Chapter 170: A Play Unfolding - It’s the Cyber Age—Still Playing a Traditional Villain?

Chapter 170: A Play Unfolding He Yiqiang's current mood was... not bad. At least not until the city riots were entirely suppressed. News from outside the city hadn't reached him yet, but the fact that the people from the Inspection Bureau were delayed in returning was true. Utilizing this time gap, there was quite a bit he could achieve. If the riots succeeded, the benefits he could reap would be immeasurable. Even if they didn't, he had merely lent some people, with no direct evidence of his involvement, leaving him room to maneuver. At the very least, he couldn't just sit idly by... It seemed Xu Shi had provided him with a significant amount of support, always calling him brother, but the reality was that things were getting worse. Once considered a "promising young talent," he was now on the verge of becoming a marginal figure... "What a foolish grin on your face, so much loot." Lost in his thoughts, a discordant voice interrupted from behind. He turned around to see his elder brother He Yuzhao standing at the top of the stairs, holding a glass of red wine, looking at him with a mocking expression. "Oh, it's you, brother." He Third didn't bother to pay him much attention. "What, going to Prism again today to get lectured by that woman Xie Qingyan?" He had some informants on the other side; he was well aware of how He Yuzhao, who strutted around at home, grovelled in front of Xie Qingyan. If his brother ever took control of the company, who knew what he'd become? "And where are you faring better?" He Yuzhao frowned, wondering if his brother's situation was better than his, or what gave him a sense of superiority when they were both stuck in the same mess. "Get lost, I don't have time to deal with you." It was apparent that neither had the energy to fight with the other, both their attentions fixated on the ongoing battle outside. And evidently, Shen He had done a good job at keeping secrets; neither of the brothers knew that the other was involved in the current events. After exchanging a couple of sarcastic remarks, both were left silently brooding, focusing their anxious hopes on the outcome of the chaos outside. Then. Not long after. Messages buzzed simultaneously on their communicators. "...What?!" Seeing the content, the two brothers shouted almost in unison. Such an unexpected synchronization startled them both, but neither realized initially why the other's reaction mirrored their own. But the news was undeniable—the riot had been quashed! Which meant everything they had risked and sacrificed had gone up in smoke. "Damn, this can't be happening...!" He Yuzhao panicked immediately; his current situation couldn't withstand such failure. "......" He Yiqiang, after a brief moment of silence, quickly made his way towards the door. As mentioned earlier, he had no direct evidence of involvement in the incident, but that wasn't enough for him to rest easy—it's a known fact that the Sharktooth clan had members in the riot, not to mention that the Serpentine Ring was responsible for quelling the disturbance. Could Xu Shi not suspect him at all? He couldn't afford such naïveté and had to prepare... Should he go immediately to explain, or would that seem too fake? But addressing it sooner would undoubtedly be better; maybe he could pin some blame on his elder brother? It would at least provide some explanation, wouldn't it? Standing still wouldn't solve anything. However. As he pushed open the main door of the family residence, he was greeted by a sea of gun barrels. "Don't move." The person leading the group wore a playful smile, gesturing him to retreat with a small, intricate pistol. It wasn't Xu Shi. But another young master from "The Imaginary Numbers," Qi Maoyang. "Qi Maoyang?" He Yiqiang clearly hadn't anticipated his presence here; his expression instantly froze. "What... what are you doing? Are you crazy?" Was he joking? This was the Sharktooth family residence! How could he block the entrance here with armed forces? "Oh, my apologies, Third Young Master He." Qi Maoyang was unfazed, maintaining his smile. "It's just that my father needs to see you, and your elder brother, so he sent me personally to invite you over." "…You think I'm a fool?" He Yiqiang was furious. Is this what it means to "invite" someone? Especially when everyone is of similar standing; this behavior is the utmost disrespect. "What can I do? Better safe than sorry." Qi Maoyang shrugged, "Of course, as long as you accept the invitation, I won't need to do anything rash." He Third, of course, wasn't going to accept such an invitation willingly, but as he considered his situation, he realized with horror that most of his capable forces had already been dispatched to Shen He. And those left behind, along with the remaining garrison at the family residence, had already been subdued by "The Imaginary Numbers." "What? So if I refuse, you'll force me with a gun?" He realized the gravity of the situation but still tried to maintain an air of bravado as he glared at Qi Maoyang. "Exactly, is it really necessary to burn bridges, especially when we're bound to meet again frequently?" He Yuzhao questioned from behind—he had followed shortly and now realized what was happening. The brothers, for once, shared the same viewpoint. Qi Maoyang was in no rush, grinning as he calmly looked at them, showing no sign of intimidation. "What if I came to invite you personally?" After a moment of tension, a deep voice echoed from not far away. A middle-aged man in a long robe and traditional jacket pushed through the crowd, approaching with a smirk, assessing the brothers as if they were mere animals. "Dad? Why are you here?" Upon seeing him, both brothers were stunned, and even Qi Maoyang seemed a bit surprised. This was a man who rarely showed his face in public anymore—Qi Maoyang's father, Qi Kang, the nominal chairman of "The Imaginary Numbers." "Oh, it's nothing." Qi Kang waved his hand. "I'm just concerned that you might not be respectful enough. Besides, I believe not only the two of you, but your father should be invited as well... So I had to come personally. We wouldn't want people accusing our Qi family of being impolite, now would we?" Saying this, he poked his son's forehead in slight scorn. "See, you've made a joke of yourself." "Yes, yes, Father's always right." Qi Maoyang accepted the rebuke enthusiastically, and the father and son couldn't help but share a chuckle. At this point, even if the He brothers were slow on the uptake, they realized what had transpired. Who didn't know that "The Imaginary Numbers" always ranked last among the six major consortia? Without someone else's directive, would they dare act so arrogantly? This must have been pre-arranged by Xu Shi... After all, Qi Maoyang had been cozying up to "The Serpentine Ring," acting like their lackey. Or perhaps, it was because the Qi family had some insider information and was seizing the moment to curry favor with "The Serpentine Ring"? "Alright, my dear nephews." Qi Kang drew out his words. "We do apologize for the intrusion, but could you also bring your father... and join me for a chat?" "Father is not well, he's resting at home..." He Yuzhao stiffened, attempting to resist. "No worries, he can rest at our place too." Qi Kang acted like a caring elder, but his troops behind were already cocking their guns. "...Alright then," He Yiqiang muttered, realizing they were entirely at the Qi family's mercy. Continuing to resist might lead to disaster... If anything, involving their father seemed like the lesser of two evils compared to getting themselves filled with bullet holes. So not long after, under the servants' assistance, He Jiayuan, resembling a frail shadow, was wheeled out from his room. Curiously, Old He, who was already severely ill, had his condition worsen after attending the last conference, remaining mostly semi-conscious, unaware of the external events unfolding. But perhaps instinctively sensing something, he drowsily opened his eyes as he was moved. "...Qi Kang?" Seeing the visitor, he asked weakly, clearly showing that "The Imaginary Numbers'" figurehead had indeed been absent for a long time. "Ah, Brother He." Qi Kang offered an apologetic smile, shaking his head resignedly, "Let’s discuss this at my place. We can address the rest slowly." It wasn't necessary for him to elaborate; upon seeing the situation around him and the two subdued sons, bowing their heads like quailed birds, He Jiayuan understood. He didn't show much surprise, perhaps as if he had anticipated this all along. All he could do was sigh intermittently and then close his eyes again. Even though it was labeled as an invitation, the nature of the Qi family's action was not unlike a confiscation. Seeing the He family being packed into vehicles, Qi Maoyang couldn't help but inquire further. "So, Dad, what now?" "What else can we do?" Qi Kang rotated his neck and gave his son a meaningful look. But instead of heading to their own turf, the direction was towards the territory of "The Serpentine Ring." "Huh? You mean... just hand them directly over to Xu Shi?" Qi Maoyang blinked in confusion. In fact, the situation with "The Imaginary Numbers" was akin to the latter scenario mentioned earlier—Xu Shi hadn't directly communicated or given them instructions for these actions. Nevertheless, the Qi family had remained sensitive and vigilant. When the riot outside the city began, Qi Maoyang realized the gravity of the situation and waited for the right opportunity to act. The moment had finally arrived. Clearly, Qi Maoyang’s question also revealed his own intentions. Controlling the situation at "the Sharktooth" first was better than just watching idly. However, directly sending people to Xu Shi might not be wise—they could use this chance to negotiate terms. As long as they weren’t too outrageous, it would benefit "The Imaginary Numbers." Otherwise, wouldn’t they just become someone else’s lackeys? "What else?" Faced with his son's question, Qi Kang merely chuckled. "Let me ask you, whose side are you on in this matter? Xu Shi's or his opposition? Or do you plan to remain neutral?" "Of course, I'm on Xu Shi's side." Without hesitation, Qi Maoyang gave his answer. "In that case, what's wrong with giving him the people he wants?" Qi Kang continued, "Or do you think you can leverage this to negotiate with him?" "I…" Qi Maoyang was at a loss for words. "If that's not your intention, then don't complicate matters, understand?" Qi Kang patted his son's shoulder, "We've done enough by this point. Anything more, we stay out of it if possible." "As for benefits... after what we've done, do you really think he'd shortchange us? Asking directly might annoy him… I've raised you all these years, and never have I seen you harbor any grand ambition to dominate the Sin City, right?" Qi Maoyang nodded then shook his head; he indeed had no such intentions. "Then that's it, knowing your limits is wise." Qi Kang didn’t appear angry, instead, he seemed rather pleased. "I’m the same, without great ambition. Since we lack bold dreams, let's not let others think we have them." "I recall you telling me before that sticking with Xu Shi brought many advantages? Why play the fool at such a critical juncture?" "…Father, your teachings are wise." Qi Maoyang realized his folly and nodded in agreement. "You need more practice." Qi Kang patted his son's shoulder again, "You still have room to grow." "Yes." "Alright, then why stand around idly? Don't worry about the rest; I'll go negotiate with Xu Shi personally." Qi Kang chuckled, "Don't just stand there. Go take stock of things here, alright?" "Sure." Qi Maoyang responded swiftly, but before he could move, he saw someone approaching them. The attire indicated they were from "The Serpentine Ring." "Director Qi, Young Master Qi." The newcomer courteously greeted them. "And you are?" Qi Maoyang didn't recognize him. "I'm Xue Zhao, head of the first field team for 'The Serpentine Ring.'" The man bowed, "Chairman Xu sent me here to keep an eye on 'The Sharktooth' side, and he instructed that if 'The Imaginary Numbers' showed up, the task should be left to them." "Chairman Xu also mentioned that some basic inquiries are necessary, like whether you'd hand over the people directly to us. It seems fitting that such gritty work should be left to us rather than you two." "…Perfect, I'll leave it to Chief Xue then." Qi Kang was the first to respond, courteously interacting without belittling Xue Zhao due to his position. Qi Maoyang felt a wave of relief knowing Xu Shi's men had been there all along. The implications were clear. For instance, "The Serpentine Ring" had arrived even before them. Moreover, this clandestine oversight surely intended to scrutinize their role in the upheaval—had he stuck to his own plan, the nature of "help from a friendly rival" might have morphed... The truth was, even with "The Imaginary Numbers'" resources, contending with "The Serpentine Ring" wasn't easy. While relations seemed cordial on the surface, who knew Xu Shi's true intentions? In the past, he had even fired an employee for trivial reasons, so once used as leverage, anything could become a pretext. Realizing this, he found his previous plan absurdly naive and foolish. "Why so tense, Young Master Qi?" Xue Zhao chuckled, seeing his reaction. "Chairman Xu has always considered you a friend. If you've really done him a favor, he couldn't be more grateful." "However, if you are available, would you both join me for a visit?" "What for?" Qi Maoyang felt his mind tangled in confusion. "Chairman Xu didn't specify, and he said it's fine if you choose not to." Xue Zhao explained respectfully. "He only mentioned that there's another great show to watch." (End of Chapter)