122: Bai Shaqiang's doubts

In December's Dongguan,

nightfall came exceptionally early.

It was only past five, yet the sky had already darkened.

A cold wind swept through the streets, whistling through the bare branches.

Pedestrians hunched their shoulders, walking in a hurried manner.

But this chill could not penetrate Li Zhan's heart at all.

Sitting in the car, he watched the street scenery flash by outside the window,

a faint, lingering smile playing on his lips.

Within a single day, two blessings had arrived—

the Changan underworld was completely under his control,

and that must-have plot of land in Nancheng had fallen into his hands as desired.

Furthermore, at the lowest possible cost,

he had delivered a resounding slap to the face of the arrogant Liu Shijie.

On the car radio,

a news report was being broadcasted in clear, measured tones, repeating the story of the Provincial Department and the Changan Branch Bureau joining forces to dismantle a major drug trafficking ring.

It described the "Thunder Operation," which he had personally orchestrated, as a thrilling success.

Listening to this "victory report,"

the smile in his eyes deepened.

The car slowly drove into a quiet, secluded residential area.

Li Zhan got out of the car; the cold wind brushed against his face, but he only felt refreshed.

Straightening his collar,

he walked toward the apartment building where Lin Xia lived.

At this moment, he especially wanted to see Lin Xia,

not just to share the joy of this victory,

but also with an urgent need to relax and vent now that the dust had settled.

Moreover, the television reports had hailed her as a hero who had ventured deep into the tiger's den.

Thinking of this, a playful smile curled on Li Zhan's lips—

if he didn't celebrate properly with this "hero,"

how could he live up to being the man who had pulled the strings behind the scenes and personally placed her on that "pedestal"?

He took the elevator upstairs and stood before the familiar door,

his expression softening slightly as he reached out to ring the doorbell.

Half an hour later,

on the sofa in Lin Xia's apartment, the lighting was suggestive.

Li Zhan's arm was wrapped around Lin Xia,

while one hand had already restlessly slipped under the hem of her sweater,

lingering on her smooth back,

before slowly covering the fullness of her chest, kneading it with just the right amount of pressure.

He chuckled softly in her ear, his warm breath fanning across her sensitive earlobe.

"Hero..."

"The news is full of praise for you. Your family's ability to build hype is truly impressive."

Lin Xia's breathing became a bit erratic under his touch,

her cheeks flushed as she let out a soft moan.

"Mhm... my family is already helping me apply for a First-Class Merit..."

Her voice carried a hint of languid charm.

"It seems my Officer Lin is about to be promoted?"

Li Zhan said in a low voice, laced with a bit of teasing.

"What has the family arranged? Have they given you any inside info?"

Lin Xia hugged his neck tightly,

proactively tilting her head up to kiss his chin, though her eyes cleared slightly.

"They want to transfer me back to the Municipal Bureau, into the Discipline Inspection Department.

However... it's still being negotiated.

The Liu Family certainly won't let things go so smoothly for me...

Ah—be gentler!"

Before she could finish, she was interrupted by Li Zhan giving her a firm slap on the buttocks.

"Discipline Inspection? That's a prime spot."

Li Zhan raised an eyebrow, his eyes gleaming.

"It seems Officer Lin will be donning an even more imposing 'tiger skin' in the future."

He patted her side,

"Get up, go put on that uniform and let me have a good look...

It's been a while since I've admired you in uniform."

Lin Xia gave him a coquettish glare, her eyes brimming with allure.

"You really... never have a moment of seriousness..."

Although she said that,

she still rose from his embrace, stepping across the carpet and swaying her slender waist as she walked toward the bedroom.

A moment later, she emerged with the neatly folded uniform,

standing in the center of the living room under Li Zhan's burning gaze.

First, she slowly removed her sweater, revealing the black lace lingerie underneath,

followed by her tight jeans, which she kicked aside haphazardly.

Then, her hand reached behind her back, giving a gentle click.

With a soft "click,"

the black bra loosened and slid to the floor.

She stood there under the light, wearing only a small pair of panties,

her skin dazzlingly pale and her curves exquisitely defined.

Li Zhan narrowed his eyes, leisurely lighting a cigarette as he leaned back into the sofa,

looking her up and down as if admiring a peerless treasure.

Lin Xia picked up the crisp uniform jacket and slipped it on directly.

The shining epaulettes and the police badge on her chest reflected a stern light under the lamps,

creating an extreme contrast with her current provocative state—going commando underneath and bare-legged below.

The hem of the uniform just barely covered the tops of her thighs, revealing a pair of straight, slender legs.

This highly impactful visual caused Li Zhan's eyes to darken instantly,

and a certain part of his body reacted strongly.

Lin Xia naturally felt his gaze, which seemed ready to devour her,

a flush rising to her face, which only added to her charm.

She cast him a seductive glance,

then actually turned and walked toward the island in the open kitchen, turning her back to him and leaning over slightly,

her hands resting on the cool countertop.

She looked back, throwing him an utterly tempting look.

Li Zhan's Adam's apple bobbed sharply; how could he possibly restrain himself?

He let out a low growl immediately,

ripped off his belt, stood up, and charged toward her with large strides...

—

Humen, Dongguan,

at an abandoned freight warehouse on the outskirts of town.

The massive corrugated iron factory building looked like a steel beast lurking in the night,

out of place amidst the surrounding desolation.

The interior had long since been completely renovated, radiating a raw and boiling vitality.

In the center of the venue,

a giant ring nearly 1.5 meters high, built from high-strength steel and specialized wooden planks, had already been erected.

The octagonal cage mesh reflected a cold metallic glint under the temporary floodlights.

Surrounding the ring were tiers of simple spectator seating, enough to accommodate hundreds of people shouting in a frenzy.

The air was a mixture of the pungent smell of fresh paint, a faint scent of machine oil,

and a restless sense of anticipation.

Several large display screens hung on the surrounding walls,

ensuring that spectators in every corner could see every bloody detail on the stage.

The bar in the corner had been completed,

a bartender was wiping glasses, with crates of beer and spirits stacked behind him.

Several sharp-eyed men in black uniforms were testing the lighting and sound systems,

the heavy subwoofers occasionally emitting a dull thud that made one's heart tremble.

With only a few days left before the boxing match, the entire venue was basically finished,

leaving only the final equipment testing and decorative details.

This place

was about to become the center of a vortex of desire, money, and violence.

In the rest area next to the boxing ring,

Bai Shaqiang had just finished a high-intensity sparring session.

His bronze back muscles glistened with sweat,

and that hideous centipede-like scar rose and fell with his heavy breathing.

He took a towel from a subordinate and wiped his face haphazardly,

the old scar stretching from his brow to the corner of his mouth looking even more fierce under the lights.

"Boss, things have changed in Changan."

His confidant, A-Wei, walked over quickly, his voice kept very low.

"The night before last, people from the Provincial Department joined forces with the Changan Branch Bureau and thoroughly scoured the Changan underworld!

Our two small spots over there were also taken down; we lost both people and goods."

He paused, his tone carrying a hint of disbelief and wariness.

"But the strange thing is, not a single hair was harmed at any of the venues under Li Zhan's name!

This operation... was too clean,

so clean it seemed like it was specifically designed to clear the way for him.

Now, the Changan underworld clearly and completely belongs to Li."

Bai Shaqiang crushed the plastic water bottle in his hand, his Adam's apple bobbing as he gulped down the last of the water,

the bottle making a piercing creak in his palm.

This guy surnamed Li could actually move the Provincial Public Security Department?

He narrowed his eyes, looking toward the ring being set up in the distance,

his gaze dark and unreadable, saying nothing.

The only thing left in the air was the sporadic sound of workers construction in the distance.

A-Wei continued, "Just now... Young Master Liu's Uncle Jin came by."

He paused, observing his boss's expression.

"He said Young Master Liu has agreed to all the conditions you proposed last time,

regarding... the franchise rights for those two new berths at the Wharf, as well as the 'green channel' for import and export inspections."

These conditions were astonishingly generous,

almost like delivering a piece of succulent meat directly to Bai Shaqiang's mouth.

Humen relies on the sea; the Wharf is its lifeblood.

What Young Master Liu offered was exactly the key resources he had dreamed of but had always been blocked from obtaining at the official level.

"Hmph, so generous?

He probably suffered quite a bit at the hands of that guy Li..."

Bai Shaqiang let out an ambiguous cold laugh and threw the deformed bottle onto the ground.

"Using me as a tool?

Young Master Liu certainly knows how to calculate."

A-Wei asked cautiously,

"Then Brother Qiang... what do you mean?

Regarding this boxing match, Li Zhan's side..."

Bai Shaqiang did not answer immediately.

He walked to the edge of the ring,

picking up bandages and slowly wrapping them around his wrists,

his gaze sweeping over the various cold, gleaming equipment prepared for the match below the stage.

After a long while,

his lips slowly curled into an elusive arc, and a sharp light flickered in his eyes.

"Tell Young Master Liu, I accept the conditions."

His voice was low. "As for what happens in the ring... tell him not to worry."

A-Wei was somewhat confused and wanted to ask about the specific plan.

But Bai Shaqiang only narrowed his eyes, his lips curling slightly

into a profound and mysterious smile, raising his hand to cut his confidant off.

"Go get busy; the boxing match is what matters."