Qin Siyang felt that the argument between Li Tianming and Zhao Longfei, although sharp and confrontational, was not really a clash of viewpoints.
Because Qin Siyang's involvement with Huo Dangkou and the military was, in essence, unrelated to either of them. It was only out of concern for him that they each held their own stance and argued until their faces were red.
Seen this way… it actually felt like two elders in a family, arguing over different ideas on how to educate a younger generation.
Qin Siyang also did not want to watch the two of them continue arguing. If feelings were hurt, it would not be good for either Old Li or Principal Zhao.
He hurriedly stood up and positioned himself between the two of them.
"Old Li, Principal Zhao, stop arguing. Whether it's breaking through or staying steady, judging from your own experiences, both of you are right, because each of you achieved astonishing accomplishments by either breaking through or staying steady."
"I know you both want me to live a better life. I'm very grateful to you both for caring about me so much and thinking things through for my sake."
"I've been an orphan since I was little, lived alone, grew up alone. Before, I didn't know what it felt like to have family. But now I think that if I did have elder relatives, they would probably be like Old Li and Principal Zhao."
Qin Siyang spoke to ease the tension. His words were sincere and heartfelt, causing the two who had been furious to calm down and stop arguing heatedly.
"The choices you've given don't have a right or wrong. If it were possible, I'd even want to experience both paths, to see whether staying steady or breaking through leads to a better ending."
"But the regret and the charm of life lie in the fact that you can only choose one path, see the scenery and the outcome of that one path. There is no such thing as having the best of both worlds."
"Old Li."
Qin Siyang looked at Li Tianming, and Li Tianming slightly turned his head to look at Qin Siyang.
"I know that from beginning to end, you've hoped I could live a safe and steady life. But some things are beyond one's control. Obtaining the Vine Core, Crimson Crystals, fragments of Titan Foxtail inner leaves, one wave after another, all pushing me forward nonstop."
"And by nature, I'm someone who's not willing to accept the status quo, not willing to be stepped on and barked orders at."
"So I'm destined to keep charging forward. I can't stop."
"Either I break through into vast open seas and skies, or I break through until I'm shattered to pieces."
Li Tianming said with a seriousness he had never shown before, "Little Qin, this road isn't easy to walk. There's a very high chance you'll regret it."
"I'm eighteen. I count as an adult now, and I can take responsibility for my own decisions. Whether it's sweet fruit or bitter fruit, I can swallow it all in one gulp."
Listening to Qin Siyang speak from the bottom of his heart, Li Tianming helplessly closed his eyes and gently shook his head.
"I originally thought Principal Zhao was pushing you into making this decision from behind for the Zhao family's interests. Now it seems I judged a gentleman's heart with a petty man's mind. Everything was your own idea. Since things have been said to this point, I have nothing more to say. As long as you've thought it all through, that's fine. If there's anything you need my help with, just tell me."
"Mm, thank you."
Li Tianming let out a long sigh, "Principal Zhao, I hope you're right."
Zhao Longfei also returned to a calm demeanor, "Even if you don't trust me, you should trust Little Qin."
"I was a bit too worked up. Sorry about that, Principal Zhao."
"I understand how you feel. If someone dragged Sifang into messing around with legion affairs, I'd be anxious and angry too."
"Mm, then I'll be going first."
"Wait, there's one more thing."
Zhao Longfei tossed a printed document out of the storage box.
"Yamamoto Taro's memory extraction has been completed. This is the report. Little Qin said that after taking this report, he'd also give you a copy, so you two can look at it together. If there are any issues, since everyone's here, it's a good time to discuss them."
Li Tianming took the report, "Memory extraction, and there's even a report? This formal?"
"Our Zhao family extracts the memories of the dead almost every day. We've long since established standardized procedures."
Li Tianming curled his lips, "Big families really are different."
Seeing that Li Tianming and Zhao Longfei had completely turned the page on what just happened, without leaving any lingering awkwardness, Qin Siyang quietly let out a sigh of relief.
Then he leaned over to Li Tianming's side and looked at Yamamoto Taro's memory report together with him.
After reading two or three lines, Qin Siyang couldn't help clicking his tongue, "Principal Zhao, this report is way too detailed, isn't it? You even wrote down the names of the massage parlor technicians Yamamoto Taro visited?"
Zhao Longfei stood by the window smoking, "When extracting memories, you naturally have to make everything specific. If all the memories were vague and disconnected, it would waste a lot of manpower and resources."
"If you think the report is too long and lacks focus, just flip directly to the last page. My secretary compiled the key points there after reading through it."
Qin Siyang was puzzled, "Secretary Lin even handles stuff like this?"
"Not Lin Yaman. It's the secretary responsible for Zhao family affairs."
"A Zhao family secretary? I don't think I've ever seen him."
Zhao Longfei laughed softly, "Even Sifang doesn't know who he is. Where would you have seen him?"
"Alright."
Li Tianming and Qin Siyang flipped to the last page.
There were four key memories listed.
[I make a living by taking missions from the Annihilation Church's assassination division.]
After reading the first one, Qin Siyang couldn't help exclaiming, "The Annihilation Church even has an assassination division?"
Zhao Longfei's expression was calm, "What's there to be surprised about? That's the Annihilation Church. Forget an assassination division. Even if you told me they have a God-slaying weapon research department for massacring civilians, I wouldn't be surprised."
"Besides, departments that do dirty work like an assassination division exist under everyone. Even the United Government has similar departments."
"Alright."
Qin Siyang continued on to the second item.
[Remember to send money to my mother and younger sister in Zone 344.]
Qin Siyang snorted again, "This little b!tch actually has a mom?"
Li Tianming frowned when he heard that, "That's a bit unreasonable of you. Just because you don't have a mom, others can't have one?"
Qin Siyang froze for two seconds, feeling like Li Tianming was scolding him.
Zhao Longfei said, "We've already sent people to check the address from his memories. His mother and sister have both moved away."
"They were silenced by the Annihilation Church?"
"Doesn't seem like it. The Annihilation Church does things simply, brutally, and without restraint. If they were silencing them, they'd most likely just kill them outright. It's more likely they were relocated and put under protection."
"So by what you're saying, the Annihilation Church is pretty humane?"
"It's all for trust. If assassins working for them die, and they even wipe out the assassins' families, who would still be willing to work for them in the future?"
"That makes sense."
[Kill Qin Siyang, then go to the Sigma Zone to find the head of the assassin department to collect the mission reward. Two thousand bottles of sequence magic potion.]
The price put on his own life made Qin Siyang extremely dissatisfied, and he immediately protested, "Only two thousand bottles of sequence magic potion? I'm only worth that much?"
Zhao Longfei nodded, "You're right. It really is a bit cheap. I heard that the Annihilation Church seems to be planning to raise the price on killing you by a hundredfold."
"Holy shit, how many times?"
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