"Do you think I'm afraid?" Chen Haotian looked coldly at Tang Hao. A wave of emotion stirred in his heart, but he maintained a calm exterior. Though his tone was flat, it carried an undeniable firmness and confidence. Even facing an organization like the Qingyun Society, he showed no fear, and deep down he had a strong premonition: this storm was far from a mere coincidence—it was guided by destiny.
Tang Hao smiled slightly, a trace of coldness flashing in his eyes. "Whether you're afraid has nothing to do with whether you can handle this situation, Haotian. You should know that the influence of our Qingyun Society far exceeds anything you can imagine. If you refuse, I cannot guarantee you'll walk out of this bar in one piece."
Ignoring the threatening tone, Chen Haotian calmly sized up the man before him, having already made up his mind. He did not consider himself a simple bystander; he could sense that behind this incident lay a much deeper conspiracy and tempest. The reason he had been dragged into it was likely no accident, but the arrangement of fate.
"What do you want the Qingyun Society to make me do?" Chen Haotian asked indifferently, knowing that without uncovering the truth today, he was likely to plunge into even greater trouble.
Tang Hao's gaze dipped slightly, as though he had no intention of fully exposing his plans, but he still spoke slowly: "Recently, you've come into contact with things we don't want you to touch, things that involve the interests of the Qingyun Society. I've come today in the hope that you will stop what you are doing."
Chen Haotian furrowed his brows slightly, a flash of realization instantly dawning in his heart. "When you call them 'things you don't want me to touch,' do you mean the information about the 'Qingyun Society' that I managed to track down earlier?"
Tang Hao's gaze instantly turned sharp, as if he hadn't anticipated Chen Haotian bringing up the topic so directly. His eyes grew even colder as he said in a deep voice: "Since you already know, I might as well tell you a bit of the truth. That so-called information goes far beyond your ability to comprehend. You'd best realize that the deeper you dig, the more dangerous it gets."
A flicker of emotion stirred in Chen Haotian's chest, though Tang Hao's threats failed to intimidate him. Instead, it only confirmed his suspicions further. The information regarding the Qingyun Society he had acquired earlier through various channels appeared on the surface to be mere routine business dealings and investment data, yet through his own analysis, he had uncovered several anomalies.
"Just what is the Qingyun Society really involved in behind the scenes?" Instead of asking about specifics, Chen Haotian went straight for the core, demanding the truth he longed to know most.
Tang Hao drew a deep breath, a flicker of complexity crossing his eyes. Clearly, he had not expected Chen Haotian to be so direct. Even so, rather than dodging the question, he slowly spoke: "Behind the Qingyun Society, there are indeed secrets we prefer others not to know. The data you investigated is merely the tip of the iceberg. What we do goes far beyond commercial expansion; behind it all lie complex matters involving national security, financial markets, and even various illegal transactions."
"Illegal transactions?" Hearing those words, Chen Haotian arched an eyebrow, his heart jolting. Although he had already guessed that the Qingyun Society's influence was no simple matter, he never expected the organization to be deeply entrenched in illegal dealings.
Sensing Chen Haotian's hesitation, Tang Hao chuckled softly. "You couldn't possibly imagine just how far the Qingyun Society's scale and hidden ties stretch beyond your imagination. We have deployments across numerous fields, and have even infiltrated many government departments and legal grey zones. What you investigated today is merely a tiny fraction of all our secrets."
Chen Haotian remained silent, his heart churning violently. The Tang Hao before him was clearly hinting that if he continued his deep investigation, not only would he place himself in danger, but he might even implicate innocent people around him. At that moment, Chen Haotian knew he might have already stepped into an abyss of no return.
Looking calmly at Tang Hao, he had already reached a decision in his mind. "I have no interest in what you're talking about. What I care about is what I can do next, and how I'm supposed to live out the rest of my life."
A flash of displeasure crossed Tang Hao's eyes, though it vanished instantly as he regained his composure. He stood up, stepped a few paces closer to Chen Haotian, and spoke in a steady yet threatening tone: "You're far too confident, Haotian. If you truly believe you can handle all of this on your own, you are gravely mistaken. You might rely on temporary courage and wit to fend off our first wave of pressure, but what comes next—the power of the Qingyun Society—will make you realize that certain things are simply not yours to easily resolve."
Hearing this, Chen Haotian smiled faintly. "Perhaps. But your Qingyun Society is nothing more than a bloated shadow, hardly worth fearing."
Tang Hao frowned, the chill in his eyes intensifying. Just as he was about to speak again, footsteps sounded once more from the bar's entrance. This time, two men entered—tall and lean, clad in black trench coats with stern expressions, clearly well-trained operatives or bodyguards. They stood by the door in silence, seemingly awaiting Tang Hao's orders.
At the sight of the two men, Tang Hao's expression darkened slightly. He turned to them immediately and commanded, "Go bring that person over."
"Yes, Mr. Tang." The two men in black trench coats responded instantly, turning on their heels to walk outside the bar.
A sense of unease washed over Chen Haotian, heightening his vigilance as he secretly circulated his spiritual qi, preparing to deal with any sudden developments at a moment's notice. The threats in Tang Hao's words just now were apparently no empty bluff, but backed by real action. Within this metropolis, the roots of the Qingyun Society ran deep, and while everything appeared calm on the surface, undercurrents raged beneath.
Moments later, the two figures returned swiftly, escorting a young man into the bar. The man was frail and looked nothing like anyone of importance, yet an unusually familiar aura emanated from his entire body.
Chen Haotian froze in astonishment as a wave of shock surged through him—that man was none other than Li Hao!
Li Hao was none other than his college classmate and a data analysis expert he had once collaborated with back then. Though the two had parted ways for many years, they still kept in occasional contact. Chen Haotian had never imagined that Li Hao could be tangled up with the Qingyun Society.
"Li Hao?" Chen Haotian blurted out his name involuntarily.
Upon seeing Chen Haotian, a complex look flashed in Li Hao's eyes. Instead of replying immediately, he lowered his head, apparently reluctant to make too much eye contact.
Standing to the side, Tang Hao sneered, "It seems your relationship isn't so simple after all, Haotian. Li Hao is one of our people in the Qingyun Society, and he has been involved in some of our core projects. Since you know him, perhaps you can better understand why we've taken an interest in you."
A tempest raged within Chen Haotian's chest. Li Hao, the college classmate who had once fought side by side with him, had actually become a member of the Qingyun Society. And the man before him, Tang Hao, clearly wanted far more than just to make him drop the investigation; the hidden motive behind it all was bound to be infinitely more complex.
Taking a deep breath, he looked calmly at Li Hao and made up his mind: "Li Hao, just who on earth are you?"
Li Hao raised his head, a complicated expression flashing in his eyes. "Haotian, I... I never expected to run into you here. We aren't the students we used to be back on campus; the truth of the matter is far more complicated than you can imagine."