Seeing that the atmosphere has eased, Henwell scans the room and says, “I mentioned earlier that Peace Haven’s prosperity today owes a lot to everyone here. This isn’t sarcasm or just empty words, it’s my honest truth. Darkness exists everywhere.”

  ”I’ve been to the Western Federation, to a city ruled by the Holy Spirit Church. The whole city bathes in divine light, yet darkness still lurks beneath. Compared to the blinding light, that darkness is dirtier and far more terrifying.”

  ”Peace Haven is the same—light and dark coexist, and neither will ever disappear. Even in the sinful city of Yinxin, there’s love as poetic as any verse, and loyalty and honor worth admiring. Darkness can’t cover all the light, and no matter how dazzling the light, darkness always follows like a shadow. Do you know why darkness always exists?”

  Everyone exchanges uncertain gnces, unsure what Henwell is getting at.

  He continues, “Because darkness comes from desire, greed, jealousy... As long as humans exist, as long as these negative emotions exist, darkness will never vanish. It’s less about the system and more a reflection of the evil in human hearts.”

  ”What I can do is strive for fairness, to care for the majority as best as I can. But some will inevitably slip into darkness, right beside you. I can’t eliminate darkness, but I want to minimize the evil it breeds.”

  ”Over these years, many of you have cooperated with my policies, doing your best to uphold the boundaries I set. Though you represent the darker side of crime, you’ve been working to stop parts of Peace Haven from falling into an even deeper abyss. “

  ”So when I say Peace Haven thrives today, you’ve pyed a part too. But others don’t understand that, and maybe you don’t fully realize it yourselves. But I do. And I will remember.”

  His words leave everyone stunned. They never imagined that being “bad guys” could somehow be seen as a contribution.

  Yet as they reflect on Henwell’s speech, it actually makes a lot of sense.

  These streetwise criminals suddenly feel a kinship with Henwell, even a sense of him as a life mentor.

  And Henwell isn’t lying, these bad guys genuinely have helped keep Peace Haven’s darkness from spiraling out of control.

  Henwell continues, “Everyone, Peace Haven is about to enter a new phase. You must firmly hold the city’s bottom line. Like you, I come from the streets. We no longer worry about just getting by, we have to think about higher things now.”

  ”We’re not delicate flowers nurtured in a greenhouse; we’re thorns that have weathered storms and fought to survive. We know how the people at the bottom live. We’ve seen the vilest schemes and faced the most dangerous situations. We understand just how cruel hardship can be, and we know the despair of having nowhere left to turn.”

  “So, we can’t completely forget those at the bottom, whether to ease our conscience or to win hearts. Before you act, remember where you came from. Leave some room for mercy. If possible, don’t push people to the edge. Don’t become the makers of suffering or the embodiment of despair in the eyes of those struggling below.”

  “I speak on behalf of those fighting at the bottom, the unlucky, the ones about to be swallowed by hopelessness and hardship. I thank you all—thank the future you—for giving them a chance to survive, a moment to breathe, a way to live.”

  With that, Henwell stands and bows deeply to everyone.

  Chick and Horace by his side, and even Simon standing behind him, rise and bow as well.

  The other leaders scramble to their feet, awkwardly trying to respond.

  “My lord, you ftter us too much!”

  “My lord, we don’t deserve this!”

  “My lord, rest assured, your orders are our will!”

  “My lord, you’re right, we will follow the rules!”

  ……

  After everyone fumbles with their responses, Henwell signals for them to sit back down for a talk.

  He sighs, “Look, everyone, I’m being honest with you. The reason I’m meeting you privately today is exactly this. Peace Haven is going to grow bigger, more outsiders will come, and with that, the darkness will only deepen. I want you to come up with your own rules, don’t let Peace Haven descend into ugly chaos. “

  ”And don’t let any horrific tragedies happen; that would make me, as lord, feel like I’ve failed. I’ve said before, I’ve walked the dark path myself and I know that sometimes, even darkness needs rules.”

  ”Rather than letting clueless outsiders meddle, it’s better if you set the rules yourselves—rules that suit your interests and fit reality.”

  Only then do they realize Henwell isn’t joking.

  He’s seriously giving them some authority to establish rules within the underworld, within certain boundaries, of course.

  Henwell is busy every single day with countless affairs. The fact that he’s taken time out to meet with them now isn’t to scold or pressure them. It’s because he truly wants these crime bosses to come up with a code of conduct for their various trades.

  A set of rules for the dark side of Peace Haven.

  Henwell firmly believes in one thing: even the worst order is better than chaos without any order.

  After chatting a bit more, Henwell stands to leave.

  Before he goes, he smiles, “Oh, right! My wedding is coming up soon, and you’ll all get invitations. But there’s one favor I need to ask. Around the time of the wedding, various forces will come to town. I need you to keep an eye on anyone with bad intentions.”

  ”Also, I hope you can keep the darkness and crime from being too btant during that period. After all, it’s about Peace Haven’s reputation—we can’t let outsiders ugh at us, can we?”

  Everyone beats their chests, promising that no crimes will happen during that time, they’ll even pause their deals.

  After Henwell leaves, they’re still buzzing with excitement over the wedding invitation.

  Before today, none of them dared imagine they’d be part of such a grand event, especially personally invited by the lord of Blood Hill himself. That’s some serious face to save!

  But Horace, about to leave, immediately throws cold water on their excitement:

  “The lord’s soft-hearted. You better not let any of your messes blow up too big. If your screw-ups nd on the lord’s desk, I’m the one getting ughed at by all the other departments. If I lose face, I swear I’ll make sure every one of you knows just how ruthless I was back in my street days!”

  Chick doesn’t threaten but, before leaving, he points to his eyes and then at everyone else with a smile.

  The message is clear:

  “I’ll be watching you all from the shadows.”