Chapter 260: Plotting Against Hong Kong and Britain

While Guan Xin was making arrangements, the heads of various subsidiaries under Shadow Group arrived, along with Wei Dongling. After checking Xiao Ran’s injuries, Xiao Ran asked everyone else to leave, and he and Wei Dongling discussed the entire plan.

Calling Bai Pengfei and Zhu Guangli in, Xiao Ran smiled and instructed them, “Pengfei, Guangli, the government wants to play us. Do you think we should fight back?”

Bai Pengfei and Zhu Guangli were momentarily stunned before realizing Xiao Ran was testing their loyalty. They immediately replied jokingly, “Brother Ran, forget about whatever government it is—just do as you say!”

“Good!” Xiao Ran nodded in approval. These two were very capable, managing Book Fragrance Media and ATV efficiently. “At 8 p.m. tonight, there will be severe traffic jams across Hong Kong. You need to pay close attention and rush there immediately for interviews. Also, be careful not to give the impression that you’re prepared—adjust the timing slightly.”

“In your reporting tone and wording, point the finger at various policies implemented since Peng Dingkang took office, such as the salary increases for civil servants and the skyrocketing real estate prices. President Wei will give you specific instructions. You need to make readers and viewers believe that all these problems arose because of those policies.” Xiao Ran asked, staring at the two men whose expressions grew increasingly serious.

Zhu Guangli and Bai Pengfei quickly thought it over. It wasn’t that they were unwilling to do it, but they were wondering if it was possible. Both raised their heads firmly and said, “Don’t worry, Brother Ran. We’ll handle this properly!”

Xiao Ran smiled in satisfaction. After coughing lightly, Lin Qingxia quickly handed him a glass of water. After drinking some refreshing water, he rubbed his nose, which had started to ache again, and continued, “Hire experienced and renowned economists and experts as soon as possible to analyze how these policies will harm Hong Kong and its citizens in the future. I’ve already sent people overseas to recruit a few experts. We must seize this opportunity to spread the message that these policies are harming all Hong Kong citizens and destroying the economy overnight!”

Bai Pengfei and Zhu Guangli’s expressions were now not just serious—they seemed almost frozen. They realized that Xiao Ran wanted more than just a minor attack; it was a fierce assault! But in fact, Xiao Ran’s accusations weren’t unfounded, let alone slanderous.

Wei Dongling thought for a moment before interjecting, “There’s no need to hide it. If we’re going to do it, let’s attack or question them openly, so that all Hong Kong citizens know we’re working for their interests.”

Xiao Ran considered it briefly before nodding. Coming from the mainland, he naturally still held some views that discouraged attacking the government, which influenced him at that moment. With Wei Dongling’s reminder, he realized they were in Hong Kong—a place with freedom of the press.

“Go back right away and get ready. Keep your mobile phones on and wait for orders at any time!” Xiao Ran exhaled in frustration before giving his final instructions: “I’m giving you three hours to prepare. By 8 o’clock, I want all staff from Shuxiang Media and ATV Group on standby. For the next three days, the whole of Hong Kong will be under your control.”
That’s where the role of the news media comes in. Xiao Ran and Wei Dongling exchanged a smile, after which Xiao Ran asked casually, “Can we get ordinary citizens to join in as well? That’s crucial—it depends on your ability to control the situation. But I think as long as the momentum is strong enough, with proper guidance, there will definitely be large-scale protests!”
“Should the UK take action now?” Wei Dongling hesitated for a moment. After all, Shuxiang Media and ATV controlled the media networks from Asia to Europe. Once these two companies started operating, the UK would likely be unable to stay idle.
What Xiao Ran was preparing for the current Hong Kong-British government was a heavy blow, relying on the political power of opposition parties and other organizations to launch public opinion attacks. Murdoch would surely be delighted to see such a scenario, and with Shuxiang and ATV’s media networks, they could easily stir up turmoil in the UK at any time.
However, regarding timing… Xiao Ran also hesitated. After quickly calculating in his mind, he realized it would take about two days to spread the news in the UK and around the world. The UK government would also need some time to respond.
Given this, acting now was undoubtedly the right choice. He nodded at Wei Dongling and said, “I think it’s time for them to take action over there. Being too early or too late won’t yield the best results. You know, some things always require evidence!”
After Wei Dongling and the others left to carry out their tasks, Lin Qingxia stared at her husband in confusion and shock. She had thought Xiao Ran just wanted to put pressure on the Hong Kong-British government. But now it seemed he had even bigger ambitions. She couldn’t help but sigh, “What exactly do you want?”
“What do I want?” Xiao Ran paused for a moment before smiling slightly. “I want what I want!”
At 5 p.m., before dark had fallen, Xiang Qiang and his entire family were together, filled with anxiety and intense inner struggle. Xiao Ran had returned. Should they submit to him? Xiang Qiang really couldn’t come up with any answer. It was only now that he realized everything wasn’t easy—this position wasn’t easy to hold.
He didn’t dare leave his home, nor did he want any of his relatives to leave. With Xiao Ran back, actions against them would soon follow. If they didn’t want to die needlessly, it was better to stay at home.
Suddenly, a loud and urgent phone ringtone came from inside the room. Annoyed, Xiang Qiang glanced over and saw it was one of the four key figures in the organization calling. That man was neither too young nor too old, but extremely capable, having achieved many accomplishments before reaching his current position.

That horse listened to the phone call there and immediately hung up. It then came over to Xiang Qiang, a strange smile on its face. Xiang Qiang was stunned and before he could react, he saw the guy quickly pull out a gun and point it at his own head.

Xiang Qiang flew into a rage and glared fiercely at the guy, “A Li, what do you mean by this?” The others were even more shocked and tried to rush forward, but A Li pushed the gun barrel hard against them, forcing them to stop.

“I’m really sorry, Brother Qiang. This wasn’t my intention!” A Li smiled casually and moved the gun barrel a little away. Suddenly, his expression turned serious as he said grimly, “This is Brother Ran’s order. Don’t you know that Brother Ran has returned?”

Was A Li one of Brother Ran’s men? Xiang Qiang felt his whole body go weak, his heart pounding wildly. If he had heart disease, he would surely die. But he never expected that one of his most trusted subordinates was actually part of Xiao Ran’s group. He closed his eyes in despair and shook his head in pain.

Just then, several agile guys came in from outside, their guns pointed at Xiang Qiang’s subordinates and bodyguards. A Li smiled—he knew these people were there to support him. Although he personally thought there must still be his own men among Xiang Qiang’s subordinates…

At the same time, Jiaolong was also extremely troubled. He wasn’t at home but in the nightclub he owned, which had already closed for the night just because Brother Ran had returned. What could he do in such a situation?

During the police raids a few days ago, his gang suffered the heaviest losses. Now, as he drank heavily, he suddenly heard a faint noise. Immediately, he stood up in terror, pulled out his gun, and shouted, “Who’s there? Come out!”

Don’t blame him for being cowardly—after all, countless people in history had died silently. This time, he was lucky; it wasn’t a person but a cat. Feeling a little relieved, he planned to take his anger out on the cat when suddenly he felt a hard object pressed against the back of his head…

If any of the three major gangs was the weakest, it would definitely be the Mountain Cat. This guy was usually arrogant, and if it weren’t for Scar taking on many of his responsibilities, he would likely have already died. So, Scar, who had strongly recommended him as the leader, was clearly his most trusted confidant.

He was now in a restaurant—of course, not the Chunlai Teahouse. After Chunlai Teahouse was chosen by Xiao Ran twice to deal with the underworld, the gangsters no longer dared to touch it at all. Moreover, many negotiations afterward were held there, which took Xiao Ran by surprise.

The restaurant was also closed. Seriously, the Mountain Cat wouldn’t be stupid enough to let Xiao Ran’s men in to kill him or take him away! The Mountain Cat was enjoying a big meal. At this point, he might as well be called a mountain pig—so fat.

While eating a dish of rice noodles, he got so burned that his tongue even swelled up. The Mountain Cat slammed the table and stood up, cursing, “Bring that chef here! Cut him in half! Damn it, he tried to kill me!”

Scar sat beside him, smiling, but the disdain in his heart was indescribable. Just then, his phone rang…

The Mountain Cat cursed angrily. Just as he was about to sit down and continue eating, he suddenly felt a strange stiffness above his head. He looked up and saw Scar’s men, with Scar himself smiling as he stared at him. In that moment, countless thoughts flashed through the Mountain Cat’s mind, and he said in a trembling voice, “Scar, you’re Ran Ge’s man…”

Liang Kun was at home; he didn’t dare go anywhere now. Xiao Ran wasn’t dead, which filled Liang Kun with extreme fear. His carefully planned assassination hadn’t succeeded in killing Xiao Ran—so what would come next? He didn’t know, but he regretted it a bit. If he hadn’t betrayed, he would still have controlled half of the underworld.

But then he thought that it was actually Xiao Ran who truly controlled the underworld, with Guan Xin and him merely tools in his hands. For power, one always had to take risks. He gritted his teeth fiercely—whatever it took, it was worth it.

But what methods would Xiao Ran use against him? Liang Kun didn’t know, nor could he imagine. Yet he always felt that Xiao Ran could get him—like a mouse toyed with by a cat, which made him extremely annoyed.

Did he regret it? Liang Kun found it hard to describe. But he remembered Xiao Ran saying that where there’s profit, there’s risk. To minimize risks, one must prepare thoroughly and increase their chances of success. He hadn’t lost completely yet—as long as he wasn’t dead, he hadn’t lost. Just then, the phone rang…

He answered the phone. A former Flying Tiger member, also one of his trusted subordinates, whistled and walked over smiling, knocking out two men along the way. Seeing this, Liang Kun felt his heart sink. Xiao Ran was right—everything needed to be planned and prepared to avoid the greatest risks!

“Brother Kun, Brother Xin wants to see you…”, the guy said lightly with a smile, “At Chunlai Teahouse. He’s waiting for you!”

Half an hour later, Guan Xin was at Chunlai Teahouse, listening to his assistant report, “Brother Xin, all the other small gangs have been dealt with. Those who refused to submit were thrown into the sea. Now only the members of the three major gangs remain, and they’re on their way!”

Before he could finish speaking, car brakes were heard downstairs. Guan Xin’s face remained expressionless. That night, he didn’t need to create an image for himself like Xiao Ran did—because he was already the power itself, with no need to build more.

Xiang Qiang and the others were “invited” upstairs one by one, with Xiao Kun being the last. Guan Xin’s words were always concise and forceful: “Sit down and talk!”

Seeing despair on everyone’s faces, they sat down. Only then did Guan Xin shift his gaze among them. “You’ve been very naughty, you know? I don’t like naughty kids, and neither does Xiao Ran.”

No one dared speak. In front of the iron-fisted Guan Xin, no one dared even breathe. Guan Xin stood up, walked around them a few times, and suddenly stopped in front of Xiang Qiang. “Xiang Qiang, tell me—how do you think you should punish yourself?”

“I… I…” Xiang Qiang’s heart pounded wildly. Standing in front of Xiao Ran, he wouldn’t have felt such fear. Xiao Ran exuded the aura of a ruler, while Guan Xin was a bloodthirsty assassin. Gritting his teeth tightly, he thought of his entire family of dozens and made a difficult decision: “Brother Xin, I was wrong. I’ll do it. Please spare my Xiang family!”
Guan Xin replied indifferently and went over to Jiaolong: “Jiaolong, what’s your opinion? Maybe you have something to say to me and Xiao Ran?”
Jiaolong gave a bitter smile. In fact, they could all be considered innocent to some extent, as both Guan Xin and Xiao Ran had left Hong Kong, creating an opportunity for Liang Kun to seize power. It was also their own greed that led to this situation; if they hadn’t tried to betray Xiao Ran, this wouldn’t have happened. He too gritted his teeth tightly and said, “Brother Xin, I’m sorry for letting Brother Ran down. I’ll definitely give you an explanation!”