Urban Powerhouse: Chaos Supreme

Mu Residence was swathed in luxury cars, attended by the well-known big shots of Jiangbei; it even included a few of the region’s top-ranking tycoons arriving in person.

However, soon enough, Zhang Mengmeng’s maternal grandfather Zhou Mingbo noticed something odd, ”Hmm, what’s going on here? Not only have all the big shots from Jiangbei arrived, but there’s also quite a number from Jiangnan too.”

Zhang Mengmeng’s uncle frowned as well, ”This gathering that Mr. Mu has organized seems rather grand. Is he trying to command allegiance from the regional lords?”

As soon as he said this, Zhou Mingbo’s expression also turned solemn.

The Mu Family had controlled Jiangbei for over a decade, concealing their brilliance and biding their time, always aiming to expand into Jiangnan. But due to certain reasons, they never managed to. Now with big shots from both Jiangbei and Jiangnan gathering here, it was clear that the Mu Family was planning a significant move.

”What does it mean to command allegiance from the regional lords?” The question came from a thirteen-year-old girl, quite cute in appearance—she was Zhang Mengmeng’s aunt’s young daughter.

A youth in a sharp suit at her side said, ”To command allegiance from the regional lords means aiming to become the boss of both Jiangbei and Jiangnan.”

This youth was the son of Zhang Mengmeng’s uncle, Zhou Yue.

For this banquet, big families and notable individuals from both Jiangbei and Jiangnan had almost all come, though they typically formed small clusters of those with closer circles to chat.

Tong Ling and Fu Shengjie had also arrived by now, and upon seeing Zhang Mengmeng, they stood together drinking and chatting.

”Young Master Fu, Tong Ling, Mengmeng, it’s been a long time.” A crisp laugh suddenly sounded.

Following this voice, Zhang Mengmeng, Fu Shengjie, Tong Ling, and Zhou Yue all turned their heads to see a woman in a bright red off-shoulder dress and high heels standing behind them.

The woman didn’t seem old, appearing to be just over twenty, with a beauty that, placed in a school setting, would be considered campus belle material. Compared to Zhang Mengmeng, though, she lacked that slight edge.

This woman was named Li Si, and she had played with Tong Ling, Zhang Mengmeng, and others during their childhood. However, their relationship wasn’t particularly close, as both Zhang Mengmeng and Tong Ling were slightly more attractive than her, and the number of their admirers far outnumbered those who chased after her. This had always caused Li Si to look at them unfavorably.

But it had been years since Zhang Mengmeng and Tong Ling had seen Li Si, who, they heard, had married into a prominent family.

Tong Ling curled her lip; she had never liked Li Si, who often resorted to petty cunning and tactics, causing embarrassment for her and Zhang Mengmeng.

”Sister Si, how come you’re back? You didn’t even tell us earlier, we were thinking of asking you out for some dinner and karaoke,” Fu Shengjie suddenly said with a sycophantic smile.

Zhou Yue also chimed in, ”Sister Si, I heard you married Major Wang. Your future seems boundless.”

”Hmph, you are well-informed indeed. But my husband is soon to be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, and before he’s forty, he may reach the rank of Colonel or even Major General. It’s not impossible for him to become a General in this lifetime,” Li Si said, her tone light as a feather.

Despite her casual manner of speaking, she made no effort to hide the arrogance and pride on her face.

The surrounding crowd took in a sharp breath of cold air. It was a time of peace now, and attaining the rank of general was extremely difficult, but they had heard that Li Si’s husband was only thirty-two years old this year. Maybe it truly was possible.

Many girls looked at Li Si with eyes filled with envy. The Li Family was nothing but a third-rate clan in Linzhou, but now, having latched onto the Wang Family, they had undergone a transformation, subtly surpassing the rest of them.

Li Si’s lips curled slightly with pride as she narrowed her eyes at Zhang Mengmeng and Tong Ling. ”Xiao Meng, Tong Ling, you two haven’t found boyfriends yet, right? How about I have my husband introduce someone to you? You should know, the young masters he knows are all from influential families—you definitely won’t be shortchanged.”

”Thanks, but that won’t be necessary,” Tong Ling replied indifferently, her tone chilly.

”I don’t need it either,” Zhang Mengmeng managed an awkward smile.

”Acting all haughty now, but once you’re a bit older, others might not look your way. Don’t think you can be picky just because you have some assets, only to end up settling for someone you’re not satisfied with—you’ll suffer for it later,” Li Si said mockingly.

”What’s it to you whether we find boyfriends or not,” Tong Ling retorted, her lips curling, her voice cold.

”I was just looking out for you both, but if you don’t appreciate it, so be it,” Li Si gritted her teeth and let out a soft huff.

Fu Shengjie acted as a mediator, ”We’re all friends here, no need to get angry. Let’s chat. By the way, Sister Si, where’s your husband?”

”My husband is naturally inside, meeting Mr. Mu,” Li Si said as she lifted her chin slightly, radiating an air of superiority. Hearing her, Fu Shengjie and Zhou Yue couldn’t help but show a hint of envy on their faces. They knew that Mr. Mu was hosting a gathering today for the paramount families of Jiangbei and Jiangnan, and only those of certain qualifications could venture into the inner hall. As for members of lesser families like Fu Shengjie and Zhou Yue, they fundamentally had no right to enter.

The other young men and women crowded around Li Si, their faces garbed in flattery and fawn, leaving Zhang Mengmeng and Tong Ling out in the cold.

”Hmph, putting on airs just because she found a good husband,” Tong Ling huffed discontentedly, arms crossed.

Zhang Mengmeng offered an awkward smile but said nothing, her eyes contemplative—wondering if Lin Mo had already left Linzhou.

A flicker of concern crossed Zhang Mengmeng’s eyes for Lin Mo. After all, Lin Mo had previously offended Mu Wanqing.

Inside the inner hall, Mu Chaosong sat at the head of the table, utterly composed. He wore a white martial arts uniform, his stubble visible, and as his eyes scanned the gathered crowd, they carried a hint of an eagle’s gaze. Facing this figure who had dominated Jiangbei for decades, even the tycoons featured on the Hurun Rich List lowered their heads at his glance.

Standing by his side was a young girl with a ponytail and fair features, exuding a sense of pure aloofness—Mu Chaosong’s daughter, Mu Wanqing.

Below, key figures of various families, corporations, and even underground forces from Jiangbei and Jiangnan gathered. Almost seventy percent of these influential individuals were here. The combined power of this assembly could easily shake the entire economic landscape of Jiangbei and Jiangnan.

Or, to put it another way, each one of them was a big shot, whose mere stomp could make either Jiangbei or Jiangnan tremble.

”Today, I, Mu, have taken the liberty of inviting everyone to gather here. I believe everyone is here out of respect for me. First, let me thank you all,” Mu Chaosong sat stably in the Taishi Chair, his hand gesturing a bow in gratitude.

Mu Chaosong had not secured his iron rule over the vast territory of Jiangbei solely through his martial arts and strength, but also through his strategic cunning and disposition in dealing with others. Otherwise, how could he reign supreme in Jiangbei, a cut above the rest?

(The wonderful story continues tomorrow.)