Tao Yu exchanged greetings with the young heiress, and she agreed that it was best for him to return now. They also briefly communicated about some matters.


    When Pavas’ issue causes conflicts, or when the problems in the new Development Zone become intense, it’s probably safer to stay in the State Capital for a while...@@@@


    As the scene before his eyes changed, Tao Yu reappeared in the room.


    Looking again at this room, both familiar and strange, Tao Yu sighed,


    "I barely even stayed here for a few days."


    Although he had moved to the Inner City a while ago, he was constantly traveling to and from the Abyss. He could count on his fingers the number of days he had actually lived in this room.


    Then Tao Yu heard what seemed like the voice of a visitor outside.


    "Uncle Tao, please, just accept these. Don’t refuse our apologies, it represents our regret...


    Tao Yu wasn’t really surprised to have visitors.


    With his reputation as the Eight-Armed Vajra, as a redeemer, a major shareholder of Dada Company, and an influential figure outside of Floating City despite his young age as a senior partner, even the head of the Inner City’s security forces had to bow down to him.


    The head of the Longxi Clan had paid a visit and left gifts, so it wasn’t strange that someone else wanted to make an impression.


    His parents were actually very careful about this kind of thing, accepting items that were not too valuable and keeping records to show him later.


    But what was this sudden talk of ’apologies’ about?


    Sensing that his father was a bit conflicted, Tao Yu didn’t wait. He calmly pushed the door open and asked,


    "What apology?"


    After finishing his question, he glanced at the person who came by.


    Clear signs of considerable mechanical modification, a stranger, but judging from the seasoned half of their face, it looked like they weren’t young, definitely not someone from the Development Zone.


    Tao Yu had virtually no influence on the old development areas, so most likely, this person represented a certain force.


    Seeing Tao Yu take control of the situation, Tao Long, who had a conflicted expression on his face, seemed relieved, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.


    In contrast, the man who kept a smile on his face felt tense in front of Tao Yu.


    "La Qi, you’re back. It’s good you’re here to handle this situation, it’s just, ah..."


    Tao Long sighed, making Tao Yu feel that something was amiss.


    "What happened?"


    Before Tao Long could speak, the half-mechanical man hastily began with a smile,


    "It’s like this..."


    But before he could finish, he was met with a cold gaze from Tao Yu,


    "I wasn’t talking to you. Wait."


    With that one sentence, he was silenced, and seeing Tao Yu take command of the situation, Tao Long felt assured and seemed to collect his thoughts before speaking,


    "Tao Shi got involved in an incident with the Chaoyang Society, he’s been injured and is currently in the hospital. Zhang Lei, representing Dada Company, has already paid for the medical expenses, but your brother can’t be visited right now, as he’s in the medical pod. Your mother and Tao Da are there waiting for the outcome, and Old Tiger has also gone over."


    Hearing this, Tao Yu also felt a surge of anger.


    In a medical pod? That means it’s at least a serious injury, and one that could potentially be life-threatening!


    This was practically a tailor-made assault on him.


    "This is deliberately playing on his personality. The Beast Tamers’ clan head must have provoked him on purpose, probably thinking of the old lion from the battled lion family’s fate, and finding a way to have Gu Qiu accept the Inspector’s punishment..."


    After everything happened, thinking back, Tao Yu began to vaguely understand their purpose.


    They wanted to kill Gu Qiu!


    The Inspector would likely assign Gu Qiu some difficult tasks, and since he wouldn’t have the family’s accumulated wealth to buy his way out, he would probably have to take them on himself.


    In the old Development Zone, if he went to places with deranged world wills like the Evil Spirit World, and honestly dealt with those high-level evil spirits, one ambush would be plenty amusing for them.


    "So they treat the previous agreement like toilet paper?"


    "I don’t know, they probably just used the Heretic God Cult as an excuse, perhaps just to bide their time."


    Tao Long sighed.


    Although he was a bumpkin from the Outer City without much vision, having lived so long, he could still tell there was definitely a problem here.


    These families in the Inner City are truly no good...


    "What’s the deal with Shi?"


    "The security team investigating the Heretic God Followers is understaffed, and there are some outsourced tasks as well. The places being searched by those outsourced people happened to be the warehouses where Shi frequently operates. Shi, disliking how they took the opportunity to harass others, went to help out and then was used as an excuse to be beaten up."


    "Oh? They didn’t know he’s my younger brother?"


    "Someone did mention it while they were beating him, so they stopped; otherwise, it might have ended in offending a powerful figure and getting killed..."


    Tao Long sighed.


    Offending a powerful figure!


    Tao Yu had used this excuse to hit quite a few people before, and never thought that one day it would happen to his own brother.


    But...


    Tao Yu glanced at the half-mechanical person, causing their face to change drastically.


    "Mr. Tao, I made a mistake..."


    The next moment, a mass of shadows began to climb up his body, and twisted tadpole-like patterns covered his entire form.


    Once finished, his head was promptly severed!


    The mechanical self-destruct feature was completely sealed and barred, not showing the slightest sign of detonation.


    "I told you to shut up, did you really think I was easy to talk to~"


    Tao Yu sighed softly.


    If Shi offended someone, that was due to his own lack of skill, and he deserved to be beaten.


    But you, you’ve offended me...


    Tao Yu glanced at Tao Long and noticed his father’s eyelids twitched, but he showed no reaction to this clean and efficient killing.


    After all, the Outer City was accustomed to life and death.


    If his son had the confidence to do so, then naturally they should proceed according to his command, not to be restrained by their own limited perspectives...