"There's really no other reason for calling everyone here today."

He spoke slowly, his voice hoarse and excited, "That guy Hong Qiankun has done all sorts of bad things, and now he's finally caught. I also hope that everyone can stay within their bounds and not do things they shouldn't do."

Jia looked around, his smile sending a chill down one's spine.

Looking at the silent crowd, Jia smiled with satisfaction.

He continued, "I'm hosting a dinner party at my home the day after tomorrow, and I'm now formally inviting everyone to attend. You absolutely must come and support me!"

"Brother Jia's invitation is very kind, we will definitely come." Aunt Wang nodded repeatedly.

The others echoed their agreement.

On the way back, Qianchuan and Chuanliu traveled the same route.

Chuanliu was held in Zhuiming's arms the whole time. She tried to sit up, but the man pulled her back into his arms.

Zhuiming grinned mischievously from an angle where Qianchuan couldn't see him, with an expression that said, "What can you do to me?"

Chuan Liu smiled back at him, and with one hand, he pinched a small piece of soft flesh on the man's waist from the shadows, and then twisted it hard.

"hiss……"

Zhuiming gasped, grabbed the woman's mischievous hand, and kissed it.

Chuanliu returned the favor with a triumphant smile.

Seeing the two interacting as if no one else was around, Qian Chuan hesitated for a long time before slowly speaking:

"What? Newly hired bodyguards?"

He pointed at Zhuiming, his tone revealing a hint of teasing and curiosity, but more so a complex emotion.

Qian Chuan chuckled, his expression unreadable. "I thought you could rest easy now that you had the '10 of Spades' as your trump card."

Chuanliu glanced at him. "I have a partnership with '10 of Spades,' just like you. Do you think you're my trump card?"

For some reason, Qian Chuan felt a little uneasy after hearing Chuan Liu's words.

The man said casually, "If you want me to be, I can be."

Not knowing how to answer for a moment, Chuanliu changed the subject: "I saw Xu Zhi."

The two were allies after all, and Chuanliu had no intention of hiding this fact from him. However, there was no need for him to know about Xu Zhi's assassination plan.

Qian Chuan was taken aback. "She has a new plan?"

"Maybe so, it confirmed my stance... You know, Li Si voted for Jia Zuowei."

Unexpected, yet perfectly logical.

Qian Chuan understood. "Xu Zhi killed him?"

The girl nodded. "If I help Xu Zhi, I can get the '4 of Diamonds.' Now that Hong Qiankun is dead, we all move up the ranks, which means the '5 of Diamonds' will also be mine."

Qian Chuan looked at the woman who had revealed everything, his eyes darkening. "What do you want?"

Chuanliu shrugged. "No, what can I do?"

She told Qian Chuan about her meeting with Xu Zhi in advance so that he could prepare for any unexpected events.

As for the assassination plan, if Qian Chuan knew about it, he probably wouldn't support her putting their alliance in danger.

Qian Chuan gave her a deep look. "Although we are allies, if you bring about your own destruction, I can't protect you. You've seen Jia Zuowei's methods; be careful that in the end, not even bones will be left."

"Thank you for your concern, but you should think about how to get through Jia Zuowei's trap," Chuanliu reminded him.

Jia's sudden invitation to everyone was probably not just for the sake of deterrence following the Hong Qiankun incident.

There's a high probability they'll bring up old grievances and find those who voted for Xu Zhi.

To take it a step further and be more conspiratorial, he might want to eliminate all those who don't obey him.

After all, he had just wiped out Hong Qiankun's entire family, numbering no less than a hundred people.

Qian Chuan seemed to have already thought of a solution. He said nonchalantly, "There's no limit to the number of people who can be announced. Even if we all say we voted for him, how can he prove it wasn't true?"

Maybe...

Qianchuan was right, and Chuanliu didn't reply.

When Qian Chuan arrived home and the two parted ways, Qian Chuan once again instructed Chuan Liu not to act rashly.

The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the earth in a golden hue, and the shadows of the flowing river and the chasing creature appeared exceptionally long in this warm light.

The man held the woman tightly, as if unwilling to let her leave his embrace, and the intimacy between them resembled that of a secret couple.

"I didn't expect Brother Qian Liu to care about you so much."

The name Qian Chuan was familiar to the people of Paradise Island, and Zhui Ming naturally knew it as well. He put his arm around the girl and teased her.

Chuanliu nudged Zhuiming and said, "The show's over, can you let go now?"

She didn't quite understand those couples who liked to walk like that.

Is it really easier to walk shoulder to shoulder?

She muttered to herself, and was about to push the man away, but Zhuiming pulled her back again.

"Be professional, someone's watching us." Zhuiming's deep voice rang in Chuanliu's ears, carrying an undeniable tone.

Upon hearing this, Chuanliu immediately resumed his acting expression.

She secretly observed what was behind her and saw two or three people sneaking around following them in the distance.

These people's tracking skills were clearly not very sophisticated. Whenever the flow of traffic stopped, they would pretend to be nonchalant and look around, trying to conceal their whereabouts.

She understood that these people were likely sent by Jia Zuowei.

She moved even closer to Zhuiming, and the two continued walking forward in their intimate posture.

"I didn't expect Jia to be so cautious, but the people he sent were so unprofessional."

Zhuiming chuckled as he bent down to straighten Chuanliu's sleeves.

Chuanliu understood, playing with the man's hair, "He probably wants to confirm that a new face has suddenly appeared in the City of Cubes and has become my bodyguard."

The man, still kneeling on one knee, looked up and joked, "If I proposed to you right here, would they stop having any doubts?"

Chuanliu cupped Zhuiming's face in his hands, his eyes full of affection, but he refused without any mercy, saying, "If your contract with Xu Zhi doesn't have this clause, then forget it. Otherwise, I'll use her people and then ask me for money later."

Zhui Ming laughed and replied, "No way, you don't want anything that's just a freebie?"

The man thought for a moment, then said as if suddenly realizing something, "That's true. If we get together, Brother Qian Liu will probably kill me, right?"

The girl tilted her head. "What does this have to do with money?"

Zhui Ming continued gossiping, "And there's a new 'Ten of Spades'! I've never even seen one from Spade City before. When did you guys become allies?"

The girl patted the man's cheek lightly, but actually used a hidden force. "Get up, little brother, they're gone."

Sure enough, while the two were showing affection, the people who were tasked with following them had finished their observation and left the area.

Zhuiming touched the red mark on his face and resumed his playful smile.

He continued his banter, "Hey boss, tell me the truth, how many men do you have? And how many competitors do I have?"