The standoff between the two reached a stalemate, and the air seemed to have turned extremely cold at that moment.

"alright."

"Ace of Hearts" Huang Chunling interrupted their conversation, "You say she is the murderer who hurt '10 of Diamonds,' and she says you are. '10 of Diamonds' is still unconscious, and no one can prove your claims. We can only wait for that girl to wake up before discussing this matter again."

However, all of your arguments concern events that occurred in the jungle maze. What about the killer Susan mentioned?

Susan pointed at Jiulong and said indignantly, "He can deny the jungle maze incident, but he can't deny the assassin. That person came from He Dadong's 'Drunken Bar'. He killed several of my subordinates and seriously injured Chuanliu. If Chuanliu hadn't saved me, I wouldn't be standing here now!"

Huang Chunling's gaze shifted to He Dadong, "He Dadong, how do you explain this?"

Jiulong quickly said, "President Chunling, this is not Da Dong's fault. It's because I've been going out to do business lately and neglected to manage human resources, which gave those with ulterior motives an opportunity to take advantage of me."

We are willing to take full responsibility for Ms. Chuanliu's loss. But this really wasn't our doing; the killer has escaped, and there's nothing we can do about it.

Cao He, the "King of Hearts," nodded in agreement, saying, "The red-light district's business is booming, and Jiulong deserves a lot of credit. Having assassins infiltrate your ranks is damaging your own reputation, and I believe Jiulong wouldn't do that."

Huang Chunling chuckled, "It seems that the red-light district business still lacks standardized management. Lao Cao, you should pay more attention to these kids."

Cao He nodded.

Seeing that the topic had been turned away, Susan said unwillingly, "President Chunling, no matter what, this matter was caused by Jiulong's mismanagement, and I still think it shouldn't be left like this."

Cao He spoke first, "Susan, our industry is inherently labor-intensive, and we don't want things like this to happen either."

Huang Chunling didn't offer her own opinion; she simply raised her hand to stop everyone's conversation and said, "None of you have sufficient evidence for your accusations. I'll verify that after 'Square 10' wakes up. However, the matter did indeed originate from 'Drunk Bar.' Susan, as their leader, you have the right to punish Jiulong. We old folks shouldn't get involved."

Susan's lips were tightly pursed.

She originally thought that having high-ranking officials attend the meeting would help her uphold justice and strike a blow against Kowloon's power.

However, to everyone's surprise, this incident turned from a premeditated murder and usurpation into a dereliction of duty.

This is a completely different matter.

But she had no way to refute it, because the "victim," Chuanliu, was in a coma.

The conflict once again focused on Jiulong and Susan.

With the higher-ups speaking up, Jiulong knew he had escaped a disaster.

He didn't show his smugness, but leaned back in his chair and sat down, his shiny ponytail swaying as he moved his head.

Susan was furious, but she couldn't show it. After a long while, she managed to squeeze out a sentence, "Then, let's dismiss him and investigate him."

Jiulong's breath hitched, and He Dadong and Zhuang Qiang were the first to lose their composure, about to stand up and argue.

At this moment, Cao He suddenly spoke up: "Jiulong, I remember you were recently discussing a collaboration with Plum Blossom?"

Jiulong immediately understood, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, and replied, "Yes, the cooperation with 'Plum Blossom 9' is almost finalized."

Cao He turned to Huang Chunling and said, "Haven't we always wanted to negotiate a cooperation with them? Jiulong has put in a lot of effort for this, and besides, this is a crucial time to sign the contract. If we get dismissed..."

Huang Chunling nodded and said to Susan, "Jiulong has generated a lot of profits for Red Peach City over the years. If he is dismissed just like that, it will be a blow to the red-light district's business. Susan, you must consider the bigger picture."

Susan felt a surge of hatred as she looked at Jiulong's provocative gaze.

Sure enough, top sales performers receive emperor-like treatment in every company.

She took a deep breath and slowly said, "Then reduce his profit-sharing ratio with the City of Hearts from 5:5 to 3:7, and deduct half a year's salary and year-end bonus."

Although this did not cause any real harm to Jiulong, it was enough to reduce the threat he posed to him.

All four executives of Red Peach nodded.

On Paradise Island, the most important thing is status, and the second most important thing is money.

Huang Chunling said to Jiulong, "You must learn from this lesson. Susan is doing this for your own good, otherwise we won't be able to explain to the City of Cubes."

For Jiulong, having his pay cut was worse than death.

Jiulong was displeased, but he still nodded and replied, "It was my dereliction of duty. I will definitely take good care of Miss Chuanliu and will not let such people take advantage of me again!"

The meeting concluded with Kowloon deducting money from its account as the final outcome.

The group returned to the manor. To those unaware of the events, nothing seemed to have changed. But for those who had witnessed the events firsthand, something was subtly altering.

...

"Damn it! I never expected to be tricked by Susan!" Jiulong returned home and finally couldn't help but curse. He angrily kicked the chair in front of him and stomped on it.

"Don't be angry, brother. That woman Susan didn't succeed either. You've made so much money for Red Peach City, how could the management possibly fire you?" He Dadong comforted him from the side.

Zhuang Qiang chuckled and tried to comfort him, "Besides, we still have Brother He to back us up. Look how much Brother He is on your side today."

Upon hearing this, Jiulong snorted coldly, "Like a rabbit being cooked after the hunt is over, or a bow being put away after the birds are gone. If it weren't for the projects I have, would he treat me like this?"

Even so, he still said to Zhuang Qiang, "Go to the basement and find two bottles of good wine, deliver them to Cao He, and remember to do it quietly."

Watching Zhuang Qiang leave, Jiulong shook his head. "If this kid, Qiang, doesn't change his personality, he'll cause trouble sooner or later."

He Dadong stood quietly behind the man, his eyes showing approval.

Suddenly, Jiulong seemed to remember something and frowned, saying, "This whole thing is a bit strange. What a coincidence! I was caught on camera in the maze; Shuo Wu arrived with his men as soon as I left; and besides... as far as I know, '8 of Spades' has never failed before..."

He Dadong asked suspiciously, "Brother, do you mean someone is up to no good?"

Jiulong nodded somewhat hesitantly, "Why do you think Susan is so certain, even calling in the management to try and oust me?"

He Da Dong: "Could she have evidence against us...?"

“Impossible,” Jiulong dismissed his idea, “otherwise she would have shown it to them today… By the way, has that person been found?”

He Dadong shook his head. "After his mission failed, I received our deposit in my account, and then I couldn't contact him anymore."