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Novel Catalog
Chapter 87
Wang Gao’s hand clenched into a fist as he fought internally, his mind racing. The pressure from Gao Fei’s words weighed heavily on him. He had lived in the underworld long enough to know that no matter how independent one tried to be, there were always bigger forces at play. And now, with Shengcheng’s influence pushing in, it was clear that if they didn’t fall in line, their lives—and their positions—would be in jeopardy.
“You think we have a choice?” Wang Gao said quietly, his voice filled with frustration. He looked at the men around him, who had been silent, each one grappling with the reality of their situation. “This is the world we live in. If we don’t join them, we’ll be swallowed whole by them.”
Gao Fei’s lips curled into a smile, though it lacked any warmth. “I think you know the answer already,” he said smoothly. “You can either join us and have a chance to weather the storm or face the consequences of resisting. The big boss doesn’t take no for an answer.”
There was a tense pause, the air thick with the weight of their decision. Wang Gao stared at the table, his fingers drumming lightly on the surface, and for a moment, it seemed like he was considering the impossible. To side with Gao Fei and his boss would be to surrender, but to go against them might as well be a death sentence. He wasn’t sure if he could live with either choice.
After a long pause, Wang Gao straightened up in his chair. “Alright,” he said with a bitter chuckle, “We’ll follow your lead. But know this, Gao Fei—if we survive this, we’ll remember who stood by us when things got rough.”
Gao Fei’s smile widened as he nodded. “Good decision. There’s no going back now, but we’ll make sure you’re well taken care of. You’ll have a place at the table when the dust settles. Just remember, those who side with us will rise, and those who don’t… they’ll be forgotten.”
As Wang Gao and the others stood to leave, the tension in the air didn’t dissipate. It was clear that a bigger storm was on the horizon, one that would shake the underworld to its very core. The illegal circles in Donghai would never be the same again, and anyone caught in the middle—like Xu Rong—would have to face the consequences of their choices.
Meanwhile, in the shadows, Gao Fei’s words echoed in Xu Rong’s mind. The choice he made to walk out of the teahouse might have seemed like a stance of defiance, but in reality, it would lead him into a much deeper conflict. Shengcheng was coming for Donghai, and there would be no escape.
Back in Donghai, Jiang Ning could feel the weight of the situation shifting. The Lins had made their decision, but it was clear that bigger powers were at play, ones that he wasn’t sure even he could control. The impending storm would test the limits of their power and resilience.
Jiang Ning wasn’t worried about the physical threat; he was more concerned about the undercurrents of the conflict. Lin Wu and his connections, Huang Yuming, and now the looming power of Shengcheng—this web of influence could tear apart everything they had worked for. Jiang Ning had no doubt that things were about to get far more dangerous.
But no matter what, he knew that he and his family had to stand strong. They couldn’t afford to be swept away by forces greater than them. The question now wasn’t whether they could survive—it was whether they could make their enemies fear them enough to back down.
In the coming days, all their fates would be tested, and Jiang Ning would make sure the Lin family didn’t go down without a fight. The battle for power in Donghai was just beginning, and it wouldn’t be long before the rest of the world would know that the Lin family wasn’t to be underestimated.
