Saving the male protagonist in the dungeon only resulted in him becoming cannon fodder.

They stayed until sunset before finally getting up and leaving, each returning home.

Lu Ze also came to Bai Mengmeng's house and told her everything that had happened that day. Bai Mengmeng sat quietly to the side, listening attentively to every word Lu Ze said.

After a moment of contemplation, Bai Mengmeng said, "This might be an opportunity, but we can't trust that mysterious person too easily. He meticulously planned all of this; it's not just about trapping us. Luffy has served him for so long, yet he's still being monitored, which shows how deep his intentions are. We must remain vigilant." She then recounted in detail what had happened that day. Bai Mengmeng knew in her heart that this conversation might be the last time they could stand on the same side; from now on, they would be enemies.

Meanwhile, in the United States, the mysterious figure listened to his subordinates' report on the operation in City A. He was very satisfied with the progress and a smug smile appeared on his face. Old Master Lu, however, was filled with worry, because in all these years, he had only seen his son briefly once before they were separated again. Old Master Lu pleaded with the mysterious figure to let him return to City A, after all, he was his only son. However, the mysterious figure's laughter was filled with arrogance and disdain. He told Old Master Lu that the reason he kept him by his side was to better control the situation. Upon hearing this, Old Master Lu suddenly realized that he had been in a passive position all along, and he collapsed to the ground. The mysterious figure continued with a cold laugh: "I have given you help, so naturally I expect a corresponding return."

Grandpa Lu was filled with regret and self-reproach. He had thought joining them would allow him to regain his former glory, but now he had no choice but to send his son on this dangerous mission. He gazed out the window, his thoughts drifting to the Li family. Now, only Li Ming and Li Yan remained. He finally realized that everyone was just a pawn in someone else's game. He silently watched the two men behind him. At first, they had spoken kindly, claiming to be protecting him, but in reality, they were monitoring him. Now, he dared not act rashly and could only silently pray for his son's safety.

Luffy returned to his old home. Although the place was a bit dilapidated, it wasn't badly damaged. This was clearly thanks to Bai Mengmeng's help in looking after it; if it weren't for her, it would probably have been completely ransacked long ago. Luffy looked into the distance; it was pitch black, and even the outlines of houses were hard to make out. He carried back the weeds he had cut that day to cover the path leading to the back. He had to make sure he wasn't discovered by anyone, and at the same time, protect himself and prevent anyone from getting hurt.

Luffy gazed silently into the distance until the dazzling sun slowly rose. A new day had begun, but Li Ming's heart remained heavy. Ever since learning about Liu Ting's situation, his heart had been unable to find peace.

Li Ming finally saw Liu Ting. However, his anger did not subside; instead, it intensified. When he saw Li Yan beside Liu Ting, his rage erupted instantly, and the two began to fight.

Liu Ting was stunned; she didn't know what to do. She tried to stop them, but to no avail. Just then, Liu Cheng rushed forward and forcefully separated the two.

"Stop hitting him!" Liu Ting shouted.

Li Ming stopped what he was doing and stared at Liu Ting, panting.

"Why are you with him? You've only known each other for a few days! Can't you see me?" Li Ming's voice was full of anger and incomprehension.

He approached Liu Ting step by step, his eyes flashing with disappointment and pain.

Li Yan and Liu Cheng realized something was wrong and rushed over to protect Liu Ting.

Looking at the scene before him, Li Ming felt utterly hopeless. He had thought his good friends would support him, but now it seemed they were both on the other's side.

"Liu Cheng, I treated you like a brother, but you've sided with someone else." Li Ming's voice carried a hint of desolation.

Seeing Li Ming's almost irrational state, Liu Cheng couldn't help but retort, "If you really considered me a brother, you wouldn't have let me do such a despicable thing."

Li Ming felt that everything around him had become unfamiliar, and his friends seemed to have all left him.

"You've all abandoned me, you just wait!" he said fiercely, then turned and drove away.

Liu Ting felt dizzy and collapsed to the ground, powerless. She didn't understand why things had turned out this way, and tears blurred her vision.

Suddenly, she thought of Bai Mengmeng; perhaps only Bai Mengmeng could understand her feelings. So, she decided to seek help from Bai Mengmeng.

Bai Mengmeng brought Liu Ting back home. Seeing that Liu Ting looked a little nervous, she said softly, "Sister Ting, you and Li Yan should be careful."

Upon hearing this, Liu Ting frowned and immediately asked, "Mengmeng, do you know something else? Why are you suddenly saying this?"

Seeing that she could no longer hide it, Bai Mengmeng stopped concealing it and said frankly, "Sister Ting, Luffy has now dragged you into this, and it's probably too late to escape. You should know about the existence of a mysterious person in America, right? We still don't know his specific purpose, but judging from Luffy's actions these past two days, it seems that he is deliberately hindering our business."

Liu Ting was startled. She naturally knew about the mysterious man, as it was one of the reasons she came to City A. She nodded and said, "Of course I know. Actually, I came to City A to sever ties with him, which was also my father's intention. Fortunately, I succeeded and didn't push our Liu family any further."

Bai Mengmeng asked curiously, "So how much do you know about him?"

Liu Ting shook her head, indicating that she did not know anything about these things, and then said, "However, my father should know something. I will go back and ask him, and then I will give you the news."

Meanwhile, Li Yan and Lu Ze stayed together. Li Yan didn't dare leave Liu Ting alone, given the dangerous situation. He wanted to protect her, so he acted like a bodyguard, always by her side. After hearing about Li Ming's actions, Lu Ze also started practicing Taekwondo, just in case.

After watching the two leave, Bai Mengmeng and Lu Ze finally breathed a sigh of relief and began to enjoy their dinner in peace.

Lu Ze suddenly asked, "Has Luffy come looking for trouble with you recently?"

Bai Mengmeng nodded, indicating that she had indeed encountered some problems, but she was not too bothered by them.

Lu Ze said with some self-reproach, "It's all my fault for not being able to offer you much help right now, leaving you to face these things alone."

Bai Mengmeng smiled and comforted her, "It's alright. We've already discussed a strategy. Although it might be a bit troublesome, it seems we can control the situation and prevent too much damage, so there's no need to worry too much."