The door to the presidential suite creaked open. A young man with a pale face, sharp features, and messy hair appeared. He looked angry.

“Damn it, all of you…” He started swearing but stopped when he saw Tong Hao. He quickly changed his tone. “Secretary Tong, why aren’t you at the Panhua Heritage Union, guarding my father’s business? Why are you here? Do you want to enjoy the VIP services in S District too?”

Tong Hao thought to himself, What a useless, spoiled brat. He replied, “Vice President, something has happened. I came to take you to Panhua Building so we can avoid any problems.”

“Problems? This place is safer than S District in the United States. No one dares to make trouble here. Secretary Tong, stop interfering. Ha-ha. I just brought a no-name actress from the United States. She’s perfect. I was about to enjoy myself when you showed up. If you keep talking, I’ll turn on you.” Zhang Gao’s smile turned into an impatient frown.

Tong Hao noticed the actress in the hallway. She had small roles in American TV shows. On TV, she seemed innocent. In person, with heavy makeup, she looked completely different.

Pathetic. Tong Hao cursed silently. “The Zhang family is a mess. They waste money and chase women. They’re draining the funds of the Panhua Heritage Union.” He then said, “Vice President, the old president has passed. You need to go back to Panhua Building and take charge.”

“Ah, how could this happen!” Zhang Gao's face showed shock, but a hint of joy quickly followed.

Zhang Gao was the son of the late Zhang Lian, the deputy head of the United Front Bureau and vice president of the Panhua Heritage Union. Though he seemed cultured, he was actually a playboy, inheriting his father’s bad habits.

“Alright, wait for me. I’ll be ready in a minute.” Zhang Gao went back to his room, packed his things, and before leaving, spent a moment with the actress. He reluctantly left the presidential suite.

Tong Hao looked at him with more disdain. He thought, How could someone like you take control of the organization?

He noticed the staff who had accompanied Zhang Gao. They looked disappointed.

Good. Let him lose the support of the people. It'll be easier to control him, Tong Hao thought.

At Panhua Building, the atmosphere was tense. The sudden death of Zhang Lian had left both the United Front Bureau and the Panhua Heritage Union without a leader.

In the president’s office, Zhang Gao struggled to hide his excitement. “The old man is gone. Now, both the United Front Bureau and the Panhua Heritage Union are mine. I won’t have to worry about money anymore. Ha-ha. I’ll get the top star from S District soon and enjoy myself.”

Tong Hao led the department heads into the room. They came from finance, public relations, legal affairs, operations, security, communications, and information.

Everyone greeted Zhang Gao, trying to get close to the new leader.

Though Zhang Gao had been the deputy and vice president for many years, he had rarely been involved in the actual work. These positions were mostly symbolic, preparing him to take over later.

Zhang Lian was still young and could have worked for several more years. He didn’t want to involve his son in the day-to-day business to avoid splitting his power.

So, although Zhang Gao had held these titles for years, he didn’t know most of the staff. The only person he was familiar with was his father’s secretary, Tong Hao.

“Everyone, you’ve worked hard. My father’s sudden death is a big shock to me,” Zhang Gao said, pretending to cry. The staff rushed to comfort him.

Some employees couldn’t hold back their tears. Though Zhang Lian had been tough, he had earned the loyalty of many. He used the funds from the Panhua Heritage Union to provide generous benefits to his staff. As a result, the overall salaries at the United Front Bureau and Panhua Heritage Union were much higher than average in the United States.

This loyalty was part of why Zhang Lian had been able to maintain control.

“Director, our Dragon Sea Pirate Gang has good relations with neighboring countries. We’ve never attacked their star systems. The sudden attack by the Kabas Empire’s battleship on the old director’s ship seems suspicious. You should investigate it so the old director can rest in peace,” said Sha Guangliang, the head of Security, with a somber expression.

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Sha Guangliang was a loyal follower of Zhang Lian and led the armed forces within the United Front Bureau. He controlled over 100 battleships and hundreds of thousands of soldiers, responsible for security across many countries.

Zhang Gao replied softly, “Hasn’t the Kabas Empire issued a statement? Their ship, the ‘Loyalty,’ destroyed my father’s ship. They probably mistook us for terrorists. It was likely a mistake. The Dragon Sea Pirate Gang doesn’t have the power to challenge the Kabas Empire.”

Tong Hao listened, silently frustrated. Zhang Gao clearly didn’t want to investigate his father’s death.

“Director, we may not be able to fight the Kabas Empire, but we should still investigate what happened. We need to find out if it was truly a mistake or if someone misled them into attacking my father’s ship,” said Shu Yuming, the head of Operations. His sharp mind had already suspected foul play.

The Operations Department handled secretive and covert tasks, like intelligence work. Shu Yuming, as the head, was skilled in plotting and strategy.

It was no surprise that Shu Yuming suspected a conspiracy in Zhang Lian’s death.

Tong Hao observed Shu Yuming carefully. As expected, Shu Yuming was the first to raise doubts about a possible conspiracy.

Shu Yuming had been one of Zhang Lian’s most trusted strategists, similar to a military advisor.

Zhang Gao became irritated. He had just taken control of the United Front Bureau, and already these old staff members were pressuring him to investigate his father’s death.

Deep down, Zhang Gao didn’t believe his father’s death was part of a conspiracy. The nine major leaders of the Dragon Sea Pirate Gang all came from powerful families. Even if someone had killed Zhang Lian, they would not have gained his position. Zhang Gao knew that, while he had often wished for his father’s death to seize power, he had not been involved in any plot to kill him.

“Hmm, what Director Shu and Director Sha said makes sense. I’ll take this matter seriously. Everyone, please leave. I need some time to think,” Zhang Gao said, signaling for them to leave.

Once the room was empty, Zhang Gao called out, “Secretary Tong, Director Lan, stay behind. I need to speak with you.”

Zhang Gao turned to Lan Ping, “How much cash is left in the small fund of the United Front Bureau?”

Lan Ping hesitated and glanced at Tong Hao before remaining silent.

This was a rule set by Zhang Lian. Only the head of the United Front Bureau and the finance director had access to the amount in the small fund. No one else was allowed to know.

Now that there were three people in the room, Lan Ping felt uncomfortable answering.

Tong Hao said, “Director, I’ll leave. You and Director Lan can talk. If you need anything, just let me know, and I’ll come back.”

“Wait!” Zhang Gao called out sharply.

He felt annoyed. It was his first time asking for something, and Tong Hao wasn’t responding. Zhang Gao thought this was an attempt to challenge his authority.

“Director Lan, are you dissatisfied with me as the new head?” Zhang Gao asked, his tone harsh.

Lan Ping was taken aback but quickly realized that Zhang Gao misunderstood her. She had only looked at Tong Hao to signal that she would explain things once he left. But Zhang Gao misinterpreted it as defiance.

“Heh, Director Zhang, you misunderstand me. The old director set a rule that only the head and the finance director can know the amount in the small fund,” Lan Ping explained with a smile, looking at Tong Hao.

Zhang Gao was embarrassed but didn’t want to admit his mistake. “I see! From now on, let’s change that rule. Only three people will know the amount in the small fund: me, you, and Secretary Tong.”

Tong Hao was surprised. He didn’t expect Zhang Gao to trust him so much. But he quickly realized that Zhang Gao was simply trying to win his loyalty by getting closer to him. Zhang Gao was new to the role and needed someone like Tong Hao, who understood the organization, to help him.

Lan Ping was taken aback. She hesitated, trying to figure out how to respond. She understood that Zhang Gao didn’t have the same trust in her that his father did.

Zhang Gao looked at Lan Ping, who had lowered her head. He couldn’t help but notice she was attractive—a mature beauty. He probably thought his father had been involved with her too.

Lan Ping smiled, “Alright, Director, I’ll follow your new rule. The current balance in the secret account is 5 trillion.”

“Ha, that’s a lot of money!” Zhang Gao laughed, but then he suddenly grew serious. “Director Lan, transfer 100 billion to my personal account. I need it urgently.”

Lan Ping was speechless. Zhang Gao didn’t even realize that, as head of the Bureau, he could access the secret account freely. But she didn’t argue. She agreed without hesitation.

Now that Zhang Gao was in charge, Lan Ping knew she had to meet his demands to secure her position.

She said, “I’ll transfer the funds right away, Director Zhang.”

Zhang Gao quickly replied, “Alright, Director Lan, go quickly. There’s nothing more for you to do here.”

Once the office was empty, Zhang Gao became more relaxed. He asked Tong Hao, “What’s going on with the heads of Security and Operations? It was just a mistake with the Kabas Empire’s ship. Why are they so focused on investigating my father’s death? It’s annoying! Tong Hao, you’ve worked with my father for years. Help me get rid of those two and replace them with people I trust.”

Tong Hao smiled. This plan fit his own goals. “Director, getting rid of them is easy. Just give the order. But I suggest waiting before making replacements. You’ve just taken over your father’s position. It’s better to stabilize the staff first. You can make your trusted people deputies for now to weaken their power.”

“Ha! You’re right, Tong Hao. I’ll call Han Youhui and Gong Jingshan to make one the deputy head of Security and the other the deputy head of Operations,” Zhang Gao said eagerly.

Tong Hao thought to himself, You’re an idiot. The more you mess up, the better.

Han Youhui and Gong Jingshan were Zhang Gao’s bodyguards, assigned by his father. They were good in combat, but lacked leadership skills—just like Zhang Gao.

That’s why Tong Hao hadn’t encountered them in District S.