: "Hehe, you gue——"

Song Ren stared at her with a completely calm expression, not uttering a word.

Li Yuyao abruptly swallowed the second half of her sentence, her eye twitching as she swiftly changed her tune: "Uh, you guessed right."

...

By this time, Song Ren had already noticed that lingering gaze upon the stairs.

He had been observing his surroundings ever since he stepped inside, and amidst the conversation, he finally located the figure hidden within the shadows.

"Move aside."

Without a trace of politeness, he raised his hand to push aside the head in front of him and looked toward the staircase.

Li Yuyao stumbled a step from being pushed. Watching Song Ren's retreating back, she gritted her teeth in fury:

"Are you kidding me? Are you even a man, you bastard!"

Cai Shuangyu also noticed her best friend's unfortunate encounter and couldn't help but offer a brief, amused smile.

Yet that single smile caused all the men in the club who had been secretly watching her to lose their minds.

Anyone familiar with Cai Shuangyu knew better than to be unfazed by her reputation.

The underworld had long whispered that the Beauty of Yu was a ruthless figure who loved tossing her opponents into the open ocean to feed the sharks.

Such a cold and aloof queen—who had ever seen her smile before?

Song Ren stood at the foot of the steps, gazing up at Cai Shuangyu, and spoke in a deep voice: "Where are those friends of mine?"

Cai Shuangyu gestured toward a private box on the second floor: "Come inside and we'll talk."

Song Ren frowned slightly.

Neither of these two women seemed simple.

As expected, a film formed by the fusion of three distinct movies was bound to be troublesome, always spawning random characters and chaotic storylines.

Noticing the wariness deep within Song Ren's eyes, Cai Shuangyu glanced back and said, "There's no need for such deep hostility. To a certain extent, I suppose you could consider me your boss."

Song Ren raised an eyebrow. He quickly deduced something and simply decided to follow along.

Li Yuyao trotted up after them, and as she climbed the stairs, she stealthily kicked the back of Song Ren's heel with the tip of her shoe, muttering under her breath:

"That'll teach you to bully me."

Song Ren's eyelids twitched, but mindful of the two women's special identities, he chose to endure it.

Feeling rather pleased with herself, Li Yuyao thought about delivering another kick.

Yet the moment she raised her foot, she found herself locking eyes with Song Ren, who had turned his head to look back.

For the first time, Li Yuyao understood what a bone-chilling, murderous glare truly meant.

Hastily retracting her foot, she muttered under her breath, "Hmph, big deal."

Walking in the lead, Cai Shuangyu couldn't help but wear a rare, faint smile at the corners of her lips.

Entering the private box, they found it completely empty with no one else inside.

Cai Shuangyu gracefully seated herself in the host's chair.

Meanwhile, Li Yuyao comfortably leaned back against the sofa, kicking off her high heels with a flick of her foot.

Drawing her legs up, she kept pressing her fingers against the toes encased in black silk, her tone dripping with laziness:

"So exhausting. Wearing high heels to play the gentle lady outside all day is an absolute bore."

As she spoke, her eyes continued to steal glances in Song Ren's direction.

Noticing with sharp perception that Song Ren's gaze had lingered on her feet for a split second, a trace of smugness instantly bloomed at the corner of her mouth.

Hmph, caught you looking.

The base nature of men!

Song Ren naturally withdrew his gaze, finding nothing particularly embarrassing about the moment.

Instead, he shifted his focus back onto Cai Shuangyu.

The aura emanating from this woman was exceptionally intense, entirely different from the affected, superficial charm that seemed to ooze from the very bones of the woman beside her.

Every single movement of Cai Shuangyu was unconstrained by formalities, lacking the frail delicacy typical of ordinary women.

Instead, she radiated an aura of danger. The web spaces between her thumbs and index fingers bore distinct calluses—a definitive hallmark of someone who frequently handled firearms.

If it truly came down to a physical fight with her, Song Ren might actually have to start pondering some philosophical questions about a seven-step distance.

Cai Shuangyu leaned back against the chair, brushing her long, braided hair over her shoulder:

"Sit down. There's no need to be so guarded."

"Just as I said a moment ago, I should technically be considered your boss."

"I hold a one-third stake in Fusheng Building."

"Besides, I have no intention of making a move against you and your people, otherwise you wouldn't be standing here in one piece."

Although Song Ren didn't believe the other party could be as powerful as her words implied, he didn't mind showing a bit of weakness.

He sat down across from her and asked, "How should I address you?"

Cai Shuangyu replied, "Cai Shuangyu, Heding's Dragon Head."

Song Ren raised an eyebrow.

Whoa!

What a massive background!

Heding was currently the largest triad society in Hong Kong, an absolute melting pot of dragons and serpents that stretched its tentacles into nearly every conceivable field. Its influence was vast and complex.

Yet the position of Dragon Head was second only to the overall supreme leader within the syndicate, and historically, those who attained the seat of Dragon Head had previously served either as White Paper Fans or Red Poles.

Regardless of which path they took, achieving such a rank was an extraordinary feat.

For a woman this aloof—and judging by her age, she appeared to be only around thirty—to have climbed to such heights genuinely exceeded his expectations.

Cai Shuangyu spoke once more:

"Wang Kun is Heding's speaking-head in Mong Kok."

"By beating Wang Kun and his men into that state, you've essentially slapped Heding across the face. Wang Kun still has several influential veteran uncles on good terms with him within the syndicate; if they lose their temper, they won't let you off easily."

Song Ren smiled faintly: "Then we fight, simple as that. I've always heard rumors that Heding boasts tens of thousands of members, and I've been meaning to see for myself if those numbers are actually true."

Cai Shuangyu let out a soft, low chuckle before looking up:

"Don't talk big. Saying Heding has tens of thousands of members is certainly an exaggeration, but having several thousand is a reality."

"It doesn't take many. All it takes is for each person to slash you once, and even if you were the legendary Martial Champion, you'd still be chopped into minced meat."

Song Ren straightened his posture, fixing a dark, unfathomable gaze upon Cai Shuangyu across the table:

"I don't believe it."