In his final moments, Mark's gaze was fixed intently on where Susan stood. His eyes, filled with despair, seemed to pierce through the air and stare directly into the soul of the one in power.

Confusion, resentment, anger, and unwillingness to accept defeat.

The sight of him dying with his eyes wide open sent chills down the spines of everyone present.

"Who did this?"

Jiulong immediately stood up and roared, trying to cover up his panic with his loud voice.

Those present then realized that none of them had seen when the dagger had been stuck in Mark's body.

Susan glanced at Chuanliu instinctively, but quickly dismissed the thought. Such arm strength could only be achieved through years of practice; could there be someone from Spade City among them?

Regardless, the person who intervened didn't want Mark to suffer any more, so they gave him a quick death.

But Jiulong lost his composure. He suppressed his panic and drew the deadly dagger.

Mark's blood spurted out like a blooming red flower, splashing onto Jiulong's face. The warm liquid, carrying a strong smell of blood, made him feel nauseous.

Jiulong wiped his face in disgust, frowned, and asked sternly, "Who did this? Does no one dare to step forward and admit it?"

His eyes were sharp as he scanned the surrounding crowd.

Zhuang Qiang has just searched the staff on site, so the remaining suspects are He Dadong, Zhuang Qiang, and the guards who just arrived.

A hint of doubt and wariness flashed in Jiulong's eyes.

At that moment, Zhuang Qiang subconsciously touched his waist and suddenly realized that his dagger was gone.

He looked up at the dagger in Jiulong's hand, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, and asked in confusion, "Boss, this...this looks like my knife."

Jiulong frowned and glared at Zhuang Qiang with displeasure. "You did this?"

Zhuang Qiang quickly shook his head, his face showing a confused and innocent expression. "I...I really don't know. I've been hitting him with a stick, there's no reason for me to get rid of him like that, Brother Long."

A fierce glint flashed in Jiulong's eyes. He threw the dagger on the ground and said coldly, "You mean, this dagger flew to Mark by itself?"

Zhuang Qiang was speechless for a moment, and could only stammer and give a vague explanation.

A sense of unease welled up in Jiulong's heart. He worried that there really was a master from the City of Spades lurking in the shadows, plotting against him. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself, then waved his hand, "Alright, everyone disperse!"

At this moment, "Little Ni" walked over, looking regretful, and said to Jiulong, "Brother Long, what about tomorrow...?"

Jiulong glanced at the boy and said, "We'll do whatever we want tomorrow. I refuse to believe that 'Drunk Bar' will lose business just because he's missing one Mark!"

"Then what about our shift schedule...?" the boy prompted.

Jiulong then remembered this matter and casually said, "You will be in charge after the schedule is arranged."

"Alright!" The boy smiled, then said with some regret, "I never expected Mark to be the mole..."

Jiulong said earnestly, "Xiao Ni, I believe you've considered what to believe and what not to believe in that traitor's words. I know you're a thoughtful person. Now that Mark is dead, you're the future successor of 'Drunk Bar,' so don't let me down."

The boy nodded solemnly.

Susan, who had been watching the interaction between the two, said meaningfully, "Jiulong, you've really taken on a good little brother."

Jiulong smiled smugly, "Dadong told me that since Sister Susan likes Xiaoni and is already so impatient, does she want to get Xiaoni herself too?"

Reminded by the man, Susan recalled her previous experience of being chased and said with a forced smile, "If I asked you for someone, would you give them to me?"

Jiulong ignored Susan's words and scoffed, "If you dare to ask for it, what wouldn't I dare to give?"

Susan glared at him and stormed off.

After everyone had left, he directed the base guards, He Dadong, and Zhuang Qiang to return home.

The first thing Jiulong did upon returning to the base was to change the passwords for the main gate and the safe.

When he opened the safe to check for anything else missing, he discovered that the identification tag was missing from the metal box.

"Damn! Mark, that kid, wouldn't tell the truth even when he was dead!"

He slammed the metal box onto the table. He wasn't worried about losing his identity card or fearing the loss of power and status; all he felt was anger at having his things stolen.

If Mark had the "Nine of Hearts" and it hadn't been detected at the scene, it could only mean that the card had been moved or destroyed.

Jiulong rubbed his temples in his office chair to compose himself, then turned on the switch on the antique shelf and stepped into the secret room.

After finishing her night shift, Chuanliu embarked alone on the quiet journey back to the Jiulong base. The twinkling stars in the night sky, like distant lighthouses, guided her way.

Mark had always been with her these days, but today she was all alone.

As Chuanliu walked slowly, he casually tossed the 100-point chip given to him by a customer. The black chip drew a beautiful arc in the night sky, spun, and fell steadily back into Chuanliu's hand.

The solar-powered streetlights along the road stood silently in the night, emitting a soft glow. They cast long shadows of the flowing traffic, like a solitary dancer performing a silent dance in the darkness.

Suddenly, the flow of people stopped.

She turned her head slightly, her gaze passing through the streetlights and into the darkness.

Her voice was languid, yet exceptionally clear in the night.

"Come out, you've been following me all this way."

However, only the gentle evening breeze responded to her.

The girl shrugged. "If you don't want to come out, that's fine too. Opportunity knocks but once. If you want to ask me anything later, I won't say a word."

Then, as if nothing had happened, she continued walking forward.

Just then, a long shadow suddenly appeared on the road.

Susan, still wearing her black tracksuit, emerged from the shadows.

The girl stopped and teased, "Sister Susan, you came to see me alone so late at night. Aren't you afraid that Jiulong will plot to kill you to silence you?"

"Will you talk to him?" Susan asked.

Chuanliu shrugged again.

Before Susan could say anything, she suddenly pulled Susan into the woods by the roadside.

Chuanliu only stopped when he was sure that their location would not be discovered by others.

"Flowing..."

Susan paused deliberately, creating suspense, "Did you leave something with me?"