...
"Pfft—Hahaha!"
Ning Rongrong, who was standing to the side, finally couldn't hold back anymore and lay down on the table laughing so hard that tears were almost streaming down her face.
Even Na'er, who had always maintained a well-behaved image, couldn't help but cover her mouth and giggle, her shoulders swaying.
"What are you laughing at!"
Xuan Hao glared at them somewhat irritably, then looked back at the completely bewildered Zhu Zhuqing, his expression serious, even carrying a hint of "fatherly" radiance:
"What? You don't want to?"
"You should know, there are plenty of people in this world who would want to be my son.
From noble young masters of Tiandou City to local thugs, who wouldn't want to acknowledge me as... cough, big brother?"
"I'm giving you this opportunity because I see you as a potential match."
"you..."
Zhu Zhuqing finally came to her senses, her lips twitching violently, and she looked at Xuan Hao as if he were a lunatic:
"Are you... are you sick in the head?"
"I'm a woman!"
"What's wrong with a woman?"
Xuan Hao said matter-of-factly.
"Can't a woman be a son?
I don't discriminate against women."
"Besides, it's a code name! A symbol of identity! A... spiritual bond!"
"..."
Zhu Zhuqing was completely speechless.
She felt like she had vented all the complaints she had in her life today.
"Zhuqing, don't misunderstand."
Seeing that the situation was about to collapse, Na'er finally stopped laughing, walked over and took Zhu Zhuqing's hand, and kindly began to explain Xuan Hao's "glorious history" to her:
"Brother, this is a kind of perverse sense of humor, or rather... his special lines for taking on underlings."
"Back in Tiandou City, whenever my brother beat up those troublemakers, he would ask them this question."
"If you're not satisfied or don't agree, then keep beating you until you do."
"If you agree and call me by that title... cough, that title, then it means you're under my protection.
From now on, you can walk around Tiandou City with impunity and no one will dare to touch you."
"It's no exaggeration to say..."
Ning Rongrong also joined in, adding with a proud look:
"Brother Xuanhao is the local tyrant of Tiandou City!"
"No one below the Title Douluo level dares to provoke him.
Even Title Douluos dare not touch him out of respect for my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, Senior Poison Douluo, and the mysterious family behind my brother."
"So..."
Ning Rongrong shrugged and concluded:
"In this area, those who could beat him dared not fight him; any hotheads who dared to fight him were all beaten down by him."
"These spots for 'sons' are very competitive."
After hearing their explanations, Zhu Zhuqing's expression became even more interesting.
So... this is actually true?
This guy... is he really a bandit leader?!
"Of course, it's not a title given for nothing."
Na'er held up one finger and continued:
"Since you've acknowledged him as your boss, then you have to pay protection money."
"This is also the rule of the Heavenly Dou Self-Improvement Association.
It usually starts at one hundred gold soul coins per month."
"If you are homeless like me, or your family is in financial difficulty, your brother will reduce the amount accordingly, and may even provide additional subsidies."
"But what about those wealthy families who own mines..."
Na'er chuckled mischievously:
"Then we'll have to pay more."
"Just like that Fourth Prince Xue Beng, when he was at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, he had to pay his brother a safety fee of one thousand gold soul coins every month."
"If you don't pay, or dare to pay even one day late..."
"My brother was able to get him into the academy standing up, and then have him carried out lying down."
"And even his father, the Snow Night Emperor, doesn't dare to interfere."
Zhu Zhuqing was stunned.
Even princes have to pay protection money? And even monthly?
Is this...is this really not a joke?
The more Zhu Zhuqing listened, the more she felt something was wrong.
The initial shock in her clear, cold eyes was gradually replaced by a deep sense of solemnity and disbelief.
"Tiandou Self-Strengthening Association..."
She murmured the name softly, and a memory deep within her mind was suddenly awakened.
That was two years ago, at the Netherworld Duke's Mansion in the Star Luo Empire.
Her father, the usually calm and ruthless Duke of the Underworld, once mentioned this organization with an extremely serious expression at a secret family meeting.
"Compared to the million-strong army of the Heaven Dou Empire, what I am more worried about is the Heaven Dou Self-Strengthening Association, which has only emerged in recent years."
"The biggest problem of the Heaven Dou Empire has never been its strength, but its chaos."
"In terms of top-tier combat power, all seven major sects are in the Heavenly Dou Sect; in terms of the number of Soul Masters, the sects in the North far outnumber those in the South.
If we're talking about sheer strength, the Heavenly Dou Sect is even stronger than our Star Luo Sect."
"But precisely because of the numerous sects and the decline of imperial power, the Heaven Dou royal family is unable to fully control the soul master forces within the country.
Once war breaks out, they will be a disorganized mess, and may even fight each other for their own interests."
"But the emergence of this Self-Reliance Association is changing all of this."
"It miraculously united that group of young noble children who were originally all competitive and only knew how to fight cocks and chase dogs into a cohesive unit!"
"The scariest thing is that the mysterious chairman, 'Brother Hao,' is not a member of the royal family, yet he has the royal family's tacit approval of his existence."
"If this force continues to grow, and this group of young nobles inherits their titles and gains control of the family's army, finances, and power..."
"This 'Self-Strengthening Association' will become the most powerful new political core of the Heaven Dou Empire.
At that time, the Heaven Dou Empire, having completed its internal integration, will be our Star Luo's greatest nightmare!"
At the time, Zhu Zhuqing thought her father was exaggerating and didn't take it too seriously.
After all, how could a non-governmental organization possibly influence the fate of two great empires?
But now...
Looking at the silver-haired boy in front of her with a grinning face who wanted to take her in as his "son," and then connecting that with Ning Rongrong's description of him as the "local tyrant of Tiandou City" who "even princes have to pay protection money"...
All the clues came together at that moment, like an electric current!
"you..."
Zhu Zhuqing suddenly stood up, staring intently at Xuan Hao, her breathing rapid, her eyes filled with disbelief and shock:
"You're that Hao-ge?!"
"That person who even the Star Luo royal family fears and is considered the greatest threat to the future... the president of the Heavenly Dou Self-Improvement Association?!"
"Um?"
Xuan Hao, who was peeling shrimp, paused, looked up in surprise, and glanced at Zhu Zhuqing, whose face was full of horror:
"Oh, it seems my fame has grown that much? Even the people of Xingluo in the far south know me?"
He casually tossed the peeled shrimp meat into his mouth, chewed it a couple of times, and said nonchalantly:
"That's right. If we don't count the name being the same, the handsome, charming, and domineering president you mentioned should be me."
Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Zhu Zhuqing felt a chill run down her spine.
She originally thought Xuan Hao was just a powerful genius, or a local bully with some influence.
But she never expected that this guy was actually a dragon lurking in the abyss!
A political monster quietly changing the landscape of the continent!
"But... how is that possible?"
Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help but ask, "The Emperor of Tiandou isn't stupid!
You're openly courting nobles, building a private army, and even collecting protection money from princes right under his nose..."
"This is practically treason!"
"How could he tolerate someone like you?
Isn't he afraid that you'll eventually usurp the throne?"
In the Star Luo Empire, if such an organization were to emerge, even if it were just a budding one, it would be slaughtered overnight by the ruthless Star Luo Emperor, leaving not even a dog behind!
"rebellion?"
Xuan Hao chuckled and wiped his hands with a napkin.
"Zhu Zhuqing, you are still too young.
You don't understand the ways of an emperor, let alone the situation of the struggle between heaven and earth."
"In the eyes of Emperor Xueye, I am not a threat, but a knife."
"A knife used to hone those good-for-nothing noble sons, incidentally help the royal family amass wealth, and balance the power of various factions."
Xuanhao pointed to the night view outside the window and said softly:
"Moreover, everyone knows that I have an extremely close relationship with Crown Prince Xue Qinghe; you could even say we grew up together."
"In the old emperor's eyes, I am the crown prince's man.
I am paving the way for the future heir apparent and helping him to build up his future team."
"Since it's my son's knife, I'll naturally turn a blind eye."
"Of course, he never expected this..."
"This knife is too sharp, and too assertive."
"It remains to be seen who will ultimately have the upper hand."
Although these words were spoken in a veiled manner, the ambition and arrogance they contained made Zhu Zhuqing feel suffocated.
This guy...
He was taking advantage of the indulgence of the Heavenly Dou royal family and the trust of the Crown Prince to grow himself rapidly under everyone's noses!
This is like dancing on a tightrope!
But undeniably... he succeeded.
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