But he really didn't have any suitable people under his command to manage the bar. And now that the Black Gui had fallen, more than a dozen big and small gang leaders had suddenly emerged in the city's underworld, carving out their own territories and establishing themselves as kings.
The underworld has become a disorganized mess.
Jin Hongyue is one of the more well-known figures, otherwise Jin Hongri wouldn't dare to be so arrogant, and Zhou Zheng, that scoundrel, wouldn't follow him.
After giving instructions to the Thirteen Protectors and Gao Cheng, Li Yang began his plan targeting the Red Moon Bar.
The Thirteen Protectors carried out Li Yang's plan.
But Li Yang received a call from someone he had almost forgotten. It wasn't that he had truly forgotten this person, but rather that he had deliberately forgotten them.
This man was so powerful that he held absolute sway in Jiangdong City; he was second only to Cai Lan, the city's top dog. Indeed, he was Ye Qing, the mayor of Jiangdong City, the man who had brought Song Qin and Ye Qing into close contact.
However, after Song Qin's downfall, he suddenly became low-key and seemed to disappear, while Cai Lan and others became powerful again, and the entire Jiangdong City officialdom almost became Cai Lan's personal fiefdom.
The two met again in a secluded courtyard in the suburbs, the same courtyard where they had once conspired together with Song Qin.
"Mayor Ye seems to be very busy lately. I've been wanting to pay him a visit, but I'm afraid of disturbing your work!" Li Yang said modestly as soon as they met.
Ye Qing, however, held Li Yang's hand warmly and patted it repeatedly, saying, "Sigh, I've been quite busy lately. Old Song left without warning, catching me completely off guard. Only now have I managed to stabilize the situation and have a chance to catch my breath."
"That's good. May I ask what Mayor Ye wanted to see me about?" Li Yang knew that Mayor Ye wouldn't just want to chat or drink with him; it must be something important. Otherwise, his secretary, Liu Feng, would have spoken to him on the phone earlier, and there wouldn't have been this formal meeting.
"I know your abilities. I'm not here for anything else. I heard from Lao Song that you can handle things with the police. Zhao Yunlong is a big shot. Even Cai Lan treats him with deference, and people in the Public Security Bureau are somewhat wary of him."
"How can you handle him?" Mayor Ye stared intently at Li Yang and asked.
Li Yang scratched his head and chuckled, "I only had an idea back then. Now that Master Song is gone, there's no point in talking about that idea anymore!"
Li Yang can't exactly say, "I slept with his daughter and became his son-in-law. If I don't help my son-in-law, am I supposed to force my daughter to cry, make a scene, or even threaten suicide?"
Therefore, Li Yang made an excuse, saying that there was only one reason.
"You've already proven your strength with your actions. Even the black devil that Song Qin couldn't defeat fell to you. I have another important purpose in finding you: to have you once again unify the Jiangdong City underworld."
These underworld elements are like wildfire—they never die out, they spring up again with the spring breeze. For every one that falls, a new batch immediately springs up. These days, factions frequently engage in violent clashes and fights for territory.
This has caused considerable social chaos, which, if spoken out, means the government is doing a bad job and is incompetent! In other words, it indirectly reflects on my, Ye Qing's, incompetence.
Therefore, I want you to once again unify the Jiangdong City underworld and become a new generation boss, even more powerful than Song Qin and Black Ghost.
Ye Qing looked at Li Yang with burning eyes and spoke very sincerely.
"You trust me that much?" Li Yang thought to himself, a little suspicious. Damn, is this some kind of imperial edict? Am I going to become Wei Xiaobao, working for Emperor Kangxi to seize power?
"Of course. Also, go ahead and do it, I'll support you from behind. But you should also be careful with your methods, and try not to give anyone a reason to criticize you or use it against you!" Seeing that Li Yang was somewhat tempted, Ye Qing hurriedly added more effort and continued to entice Li Yang.
"Damn, what if they discard him after he's done his bidding? This is a dangerous business. Even Wei Xiaobao eventually escaped the court and went off to live a carefree life with seven or eight wives."
Should I do it or not? I'll definitely try my best to keep up with seven wives. As for whether I'll be discarded after being used, damn it, I have supernatural abilities; I'll definitely know beforehand. There's no need to worry about that! Thinking this, Li Yang nodded slightly and said, "Mayor Ye, since you trust me so much, it would be pretentious for me to refuse. I will definitely do my best!"
"Good! I knew you were a talent capable of great things! As the saying goes, ambition knows no age! You are exactly that kind of talent! However—" Ye Qing said excitedly, patting Li Yang on the shoulder, but then suddenly fell into a deep thought.
"But what?" Li Yang was startled. Damn it, was he going to make some demands or conditions to put me in a bridle and tighten the headband?
"However, if you have the chance to win over Zhao Yunlong, you should still try. Although the municipal government is still under my leadership, almost all the officials in the city have sided with Cai Lan, and I must change this situation!"
Chapter 222: Li Qinghua
"You'll help me, right?" Cai Lan stared at Li Yang with eager and sincere eyes.
Li Yang's eyes shone brightly as he stared intently at Ye Qing, seeing through his inner world. He realized that Ye Qing genuinely wanted to cooperate with him. Seizing power was one aspect, but Ye Qing was also an ambitious and idealistic official who wanted to do something practical for the people. However, he was caught in a predicament and powerless to do so. He was extremely distressed.
"Mayor Ye, rest assured, there's no need to be bound by methods and means when it comes to serving the people! I will definitely support you!" Li Yang saw through Ye Qing's inner world and felt some respect for this person. Such a good official is truly rare.
He's not corrupt, doesn't accept bribes, and doesn't have mistresses or engage in promiscuous relationships. But more importantly, he comes from a prestigious, politically connected family. His father is a high-ranking official in a central government department, and his grandfather was a general and a founding hero. His potential is truly limitless!
Li Yang decided to take a gamble and fully support Ye Qing. He not only wanted Ye Qing to secure his position as the vice-ministerial-level mayor of Jiangdong City, a national metropolis, but also to help him advance further into the central government. At that time, his own status... hehe...
"Okay! I'll be waiting for your good news!" Ye Qing and Li Yang clasped hands tightly.
The two plotted for a long time before parting ways. Nothing happened, nothing was aroused, and no one knew anything about it.
Recently, since the downfall of the Black Ghost, Jin Hongyue, whose business has soared and whose status has risen day by day, has encountered some troubles.
The Red Moon Bar, which used to be booming with tens or hundreds of thousands of yuan coming in every night, has recently been plagued by a lot of shady characters. Some are high school minors who come to drink, pick up girls, and cause trouble, while others litter at the entrance or scratch cars in the parking lot. This has made people who come to the Red Moon Bar very unhappy, and there are many complaints.
The bar's customer traffic has decreased significantly, but that's just a business problem. The biggest problem for him is that his younger brother is half-mad. Ever since he offended a powerful figure and was severely beaten, he has been traumatized and keeps crying out, "Don't kill me! Don't kill me!" He's on the verge of a mental breakdown.
His brother, who was extremely disappointed in him, was in so much pain that he wanted to cut himself off. He invited many doctors to treat him and spent a lot of money, but his condition did not improve.
He especially can't see knives or similar things. Even if he sees a kitchen knife or a fruit knife, he'll be so scared that he'll scream and act like a madman.
"Ugh, ugh..." Jin Hongyue angrily ruffled her elegant hairstyle into a messy mess.
Ignoring Jin Hongyue's frustration and annoyance, Li Yang wanted exactly this effect: to completely shut down and kill Hongyue Bar. Without a single customer, Hongyue Bar would no longer be a cash cow in Jin Hongyue's hands, but rather a bloodsucking leech, with rent, utilities, and other miscellaneous expenses enough to make him suffer.
If he were to step in and teach that guy a lesson then, the cost of taking over Red Moon Bar would be incredibly low, making it an absolutely profitable business.
Once all those messy troubles are gone, my business will definitely pick up again with my connections. Besides, I opened the bar to launder money anyway, so whether it's profitable or not is irrelevant!
However, if Red Moon wants to maintain its prosperity in the future, the Airport Band and lead singer Li Qinghua must be won over completely, becoming their people and working hard for them.
Watching the thugs hired by the Thirteen Protectors run rampant and vandalize the Red Moon Bar parking lot under their instructions, Li Yang felt incredibly elated.
He walked into the Red Moon Bar, alone.
Because of recent disturbances, the bar's business has been slow. The once bustling atmosphere is now rather deserted, with only a few scattered people listlessly drinking.