Chapter 182: Walk with Me, Will You? - It’s the Cyber Age—Still Playing a Traditional Villain?

**Chapter 182: Walk with Me, Will You?** Enough is enough! That's all Su Lin could think about right now. Being interrupted mid-sentence so abruptly felt utterly ridiculous. And this wasn't the first time! Last time in the office, she felt Xu Shi was about to kiss her, and then suddenly Jiang Cheng barged in... Where are they when the timing is usually so perfect? Of course, there are exceptions. Like that time when she accompanied Xu Shi to Sin City to capture Gu Yi, no one interrupted them. But back then, Su Lin, the top director, hadn't confirmed her own feelings. Faced with Xu Shi's teasing, she felt nothing but embarrassed anger, with no other thoughts at all. Since then, she hadn't had such a good opportunity again. What's this? Only realizing the loss after it's gone? She wondered if she was under some strange curse, as she mentally drew circles on the ground. She stood there, lost in thought, muttering to herself for quite some time, until Xu Shi finished his phone call and returned. "Was it Tang Shuang who called you?" Not knowing what else to say, Su Lin chose to ask what she already knew. "Yes, it was about some follow-up details on the governance of Sin City, a lot of rambling that gave me a headache." Xu Shi sighed, "I've arranged to meet her; I might have to go to the City Hall every day for the next few days to discuss it with her in person." "Oh." Su Lin nodded. "I'll go back and revise your schedule, deal with some less important matters for you. Does that sound okay?" "Yes, thank you for that." Xu Shi was long accustomed to Su Lin's way of handling things. In fact, before and even now, he hardly ever had to worry about most trivial matters himself, and he happily delegated the power to her. "By the way, what were you saying about tonight? I didn’t catch it." Once everything was settled, he suddenly remembered what she had been talking about earlier. "Ah..." Su Lin was about to finish what she was saying before but stopped herself. Honestly, she felt conflicted. If it weren't for the matter with Lin Yue, it might be different. But suddenly she realized that Xu Shi is surrounded by women, likely more than she had thought. And now there's another, Tang Shuang... So, shouldn't she be straightforward about her feelings? Who knows how Xu Shi will respond, but even if he refuses, it would save her from overthinking. Otherwise, if she keeps dragging things on, she might find herself edged out... feelings are ever-changing, and every minute counts. But then again, Tang Shuang is meeting Xu Shi for official business, and inviting him to dinner is purely a personal affair. He's in a critical period of consolidating his position, and distracting him with such things might not be good either. She's the type who easily puts her own matters at the lowest priority, though this is only the case when she faces Xu Shi. In front of others, she commands respect. So she changed her line, "It's nothing, just wanted to ask... what would you like for dinner?" She couldn't change what had already happened but convinced herself that delaying for three to five days wouldn't cause any harm... would it? She chose to comfort herself with an excuse she barely believed. "Do you really need to ask me about that?" Xu Shi paused, then laughed and waved it off, "You just decide. Hasn't it always been like this for years?" "Yeah, I suppose." Su Lin smiled awkwardly, "So now... home?" "Yes, let's go." Xu Shi cracked his neck, looking at her with a smile, with a hint of something unnoticeably different flickering in his eyes. ... The next day. "Good morning, Governor Tang." Xu Shi arrived at City Hall early. He was indeed very interested in the development details of Sin City. Even if Tang Shuang hadn't sought his attention, he would've been keeping an eye on things. After all, others couldn't be relied upon. When it came to dividing the spoils, everyone was quite enthusiastic, but when work needed to be done, they were nowhere to be found. Only Old Wen was an exception, but unfortunately, he was not in full health and needed rest. So, all the hard work fell onto his shoulders. "Good morning, Chairman Xu." Tang Shuang seemed not to have rested well; her slightly weary face bore faint dark circles. However, upon seeing him, she perked up and warmly invited him into her office. "I'm sorry to trouble you to come personally; I hope it’s not a bother?" "How could it be? I'm more than willing to be of service to Governor Tang." The slight sarcasm in her tone didn’t escape Xu Shi, but he didn’t mind, laughing it off with a joke. At the same time, he noticed another oddity. "By the way, why are you still wearing the inspector's uniform? I heard from Xingchuan that the new governor's appointment has been finalized." "Let's talk some business." Tang Shuang didn't respond to that question and instead produced a proposal for him. "Here, this is what I've put together over the past few days. See if there's anything that needs improvement?" Xu Shi didn’t hold back, taking the proposal and skimming through it carefully. Truth be told, the scene was quite amusing—in theory, the governor is the highest authority of Sin City, yet Tang Shuang was presenting her work like a student seeking Xu Shi's approval... But neither Xu Shi nor Tang Shuang seemed to find anything odd about it, carrying out the exchange with a natural ease, understanding each other without words. Do they understand the weight of the de facto sovereign ruler of Sin City? (Hands on hips) "This is not bad, pretty close to what we discussed in the meetings a few days ago." After some time, Xu Shi set down the proposal. "But it's still not quite enough—you need to set some impactful precedents to establish your authority, can't be too soft." "Specifically?" Tang Shuang moved closer to him, humbly seeking guidance. "Here, for instance, how you're presenting the handling of the revolt is too half-hearted." Xu Shi pointed out on the proposal, "The residents' dissatisfaction with 'The Forgotten' has always existed, especially as they led the revolt. The means of dealing with it need to be much stricter. Otherwise, putting everything else aside, the mere fact of winning people's acceptance could be an issue." Indeed, while everyone is aware of the involvement of powerful financial backers playing behind the scenes, the City Hall is what the public sees, and this balance must be carefully maintained. "For example, those leaders, like Zhao Yuan and Shen He, even though they’re dead, still need to be figuratively brought out and executed again... Including Shen Qin, or rather, Nan Qian, could be lent to you for your purposes." He broke it down for Tang Shuang piece by piece, "Building on this framework, it's best to bring out Yue Chizheng for a public trial. After all, the charges against him include colluding with 'The Forgotten,' which would give people some closure and also enhance your reputation." This proposed course of action was feasible, and he wasn’t worried about its implementation, as Qi Maoyang was already overseeing public opinion. Having done this long enough, he was sure he wouldn’t make mistakes. Tang Shuang, in turn, wasn't incompetent; she quickly grasped the nuances, needing no spoon-feeding. "You're right." Governor Tang didn't object, but she had questions of her own. "Shen He... is dead? I thought he was captured alive by you and me? And Shen Qin, what do you mean by lending?" "Dead. I personally killed him a few days ago." Xu Shi spread his hands. "As for Shen Qin, indeed, it's a loan. She still has value to me, and even in execution, I can't truly let her die." "You killed him personally... Why didn't you mention this when I contacted you yesterday?" Tang Shuang hesitated, suddenly a bit indignant. "Who authorized you to execute personal justice?" "You didn’t ask," Xu Shi countered with a nonchalant shrug. "Besides, he and I had a private vendetta. He did plenty against the 'Serpent Circle,' and since we captured him, it's only logical for me to decide his fate." "You," Governor Tang sighed, adopting the helpless stance of an elder sister unable to manage her mischievous little brother, "Please, can we ask Chairman Xu not to be so reckless?" "Not skinning him alive already shows I'm a kind-hearted person." Xu Shi wouldn't be swayed by her once again, meeting her gaze with a mischievous grin. "This time only, no more for the future." Tang Shuang sighed again, losing count of how many times she'd said that... "And how about 'Dragon City' and Song Chen's faction? Was my handling of them inappropriate too?" "A bit, yes." Xu Shi slightly nodded, "It's again a matter of balance. 'Dragon City' should certainly be condemned, but do so with exaggerated pomp and subdued action. All the blame should fall solely on their heads, so the common people of Sin City won't doubt the Night City's takeover and can more easily accept it." "And as for Song Chen, he should not only be rewarded but greatly rewarded. Because, behind the scenes, you never know how many are still holding out or plotting. It must be made clear to them that opposition leads to a dead end, and allegiance is the best choice." "But you also mentioned that the factional disputes among ‘The Forgotten’ won’t end just because Zhao Yuan and Shen Qin have been ousted." Tang Shuang was still a bit skeptical. "Raising Song Chen too high... wouldn't that just exacerbate their internal conflicts?" "Not necessarily." Xu Shi waved his hand. "The circumstances for ‘The Forgotten’ weren't great to begin with, and after this insurrection, things are even harder. Most of them just want a stable life. Providing them with a better environment will encourage faster support for Song Chen." "As for the few zealots, you nip them in the bud with decisive actions." "...You've certainly thought this through more comprehensively than I have." Hearing him say this, Tang Shuang seemed clearer and more assured. "Thank you." Having just stepped into this role, it was inevitable she felt somewhat confused, trying to balance every aspect, which turned out to be no easy task. In such a scenario, having someone to help clarify and organize everything for her did make things considerably easier. "It's just a suggestion, Madam Governor, you give me too much credit." Xu Shi smiled, acting humble, "Ultimately, how you choose to act is still your headache. You've got this." "Wondering who made me have this headache in the first place." Tang Shuang rolled her eyes at him, "Truth be told, aren’t you the most troublesome one around me?" "Don't blame the innocent, sister." Xu Shi quickly feigned innocence. "Aren't I the victim here? You know how things have been with me lately... holding them down was hard enough, if I had truly given in, wouldn't they have turned the world upside down?" "Spare me." Governor Tang snorted, "Don't think I don't know; this entire insurrection was under your control from start to finish." "I don't know what you're talking about." Xu Shi averted his gaze, feigning ignorance. "Then consider it as me talking to thin air." Tang Shuang continued nonchalantly, "And it's not just this insurrection, you've been making good use of me for quite a while, haven’t you?" "The Serpent Circle's factory in District 13 and the attack at the chip release event—you knew all about it in advance, yet let them blow it up intentionally. That's because you had absolute confidence having arranged everything right from the start. The inspection bureau was just a pawn in your game... In business terms, this is called maximizing profit, right?" "And if I'm not mistaken, the incident of the ‘Shark Tooth’ chip being hijacked, you orchestrated that too?" After saying all this, she quietly watched Xu Shi, seemingly awaiting his response. "...That was a long time ago, no point in bringing up old scores now, right?" Xu Shi didn't deny it, sighing inwardly, finally you've noticed... But it was within his expectations. As he’d always said, Tang Shuang wasn't clueless. If she hadn't caught on earlier, that was understandable; if she never noticed, that would have been worrisome. "Even pushing me into this governor role... you first talked with Xingchuan? The position at the inspection bureau is now hers?" Tang Shuang's tone didn't sound accusatory, more contemplative. "I was wondering why she would be so diligent. I know that girl well enough." Xu Shi chuckled silently. Everything had already been settled, and having it laid bare didn’t bother him much. "Answer me one question." As she spoke, Tang Shuang leaned in, staring directly into his eyes and asked, "If I absolutely refused the governor position, what would you have done with me?" "...I would have found a way to completely edge you out of City Hall, forcing you to have no choice but to join the 'Serpent Circle.'" Xu Shi thought it over and answered earnestly. "As for the governor's position, I might have put a puppet there, or even stepped up myself, to satisfy my own curiosity of holding office." Moreover, he could tell that she'd already internally reached her conclusions. "Just as I suspected." Tang Shuang's expression showed no surprise, yet there was a visibly discernible despondency in her voice—it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she was a bit disappointed... Hearing it from him was different from merely suspecting it; the truth can sometimes cut like a sharp knife. Xu Shi, observing her expression, did not offer comfort or intervention, but waited silently for her reaction. "…The room feels stuffy; is the air conditioning broken?" After a long silence, Madam Governor gently tugged at her collar. "Would you accompany me outside for some fresh air?" (End of this chapter)