Translator: AnubisTL
"Father," Wu Zhending said, a flicker of shock in his eyes, "are you suggesting that Mr. Jiang Cheng is one of the race players who escaped from the Ten Thousand Races Arena during the recent incident?"
"It's possible, but not highly probable," Wu Jinshen replied after a moment's thought. "The Ten Thousand Races Arena had only been open for a short time before the incident. It's unlikely it could have produced a player of such immense power so quickly. Moreover, according to our intelligence, someone has already subjected the escaped players to brutal interrogation. None of them recognized this man. Someone with such extraordinary abilities couldn't have remained completely unknown within the Ten Thousand Races Arena."
"Of course, we haven't pursued his true identity further, to avoid provoking Mr. Jiang Cheng's hostility."
"Then, Father, should we continue collaborating with Mr. Jiang Cheng?"
"Why wouldn't we?"
A sharp glint flashed in Wu Jinshen's murky eyes as he picked up a cigar from the table, bit down on it, and rasped, "Tonight's events only underscore the Jiang Cheng Company's formidable power. If they can successfully evade the federation's pursuit, it will prove they've earned their place among the Chaotic Factions."
"Our relationship with the Jiang Cheng Company is quite favorable. To be associated with such a powerful force is an honor."
"Moreover, we might be able to play a larger game under their banner. Since we've already pooled our resources, why not raise the stakes?"
"Given that the penalty for losing is death, theoretically, the higher the stakes, the greater the potential return on investment."
"Uh..."
Wu Zhending paused, confused. "Father, what do you mean by that?"
Wu Jinshen glanced dismissively at his youngest son, rose, and walked to the window. Gazing at the towering skyscrapers silhouetted against the night sky, he puffed out a cloud of smoke and murmured, "Since the cost of failure is death anyway, we might as well aim for the highest possible reward."
"This means that if both flirting with women and raping women were punishable by death, no one would ever flirt again. Criminals would always choose the latter because, facing the same death penalty, the latter offers greater positive reinforcement."
"When the stakes are fixed, the more chips you throw on the table, the higher the return on investment."
"Since Jiang Cheng Company fears nothing, Black Europe Company will play a high-stakes game with them."
"If we win, the Wu Family, while not guaranteed eternal glory, should secure several generations of prosperity."
"And if we lose?"
"No gambler considers losing before sitting down at the table. That would be disrespectful to the game."
"Father, your words frighten me a little."
"Fear is natural. Back when I was just a beggar, I hacked my way through a shivering caravan that had lost its supplies and was freezing in the desert. My hands trembled just as violently then."
"Huh? Father, didn't you say you rose to power with the help of a benefactor?"
"Someone who risked their entire fortune and life to help me rise to power—wouldn't you call that a benefactor? I still burn incense for them every year."
"I... I..."
Wu Zhending, hearing this for the first time, stared blankly at his father's seemingly benevolent back. He blurted out, "What was my mother doing back then?"
"I was slaughtering at the front, and she was finishing them off from behind. Her methods were far more ruthless than mine. After we broke through, I turned around to see a bloody, mangled mess—not a single intact corpse remained."
"Mother... she doesn't seem like someone who would kill."
"And do I look like someone who would?"
Wu Jinshen removed the cigar from his mouth, held it in his hand, and turned to face his son with a soft smile.
"..."
Wu Zhending gazed at his father standing by the window, his face bearing that characteristic smile. His mouth opened and closed a few times, unsure what to say.
Until now, he had always believed their family belonged to the Order Faction.
So, after all this time, his family had merely started as a Chaotic Faction, then laundered themselves into the Order Faction?
No, to be precise, it seemed they were now gradually drifting back toward becoming a semi-Chaotic Faction.
"Jiang Cheng Company."
Wang Jili stood by the floor-to-ceiling window of a high-rise building, staring at the news footage projected onto the glass. A wave of lingering fear washed over him, and he unconsciously clenched his jaw.
He was fortunate to have left the Rose Club's Friday Eden Party midway through. Otherwise, who knew what situation he might be in now?
Jiang Cheng's actions were far too impulsive and unpredictable, making him impossible to fathom.
It was best not to make an enemy of such a man.
Ideally, the best solution would be to avoid cooperating with him altogether, but such capable allies were rare.
"They're almost here," the badge on his chest suddenly spoke. "About ten more minutes. But think carefully. If you act directly like this, the aftermath will be much harder to manage. You're essentially breaking commercial rules."
"Once you break commercial rules, you'll be facing more than just business rivals."
"Hmm."
After a moment of silence, Wang Jili pulled a silver-white revolver from his coat. He held it up, admiring it briefly before speaking. "This time, I've learned a great deal from Jiang Cheng."
"Actually, the best business strategies are often the simplest."
"When a person dies, their company naturally becomes vacant."
"And Xu Fen's death can't be delayed much longer. When it comes to business tactics, I'm no match for my father-in-law. He's been navigating the market far longer than I have, and I lack the confidence to outmaneuver him."
"Moreover, he's been guarding against me all these years."
"So, let's keep things simple. Once he's dead, we can deal with the rest gradually. Tonight, many on the subhuman star are focused on the out-of-control Ten Thousand Races Arena—a perfect opportunity."
"To be honest, I never really wanted you to lean toward the Chaotic Faction. That would significantly increase my chances of dying, and I only recently gained consciousness. I really don't want to die yet."
"But..."
The badge pinned to Wang Jili's chest paused before speaking again, a hint of embarrassment in its voice. "If you absolutely must use me, could you find me a three-star item to experience beforehand? I've never tried one and don't want to leave with regrets."
"..."
Wang Jili remained silent for a moment, his expression strange, before removing the badge from his chest and examining it. "You don't even meet the requirements for this, do you? And I've never heard of items being able to... enjoy themselves."
"I don't know if it's possible either, but if you get the chance, you could find a three-star item and let me try. Just place me on top of it. If it doesn't work, no harm done."
"Alright, I promise."
Just then—
A yellow light in the corner of the floor-to-ceiling window flickered faintly. Wang Jili closed his mouth, glanced out the window, and tucked the silver revolver into his coat without a word.
Moments later, the office door swung open.
An elder with snow-white hair and a slightly hunched posture strode in, arm in arm with a dignified woman in her fifties or sixties. He smiled at Wang Jili and said, "My dear son-in-law, why did you suddenly ask Fen'er and me to come here so late? Do you have another announcement? Is she pregnant again?"
Hearing the voice behind him, Wang Jili remained by the window, gazing out. After a moment of silence, he turned to face the elder standing in the dim light, his hand gripping an energy weapon pointed directly at him.
These were his father-in-law and mother-in-law.
He lowered his gaze, focusing on the energy weapon pointed at him, and paused before speaking. "Dad, is this how you greet your son-in-law?"
"Yes."
The elder remained calm, chambering the energy weapon in front of Wang Jili before continuing. "Inviting us to a banquet at two in the morning—we all know whether this is a feast for the living or the dead."
"Just one question: is my daughter still alive?"
"We're all reasonable people here. Give me a straight answer. If she's alive, I'll admit she acted dishonorably. You two can divorce, and I won't touch your company. We all know what you wanted when you were with her, so you won't be losing out."
"But if she's dead, you'll join her in the afterlife."
"You won't touch my company?"
Wang Jili stared at the energy weapon in the elder's hand for a moment before lifting his head to meet the gaze of the elder, whose face was shadowed and shifting in the dim white light. He spoke softly, "And what right do you have to touch my company?"
"What right do you have to treat my company as some kind of favor?"
"Don't you know how this company was built? Do you really think you're some kind of business prodigy?"
"Ah, that explains it. So you knew about your daughter's affair all along, didn't you?"
"So what?"
"We're both men. You should understand how vile it is for a woman to betray her husband."
"When you married the daughter of a wealthy family, you should have anticipated this possibility."
"Well said."
Wang Jili calmly drew a silver revolver from his coat. Standing in the moonlight by the floor-to-ceiling window, he raised the barrel and aimed it at the elder before him. "I wish I could see how you'd react if this were happening to you."
But before he could finish his sentence, the elder's energy weapon suddenly fired.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Several ear-splitting shots tore through the dimly lit room, piercing Wang Jili's body and shattering the glass behind him. Spiderweb-like cracks spread across the floor-to-ceiling window, forming a complex pattern of fissures.
Just when everything seemed settled—
Standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, Wang Jili's body suddenly began to fade away like a dream.
As the elder fired his gun, the old woman beside him deftly crushed a three-star item. Their bodies instantly turned ethereal, like shadows, narrowly avoiding a dagger thrust at the elder's back.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
But in the next instant, the dagger erupted with a blinding blue light, like a lightning strike!
The force of the impact shattered the elder and old woman's illusory forms, restoring them to their original state. They collapsed to the ground, their bodies convulsing uncontrollably.
At that moment—
A group of men in black suits and sunglasses stormed through the door. They swiftly stripped the convulsing pair of all their clothing and items, then bound them with steel wire.
With the task completed, Wang Jili stood before the elder, slowly raising the azure dagger in his hand. Staring blankly at the blade, he murmured, "Three years ago, on Lip Star, there was an auction."
"The highlight of that auction was a three-star rule item with absolute defense."
"When activated, it could instantly shift the user's body between two and three dimensions, rendering them immune to all damage. They became untouchable and unattackable, capable of withstanding even ship cannon fire for one minute."
"However, this three-star rule item had a critical flaw: while in this state, any electrical shock would instantly force the user out of the dimensional shift, leaving them even more vulnerable to damage."
"In the end, a mysterious buyer purchased the item for an exorbitant price."
"You..."
The elder, slowly regaining consciousness, struggled against his restraints. When he realized he couldn't break free, a flicker of terror and unease flashed in his eyes. Gasping for breath, he leaned against the wall and rasped at Wang Jili, who stood before him, each word dripping with venom.
"How do you know about the flaw in that three-star rule item?"
"The flaws of three-star rule items are never disclosed during auctions. Only the buyer and seller know them—not even the auction house itself. How could you possibly know?"
"Because I consigned that item to the auction."
Wang Jili crouched down, raising the azure dagger and slowly tracing its edge across the elder's cheek. "Father," he hissed, "do you have any idea how devastated I was when I learned you knew Xu Fen had betrayed me, yet you sided with her and even helped her hide it from me?"
"Don't you understand that a man's emotions are extremely volatile in this situation?"
"This three-star rule item is called 'Two-Dimensional Body,' correct? Five years ago, by sheer chance, I acquired it. But acquiring it drained so much of my company's funds that we nearly went bankrupt."
"But I managed to pull through."
"To avoid exposure, I waited two years before consigning the item to an auction on Lip Star, far from the subhuman star."
"And I deliberately, yet subtly, leaked information about the auction to you, Father. As I predicted, you bought it, didn't you?"
"Someone of your wealth can't sleep soundly without a powerful three-star rule-defense item."
"And this three-star rule item, 'Two-Dimensional Body,' perfectly met your needs, didn't it?"
"You bought it."
"This is impossible!"
The bound elder glared furiously at Wang Jili. "No one knew about this! I didn't even use company funds. How could you possibly know I acquired this three-star rule item three years ago?"
(End of the Chapter)
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