Lin Ran nodded, "Hello, my name is Lin Ran."
Lin Ran didn’t dislike people like Wei Xiang. In fact, in this lifetime, he didn’t dislike him at all.
Everyone has their own life to lead, and what happened in his past life wasn’t Wei Xiang’s fault. He hadn’t known that there was a traitor among his subordinates.
Besides, Lin Ran wasn’t exactly a good person himself now. The naivety he once had would never resurface in this life.
Wei Xiang didn’t dare to be careless and quickly shook hands with him. "Hello, I’m Wei Xiang, Wu Zhishang’s cousin. Let me take you to see Brother Dao."
Following Wei Xiang into an unfinished building, they entered an elevator in a very hidden spot.
Lin Ran couldn’t help but marvel at how strange this world was. Who would have thought that beneath such a dilapidated place lay a dazzling underground money-making hub?
Lin Ran followed Wei Xiang straight down to the third underground level.
As they stepped out of the elevator, there was a cage-enclosed fighting ring. Even if Lin Ran hadn’t seen one before, he knew this was an underground fighting arena.
The ceiling of this level was exceptionally high, and the design was quite ingenious.
Lin Ran followed Wei Xiang to a private box on the second floor of this level, which offered the best view of the ring.
Inside the box, Lin Ran saw the man who was considered the top figure in the underground scene of the capital, known in the underworld as Brother Dao.
Brother Dao was around forty years old, and true to his name, a scar ran diagonally across his face, starting from his skull and ending at his chin.
Surviving such a severe injury was a testament to his resilience.
Wei Xiang had served time in prison with Brother Dao, which was why Brother Dao held him in high regard.
Wei Xiang confidently walked to one side of the sofa in the box.
"Brother Dao! I’ve brought him. This is Lin Ran, my cousin’s classmate."
Lin Ran nodded at Brother Dao, who gave him a once-over.
Hmm, a young man, probably here to ask for help dealing with someone.
Upon closer inspection, his attire suggested he was a wealthy second-generation heir.
But then, Brother Dao’s eyes widened in shock, and he nearly fell to the ground.
Holy crap! Isn’t this the man of Boss Luo?
What’s he doing here?
"So it’s Young Master Lin. Please, have a seat."
Lin Ran was surprised by Brother Dao’s polite demeanor, thinking to himself that the top figure of the capital’s underworld was surprisingly courteous.
Sitting across from Brother Dao, Lin Ran watched as Brother Dao personally pushed a freshly brewed cup of Longjing tea toward him. This scene made the surrounding underlings widen their eyes in disbelief.
Brother Dao was treating this young man with unusual respect.
Lin Ran took a small sip and complimented, "Not bad. Thank you for the hospitality, Brother Dao."
Brother Dao was equally polite, showing none of the usual arrogance of a big shot. "So, Young Master Lin, what business do you have to discuss?"
Lin Ran handed over an IOU.
Brother Dao took it with a puzzled look, glanced at it, and asked, "Young Master Lin, are you asking me to help you collect this debt? You’ve come to the right person. We’re very professional at this."
Naturally, he wouldn’t scoff at the relatively small amount on the IOU. After all, even small profits added up.
According to underworld rules, debt collection came with a 20% service fee.
Lin Ran shook his head and raised a finger.
"There’s a much bigger deal here, Brother Dao. One that could make you a fortune, and it’s completely legal. As for this IOU, consider it a gesture of goodwill. If you can collect it, the money can be used to treat your men to drinks."
Brother Dao looked at Lin Ran in surprise. From what he knew, Lin Ran was still a student.
Yet, the young man showed no trace of nervousness or discomfort in his presence. This was truly unexpected.
What’s more, Lin Ran was willing to hand over the IOU as a gesture of friendship. While the IOU might not be worth much in someone else’s hands, Brother Dao was confident he could cash it in.
This showed that Lin Ran was both bold and generous.
And considering he was connected to Boss Luo, even without the IOU, Brother Dao couldn’t afford to not befriend him.
After a moment of silence, Brother Dao said, "Brother Lin, I consider you a friend now. I’ll take on your job, and whether it’s legal or not is our concern. If anything goes wrong, it won’t involve you."
With that, he reached out and shook Lin Ran’s hand. Lin Ran hadn’t expected things to go so smoothly.
Brother Dao thought to himself, how could it not go smoothly? You’re the real boss here.
If I dared to give you a hard time, I might end up floating in the ocean tomorrow, and some shark might have a feast tonight.
Lin Ran didn’t fully trust Brother Dao. After all, people in the gray areas of society weren’t exactly known for their integrity.
The term "brother" was just a polite formality. The only true brother he had was Wu Zhishang.
But for now, Brother Dao would undoubtedly be willing to cooperate, as there was nothing more appealing to them than money.
Lin Ran glanced at the few underlings around Brother Dao, who wisely cleared the room, leaving only Lin Ran and Brother Dao inside.
Only then did Lin Ran explain what was about to happen to the Lin family. Upon hearing this, Brother Dao’s eyes lit up.
Well, well, well. This wasn’t exactly illegal, and it could make him a fortune.
But wasn’t Young Master Lin part of the Lin family? Why was he being so ruthless toward them?
Well, that wasn’t for him to ponder, nor did he dare to think too deeply about it.
Perhaps it was all part of Boss Luo’s plan, and Lin Ran’s appearance today might even be a test from Boss Luo.
With that in mind, Brother Dao didn’t dare to delay and readily agreed to Lin Ran’s request. In fact, even if Lin Ran hadn’t come to him, he would have done the same if he had gotten wind of the situation.
But since it was Lin Ran who had orchestrated this, Brother Dao felt a sense of gratitude toward him. He even invited Lin Ran to take a look upstairs.
Lin Ran didn’t refuse. He was curious about this place.
The entire underground entertainment complex was nearly empty, as it was still daytime.
When they reached the second floor, Lin Ran was immediately struck by the sight before him.
It was a massive den of indulgence, the kind of casino one only saw in movies, but here it was, real and alive.
However, since it was still daytime, only a dozen or so people were gathered around a single gambling table.
Brother Dao said, "Brother Lin, care to play a few rounds? If you lose, it’s on me."
Lin Ran shook his head. "I have no tolerance for gambling or drugs."
Brother Dao thought to himself, you’re conveniently leaving out the "prostitution" part, huh?
Seeing that Lin Ran had no interest in gambling, Brother Dao simply smiled and didn’t press further.
Just then, a man at the gambling table was suddenly kicked to the ground.
"Damn it, I told you I don’t touch that stuff, and you keep asking. Are you looking for trouble?"
At these words, the entire casino fell silent, and Brother Dao’s face turned dark.
Everyone knew that while Brother Dao’s establishment offered gambling and other vices, drugs were strictly off-limits.
No one knew why a gangster like Brother Dao was so against drugs, but that was the rule.
Brother Dao glanced at Wei Xiang and said coldly, "If I’m not mistaken, that’s one of your men, right?"
Wei Xiang wiped the sweat from his forehead and replied, "Yes, Brother Dao. His name is Zhang Dahai. I’ll make sure you get a satisfactory resolution."
With that, he walked over, grabbed Zhang Dahai by the collar, and yanked him up, snatching the drugs from his hand.
"Damn it, do you have a death wish? Selling this crap here?"