Chapter 171: Historically, the Left Side Always Loses! - It’s the Cyber Age—Still Playing a Traditional Villain?

Chapter 171: Historically, the Left Side Always Loses! "Ah, welcome, welcome." Shortly after, when Qi Maoyang was brought to the office by Xue Zhao, Xu Shi enthusiastically motioned for him to take a seat. "Old Qi, come, have a seat." "Haha, Director Xu, you're sitting firmly in the fishing platform here." Qi Maoyang let out a couple of awkward laughs and nervously settled across from him. Indeed, nervously. He was still somewhat on edge about Xu Shi's prior arrangements, so being "invited" here now naturally filled him with trepidation. "Not at all, I’m far from stable." Xu Shi instructed someone to serve tea, rubbed his temples wearily, and then asked with a hint of regret, "Where's Uncle Qi? He didn't come with you?" "Ah... my father had some matters to handle, so it's just me and Section Chief Xue here." Qi Maoyang paused, thinking to himself that they wouldn't actually want both to come, right? Although Insignia played a relatively subtle role in this upheaval and hadn't actually stood against the Snake Ring, some things couldn't be assumed. Who knew what Xu Shi's thoughts on them were? The word "invite" always merits scrutiny; what if it was a Hongmen banquet (a trap)? However, when you're invited, you can't completely refuse to come; that would be problematic too... So after some deliberation, the father and son duo decided to send Qi Maoyang—who had more dealings and was relatively more familiar with Xu Shi—unlike the elder Qi Kang, who had never interacted with him. "Oh, I see." Xu Shi seemed even more regretful upon hearing this, "I've never had the chance to visit Uncle Qi. Never mind, I’ll drop by in person sometime soon." He genuinely felt regret because, from his perspective, the Qi father and son were particularly intriguing figures within the consortium, especially Qi Maoyang. Thus, he had a keen interest in meeting the father he had never laid eyes on and discovering what kind of person he was. Especially since he wanted to inquire, were the father and son duo both traveling salesmen at the same time? He was very curious! Nonetheless, he understood why Qi Maoyang was so anxious. He had a knack for reading people... So he moved in front of Qi Maoyang, smiling warmly to reassure him, "Why so stiff? We're good brothers, aren't we?" Qi Maoyang thought, please, don't. Everyone can see the fate of those who were called your brother before; it’s not promising. "Look at you." Xu Shi seemed to know what he was thinking, "I mean it sincerely, or do you think I've brought you here to deceive and kill you?" "I’m not that cruel... Even if you did come to negotiate with Qiangzi as leverage, it wouldn't matter, and you didn’t even do that, did you?" To be honest with himself, Xu Shi had no intentions of targeting Insignia. Truth be told, his previous decision not to notify or request anything from the Qi family was to assess their stance... and seeing it now, he found it satisfactory. Perhaps due to their position often being low in the food chain, Insignia was always careful in their dealings. As he mentioned, displaying loyalty or trying to seize opportunities during the Shark Tooth incident fell within acceptable bounds and was not worth stirring up additional chaos. The fact was, indeed, Xu Shi intended to take the opportunity to further enhance his control over Night Sin City, but it wasn't about reshuffling the entire ruling class. Some parts needed to remain... no way Xu Shi could handle everything alone? Considering the prior collaborations with Insignia and how he had slyly set them up initially, guilt did linger in his heart. Don’t be fooled, Director Xu was a kind person, occasionally plagued by his conscience. "... Old Xu, you're overthinking. I’ve simply never encountered such a large-scale situation; I’m just a bit tired." Qi Maoyang smiled upon hearing this, feeling a weight lift from his heart. He hadn't anticipated Xu Shi to discern everything so keenly. More importantly, Xu Shi was straightforward about it... this was undoubtedly a positive signal, at least temporarily—Insignia wouldn't face any repercussions, and after this incident, they'd still be good partners, hand in hand. "Just enjoy the show." Xu Shi didn’t delve further into the topic, stretching lazily, "Want some peanuts, sunflower seeds, or popcorn? I can have some brought in." "No need for that." Qi Maoyang quickly refused, more curious about another matter, "Old Xu, what exactly do you mean by a show?" “There.” Xu Shi gestured, and the room's lights dimmed, a projection appearing that was streaming a live broadcast of events unfolding elsewhere. "This is... the First District?" Qi Maoyang immediately recognized the location on-screen. The next moment, he understood the show Xu Shi referred to. "Old Xu, are you intending to..." Such audacity! He never imagined Xu Shi would indeed leverage this situation to act against Longcheng! Throughout the long-standing rivalries among various consortiums, Longcheng was often excluded. Primarily because Longcheng's nature differed from the others, acknowledged more as a major gang despite being one of the six major consortiums, as its geographical location made no one eager to disturb the delicate balance between Night City and Sin City. Provoking consequences would indeed be troublesome. Besides, Longcheng wasn't an easy target, having survived and persevered through the chaos which consumed Zheguang and Tianhe. Were they easy folk to deal with? Long Tianding himself was an S-level Transcendent, commanding countless followers. Therefore, the preference was always toward cooperation with them, assigning them dirty and laborious tasks or using them as scapegoats. Considering this, Xu Shi’s actions seemed quite audacious. But just as Qi Maoyang contemplated more questions, he saw Xu Shi already half-reclined on another sofa, with Xia Ke'an nestled expectantly in his arms, Gu Yi by their side. "..." Qi Maoyang blinked; you're not shy about anything, are you? Is this a family outing to watch a movie? And the little white-haired girl in his arms really was holding a bucket of popcorn... Clearly indicating that further questions were unnecessary, Qi Maoyang could only swallow his inquiries with reluctance. But to backtrack, Gu Yi he somewhat recognized, yet who was this little girl? Had Xu Shi quietly fathered a child? Couldn't be; the ages didn't match... Moreover, there was another pressing question. Even with the Inspection Bureau's assistance, handling the "Forgotten Ones" riots inside and outside the city meant Xu Shi had already deployed a significant portion of his forces. By his estimation, the remainder wouldn't suffice to contend with Longcheng, no matter how well-equipped. In that case. How did he plan to challenge Long Tianding? The answer was simple. People. Two people. To be more precise, two people and a dog. ... "Chairman Wen, what brings you here to see me at this juncture?" Before the gates of Longcheng, upon seeing the smartly dressed and serious Wen Shengkui seated in his wheelchair, Long Tianding gritted his teeth, posing a question he already knew the answer to. "To annihilate you." Wen Shengkui responded, barely glancing up as he stroked the fur of a small black dog in his lap. His tone made it evident he didn't regard his opponent as significant, as if he were mentioning dinner plans. "...Why?" Long Tianding opened his mouth, "Because of Xu Shi?" "Because you breached our agreement." Old Master Wen's voice turned icy, "We had agreed to set aside past grievances and work together for the community of Night Sin City, isn't that right?" "But what did you do? Providing the mob with venues and weapons, covertly permitting their assaults on Night Sin City?" "What are you talking about?" Just facing him, Long Tianding barely managed his breath, subconsciously loosening his collar, "Do you have proof?" "Should I search in the Fifth District for you?" Wen Shengkui stated flatly, "Or right here? Isn’t Lin Wenhua hiding here as we speak?" "......" Long Tianding remained silent. Truth be told, had it been anyone else, he might have prolonged the interaction. But it was Wen Shengkui, meaning further conversation was futile. To even consider resolving the matter was unrealistic, for this old man rarely showed himself over the years. Thus, his presence signified — whatever he attended was of utmost importance. Such as the previous epoch-making augmentation chip conference or discussions regarding the integration of the "Forgotten Ones." His words implied one thing — no room for negotiation. "Just you alone?" Long Tianding barely contained the dizziness in his head, straining to ask. "Yes, otherwise people might say I'm bullying." Wen Shengkui nodded, handing the small black dog to Ning Wei behind him. "Take good care of it. If it loses even a single hair after the fight, tender your resignation tomorrow." "Yes, sir." Ning Wei took the dog, respectfully retreating to the side. It seemed his sole role was to push Wen Shengkui's wheelchair to this location. "Make your move first." Old Master Wen calmly regarded Long Tianding, adding a touch of disdain to his voice. "Don't get too cocky! So what if you're an SS?!" Long Tianding clenched his fist, stomping the ground with all his might. At this point, there was no room for pleading or negotiating; such tactics were useless. With no alternatives left, he had to fight with all his might—a choice befitting the head of a consortium, after all. Facing capture meant certain death, whereas fighting gave him a slight chance! After all, he was a veteran S-level Transcendent; he might just have a shot! A few decades ago, he wouldn't have thought this way, as Wen Shengkui was unrivaled in his prime, his aura and elegance second to none, even surpassing Xu Shi! But now, he was merely a flickering old candle in the wind—an SS who might fall apart if he exerted his powers! As he spoke, the ground beneath him shuddered violently, causing the entire First District to shake as if seized by an earthquake! The next second, two massive dragons burst from the earth; these colossal creatures, towering several stories high, carried Long Tianding swiftly skyward, accompanied by distant dragon roars! Even Xu Shi, watching from afar, could feel the slight tremor, prompting a sigh. This was Long Tianding's Ascendant Power—"Earth Element Manipulation." To be honest, it wasn't particularly unique; Yuxing Chuan could manipulate metal, too. But the qualitative change that came with being S-level was indeed terrifying. Could Miss Deputy conjure up something like this? No, she couldn't. Xu Shi had no doubt that if combat power could be quantified, Long Tianding alone would surpass the sum of everyone outside the city in terms of sheer destructive power—those two enormous creatures seemed unmatched. "Isn't this... Xu Shi, you're really letting the old man fight him alone?" Gu Yi couldn't help but worry for Wen Shengkui... She wasn't overreacting; the contrast in the scene was stark—as the current Long Tianding towered impressively with those massive earth dragons, Old Master Wen appeared minuscule like dust. She had heard Xu the scoundrel say her grandfather was incredibly powerful, but he didn’t look capable of overpowering anyone right now... "Don't worry." Xu Shi remained unfazed, patting her back reassuringly. "The old man won't lose." "Really?" "Of course, it's true. Haven't you noticed Long Tianding is standing on the left side?" "Hmm? Does that mean something?" "Absolutely. As the saying goes—the left side always loses in a standoff." "…┗|｀O′|┛ I wasn't joking with you!" Gu Yi was momentarily stunned, then playfully hammered Xu Shi's back twice. "I'm serious; don’t tell me you have no other plan… huh?" Saying this, she suddenly noticed something. The earthquake moments ago wasn't insignificant—it had even been felt from their position, let alone the First District. But right where Wen Shengkui stood, there were neither cracks nor a single speck of dust stirred. The old man himself stood unyielding, as steady as a mountain. "What?" The amusingly shocked look on the Black Rabbit Maiden's face was plain to see. Before she could process it, Long Tianding was already steering the earth dragons towards Wen Shengkui. The dragons charged, raising stone spikes from the ground, and a rain of stones shot skyward like meteor showers. "Old man, die!" Long Tianding bellowed, clearly wielding his ability to its fullest extent. However. As before, approximately five or six meters in front of Old Master Wen, all assaults faltered, unable to advance even a single inch. "I am indeed an old relic, as they say, the new wave pushes the old wave forward. Perhaps one day, someone will defeat and replace me." Old Master Wen sincerely regarded the impotent fury before him, a faint smile finally gracing his lips. "But that someone isn’t you." With that, he casually lifted his right hand, hidden under the blanket, pressing down lightly. With that single gesture. In the next moment. Everyone watched as the colossal earth dragons instantly turned to dust and vanished! "!" Long Tianding lost his footing, plummeting rapidly. Upon closer inspection, his descent didn't seem natural but rather as if something was pressing him down, leaving him unable to struggle! And during this descent, he was dismantled layer by layer like an onion—first his clothes peeled away, followed by his skin, flesh, bones, and organs, until he disintegrated into ashes piece by piece! When the dust settled, not a trace remained on the cracked ground. He was utterly annihilated! "See, what did I tell you?" Xu Shi shrugged casually, "Not only does the left side lose historically, but the one to strike first often ends up dead too." "Ah…" The Black Rabbit Maiden hadn't yet recovered from such a shocking spectacle, mechanically turning her head to look at him. "Um… what exactly is Old Man Wen's ability?" "Well… how should I explain it to you?" Xu Shi pondered, "It’s actually quite complex, but summed up in six words." "?" "Knowledge is power." (End of this chapter)