"President, Cui Xiuying has sent us a message."
In the darkness, Fang Cheng’s eyes suddenly lit up, revealing the long-awaited, sharp edge.
Noah Building, top floor conference hall.
The floor is paved with reflective marble tiles, and above is a crystal chandelier composed of countless light beads.
Through the floor-to-ceiling windows that cover the entire wall, the splendid night view of East Capital is fully visible, with streams of traffic and lights like dragons.
Yet this opulence and openness fail to dispel the oppressiveness within the room.
The enormous circular conference table that can accommodate fifty people now seats only twenty-four sparsely, appearing empty and desolate.
These people are all mid-to-high-level executives from the East Capital Branch of the Noah Organization, as well as leaders of various affiliated external forces.
Since being summoned here yesterday at noon, they’ve been trapped here for over thirty hours.
Phones were confiscated, and all contact with the outside world was completely severed.
Everyone’s movement is also strictly limited, and they can only stay in a few designated rest areas and meeting rooms.
The ticking of the wall clock is audible, its hands pointing past eight o’clock.
In the evening, they received notice of an emergency meeting.
Everyone has arrived by now, yet there is no sign of the meeting starting anytime soon.
The central air conditioning’s vents emit a low hum, blowing an anxious atmosphere into every corner of the meeting room.
Some nervously twirl pens in their hands, others stare at the tabletop, seemingly lost in thought.
More whispered among familiar companions, voices kept low, as if worried about disturbing someone.
"Old Chen, what are they planning? Is something big going to change, gathering us all here?"
A middle-aged man with a mustache leaned forward, nervously asking his companion:
"Do you have any insider information, care to share with your brothers?"
The man known as "Old Chen" is Chen Chen, Gang Leader of the Red Tiger Gang.
He shook his head slowly, managing a perfectly appropriate bitter smile:
"I’m just an external leader, how would I be privy to the organization’s secrets?"
"Yesterday, Station Chief Feng just said an emergency meeting, and then we got confined. I reckon something major happened."
Chen Chen replied casually, but his mind had long drifted elsewhere.
Before leaving, he particularly entrusted gang affairs to Secretary Liu and Xiao Shuai, instructing them to prioritize stability no matter what happens.
He hoped that during his absence from the gang, nothing would go wrong.
At another corner of the conference table, Xu Hao leaned back in his chair, bored, tapping the tabletop with his fingers.
Sitting next to him, Liu Yu nudged him with his elbow, winking and whispering:
"Brother Hao, do you think that Smiling Demon kid is causing trouble again? I heard several outposts of the organization got hit recently, and Station Chief Feng and Zhuo Feng are reaching their limits."
"How should I know? I’m not the worm in their bellies."
Xu Hao didn’t even bother to lift his eyelids, blocking the other’s words with a hint of impatience in his tone.
But inside, he was far from calm as he appeared.
The president’s warning of "Someone’s watching" echoed like an alarm bell in his mind.
He had an inexplicable feeling that today’s so-called meeting would be anything but simple.
Thinking of this, Xu Hao couldn’t help but glance at Chen Chen not far away.
That guy seemed like an old monk in meditation, eyes half-closed, expressionless, as if everything around was irrelevant to him.
But occasionally, he would lift his eyes inadvertently, and his gaze would briefly meet Xu Hao’s, a fellow Red Tiger Gang.
Xu Hao couldn’t decipher what was in his eyes.
To avoid suspicion, the two had only exchanged a few words in the hallway since entering the building.
The heavy double doors of the meeting room were pushed open from outside.
The conversations came to an abrupt halt, and everyone’s eyes turned towards the door.
The meeting was chaired by Noah’s senior leaders Feng Jincai and Zhuo Feng, who entered one after the other.
Feng Jincai still wore his signature Maitreya Buddha smile, though there was no trace of joy in his eyes.
While Zhuo Feng behind him had an expression cold as ice.
His hawk-like eyes swept over everyone present, making those caught in his gaze involuntarily lower their heads.
Behind the two were four burly Hunters in black combat suits.
They did not enter the meeting room but stood like guardians on either side of the entrance, armed with assault rifles.
Invisibly, this added a touch of grimness to the already oppressive atmosphere.
"Sorry to keep everyone waiting."
Station Chief Feng Jincai walked to the head seat, supporting himself on the table, smiling as he spoke:
"I know you must have many questions in your minds about why you were urgently gathered here and had your freedom restricted."
He paused, his smile slightly retracting, his tone becoming heavy:
"Because our organization is facing an unprecedented crisis."
"I’m sure you’ve all heard, recently, our East Capital Branch has suffered repeated setbacks, outposts getting dismantled, personnel missing." Googlᴇ search novｅlfire.net
"Even some critical operational plans have inexplicably leaked, preempted by those mad dogs of the Special Search Team."
Feng Jincai’s voice suddenly heightened, resonating in the silent meeting room.
Everyone’s faces changed, looking at each other, eyes filled with suspicion and surprise.
Feng Jincai was satisfied with this effect, continuing: