Chapter 189: Chapter 188: Returning to the Old Trade
Most students probably feel like digging up the exam writer’s ancestral grave when faced with a particularly tough "reading comprehension" / "proof question" / "cloze test" / "genetic analysis" question during exams.
’Why don’t we just kill the exam writer and blow up the school while we’re at it’—this is probably how the other five felt, aside from Le Yu.
"Jing Young Master, you’re really funny," Lan Jianbo said expressionlessly.
"Good job!" Luo Zhen gave a thumbs-up: "I, Luo Zhen, am willing to call you the strongest! To say such a thing in front of Ting’s Chaomu, I’m ashamed!"
"We’re very serious, Wei Shao, don’t mess things up," Quan Xin laughed.
Ting’s Chaomu didn’t react, calmly sipping some tea: "The nine major associations alone can’t wipe out the Ting Family... Of course, they can’t destroy any association either. An association, inherently, is not a violent institution."
Qin Leyin patted Le Yu’s shoulder, smiling: "Don’t be so hasty."
"I’m not in a hurry, why should I be? I’m not anxious at all," Le Yu shook his head repeatedly: "But aren’t you really considering it? Now Ting Gu has given us a tough question, and it might be a life or death question or a family-ending question."
"As long as there’s a question, there’s a possibility of getting it wrong."
"And as long as we get rid of the one who created the question, we definitely won’t lose. Even if we lose, it will be a collective loss for the Silver Blood Association, and we won’t face total ruin—no matter who controls Dongyang, they’ll surely need the Silver Blood Association, it’s just a change in leadership, but we can definitely maintain our current status."
Faced with Le Yu’s devil-like persuasion, Quan Xin and Luo Zhen were clearly a bit tempted. Qin Leyin just smiled without speaking, Lan Jianbo remained expressionless, while Ting’s Chaomu looked at Le Yu with a strange face, pondering something.
Of course, Le Yu’s proposal was ultimately rejected by everyone with righteous indignation.
As for what they really thought, only they’d know.
Le Yu didn’t mind it either; he was just probing casually, knowing this proposal had no chance of passing. If they had all agreed, Le Yu would have suspected he had fallen into a trap.
The Silver Blood Association had never adopted destructive competition methods—this specifically refers to the eighty-eight associations, but if it’s organizations outside the Silver Blood Association, well, let the gangs and white-haired assassins handle them.
Internally, among the eighty-eight associations, only commercial competition is allowed, perhaps mixed with gang disruptions, corporate espionage, cunning schemes, but directly taking up clubs and killing someone is absolutely forbidden.
Previously, Le Yu was ambushed by the Yitian Gang, and the Silver Blood Association immediately pressured them to curb such behavior.
Such pure violence is what the ruling class fears most, regardless of power, money, or subordinates. But if you’re stabbed to death by a passerby, then you’ve got nothing.
Thus even if the Ting Family set multiple traps, other associations would only consider how to counter them, rather than thinking of uniting and letting the Ting Family taste a 1V9 situation.
Even if they could gather private armies to annihilate the Ting Family swiftly, it would leave a curse upon their rule—a terribly bad precedent.
As the saying goes, ’If the top beam isn’t straight, the bottom one will be crooked’; although the Silver Blood Association is quite crooked, at least it maintains order, striving to keep inter-association profit clashes within the realm of healthy competition.
If someone attempts to violently destroy another association, then the restless small associations below will understand: Presiding turns round, next year it’ll be our turn, those with strong armies will take charge!
If Ting Gu merely wants to destroy Silver Blood’s younger generation, then Le Yu’s proposal practically drags the Silver Blood Association into the abyss of self-destruction.
By then the Silver Blood Association will be each worried for themselves, nobody can guarantee safety, perhaps the Governor and Heyang Army would say, "Hey, you want to fight, why didn’t you call us? We’re not good at making money, but fighting, we’re experts!"
Then the Silver Blood Association would naturally become nationalized assets, military assets, Silver Blood members receive formal positions, congratulations are in order.
Le Yu’s suggestion was so bad it was festering; even if others couldn’t think it through, they knew with their guts that this idea was absolutely unfeasible.
However, Le Yu just wanted to plant a ’conspiracy’ seed in their minds, since such a notion of "I can’t solve the problem, but I can solve the person posing the problem" is highly tempting, who knows if they’d lose their minds and actively become capitalism’s grave diggers?
Skipping over this minor episode, everyone discussed for an hour, Le Yu even changed the goji berries in his cup, but still no suitable plan emerged.
Because Ting Gu’s scheme was practically in a Schrödinger state, they couldn’t determine whether Ting Gu wanted the negotiation team to live or die, or if Ting Gu had a way to command the Linhai Army to control their fate—it was a paradox, if Ting Family really could order the Linhai Army, now brutally beating the Heyang Army, he could even change the world, directly conquering Dongyang, ushering in the era of big merchants.
In the face of absolute violence, the so-called Silver Blood Association is indeed fragile.
So they finally decided: you act on the first day, we’ll act on the fifteenth!
Each association has people within the Heyang Army too!
They can spend heavily bribe Heyang Army officers, have them monitor Ting Wanjian, even have Heyang Governor Gaishi Wen imprison this Ting Family young master—they must show a stance: if we die, then both your Ting Family sons must accompany us in death!
Of course, they didn’t truly wish Ting Family brothers to accompany them in death, merely hoped Ting Gu would be afraid to act rashly, ensuring their safe return!
Yes, Luo Zhen, Quan Xin, and others finally decided to go personally!
Apart from fearing the return of collateral family members to seize power, more importantly, they themselves have a great desire to inherit the family early.
Drunk with the power of the world, drunk reclining on the lap of a beauty, for those who have no power, it may be difficult to understand what power tastes like. But Luo Zhen and they are the heirs closest to the throne of power, in their hearts, they are actually eager for the current Patriarch father to die suddenly!
Just like Leyu, having become the captain of the Statistical Department upon crossing over, he had already learned to make use of the tool person Chen Fu. After becoming Jing Zhengwei, it became even more remarkable. Except for insisting on bathing alone—this point might change tonight—his daily life was already accustomed to being served by others.
It’s like playing a game, except in the game, you just have a pile of data obeying your orders; in reality, Leyu could make many people busy running around just because of an offhand remark.
Did Leyu decide to stay because of Qing Lan? Yes.
But the authority and financial resources of the Jing Family Patriarch were also factors influencing his decision to some extent.
After all, waking up naturally from sleep, counting money until one’s hands cramp, soaking wolfberry in flower tea every day, such leisurely days, Leyu is really reluctant to give up.
For young people like Luo Zhen and Quan Xin, at the age of wanting to roam wildly, being suppressed by the Patriarch and a group of clan elders, they are already unhappy inside, wanting to do something to prove themselves. Though there are dangers in this negotiation team, it is also an opportunity for them.
Moreover, in case they successfully lead the negotiations and hug the thigh of the Linhai Army under the name of the Silver Blood Association’s president, they could save themselves decades of struggle!
One cannot be young without being arrogant.
Even if they are the spoiled second generation of capital, as malicious as rotting pus, with thick skins and dark hearts.
But they are young people eager to establish themselves.
Turning the tide when about to collapse, supporting a great edifice on the verge of toppling!
Suppressed under the name of their fathers for many years, they are already eager to become the new generation of "Zhen Ting," "White Asura," and "Blackthorn!"
After finishing their discussion, no one was interested in staying for dinner, and they all excused themselves to go home and discuss with their Patriarch.
Leyu was also planning to leave with the others, but Qin Le Yin stopped him, "I still have other matters to discuss with you."
"Wow o(*≧▽≦)ツ┏━┓~"
Luo Zhen’s eyes lit up, clapping his hands happily. Others suddenly realized and looked at Leyu and Qin Le Yin with eyes of blessing.
Leyu’s face darkened, getting recognized by Luo Zhen, this veteran with a penchant for performers, he suspected that by tomorrow the news of "Jing Family Patriarch entangled with the eldest son of the Qin Family" would spread all over the streets.
But explaining would only make it worse, and the things they were about to discuss could not be seen in the light, so he thought it’s better to let them misunderstand.
Qin Le Yin maintained his business smile, politely sending them off, then said, "I think you shouldn’t be so obvious, or else they will become very wary of you—currently, it’s just the wariness of competitors, but once you’re exposed, that will be the vigilance of a life-and-death enemy."
Leyu knew he was talking about his proposal, and casually replied, "Got it, I was just talking casually. What else do you have? I’m waiting to go back to sleep."
"Didn’t you just wake up?"
"Didn’t sleep well last night... mind your own business!"
"Some things I didn’t mention earlier because they were present," Qin Le Yin said, "I received some intelligence yesterday. Since Lan Yan led the army to break Dongyang, he hasn’t contacted any outsiders, including the Ting Family."
"The Four Guards of Radiance?"
"Yes," Qin Le Yin responded without hesitation, "so the intelligence is absolutely true, Ting Gu cannot have any secret dealings with Lan Yan, and I can’t think of any way he could gain control over this Chenfeng figure."
"So, Ting Gu’s influence can be ignored, we may have to rely on our true abilities to survive the negotiation team."
Leyu asked, "Since you have intelligence, that means you have people in the Linhai Army."
"Mid-level officers, hard to count on," Qin Le Yin said, "In terms of strength, you and I should be the strongest in the negotiation team. So I have two proposals."
"The first proposal, we make the first move and kill the white-haired assassin ’Chen’ as a pledge to gain Lan Yan’s trust. In this way, regardless of the outcome, we are in an invincible position."
Leyu shook his head, "That’s not a good idea, I’m a decent person, I don’t like betraying companions."
"Then you can choose the second proposal."
Qin Le Yin said, "We also act as assassins."
"We coordinate with the white-haired assassin to attack and kill Lan Yan."