Translator: AnubisTL
First, he didn't know any big shots with five-star items. Even if he did, he wouldn't have the chance to contact them.
Second, he had no idea who was helping Wu Jinshen, or even their name.
What if he went through all the trouble of contacting someone with a five-star item, then eagerly presented the video, hoping they'd covet the item and take action against Wu Jinshen's backer?
Only to discover that the big shot right in front of him was actually Wu Jinshen's backer himself?
That would be a complete disaster, like walking straight into a trap.
The odds were slim, but not zero. Besides, people with five-star items likely belonged to exclusive circles and might even be on good terms with each other. The risk of running into trouble was too high.
He took a deep breath, slowly shook his head, and buried the idea deep in his heart again.
He couldn't act so rashly.
He'd keep the video for now. It might come in handy someday, but definitely not today.
At least not for the foreseeable future!
What he needed to do now was tuck his tail between his legs, beg for forgiveness, and avoid being strangled to death.
But he believed that one day, this video would serve its purpose.
That day wouldn't be too soon, nor too far off.
"Just wait," he murmured after a moment of silence.
He tossed his coffee cup into the nearby trash bin and gazed out the window at the hovercars speeding through the sky. His expression turned slightly dazed as he whispered, "I'll see how long your luck can protect you."
"Take it slow. I'll eventually play you to death."
After another long silence, he dialed someone. "Don't contact me for a while. He might suspect you after this incident. Do everything you can to clear your name."
"Use your feminine advantages."
"The allure of a young, beautiful woman to an aging man who's struck it rich will always far surpass that of a wrinkled, yellow-skinned old hag."
"A man might not love the woman in his bed, but he'll never kill her easily."
"I don't need to say more. You know what to do."
"Wu Zhending," the elder said, looking at his youngest son with a mixture of pride and relief. "You've accomplished something remarkable this time. If you hadn't forged such a powerful alliance for the Jiang Cheng Company, we would have been in dire straits."
"Everyone always said you were the most mischievous of the Wu Family. Who would have thought you'd achieve such a great feat in our hour of crisis?"
"Uh..." Wu Zhending scratched the back of his head, feeling a bit embarrassed. "I didn't really do anything special. I don't even know how we connected."
"I just posted something on the galactic forum, and he contacted me first. You know the rest, Father. It all happened so randomly. Looking back, it still feels surreal."
"We almost got scammed back then, and he nearly unfriended and blocked us."
"That's what I call turning enemies into friends," the elder said with a smug smile. "If I hadn't insisted you give him that remaining one-star item, what do you think would have happened?"
"Would he still have helped us?"
"Of course not. No one helps someone who's tried to cheat them."
"I've systematically studied the psychology of perpetrators. People always pity the victims, but few realize how truly dangerous a victim's situation can be."
"The real disaster strikes when the victim and perpetrator meet again."
"Doesn't this incident prove my conclusion?"
"Moreover, we've established a deep partnership. Jiang Cheng Company might even become Black Europe Company's backing. With such a powerful patron, we can start anticipating what the future holds."
"Whew!"
Wu Zhending let out another long sigh, unable to resist saying, "The events of the past few days have felt truly surreal."
The elder chuckled, shook his head, and stood up.
"Let's go. We need to return to the subhuman star and comfort your mother. She must have been terribly frightened."
Just then—
A knock sounded at the door.
A woman in a qipao entered, stopping before the elder. She said softly, "Chairman, your vehicle is waiting at the entrance. We can depart for the boarding platform at any time."
"Hmm."
The elder nodded gently, his expression softening. "Crouch down a little."
"Ah, yes, just like that. Lower your head slightly."
"Good, hold that position and don't move."
It was his secretary.
As the woman crouched down and lowered her head, a fleeting expression of disgust crossed her face. Though she loathed serving an old man older than her grandfather, the man was right: if she didn't dispel Wu Jinshen's suspicions, she might die.
She hadn't expected the old man to start acting so rashly with his son still present.
Wu Zhending rose awkwardly, his face flushed. "Father, I'll wait for you downstairs."
Just as he turned to leave,
Bang!
A muffled gunshot rang out behind him.
Wu Zhending froze, then whirled around to see the woman in the qipao lying in a pool of blood, a bullet hole between her eyebrows.
"F-Father, what have you done?"
"Our friend was right," the elder said slowly, withdrawing a white handkerchief from his pocket. He wiped the blood spattered on the pistol before continuing, "Black Europe Company's secrets could only have leaked because we had a mole among us."
"I came from nothing."
"Never went to school, never learned to read. I can't handle the company's data and technical matters."
"You two brothers aren't particularly skilled either, so we'll definitely need someone to oversee this area."
"But this is all confidential data."
"If it were leaked, it would be nearly impossible to trace the source. That's why only four people have access to this information: the three of us—my sons and me—and one outsider. If a leak occurs, we simply eliminate the outsider."
"Originally, I thought my plan was foolproof."
"If there were no leaks, we'd have perfect secrecy and a loyal confidant. If a leak did occur, we could quickly identify the source."
"Looking back now, I underestimated the consequences. The fallout from the leak has been far more severe than I anticipated."
"The only advantage is that tracing the source remains remarkably simple. Let me think about how to refine this approach."
"No, Father, that's not what I meant!"
Wu Zhending stared at the corpse on the ground, his expression slightly shocked. "Father, we're in a restricted zone. Killing someone here without authorization will cause serious trouble if we're discovered!"
"Then we simply won't get discovered."
The elder slowly rose, casually tossing the bloodstained white handkerchief onto the corpse. "Rules are just guidelines, you know. We only need to follow them loosely."
"Don't take it too seriously."
"If you're too strict about the rules, even the rule-makers will get annoyed with you."
"Drag the corpse to the warehouse, melt it down, and dump it in the scrap tank."
"Yes, sir."
Wu Zhending stared at the corpse on the ground with a complex expression. How had he never realized his father possessed such a chilling ability to kill without hesitation, then maintain an utterly calm and unperturbed demeanor afterward?
What he didn't know was that his father hadn't told him the whole truth.
While it was true he had started as a beggar, a beggar who only knew how to beg would never rise above his station.
For someone from the bottom to climb up, they had to be more ruthless than anyone else. But no one would ever carve the word "ruthless" on their forehead.
----
"Huff!"
Chen Jiang and the others gathered around a stone furnace, ignoring everything else as they skillfully grilled meat ribs.
"How should I put it?" Scar Dog shook his head with a sigh. "It feels like so much has happened lately. I'm actually starting to feel busy! I haven't even finished polishing my latest perpetual motion machine prototype yet."
Chen Jiang chuckled softly, shaking his head with a smile. "At least we've made a good start, right? With Wu Jinshen and his sons as our connection, we should have plenty of surprises in store."
"Um..."
Zhao Ritian hesitated, then asked cautiously, "What if Wu Jinshen and his sons don't reciprocate your favor, Brother Jiang? They seem grateful now, but who knows what they'll do behind our backs?"
"Even the greatest favors fade with time," he added.
Chen Jiang shook his head, cut off a piece of steak, and fed himself. "That's not how favors work. A favor isn't just a ledger of debts; it's a catalyst for future transactions between two parties."
"To put it simply, the concept of 'favor' only arises when two people can provide mutual assistance to each other."
"He can supply me with large quantities of one-star items, and I can provide him with unconventional firepower."
"This is a transaction, and it's the underlying logic behind the word 'friendship'."
"Moreover, he doesn't know I'm in the Ten Thousand Races Arena, nor does he realize the strength of my forces. He wouldn't dare offend me, fearing he'd create a formidable enemy. That's deterrence."
"Deterrence combined with transaction—that's what truly constitutes a favor."
"And that's the kind of favor that will actually be honored."
"So, there's no need to worry about whether he'll remember my favor. He simply can't afford to forget it."
"Uh..."
Zhao Ritian stared blankly for a moment, then muttered, "That sounds really complicated."
"It's not actually that complicated," Scar Dog grinned, showing his teeth. "Brother Jiang just made it sound complicated. To put it simply: my fist is bigger, so if you don't listen to me, I'll mess you up."
"And Wu Jinshen's fist is clearly smaller than Brother Jiang's. That's all there is to it."
Soon, the group finished their meal.
"Let's go," Chen Jiang said, rising to his feet. He glanced at the Achievement Compendium in his hand before continuing, "A new day has begun. Time to start mapping. Li Hao's innate ability just leveled up, so we need to make the most of it."
"Got it!"
(End of the Chapter)
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