Chapter 88: A Ruthless Conspiracy

The marble floors of the opulent estate were adorned with the emblems of the most formidable criminal empires in the city, each crest a silent declaration of the power and influence wielded by its bearers. The grand hall was suffused with an air of tension, the scents of expensive cigars and aged whiskey mingling with the musk of distrust and naked ambition.

At the center of this gathering of underworld titans sat a man whose very presence seemed to command respect and fear in equal measure. Zhang Wenlan, the patriarch of the Zhang family, surveyed the assembled individuals with a scrutiny that would have sent lesser men cowering. His steely gaze lingered on each face, appraising the shifting expressions and subtle body language for any hint of treachery or weakness.