Xiao Xiangzi hurried in with news. "Old Luo, I found out who's behind Dongfang Chen!" Luo Qian answered absently, "How am I supposed to guess?" "Qi Ren, Lei Laohu, and their people!" Luo Qian jolted. "What did you say?" Xiao Xiangzi nodded firmly. "There's no mistake. I traced Wangjiang City's funding straight back to their group."
When Luo Qian had first built Pinglu City, he had approached them about working together. But Qi Ren and the others had decided the risk was too great and pulled out halfway through. Luo Qian had borrowed their people to get Pinglu City running. Once money began pouring in like water, they grew envious and repeatedly hinted that they wanted a share of the pie. Luo Qian had refused every time. He had never imagined they would make moves behind his back and put one over on him.
Luo Qian frowned. "No. They wouldn't dare!" Qi Ren and Lei Laohu knew him just as well as he knew them. At the slightest hint from Luo Qian, the Realm Security Court would launch a "crackdown on organized crime" across the Immortal Realm. Qi Ren and his people had too many loose ends; one tug would pull out a whole handful. Even if they harbored such ideas, they would never openly oppose Luo Qian, much less undermine him and stand directly against him.
"There's someone behind them," Luo Qian said. Xiao Xiangzi grew impatient. "Old Luo, I don't understand why you're worrying about so much. Haven't you always said business is business, and matters in the marketplace should be settled by business means? Whoever's behind him, as long as he plays by the rules of the marketplace, we'll answer him the same way. If he resorts to other methods, he can't blame us for what happens.