The Qin Family's men had come charging in menacingly, only to leave in disgrace.
The Steel Alliance's envoy was also thrown out of the compound by the Special Management Bureau's men. He fled in a sorry state amid widespread shock, desperate to return to the Steel Alliance and report Lin Shuguang's true strength to its leader... only to disappear unexpectedly halfway there.
No one knew exactly what had happened, nor did anyone know which faction had acted. A man had vanished from the face of the earth without a sound.
Inside the Bureau Chief's office at the Special Management Bureau.
"Gang Yan keeps his abilities well hidden. By rights, he only just broke through, but that trace of Sword Intent he attached to the invitation today... was quite extraordinary. He must have encountered some great opportunity. Are you sure you want to attend the Steel Alliance's banquet at the end of the month?"
At the desk, Si Qianjun wore a grave expression.
He had thought the Qin Family would be a formidable enemy, but without that person holding the fort, the Qin Family was now like a lion that had lost its fangs before Lin Shuguang. They could no longer act as recklessly as before when deciding whether to make a move. They had already begun to have misgivings about Lin Shuguang.
As for the Steel Alliance... the breakthrough in Gang Yan's strength had indeed exceeded Si Qianjun's expectations.
Otherwise, he would not have looked so grave now.
Lin Shuguang, by contrast, remained calm. He picked up the kettle on the desk and made a pot of tea for each of them. Once he finished pouring, he said casually, "I'm not surprised the Steel Alliance came looking for me."
Si Qianjun looked over, his gaze thoughtful for a moment.