Chapter 39: Inconceivable

"Boss, have the men from the Sea Dragon Gang left?"

"Does this mean they aren't going to fight anymore?"

"Who knows? The higher-ups said that Zhou Hailong is not someone we can afford to provoke, and that we should just wait until they're done fighting before showing our faces to clean up."

"Well... they've all left now. It's about time we showed ourselves."

A group of uniformed police officers, who had been hiding in the woods all this time, whispered among themselves. Seeing that the Sea Dragon Gang and the Black Leopard Hall had moved far away, they rushed out from the forest.

The entrance of the villa, which had been bustling with activity just moments ago, was now occupied by Xiao Nan alone. The police officers, feeling both confused and awestruck, crowded around him, bombarding him with questions.

Inside the villa:

"Why haven't the Sea Dragon Gang people broken in after all this time?"

"Big Brother, the commotion outside seems to have quieted down quite a bit."

The trembling Lin family had already retreated to the villa's basement. It was a futile gesture, really—if the Sea Dragon Gang had decided to break in, a simple basement, or even a secret room, wouldn't have kept them safe. But they were desperate and had no other choice.

The members of the Lin family were filled with confusion. Logically, even if Xiao Nan and Li Yunbao had risked their lives, they shouldn't have been able to hold back the Sea Dragon Gang for long. It had been nearly half an hour since Xiao Nan told them to go inside, and yet, they hadn't heard a single sound of a break-in.

"A-Gang, go and see what's happening outside," Lin Guodong said to his bodyguard, full of doubt.

Soon, A-Gang ran back with shocking news: "Mr. Lin, the people from the Sea Dragon Gang have... they have left."

"What? Left?"

Everyone was incredulous. "How could they have just left?"

"I don't know," A-Gang said with certainty. "But I am one hundred percent sure they have left. Not just the Sea Dragon Gang, but the Black Leopard Hall members are gone too. Outside the villa, there is only Mr. Xiao and a group of police officers."

"This... this..." Lin Guodong muttered, hurrying outside.

Hearing that the Sea Dragon Gang had gone, the rest of the Lin family followed. Soon, they reached the villa entrance. The scene confirmed exactly what A-Gang had said. Under the clear moonlight, there wasn't a single member of the Sea Dragon Gang to be seen; only the backs of the police officers were disappearing into the distance.

Lin Guodong rushed to Xiao Nan, who was just about to turn back into the villa. "Xiao Nan, what is going on? Why did the Sea Dragon Gang leave?"

Not only Lin Guodong, but the entire Lin family was at a loss. Given the aggressive stance Zhou Hailong had taken earlier, it was clear he wouldn't stop until the Lin family was destroyed. Yet, they had simply walked away.

Facing their inquisitive gazes, Xiao Nan shrugged and gave Lin Guodong a grin, revealing two rows of white teeth. "They were going to fight, but after I had a word with Zhou Hailong, we realized we were both acquaintances. It was just a misunderstanding. So, Zhou Hailong took his men and left."

Xiao Nan was telling the truth. If not for the connection to the old man, Zhou Hailong wouldn't have been able to leave so easily today.

"What?" Lin Guodong's eyes widened. Was it really that simple? Someone like Zhou Hailong, who had brought so many men to his doorstep, would just leave because of some "acquaintance" and a "misunderstanding"? If only Zhou Hailong were that easy to talk to. Besides, when did Xiao Nan and Zhou Hailong become acquaintances?

"Dad!" Lin Ziqing stepped forward and glanced at Xiao Nan. "What kind of nonsense is 'acquaintance'? This guy is clearly trying to polish his own image. How could he possibly be an acquaintance of Zhou Hailong? I think the Luocheng police must have intervened, which is why the Sea Dragon Gang left."

"That must be it," Li Ailing chimed in. "I heard that the new chief of the Luocheng Police Department is a man of principle. He certainly wouldn't tolerate the actions of the Sea Dragon Gang."

Thinking back to the police officers he saw earlier, Lin Guodong felt his wife and daughter made sense. It was well-known that Zhou Hailong acted recklessly in Luocheng and often showed no respect to the police. He must have angered the higher-ups. The new chief was known for being much tougher on the underground forces than his predecessors. Lin Guodong had heard rumors of this, and if it were true, he would have to find a time to visit the police department and thank them properly.

"Regardless, the Lin family has survived a crisis!" Lin Guodong breathed a long sigh of relief, wearing the smile of a survivor. The rest of the family also relaxed, their nerves finally settling. The pressure the Sea Dragon Gang had exerted was suffocating.

Most of the Lin family accepted Lin Ziqing's explanation, convinced that the police were responsible for the gang's retreat. Only Lin Shuyun looked at Xiao Nan with complex eyes. She felt that the matter couldn't be that simple, yet she found it hard to believe that Xiao Nan possessed the influence to make Zhou Hailong back down. She racked her brain for a long time but couldn't come to a conclusion.

For the next few days, the Lin family lived in constant anxiety, unsure if Zhou Hailong would truly let them off the hook just because of the police.

As the leader of the Sea Dragon Gang and one of the most powerful figures in all of Luocheng, Zhou Hailong’s residence was far from ordinary. Ivory Coast was one of the most prestigious villa complexes in the city, and that was where Zhou Hailong lived.

In the villa's garden, Zhou Hailong finished his meditation and stood up, his eyes filled with excitement. He had thought that, given his aptitude, the Profound Stage was the highest level he would ever reach in his lifetime. But now, his cultivation had surpassed the Profound Stage, making him a genuine Earth Stage expert.

All of this was thanks to the pill that Xiao Nan had given to Li Yunbao to deliver to him. Li Yunbao hadn't known what the pill was, but Zhou Hailong, with his much broader experience, recognized it at a glance as the Qi Gathering Pill he had dreamed of. The pill had not disappointed him. Within half a day of taking it, his cultivation had soared from the early Profound Stage to the early Earth Stage—a massive breakthrough.

Filled with wild joy, Zhou Hailong didn't forget to call Xiao Nan, the one who had bestowed the pill upon him.