After the video conference ended, Xiao Zhan locked himself in his room for an entire day and night.
No one knew what he did or what he thought inside.
It wasn't until the dawn of the new day that he reappeared before the Three Dragon Guards.
Although his face was somewhat haggard, and his eye sockets were slightly sunken from staying up all night, his eyes were no longer filled with the previous rage and madness.
Instead, they held a more chilling, viper-like coldness that made people's hearts palpitate!
He seemed to have been reborn!
During that day and night, he didn't rest, nor did he eat.
He just sat there, motionless like a statue, repeatedly replaying his several confrontations with Lu Cheng in his mind, analyzing every detail of his failures.
Lu Cheng... he had to admit, this man was strong, unexpectedly strong!
His methods were also much more insidious and cunning than he had imagined!
He had indeed underestimated him; Lu Cheng and his scheme were like an invisible net, into which he had fallen the moment he entered Demon City!
To confront him head-on with their remaining strength would be no different from moths flying into a flame, seeking their own destruction!
Moreover, the opponent might also have the assistance of the Dragon Kingdom's officials, which undoubtedly made Dragon Hall's actions even more inconvenient.
However, this did not mean that there was no way to deal with Lu Cheng!
Lu Cheng was in the open, and he was in the dark!
This was his greatest advantage!
You, Lu Cheng, like to play with power and schemes, you like to manipulate everything from behind the scenes, don't you?
Alright then! I'll play along with you!
A new, more secretive, and even more vicious plan gradually took shape in his mind!
--- He turned his gaze to his trusted subordinates before him, his voice cold and firm, devoid of any emotion.
"Hu Sha, Tie Bi!"
"From today onwards, your mission is to use Dragon Hall's remaining forces in Demon City to infiltrate its underworld!"
"Find me all forces that might, or rather, all forces that are willing to be enemies with Lu Cheng!"
"Whether they are declining forces suppressed by the Lu family!"
"Or ambitious new small gangs wanting to rise!"
"Or even old enemies who once held grudges against them and harbored resentment towards the Lu family!"
"As long as they have value! As long as they dare to go against the Lu family! As long as they can be used by me!"
"They can all become our temporary allies!"
"Money, resources, Dragon Hall can provide! I only want results!"
"I want that bastard Lu Cheng to have no peace!"
"Make him pay a heavy price for everything he has done!"
Upon hearing this, Tie Bi and Hu Sha both brightened.
The bloodthirsty glint returned to Hu Sha's eyes, which had been somewhat dull from being suppressed for too long.
This kind of work – delving into the underworld, stirring up trouble, and secretly making things happen – was right up his alley!
Finally, he could stretch his limbs again after a long time!
He bared his teeth, revealing two rows of white teeth, his smile cruel and excited.
"Dragon King, rest assured! This kind of thing, I'm best at it!"
"I guarantee! Within ten days, the underworld of Demon City will be completely changed!"
"Even if they don't want to cooperate with us, hehe..."
"I'll beat them until they agree!"
And Tie Bi, usually silent, also nodded heavily, a murderous glint flashing in his eyes, which were like ten-thousand-year-old ice.
His hatred for Lu Cheng was no less than Xiao Zhan's!
Many of the Dragon Hall members who were killed or captured were his brothers, whom he had personally brought out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood!
But his reply remained concise.
"Understood."
Xiao Zhan nodded in satisfaction, then turned his gaze to Ye Shuying, who had been standing silently by his side with a complex expression throughout.
His eyes became somewhat meaningful.
It seemed there was an even more dangerous and important task to entrust to her.
But the words caught in his throat, and he hesitated for a moment, ultimately swallowing them back.
He simply waved his hand, signaling Hu Sha and Tie Bi to go execute their orders.
When only he and Ye Shuying were left in the room, Xiao Zhan slowly spoke, his voice carrying a hint of weariness.
"Meiying..."
"Regarding your arrangements..."
--- After receiving their orders, Hu Sha and Tie Bi were like two fierce beasts released from their cages.
Using their extensive experience accumulated over many years in overseas gray areas, they sought out local forces that might be useful to them.
But the process was far more difficult than they had imagined.
After all, Dragon Hall's intelligence network in the Dragon Kingdom had been decimated by Lu Cheng, leaving very little behind.
They now had to rely more on scattered clues.
And the Lu family's infiltration and control of Demon City's underworld also far exceeded their estimates.
Many so-called 'big brothers' or 'dragon heads' who had a reputation in the underworld either assessed the situation and kept their distance from the Lu family, not daring to provoke them in the slightest.
Or they had already sworn allegiance to the Lu family, becoming their watchdogs, enjoying the stability and benefits it brought.
The two of them encountered repeated setbacks.
The first few big brothers they found, upon hearing their desire to unite against the Lu family, either turned pale with fright, waving their hands repeatedly, wishing to immediately distance themselves from them.
Or they treated them as lunatics or swindlers, directly showing them the door.
The two realized that in such an underworld in Demon City, finding a force willing to oppose the Lu family was almost impossible!
Under these circumstances, they could only settle for the next best thing.
If no force was willing, then they would cultivate one that was willing!
They would choose and support a loyal dog willing to obey them, helping him rise to power!
Killing a few underworld bosses was merely a trivial matter for the two of them.
Moreover, this would also give them leverage over the other party, allowing for deeper control!
After all, no one wanted their subordinates to know that they rose to power by killing their former boss.
After several days of investigation, screening, and secret observation, they finally identified a potential ally worth betting on from a jumble of clues—a small leader of the Azure Dragon Gang, nicknamed "Black Wolf," who had recently risen to prominence in Demon City's underworld.
This person was said to be from humble beginnings, having carved out a bloody path from the bottom through sheer ruthlessness and a disregard for his own life.
He had also gathered a large group of desperate individuals known for their viciousness and unscrupulous methods, earning himself a considerable "fierce reputation" in the underworld.
It was said that this "Black Wolf" was ambitious and had always coveted the position of leader of the Azure Dragon Gang, wanting to replace him.
However, due to his shallow experience and the meddling of several old-timers within the gang, he had not yet achieved his wish.
A ruthless small leader desperate to rise to power perfectly fit the target they were looking for!