Chapter 204: Chapter 203: Returned
From the very beginning, the "Youth Daily" has been peddling malice and anxiety.
Not only in ’Future Echoes’, but the ’Knowledge Discussion Zone’, ’Bizarre News’, ’Inspirational Stories’, ’Discussion Board’, and even the ’Sensational Cover’, all have a sense of inexplicable malice.
This malice is not just towards the upper echelons of the Silver Blood Association but encompasses all ordinary people.
It mocks all poor people, questioning why they dare to have children when they can’t raise them well or teach them properly. What use is giving birth, only to repeat a life of servitude? To bring them into the world just to be trampled by the powerful?
It mocks all workers, encouraging them to work hard so that the women they like end up in their boss’s bedroom; the boss can then open more factories and take on more concubines.
It cheers for the wealthy, where a rich meal costs as much as an ordinary person’s lifetime food expenses; the clothes of Silver Blood nobility are made of fabrics a poor person could never even touch, and the elite live in clean and tidy inner cities, while outer city folk aren’t even qualified to touch the floor tiles.
Mu Qingmei used to get very angry, wishing for "Youth Daily" to close immediately, but unfortunately, its sales continue to rise, even selling well within the Silver Blood Association.
As one of the young masters in the ’Discussion Board’ put it: "Look at that person, getting so angry reading the newspaper, like a dog."
At that time, Mu Qingmei also thought that "Youth Daily" used its mockery of the poor as a selling point, but as time went by, her views gradually changed.
She heard workers begin to skillfully use words like ’capitalist’ and ’exploitation’.
She saw the faces of laborers heading home after work no longer looked numb, but worried and dissatisfied.
In the past couple of days, even colleagues have approached her, hoping everyone could unite to demand a pay raise from the chief editor—"Youth Daily" sells so well, our editorial department deserves some credit, is it unreasonable to ask for a bit more salary?
Although it hadn’t yet become a force, Mu Qingmei could see a spark of hope in it.
Given a bit more time to grow, and time to spread, this spark could eventually ignite the entire Dongyang District in flames.
However, many have already noticed the threat of this spark and are trying to extinguish it.
If it wasn’t for the protection of the Jing Family, this spark would’ve been extinguished long ago.
Sorting through the readers’ letters, Mu Qingmei couldn’t help but look toward the stairs leading to the third floor.
According to the plan, when the news of Jing Zhengwei’s death came, Mu Qingmei was to quickly leave with Rong Yao from downstairs and take the ’Shadow of Yin’, Qing Lan, away from Xuanzhu County’s place of sorrow.
But now, Mu Qingmei felt a thought she couldn’t believe herself:
She hoped Jing Zhengwei would return alive.
If Jing Zhengwei died, "Youth Daily" would surely collapse. This hard-earned spark would also be blown out by the pervasive Silver Blood winds.
If Jing Zhengwei died, then the ’Transfer of White and Jing’ plan on Yin Minghong’s side would also fall apart. Without Jing Zhengwei’s support, Yin Minghong couldn’t possibly continue to replace the blood of the Jing Family’s chamber of commerce with that of White Night.
More importantly, Mu Qingmei had a peculiar premonition that even if Jing Zhengwei did die—
Qing Lan might not leave with them.
Clatter, clatter, clatter!
Like the sound of heavy thunder, footsteps echoed in the stairwell.
Everyone looked over, only to see a guard from the Jing Family running up, gasping and quickly saying, "The entire negotiation team has returned; Young Master Jing will return to Xuanzhu County before evening!"
"Editor Jing is safe?!"
"Wonderful!"
"Without his guidance, we can’t even write drafts!"
"Is Young Master Jing about to become the new chairman of the Silver Blood Association?"
"Should we take a day off to celebrate today?"
Mu Qingmei immediately ran up to the third floor, knocked on the chief editor’s door twice, and directly pushed it open, eagerly saying, "Sister Qing Lan, Young Master Jing has returned safely!"
"The noise below was so loud, I heard it all."
Qing Lan, wearing glasses, didn’t lift her head as she responded, meticulously reviewing the manuscripts.
Mu Qingmei said awkwardly, "I just wanted you to know quickly..."
"Alright, go out," Qing Lan said calmly.
Confronting the life and death of Jing Zhengwei, Sister Qing Lan was so composed. It’s no wonder she’s called the ’Shadow of Yin’... Mu Qingmei sighed inwardly and left.
After Mu Qingmei closed the door, Qing Lan walked over to lock it. She paced back and forth in the room, eventually humming a little tune and skipping around, unable to sit still even while perched by the window looking out at the view. Her little butt swayed as if an invisible tail was wagging.
Suddenly recalling something, she took out a mirror to touch up her makeup, then took out several different styles of glasses and swapped them around.
But then she reconsidered and took off her glasses.
"These past few days, he’s been eating poorly and not sleeping well, he must be very tired..." Qing Lan muttered.
But she reconsidered: "However, he is quite robust, and he’s been holding back for a few days, which is tough on him."
"I’ve been worrying about him for several days, which is tough on me too."
Putting her glasses back on, Qing Lan said, "I can’t let him off so easily."
...
...
As Le Yu and the others were about to return to Xuanzhu County, Lan Yan left only a small portion of forces to guard Copper Bell Town, quickly marching the rest of the Linhai Army to the first fortress of the Dongyang District.
"Is this the Wolf Prison berthing site?"
Yin Guyue stood on a high slope, gazing at the sprawling military fortress: "Looks easy to attack."
"Although not as fortified as Chenfeng’s three major lines, the Sea Barbarians of Dongyang District do not invade land, instead they attack merchant ships." Lan Yan walked up next to Yin Guyue: "As its name suggests, Wolf Prison is just a berthing site. The real fortress is in those dozens of advanced steel warships. These are the seafaring fortresses that dare not show their heads in front of sea barbarians and have a formidable reputation across distant seas."
"Once they anchor and leave the shore, no matter how inferior the Heyang Army’s capabilities, we can’t do anything about them. If we engage in naval warfare, it suits them perfectly—on water, Heyang Army has no rivals."
"Then we might as well not attack," Yin Guyue instantly chickened out: "Why would we want to gnaw at such a hard bone?"
"Attack we must." Lan Yan laughed: "This is part of my deal with Young Master Jing, we must inflict pain on the Heyang Army to create an opportunity for him to seize power."
"Unless there’s greater benefit, I typically do not break my promises."
"Moreover, it’s said that Commander Gai Shiwen of the Heyang holds a very useful Extreme Divine Weapon."
"Is that true?" Yin Guyue’s eyes sparkled: "Great, let’s quickly crush the Heyang Army then!"
"Hold on." Lan Yan gently shook his head: "An all-out assault on the Wolf Prison berthing site would certainly cost the Linhai Army significant forces. I want to hurt the Heyang Army and capture Gai Shiwen, but I don’t want the Linhai Army to suffer grave harm."
Yin Guyue giggled: "General, you might as well just ask Gai Shiwen to surrender directly."
"I wish I could, alas, I have no orators as eloquent and persuasive as lotus tongues."
Lan Yan turned his head, looking at the man standing behind him: "However, I do have a strategist and advisor who is wise and cunning."
Xia Lingguo clasped his fists: "How many troops are available?"
"All of them."
"Even the General?"
"Lan is at Mr. Xia’s command."
"Very well."
Xia Lingguo pointed at the distant Wolf Prison berthing site: "All of general’s requirements, Xia Lingguo will take care of."
"Within five days, with ten percent of our forces, I will decapitate the commander and defeat the entire Heyang."