Hades, the Urban Legend

Chapter 637: Chapter 640: A Far Cry

"If I'm not mistaken, this must be my mother-in-law?" Yang Chen grinned as he asked.

Liu Qingshan had two women: one was Liu Mingyu's biological mother, his legitimate wife, and the other was a woman he met in Yandu who helped him build his empire, the mother of Liu Minghao. Yang Chen figured this woman must be the latter.

The woman in the yellow uniform, Xu Ying, smiled gracefully, "I've heard a lot about you from Qingshan. You're quite the character, calling me 'mother-in-law' right off the bat. It sounds a bit awkward. Mingyu's mother and I don't differentiate between primary and secondary status, so why are you doing it?"

Yang Chen rubbed his nose, thinking he had no idea they were equals and not in a primary and secondary status relationship.

Liu Qingshan snorted, "Don't mind him. He's all talk and no action. Even if he calls you nicely, he won't show any respect when things get tough."

Yang Chen rolled his eyes at him. Was it really necessary to hold a grudge over one subordinate getting beaten up?

"Let me introduce you," Liu Qingshan said, holding Xu Ying's shoulder with one hand and his cigar with the other, "This is Xu Ying, Minghao's mother. Mingyu calls her mom too, so just call her mother-in-law."

Yang Chen quickly flattered, "Mother-in-law, you're too good for him. He's like an old bull eating young grass!"

Xu Ying laughed heartily at that, while Liu Qingshan, wanting to retort, realized doing so would imply calling Xu Ying old. He could only glare in frustration.

After some small talk, Liu Qingshan got to the point, "Do you know why I called you out today?"

Yang Chen rolled his eyes, "You're the one who called me out, so how would I know?"

Liu Qingshan's face twitched, deciding not to beat around the bush, "You know I have only one son, Minghao. Over the years, I've built an empire, and there needs to be someone to take over. But Minghao is still young and inexperienced. Even if he has the talent, running the whole thing isn't something he can learn overnight.

I'm not getting any younger. I originally planned to expand after allying with the Red Thorns Society in Zhonghai, but I realized that it's tough for a strong outsider to suppress local forces. I've decided to leave these future tasks to Minghao."

Yang Chen understood Liu Qingshan's intentions. He knew Liu Qingshan wanted to pave the way for his son, realizing that dominating the whole of Yanxia was unlikely. Not only were there hidden powers in other provinces, but the government wouldn't allow a single organization to become too powerful, and the Red Thorns Society maintained control in the south.

"You might not be part of our world, but I know you're not ordinary. At the very least, President Qiangwei listens to you. Minghao's future success will require your support. Considering you've taken my daughter, I expect you won't be stingy.

Today, we're holding a meeting with all the key figures in Qinglong. Since you're in Yandu, I want to take you to meet these important people. Get to know them, so in the future, when I step back, you can support Minghao."

Yang Chen felt conflicted. Liu Qingshan wanted him to back up his brother-in-law, but he hadn't even settled scores with Liu Minghao for his mischief in Zhonghai. Plus, Qinglong was a Yandu-based organization, and he couldn't be running back and forth all the time.

However, Liu Qingshan might see Yang Chen as a key figure due to his influence with the Red Thorns Society, believing his presence could help stabilize Qinglong.

Xu Ying sighed sadly, "Qingshan, Minghao is still young. Isn't it too harsh to push him into this world so early?"

"He's my son. If he doesn't want to study, this is the only path," Liu Qingshan said, holding Xu Ying's hand, not caring about Yang Chen's presence. "When I step down, you can also retire. You've been through a lot with me. For the rest of our lives, I'll take you traveling and spend more time with you."

Xu Ying gave a bittersweet smile and stopped persuading him.

Listening to this, Yang Chen thought Liu Qingshan, despite his flaws, was genuine with his family. Curiously, he asked, "Does my mother-in-law hold a position in the organization?"

Xu Ying smiled, "I used to run a bar in Yandu. After meeting Qingshan, I joined him. We built the foundation of Qinglong together. Now, I manage some internal affairs and serve as a hall leader."

Yang Chen nodded, realizing that Liu Minghao's unruly behavior made sense if his mother was also a formidable figure.

After about an hour, the car arrived at their destination, a resort hotel with a garden-style design. The name on the entrance made it clear who owned it: "Qinglong International Resort Hotel."

The car drove to the center of the resort hotel area, stopping by an artificial lake beside a white, three-story Baroque-style villa. With a few attendants welcoming them, Yang Chen followed Liu Qingshan and Xu Ying into the building's grand hall.

Inside, it was a combination of a banquet hall and a conference hall. The banquet hall was already filled with men in suits and some brightly dressed women. It looked more like a corporate gathering than a triad meeting.

Everyone greeted Liu Qingshan and Xu Ying respectfully, acknowledging Liu Qingshan's authority, as he had built Qinglong from the ground up. When they noticed Yang Chen, they were puzzled but didn't approach to ask questions.

With Liu Qingshan's arrival, the Qinglong elders' meeting officially commenced. The meeting was set to last all day, starting in the morning, with people gradually entering the conference hall.

Around a large oval conference table, Liu Qingshan sat at the head. Xu Ying, being the wife of the leader and one of the hall masters, sat to his left, evidently the second-in-command, much higher than Yang Chen had expected.

As Yang Chen hesitated about where to sit, a man walked over with a mocking tone, "You can sit behind the president."

Yang Chen found the voice familiar and looked up, recognizing Gao Yue, the pretty boy he had once beaten and sent to the police. Gao Yue should have been in prison, but here he was in Yandu. Given Cai Yan's stern nature, she wouldn't have let a captured criminal go easily!

Liu Qingshan turned to Yang Chen and said sternly, "I had Gao Yue released from prison. Whatever happened between you two, he is now my trusted lieutenant. You've already taught him a lesson once, so let it go. Everyone, take your seats; the meeting is about to start."

Yang Chen frowned, surprised that Liu Qingshan had managed to free Gao Yue. He wasn't concerned about Gao Yue, but the man's hostile demeanor was clear.

Xu Ying glanced at both Gao Yue and Yang Chen with a complex expression but said nothing.

After a short while, Liu Qingshan signaled for silence and began speaking solemnly, "Today's elder meeting, I have several important announcements to make, which you might have heard rumors about. But before getting to the critical matters, I want to introduce a young man to everyone."

Liu Qingshan pointed to Yang Chen, indicating for him to stand, "This is Yang Chen, my son-in-law. Many of you have probably heard his name. Yes, the Hong Jing Society in Zhonghai has a deep connection with him."

The room buzzed with whispers as the hall masters and other leaders glanced at Yang Chen with mixed expressions. They had heard rumors about the figure behind the Hong Jing Society but didn't expect him to be such an ordinary-looking young man.

Feeling awkward, Yang Chen stood briefly before sitting down again.

Liu Qingshan continued, "The reason I invited Yang Chen to this meeting is that he will be involved in the announcements I'm about to make."

He paused for effect, ensuring he had everyone's attention, and then said, "After my time expanding territory in Zhonghai, I realized I have been on this path for nearly thirty years. I am no longer young, and many younger people are more resilient than I imagined.

Therefore, I have decided that after this elder meeting, I will officially start transferring my authority to my son, Liu Minghao."

As soon as Liu Qingshan announced his decision, the room erupted in chatter. Several hall leaders quickly voiced their concerns.

"President, we've watched Minghao grow up. He certainly has the potential for this line of work, but he's still young, just a kid. How can he handle the responsibilities of a president?" one of the hall leaders implored.

Liu Qingshan waved them off. "I'm not going to make Minghao the president immediately. I'll mentor him as much as I can, and with the support of you, my brothers, he will grow quickly. As for the security of our organization after I step down, I plan to rely on our allies in the Red Thorns Society. This is why I invited Yang Chen to this meeting today.

Yang Chen is my son-in-law and Minghao's brother-in-law, which means the Red Thorns Society is firmly on our side. Even after I retire, no other organization would dare challenge both Qinglong and the Red Thorns Society simultaneously."

Sitting at the back, Yang Chen rolled his eyes. His father-in-law was making it sound as if he'd already agreed to everything, even though he hadn't made any promises. Moreover, this was hardly the era for such undemocratic decisions, appointing his son as the next president just like that seemed highly inappropriate.

Sure enough, the hall was soon in an uproar. An elderly man with gray hair raised his hand and spoke loudly, "President, I believe it's inappropriate to appoint Minghao as president."

Liu Qingshan, not expecting such open opposition, turned his gaze sharply but kept a smile. "Uncle Zhang, you are my senior. Please, speak your mind."

Uncle Zhang took a deep breath before saying, "I believe a president should be someone who commands everyone's respect. Although Minghao has potential, he's unproven. Who can guarantee that he will be capable? Are we really supposed to wait several years to find out? We old-timers don't have that much time to support a rookie. I think it's not appropriate."

"Uncle Zhang," Liu Qingshan said, expressionless, "When I first came to Yandu, I was just a young punk too, but I unified Qinglong in Yandu with my own hands. Some people grow much faster than others; I believe you've seen that."

Before Liu Qingshan could continue, a younger woman in a red dress giggled, "President, you're the hero of Qinglong; we all know that. But Minghao, from what I hear, has only been involved in small-time fights in Zhonghai. Compared to you, he's far behind."

"That's right, President," added a middle-aged man with slicked-back hair and a sinister smile. "All of us hall leaders here are far more capable than a young boy. Why not consider us?"

Liu Qingshan's face darkened. He realized this was a well-laid trap. He had assumed his authority would make the others agree, at least outwardly, even if they planned to undermine Minghao later. He had hoped that by supporting Minghao a few times and making examples of dissenters, he could secure his son's position. But now, it seemed many were openly challenging him.

At the back, Yang Chen yawned. He sensed the tense atmosphere but found it all rather dull. He was only here as a favor to Liu Mingyu, and frankly, he didn't care who took over as president.

Seeing the outright defiance, Liu Qingshan laughed angrily and pounded the table. "Fine, fine! It seems you've all come prepared. We've worked together for many years, and we know each other's abilities well. So, let me hear it. Who do you think is more suitable to take over as president?"