111 Conditions

Or perhaps there is another possibility: Song Qingzhu is merely boasting.

Perhaps Tianji is not actually that formidable, and she has exaggerated its power. Lin Qi and Tang Long did not rush to reach a conclusion, choosing instead to continue listening.

If Tianji were truly that powerful, its recruitment process would naturally be extremely rigorous. Every year, they select talent from various regions—individuals who possess not only business acumen but also excellent physical fitness, as they are also trained in martial arts to ensure they can defend themselves while on missions. These recruits undergo an intensive training period before being sent out for field internships and final assessments.

The so-called internship involves being sent to a prefecture-level city, where they are immediately placed in charge of a major corporation—all of which are, of course, assets of Tianji. After the training, this step usually presents no problem. But there is a final assessment: within three months, by any means necessary, they must acquire another major corporation in the local area. If they fail the assessment, they are killed, for the organization has no use for dead weight.

This is an incredibly difficult task. With only three months, and given that the management of such large corporations are no pushovers, they cannot be taken over easily. Consequently, the failure rate for this assessment is over ninety percent.

The two envoys, the fat and the thin, are high-ranking figures within Tianji responsible for monitoring the progress of these "interns." Should they fail to complete their mission within the allotted time, they are ruthlessly executed. Those who successfully complete the task and survive are, without exception, the elite among the elite. Only such individuals are worthy of the Tianji organization.

For this reason, the number of people in Tianji has always been small, and every member remains deeply hidden, secretly controlling the economic lifelines of many regions.

Song Qingzhu said with conviction, "Tianji is absolutely the most powerful organization in the Great Xia Kingdom!"

Lin Qi and Tang Long, initially skeptical, slowly began to believe her after hearing everything she described. Such a thing could not simply be made up. What organization could casually hand over a major corporation for an "intern" to manage?

Given this background and this level of strength, how formidable must they be? If they could truly be utilized by Lin Qi and his companions, then revenge would indeed be within reach.

Lin Qi probed, "If Tianji is so powerful, the mastermind behind it must be someone extraordinary, right?"

Song Qingzhu shook her head. "My status is too low to have contact with him. Everyone refers to him as the 'Dragon Head.' I hear he is a major figure in the capital..."

A major figure in the capital?!

Lin Qi and Tang Long both felt a tightening in their chests. Could it be their arch-enemy, Lu Wanfang? If Tianji belonged to Lu Wanfang, then they would have no hope at all. However, Song Qingzhu could not provide any specifics on who it was.

"I really don't know. If I did, I would certainly tell you..." Song Qingzhu looked at Lin Qi, then at Tang Long. "I have finished speaking. Are you satisfied?"

The subtext of this question was clear: If you are satisfied, hand over the Longyue Group to me.

"Let's talk," Tang Long said, turning to walk out. Lin Qi followed him.

In the second-floor corridor, Tang Long handed Lin Qi a cigarette. "Young Master, what do you think?"

Lin Qi took the cigarette, lit it, and took a drag. The smoke vanished into the darkness. After a long silence, Lin Qi said quietly, "This Tianji is very strong. If it is not Lu Wanfang's, and if it can be used for my purposes, I can definitely have my revenge!"

Tang Long nodded. "There are only a handful of people in the entire capital capable of sustaining an organization this powerful."

Lin Qi continued, "First, we can rule out the Sovereign, Han Yu. The entire Great Xia Kingdom is his; there is no need for him to run a secret organization like Tianji. Whoever is behind this must have ulterior motives—at the very least, they must harbor treasonous intent against Han Yu! It shouldn't be Lu Wanfang. That brat has always been fiercely loyal and is far too busy currying favor with Han Yu to ever dare set up a secret organization like Tianji behind his back."

Mentioning Han Yu, Lin Qi’s teeth gritted with hatred. The destruction of the Lin family and the arrest of Lin Xuansheng were not only due to Lu Wanfang's machinations but also to Han Yu's incompetence and tyranny.

Tang Long ignored the hatred in Lin Qi's voice and said softly, "Then the possibilities are even narrower... Who could have created Tianji?"

"Regardless of who it is, as long as they intend to oppose Han Yu, they are my friend, and they can be of use to me!"

"What does the Young Master mean?"

"We will borrow the power of Tianji!"

"Until their stance is clear, I wouldn't advise revealing your identity, Young Master. These are all just our speculations; in case..."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

"Very well."

The two discussed the matter further before returning to the room. It was already past eleven o'clock, and Song Qingzhu was becoming increasingly anxious. Seeing them enter, she stood up immediately.

"Well?" Song Qingzhu asked.

"I can hand the Longyue Group over to you, but there is one condition," Tang Long said.

"What condition?" Song Qingzhu asked impatiently.

"Let him join Tianji," Tang Long said, pointing at Lin Qi.

Song Qingzhu was naturally very surprised. "Why?"

Lin Qi replied, "Because I want to become stronger. I don't want to spend my whole life delivering food."