Chapter 102: So You Were Waiting Here All Along!

The sudden turn of events left the other three executives of the Eagle Alliance sitting at the head table unable to remain calm.

Su Mingzhe stood up with a jerk, yet maintained a polite tone. "Chairman Lu, why don't you speak plainly? Our Eagle Alliance has been in Kyoto for a long time, and we certainly weren't built by being intimidated!"

Xie Zhan also gave a cold scoff. "Since when did our Eagle Alliance become a soft persimmon for just anyone to squeeze?"

Only Gu Yun wore an expression of someone watching a show, unbothered by the chaos. "Chairman Lu, he’s right, you should be clear. If you have a private grudge against Xu Qingshan, settle it yourself. Why drag the entire Eagle Alliance into it?"

Xu Qingshan, already livid, shot a hateful glare at Gu Yun. Because of the incident involving Gu Shaoqing, Gu Yun had held a grudge against him ever since. Yet, regardless of the internal friction within the Eagle Alliance, choosing this moment to kick them while they were down showed that Gu Yun was not only petty but also remarkably dim-witted.

"Fine! Then I will be even clearer," Lu Pengcheng said, sitting upright at the table with an arrogant air. "Someone in your Eagle Alliance named Xiang Nan severely injured my son. If the Eagle Alliance doesn't give me an explanation for this, I, Lu Pengcheng, will not let this matter rest!"

Upon hearing that it was Xiang Nan who had caused the trouble, Gu Yun’s face lit up with delight. "As the Young Master of the Eagle Alliance, Xiang Nan has disregarded the Alliance's interests to injure others recklessly. Xu Qingshan, how do you intend to deal with him?"

At this moment, Xu Jiya walked over and whispered a few words into Xu Qingshan’s ear.

Xu Qingshan’s expression immediately turned dark.

"Go to hell! Lu Pengcheng, so it turns out your son tried to ruin my daughter, only to be taught a lesson by our Young Master. Our Young Master is a man of honor. If this had happened on my watch, and anyone dared to lay a hand on my precious daughter, I would have beaten your son until he couldn't even take care of himself!"

"Our Young Master did the right thing! Lu Pengcheng, you, as a father, failed to discipline your spoiled brat, so our Young Master did it for you. You should be thanking him, you ungrateful wretch!"

It was no joke; Xu Qingshan came from the underworld, and his ability to curse was legendary. Lu Pengcheng was so enraged he nearly passed out on the spot.

Gu Yun, however, looked indignant. "Xu Qingshan! You are shielding him! Do you have any idea who you are offending?!"

Xu Qingshan looked at him with contempt. "Offending people? Did I offend 'people' just now? Are they even human? Old Gu, I advise you to act like a human yourself and stop letting greed cloud your judgment!"

Beside him, Su Mingzhe lowered his voice and said coldly, "Shut up, Old Gu. You’ve embarrassed the Eagle Alliance enough!"

"Pfft, hahahaha..." Many people in the crowd couldn't help but burst into laughter.

Lu Pengcheng turned around, his sharp gaze sweeping across the room.

"Today, in my capacity as the President of the Kyoto Chamber of Commerce, I warn all of you present: whoever continues to conduct business with the Eagle Alliance will not be tolerated by me, nor by the Kyoto Chamber of Commerce!"

At these words, everyone fell silent. Most of those attending the banquet were business partners of the Eagle Alliance or entrepreneurs looking to collaborate with them. However, living in Kyoto meant they had to fear the power of the Lu family. For a moment, the guests looked at one another, feeling caught in a dilemma. Many were already leaning toward the Lu family, as the Lu family was undeniably the leader in terms of influence in Kyoto. Offending them for the sake of the Eagle Alliance simply wasn't worth it.

Xu Qingshan, already fueled by anger, decided to go all in. "No matter what path we’ve walked, our Eagle Alliance has never been afraid of anyone! Everyone here knows that we value loyalty above all else. Whoever is willing to continue collaborating with us will be treated as a brother, and we will stand together through thick and thin!"

Although Xu Qingshan’s words were stirring, business was not a brotherhood; profit was the bottom line. The massive banquet hall fell into a silence so profound one could hear a pin drop. No one stood up to support the Eagle Alliance.

Lu Pengcheng felt victorious, a smug smile hanging on his face. "Loyalty? Brotherhood? Xu Qingshan, do you think this is still the age of fighting for turf in the streets? The underworld will never be respectable. You’re supposed to be the top gang in Kyoto? One whistleblowing letter from me, and I can have you all thrown into prison!"

"That's right, Dad! Report them! Let them all rot in jail!" Lu Yu added, gloating like a petty villain.

"Oh? Someone wants to report us? I suggest you have solid evidence, otherwise, I can have you charged with defamation for three or five years."

At the entrance, Zhang Chen appeared in a police uniform, holding a small gift box. He glanced coldly at the father-son duo before walking toward Xu Qingshan.

"Executive Xu, my superior sent me to deliver these blessings. May your fortune be as vast as the Eastern Sea and your life as long as the Southern Mountains!" Zhang Chen presented the gift box to Xu Qingshan with both hands.

"Too kind, too kind. Officer Zhang, thank you for making the trip," Xu Qingshan said with a hearty laugh, his face full of joy.

Seeing Zhang Chen in uniform and on such friendly terms with Xu Qingshan, it was clear the Eagle Alliance had powerful backing in the government.

"Why is the atmosphere in this hall so strange? Is someone here to cause trouble?" Zhang Chen asked deliberately.

Xiang Nan, who was nearby, stepped forward. "Someone is using business interests to coerce everyone into boycotting us, and even threatened to report the Eagle Alliance to the authorities."

"Don't be ridiculous. Accusations require evidence. As long as the Eagle Alliance hasn't broken the law, nothing will happen to them," Zhang Chen said calmly. "As for boycotting the Eagle Alliance? The people of Kyoto won't stand for it. Isn't the most popular medicine on the market right now the 'Three Treasures' from the Eagle Alliance's 'Bao Zhi Ling'? If the Eagle Alliance were banned, where would everyone buy them?"

The crowd began to buzz with discussion.

"I’ve used the Three Treasures, they’re truly miraculous medicines! I didn't realize they were an Eagle Alliance product, that's incredible!"

"My son waited in line for three hours last week just to buy them; you can imagine how popular they are!"

"Bao Zhi Ling became the most popular medicine in Kyoto in just over two months. People even come from other cities just to buy them; it’s strictly registered!"

"The Eagle Alliance is destined to become a business giant. This is the perfect time to get on their good side!"

Just then, a man stepped out from the crowd.

"Everyone, I am Kang Jiacheng, President of the Spirit Martial Association. I am officially reporting the Eagle Alliance for the illegal possession of national spirit treasures for private profit. The 'Three Treasures' are the evidence."

Kang Jiacheng looked confident, holding the medicine he had sent someone to purchase. "Everyone knows that national spirit artifacts and materials are cultivated by professionals and managed by our Association. But these medicines possess magical effects, clearly containing spirit herbs. The Eagle Alliance has never purchased spirit herbs from us. What does this mean? It means they have been stealing national resources to reap massive profits!"

"So that’s what they were waiting for. No wonder the President of the Spirit Martial Association had so much time to join the fun." Xiang Nan curled his lips, muttered to himself, and stood up.