Chapter 153: What on earth are you doing?! (Fury) - It’s the Cyber Age—Still Playing a Traditional Villain?

Chapter 153: What on earth are you doing?! (Fury) Lin Wenhua was truly a bit surprised. He hadn't expected that, aside from himself, someone else had already made contact with Long Tianding. As for why one of the former "Forgotten Ones" came here, could it be... "As you can see," Shen Qin didn't hold back, "My purpose in seeking out City Lord Long is likely similar to yours, Mr. Lin." "...Is Miss Nan also friends with City Lord Long?" Lin Wenhua's eyes darted around as he chose to brush off the question with words, "I came to meet City Lord Long just to reunite with an old friend. I hadn't heard of someone like you among his acquaintances." In truth, even though Shen Qin was being genuinely forthright, he couldn't entirely trust her. To be fair, he couldn't fully trust these outsiders, the "Forgotten Ones," to begin with—whether or not he held them in regard was one thing, but their intentions were also unclear, weren't they? Especially from his point of view, what kind of vendetta could Shen Qin, or "Nan Qian," possibly have with Xu Shi? Instead, in his eyes, after Xu Shi named Xia Wuyou as the chief of the operations department, Shen Qin, appointed as vice, had just been promoted and was already contemplating defection? This simply gave him pause. "Mr. Lin, there's no need to be evasive. You don't suspect I'm Xu Shi’s spy, do you?" Seeing his expression, Shen Qin smirked dismissively, "The truth is, we 'Forgotten Ones' have long harbored deep hatred for Xu Shi, constantly yearning to remove him once and for all." She didn't doubt Lin Wenhua. From the very first time she heard about his and Xu Shi's conflicts, she became interested. She spent this period deeply investigating and eventually unraveled the entire backstory. An unyielding enmity between them! This was unequivocally good news for her—truth be told, ever since settling in the City of Night's Crimes, she hadn't found anyone like Lin Wenhua, someone sharing her common desire to bring down Xu Shi. Most people were scrambling to win his favor, let alone turn against him, right? Of course, there were dissenters, but nine out of ten were cowards, all bark and no bite. Therefore, people like Lin Wenhua were invaluable, and she wasn't worried it was Xu Shi’s ploy. After all, this rivalry started years ago, but only now had it reached a climactic point. Various investigations showed that this was no collaborative charade between the two. Thus, following the award ceremony, she realized it was time to act—the adage "the enemy of my enemy is my friend" applied here equally, and regardless of differing starting points, a shared goal necessitated an alliance. And amusingly enough, after a thorough analysis, Shen Qin discovered the only outsiders she could seek help from were in "Dragon City." Unbeknownst to each other, both she and Lin Wenhua sought out Long Tianding, hoping to merge their forces. As for whether Lin Wenhua trusted her, given their conversation thus far, she understood that her sincerity was likely apparent to him as well. Lin Wenhua, not being foolish, quickly realized the truth in Shen Qin's words—the "Forgotten Ones" indeed held no goodwill toward Xu Shi. To ordinary citizens, the required ton of "Rust Mist" ore to enter the City of Night's Crimes was no easy acquisition. Had it not been for Xu Shi manipulating and leveraging them repeatedly, perhaps the conditions wouldn't be so stringent. But what good did it do even after entering? The reality was that everywhere they went, the "Forgotten Ones" were still seen through the lens of prejudice—directly resulting from long-standing defamatory reporting, leaving them consistently at a disadvantage, working harder for less, living no easier lives. And for leaders like Nan Qian, Zhang Shan (Shen Qin, Zhao Yuan), and some junior leaders, they encountered their own headaches. While the situation outside the city remained somewhat united for the remaining "Forgotten Ones," inside it was a different story—Xu Shi’s tactic of "allying with some, dividing others, and suppressing a few" effectively struck their weak spot. The "Forgotten Ones" within the city found it difficult to unite under intentionally diverted conflicts, often eyeing each other with disdain and continuous strife. Why should your treatment be better than mine? I refuse! As a leader, Shen Qin found her own authority significantly diminished, no trace of her previous cohesion and motivational ability. "That's not entirely true, is it? Your leader Li Si seems quite content." Thinking of this, Lin Wenhua couldn't help but add. "He's an anomaly, Mr. Lin. Don't generalize." Shen Qin bit her lip, her tone full of disdain for Song Chen. She had long been at odds with him, even more so after entering the City of Night's Crimes—this damned opportunist not only sold everyone out during negotiations but now revels in playing the loyal dog for "Prism." Reportedly, he barely manages his original subordinates, a thought which gnaws at Shen Qin. Thus, she never considered involving him, fearing that someone like him might backstab her for his own future. "...Perhaps." With the truth laid out, Lin Wenhua's concerns gradually faded as he earnestly evaluated Shen Qin, "So, what’s your plan?" "It's actually quite straightforward." Shen Qin smiled, "While my influence over the 'Forgotten Ones' may be weakened, fortunately, there are still many willing to follow me. When gathered, these scattered individuals within the City of Night's Crimes can form a formidable force." "Moreover, I’ve arranged contingencies outside the city. By coordinating our efforts, we can trigger a large-scale riot powerful enough to affect the entire city at the right moment." "Of course, this is only the first step. Our true aim is to utilize the chaos as an opportunity to execute a decapitation against Xu Shi." "As long as we can take his life, the operation is halfway successful." "Then, we just need to manage the gains afterward to secure what we both need." "..." Hearing Shen Qin's words, Lin Wenhua was momentarily stunned. Goodness, this young lady's thoughts were indeed ruthless—a city-wide riot? Frankly, this exceeded his expectations; do you really have the strength to launch such a large-scale operation? "That's why we're seeking out City Lord Long." Shen Qin continued thoughtfully, "We're lacking in weapons and equipment, which Xu Shi tightly controls." "But if we can procure them in small batches under the guise of 'Dragon City,' this issue could be alleviated." "Including whether it’s the 'Forgotten Ones' choosing to settle here or City Lord Long's own men, combined, they form a significant new force." "...Hold on, I haven't agreed to anything yet." Long Tianding listened, feeling his scalp tingle. Wow, they're really considering me their foundation here, huh? The crucial part was that Nan Qian seemed way too wild—he, who controlled half the territory of the City of Night's Crimes, hadn't even thought of such a plan, yet here she was, laying it out with abandon? It's overwhelming just to listen to. "To be honest, while my current relationship with Xu Shi isn't good, it's by no means terrible either." He scrutinized the two in front of him, "Why should I join you in this madness?" "Not to mention, the success of your plan is still an uncertainty." "City Lord Long, you're jesting. What in this world is guaranteed to succeed 100%?" Shen Qin, unfazed by his doubts, retorted boldly, "It's all about whether you dare take the gamble... Of course, if you're truly unwilling to take this risk, you could arrest us now and hand us over to Xu Shi to deal with." "Based on what I know, City Lord Long, you've been significantly oppressed by Xu Shi, so bringing him down naturally benefits you. How much benefit? Why would I need to list it out one by one?" "..." Long Tianding pursed his lips. That remark hit a sore spot. Denying that he'd been oppressed by Xu Shi would be a lie. In past events, Xu Shi had already devoured the "Long Sword Gang," with Ding Jun, the backstabber, no longer a trustworthy henchman, resulting in the fracture of District Six. Including the subsequent chip and equipment situations… it was clear Xu Shi intended not to collaborate but to dominantly suppress him, from which he suffered considerable losses. Long Tianding was not one to sit idly by; at the very least, easing tensions with the "Feather Pen" was one of his initiatives. But undeniably, such an approach couldn't yield immediate results. Furthermore, it was necessary to consider that if Crime City truly broke the barriers with Night City, his status and control wouldn't improve. On the contrary, once the other five major consortiums took root in Crime City, his power would likely be further diminished. Honestly, this was hard for him to accept, akin to cutting flesh with a dull knife. Therefore, it was indeed a time for him to make a choice. Should he, as previously discussed, continue amicably with Xu Shi to develop Crime City's economy? Or should he choose to ally with Lin Wenhua and the "Forgotten Ones," betting it all to overturn the existing order? "While you're targeting Xu Shi, aren't you at all concerned about the other consortiums?" He interlocked his fingers and pondered aloud, "If such a wave were truly stirred up, they wouldn't remain silent." "I think, as long as we can swiftly take down Xu Shi, or rather the 'Serpent Ring,' the others will naturally know how to act in their own best interests." Shen Qin contemplated, "Or does City Lord Long believe that if Xu Shi is destroyed, they will wholeheartedly seek revenge for him?" "...What you say makes sense." Long Tianding was noncommittal. Essentially, the six major consortiums were also linked by a chain of interests. Currently, everyone placed Xu Shi on a pedestal, primarily because he had indeed brought considerable benefits to all. However, if focused solely on him and bringing him down, their first reaction wouldn't be to fight to the death in his memory. Instead, they would observe and assess the situation before deciding. In fact, they might even switch sides, trying to claim their share—much like when “Refraction” and “Tianhe,” two colossal entities, collapsed abruptly, and the people below swiftly divided what remained, like vultures smelling blood. Having witnessed such power shifts, Long Tianding knew them intimately. Of course, this presupposes the demise of the present "Serpent Ring" reaching the level of "Refraction" and "Tianhe." Or perhaps with Lin Wenhua as an insider, even a slightly lesser impact might suffice. Seeing Shen Qin’s confidence, Long Tianding found himself somewhat swayed by her words. Yet, he remained cautious—as he must be—especially regarding "Prism" and "Feather Pen." Xie Qingyan was easier to predict; her behavior was something he understood. But Wen Shengkui was different, the old man was as stubborn as they come, and could potentially side with his grandson by any means. So. After careful consideration. Long Tianding's decision was. "There are many 'Forgotten Ones' in the fifth district that I can't oversee right now." He exhaled, "If Miss Nan Qian could assist in that regard, I would be most grateful." "As for the acquisition of weapons... naturally, our 'Dragon City' also needs to strengthen its armament. If you want to piggyback on that, it's not impossible... but, of course, the funding is a matter you'll need to resolve." This attitude was ambiguous—it didn't sound like agreement, but sort of implied it. And naturally, Shen Qin and Lin Wenhua quickly understood his intent—Long Tianding was effectively betting on both sides, providing the fifth district as their base was a moderate level of support, and even offered the crucial detail about acquiring weapons. If the endeavor to overthrow Xu Shi succeeded, it would be a notable achievement for him. Conversely, if they failed, Long Tianding could easily extricate himself. In such an event, he could easily disclaim it, saying it was merely his oversight—claiming that it was the "Forgotten Ones" making trouble. Crime City is vast, after all; oversight is understandable... How could he intend to incite a riot? Recently, hadn't they agreed to develop civil and infrastructure projects together? You've got the wrong idea about me. It matches his character—whether it's a riot or development, for Long Tianding, it's merely a means to an end. This stance and outcome couldn't fully satisfy Shen Qin and Lin Wenhua. They weren't keen on someone trying to eat from both ends, but they understood that a shrewd figure like Long Tianding wouldn’t commit because of a venture without guaranteed success, swayed by a few persuasive words. "Given the circumstances, we still owe our thanks to City Lord Long, at least for providing us with a base." Shen Qin didn't push further, "As for the funds for weapon procurement, Mr. Lin, I presume?" "No problem, I’ll handle it to the best of my ability." Lin Wenhua agreed without much hesitation; money wasn’t exactly what he lacked. It was the manpower to sustain the operation that he needed. Conversely, Shen Qin had the opposite resource availability, making them complementary in a sense. While it would cost him a significant amount, he knew this wasn’t the time to hoard wealth; otherwise, if Xu Shi preemptively struck, his accumulated fortunes over the years wouldn’t be secure. "Then here's to a fruitful collaboration." Seeing Lin nod, Shen Qin felt a slight relief. "Indeed, to a successful partnership." Lin Wenhua forced a smile. Truthfully, he had little fondness for the "Forgotten Ones"—he didn’t understand Shen Qin’s true motives, so to him, they appeared like desperate beggars, seeking refuge in the City of Night's Crimes only to now plot such grand schemes, driven by boundless greed. Similarly, Shen Qin viewed Lin Wenhua with equal disdain. They were merely allies of convenience, united by a common goal. "Alright, we can't linger; shall we each go back and prepare?" They had snuck out stealthily; lingering too long could arouse suspicion, so a brief discussion later, they each went their separate ways. After leaving Crime City, Shen Qin immediately contacted Shen He, still outside the city. Her decision to act now came partly from discovering the conflict between Lin Wenhua and Xu Shi, and also because her brother had made progress on his end. Moreover... he needed to return to the City of Night's Crimes. ... On another front. "I assume Lin Wenhua and Long Tianding are now engrossed in their discussions?" On the way to "Feather Pen," Xu Shi gazed at the sky through the sunroof, lost in thought. He held no doubts about Lin Wenhua’s betrayal. Not to mention that in the original story, the old man already had a record of treachery, and having pushed him to this point, it would be overly polite for him to simply die in silence. "Besides, I'm certain Miss Shen Qin would seize this opportunity to make her move." With that thought, he sighed, clearly exasperated that despite being a peace-loving individual, he was continuously faced with such unwarranted hostility. Exasperated, he feigned sobbing. "Young master, hearing you say this, it suggests that even if they join forces, they won't pose much of a threat, right?" Su Lin managed a slight smile, attuned as she was to Xu Shi’s mindset. If he had any real concerns, it wouldn’t show in his tone. "You can't phrase it like that; disorder will arise regardless of their actions." Xu Shi replied earnestly, "Even if tens of thousands of pigs stood before me, cutting them down one by one would be exhausting." "Understood." Su Lin nodded quietly, noting his curious analogy. They soon arrived at District Nineteen. However, welcomed by Ning Wei, upon locating Gu Yi and Wen Shengkui "studying," Xu Shi was taken aback by the scene before him. "Wait, what are you... what are you doing?!" (End of Chapter)