The woman in the white Cheongsam let out a soft, derisive snort that cut through the tension like a finely honed blade. She leaned into Leo Shue, her fingers trailing possessively over the fabric of his tunic, tracing the muscles of his chest. She looked at Mitch Lee not with fear or respect, but with the kind of pity one might reserve for a particularly slow-witted child."Do you have any idea how the world works, little boy?" she purred, her voice dripping with honeyed venom. " The line of people waiting to share a meal with Master Shue stretches from this table all the way to the next city block. Bankers, politicians, warlords... they beg for five minutes of his time."She tilted her head, her earrings catching the light. "Just because you sat at a table with Master Shue once, you think you can trade on his name? You think that makes you friends? That is hilariously tragic."She glanced around the room, her gaze imperious. "Let alone someone who just ate a meal wit

Tom Zane, clad in his crisp military uniform, pushed open the glass doors of the hotel lobby with a force that rattled the frames. His expression was cold and unforgiving, like a dragon emerging from a turbulent sea to exact judgment.The atmosphere in the grand hall shifted instantly. It was a physical change in pressure. Some people possess an aura so potent that their mere entrance sucks the oxygen out of a room, leaving everyone else gasping for air. Tom Zane was undoubtedly such a man.The woman in the white Cheongsam, usually so poised and arrogant, felt a jolt of terror zap through her nervous system. A flash of memory—violent and bloody—played behind her eyes. She instinctively took two large steps back, putting a safe, three-meter distance between herself and Leo Shue.She dared not show even a hint of frivolity in front of Colonel Zane.She remembered an incident from six months ago vividly. Tom Zane had come to find Leo Shue for a private m

In the chaos that erupted on the staircase, a scene of stark contrast played out. Amidst the screaming and the panic, flashes of snow-white skin and torn black lace were visible to everyone in the grand hall.Gigi Vance, the celebrated medical prodigy and future daughter-in-law of the Zane Family, was in a state of absolute disarray. Her blouse had been ripped open in the struggle with the delirious patient. The pink, D-cup bra she wore underneath had been torn right down the middle, rendering it useless.Her hands, trembling violently, tried desperately to cover her exposed chest, but her fingers were not enough to hide the sheer volume of her assets. Tears streamed down her face, ruining her makeup and leaving streaks of mascara on her cheeks. She looked like a broken doll, utterly humiliated.Under normal circumstances, Gigi Vance's voluptuous figure and porcelain skin would have drawn admiring, perhaps even lustful, glances from any man present. She was a woman wh

"Forget about the Hughes Family," Jack Brooks said, his voice calm and steady against the howling wind of the bridge. He stood with the relaxed posture of a man waiting for a bus, not one surrounded by armed killers."Even if you added the Lacy Family and DragonGate Corp together... in front of me, they are nothing more than clay chickens and pottery dogs. They crumble at a touch."The words hung in the air, absurd and heavy. He spoke of destroying three of the most powerful, untouchable dynasties in the province as if he were discussing slaughtering a chicken for dinner.One man is enough. Clay chickens and pottery dogs.The thugs stood frozen for a second, their brains struggling to process the sheer audacity of the statement. The silence stretched, filled only by the rush of the river below.Then, as if on cue, the entire group erupted into raucous, belly-shaking laughter."Holy shit! Did this retard escape from a comedy club?" one thug gasped, clutc

Jack Brooks realized that standard chest compressions were not generating enough pressure on the heart due to the... significant cushioning. He decided to switch tactics. He pinched her nose and took a deep breath, leaning down to perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.Just as his lips were inches from hers, Claire Lynch's body convulsed.Cough! Splutter!A stream of river water erupted from her mouth. Her eyelids fluttered, and she groggily opened her beautiful eyes.The first thing she saw was a man's face zooming in on hers, lips puckered. Instinct took over.SMACK!Her right hand swung up in a reflex arc, connecting solidly with Jack's cheek. The sound was crisp and loud against the quiet riverbank."What do you think you are doing?!" Claire shrieked, scrambling backward in the mud, covering her chest with her arms.Jack Brooks sat back, rubbing his stinging cheek. He looked at her with a mixture of annoyance and disbelief."I'm saving