There is a type of chicken called a wooden chicken.
Whenever a wooden chicken appears, it signifies that an unbearable piece of news is about to descend!
Li Xiao is currently demonstrating, through his actions, what it truly means to be a wooden chicken.
He stared blankly at Jessica.
After an eternity had passed, he finally blinked and regained his senses.
Impossible!
Absolutely impossible!!
You say the child you're carrying is my son's, what's the difference between that and a wolf falling in love with a sheep?
These three sentences—
Just as Li Xiao was about to utter them, Jessica, who had anticipated that her grand move would render him a wooden chicken, took out her phone.
"Father-in-law Li, please listen to a phone recording between Li Qianfan and myself, and then voice your opinion."
Jessica's expression was calm, her tone composed, as she changed how she addressed Li Xiao.
Father-in-law Li looked as if he had just been defiled by a dog.
The phone began playing the recording of Jessica's conversation with Li Qianfan that night.
The progress bar for the recording was a full fifteen minutes long.
It had not been edited in any way!
Fifteen minutes passed—
Father-in-law Li, who looked as if he had just been defiled by a dog, blinked his wise, large eyes again.
His mouth moved, but he couldn't even let out a fart!
Li Xiao didn't need to verify the phone recording to know it was the genuine article, worth ten times its weight in gold.
Because—
Back when Bai Du Niao was killing people in Gaul, Li Xiao had already heard Du Yaoya complain to him that Li Qianfan had gone out to find a woman.
But what truly made Father-in-law Li feel like he had been defiled by a dog ten thousand times over was that he never would have dreamed that the woman his useless son had casually found was the matriarch of the world's foremost affluent family!
Especially that she had become pregnant.
Even a novelist wouldn't dare to imagine such a thing, would they?
"Father-in-law Li."
Jessica's expression was leisurely as she picked up her coffee cup. "I know you must be wondering why I would dare to keep this child. In truth, you should know that the Rod Family's methods of ensuring the purest lineage are quite... peculiar."
For the next half hour—
Jessica spoke slowly and methodically, and Li Xiao listened intently, without uttering a word.
"If I'm not mistaken,"
Jessica looked down at her abdomen. "This should be Dragon Ruins' first, third-generation member."
You are mistaken.
The one Su Maomao is carrying is the first third-generation member of Dragon Ruins.
Li Xiao thought to himself, refuting her internally.
"But you can rest assured, this child will absolutely not participate in the competition for the position of Dragon Ruins' third-generation Dragon Lord."
Jessica, feeling confident of victory, revealed her greatest secret and felt an unprecedented sense of relief.
She crossed her elegant legs and tapped her toes lightly. "Because from the moment it began to gestate, it was destined to become the matriarch of the world's foremost affluent family in a few decades!"
Father-in-law Li coughed dryly, still unsure what to say.
"If you wish for this child to cease its vigorous development, or if you wish for its home to be shattered upon its birth,"
Jessica said languidly, "then by all means, you can launch a mutually destructive attack on the Rod Family."
The wise and valiant Father-in-law Li began to feel a headache coming on.
"Of course, I once promised Li Qianfan that I would never use this child for any kind of transaction."
Jessica continued, "But everything I am doing now, although it is a transaction, is for the sake of this child. Therefore, it does not violate my agreement with Li Qianfan. What do you think, Father-in-law Li?"
Father-in-law Li—
Nodded subconsciously.
Because Jessica was indeed correct!
"Father-in-law Li, to express my utmost sincerity,"
Jessica thought for a moment and said, "I can hand over the Rod Family's market operations to Li Qianfan to manage. This can be considered my hard-earned fee, or perhaps a welcoming gift, for his father."
His father's hard-earned fee—
Father-in-law Li instantly felt that his son Li Qianfan's dignity had suffered billions of points of damage!
"Dragon Ruins must cease all actions that violate the rules."
Jessica leaned forward, narrowing her eyes slightly as she looked at Father-in-law Li. "The Rod Family absolutely cannot abandon our actions in the Blackwater Forest! Because the Rod Family has already paid too much to establish our presence there, and we cannot give up easily!"
Father-in-law Li frowned.
Jessica then added, "Father-in-law Li, you don't just have Li Qianfan as your son, do you? For his sake, you are willing to sacrifice the future of the entire Dragon Ruins. Heh heh, your aunts around you, even if they don't say it, you know what they're thinking, don't you?"
Alas.
Father-in-law Li sighed softly.
He had no need to deny, in front of Jessica, the dissatisfaction felt by Ye Wushuang and others after he had so belligerently initiated the war machine.
Jessica spoke again, "But I cannot guarantee that Li Qianfan, who has already rushed into the outer defense zone of the Blackwater Forest, will be able to walk out alive. After all, when he charged into the defense zone, he was only wearing a thermal outfit. While I was negotiating with you, those searching for him still haven't found any trace. Judging by common sense,"
She paused.
Jessica then said, "He might have already frozen to death in a snowdrift somewhere he was hiding."
Li Xiao's eyebrows shot up!
"Father-in-law Li, please accept my condolences."
Jessica said with a look of apology, "And I must also inform you that once my people find his body, they will take some of his limbs for scientific research."
Li Xiao closed his eyes and slowly exhaled a breath.
"As for Madam Wujiang, her crossing the Dragon River in pursuit of her son's comfort must also be handled according to the rules."
Jessica, now completely in control, spoke with even greater composure. "I also hope that you can tell Madam Wujiang that she should not try to fight me to the death over Li Qianfan's death. Because what I am carrying in my womb is Li Qianfan's only bloodline! And Madam Wujiang's only continuation of life."
Li Xiao, ignoring Jessica's pregnancy, finally lit a cigarette.
Another half hour later—
Li Xiao, the Father-in-law of Dragon Ruins, with a face full of false pleasantries, personally saw Jessica off onto the plane.
The plane roared and took off smoothly.
After watching the plane disappear from sight, Li Xiao softly instructed Bai Hong beside him, "Xiao Bai, issue the order. Terminate all operations."
Xiao Bai didn't know what Jessica had said during the time she and Xiuzi had been excused that caused Li Xiao to call off the operation.
Just as she was about to ask—
Li Xiao said irritably, "Don't ask. Right now, I wish I could transform into a beam of light and fly to the Blackwater Forest, catch that scoundrel, and just cut him!"
Seeing his emotional state, Xiao Bai didn't dare to ask further and could only pout and quickly turn away.
Ten minutes after Jessica left Dragon Ruins—
The war machine of Dragon Ruins slowly ground to a halt.
All the dispatched personnel vanished from their designated locations.
The heads of the Moses Family and other three major powers also called Li Xiao, praising him as a true peacemaker!
Of course.
The three major powers also honored their promise, each contributing 1% of their shares in the three major banks, transferring them to Dragon Ruins at market price.
Just by making two phone calls, they had obtained benefits that the Rod Family had previously refused to budge on, making the three major powers sigh with emotion.
However, it was clear that—
Dragon Ruins, which had taken a total of 3% of the shares (of the three major banks), was undoubtedly the biggest winner!
Furthermore, the three major powers were all certain that the Rod Family, forced to swallow their pride, would have to hand over even more benefits to Dragon Ruins to appease Li Xiao's anger.
"Dragon Lord Li, I now realize that you are the true cunning merchant. By using your son's situation as an excuse, you seized the opportune moment to secure such great benefits for Dragon Ruins. Tsk tsk, I concede defeat."
The patriarch of the Moses Family exclaimed repeatedly as he ended the call.
Li Xiao responded with polite pleasantries.
Naturally, he didn't mention the secret alliance with the War Demon Hall.
Some things are best left unsaid, even when understood; that is the highest realm of being.
Li Xiao walked towards the main entrance of Dragon Ruins while making phone calls.
He called Li Wujiang. "Wujiang, I have some news for you, but you absolutely must not tell anyone else! Remember, absolutely do not tell anyone."
Sister Wujiang, who had just led her team to a secret ambush point, sounded impatient. "Sir, speak quickly, I need to sleep."
Li Xiao's voice came through clearly. "Your son has gotten the matriarch of the Rod Family, Jessica, pregnant."
What!?
Li Wujiang, who was indeed extremely tired from the long journey, heard this and all her sleepiness vanished.
"Absolutely do not tell anyone else. I promised Jessica I wouldn't tell a soul."
Li Xiao reiterated his instructions to Li Wujiang before ending the call.
"That scoundrel, got Jessica pregnant?"
It took Li Wujiang a long time to fully sober up.
She immediately called Li Nanfang. "Father-in-law Li, I have some news for you, but you absolutely must not tell anyone else! Remember, absolutely do not tell anyone!"
A few minutes later—
Yang Xiao, who was conducting experiments in the Dragon Ruins laboratory, received a call from Li Nanfang. "Guan Guan (Yang Xiao's childhood nickname), I have some news for you, but you absolutely must not tell anyone else! Remember, absolutely do not tell anyone!"
A few minutes later—
Li Xiao finally arrived at the main entrance.
He looked at the two girls still kneeling and remained silent for a moment.
He walked over.
And bent down—
He whispered to Su Ziyu, "Ziyu. Due to certain irresistible reasons, Dragon Ruins must cease its offensive operations against the Rod Family."