The Li and Lin families, though unaware of Qin Shilei's true identity, simultaneously categorized him as someone not to be provoked.
The next morning.
Zhao Yulong, his face pale, arrived with Zhao Yueling at Qin Shilei's presidential suite.
They dared not knock, choosing instead to stand guard outside his door like sentinels.
Around seven o'clock, as Qin Shilei opened his door, he saw Zhao Yulong standing respectfully outside.
He spoke calmly, "Young Master Zhao, coming to my door so early, are you here to seek revenge on me?"
"I dare not," Zhao Yulong replied with extreme trepidation. "Yulong was blind and offended Mr. Qin. I have come today to apologize."
As he spoke, he produced a spatial ring and offered it with both hands. "This is a small token of appreciation from our Zhao family. I hope Mr. Qin will overlook my transgressions and forgive Yulong's offense."
Qin Shilei stated indifferently, "As long as you don't provoke me in the future, everything can be settled. You may leave now."
He had no intention of accepting the spatial ring offered to him.
Since his own gift was not accepted, Zhao Yulong remained uneasy and handed the ring to Zhao Yueling, signaling her to present the gift.
Zhao Yueling stepped forward and said crisply, "Mr. Qin, this is a small gesture from the Zhao family. We hope you will accept it."
Qin Shilei nonchalantly replied, "Alright, I'll take this. You can go now."
Zhao Yulong and his sister turned and headed downstairs.
Qin Shilei glanced into the spatial ring.
Inside, besides approximately ten thousand crystal cores, were several items and pieces of equipment.
One particular piece of equipment, however, made Qin Shilei's eyes light up.
Golden Silkworm Inner Armor (Purple): Crafted by skilled artisans from the silk of mutated golden silkworms, this inner armor is incredibly resilient, offering excellent defense against both physical and elemental attacks. Special attribute: Self-healing.
This inner armor, as thin as a cicada's wing, could be worn as a base layer beneath battle armor.
Effectively, one could wear two sets of defensive equipment without compromising their agility.
[Perform attribute refresh?]
[Refresh.]
Self-Cleaning (Blue): Automatically cleans itself, always remaining pristine.
Defense Doubling (Red): Doubles the physical and elemental defense of the inner armor.
Auto-Fit (Red): The inner armor automatically adjusts to the wearer's size, ensuring a perfect fit at all times.
Upon first seeing the purple attribute, Qin Shilei felt its properties were somewhat unworthy of its red quality and nearly chose the Defense Doubling attribute.
Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he realized the Auto-Fit attribute was tailor-made for his giant transformation state.
After fixing the attributes, Qin Shilei, eager, rushed back to his room to change into the Golden Silkworm Inner Armor.
Then, he pulled An Qian along and flew towards the outskirts of the city.
Finding a secluded spot, his body began to grow.
Qin Shilei quickly transformed into a nearly six-meter-tall giant.
The Golden Silkworm Inner Armor remained perfectly fitted on his body, preventing any awkward looseness.
Nice, this inner armor from the Zhao family arrived just in the nick of time.
While Qin Shilei was testing his new equipment, the three major families of Junhai City convened a meeting concerning him.
"He comes with ill intentions. His arrival in Junhai City and the destruction of the Tang family suggest his ambitions are far from small," said Lin Hetai, the patriarch of the Lin family, his brow furrowed.
"Junhai City is our territory; we cannot let it be snatched away," stated Li Anshi, the patriarch of the Li family, his voice grave.
"Judging by how he dealt with the Tang family, this person's strength is no ordinary matter. I propose we combine the might of our three families to suppress him forcefully," Lin Hetai declared fiercely, a glint of ruthlessness in his eyes.
"I agree. Brother Zhao, what are your thoughts?" Li Anshi turned to Zhao Zhiyuan, who had been silent.
Zhao Zhiyuan, the patriarch of the Zhao family, pondered for a moment. "Although he destroyed the Tang family, he showed no intention of taking over their forces. I suspect he is not here to fight us for territory. Our Zhao family has no desire to provoke such a powerful individual."
Lin Hetai sneered, "This person knocked your eldest son unconscious with a single punch and demolished your front gate. You can endure this?"
"Hmph!" Zhao Zhiyuan replied with a sour expression. "He and Yulong had a minor misunderstanding, which has since been resolved. Furthermore, my Yueling has a good relationship with him. If you wish to deal with him, please proceed as you see fit."
With that, he rose and walked out.
As Zhao Zhiyuan walked away, he mused, "May your courage be great. Then, Junhai City will be dominated by my Zhao family alone."
If he hadn't learned of Qin Shilei's terrifying strength from Zhao Yueling, he would have joined the Li and Lin families to eliminate Qin Shilei.
By concealing Qin Shilei's true identity, his intention was to use Qin Shilei to remove two formidable rivals.
Even if Qin Shilei were to dominate Junhai City in the future, the Zhao family would become his most important and only force.
Lin Hetai watched Zhao Zhiyuan leave and said gravely, "This old fellow is usually quite vengeful. His behavior today is so out of character; there must be something amiss. It would be best for us to observe and wait."
Li Anshi nodded in agreement. "Indeed. We should first ascertain the man's background before devising a plan for a decisive strike."
The subordinates they had dispatched to investigate soon returned with news that shocked them.
"This person is truly Qin Shilei? Qin Shilei of the Gold rank?" Lin Hetai asked in a deep voice.
"Precisely, and that woman is also An Qian, of the Gold rank. Both can fly," replied the subordinate.
Li Anshi said fiercely, "No wonder that old fox Zhao Zhiyuan refused to confront him with us. He likely intended to trap us both."
Lin Hetai responded coldly, "How ruthless of Zhao Zhiyuan. I will remember this enmity."
While they did not know the exact strength of a Gold-ranked evolver, they understood that each realm was distinct.
Since Qin Shilei could effortlessly annihilate over a hundred Tang family elites and easily infiltrate the Tang family to eliminate their direct descendants when he was in Junhao Empire, it was highly probable he could similarly infiltrate the Li or Lin families.
Li Anshi pondered for a moment. "This person cannot be defeated by force; it must be by wit. We also cannot let him easily seize everything we have in Junhai City."
Lin Hetai agreed. "Precisely. Brother Li, what strategy do you propose?"
...
As the two schemed, Qin Shilei, accompanied by Jie Mingchen and others, arrived at the Junhao Empire.
"From now on, this will be the property of our Rock Solid Battle Group. Quickly find those chefs, waitstaff, and managers, and let the Junhao Empire continue its operations."
"Understood, Boss Qin," Jie Mingchen replied readily, though his heart sank with a headache.
They were unfamiliar with Junhai City and had no idea where to find those people.
Just as he was about to post a recruitment notice at the main entrance of the restaurant, he suddenly saw Zhao Yueling entering.
Jie Mingchen immediately walked towards her with joy.
Zhao Yueling did not disappoint him; within half a day, she had gathered all the necessary staff for the Junhao Empire.