112 Walking Alone

This statement actually held two layers of meaning.

Lin Qi wanted revenge, which naturally meant he needed to become stronger; he certainly did not wish to spend his entire life delivering food. To Song Qingzhu, it was only fitting that a man should aspire to greater strength. Joining the Tianji organization would undoubtedly make Lin Qi significantly more powerful. It was not surprising that Lin Qi harbored such a dream; Song Qingzhu had long suspected he was no ordinary man.

Yet, she still had her doubts. She looked at Tang Long with bewilderment. "Are you really willing to hand over the entire Longyue Group just to help Lin Qi?"

Tang Long nodded. "Yes."

Song Qingzhu was even more incredulous. "Why?"

Tang Long’s face darkened. "You ask too many questions. Is it not enough that I am handing over the Longyue Group to you?"

Satisfied—of course she was satisfied. As an intern for Tianji who had failed to complete her mission for three months and was already on the brink of death, what right did she have to be picky or probe further? She knew that something was off with Lin Qi, and something was off with Tang Long—both of them were suspicious—but she could no longer afford to care.

Song Qingzhu immediately said, "Fine. Once you hand over the Longyue Group to me and I am promoted to a full member of Tianji, I will have the authority to recommend a candidate for the organization."

Tang Long glanced at his watch. It was already 11:30 PM. He spoke immediately, "Even using the fastest procedures, transferring the Longyue Group to you will take a week. For now, take this official document to satisfy your superiors."

Tang Long pulled a red-headed document from his coat. It stated simply that the Longyue Group would be unconditionally merged into the Jinyang Group. He had prepared this before arriving, and it bore a large red seal at the bottom, granting it full legal authority.

Clutching the document, Song Qingzhu’s hands trembled with excitement. This was something she had dreamed of for so long, and now, it was finally in her grasp. She would no longer have to live under a false name, delivering food.

If not for the presence of Lin Qi and Tang Long, Song Qingzhu would have stripped off her stinking delivery uniform right then and there. She pulled out her phone to call the two emissaries. She had kept it off until now, but now she switched it on.

The plump emissary’s voice was cold. "Song Qingzhu, how dare you contact me?"

"It is not yet twelve o'clock," Song Qingzhu replied. "By what right do you kill me? You are violating the rules!"

"What, do you honestly expect me to believe you have seized the Longyue Group in a matter of hours?" the emissary retorted.

"Of course," Song Qingzhu said, her voice filled with newfound confidence. "I have already secured the Longyue Group!"

A silence fell on the other end.

"Where are the two of you?" Song Qingzhu continued. "I am coming over right now!"

"Meet us at the Yunze Lake villa complex."

"Understood. I will be there immediately!"

Song Qingzhu hung up and prepared to leave.

"Manager Song, don't forget our agreement," Tang Long reminded her at the perfect moment.

"Rest assured, I won't," she said, hurrying out the door.

"Those two emissaries may be able to kill you, but so can we," Tang Long said, his voice ominous.

Song Qingzhu’s body froze. She turned back to look at Lin Qi and Tang Long. Tang Long’s expression was grim, and Lin Qi remained stone-faced. For some reason, a chill ran down Song Qingzhu’s spine. She suddenly realized that these men were powerful, far more complex than they appeared on the surface.

"Don't worry, I will keep my promise," she said, turning away and exiting.

After Song Qingzhu left, Tang Long and Lin Qi remained. They stood on the second-floor balcony for a long time.

"Tang Long, you have sacrificed too much this time," Lin Qi said, bowing his head. He knew all too well how much effort, heart, and sweat Tang Long had poured into the Longyue Group over the years.

"Young Master, as long as it leads to vengeance, none of this matters," Tang Long replied, his tone indifferent.

"What do you plan to do next?" Lin Qi asked.

Tang Long was silent for a moment. This plan had been made in such haste that he hadn't had time to consider the future. After a long pause, he said, "Even if you join Tianji, you won't be able to exact revenge immediately. Just in case, I cannot remain idle. I will find another city to start a business. I have accumulated a fair amount of assets over the years, and I believe I can rise again quickly. I hope to be of service to you in the future."

Lin Qi trusted Tang Long implicitly. Among the group that had originally left the capital, Tang Long was undoubtedly one of the most gifted when it came to business.

"Where do you intend to go?" Lin Qi asked again.

"Huaijiang City. It is a beautiful place with mountains and rivers; I have wanted to go there for a long time," Tang Long said with a smile. Huaijiang City was right next to Haitong City; the two were not far apart.

"That is good. The richest man in Huaijiang City will soon be born," Lin Qi laughed.

Tang Long said nothing, and neither did Lin Qi. The two stood by the balcony as a light breeze drifted past.

After an unknown amount of time, Tang Long’s voice became slightly choked, and tears shimmered in the corners of his eyes. "Young Master, I know nothing of this Tianji organization. If you had not been so insistent, I would never have agreed to this. In the past, we were there to protect you, but from now on, you must be careful on your own!"

"Rest assured, I will," Lin Qi said, staring straight ahead, his eyes filled with an unprecedented resolve. He could no longer be a flower growing in a greenhouse. Some paths were destined to be walked alone.