Forty Millenniums of Cultivation, page 1610
"Who would not?"
Jin Yuyan's smile was even more bitter. "That's why I did not doubt it all when you said that Blackstar the Great had been revived. There was no reason why Wuying Qinxin or Qi Yuanbao would betray me other than that!"
"Speaking of which, Qi Yuanbao has never recovered his surname of 'Wuying' or revealed his relationship with Wuying Qinxin partly because of you, right?"
Li Yao looked at Jin Yuyan with a half-smile, "I think if Qi Yuanbao reveals his real identity and everybody learns that he is your brother-in-law, it will be impossible for you to be the director of the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors and your brother-in-law to be one of the senior managers at the same time. Other managers and shareholders will certainly be wary of your family."
Jin Yuyan coughed and said, "That's right. I would be lying if I say that I didn't try to control more shares of the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors and suppress the other three assassin groups through Qi Yuanbao. You know that the 'four gods of death' are disobedient people with remarkable skills, who also have so many unpredictable assassins at their disposal. I am not a battle-type Immortal Cultivator. If I don't have a few trump cards, how can I expect to check them?"
"Therefore, you regarded your brother-in-law as the greatest trump card."
Li Yao said, "But as it turned out, the trump card fell into the hands of Blackstar the Great in the end. You've suffered such a setback that you were almost killed. Even if you have luckily escaped, there is still no telling if you can recover your real identity and let other people admit that you are Jin Yuyan!"
Jin Yuyan was indeed the most good-tempered expert in the Divinity Transformation Stage that Li Yao had ever seen. It seemed that "peace makes fortune" had been melted into his blood, bones, and soul. He was utterly unaffected despite all of Li Yao's mockery but simply sighed and said, "It's already too late to regret right now. We have basically figured out the background of everything, but a lot of details about the chaos and the assassination a moment ago are still baffling me. We need to sort them out too."
Chapter 2536: On Their Own! |
"That's exactly what I'm planning to do too. There are many suspicious points about the whole thing. As long as the questions are answered, it will be possible for us to reverse the outcome."
Li Yao activated his portable crystal processor and marked the experts that he sensed just now on the hologram of the Seven Seas Grand Market, recreating the scene of the assassination.
"When you rode here on the bulletproof limo just now, these were the suspicious people near the Commodity Market. They were all bodyguards and assassins whose capabilities were above average."
Pointing at the shining red spots on the hologram, Li Yao said, "Director Jin, please take a look at it. Which of them were bodyguards, and which ones were assassins from the outside?"
Narrowing his eyes, Jin Yuyan observed for a while and pointed quickly. "After learning that there might be a traitor among the four gods of death, Qi Yuanbao and I did not let other people know. While we created a 'real stand-in' through the 'Soul Transfer Technique', we also pretended that the defense was just like before, hoping that the traitor would reveal himself.
"As it turned out, since three days ago, a dozen batches of suspicious people had snuck into the Seven Seas Grand Market and got discovered by us. However, in order not to alarm the enemy, we simply indulged them while they snuck and infiltrated, but we watched them closely.
"Look, here, here and the gunner hiding here—they were all the assassins sent by the four families. Perhaps they had received rigorous assassination training from the four families, but when it came to stealth and assassination, who could've escaped the attention of Black Flag King, Red Lady, Hanged Man, and Revenant From The Dead Sea?
"In the end, we planned a 'Heavenly Dragnet Operation', hoping to fish up all the flies, fleas, and mosquitoes that had snuck into the Seven Seas Grand Market before the final battle with the fleets of the four families!"
Analyzing the location of the assassins of the four families quickly, Li Yao asked, "So, the rest of them were all your people? So, you had locked onto all the assassins. No wonder you were bold enough to show up in public. Where were the four gods of death? Please point them out."
"Here, here, and here."
Jin Yuyan pointed at the red spots and said, "It was part of the plan that I showed up in public in the Commodity Market every other day in order to tempt the assassins of the four families to attack.
"In fact, I wasn't afraid of the assassins of the four families very much. The key was the 'god of death' that had been bought over. It was like a thorn on my heart. If I could not pluck it out, it would've been impossible for me to go to sleep.
"Therefore, the deployment of the four gods of death was also meant for them to monitor each other. If one of them attacked me, other people would discover him immediately. Even my brother-in-law Qi Yuanbao was not an exception. In fact, he was the one who offered it. He spoke to me sincerely that he must be exposed to the eyes of the other three gods of death too, in order to clear his suspicion as much as possible."
"Of course."
Li Yao sniffed and said, "Even if Wuying Qi intended to kill you, it shouldn't have been now but after the battle of Seven Seas was won and the four families' coalition fleet was crushed. So, Qi Yuanbao was naturally free to express his loyalty.
"After I raised a riot in the Commodity Market, the super gunner who shot you must've been 'Red Lady', and she was here, right?"
"Exactly, that was her."
Jin Yuyan said somewhat frustratedly, "Since decades ago, after deciding that we had to compete with the four families until the end, the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors had realized that we did not stand any chance in head-on battles at all, and head-on battles were not necessarily required either. Therefore, we paid special attention to special operations, assassination, sabotage, and other concepts in unrestricted warfare. The elites of the four assassin groups were also trained to become special troops.
"Red Lady, leader of Bloody Skull, used to be one of the best gunners in the Imperium. She later became the chief tutor of gunmanship in the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors. Leading a special squad of gunners, she was hiding among the skyscrapers and protecting my safety from the high stance. I did not expect that she would be the one who betrayed me and the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors!"
"So, this should be what happened—"
Li Yao said, "After I intentionally detonated the smoke grenades and stun grenades near the Commodity Market, the assassins of the four families were all exposed. The Red Lady could not afford to wait any longer but had to assassinate you while the opportunity was not bad. The moment she attacked, Black Flag King, Hanged Man, and Revenant From The Dead Sea sensed her. Among them, Black Flag King and Revenant From The Dead Sea immediately reacted and went after her after realizing that she was a traitor, and she fled in a hurry too. As a result, the three gods of death got away from our sight, leaving 'Hanged Man', the last god of death, on the spot next to you. Everybody knew that he was responsible to protect you from nearby, and it was normal that he did not chase after the traitor."
"Exactly."
Jin Yuyan nodded his head. "That's what happened."
"However, the bullet that Red Lady shot out was disrupted by me and shouldn't have blown up your head—neither yours nor your stand-in's."
Li Yao said, "Then, there would only be one explanation to the uncanny explosion of your stand-in's head. Her brain—well, or should I say your brain, had been planted with certain minor explosion devices earlier, which could be detonated remotely by other people."
"Yes."
Jin Yuyan said gloomily, "If what you said is true, Blackstar the Great must've hoped that I could die at the most appropriate moment without a single second of delay.
"The most convenient approach to achieve the purpose was to plant certain remotely-controlled crystal bombs in my head.
"However, I was an expert in the Divinity Transformation Stage after all. Even though I was not battle-type, my control and senses over my body had reached the highest. Planting a tiny crystal bomb in my head, mixing venom that would release slowly in my food over a long period, or other similar approaches would've been easily detected by me. Then, they would be discovered.
"However, if what controlled my body was not my own soul but the soul of a relatively weak warrior, and with the rejection reaction between the soul and the new body, it would be much easier to play tricks under such circumstances!
"To ensure the safety of the 'Soul Transfer Technique' and the status of my physical body, my personal bodyguard had to receive modifications from Qi Yuanbao and Wuying Qinxin every day. It was more than easy to play tricks during the procedures.
"With a great war coming near, there were millions of affairs I had to attend to every day. Naturally, it was impossible for me to keep an eye on the brother and the sister every second, which turns out to be a horrible mistake!"
Jin Yuyan smashed his fists. Finally, viciousness and sullenness leaked out of his peaceful face.
Li Yao listened quietly and thought hard. A moment later, he said cautiously, "Even if Director Jin's speculation is not the whole truth, it can't be far away from it. There's just one thing that baffles me. Even if the enemy did plant microbombs in the head of your physical body, why did they choose to detonate it at such a moment?
"You had been the director of the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors for decades. Your connections, prestige, and control over the Business Alliance must've been incomparable for Qi Yuanbao and Wuying Qinxin, right? After you died, whether or not the murderer was captured, and no matter how they were to stabilize the situation, people's confidence in the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors would certainly waver, casting a shadow on the upcoming battle.
"Blackstar the Great does not look like such an impatient man. Why would he want you dead at such a critical moment?"
Jin Yuyan was slightly stunned by the question. He thought for a long time.
The more he thought, the brighter his eyes became. In the end, he even put on a smile.
"We have a chance now."
Jin Yuyan said delightedly.
"How so?"
Li Yao hurried to ask.
"The reason is simple. If it were Blackstar the Great who gave the order in person, he certainly wouldn't have hoped that I died now, which was not in his best interests. Like you said just now, it was his purpose to let my strength be drained in the battle of Seas before I was killed!"
Jin Yuyan said, "However, are the interests of Wuying Qi, as the 'decision-maker', and the interests of Qi Yuanbao and Wuying Qinxin, as two 'executors', absolutely the same? Wuying Qi does not want me to die right now, but what about Qi Yuanbao and Wuying Qinxin? There are a lot of changeable factors in all this!"
Pondering for a moment, Li Yao asked, "What changeable factors?"
"The possibility that I may change my belief and surrender to Blackstar the Great completely as an obedient dog under his feet!"
Jin Yuyan sneered, "Qi Yuanbao and Wuying Qinxin betrayed me only because they were greedy about the control of the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors. Or rather, Wuying Qi bought them over at a high price because he thought that they could replace me and control the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors.
"However, what if I am still willing to cooperate after learning the truth that Wuying Qi is residing inside Li Linghai's body, or even to kneel down and lick Blackstar the Great's toes?
"Yes, under most circumstances, it's absolutely impossible. I will not trust Wuying Qi, and Wuying Qi can hardly trust me 100% too.
"But it is undetermined after all. Whoever masters the Imperium in the end, they will need a financial minister! If I am willing to surrender to Blackstar the Great 100%, there will be no place for Qi Yuanbao and Wuying Qinxin. Or rather, after learning the truth, I may burst into fury and launch crazy retaliation against them.
"For the two of them, only my death could've completely eliminated the uncertainty and ensured their control of the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors so that Wuying Qi's promises such as titles and lands could be fulfilled. Even though my death might've resulted in the instability of the army, the opportunity was still too great to be missed out!
"That is to say, the assassination was not a direct order from Wuying Qi, but Qi Yuanbao and Wuying Qinxin's own doing without asking for permission!"
Li Yao rose abruptly, his eyes glittering. "It's possible that Blackstar the Great is unaware of what has happened in the Seven Seas Grand Market yet. We still have a chance!"
Chapter 2537: Another Sneak-In? |
"Yes, Qi Yuanbao and Wuying Qinxin must've decided to kill me a long time ago. However, if they did it when it was peaceful and quiet, not only would it raise the suspicion of other managers and shareholders of the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors, but it would also infuriate Blackstar the Great. It would've been too risky."
Jin Yuyan said calmly. When he mentioned his wife, he seemed to be talking about a stranger that he didn't even know. "However, Red Lady's assassination gave them the best opportunity to assign the blame of my death to the four families and take over everything I left behind justifiably. That was why Qi Yuanbao took the chances despite the risk.
"If it hadn't been for the unexpected factor that was you, it was very possible that he would have succeeded. As long as he got the situation under control and led the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors to defeat the coalition fleet of the four families, I don't think Blackstar the Great would complain much later or care about how exactly I died.
"After all, it's just like what the Immortal Cultivators say—victors enjoy impunity!"
"However, Qi Yuanbao's critical attack did not work out, and you are still alive."
Curling his finger, Li Yao tapped his thigh softly and said, "So to speak, Qi Yuanbao's attack was rather hasty. It was possible that he hadn't been prepared for everything, and he couldn't have dared to report what happened in the Seven Seas Grand Market to Wuying Qi at all. Otherwise, when Wuying Qi realized that he was more of a saboteur than a contributor and had put his enterprise in unnecessary risks, he would've certainly killed him.
"Director Jin, what do you think Qi Yuanbao and Wuying Qinxin will do next?"
"They will probably convene a temporary meeting of managers and shareholders, where they will try to win the support of the managers and the shareholders so that they will temporarily take over the supreme power of the Business Alliance as well as the leadership of the garrisons and special squads under the Business Alliance."
Jin Yuyan said, "There are five senior managers in the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors, more than forty managers of different levels, and more than a hundred very influential shareholders. Behind the managers and shareholders are the warlords and Sector Masters from the peripheral worlds of the Imperium. Some are even the middle class of the four Kurfürst families who cannot rise any higher.
"Qi Yuanbao and Wuying Qinxin have to win the support of those people if they want to succeed. Considering that the coalition fleet of the four families would launch a destructive strike at the Seven Seas Grand Market in a couple of days, the warlords and Sector Masters, as well as the middle class and the bottom class within the four families, are anxiously deciding which side they should take too. They are vacillating between destroying the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors according to the Kurfürsten's will, burning their money bags and the hope to rise in the meantime, and rising up ruthlessly to fight the big shots of their families who have been s*itting on their necks all the time!
"Such a thing cannot be postponed forever. If the chaos in the Seven Seas Grand Market lasts more than twenty-four hours, many people in the coalition fleet of the four families will certainly change their attitudes and abandon the friendships of more than a hundred years.
"Therefore, Qi Yuanbao and Wuying Qinxin have to get all the permissions in one day and become the new leaders of the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors!"
"Then…"
Pondering for a moment, Li Yao asked, "Do you think the possibility is high that they can convince the many managers and shareholders? Or rather, since they are obviously not by themselves now that they have made such a risky attempt, how many people do you think are their potential allies or conspirators within the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors?"
"Not taking us into consideration, the possibility that Qi Yuanbao is successfully elected as an acting director of the Business Alliance of Ten Thousand Sectors is very high."
Jin Yuyan said, "First of all, the capitals of the 'Wuying group' and the big shots behind them will undoubtedly support him and Wuying Qinxin. They may have even reached a secret alliance earlier and been bought over by Blackstar the Great. Secondly, the outside world is unaware of the truth and thinks that I've been assassinated by the four families. So, the subordinates loyal to me and the resources at my disposal will fall into the hands of Wuying Qinxin and be used to support Qi Yuanbao. Thirdly, with a war coming near, lack of leadership means suicide. Since the coalition fleet of the four families is about to flood into the Seven Seas Space Zone, as long as Qi Yuanbao acts tough enough, nobody will compete with him at such a moment. Even the senior managers who are not particularly fond of him will certainly consider the big picture."
"That is to say…"
Li Yao said, "We have to reveal their scheme in twenty-four hours, when Qi Yuanbao and Wuying Qinxin convene a temporary meeting of managers and shareholders, in order to stop them?"
"It's a pity that nobody will believe us."
Looking at his thick and stupid body, Jin Yuyan smiled bitterly again, with a hoarse voice that was mixed with sorrow and helplessness. "My body right now is a woman from inside to outside. Even my soul has slightly mutated because of the 'Soul Transfer Technique'. The soul signature that I make is completely different from the past. I cannot even open the safes that I locked, the checks that I signed, or the Cosmos Rings that I sealed myself before. How can I convince other people that I am really Jin Yuyan?
