Who else could be guarding the Hanyun Valley border but the King of Hanyun Valley himself?

Kong Haoyan, who had been a confident, conniving strategist just moments before, now sat slumped on the ground. His face was pale and drenched in cold sweat, filled with anxious uncertainty.

It's like seeing a ghost in broad daylight!

According to their earlier speculations, such a trivial matter should never have caught the Zhennan Prince's attention. Even if by some miracle it did, he certainly wouldn't have come knocking on their door.

What sort of figure was the Zhennan Prince? Why would he care about such a trifling issue?

Besides, their plan was to make a hefty profit and then pull off a clean getaway.

But now...

Whether the man had sought them out on purpose or merely stumbled upon them by chance, they had still walked right into the line of fire.

And what an aura that man had. Despite his simple attire, his every word and action marked him as someone accustomed to a high position—a top-tier figure who held the power of life and death.

Terrifying!

"Remember, by nightfall!" Yang Hu patted Kong Haoyan's shoulder and grinned widely.

Kong Haoyan: "..."

Kong Haoyan didn't recover from his profound shock until long after Chen Yang and Yang Hu had left. The people who had come for the speech exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions showing that they now saw him in a different light.

"This is bad! I have to get home, now!"

Taking several deep breaths, Kong Haoyan left in a panic.

The Kong Family's main business was in trusts and other financial products, so setting up this charity fund was well within their expertise.

But they hadn't expected the Zhennan Prince's name to be so influential. In just one month, over a billion had flowed into their account. According to their plan, they should have already made their getaway.

However, human greed is endless. This method of amassing wealth was like printing money, and just as addictive as a drug. Once hooked, getting out was next to impossible.

「Kong Family.」

Under the bright afternoon sun, Kong Yanxiang, the Patriarch of the Kong Family, sat at a coffee table. A beautiful woman in a low-cut miniskirt was pouring him tea, her exquisite face wreathed in a vibrant smile.

Seeing Kong Haoyan approach, Kong Yanxiang beckoned to him. "Xiaoyu wants to go to France to buy some luxury goods. Draw ten million from the charity fund's account for her."

"Thank you, Master!"

After placing the tea before Kong Yanxiang, the woman named Xu Yu clung intimately to his arm. Her figure and face were no less stunning than Zhou Yufei's, but she carried an additional flirtatious charm that made her an absolute knockout.

"Also, there's a nice-looking castle in the West Suburb," Kong Yanxiang continued. "The price is reasonable, just over seventy million. Find some time to transfer the funds."

"Master, Young Master, your scheme is brilliant! And there are so many rich fools in Lingjin City. The name of the Zhennan Prince alone is enough to attract countless wealth!" Xu Yu crossed her arms, her face blossoming into a smile. She had never imagined money could come so easily; soon, she'd probably need a separate house just to store her luxury items.

As she spoke, Xu Yu leaned toward Kong Haoyan, batting her lashes flirtatiously. "Young Master, you've worked so hard! Come, have some tea first!"

"Get lost!" Kong Haoyan shoved the plaything aside, his expression dark as he sat down opposite Kong Yanxiang.

Xu Yu looked aggrieved and pouted.

"What's wrong?" Kong Yanxiang asked, looking at his son in surprise. His son had been so spirited lately; what could have happened today?

"The Zhennan Prince came for us," Kong Haoyan said grimly.

Kong Yanxiang: "..."

Xu Yu: "..."

An abrupt silence fell over them.

CRACK.

The teacup fell from Kong Yanxiang's hand and shattered on the floor.

"Impossible!" Kong Yanxiang immediately refuted the claim. "The Zhennan Prince is guarding the border! How could he have time to concern himself with our trivial affairs, let alone come here in person? Haha..."

He finished with a laugh. "Haoyan, you're still too young and easily frightened. In my opinion, this is just someone who's jealous that our pie is getting bigger and wants to stick a hand in for a slice."

"Master is right!" Xu Yu added with shameless arrogance. "Young Master, you don't need to worry. Just find some men to go over and teach him a lesson!"

Kong Haoyan said nothing. He simply took out the paper stamped with the Great Seal and placed it on the coffee table.

*Guarding Hanyun Valley, for the peace and prosperity of the nation.*

The eight crimson characters were like sharp daggers, piercing them straight through the heart.

Kong Yanxiang, who had been so calm and composed moments before, gasped, his face a mask of utter shock and terror.

This... is this the Zhennan Prince's Great Seal?

Xu Yu covered her mouth, frozen stiff.

After a long moment, Kong Yanxiang managed to part his dry lips. "What... what did he say?"

"He wants us to publicly disclose all income and expenditures by nightfall." Recalling the man's tone and expression as he spoke, Kong Haoyan's face turned ashen, and he felt utterly drained.

Kong Yanxiang: "..."

"What's more, he seems to have figured out everything about us. He knows all about the seaside villa and the supercar I bought! The only reason he hasn't moved against me yet is probably because he wants me to confess and give everyone an explanation!"

Kong Yanxiang: "..."

Every word was like a sledgehammer blow to his heart. When Kong Haoyan fell silent, the only sound in the room was Kong Yanxiang's ragged breathing.

Kong Yanxiang had been living a life of godlike luxury, but now his spirit seemed to collapse before their very eyes. His former unflappable composure was gone.

The Zhennan Prince himself has appeared... This...

The Kong Family certainly had some influence in Lingjin City, but what was that compared to the Zhennan Prince? With a single flick of his finger, he could have their entire family wiped out.

"Father, what are your plans?" Kong Haoyan asked.

Kong Yanxiang took a deep breath. "Do you think he gave us half a day as a deliberate warning? Is he reminding us that we're being foolish?"

"You mean..."

"Who in this world doesn't love money? Even the Nine Gates Admiral, a man ennobled as a prince, is no exception."

With that, Kong Yanxiang began to laugh. He added grimly, "We did use his name, after all. So, it's only reasonable that he'd want a piece of the pie, or even the lion's share, right?"

"Exactly, exactly!" Xu Yu immediately chimed in. "Maybe the Zhennan Prince has been watching us for a long time. He's only showing up now because he thinks the fruit is ripe for the picking!"

Kong Haoyan slapped his thigh. "That makes sense! We'll just make regular tributes to him. Even if he takes the lion's share and we just get the scraps, it's still a fantastic deal."

"Done! We'll pay him a visit tomorrow!" Kong Yanxiang declared, making the final decision. "Once we're connected to the Zhennan Prince, our Kong Family will soar to new heights! Haha!!"

"..."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.