Chapter 260 - Chapter 260: The Tsundere Third Master

Chapter 260: The Tsundere Third Master

Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation

“Why did you assign Pei Qiuying to come to City A?” Qin Wan didn’t understand. “If she stayed in Europe and fought with Chen Rushi. It would be more advantageous for you.”

“Pei Qiuying coming to City A while Chen Rushi dominates in Europe weakens her strength. It’s just a matter of time. Pei Qiuying realizes she’s been abandoned by the Triad. She has no choice but to find support or surrender to me,” Gu Ci explained. “Bringing her to City A means I want her to die here. With Chen Rushi defecting from Black Hawk, her chances of becoming the Triad’s leader are slim. 1 can handle the situation.”

Qin Wan nodded. “I understand.”

Gu Ci nodded too. It was another weekend, and she had to go to the Global Sports Center.

But she had too much on her plate.

Final exams required a lot of revision, and when it came to Triad matters, any distraction or miscommunication could have dire consequences. So Gu Ci was extremely cautious.

Every weekend, she would go to the Global Sports Center to be with Lu Zhiyuan. She wouldn’t handle any matters herself, leaving everything to Qin Wan. If there were any urgent issues, Qin Wan would inform her. She had given instructions to Qin Wan for every weekend, the most intense time for the Triad’s retaliation against Black Hawk. Lu Zhiyuan had never suspected who had taken over Jiang Junlin’s position.

At the Global Sports Center.

Lu Zhiyuan could now move around, though vigorous activity was still off-limits. Simple walking was no problem. Jiang Junlin had been held at Ji Chi’s place, and two groups had attempted to rescue him, but their information had been wrong.

Ji Chi rose to power in Black Hawk very quickly, and he had many enemies. With so many escape routes and secret passages in his house, it was impossible to pinpoint Jiang Junlin’s location, except for Lu Zhiyuan and Rong Li.

To avoid attracting attention, Lu Zhiyuan brought only one of his guards, Nick, with him. It was a risky move, but he was willing to take the chance. After both rescue attempts by the two groups of guards failed, everything fell silent. “Interesting!” Lu Zhiyuan looked at the report Ji Chi had sent. “The new Dark Master of the Triad is determined to save him. If they return empty-handed and give up, what does that mean? Are they giving up on him?”

Li Jiang couldn’t make sense of this strategy. Both groups of guards were highly skilled, even more so than Zhang Qiang’s guard team. After they fell silent, there was no trace of them among the crowd.

Lu Zhiyuan said, “The Triad… really has a talent for producing capable individuals.”

“Third Master, you have a high opinion of the new master of the Triad’s Dark Web!”

“Perhaps not as capable as Jiang Junlin,” Lu Zhiyuan put down his tablet. “Their methods may not be as ruthless as Jiang Junlin’s, but they are skilled at manipulating people’s hearts. Their style is different, but their goal is the same.”

“Third Master, Pei Qiuying is on her way to City A today,” Li Jiang reminded him. “Sending her to oversee Asian affairs at this time, what does the new master want to achieve?”

“That’s where he differs from Jiang Junlin,” Lu Zhiyuan said lightly. “Jiang Junlin wanted Pei Qiuying to clash with Chen Rushi, but he would never choose to let Pei Qiuying leave Europe and let Chen Rushi grow. This new master wants to eliminate Pei Qiuying directly, using her as a tool to kill.”

“Whose blade is she borrowing to do that?”

Lu Zhiyuan’s eyes turned cold. “Mine.”

Li Jiang said, bewildered, “But, Third Master…”

Li Jiang was deeply puzzled. “Third Master, you raised Pei Qiuying, even though she turned against you. The Triad surely knows this. Why keep Pei Qiuying and arrange for her to clash with Chen Rushi? Why even send Pei Qiuying to City A?”

“Pei Qiuying’s staged car accident proved her loyalty to the Triad. I nearly died in that accident, and keeping a tiger by your side eventually leads to getting bitten. There’s been a lot of talk within Black Hawk about it. Pei Qiuying’s move has won her the hearts of many in the Triad. Jiang Junlin has already killed three Triad leaders for betrayal. But Pei Qiuying has demonstrated her loyalty. Killing her now would harm Jiang Junlin’s reputation, and his future decisions would be criticized. If Jiang Junlin hadn’t been imprisoned, he might have allowed Pei Qiuying and Chen Rushi to fight it out in Europe. But the new master wants… me to kill Pei Qiuying.”

Lu Zhiyuan stood by the window, looking out at the sunlight in City A. “Everyone knows that Pei Qiuying orchestrated a car accident that nearly killed me. Our enmity runs deep.”

Li Jiang suddenly understood. “I see. If Pei Qiuying dies at your hands, it won’t affect the Dark Master’s authority, and it will unite the Triad to fight against Black Hawk. This is a brilliant move!”

But here’s the question, Third Master, will you do as he wishes and kill Pei Qiuying?

Lu Zhiyuan muttered to himself, “Acting like a woman…”

“What?” Li Jiang asked.

“Never mind.” Lu Zhiyuan pondered silently. Bringing Pei Qiuying to City A was a subtle and malicious move, like a palace intrigue. If it were Jiang Junlin or even himself, they would have dealt with Pei Qiuying directly in Europe, without going through this elaborate scheme. It seemed like an invitation, laced with sweetness, softness, and a vicious kind of scheming.

It was like a knife coated in honey, stabbing at him.

This new master was hitting him hard, reminding him of his near-death at Pei Qiuying’s hands. Truly… a knife wrapped in gentleness.

This new master was delivering a harsh blow to his pride, reminding him of his near-death experience at Pei Qiuying’s hands. It was like a gentle knife, cutting through his ego and making him aware of the potential pitfalls in his own plans.

In recent confrontations, while Black Hawk had the upper hand, it wasn’t enough to destroy the Triad’s Dark Web.

“Can our insiders find information about the Dark Master of the Triad?” Lu Zhiyuan asked.

Li Jiang shook his head. “His position is already quite high, and even Jiang Junlin didn’t know he was the Dark Master of the Triad. The only one who knew was the former minister, but he died in the line of duty. We don’t know who’s in charge after Jiang Junlin, and we don’t know who he reports to.”

“Jiang Junlin disappeared, and a new master replaced him. This indicates a highly matured system. It’s unlikely that one person is in charge; there should be traces that can be found. Keep investigating and relay the information to national security through Chen Liangdong.”

“Understood!” Li Jiang went out to make the call, and Lu Zhiyuan suddenly asked, “Is it Saturday today?”

“Yes, Third Master.”

Lu Zhiyuan’s expression shifted, and Gu Ci had been especially busy lately. Besides coming over on weekends during the day, they mostly communicated via text messages. Occasionally, they had a meal together, and she even sent him photos. He should have been happy.

After all, with Gu Ci absent, he didn’t have to play the role of the Third Young Master.

However, for some reason, he couldn’t shake off his gloomy mood. He longed to see Gu Ci, and the desire had grown stronger after he realized his true feelings.

He even found himself acting more aloof when playing the role of the Third Young Master, and he secretly wished that the person Gu Ci saw would be him, not the Third Young Master.

His expression turned sour, and Li Jiang, who knew him well, said, “Third Master, Miss Gu Ci is a medical student with a packed schedule. I’ve heard that medical students spend their entire finals week in the library. Maybe she’s just too busy lately and doesn’t have time to see you.”

So, you shouldn’t be upset!

“Third Master, if you miss her, you can go see her. You can walk now,” Li Jiang suggested, his quick thinking evident.

“Who says 1 miss her?”

Li Jiang’s smile froze, and the situation got a bit awkward. He scratched his head, unsure of what to say. Lu Zhiyuan replied icily, “Prepare the car!”

“Go… where?”

“Her silence for two days. If I don’t go see her, wouldn’t it be like I’m playing the role of the Third Young Master?”

“It must not look like that!” Li Jiang promptly replied. “Third Master, I’ll prepare the car right away..”