Chapter 322: Mao Si Isn't Dead?!

Even though she hated Yan Jing to the bone, Zeng Qing had to admit he was a highly unique existence right now.

He had money, even if he'd fished it from other people's pockets. He had people, even if they were bound together by coercion. And, above all, he had a brain.

Zeng Qing had seen her fair share of wealthy heirs, elites who had studied in other Heavenly Kingdoms, and geniuses groomed with the best education since childhood, but she figured only a third of them actually had brains.

Having a brain couldn't simply be equated with academic knowledge. Knowing when to advance and retreat, understanding how to deal with people, speaking well, acting decisively, leaving leeway, and being sufficiently ruthless—all of this collectively counted as having a brain.

In her eyes, people like Song Haozhe and Chen Xiaojing were the brainless sort, whereas Zhou Mo actually had one.

But compared to those brainy elites, Yan Jing possessed an even more crucial quality: he lacked the aura of the conglomerates.

Naturally, the conglomerates had also considered this "de-conglomeratization" as a way to make money.

After all, in their eyes, the only purpose of the masses was to serve as tools of production—letting them earn their own money, only to squeeze it right back out of them.

But while this method had worked at first, people eventually recognized the reality:

Even these supposedly de-conglomeratized stars were carefully manufactured by the conglomerates.

In the end, they would always serve the conglomerates. The corporate arrogance they inadvertently leaked was simply too overpowering.

Of course, that didn't mean they lacked fans. Plenty of people could still stomach it, but it also meant that true de-conglomeratization wasn't a strategy easily achieved.

"So what do you plan to do?"

Zeng Qing looked at Yan Jing across from her.

"We conglomerates aren't as stupid as you think. You need to offer something others can't."

"First, she announces she doesn't represent any political party. Then, no endorsements. After that, no management company, and no participation in award selections. That's the initial phase,"

Yan Jing said calmly.

Zeng Qing's eyes widened.

"How are we supposed to make money like that?!"

"At this rate, we're basically raising a bottomless money pit."

Publicly refusing to represent a political party meant having no backing. Refusing endorsements meant having no income. Without a management company or award nominations, all promotion would have to be fueled purely by burning cash.

She had originally assumed his talk of taking a loss meant losing a portion of the investment. But going about it this way, the deficit wouldn't be just a small sum at all.

"Look at the long game."

Yan Jing's gaze was calm.

"How could anyone bear to watch the person they like suffer through a hard life?"

"As for the rest, we'll discuss it later."

With that single sentence, he ended the discussion with Zeng Qing.

Zeng Qing sighed and said no more.

In truth, from start to finish, she hadn't figured out what the man sitting across from her was actually trying to achieve.

Money? Didn't seem like it. Fame? That didn't seem right either.

She now felt the most likely possibility was that he was a plant placed here by a certain faction.

In the end, his true foundations had to be political.

"You need a new name."

Yan Jing walked up to Tianwei, his gaze scrutinizing her.

"From now on, you will be known as Luo Wei."

"Okay."

Tianwei nodded. She didn't ask why he'd chosen that name; whatever Yan Jing said, she would simply do.

"Good. Go follow your teacher and learn etiquette,"

Yan Jing said. "I am only giving you one month, Luo Wei. Within this month, by whatever means necessary, you will accomplish what I demanded of you."

"Understood. I won't let you down."

Tianwei—or rather, Luo Wei—nodded. She turned and left with the teacher.

"Why did you choose her?"

Zeng Qing asked.

"Fate chose her."

Yan Jing's expression remained calm.

"Those who associate with me never end up having an easy life. You should prepare yourself for that as well."

"..."

Zeng Qing didn't know what to say. Eventually, she changed the subject.

"Those people you killed weren't a big deal. There weren't any cameras around, so it's all been handled."

"But... wasn't the compensation given to that man's wife a bit too high? 15,000 Eerie Points..."

"Curing her illness wouldn't even cost that much."

Yan Jing let out a deep sigh.

"Zeng Qing, let me ask you: have you made any money?"

"...I have."

Though she hated to admit it, Zeng Qing finally nodded, her expression complicated.

Tianque's second transaction had been completed last night, and she had received another cut of 30,000 Eerie Points (roughly 1.5 million surface coins).

As an unfavored child of a conglomerate, while this wasn't massive wealth, it was far from a trivial sum.

Moreover... this was clearly just the beginning. The company had only been established for four or five days, yet she had already raked in fifty or sixty thousand Eerie Points.

She had to admit that this was the result of this man pulling the strings.

"Then going forward, don't ask about things you don't need to ask about."

Yan Jing's gaze darkened.

"Remember, we are not partners. Even if I decide to take a hundred percent of the cut, you will still do exactly as I say."

"Your top priority right now is to get in touch with those two councilors from the Reconciliation Faction."

"Sometimes I wonder if I've been too gentle with you all, giving you the wrong impression."

"..."

Zeng Qing felt incredibly stifled, but she could only nod in helpless resignation.

...

...

Night.

The members of the Four Masters Society gathered once again in a secret villa.

No one played cards tonight; they simply drank and chatted.

After a few rounds of drinks, Song Haozhe spoke up first with a laugh.

"I'm thinking of organizing a beauty pageant. What do you guys think?"

"Sure. I'll throw in 60,000 Eerie Points."

Zhou Mo was the first to respond.

Whenever Song Haozhe proposed a specific idea, his real goal was simply to get them to front the initial capital, which he would then use to draw other companies in.

"I... I'll put in 10,000 Eerie Points..."

Chen Xiaojing said, her eyes shifting evasively.

This clearly took Song Haozhe by surprise, and his expression instantly soured.

Zhou Mo chuckled. He pulled the mechanical species girl beside him onto his lap and laughed.

"Whenever Haozhe hosted these events before, Xiaojing, weren't you always the one who contributed the most?"

"He's right, Xiaojing."

Song Haozhe smiled. "You've been acting a little off lately..."

"You haven't been showing up to our gatherings, and now you won't even shell out any money. It's not like you aren't going to get a cut of the profits."

As he spoke, his dissatisfaction was practically spilling over.

"I... I've just run into a few cash flow issues recently."

Chen Xiaojing waved her hands in explanation.

Zeng Qing spoke up.

"It's fine. I'll put in a bit extra, 80,000 Eerie Points."

She knew exactly why Chen Xiaojing was short on cash. The girl had sunk a massive amount of money into her Tianque transactions to grease the wheels and build connections. More importantly, two hits of Mental Potion a day cost 10,000 Eerie Points.

And she was likely taking even more than two.

Hearing Zeng Qing's offer, Song Haozhe broke into a smile again.

"Ah, our Miss Zeng Qing really knows how to look at the big picture! Come on, let's propose a toast to Miss Zeng Qing!"

The topic was smoothly glossed over.

After chatting for a little while longer, Chen Xiaojing got up to use the restroom. The moment she closed the door, it opened again, and Zhou Mo stepped inside.

"Wh... what are you doing in here?"

Chen Xiaojing looked at Zhou Mo in a panic.

"What's going on with you?"

Zhou Mo's gaze was suspicious.

"You know Haozhe's temper, right? He's going to hold a grudge against you for a long time over something as trivial as this."

"Didn't I already say I've run into some cash flow issues..."

Chen Xiaojing pursed her lips, then continued, "Alright, get out. I need to use the restroom."

"Even if you were strapped for cash, you wouldn't be down to just 10,000 Eerie Points, would you?"

Zhou Mo leaned closer to her. Terrified, Chen Xiaojing hurriedly backed away.

"What exactly are you trying to do?!"

But Zhou Mo grabbed her by the wrist, his eyes gleaming.

"Something really is wrong with you, Chen Xiaojing. You've been hiding something from me lately..."

"Leave me alone!"

Chen Xiaojing yanked her arm, desperately trying to pull her wrist free. But Zhou Mo's grip was too strong. Unable to break loose, she snapped, "If you don't let go, I'm going to scream!"

Hearing this, Zhou Mo finally let go.

While Chen Xiaojing was straightening out her rumpled clothes, Zhou Mo spoke up softly.

"Actually, there's something I haven't told you either..."

"What is it?"

Chen Xiaojing stared at him blankly.

"That cat corpse you asked me to dispose of last time... when I ran the genetic comparison, it turned out that it wasn't Mao Si at all..."

After Zhou Mo finished, he looked at the completely dumbstruck Chen Xiaojing and spoke in a low voice, "You told me to swap its genetic test results for a fake, but it wasn't him to begin with!"

"What exactly have you been up to, Chen Xiaojing?"

"H-how is that possible..."

Chen Xiaojing was completely stunned.

A deep chill rose from the bottom of her heart, and she involuntarily shuddered.

It was as if she were back on that dimly lit night, where that black cat had been smiling as it hunted her down in her hidden compartment.

"Found you..."

"Ah!!!"

She shrieked uncontrollably.

The scream instantly drew the attention of Song Haozhe and Zeng Qing outside.

Pushing the door open, Song Haozhe looked at the two of them in the bathroom and gave a malicious smirk.

"I thought you liked the mechanical species, Zhou Mo. When did you suddenly take an interest in our Xiaojing? Xiaojing, you're out of cash—don't tell me Zhou Mo took it all?"

Zhou Mo didn't deny Song Haozhe's teasing. Instead, he slung an arm around Chen Xiaojing's shoulder and laughed.

"Sorry about that, Xiaojing. I just lost my head for a second."

The implication was clear: he was taking the blame for the commotion.

But Chen Xiaojing shrieked again. She frantically shoved past them and fled the villa entirely.

She left the three of them standing there in stunned silence, completely clueless as to what had just happened.

Chen Xiaojing sprinted down the highway outside for a long time, calling for a car through her Information Component as she ran. Once she got in, she ordered the car to head straight back to her hospital. At the same time, she placed a call to Yan Jing.

"Where... where are you?"

"I'm out."

Yan Jing's tone was icy.

"I... I want to ask you something," Chen Xiaojing said, her voice trembling.

"Do you know Mao Si?"

In that instant, Yan Jing's figure perfectly overlapped with the silhouette of the man standing outside the alleyway that night. Chen Xiaojing's entire body shook uncontrollably.

The few seconds of dead silence from the Information Component felt like a suffocating, world-blotting darkness that instantly swallowed her whole.

But eventually, Yan Jing's faintly gentle voice pierced the darkness like a ray of light.

"I don't. Why do you ask, Xiaojing?"

"N-no reason... I was just asking."

Chen Xiaojing let out a massive sigh of relief.

Right. Exactly. How could Mr. Luo possibly be the man from that night?

It was impossible. Absolutely impossible.

"Do... do you have some free time tonight?"

Chen Xiaojing asked tremulously.

"Is something the matter?"

Yan Jing asked.

At that exact moment, he was staring at the latest video footage delivered by Xiao Xin.

It was footage of Chen Xiaojing's hospital.

"I... I'd like to... meet with you..."

Chen Xiaojing forced the words out, gathering whatever courage she had left.

It was as if the Mental Potion from that afternoon was taking effect again. At this very moment, she desperately wanted to see the man on the other end of the Information Component.

She hoped it would provide her with some small shred of safety.

"Sure. I'll see you in a bit, then."

Yan Jing smiled.

As the call ended, he looked at the footage in front of him and let out a faint sigh.

In the video, deep within the dim corridors of the hospital, a figure was currently prying at the door in the furthest depths of the facility.

The figure's eyes darted around nervously. The slightest rustle or movement caused her to whip her head side to side in paranoia.

Yan Jing zoomed in on the footage and slightly increased the brightness.

Once the face came into focus, it was unmistakably the Doctor who had kicked him out back then.

He wasn't the only one—someone else had their eyes fixed on Chen Xiaojing too.