Left Speechless
The two held differing opinions and could not reach a consensus.
After the woman collapsed onto the bed, she seemed to have lost her soul; her eyes became empty. She picked up a pair of scissors and slowly approached the man.
The man, who had been choked by Si Ming for too long, was in a state of oxygen deprivation and was lying on the ground gasping for breath. When he saw the woman approaching in a ghostly manner, a look of terror appeared on his face. He tried to get up and run away, but his limbs were too weak, and he couldn't even lift one hand.
The woman appeared extremely nervous. She gripped the scissors tightly with both hands, blade down, aimed at the man's chest. Her hands trembled violently, and her breathing was heavy.
She muttered something incomprehensible to others, as if trying to encourage herself, then raised the scissors upwards, about to stab.
"I can't do it!"
The woman seemed to have a mental breakdown; she threw the scissors aside and then collapsed onto the table, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Ha, ha..." The man lying on the ground let out a weak laugh. "I knew you wouldn't be able to do it, because you simply don't have the guts! You bitch, you actually hired the Mohist Knight Guard to deal with me again. Do you think they can protect you forever? It's useless. Once they leave, I'll come back for you. You'll never get rid of me in this lifetime!"
Upon hearing this, Si Ming stopped arguing with Yu Shuying and instead stomped on the man's stomach, causing him so much pain that his eyes almost popped out.
"I don't want my partner to incite her to kill you, but I don't want to hear about you bullying her even more! With this talent for relentless harassment, why don't you go to work properly instead of robbing women for money?"
On the other side, Yu Shuying walked up to the woman and asked, "Don't you have the courage to make a move?"
"I'm sorry, I'm so useless," the woman said, wiping away her tears.
"I pity their misfortune and am angry at their lack of resistance; that's how I feel right now," Yu Shuying changed the subject, no longer pressing them but instead taking a step back. "However, it's not incomprehensible. You're just an ordinary housewife; suddenly asking you to kill someone is indeed too much of a burden. Actually, there's another way to get rid of this man. He's clinging to you because of his two legs, so if you cut off his legs, he'll never be able to catch you again, and you can take your child and go somewhere else to start a new life."
With current medical technology, injuries like fractures are not difficult to heal. Only by cutting off the leg and waiting for the limb to die can the possibility of recovery be eliminated. Although there are prosthetic limbs and other methods, they all require a lot of money. Given a man's financial situation, he might not be able to raise enough money even if he sold all his organs.
"Intentionally causing injury seems to be a crime?"
Although still filled with worry, the woman's tone softened slightly.
Si Ming suddenly realized that this was very likely the goal that Yu Shuying wanted to achieve.
If you ask a woman to cut off a man's legs from the start, she will definitely refuse. Instead, you can suggest killing him first, and then suggest cutting off his legs after she refuses. This way, she will be much more likely to accept it.
"Intentional assault is a lighter charge than intentional homicide, and the advantages I mentioned before still apply. If it's just a leg amputation, you'll be out in less than two years." Yu Shuying took out another short knife and placed it in the woman's palm. "Think about it, are you really willing to pay the price of two or three years in exchange for a lifetime of freedom?"
"I... I do!"
The woman finally made up her mind. She took the dagger, prepared to die with him, and walked towards the man, muttering, "It doesn't matter if you ruined my life, but you can't drag our child down with you. He deserves a bright future, not to be burdened by a father like you."
The moment their eyes met, the man knew the other person was serious.
"Madmen! They're all a bunch of madmen!"
After catching his breath, the man lay on the ground for a while, regaining some strength. He quickly got up and scrambled towards the door.
"No, don't run!"
The woman gritted her teeth, a ruthless glint in her eyes, and chased after him, knife in hand.
Si Ming looked at Yu Shuying and asked, "Did you use a mental martial art similar to 'Great Hypnosis Technique'?"
"I only gave her a push from behind; the final decision was still hers."
"So this is your goal, isn't it? Giving a man a fish is not as good as teaching him how to fish. As long as she has the determination to resist, even if she doesn't catch up this time, men won't dare to come to her door in the future. This is a solution I've never thought of before... But can't you try a gentler approach?"
"No, because I want to witness the changes in people's hearts; nothing in this world is more interesting than that."
For the first time ever, a smile appeared on Yu Shuying's face.
But no one would find that smiling face beautiful; they would only instinctively feel a flutter in their heart.
Chapter 212 Speechless
After completing the task, Si Ming and Yu Shuying walked back together. The atmosphere was rather awkward, and they didn't feel like companions at all. Instead of having any chemistry, they seemed like members of two opposing camps who had to temporarily join forces for some reason.
As they neared home, Si Ming finally spoke, "Is this your code of conduct?"
Yu Shuying said, "Wrong. This is just my hobby. What you consider a difficult problem is nothing more than a primary school student's summer homework to do in their spare time. It's not a big deal at all."
What do you take people's hearts for?
"Some people prefer to use force to solve problems, while others prefer to intimidate their enemies with power. I have the ability to see into people's hearts, so I will naturally make the most of it. There is no reason to abandon one's strengths and choose the other."
"Then you should have a better method, instead of using the other party's child as a breakthrough point to pressure their rationality."
"Then tell me, is there any better way? As long as you can come up with an effective method, I'm not someone who won't listen to advice," Yu Shuying countered.
Si Ming was stumped. He didn't have the ability to read people's minds, so how could he come up with a better way to use it?
Yu Shuying revealed a mocking expression. "If you want a horse to run fast but not eat grass, you shouldn't ask people for help; you should ask the gods."
Si Ming was speechless. Suddenly, he realized that since the other party could see through his thoughts, they could know in advance what he was going to ask and prepare a targeted answer.
"That's right. If you're thinking of using words to shut me up, you can give up now," Yu Shuying said, preemptively revealing Si Ming's thoughts. "I'm fully aware of your position. If I'm willing to accept it, I'll make changes without you having to tell me. If I'm not willing to accept it, it won't make a difference whether you tell me or not. So, stop your long-winded explanations and save your breath."
"... I don't understand, why do the seniors think you're destined for Grandmaster?"
In Si Ming's mind, the Grandmaster was not only all-around capable and morally impeccable, but also possessed a powerful personal charisma. If the Grandmaster were to rise up in rebellion, he would truly be like Chen Sheng Wu Guang, with the whole world gathering in response, bringing provisions and following him. However, given Yu Shuying's manipulative style, how many people would be willing to follow him?
Yu Shuying once again saw through Si Ming's thoughts and replied, "You've misunderstood three things. First, it's not that I lack personal charisma. Your inability to accept me only means that people with similar personalities to you cannot agree with my actions, but you don't represent everyone else. There are all kinds of people in this world, some good and some evil, some righteous and some wicked. In some people's eyes, I am the perfect image in their hearts. If you are unwilling to follow me, there are plenty of others who are willing to follow me."
Secondly, your perspective is different from that of ordinary people. Ordinary people have no contact with the Grandmaster and do not know Grandmaster character and style of doing things. They only know the results. The greatest charm of a leader is not virtues such as benevolence, kindness, and generosity, but success. As long as you can achieve success time and time again and prove that you are always the winner, then even if others do not like your approach, they will firmly stand with you.
Thirdly, you've misunderstood the Grandmaster's responsibilities. In the early days of the nation, there were few government affairs, and the Grandmaster could handle everything, directing military, domestic, and foreign affairs. But now that the country has developed, it has established a complete system, and the Grandmaster no longer interferes in specific domestic matters. His responsibilities are only two: resisting invading enemies externally and purging corrupt officials internally. His image is that of a guardian angel wielding Sacred Sword, and also a judge who eliminates corrupt officials and tyrants. This is a job that is destined to offend people, so someone as unpopular as me is actually the most suitable candidate."