Chapter 133: The Jiang Family, And The Final Blow Against The Bai Family

Taunts, sneers and schadenfreude…

She had never been on the receiving end of these things before. Now that she was, Jin Sitian’s face was so red that it seemed like she was about to explode.

Her mind then went blank for a very long time. Ever since her debut in the entertainment industry, she had always been riding on Mr. Tian’s coattails. Her peers would always look at her with envy for being so lucky to have found such a wealthy but most importantly, generous sugar daddy, albeit him being an older gentleman.

Even so, many were still jealous of her. Because of her powerful sugar daddy, no one dared to stand in Jin Sitian’s way let alone offend her deliberately. Because Mr. Tian’s pocket was like a bottomless pit, he easily could pour tens of millions into any project so how could these people ever reject his offer?

This was the first time she had been publicly shamed in front of so many people. Despite this, she still had something to say.

With Tang Enterprise’s support, Xiao Yun’s role in “Empire Under Siege” was further solidified. There was no doubt about Jin Sitian being kicked out from this project but there was still the possibility that the Tangs could end her entire career altogether!

Jin Sitian found it hard to make sense of this. Purple-faced, she yelled, “It’s just a tertiary character! You think I care if I lose this role?!”

Finally regaining his senses, Jin Sitian’s manager, who was far more well-informed about the Tang family, cupped his hand over her mouth and dragged her back into the dressing room to prevent her from exacerbating the current situation. “You must tell Mr. Tian about this immediately!”

Mr. Tian must be in financial trouble, he thought. It was because of the man’s authority that gave the manager the confidence to stand toe-to-toe with Cheng Zhou. Seeing Cheng Zhou’s pitiful grin created an emotion in the manager that was not too far off from what Jin Sitian was experiencing. Never in his life had he wanted to bury himself in the ground more than right now.

He must have been drunk to be able to come up with what he said to Cheng Zhou just now!

The manager felt like he was about to shrivel up and die from regret. He knew very well that working in the Imperial Capital was like treading across a minefield. So why didn’t he grow some brains before making such foolish decisions?

Tang Enterprise? They were one of the pillars that supported China’s economic prosperity! Mr. Tian, whom Jin Sitian was relying on all this time was nothing but a petty nouveau riche in comparison. No matter how much money he had, there was no way he could match the significance of such a well-established family! Death was the only outcome should one decide to fight against such an unstoppable force.

With the help of Tang Enterprise, Mr. Tian was as insignificant as an ant on the ground to the entire “Empire Under Siege” project!

“I don’t see a need to do that? Xiao Yun is just a nobody!” Jin Sitian started taking out her anger on her manager. “Tell Mr. Tian to get Tang Enterprise to hand Xiao Yun over! I’ll make sure that she never makes a comeback! Period!”

This was all Xiao Yun’s fault. Jin Sitian who held her grudges well could not take it without retaliating.

“Have you gone mad?” This was the first time the manager had ever handled an artist as mindless as Jin Sitian. In fact, he started doubting his decision to work with her. “Don’t you know who they are?! You better be praying hard for Tang Enterprise to not place the blame on either you or Mr. Tian! Else, you guys are done for, for the rest of your lives!”

The manager then painstakingly explained the situation she was currently in.

Jin Sitian still wore that stubborn look on her face. However, panic had already started taking hold of her underneath the surface. This situation was making her more and more upset, she felt.

This feeling was further reinforced when her calls went unanswered by her sugar daddy no matter how long the phone rang.

These two, who came marching in with high spirits in the morning proceeded to leave sneakily like a bunch of thieves. The process took place in under an hour but the scene had changed so dramatically. The film crew, upon seeing them leave, were moments away from celebrating with firecrackers.

Sitting in the car, Jin Sitian didn’t even have the mood to sneer at Ning Qing who was working as a pathetic background actress. Her mind was only filled with worry.

She found it hard to accept the fact that Xiao Yun was allowed to stay and continue playing as Concubine Zuo Qiuxiang, and her own dismissal was even harder to swallow. To be able to turn the tide so suddenly, just who was this Tang Enterprise? What happened for them to take such drastic actions against her?

Mr. Xiang, as far as she knew, was a top-tier manager working under the Tangs. He was responsible for quite a number of A-list celebrities which included both Li Yu as well as the female lead who was going to return from overseas soon. But wasn’t the person with whom she signed the contract Mister Li? When did Mr. Xiang step into the picture?

***

Qin Heng wanted to have a meeting with Cheng Zhou as well as the producer. Before leaving though, he spared Xiao Yun a couple of glances. Naturally, he was curious about the artiste who his boss had personally mentioned and subsequently, transferred over to Mr. Xiang.

“It’s just like I said. I had a feeling that we would be working together very soon.” Li Yu glanced at Xiao Yun. “Hey, it’s your turn to go on camera now. Hurry up and change into your outfit. I’m looking forward to working with you again.”

Xiao Yun felt her entire body stiffen up. She thought about it for what felt like an eternity but no matter how she looked at it, it just didn’t make sense for Tang Enterprise to step in and intervene.

She didn’t have any connections with the people here in the Imperial Capital. Wu Hongwen and Luo Wenlang were definitely out of the equation for this; to her knowledge, they did not know about yesterday’s incident. She totally did not expect the situation to play out like this. Ruling out everyone else, only Gu Xiqiao had the potential to turn the tide around.

The makeup artist was working on Xiao Yun’s face when she brushed her fingers across her phone. She wanted to give Gu Xiqiao a call but decided against it at the last moment.

“Xiao Yun,” said Cheng Zhou who had walked out halfway through the meeting. There wasn’t the need for him to stay there since it was the planning department’s responsibility to handle the cooperation and finances. He left after confirming the Tang family’s intention to fork over two-hundred million yuan to fund his project. He needed to talk to Xiao Yun.

“Now that Jin Sitian has left, we need someone to play the role of Princess Qixia. Perhaps your friend from yesterday would be interested in playing this role?”

Hold up. Xiao Yun thought she had misheard the director.

“Director Cheng, are you sure that you want my friend to play in this movie?” Gu Xiqiao was a med student, not an actress!

“That’s right. I feel that her temperament suits this character very well.” Seeing how Xiao Yun was skeptical about this, Cheng Zhou’s expression grew even more serious. “I have been a director for so many years now, and to tell you the truth, my eyes never fail me. That friend of yours I feel, has a very malleable personality. Take you for an example, the reason I chose you was because of how convincing you are when you act. To date, I have never been disappointed by your work. Likewise, something tells me that your friend is born to act!”

He refrained from saying that when staring at Gu Xiqiao, he saw the image of Wen Xi, the empress of entertainment in China. However, twenty years ago, Wen Xi vanished from the entertainment scene without leaving a trace. Many of her fans broke down into tears upon learning of her departure. Even till now, she remained an unsurpassable milestone for many aspiring actors and actresses.

Those bright eyes of hers in particular was what made her such a phenomenal actress. A slight change would have conveyed countless emotions she was feeling to her audience. This was what many had attempted to and failed to replicate.

She even appeared on the front page of a foreign fashion magazine, who described her eyes as “eyes that could speak”.

Xiao Yun was puzzled by the director’s look but she knew that he was being completely serious about it. As such, she replied in an equally serious manner.

“Director Cheng, Er Qiao is a med student. I cannot guarantee that she would accept your offer.”

By that she meant, there was an 80% chance that Gu Xiqiao would refuse the offer.

For the remaining 20% to come true, Gu Xiqiao must be bored out of her mind at her university.

“It’s alright, so long as you ask her about it. I’m not forcing her to accept the role or anything.”

Cheng Zhou may say so but in reality, he had no intention to accept anyone else for Princess Qixia’s role other than Gu Xiqiao.

Xiao Yun was surprised by how persistent the director was for Gu Xiqiao to play in his movie. Without a second thought, she called Gu Xiqiao on her phone.

***

Gu Xiqiao was not even halfway through her breakfast when Xiao Yun’s call came through. “Er Qiao, are you interested in acting?”

“Chirp?”

Before Gu Xuqiao replied, she smacked Xixi off to one side before opening her mouth. Right before she could do so however, she was interrupted by a notification from the System.

“[Ding! Random Mission activated: Star in the movie “Empire Under Siege” as the character, Princess Qixia!]

[Mission completion reward: 500 points]”

The System’s eyes were beaming at Gu Xiqiao from the void.

“[Beauty Qiao, I am still 511 points away from leveling up!]”

She had received 2000 points from the chain mission involving the Soul Extinguishing Seal and her advancements in ancient martial arts gained her another 2500 points. As such, the system was now just 511 points away from gaining another level.

If she completed this mission, she would receive 500 points.

“I have never acted before. Could you wait for a little longer? Perhaps a new mission is just around the corner?” Gu Xiqiao sighed. She just couldn’t figure out the pattern in which the System rolled out its missions.

“[But Beauty Qiao! You’ve learned how to paint, how to do calligraphy, the art of ancient martial arts and even medicine. You’ve got a virtual arena to test out your new skills and an unlimited timespan for you to polish it up! What’s so hard about acting for you?]” Sensing how reluctant Gu Xiqiao was about accepting the mission, the System started counting on its fingers the time it would take until the next mission arrived.

“Er Qiao?” Hearing the line go silent, Xiao Yun couldn’t help but call out to Gu Xiqiao to see if she was still there.

“I’ll think about it.” Gu Xiqiao poured herself a glass of water. “I can’t give you an answer right now.”

She really didn’t know whether to accept or to reject this offer as she had never thought about acting before.

Still, even if she turned down this mission, she had already accepted Ning Qing’s mission so it was only a matter of time before she got herself involved with the entertainment industry.

She really needed to think hard about this matter.

“It’s fine. Do consider it seriously. FYI, Director Cheng isn’t in a hurry.” Xiao Yun was surprised by how Gu Xiqiao did not reject her immediately. Director Cheng really wasn’t in a hurry; he could just push the scenes involving Princess Qixia back. There was a reason why he did not plan to hold any auditions for said character—he was waiting for Gu Xiqiao.

Gu Xiqiao booted up her computer as soon as she hung up the call. Putting on the virtual helmet, she loaded onto her game. While her hands were busy, her mind was not, which was what it took to operate the in-game character.

While playing the game casually, she started contemplating if she should accept or reject the acting mission.

Jiang Shuxuan had already left the house early in the morning after completing Gu Xiqiao’s itinerary for the day. After waking up, she was astonished to find the bowl of piping hot porridge waiting for her on the table. When did he start cooking? Thinking back to his blank facial expression in the kitchen, she wondered if he was that way because he was busy absorbing the cooking lesson from her.

***

Jiang Shuxuan, who had been sneakily learning how to cook returned to the Jiang residence early in the morning. As he traveled along the road that led up to his home, a bunch of young juniors who were heading toward school for their daily practice exploded from excitement.

“Oh my god! That… who is that? Hey, is that Master Jiang?!” yelled a young one who was trying to release his chi.

“Oh my, I’m about to… I’m about to faint… I remember three years ago, when I managed to defeat those people and enter the Jiang family mansion, and this is my first time seeing him in person! Oh, I am moved!” said a young woman in her early twenties. She had a slender figure and her eyes were slightly glowing in red.

“Ahhh! The strongest man in the ancient martial arts world! Everything about him triumphs above ordinary men! Look at his eyes, his intense gaze, his long legs, and those pale fingers of his!”

“…”

Jiang Shuxuan’s level of fame in the ancient martial arts world has surpassed that of anyone from generations before him. Of course, that was because despite being at the very top of the youth ranking list, no one really knew about his true strength.

His impression on the masses was made three years ago, when he took over the ancient martial arts world’s main forum. Back then, there was a Zenith Ninja that let loose a blood storm that spread across the island nation of Japan. Rumour has it that he had even buried an entire town underground in his murderous rampage. The Japanese were helpless against him and his blood-fuelled rampage soon spread over the border to China.

There was a page on the forum that said the following about him. The Zenith Ninja’s special attack was “Destroying Mountains and Draining Oceans”. This ability earned him the 36th rank as the strongest man in the world.

His ability did what it literally meant. Most of the ancient martial arts users knew how much of an existential threat his ability posed. For the sake of innocent Chinese lives, every single one of them agreed silently that this was a mission they would never turn down. A team was dispatched to stop his rampage but no one was able to take the mighty ninja down.

As they were paralyzed by despair, Jiang Shuxuan made his appearance. Him, and his trusty sword.

According to those who had fought on the same battlefield as him, the sky changed colors the moment he arrived. A ray of gold lit up the battlefield, blinding these people until the battle was over, when they witnessed the end of the Zenith Ninja.

Jiang Shuxuan had decapitated the Zenith Ninja and displayed his head proudly at the national border. They had no idea how he did it but the head remained there for one whole year without rotting. It was a warning to every single foreigner who was entering China. From then on, no one dared to challenge his authority.

In the end, the Almighty One gave him the final judgment. It stated how his abilities had transcended beyond the realm of normality, surpassing the masters on the earthly list. It was highly likely that he would be among the top ten on the worldwide ranking system!

Jiang Shuxuan was only twenty-three back then. What a fearsome man he must be to be able to achieve such heights at such a young age.

From then on, the greedy nations who had their eyes on China’s natural resources went silent.

He was already so amazing three years ago. They had no idea how much he had grown over this period. This was because nobody was able to make him unleash his true abilities in battle.

As the strongest man in the ancient martial arts world, he was the one whom many youngsters aspired to be. He was their one and only, pillar of hope.

This was especially so for the younger generation of the Jiang family. Some had finally managed to enter the core of the Jiang family after going through various selection rounds. However, it has been three whole years since anyone has seen him in person. One could count using his hand the number of times he returned to his family mansion over this period.

And so, to see Jiang Shuxuan himself with their own two eyes filled them with an indescribable sense of excitement.

The butler, who had received the message, brought the servants who have been serving this family for generations, out to the door to welcome the young master’s arrival. From afar, they could see a man walking over with the sun behind his back. No doubt, judging from the air of elegance around him, this was the young master.

“Young Master, welcome back.” The butler stepped forward and bowed.

Jiang Shuxuan’s face was expressionless. He nodded in response to the greeting and handed a bag of items that he had bought over to the butler.

The butler, who expected it to be a bag of precious items was astonished when he found out that it was nothing but a pile of vegetables. He paused for a moment to think about what to do next before bringing it to the kitchen. Even if they appeared to be vegetables, there must be something special about them, he thought.

Jiang Shuxuan changed into a more casual outfit before coming back downstairs.

“Where are the vegetables?”

“Young Master, I have already placed it in the kitchen for you. Would you like me to bring it out?” the butler asked.

“No, no need for that.” Jiang Shuxuan rolled up his sleeves as he headed for the kitchen.

‘I wonder what exercise the young master will do this time.’

The butler trailed behind the young master. He was curious to see him in action.

And yet, upon stepping into the kitchen, he discovered that Jiang Shuxuan was… cutting vegetables? Hm, perhaps the young master was training his knife skills.

‘Cleaning out fish? Perhaps the young master is learning how to eviscerate his enemies.’

‘Oil? Perhaps the young master is…’

‘How can I continue lying to myself like this?!’

The butler watched Jiang Shuxuan throw the vegetables into the frying wok with a deadpan expression before proceeding to push them around in an awkward motion. He was very sure now that the young master was dead serious about learning to cook!

“Young Master, you must have complete control over the flame. Shut it off at precisely two minutes after putting in the fish slices. Else, you’d risk messing up the mouthfeel.” The Jiang family’s head chef stood beside him, giving instructions as they went along.

The butler’s gaze moved over to the head chef’s trembling hands.

‘Stop putting up the act already! You think you can conceal your fear?!’ he thought to himself.

This was Jiang Shuxuan’s first time returning to his home since the start of this year. Surprisingly, it was in order to learn how to cook. The butler looked up at Jiang Shuxuan. “Young Master, what changed your mind about this?”

Listening to the experienced head chef’s instructions, Jiang Shuxuan felt that it was much easier to follow than the lengthy instructions he read on Baidu.

He truly had set his heart on learning to cook before coming back to the Jiang family home. As the Jiang family had high standards on all things material, even their personal chefs were legendary masters who have worked in the imperial kitchen. If he was to learn how to cook, of course he would learn from the very best.

An hour later, Jiang Shuxuan brought three separate dishes out of the kitchen. The first was shrimp stir fry, then drunken pork ribs, and lastly, fish fillets in hot sauce.

The butler offered to serve the dishes but Jiang Shuxuan turned him down. With his own two hands, he brought the dishes onto the dining table where the head chef tasted the food before giving his precious feedback.

The head chef was surprised upon hearing the young master’s request for him to taste his cooking. Picking up his chopsticks, he took one bite out of the first dish. Then, a profound look appeared on his face.

Seeing the head chef’s still-trembling hand, the butler scoffed.

‘No matter how hard you try, you’ll never change the fact that you’re acting really suspicious right now!’

The head chef proceeded to give his lengthy verdict. In short, Jiang Shuxuan’s cooking wasn’t bad at all. Though, there was a lot of room for improvement. Still, he emphasized that he was impressed by the young master’s ability to whip these dishes up by himself.

The butler thought to himself, ‘Are you trying to lure the young master into becoming a chef? I knew you were up to no good! This man was born to handle big things! How could you make him waste his time on such stupid activities?!’

Jiang Shuxuan too, took a bite of his own cooking. Satisfied by its taste, he took out a thermos container to store the freshly-cooked food in.

A lightbulb lit up in the butler’s mind. “Young Master, could it be that you have found yourself a woman?” He found it hard to believe. After all, the young master was not exactly “young” anymore. Normally, he would be as insensitive as a piece of wood towards members of the opposite sex. The butler had also never heard of any woman with whom he was particularly close to.

Even the mistress started to worry if the young master had plans to marry someone in the future. If Jiang Shuxuan isn’t willing to, there was virtually no one who could force him into marriage.

Jiang Shuxuan’s hand paused mid-air.

The butler’s eyes lit up. Looking up at Jiang Shuxuan excitedly, he asked, “Is it true? Is it Miss Jiang Tong?”

There was only one person in the ancient martial arts world that was worthy of being the young master’s wife; the others were simply too weak.

Jiang Tong was well known as a demon girl in the ancient martial arts world. She ranked sixth on the youth ranking list and was a rare prodigy who had a near limitless future. Apparently, she had just broken her own record a few days ago and has expressed her intention to aim for the third rank.

“No.” Jiang Shuxuan’s brows furrowed. “You should stop guessing now. She isn’t someone from the ancient martial arts world. Also, I can’t confirm our relationship just yet.”

“Not from the ancient martial arts world?!” Color drained out from the butler’s face. “I’m afraid the mistress will be against this decision, Young Master!”

Jiang Shuxuan lifted his head and gave the butler a look. Just that look was enough to shut the man up. He had been by Jiang Shuxuan’s side ever since he was a child; he knew very well when the young master was dead serious about doing something.

“Young Master, it’s a call from Miss Jiang Tong. She says she would like to talk to you for a moment.” A servant’s voice came from a nearby room. “Would you like to speak with her?”

***

Jiang Tong wasn’t home today. However, she had learned about Jiang Shuxuan’s return while scrolling through the ancient martial arts forum. She didn’t care too much about it at first, as she thought it was just a hoax perpetrated by some bored internet trolls. However, her assumption was proven wrong upon seeing a blurry picture posted by the thread starter of Jiang Shuxuan’s back, which she recognized in an instant.

She knew the Jiang family’s landline number which she dialed immediately after realizing that Jiang Shuxuan had returned. However, when his servant picked up the phone, she was informed that Jiang Shuxuan had unfortunately left the house.

Jiang Tong felt powerless the instant she heard that. Jiang Shuxuan would always treat her like this, avoiding her deliberately. It wasn’t just her though. He had been deliberately avoiding girls throughout his entire life.

Still, she fearlessly marched on. As the youngest, most capable girl in the ancient martial arts world, Jiang Tong felt that she was getting closer to her target. At the very least, everyone in the ancient martial arts world would think of her whenever they heard the word “woman”. Also, the Jiang family had expressed their satisfaction with her abilities.

“Little Tong, why are you still here? Training has started!” Someone nearby hurried her.

“Coming.” Jiang Tong put her thoughts aside. Right now, the most important thing for her was to improve her own abilities and to reach the top three positions in the youth ranking list.

Strength was all that mattered. As for Jiang Shuxuan, didn’t he only notice people with high mental strength levels?

Jiang Tong clenched her fists. She vowed to work hard this time. If Jiang Shuxuan wasn’t going to participate in the youth ranking list this year, she would have to aim for the first place!

***

Jiang Shuxuan packed up the dishes and headed out of the Jiang family home. Mrs. Jiang, who was informed of Jiang Shuxuan’s return, had just arrived home when she saw the boy about to leave. She was about to lecture him angrily when she remembered the text message the butler had sent her. In an instant, a motherly smile surfaced on her face. “Son, I heard you were going out with Jiang Tong?”

Jiang Shuxuan’s brows furrowed upon hearing the words “Jiang Tong”.

“No, I am not.”

She knew that her son would not lie to her. However, Mrs. Jiang was still adamant on knowing the truth. “Is that true? Don’t lie to me.”

“I really am not.” Jiang Shuxuan then nodded to bid her farewell before marching off.

This was why he hated coming back home.

Now that Jiang Shuxuan had left, the butler proceeded to tell the entire story to Mrs. Jiang. He figured that the young master must have come back to “vaccinate” his family before finally breaking the news to them. He was truly the strongest man in the ancient martial arts world; his hands could hold the pen, a sword and today, a cooking spatula. If the people of the ancient martial arts world were to know of the unexpected twist, they would inevitably die from sadness.

“Not from the ancient martial arts world? He told you that?” Mrs. Jiang narrowed her eyes after seeing the butler nod. The smile on her face had, by now, faded away. “What is he thinking?!”

“Mistress, please stay calm. We aren’t very sure about his decision yet. I don’t think it’s a good idea to interfere…”

Even if they could interfere with Jiang Shuxuan’s plan, who could stop him?

Sullen-faced, Mrs. Jiang yelled, “Get Jiang Tong on the phone. I want to see her now!”

In continuing their family lineage, if Jiang Shuxuan were to marry some commoner, it would only spell disaster for their entire family. She wasn’t the only one who was against Jiang Shuxuan’s idea. Every single elder in the family would never agree to this foolish act!

“But Mistress, I believe the young master has his own reasons for this. Not to mention the fact that he’s at such a young age. Perhaps he’s just playing around?” The butler tried his best to calm Mrs. Jiang down but judging from how serious Jiang Shuxuan looked, he knew that they had already gone past the turning point now. His only wish was for the young master to handle this issue as cleanly and as swiftly as possible.

However, the butler shared Mrs. Jiang’s opinion. As the sole heir of their family, Jiang Shuxuan simply could not marry a commoner!

The Jiang family was helpless about this. They could only pray for the young master to think this through.

Seated on the chair, Mrs. Jiang squinted her eyes. “I hope Shuxuan is indeed just playing around. He better turn around before its too late.”

“Rest assured Mistress, the young master should be well-aware of his limits. I doubt that he would disappoint you.” The butler smiled gently, evidently reflecting his confidence in Jiang Shuxuan.

This seemed to do the trick as Mrs. Jiang was able to calm herself down. Then, she realized how Jiang Shuxuan had never let her down before. Hopefully, he would do the same for this issue.

***

Gu Xiqiao was blissfully unaware about what had taken place. She was busy playing her video game, which she felt was the best way to kill her free time.

[Legend Of The River’s Lake: “The number one player, Smoke on Water has been defeated by another player, For A Millenium! What incredible news!”]

[World] Wandering Around: “Haha, I see this every time! I bet he’s still suffering from PTSD after that battle! （=^▽^=）

[World] The Cutest Waiter: “I second that! (*^ω^*)”

[World] Li Yu Is My Husband: “I third that! ╮（‵▽′）╭”

***

The defeated Smoke On Water himself didn’t think too much about it himself. At first, he found his defeat to be a hard pill to swallow but he had long grown used to such situations.

[Private Chat] Smoke On Water: “Godly Gu, do you know why Whispering Winds hasn’t been online recently?”

After the PVP math, Gu Xiqiao began scouting the area for spots where she would show Jiang Shuxuan in the future. She ended up discovering a beautiful canyon for this occasion.

The sun was shining across the azure skies here, and Gu Xiqiao noted to herself to bring Jiang Shuxuan over.

Gu Xiqiao, who was about to go offline saw Smoke On Water’s chat bubble. Wait up, why does Smoke On Water know Xiao Yun? When did the two get to know each other?

[Private Chat] For A Millenium: “She’s been busy as of late. She’ll be online more frequently after she sorts out her schedule.”

[Private Chat] Smoke On Water: “Isn’t she just a student? Why’s she so busy?”

Gu Xiqiao was able to control her emotions to prevent starting unnecessary gossiping. She then answered his question sensibly.

[Private Chat] For A Millenium: “It’s hard to say. You should ask her yourself when she’s online.”

[Private Chat] Smoke On Water: “Right, thanks Godly Gu.”

Smoke On Water then went offline.

Again, Gu Xiqiao was about to go offline when another private message popped up in her feed.

[Private Chat] Host Of A New Generation: “Beauty Qiao! Guess who I am!”

‘Fool, you’ve exposed yourself from the way you speak!’ Gu Xiqiao facepalmed.

[Private Chat] For A Millenium: “Xu Jing, you’re here too?”

[Private Chat] Host Of A New Generation: “Wu Hongwen taught me how to play this game. Back to the question, how did you know it was me?”

Gu Xiqiao proceeded to fill the chat with bullcrap.

[Private Chat] For A Millenium: “I didn’t. It’s just that I hacked into your computer seconds ago.”

It took a while before Xu Jing typed out her reply.

[Private Chat] Host Of A New Generation: “Crap!”

[Private Chat] Host Of A New Generation: “I just wanted to tell you something. You know, that Sun Jiajia’s been intensifying her cajoling campaign as of late!”

Sun Jiajia’s in-game name was Autumn Beauty. Her equipment has always been subpar ever since she started playing the game but recently, not only has she suddenly received a virtual helmet, she had even gotten herself a suit of golden armor, which squeezed her up the player equipment ranking list.

[Private Chat] Host Of A New Generation: “I bet you didn’t see how high and mighty she was acting. Ah, it was hilarious! Oh and she’s publicly showing her love for that rich man’s son in the game every day!”

[Private Chat] For A Millenium: “Oh.”

Gu Xiqiao then saw a player named “Autumn Beauty” riding on a crane over her head.

[Private Chat] Host Of A New Generation: “Oh? What kind of a reaction is that? Aren’t you curious? She even told me to invite you and your Master Jiang over for a meal.”

[Private Chat] For A Millenium: “Very well.”

Gu Xiqiao narrowed her eyes and looked at the couple riding on the crane. Then, one after another, the two in-game characters suddenly glitched out.

Without warning, they were smacked off the crane’s back and down they fell, pummeling towards the ground.

[Private Chat] For A Millenium: “I’m pretty sure he’s just with her ’cause of her looks. How long can you keep up the act? Tell her that the next meal’s on me!”

Wow, the beauty was angered. Xu Jing wanted to ask her more about it but to her surprise, Gu Xiqiao had already gone offline.

Come on! Xu Jing physically felt herself getting blue-balled from not being able to feed her voracious appetite for gossip. To think that Gu Xiqiao would abandon her and go offline like this…

“Wash your hands before you eat.” Jiang Shuxuan was pouring the dishes out onto some plates when Gu Xiqiao came down from upstairs. She seemed to be mentally preoccupied with something as she stared listlessly at Xixi with knitted brows.

Xixi swore to the heavens that it did not mess with the girl this time!

After washing her hands, Gu Xiqiao plopped down on her seat and took a bite of the food before asking, “Brother Jiang, are you really free right now?”

“Yep, my vacation’s really long.” The length of his vacation was entirely up to him anyways. “Do you have anything you would like to eat tonight?”

“Hot pot,” said Gu Xiqiao with a cheeky smile.

Jiang Shuxuan glanced at her. “Do you not remember what the doctor said? Cut down on intense foods.”

‘Then there is nothing more to say! Goodbye!’

“We’ll wait till your wound heals okay?” Jiang Shuxuan was surprisingly compliant.

“I think it’ll heal by the end of tomorrow.” Gu Xiqiao took her final bite. The ribs were delicious; they reminded her of Yu Man’s home cooking.

Jiang Shuxuan put down his bowl and went over to the coffee table to retrieve a clear medicinal paste.

“Stretch your arm out.”

Gu Xiqiao wanted to tell him that she would recover even without this paste but seeing how serious he looked, she felt that it was best to remain silent.

Gently unwrapping the gauze, Jiang Shuxuan found that the two openings had healed almost completely now. At the very least, the wound had already closed up and there was only some minor bruising left around the scars. In contrast to her pale, delicate palms, the scars were alarmingly noticeable.

Without saying anything, Jiang Shuxuan opened up the paste that Zhu Yuan gave him and using a cotton swab, he gently dabbed it onto her wounds.

Zhu Yuan told him that he could start applying the paste today.

“Go up and take a rest. No games.” Jiang Shuxuan re-wrapped her wounds using a fresh, sterile gauze strip.

After seeing her walk up the stairs, Jiang Shuxuan dialed Tang Qingqiu’s number with a resentful look on his face.

“Qingqiu, send me that person’s information.”

Tang Qingqiu was curious as to what Jiang Shuxuan would do with said information but obviously, he wouldn’t reveal his intentions so easily. And so, he did as told, sending Jin Sitian and Mr. Tian’s information over to Jiang Shuxuan. Then, he called Zhu Yuan’s number to ask what was going on but who would’ve thought that his call would go unanswered.

What the hell was going on?

***

Gu Xiqiao took an afternoon nap on her bed. After waking up, she called Luo Wenlang to ask about had what happened last night.

“Yao Jiamu told me that Big Boss Bai has successfully hijacked the goods. The Bai family really was engaged in smuggling.” Luo Wenlang’s voice sounded solemn over the phone. Although China had already issued a warning that smugglers would be heavily punished, there were still quite a lot of people engaging in the crime.

A prime example would be Big Boss Bai. Smuggling was a bad enough crime already but the thing he smuggled, which was military firearms, made the situation even worse. There was someone in the army who was collaborating with him and with the relevant departments turning a blind eye, Big Boss Bai was free to do anything that he liked.

What bothered Luo Wenlang wasn’t the fact that the Bai family were smugglers. It was what they were smuggling that bothered him. When they seized the items, he found out that they were transporting massive amounts of cocaine, a crime punishable by death in China.

Gu Xiqiao was deep in thought before finally speaking up. “If I tell you to end this battle with the Bai family, would you?”

“Huh?” This wasn’t a matter of guts. It was the Bai family, they were talking about, one of the most powerful families in the Imperial Capital. Of course he would be worried sick at the thought of bringing them down. “What should I do next?”

Luo Wenlang felt his brain starting to fail at such a critical moment.

“Take this evidence and bring it to the Public Security Bureau.” Gu Xiqiao approached the window. Looking out, her lips curled into a smirk. It was time to present her little gift.

***

Luo Wenlang hung up the phone. His brain started working like a well-oiled machine. Immediately, he contacted Yao Jiamu before reporting the Bai family, just as Gu Xiqiao had instructed.

The police did not start their investigation right after Luo Wenlang sent his report. Instead, they swallowed up some key pieces of evidence.

As expected, the police were as corrupt and as unreliable as always. Luo Wenlang sighed before starting with Plan B. Expose the Bai family’s crimes on the internet.

Using an official WeChat account, he posted details about the incident all over the internet before thinking closely about Gu Xiqiao’s attitude. He figured out that she wanted to let Nine Heavens rise up to fame again, by completely exposing the ruling class’ crimes in the Imperial Capital.

Although Luo Wenlang was excited about this, he was also quite worried too. After all, their opponent was the Bai family. He looked forward to seeing the “big gift” that Gu Xiqiao had mentioned; hopefully, it would turn this entire situation around in their favor.

Luo Wenlang’s prediction was more or less accurate. In an instant, the incident blew up like a bomb all over the internet. Smuggling cocaine, and at such a huge amount was no petty crime. The netizens started posting their opinions on the matter, mostly expressing their shock or anger at the Bai family.

The foodstuffs produced under the Bai family enterprise were all exempt from quality inspections. For news about them smuggling drugs to suddenly pop up out of nowhere, how could you blame these consumers for being angry about it?

Nine Heavens’ official webpage was instantaneously filled with comments saying how much they needed an ally of justice in their country. Many more urged the company to persevere and defeat the Bai family once and for all, for the sake of justice.

This incident stirred up a lot of debate, which brought Nine Heavens into the spotlight. So someone was planning to bring the fight to the Bai family? Nine Heavens’ reputation among the Imperial Capital’s ruling elites started waning. Did this company think that they were just some piece of clay to be pressed and twisted as it liked? Nine Heavens was getting way too arrogant! After bringing down the Chen family, how dare they set their sights on their own family! This truly was—

As the saying went, a newborn calf will always be fearless against a tiger!

On that very day, the Bai family made themselves clear in an interview.

“If you want to know the truth behind this incident, I believe the police, who serve the people, will soon prove that the Bai family is innocent! We, the proud Bai family, will not yield under such evil forces!”

Bai Xinran was shocked after seeing the news on TV. Her eyes were filled with terror.

‘She’s finally attacked! She’s finally attacked the Bai family!’

Bai Xinran opened her mouth, wanting to tell her father to not go against Nine Heavens. And yet, the only sound she could produce was a pitiful whine. Shortly after, her mouth was gagged up by a nurse who had come to check on her!

After the interview, her father returned to his office. In the heat of the moment, he shattered his entire tea set.

“Piece of crap startup company! Where did the news even come from?! How dare they try to hit us while we’re down! I will make you guys pay for this!”