Two years of repression, two years of cold shoulders, two years of hunger and sleepless nights—all of this had forged a completely different Yunho.
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He no longer hunched over, no longer hid, no longer adopted a submissive, submissive demeanor.
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Even though he remained slender, he was like an iron branch hardened by wind and snow, standing quietly in the corner, still taciturn, yet commanding respect and preventing anyone from daring to insult him.
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That evening, an ordinary evening, several of his usual bullies swarmed into the warehouse.
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The leader was a blond-haired thug, always arrogant, relying on his fighting skills and the fact that the boy was young and uncared for, he had constantly beaten and verbally abused Yunho for the past two years.
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These past few days, seeing Yunho always wiping his knife with his head down, yet with a sharp gaze, he felt resentful and deliberately kicked over the metal bucket beside Yunho, venting his anger.
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"Hey, you're just an unwanted kid, what are you pretending for?"
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"You used to be so well-behaved, now you dare to give us attitude?"
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"Looks like you want a beating!"
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Yunho slowly straightened up, brushing the dust off his pants.
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No apology, no backing down, no panic whatsoever, as if he hadn't heard them.
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"Get lost."
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Two words, light, yet chillingly cold.
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The group froze for a moment, then flew into a rage.
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"You've gone too far! A bastard you picked up, how dare you talk like that!"
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"Today we'll teach you a lesson!"
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The fists immediately came flying without mercy.
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In the past, Yunho would have gritted his teeth and endured it, afraid he couldn't win, even more afraid that Jun-ge would think he was causing trouble and send him back to the streets.
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But today, everything was different. He'd had enough.
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The boy's movements were anything but graceful; they lacked any real technique, his moves were scattered, and he didn't possess the strength of the gang's seasoned fighters.
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But he was decisive, reckless, and utterly suicidal,
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like a maddened beast,
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even if he lost,
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he would take you down with him.
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With decent reflexes, Yunho barely managed to dodge the blond-haired man's powerful hook, even seizing the opportunity to grab his wrist and use the momentum to throw him—forcibly shifting all his weight onto him.
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The blond-haired man hadn't expected the boy to actually fight back; his reaction was a beat too slow, and he crashed into the metal frame behind him, letting out a muffled groan of pain.
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"Damn it!"
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The other henchmen were startled, and the three of them swarmed him.
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Yunho couldn't dodge in time and took two heavy punches, but he held tightly to the blond-haired boy's collar, landing punch after punch to the boy's face. Soon, the boy's cheek was bruised. The blond-haired boy, in pain, swiftly elbowed the boy in the chest. Yunho was forced to release his grip, but bit the blond-haired boy hard on the back of the neck.
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Everyone was stunned.
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This child, who had been subjected to all sorts of beatings and abuse for the past two years without daring to utter a sound, had actually fought back, and with such ferocity.
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"You're insane—!"
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Yunho wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes terrifyingly calm.
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"I don't mind being even crazier."
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At this moment, for the first time, the boy truly felt "alive."
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Not like a rat hiding in a corner, eking out a living, but standing up, forcefully reclaiming his trampled dignity, even covered in blood, determined to fight to the very end.
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Yunho stared at the blood on his fist, feeling a sense of unreality.
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This scene was witnessed by A-Zheng, who was passing by the warehouse entrance.
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He didn't go in, but stood outside for a moment, a flicker of disbelief and surprise in his eyes.
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—The child has finally woken up.
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The thugs naturally saw A-Zheng as well.
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Even though they were furious, they had no choice but to back down.
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After all, A-Zheng was Ling Jun's right-hand man.
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If things escalated to the vice-president's level,
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no one would be happy.
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The four of them quickly fled the scene.
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Meanwhile, in the president's office on the top floor of the Xi Yue Gang, the atmosphere was even more somber.
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The old president lightly tapped his fingertips on the table, glancing at Jun-ge, who stood behind him, always cold and taciturn.
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That year, the old president's health had deteriorated, and he was gradually losing his ability to manage gang affairs. Internal power struggles were brewing within Xi Yue, with several factions poised to make their move.
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Everyone expected the fight for the position to be fierce and bloody,
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inevitably leading to a bloodbath.
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But no one expected that the old chairman already had someone in mind.
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"Jun," the old chairman said, his voice slightly hoarse, "I plan to retire."
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Jun looked up, still devoid of emotion: "Chairman."
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"In the entire gang, only you can stabilize the situation and keep everyone in check."
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The old chairman was direct. "I want to hand over Xiyue to you."
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Several hall leaders beside him had slightly changed expressions, mostly in disbelief. Some wanted to persuade him, others objected, but were silenced by a single glare from the old chairman.
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They all knew—Jun was ruthless, decisive, and hard-hearted. In recent years, he had single-handedly handled all the difficult matters within and outside the gang.
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Without him, the Xiyue Gang would have been in chaos long ago.
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However, Jun was young, cold, and uncompromising, always giving off an unapproachable air, and extremely strict about rules. His future days would likely be much more difficult. Ling Jun showed no surprise, no deference, not even a hint of joy, as if this were a trivial matter.
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He spoke calmly, his voice deep and cold:
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"I understand."
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A simple sentence, yet it sounded as if he had expected it.
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The old chairman looked at him and suddenly sighed softly:
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"You never ask why."
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Jun said calmly:
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"No need. I'm only responsible for protecting Xi Yue."
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No ambitious declaration, only a weighty promise.
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The old chairman nodded, finally relieved. He had worried that Jun, who disliked power, might disdain taking over the gang. Unexpectedly, Jun agreed so readily, saving him a lot of trouble.
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"The handover ceremony will be held in three days. You will be the youngest president in the history of the Xiyue Gang. Do a good job, remember to be careful, and don't give those old hall masters any opportunity."
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"Yes, President."
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Three days later, at the Xiyue Gang headquarters building, the atmosphere in the lobby was extremely tense. The entire hall was deathly silent, as if even the air sensed the earth-shattering changes that were about to occur within the Xiyue Gang.
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Everyone stood in neat rows, quietly awaiting the handover ceremony.
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The old president slowly walked up to the platform and took out two items from a box—
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A dragon plaque carved with a black dragon and made of dark jade,
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and a gang seal engraved with "Xiyue," a seal that spoke volumes about the man.
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"From this day forward, the position of Xiyue Gang president will be officially handed over to—Ling Jun."
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Jun stepped forward and knelt on one knee.
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This was one of the very few times in Jun's life he had knelt before someone.
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"Thank you, President."
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The old president hung the dragon plaque around his neck and placed the seal in his palm. "With the Dragon Token in hand, Xi Yue obeys. The seal is issued, the gang rules precede the execution."
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"From now on, Xi Yue is yours."
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Jun Ge took the token, his fingers steady and strong.
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He stood up, turned, and surveyed the entire hall from his elevated position.
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This man, only 30 years old, who had served two years in the Korean warlord's army, would now hold complete control over the life and death of the Xi Yue Gang.
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"From this day forward," he spoke, his voice piercing the entire hall, "the Xi Yue Gang recognizes only rules, not personal relationships."
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Everyone knelt in unison, their voices shaking the building:
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"We will obey the leader's orders and will henceforth strictly abide by the gang rules, serving Xi Yue!"
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In a corner of the crowd, Yunhao clenched his fist slightly, his nails digging into his palm, looking up at the black figure on the platform.
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There was no worship, no resentment, no more of the humble expectations of the past.
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Only a clear, piercing pain.
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That person was never his salvation.
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That was the rule, the pinnacle, the goal he had to climb.
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Jun's gaze, unknowingly, swept across a corner of the crowd.
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It landed on the 13-year-old boy.
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Yunho was no longer afraid, no longer looking down to avoid Ling Jun's gaze.
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He stood ramrod straight, though blood still clung to the corner of his mouth, his eyes like a newly sharpened dagger.
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Jun's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
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Even with an icy expression, he uttered not a word.
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But perhaps only he himself knew that this glance had already shed the indifference of the past two years.
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A faint, unacknowledged concern had quietly taken root in his heart.
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Like looking at an iron pillar, finally letting out a fine needle through the silence.
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After the ceremony, the top floor completely changed hands.
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The highest and most expansive office in the entire building, the chairman's office, was officially taken over by Jun.
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Outside the window, the city lights shone brightly, but inside, it was perpetually cold, devoid of any warmth.
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As Ling Jun's confidant, A-Zheng naturally became the new vice president, moving into Jun's former office.
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After settling his affairs in the office, A-Zheng happened to run into Yunho cleaning the corridor.
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The boy was mopping the floor, his eyes calm, revealing no resentment.
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A-Zheng stopped, not walking away as he usually did, nor showing any deliberate concern.
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He simply uttered a few words:
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"In the future, when you take action, don't just rely on brute force and ruthlessness. Blindly rushing in will only lead to a faster and more gruesome death."
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Yunho paused, turning his head to look at him.
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Ah Zheng's gaze was calm, his tone understated, yet every word was crucial:
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"You dared to resist, that's right. But reckless fighting will only hurt you more."
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"Observe more, learn more. This isn't about temper, it's about brains."
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This was a rare instance of Ah Zheng speaking so much to him.
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Yunhao was silent for a moment, then slowly nodded:
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"Understood, thank you, Vice President."
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Ah Zheng looked at Yunhao, inwardly sighing.
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It seems Jun-ge wasn't wrong about him.
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This kid is finally starting to grow fangs.
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After finishing his cleaning work, Yunhao leaned against the corner of the wall, standing silently for a long time, lost in thought.
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He knew.
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From the day he rebelled, he was no longer a bastard to be trampled on.
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He was a blade about to be drawn, unstoppable by anyone; he would make those who bullied him pay the price.
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And the man already on the top floor, symbolizing the highest power of the Xiyue Gang, would be the only person he would ever catch up to in his life. Just watch, Jun-ge, one day I will stand by your side.55Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq1ieMbdeM1
and then Add to home screen.