Chapter 152: The Young Master Wants You to Move Swiftly - It’s the Cyber Age—Still Playing a Traditional Villain?

Chapter 152: The Young Master Wants You to Move Swiftly One misstep can lead to eternal regret. For Lin Wenhua, this phrase could not be more fitting now. Ever since his good brother Xu Cheng was on the brink of passing, he had been preparing his move. While he might not have openly coveted the board position of "Snake Circle," his ambitions were as clear as day. Naturally, he had his reasons—handing over the prosperous empire built by brothers to a son who couldn't hold a candle on his own would doom it all. So even though Xu Cheng never explicitly told him "you can replace me," Lin Wenhua took it as a given. They were close friends; some things didn't need to be said aloud. But who could have known? After a few years of blundering, Xu Shi, the little brat, would turn into what he is today. As they say, from a company standpoint, having a leader with both skills and vision is a boon. However, for Lin Wenhua, this was an existential threat. Especially with the chip incident, it was clear that Xu Shi wouldn’t tolerate him, and Lin Wenhua knew he couldn't just wait for fate to take its course. At present, perhaps defecting to another conglomerate was his only option. Lin Wenhua tapped his fingers on the desk, his eyes carrying a fierce gleam. His subordinates, skilled at reading the room, sensed his intentions. “Maybe... it's not necessary?” Someone tentatively suggested, “I feel it’s not that bad? Surely, Mr. Lin, with your contributions, you could talk to young Mr. Xu and retire normally like Du Wei?” They still sought stability; this wasn’t a mere job change they considered. Judging by Lin Wenhua’s demeanor, it was a complete shift, and following him carried great risks. “There won't be another chance.” Lin Wenhua gave a bitter smile. “Du Wei is sly, swaying with the wind. We're not the same, are we?” Despite what he said, Lin Wenhua knew he once had the opportunity to retire peacefully. Even if he had clashed with Xu Shi over the Jiang Fengshan incident, had he stopped then, his accumulated wealth could have secured a comfortable retirement. The real mistake was sending out an assassin afterward, and worse, it failed, with Xu Shi catching him in the act. This solidified the irreparable rift between them—honestly, if Xu Shi had sent someone to kill him, there’s no way he would let it slide. Things he couldn't forgive himself for; he couldn't expect others to forgive. So rather than regret the past, he had to consider how to carve out a lifeline for himself, or more bluntly, whom to turn to. Yet upon analysis, he found the situation even more daunting. Second or third-rate companies were out of the question; with his status, only the six major conglomerates could suit him. But therein lied the dilemma: without "Snake Circle," where could he go? He surprisingly found few options. “Prism” was a viable option; he knew Xie Qingyan might not side with Xu Shi simply due to some engagement. But he dared not gamble, especially as the two companies were in a honeymoon phase of cooperation, and he had to admit Xu Shi held more cards. It wasn’t certain Xie Qingyan wouldn’t hand him back to Xu Shi to maintain their relations. “Imaginary Numbers” was also improbable, not mentioning he had little interaction with the Qi family. He knew Qi Maoyang owed Xu Shi a favor recently. The father and son pair were shrewd; the chances of them taking on this hot potato were slim. “Feather Pen” was even less feasible, with Wen Shengkui and Xu Shi's familial ties, and clashing with Jiang Fengshan, turning to him was unrealistic. “Shark Tooth” as a corporation worked, yet the three He brothers were unreliable. He Jiayuan had half a life left, and the other two were puppets, virtually branches of "Snake Circle" and "Prism.” Approaching them meant delivering himself to Xu Shi—counting on the unremarkable He second daughter was not plausible. Calculating it over and over, “Dragon City” was the lone feasible option—Lin Wenhua was unaware of the intricacies between Xu Shi and Long Tianding. From his perspective, they disliked each other due to the “Disguise” incident. Well… an enemy’s enemy is a friend, right? Frankly, Long Tianding wasn't someone easy to deal with, but when measuring the lesser of two evils, this path seemed the only one. “Or maybe, the City Hall?” Someone cautiously suggested. “Shut your damn mouth! Don’t mention City Hall to me!” Lin Wenhua barked, as if stung. “Use your brain for once! Can Yue Chizheng be relied upon?” The mention riled him up because Yue Chizheng, during peaceful times, took many favors from him, calling him “brother” gleefully. When trouble loomed, the old bastard fled faster than anyone, leaving Lin Wenhua livid. City Hall lacked the weight to contend with the corporations; honestly, none of the five conglomerates were certain to outmatch Xu Shi, let alone City Hall. Not to mention the elusive woman from the Tax Bureau with unclear ties to the brat… Never did Lin Wenhua imagine himself cornered to such a degree—having only one path felt akin to no path. The thought alone pained him. “Bring the samples and data of the second-generation chips. I’ll look into negotiating with Long Tianding.” He sighed deeply. “Gather any past confidential information; perhaps they might be useful.” For Lin Wenhua, this was perhaps his only solace; at least he still held some valuable cards, which might secure him protection. But he had to act swiftly; otherwise, once Xu Shi launched the chips, their value would plummet. “As for you… decide your path yourselves. I won’t force you.” He glanced towards his remaining followers. “We pledge to follow Mr. Lin.” His subordinates, after brief hesitation, adhered to his decision. It might not solely be out of loyalty to Lin Wenhua, but the old man held many of their secrets. Defection now wasn’t easy. Even if they slipped away quietly, would Xu Shi accept them? Li Gan, Ren Chong, and Zhang Shunfei’s fates were cautionary tales; joining him could make them the sacrificial lambs for Xu Shi. They had seen Xu Shi’s ruthless prowess, leaving no confidence he’d spare them. In hindsight, they should’ve switched allegiances earlier. One misstep leads to eternal regret, mirroring Lin Wenhua’s plight. … “So, Young Master, are you not essentially forcing Lin Wenhua to betray?” Meanwhile, back in the office after the meeting, Su Lin eyed Xu Shi inquiringly. “That’s not quite accurate, my dear Ms. Su.” Xu Shi wagged a finger. “The old coot was never loyal to me; speaking of betrayal is redundant.” “Of course, pushing him a bit is true; matters dragging this long need progression, do they not?” Truthfully, his surface actions during the meeting—a mere light "tap" on Lin Wenhua by targeting a few confidants and issuing verbal warnings—were far from severe, not affecting him much. However, the real message lay beneath the surface. For Lin Wenhua, interpreting this as escaping unharmed was naïve. The guy was probably strategizing his next move already. “Like maybe carrying the latest chip data to negotiate terms with Long Tianding.” Ximing the path for him effectively confined his choices to “Dragon City,” likely the sole decent alternative. Not ruling out a sudden unpredictable move, but easier still if he did—dealing with him would only get simpler. “I wager it’s not just the chips? Lin Wenhua, having managed so long, surely holds critical internal data.” Su Lin grasped his meaning yet voiced concerns. “If those secrets leak, wouldn’t that also…” “It won’t cause much impact; remember, it’s mostly two or three generations-old military data?” Xu Shi was unfazed. “We hold the latest versions securely. Besides, Lin Wenhua’s not foolish enough to hand over everything completely.” “As long as you have it in hand.” Su Lin nodded, but then suggested, “Still, wouldn’t it be simpler just to have me… finish it off directly?” She made a slicing gesture across her throat. “Is killing him that hard? Keeping him has its uses, right?” Xu Shi chuckled, "Testing Long Tianding's attitude with Lin Wenhua is just part of it. Additionally, I plan to use him to draw someone else out." "... You're right. I overlooked that." Su Lin quickly understood Xu Shi referred to Shen Qin. From her perspective, should Lin Wenhua truly harbor betrayal and depart, it might be an opportunity for Shen Qin, depending on her willingness to seize it. However, even so, Director Su had the sense that those three combined couldn't rival Xu Shi... But on second thought, if that were the case, capturing all of them in one swoop would indeed be a lucrative outcome. They might even conveniently package themselves for Xu Shi to deal a decisive blow. "Have you figured it out? Looks like you do get me." Xu Shi laughed, "Netting them all at once is surely the most effortless. I abhor trouble." "Of course, this is also a little mischief of mine." He added, "Watching these people, aware of their slim chances, yet still trying desperately, is quite entertaining." "Especially when they put everything on the line only to fail in the end—that's even more amusing." Striking them down all at once lacks finesse; slowly tormenting them is far more exciting… Xu Shi realized his villainous mindset was becoming deeply ingrained, but then again, wasn't he always the villain? So, it was fine. "... You truly are wicked." Su Lin sighed. Having known the young master's penchant for mischief, she'd seen it play out, too. The former "Starlight" was toyed with at his whim. But now, with a larger stage, the profits were more significant, and the sense of achievement even greater, right? "It's not a good habit to so openly critique your boss." Xu Shi mockingly glared, "You're already running out of salary deductions." "So, would the young master fire me?" This toothless threat didn't bother Su Lin. She even dared to talk back. "So instead, the young master wants you to move." Xu Shi's gaze turned serious, "Spread the word that the second-generation chip is about to hit the market. But don’t actually release it, just make it look convincing." "I understand." Su Lin realized this was Xu Shi’s way of prompting Lin Wenhua to make a move. Whether the release was real or not didn't matter much... It was about the promise previously made to Xie Qingyan, to ensure that her "Ascension" could smoothly enter the market? "Sometimes you need to keep your word as well." Xu Shi nodded slightly. He couldn’t turn against everyone; just the exhaustion alone would be overwhelming. Especially with Xie Qingyan's importance and her previous gestures of goodwill, he no longer considered her an adversary, so there was no need to break promises made. "Also, don't take your eyes off those few we've discussed previously. A storm is brewing." He took a deep breath. "By the way, I need to find Little Black Rabbit... Wasn’t she absent from the earlier meeting? Where did she go?" "She probably went to see Director Wen?" Su Lin pondered before responding, "During your absence, she's been visiting 'Feather Pen' frequently." "... Then I'll head there directly and bring her back." Xu Shi remembered telling Gu Yi to spend time learning at "Feather Pen" when possible. It seemed she took his advice to heart—how promising. "Sure, I'll get the car ready for you." ... At the same time Xu Shi headed to "Feather Pen," Lin Wenhua secretly arrived at Sin City to meet with Long Tianding in person. "... This feels like a dream." Hearing Lin Wenhua’s intentions, Long Tianding couldn't help but chuckle. "The renowned Mr. Lin, once a cornerstone of 'Snake Circle,' now comes to me with company secrets?" Or rather, he was more surprised by Xu Shi’s foresight. Xu Shi had already warned him that someone from "Snake Circle" might flee to him… Perhaps Xu Shi orchestrated it? Why else would Lin Wenhua come to him instead of going elsewhere, right? "I’d rather Dragon City Lord isn't mocking me. Xu Shi, that little brat, is treating me like trash." Lin Wenhua was irked by the sarcasm—these words sounded more grating than complimentary now. "I’ve brought the terms. I hope Dragon City Lord will give them serious consideration." But he didn’t dwell on it, swiftly moving on to business. "Indeed..." Long Tianding nodded, recognizing the importance of careful consideration. Truthfully, it wouldn’t be a tough choice if it were just a matter between Xu Shi and Lin Wenhua. However. Lin Wenhua wasn’t the sole person seeking him out. "... Mr. Lin? Seems we arrived at the same conclusion?" As he spoke, another person emerged from the shadows. "You..." Lin Wenhua was taken aback to see her. "Nan Qian?" (End of Chapter)