Bai Ye said, "I think I understand."
Not only did Bai Ye understand, but the method made Bai Ye vaguely sense who was behind it.
Gao Ming said, "As a man, the leader has needs, which is normal, and..."
"Stop, I get it," Bai Ye said. "Let's get to the point, have they caught the person?"
Gao Ming gave a wry smile. "Not only were they not caught, but the other party even approached me."
Bai Ye was stunned. "Ah?"
Gao Ming took a deep breath. "After the leader died, the other party brought the leader's head to me and told me that as long as I kept quiet, disposed of the leader's body, and didn't let outsiders know the leader was dead, I could be the leader of the Evil Spirit Group."
Bai Ye suddenly realized. "So, your deputy leader of the Evil Spirit Group was self-proclaimed, and you are now the leader of the Evil Spirit Group?"
Gao Ming said anxiously, "I didn't intend to do this. I know my own abilities, I can't replace the leader. This deputy leader position was also suggested by the other party. I was forced into it."
Bai Ye pouted and spread his hands.
Gao Ming said, "I'm serious. I suspect it's people from the Hidden Dragon Society, who want to support me as a puppet."
Bai Ye asked, "Have they made you do anything?"
"Not yet," Gao Ming licked his lips. "The first thing I did was discuss the matter with a few trusted confidants. As a result..."
A look of fear appeared on Gao Ming's face. He picked up his teacup and took a sip to calm himself.
"There were five people in total, and three of them were actually the other party's people," Gao Ming said. "The other two were killed on the spot. Then the other party threatened me, saying that there could be one deputy leader, or two, and they didn't necessarily have to be named Gao."
"Besides that, another reason that makes me dare not speak out is the current situation. After the Summit War, the situation of power struggles between various factions, you should know about it, right?"
"I know a little," Bai Ye replied. "It's mainly aimed at the Hidden Dragon Society, and then there's the destruction of the safe zone, which has made all the major and minor factions restless. In short, it's very chaotic."
Gao Ming continued, "If people knew the leader was dead at this time, the Evil Spirit Group would definitely suffer heavy losses. Not to mention external enemies, there would definitely be internal strife. It's possible that the Evil Spirit Group would just fall apart."
Bai Ye said, "So, on one hand, you don't want internal chaos in the Evil Spirit Group, and on the other hand, you have the other party's threats. That's why you were forced to become the deputy leader and are actually doing the leader's work."
Gao Ming nodded. "That's right."
Bai Ye asked, "How many people know that Statham is dead?"
Gao Ming replied, "Not many. The leader didn't appear on the front lines much, always staying in the stronghold. The other party acted very discreetly. Moreover, considering that three of the confidants I gathered to discuss this matter were the other party's people, it can be seen that they have infiltrated the Evil Spirit Group..."
Gao Ming took another sip of tea and thought for a moment.
"Let me put it this way," Gao Ming said. "The leader had a personality that was willing to delegate power. Usually, only about a dozen people had frequent contact with the leader, and then these dozen people managed downwards. So, as long as these dozen people are dealt with, no one else will know that the leader is dead, and the Evil Spirit Group can continue to operate as usual. However, the decision-making power has shifted from the leader to us."
Bai Ye asked, "So, these dozen people?"
Gao Ming took a deep breath. "Either they are their people, or they are dead, or they have disappeared."
Bai Ye asked, "Then you just continue to manage the Evil Spirit Group as usual, is there any problem?"
Gao Ming said anxiously, "Hey, this is a very serious matter, why are you saying it so lightly?"
Bai Ye spread his hands. "Alright, you speak, you speak."
Gao Ming said, "I suspect it's the Hidden Dragon Society doing this. Compared to destroying the Evil Spirit Group, wouldn't it be better to support a puppet leader and use the Evil Spirit Group for their own purposes?"
"Moreover, this matter is not that simple. It's not just the Evil Spirit Group that has some problems. Do you remember what you told me before going to the Summit War?"
Bai Ye asked, "I've told you many things, which one are you referring to?"
Gao Ming continued, "It's about those small factions forming an alliance to participate in the Summit War. Afterwards, the Hidden Dragon Society will definitely retaliate. Those small factions that don't want to be retaliated against can only band together. The Evil Spirit Group can take this opportunity to win over those small factions, and then slowly annex them, or use them to attack the Hidden Dragon Society."
Bai Ye replied, "Yes, I remember. What about it?"
Gao Ming said, "No one expected the Summit War to turn into this situation. Now, forget about retaliation, it's a free-for-all. However, even without the Hidden Dragon Society, I think using the excuse of attacking the Hidden Dragon Society to win over small factions is a good idea."
"But the results are very discouraging. Those small factions don't seem to have this intention. Negotiations are very difficult, and some don't even intend to start negotiations."
"That's normal," Bai Ye said. "They were afraid of retaliation. Now that the Hidden Dragon Society is a sinking ship, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. The Hidden Dragon Society won't collapse in a short time, but without the threat, there's no need for alliances, right?"
Gao Ming said, "The problem is that those small factions have formed an alliance."
Bai Ye thought for a moment. "To better hunt down the Hidden Dragon Society?"
Gao Ming asked, "Then why not bring the Evil Spirit Group along?"
Bai Ye replied, "It's normal. If the Hidden Dragon Society is gone, your Evil Spirit Group will be the second Hidden Dragon Society. Anyone with foresight would be wary of you, wouldn't they?"
Gao Ming asked, "Are they all so insightful?"
"This..." Bai Ye said, "If you think about it this way, then it's not wrong. You can't treat everyone as an idiot, but you also can't treat everyone as a wise person."
Gao Ming said, "So, as I said, this matter is very strange."
Bai Ye said, "Just give me your conclusion directly."
Gao Ming stated, "I suspect the Hidden Dragon Society is behind this. They didn't lose so many people during the Summit War, but other factions suffered heavy losses."
"This is a premeditated plan. The Summit War was aimed at weakening the major factions. The Hidden Dragon Society had already made preparations, infiltrated the Evil Spirit Group in advance, and then after the Summit War ended, they immediately attacked those small factions, forcing them to have secretly joined the Hidden Dragon Society."
Bai Ye asked, "According to your statement, won't the Hidden Dragon Society be the sole dominant power now? Who else can contend with them?"
Gao Ming was somewhat anxious. He got up and paced back and forth in the tea room. "I don't know if my guess is correct, but I think if we want to find the truth, this would be the worst possible outcome. I've been thinking about countermeasures these past few days, but I have no clues."
...