Chapter 178: If I Can't Have Your Heart, Then I'll Just Have You - It’s the Cyber Age—Still Playing a Traditional Villain?

Chapter 178: If I Can't Have Your Heart, Then I'll Just Have You If he weren't a corporate mogul, being a teacher might have been the most fitting job for Xu Shi. This troublemaker loved posing dilemmas for others, often presenting them with difficult choices of life or death. There was only one "beacon," which meant that today, one of the Shen siblings would have to die here. And the decision of who would live and who would die was up to them to decide... To be honest, both Shen He and Shen Qin would rather leave the choice to Xu Shi, as no matter how he chose, they wouldn't feel as guilty. How were they supposed to choose?! Even Xia Wuyou, just a bystander, felt a chill when she heard his words. Was this morbid entertainment excessive? Or did he just like attacking from the most vulnerable angles of human nature... Xu Shi smiled without speaking, quietly observing the troubled faces of the Shen siblings. "...Brother, take this chance." After a long silence, it was Shen Qin who spoke first. "You've protected me my whole life, let me take the fall this time. As I said before, I'll shoulder all this." "It's just, it's a bit regrettable. We haven't been reunited for long, and now it's come to this... Remember to avenge me, you must." She couldn't help but choke up by the end of her sentence. "Xiao Qin, what nonsense are you saying?" Shen He shook his head seriously, "If only one of us can leave, it has to be you." "Why?" Shen Qin asked in confusion. "Because you're stronger than me." Shen He smiled wryly. "Before reuniting with you, who would've thought my sister could become the leader of the 'Forgotten'? That's much bigger than 'Sparks', for sure." "As for me, not only did I not help you, I also turned things into a mess. Can I really claim I've fulfilled my brotherly duties? I don't even dare say that myself." "So, carry on with my will, Xiao Qin. You don't necessarily have to avenge me, but don't forget today." "Brother!" "Enough, be good, listen to your brother. This is the last time." Saying this, he resignedly closed his eyes. Besides the reasons he mentioned, there was one more he was reluctant to admit. He was afraid. There's an old saying about making a concerted effort first, growing weary afterward, and exhausted the third time, which perfectly applied to him. Failing once or twice might not have been as devastating, but being crushed by Xu Shi time and again can grind away even the strongest resolve. Especially this time, having exhausted all means without harming him in the slightest, this feeling grew unbearably within him. Perhaps, death was truly the best conclusion for him... He acknowledged this was selfish, as the survivor would endure more. But even so, he couldn't find the courage to muster any further attempts against Xu Shi. Let it be. Yes, let it be. "So, how about it, have you made a decision?" Xu Shi's voice sounded again. He hadn't bothered to listen to what the Shen siblings were discussing—nothing more than deciding who should die instead of the other, common tropes found in countless stories. Where's the fun in that when he could be playfully teasing Xia Cat to a shy blush? "...Alright, let my sister go." Shen He stood up, straightening his back determinedly. "Our grievances end here." Naturally, he wouldn't admit what he was truly thinking—if he must die, he wanted to die standing. By now, Shen Qin was already sobbing uncontrollably, but what could she change now? The only thing she could do was follow her brother's wishes and carry on his legacy, nothing more. "Are you sure?" Xu Shi asked for confirmation. "Just do it." Shen He looked him in the eyes. "...Sigh." To his surprise, Xu Shi didn’t immediately act. Instead, he let out a long sigh. He looked more aggrieved than anyone else. "What is it?" Xia Wuyou asked, puzzled by his demeanor. "Nothing, I just suddenly feel bored." Xu Shi shook his head, "Up until a second ago, I thought I'd want to shoot him in the head—now that it's time, it doesn’t seem as intriguing." It's true. As for why he felt this way, Xu Shi understood—he wasn't the only one who had changed, so had Shen He. Thinking back to when he first regained his memories, what was he then? Nothing more than a pampered young master. Back then, Shen He or others could pose a significant threat to him. But now things were different. Now he's the uncrowned king of the City of Night Crime, a presence that made the entire city tremble at his footsteps. It's hard for anyone to challenge his position anymore. With a different mindset, the feelings naturally changed. It was akin to gaming; defeating a boss at level 1 brought joy, but returning at level 100 to effortlessly crush old adversaries doesn’t warrant a celebration. That's about it. “Someone even suggested turning you into a girl so I could train you into a plush toy.” He jested, “Now that I think about it, I don’t have the energy for that.” Who could have made such a suggestion? Xia Wuyou was baffled. While modern technology could achieve such things, this idea was just twisted, wasn’t it? And considering she was always by his side, how come she hadn’t heard of such proposals? Whoever it was must have been more devious than Xu Shi himself. Could it have been Su Lin? But that didn't seem right either... She furrowed her brows deep in thought. "By the way, let me tell you something." Xu Shi smiled, leaning in to whisper something to Shen He. Others couldn't catch what he said, but visibly, Shen He's determined-to-die expression paled. “You’re… you’re lying…” “I wouldn’t. I’m the most honest person.” Before Shen He could react further, Xu Shi had already pulled the trigger, “Now you can die. Good night, hero.” Bang. Blood splattered. “No—!” Seeing her brother collapse, Shen Qin only then seemed to realize what had occurred, screaming in despair. When she tried to speak again, she found she couldn't make a sound despite her mouth being open. So all she could do was show her rage through action, once again lunging at Xu Shi, intending to tear him apart. Unfortunately, it was all in vain. Xu Shi had Xia Wuyou protecting him, and even bound as she was, she wasn’t a match even for non-combatant Xu Shi. “Alright, alright, Miss Shen. This was the result of your own discussion. Blaming me isn’t right.” Xu Shi gently pushed her away, smoothing out the wrinkles on his clothes. His expression was peaceful, as if the act of murder hadn't occurred. “I will kill you, I swear!” Shen Qin collapsed heavily on the ground. The pain brought clarity amidst her anguish. What was done was done; there was no use in raging impotently now. But as long as she survived, there might be a chance for revenge in the future—there was no way she could ignore a brother-killing enmity like this, after all. “Then I look forward to Miss Shen’s performance?” Xu Shi smiled, helping her up and handing over the "beacon," “Do your best.” Shen Qin bit her lip, accepting the object silently. Yet. Just as the "beacon" almost reached her, Xu Shi suddenly withdrew it. "You..." Shen Qin was momentarily at a loss. “Silly girl, did you really think I’d let you walk away from this?” Xu Shi laughed, “I’m the big bad villain. Did you really expect me to keep my promise?” As if he’d actually let her go? From the start, he never intended to let one die and one go free. He just wanted to see how the Shen siblings would react to such a choice. If they’d turned against each other for the chance to live, it would’ve been interesting... Though not seeing such a spectacle was somewhat disappointing, the warmth of familial love was also nice. No need to dwell on it. Regardless of the circumstances, the fact remained: Shen He had to die. After entangling with him for so long and exploiting everything of value he had, what was the point in keeping an opponent with no worth? To spice things up for a feast? However, Shen Qin was different. She still had her uses... If it was just about transferring her abilities, whether she lived or died wasn't that significant. But given that her combat skills were considerable, who could say no to such an asset? In conclusion, Xu Shi was the type who wanted it all, unlike children who make singular choices. But from the looks of it, Shen Qin had taken quite a hit. She seemed stuck in a daze of despair—though the aftereffects of an overdose of sedatives were a factor, realizing Xu Shi had no intention of sparing her was the main cause. This meant Shen He's death was nothing but a cruel joke. If Xu Shi had truly allowed her to leave, then his sacrifice might have been worth something. But since Xu Shi didn't, it meant even in his last moments, Shen He was merely Xu Shi's plaything. Moreover, Shen Qin no longer believed she had a chance for revenge, pushing her further into a breakdown. "I... I will kill you... kill you..." Shen Qin fell to her knees, tears streaming, her voice hoarse, her eyes vacant. "Young Master." Just then, Su Lin returned from fetching something. "Did you get it?" Xu Shi paid Shen Qin no more mind, turning to Su Lin. "Yes." Su Lin nodded, handing him an antique-style USB. "I took a look, and it matches what she described." "Good." Xu Shi toyed with the USB, reflecting on Su Lin's description. He understood the technology was immature, as even he, an outsider, could tell from Su Lin's explanation. Yet, this didn't mean it lacked value. On the contrary, its potential was immense. Even at its prototype stage, the sky's the limit when starting from scratch. “Oh, so you’ve got all these goodies and you don’t even show me?” Jiang Chengcheng peered over from behind Su Lin, feigning jealousy. “Never.” Xu Shi gestured in surrender, implying it was he who had asked Su Lin to fetch her as well—such injustice to accuse him! “Alright, I forgive you.” Jiang Chengcheng pretended to forgive before turning serious, “So you want me to look into it? Arlin showed me a bit on the way here. It's not quite as I expected... I'm not an expert in this field, but I can help somewhat.” “No need.” Xu Shi waved it off. “I'll leave professional tasks to professionals. I'll head to 'Prism' in a couple of days to discuss it with Xie Qingyan.” This was something he had planned for some time, though vigilance was necessary—even with the conglomerates reduced to four and that woman acting docile, it didn't mean she'd stay in line. “Okay.” Jiang Chengcheng pouted, accepting his decision. "Then why did you call me here?" “Help clean up here. Preserve Shen He's body and extract some genetic samples for backup.” Xu Shi grinned, “And Miss Shen Qin too—no one else could handle this task.” Admittedly, saying Shen He's value had been completely exhausted wasn't entirely accurate—now even in death, he could still be useful. For now, Xu Shi had two ideas: using Shen Qin's regenerative powers for Xia Ke'an, and he himself experimenting with Shen He's abilities. After all, Xu Shi could only manipulate negative emotions. If he could add something akin to "unity" to his powers, it might compensate for his abilities' inherent shortcomings, making the sum greater than its parts. “Her?” Jiang Chengcheng gestured at Shen Qin, who looked detached. “Feels like you've played around with her too much, doesn’t it?” Her words sounded accusatory, but her tone lacked any such intent... She was well aware of Shen Qin's situation—Xu Shi's enemy. So obviously she had no sympathy; just a touch of amusement and jesting. Even Xia Wuyou wouldn't. “No worries, she's not that fragile, and it doesn’t interfere with sample extraction, right?” Xu Shi showed no concern. “But you've reminded me, her instability is indeed problematic.” “So?” “So I might need to ask you to make some modifications.” “Oh~~” Jiang Chengcheng smiled knowingly, drawing out the sound. Even as a mechanic, she couldn’t help but think of something indecent, especially when it was Xu Shi who suggested it. “How would Mr. Xu want me to modify her?” “Hmm…” Xu Shi pondered before responding, “Perhaps to the standards of a doll? Set a safe word, add an interruption mechanism… Oh, should we adjust sensitivity...?” He seemed a bit troubled by the possibilities. But the core direction remained unchanged. Winning over Miss Shen Qin's heart might not be easy. However, possessing her complete obedience was non-negotiable.