Chapter 386: Violent Canvassing (2-in-1)

"Wait a minute, wait, hold on."

Zeng Qing looked at Yan Jing in bewilderment.

"If I become the successor, what's left for me to take? The entire enterprise will be ours."

"True. Yours is mine, and ours is Mr. Luo's."

Yan Jing finalized the terms immediately.

"But you have to give me a kickback."

"What, did you drop your wallet in a sewer while you were out?"

Zeng Qing stared at him in disbelief. "Or are you telling me Mr. Luo didn't kill that Sixth Tier entity, and you just paid to win with some cheat?"

Yan Jing clapped his paws together, expression deadpan.

"Good joke, but don't dodge the question!"

"..."

They bickered for several minutes before Zeng Qing finally conceded defeat, promising to give Yan Jing half her monthly performance bonus once she took office.

"Excellent."

Yan Jing nodded.

"So, what do we need to do?"

"According to the corporate management regulations established when Nuochen Biotech was founded,"

"The executive director is recognized as the successor to the chairman. The selection of the executive director is decided by a vote of the full board of directors, following basic majority rule."

Zeng Qing said, "The board consists of twelve members. The chairman gets two votes, making a total of thirteen."

"Understood," Yan Jing said.

"We need to secure enough votes."

"Right," Zeng Qing nodded.

"Right now, Zeng Ru has absolutely no chance of winning. It all comes down to Seventh Brother and Eldest Brother. Seventh Brother has Fourth Uncle and Fifth Aunt on his side—four votes in total. Eldest Brother's side, through marriage ties, has Second Grandpa and Third Aunt—also four votes."

"Aside from them, that leaves Eighth Grandma, Twelfth Grandpa—and my father."

"Understood again,"

Yan Jing said.

Zeng Qing looked gratified. "Exactly. So, we just need to pull in these remaining—"

"So we're going to kill your Eldest Brother and Seventh Brother."

"?" Zeng Qing's mechanical brain crashed for a second.

Yan Jing looked at her with a serious expression.

"Think about it. Out of the four remaining votes, will your dad use his two to support you?"

"...Probably not."

Zeng Qing pursed her lips.

This was also the reason why she felt her chances were slim.

But she really wanted to try.

"Therefore, we shouldn't be looking at your dad's two votes. We should be looking at the eight votes held by your Eldest Brother and Seventh Brother!"

"...That actually makes some sense."

Zeng Qing was somewhat swayed, unable to find a flaw in his logic.

Going home was bound to make her a pariah anyway. Since that was the case, she might as well go big.

"Beep—"

Suddenly, Zeng Qing thought she heard a noise, but it vanished in a flash. She quickly put it out of her mind.

At a critical juncture like this, her decision couldn't be swayed.

She finally made up her mind.

"You're right. We need to be bolder."

"Now you're talking!"

Yan Jing nodded, deeply pleased.

Zeng Qing hesitated for a few seconds before speaking again.

"But we have to let Mr. Luo know. The two of us can't take them down alone. Seventh Brother has a Sixth Tier bodyguard with him. Eldest Brother doesn't, but his wife is the eldest daughter of the Chen Family's Fourth Director."

"She is the most successful person of our generation in the Chen Family. The Chen Family is different from us; they operate on a decentralized system without a strict leader. And the Fourth Director, Chen Wang, is considered the second-most powerful figure in the current Chen Family."

"His daughter—my brother's wife—is an even greater standout among our generation."

"So he included a Sixth Tier bodyguard as part of her dowry."

Yan Jing blinked his large eyes and fell silent for a few seconds before asking, "I remember... isn't Chen Xiaojing's father also named Chen Wang?"

When he first met Yaoguang, Yaoguang had recited the evidence of Chen Xiaojing's crimes, mentioning her background.

"..."

Hearing Chen Xiaojing's name, Zeng Qing's expression dimmed a fraction. She gave a slight nod.

"Yes. Chen Xiaojing was Chen Wang's illegitimate daughter."

"Back then, when Chen Xiaojing's identity was exposed by the paparazzi, Chen Wang overruled all objections and brought her home. Afterward, Chen Xiaojing showcased her business acumen, completely overshadowing Chen Wang's eldest daughter, Chen Xiaoxiao. For a time, her prospects were boundless."

"Unfortunately, when news broke that Chen Xiaojing was injecting Mental Potions, Chen Wang immediately severed their father-daughter relationship."

"After that, Chen Xiaojing was exiled to the Muke District, and Chen Xiaoxiao's glory was restored."

Zeng Qing paused for a moment after speaking, then continued.

"Most of these matters were deliberately buried by Chen Wang, but they can still be dug up if you try. However... I also know a few hidden secrets."

Seeing that Yan Jing didn't say anything, she went on.

"Actually, the exposure of Chen Xiaojing's identity was orchestrated by Nuochen Biotech. At the time, Chen Wang was competing with his brothers for influence. His talents stood out exceptionally among them. Naturally, Nuochen Biotech didn't want him to rise to power and gain a larger say, so we plotted the scandal."

"Nuochen Biotech and Galaxy Group have always been competitors, so we gave him no chance to suppress the scandal."

"After it blew up, Chen Wang launched emergency public relations, which was why he brought Chen Xiaojing home."

"I still have the news reports from back then in my Information Component."

As she spoke, Zeng Qing dug out a long-dusty folder from her Information Component and opened one of the reports.

Yan Jing looked at the report.

On a raised podium stood a gentle, refined-looking middle-aged man, holding the hand of a frail little girl in a pink dress.

Below the podium were throngs of reporters. Perhaps because the Video Cameras were shoved almost right in her face, the little girl looked timid.

"This is Chen Xiaojing?"

"Yes."

Zeng Qing replied.

"Not long after Chen Xiaojing was taken home, she displayed a talent for business. It's just a pity that in the end..."

She didn't finish her sentence. She turned her head to look out the floor-to-ceiling windows. Out there were skyscrapers soaring into the clouds, along with the twisting, groveling Anthill. Winners are kings, losers are bandits; geese leave no trace when they fly past—no one could say for sure.

She was simply a little sorrowful over losing a good friend.

"I don't know much about what happened later, but I heard Chen Xiaojing mention it in passing while we were drinking. After arriving home, she lived constantly under Chen Xiaoxiao's suppression. Desperate to beat her, she ultimately walked down the wrong path."

Yan Jing nodded.

"Let's hope she's a little luckier in her next life."

Zeng Qing sighed.

She was being foolish. Why was she saying these things to Mao Si of all people?

In Mao Si's eyes, he probably just felt that Chen Xiaojing hadn't died a painful enough death.

"Alright, let's get moving."

Yan Jing's eyes flickered. "I'm in a hurry."

A few days later.

Juxiang moved through the city. It was already autumn, and the sky darkened early. At the distant skyline, night began to swallow the city at incredible speed.

Whenever darkness enveloped a bit of the city, a cluster of neon lights would flare to life, as if fighting back against the passage of time.

Juxiang was draped in a red blanket trimmed with golden tassels. It didn't look like a creation of this city, but in reality, it was its most outstanding masterpiece, achieving a true sense of atavism. Even among the Sixth Tier, it was unusually strong.

"Director Chen, Director Zeng, are we heading straight back to the company?"

Juxiang asked the people on its back.

Just minutes ago, news had come from within Galaxy Group that the Zeng Family's Seventh Director had died. This forced Zeng Xuecheng and Chen Xiaoxiao to summon Juxiang, cancel their upcoming social engagements, and return to the company immediately.

There was no helping it. With Zeng Ru fallen, it was a troubled autumn. The death of the Zeng Family's seventh brother meant someone was making moves in the dark.

So they were definitely not safe right now either.

At this moment, Zeng Xuecheng's brows were tightly furrowed.

He was pondering one thing.

Why had his seventh brother died when he obviously hadn't made a move against him yet?

Actually, Chen Xiaoxiao had urged him many times to strike at his seventh brother, but he hadn't been able to make up his mind.

That was why they were still out socializing so late—they wanted to win this succession competition through other means.

Yet he never expected his seventh brother to end up dead anyway.

Who could have done it?

Among the remaining siblings, who else had that kind of capability?

He couldn't figure it out. Finally, a familiar figure appeared in his mind.

His wife, sitting right beside him.

Going by his experience, if anyone had made a move, it could only be her.

Thinking of this, he frowned, feeling a little displeased by his wife's actions.

He didn't want to bear the infamy of killing his brother, but with things like this, everyone would pin the blame on him.

His wife was simply too domineering...

Compared to Zeng Xuecheng, Chen Xiaoxiao appeared much calmer—even faintly excited. She looked down at Juxiang beneath them and asked, "How much further?"

"We're almost there. Twenty minutes at most."

Juxiang replied.

Although its footsteps looked slow, every step actually spanned several hundred meters. It was unlike any mortal creature.

"Wait a moment. Where is the nearest restroom?"

Zeng Xuecheng suddenly spoke up.

Juxiang paused, then said, "There should be a hotel owned by the Family right nearby."

This was a little strange. At a time like this, they should be rushing back to the company as quickly as possible.

Now that the Zeng Family's seventh brother was dead, as long as Zeng Xuecheng stayed alive, he was guaranteed to be the next successor. Nothing could go wrong.

Why would he suddenly want to use the restroom?

"Stop nearby. I'll just be a minute."

Zeng Xuecheng's voice sounded very urgent.

Juxiang frowned and turned to look at Zeng Xuecheng and Chen Xiaoxiao, only to find them genuinely preparing to dismount.

Juxiang subconsciously felt something was wrong, but Chen Xiaoxiao's voice rang out at that moment.

"Stop here."

Knowing Chen Xiaoxiao's temperament, Juxiang had no choice but to stop. It soon lowered Zeng Xuecheng and Chen Xiaoxiao to the ground with its tail.

"Wait here for two minutes, and stay on high alert."

Zeng Xuecheng instructed.

Juxiang watched as Zeng Xuecheng and Chen Xiaoxiao walked into the hotel.

It couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong...

Its combat power was immense, but its size couldn't be shrunk. This meant it couldn't follow them into certain secluded places.

It was just that stopping to use the restroom right now was far too strange.

However, it ultimately shook its head.

Since Chen Xiaoxiao had spoken, it had no reason to refuse.

Meanwhile, Zeng Xuecheng and Chen Xiaoxiao also found things a little strange.

They knew Juxiang suffered from genetic diseases caused by biological agent injections, but they hadn't expected a flare-up at a time like this. Just now, they had heard Juxiang say its genetic disease was acting up.

Left with no choice, they could only opt to dismount for the moment.

But after touching the ground, they both heard the beautiful sound of a Piano. It was like a cool summer breeze brushing their ears, making them unconsciously walk into the hotel.

Eventually—

They stopped at a corner on the second floor.

There was a Piano here, and the music was coming precisely from it. However, the person playing it was nowhere to be seen. They only saw a slender, masked attendant reaching a hand behind the Piano.

Zeng Xuecheng stood on his tiptoes, only to realize that a figure dressed in a dog mascot suit was sitting behind the Piano.

The mascot suit's fingers were flying across the keys at incredible speed. The Piano music drifted through the entire corner space, as if a ten-thousand-strong orchestra were performing for the two of them simultaneously. It felt like a vast ocean unfolding before them, rapidly ascending to the clouds before bursting apart with a bang, transforming into rain refracted by the sunlight.

Zeng Xuecheng listened, so utterly mesmerized that he didn't even notice a Dagger had already been plunged into Chen Xiaoxiao's body.

Having just been stabbed, Chen Xiaoxiao finally snapped back to her senses.

She looked in disbelief at the gloved attendant holding the Dagger. She wanted to scream, but found that no matter how loudly she yelled, Zeng Xuecheng remained completely indifferent beside her.

She tried to resist, only to find that her movements had become incredibly slow.

It was the Piano music—

The music was controlling their movements. It was so beautiful that it had prevented them from noticing the anomaly.

This Piano music contained elements of mind control, though not much. Logically, they shouldn't have fallen for it, but the player's mastery was transcendent. Furthermore, the melody was truly beautiful; coupled with its ability to guide their movements, they had walked in entirely on their own.

Gripped by incomparable terror, Chen Xiaoxiao hurriedly spoke up.

"What do you want?! I have money! I can give you money! Power—I can give you power, too! I'm Chen Xiaoxiao, Chen Wang's daughter. You know who I am, right? Chen Wang of Galaxy Group! Galaxy Group is one of the top five enterprises in the Peace Heavenly Kingdom!"

She was genuinely afraid now, terrified that her attackers were thugs from the Wasteland who wouldn't even know what Galaxy Group was.

But right at that moment, she heard the attendant speak.

"Do you inject Mental Potions?"

"What?"

Chen Xiaoxiao couldn't react in time.

It wasn't until the attendant asked again and stabbed her once more that she answered in agony.

"I used to—I used to inject them! But now—now I've quit!"

"When did you inject them?"

The attendant spoke again, viciously twisting the Dagger. Blood began to seep into her mechanical body. Chen Xiaoxiao felt like she was truly going to die. She had never suffered this kind of pain in her entire life. For some unknown reason, her mechanical core hadn't triggered an alarm.

Under such a crisis, her mind had grown chaotic. Coupled with an inexplicable Fear creeping into her heart, she hurriedly spoke again.

"When—when I was little. I injected them back then for the Family competition... Mental Potions have a refreshing effect, and they can improve the integration level of mechanical body implants."

"Squelch!"

The attendant delivered another stab just as she finished speaking.

She didn't know what she had said wrong; she could only drop to her knees and beg for mercy.

At that moment, she caught a glimpse of the dog mascot suit raising a hand, as if urging the attendant to finish the kill.

The attendant hesitated for a split second before plunging the Dagger halfway into her mechanical core, snarling viciously.

"Chen Xiaojing! Is it because of Chen Xiaojing?!"

"What?"

"I said, is it because of Chen Xiaojing?! Did you inject Mental Potions because of Chen Xiaojing!!!"

"..."

Chen Xiaoxiao was stunned for a few seconds before the corners of her mouth suddenly curled up.

She knew now.

She finally knew where these assassins had come from.

"You... you're Chen Xiaojing's friends?"

Chen Xiaoxiao gathered her composure and forced a smile.

"I know Xiaojing is dead, and I'm very sad too... But that was just her being foolish. How could anyone inject Mental Potions for their entire life? She was just a child from the Anthill, so she didn't understand. I tried to persuade her. I really did. I told her I had already stopped injecting that stuff, and I told her to stop too. I said she didn't need to inject it anymore."

"But she wanted to beat me too badly. There was nothing I could do."

"I know you're grieving... but you must need money, right? Think of your families. Even if you don't have families, think of yourselves."

"Don't you want to strike it rich? How much is your monthly salary? Fifteen hundred eerie points? Twenty-five hundred eerie points? I can give you five million eerie points. No, ten million! If Xiaojing knew you were living well, she'd be happy too, wouldn't she?"

A sliver of confidence rose in her heart, and even her Fear receded slightly, because she believed her attackers were from the Anthill.

She knew all too well how to deal with people from the Anthill.

At this thought, she took a deep breath, trying her best to maintain her gentle smile.

But contrary to her expectations, the Dagger pierced straight through her mechanical core, and then—twisted ruthlessly!

"Crunch, crunch."

Amidst her look of utter shock, her mechanical core, forged at exorbitant cost, was utterly mangled by the Dagger.

She collapsed weakly to the ground. Like a power supply shutting off, her eyes lost their luster.

Zeng Qing pulled out the Dagger, forcibly restraining the urge to yank Chen Xiaoxiao's head right off. She then shoved the Dagger into the hands of Zeng Xuecheng, who was still entranced by the music beside her.

Then, from behind the dog mascot suit, a figure identical to it stepped out. It sat down beside the suit and also began to play the Piano.

A Painting Spirit.

Yan Jing's expression was calm. Lifting up Zeng Qing beside him, his figure blinked, passing straight through the wall and exiting the hotel.

Zeng Qing was still immersed in her lingering fury.

It wasn't until a cool breeze brushed her face that she sobered up a little. She glared angrily at Yan Jing, who was carrying her.

"I know now. No wonder I agreed with you a few days ago! You used sound to guide my emotions, and then you muted my mechanical alarm!"

Yan Jing shrugged.

"Is that my fault too? I told you to act quickly just now, yet didn't you still have so much you wanted to say?"

"..."

Hearing Yan Jing's words, Zeng Qing fell silent.

Finally—she let out a long sigh.

"You're right."

"I still had so much to say to her."

"Right and wrong, winners are kings, losers are bandits. She made a mistake, so she deserved this kind of end. But there are so many people who have done wrong; why haven't they gone to accompany her?"

Yan Jing smiled faintly.

"It seems I'm not the only one feeling troubled now."

Back then, he had agonized over a similar problem for several days, only to be enlightened by his Pops.

Speaking of which... it had been a long time since he last saw Pops.