The number of Nightmare members is increasing, and it's approaching five hundred people. They control more than a dozen large KTVs in the south. Louis has also become a prominent figure in the South.

At the end of the month, at Ghost KTV.

"Louis, Cheer!" Jack raised his glass of wine.

Steven chuckled and said, "Jack, is it okay to drink alcohol right after getting out of the hospital?"

Jack replied, "I've been miserable in the hospital for the past few months. Now that I'm out, I need to have some fun, right, Louis?"

Louis, sitting in the middle, smiled without saying a word and took a sip of his drink. Jack winked at Steven with a mischievous smile, downed his drink, and exclaimed in delight. Steven and the others also had a drink.

Alan asked from the side, "Louis, the Devil wants us to join them. What do you think we should do?"

Jack shook his head and said, "Right now, we're in charge of our destiny. If we go to Devil, we'll just be working for someone else, and what's the point?"

Alan said, "Jack's right, but if we refuse, will they cause trouble for us?"

Jack loudly replied, "What are we afraid of? We haven't done anything wrong! If Devil dares to mess with us, we'll take care of them!"

Alan shook his head and looked at Louis. Louis smiled and said, "I don't have any plans to join the Devil, but a simple refusal might not sit well with them. I think allying with them could benefit both sides."

Steven said, "An alliance sounds good, but what if they don't agree and insist on recruiting us?"

Louis said, "If that's the case, then we'll have no choice but to confront them."

Alan said, "But the Devil's power is much greater than ours."

Louis smiled and said, "But Oxe's power is still intact, and Oxe will deter them."

Steven asked, "Louis, are you talking about Oxe?"

Louis nodded and said, "That's right. Oxe wants to dominate the underground business, and Devil won't easily go against us."

Alan chimed in, "Louis, this is a good opportunity. Oxe is already fragmented, and their territory isn't far from ours. Why don't we seize it now? This way, our influence can expand into the city center."

Louis nodded in approval and said, "Yes, we may be the leaders in the south, but we're still far from the city center. Taking over the remnants of Oxe is a necessary step."

Jack was excited to hear this. He never thought he'd have the opportunity to confront a giant like Oxe. He said loudly, "Louis, I'll follow your lead in whatever we do, but you have to let me be in the front line when we attack!"

Eric, overhearing this, chuckled and said, "You? Are you fully recovered? You took seventeen stabs and still haven't learned to be cautious!"

After hearing Eric's words, Jack's face turned red. He looked around and saw everyone smiling at him, making him feel a bit embarrassed. He walked up to Eric, grabbed his neck, and exclaimed, "You dare say that? If it weren't for me protecting you last time, you would have been stabbed more than I was!"

Alan said to Louis, "Louis, there are several factions in Oxe's territory now. Who do you think we should target first?"

The southern region used to belong to Oxe, and there are currently five factions vying for control. All five factions consider themselves the legitimate successors of Oxe and are in constant competition. Among them, Smith's faction is the most significant, mainly due to Devil's covert support. Next is the White faction, which should not be underestimated. They have a large number of loyal members willing to give their all for their leader. Then there's Sam's faction, which is moderately strong but known for being cunning, unpredictable, and unpopular among others. The remaining two factions have average strength.

Louis pondered for a moment and said, "Let's start with Sam." Alan was puzzled and asked, "Sam is too cunning; we might not have a guarantee of success!" Louis smiled and replied, "That's precisely why I chose him!" Everyone looked at Louis in silence.

Christmas was approaching, and schools were facing the tense period of final exams. Most students were busy studying during this time, except for one exception: X University. During exams here, the proctors would often close their eyes, allowing students to do as they pleased. Some classes even placed newspapers on the desk in case the proctor got bored and wanted to pass the time reading.

On this day, Louis was attending a lecture when a paper ball hit him on the head. Louis looked around and saw Emily perched on the window ledge between the classroom and the hallway, waving at him, signaling him to come out.

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Louis hesitated for a moment, glancing at the teacher at the front of the room, before deciding to step outside. In the hallway, he whispered, "Emily, I'm in class right now. What's so urgent?"

Emily, looking displeased, gave him a pointed look and said, "Do you mean to say that your class is more important than seeing me?"

Louis replied, "That's not what I meant. Why did you want to see me?"

Emily said, "Come to my place tonight; my brother wants to meet you!"

Louis wasn't surprised. The underworld was in turmoil, and the major syndicates were eager to expand their influence. If Dragon's leader was reaching out to him, it was undoubtedly because they saw the rapid rise of Nightmare. He nodded and said, "Alright."

Emily was concerned and said, "When you meet my brother, it's best to agree with him and not upset him. He's in a bad mood lately, probably due to gang business, but he doesn't want me to know. Anyway, he has a terrible temper, and I don't know why he wants to see you."

Louis, seeing Emily's worried expression, smiled and reassured her, "Don't worry, everything will be fine." He thought to himself that it was probably because of Nightmare's growing influence that Dragon wanted to approach him. Back when he was unknown and insignificant, Dragon wouldn't have given him a second glance. It was surprising how things had changed. Louis sighed inwardly.

In the evening after school, Louis and Emily walked out of the school together.

"This doesn't feel right. I can't let a girl ride a motorcycle with me! I think I'll just take a car!" Louis loudly protested when he heard Emily wanted to ride a motorcycle with him.

Emily rolled her eyes while riding on the motorcycle and said loudly, "What's wrong with being carried by a girl? Or do you want to carry me instead, as long as you know how to ride!"

Louis blushed and said softly, "I don't know how to do that."

Emily knew he didn't know, so she patted the seat behind her and said, "Come on, I need to talk to you, Don't waste any more time, hurry up!"

Louis, feeling nervous, reluctantly sat behind Emily. The unique scent of the girl wafted into his nose, and Louis felt his mind go blank. He didn't know where to place his hands. Emily turned to look at him and said with a smile, "You can hold onto me, or else don't blame me if you fall off!"

Louis looked around, hesitating a bit because the school was just getting out, and there were many students around. Seeing him like this, Emily became annoyed and thought, "What a timid guy! Holding onto me won't kill you!" With that in mind, Emily had an evil grin on her face, suddenly released the clutch, and the motorcycle shot forward.

At that moment, Louis was still pondering whether to hold on or not when the motorcycle suddenly accelerated, frightening him, and he instinctively grabbed onto Emily. However, the motorcycle came to a sudden stop, and Emily blushed as she turned to look at Louis. She moved her lips and said, "You can let go now!"

Louis was still dizzy from the sudden stop and looked at Emily strangely, wondering what was going on. Emily saw the innocent look on Louis's face and managed to utter a few words through her teeth, "Your hands...!"

Louis moved his hands slightly, feeling the softness in his palms, an unfamiliar sense of comfort surging through him. Louis glanced sideways at Emily's face, then slowly withdrew his hands, lowered his head, and wished there was a hole in the ground. It turned out that when he got nervous earlier, his hands inadvertently pressed against Emily's firm chest.

Emily had intended to scold Louis, but she couldn't find the words as an indescribable sense of pleasure and happiness welled up within her. She blushed and said, "Now, hold onto my waist!" This time, Louis obediently held onto Emily's waist.

It was Louis's first time on a motorcycle, and Emily was driving very fast. Watching the scenery rapidly zoom by on both sides, Louis's heart raced, and he unconsciously held Emily's waist even tighter.

Emily chuckled inwardly and turned to say, "Easy there, I'm having trouble breathing!" Louis, seeing that she was still able to turn around while going so fast, said loudly, "Can you focus on the road ahead? This is very dangerous!"

Emily smirked and said, "You're such a scaredy-cat!"

"It's not about being scared; I just don't want to end up in the hospital!"

"You're exaggerating!" Emily scolded.

Louis said, "Emily, what did you want to tell me? You don't have to turn around to tell me; I can hear you!" When he saw that Emily was about to turn around, Louis quickly added.

Emily said, "It's nothing, I've just learned a few new dishes recently. After I finish talking to my brother, I'll make them for you!"

"Isn't that so? Just this?" Louis sighed and leaned his head on Emily's back.

They arrived at Emily's home quickly. After the two entered the house, Louis saw someone sitting on the sofa. He appeared to be around thirty years old, fair-skinned, handsome and bore a resemblance to Emily. This person was undoubtedly Dragon's boss, Emmanuel.

Seeing Emily leading a young man into the room, the man stood up and approached Louis, extending his hand, saying, "Hello, you must be Louis, right? Emily talks about you often. I'm Emmanuel!"

Louis shook Emmanuel's hand politely and said, "I've heard a lot about you; it's just that we've never had the chance to meet."

Emmanuel smiled and said, "Since you're a friend of Emily's, you're my friend too."

Louis was taken aback, not expecting Dragon's boss to be so friendly. He quickly replied, "I'm honored then."

Emmanuel led Louis to sit on the sofa and engaged in small talk. "How long have you known Emily?" Although it was a casual conversation, Louis was still cautious and replied, "We've known each other since the first day of school."

Emmanuel took a cigarette box from his jacket pocket and offered one to Louis, who declined politely. Emmanuel lit his cigarette and asked, "Can you handle Emily's childish temper when you spend time together?"

Before Louis could answer, Emily tugged on Emmanuel's arm and said, "Why do you always say that about me..."

Emmanuel chuckled and patted Emily's hand, saying, "See? I just mentioned your childish temper, and you've already shown it!" Emily blushed and said, "I'll go cook!" She then headed to the kitchen.

"My little sister..." Emmanuel shook his head as he watched her walk away but his eyes were filled with affection. Louis could see that Emmanuel cared deeply for his sister, which changed his perception of him. He smiled and said, "It's precisely because of Emily's personality that she has her unique charm!"

Emmanuel looked at Louis approvingly and then changed the topic, looking at Louis and saying, "I suppose you know about my identity now, right?" Louis nodded and replied, "I know, you're the boss of Dragon."

Emmanuel smiled and said, "I've heard about you from my guys. You've become quite a powerful figure in your own right at such a young age!"