"All Show, No Substance"

Looks like I guessed right. It really was you."

The silver-haired man sitting in a corner of the bar spoke with a faint smile, his hands habitually clasped together.

"Ah~ So it's you, Black Snake."

One of her "old friends."

The immortal Black Snake, Koschei.

"So, what are you here for? You've already wasted my time."

Without Yelena, Chlorine Sodium would also reveal her most authentic personality: low-key and gloomy. Her pale golden starry eyes shone brightly in the dim room.

"Hmm~ Please don't put it that way, my friend. I paid the reservation fee properly, didn't I?"

The stemmed glass passed between his middle and ring fingers, held up just like that.

The man seemed to be enjoying himself as he swirled the red wine in his glass. Then, through the extraordinarily expensive wine, he looked at his "old friend," whose face was dyed red by the wine.

"Fine. Then tell me—do you also want me to add a defensive spell to your head?"

She picked up the opened bottle of red wine from the table, found an empty glass, and poured herself a little.

When it came to alcohol, she only took small sips, at most tasting the flavor.

Chlorine Sodium did not understand the difference between good and bad wine, but tasting it once could still broaden her knowledge.

It was also a necessary part of life. That was what a sense of ritual meant.

"No, no. I sought you out this time for something else."

"What is it?"

"My business in Lungmen... and Lungmen's future."

Whenever Koschei spoke about matters related to his business, his tone always resembled that of a Wall Street bond salesman, with a touch of affectation.

As he spoke, Koschei handed over a letter between his fingers.

It was a rather exquisite envelope.

Pale golden patterns glittered with the luster of wealth around the seal. A family crest was stamped into the genuine sealing wax, and the characters were also beautifully written Yan Nation square script.

Of course, Chlorine Sodium had seen plenty of such high-end goods during her years as an evil villain, but the crest still made the young woman's eyes light up.

The crest looked familiar, yet somehow unfamiliar at the same time.

It depicted a dragon.

And the symbol of this dragon was the symbol of Lungmen.

It seemed this was not an invitation from an ordinary person, but an invitation from the family that ruled Lungmen.

But...

"Why give it to me?"

Chlorine Sodium did not hurry to accept it. Instead, she asked coldly.

"Just an opportunity."

Koschei smiled mysteriously.

"Lungmen doesn't actually welcome outsiders. Someone like me, an ordinary Ursus noble, is always subject to suspicion. So I've decided to display my generosity for once. You seem to be looking for someone, while I can provide you with an opportunity to make contact with the powerful. After all, who knows whether the person you're looking for might be among them?"

"Your generosity? Ha. Tell me, what do you want?"

Chlorine Sodium leaned back into the sofa in a more comfortable position, closed her eyes, and waited for him to name his price.

Everything was a transaction, so naturally there had to be bargaining. As for so-called "generosity," that was merely a pleasant way to put it.

People always cared about saving face. The nobler they were, the more so. No matter how despicable their methods, they would always find themselves a lofty justification.

"You really do like getting straight to the point. But that's fine. It's efficient."

Koschei crossed both hands over the knee of his crossed leg and spoke with composed ease.

"It's very simple. Just a..."

"favor."

"That's all."

ps: I have to say, Watch Dogs is pretty fun. Aiden's revenge in the first game has a bit of a Black... vibe—the gloomy city, the sins and desires shown in pedestrians' personal information on the phone, the criminally inclined people everywhere, the gangs lurking all around. Yet ctOS can clearly see people's behavioral tendencies but cannot stop them. In the end, Aiden, an extrajudicial executioner, still has to pass judgment on everything.

I feel like I prefer the style of the first game. Watch Dogs 2 feels a little too hip-hop, while Legion in the third game feels, um... more like an online game.

Just as expected of you, Ubisoft.

Section 42: Chapter Forty-Two — All Show and No Substance

The people of Yan Nation valued face, favors, and propriety.

A favor was something that became difficult to repay once one owed it.

It was also the bond that maintained relationships between families and society.

Late at night, at the Wei Mansion.

Apart from Taiko Group's real-estate investments in Lungmen, the residence of Lungmen's actual ruler was the largest building by area.

And today happened to be the birthday celebration of Lungmen's actual ruler, Wei Yanwu.

As for the invitations, there were only two kinds. One stated the invitee's full name and explicitly indicated who was being invited. Those were generally for the ruler's trusted aides and political allies, displayed for his opponents and petty villains to see.

The other kind had no name. Anyone with an invitation could attend. Of course, only high-ranking officials and nobles could obtain one of these, because in theory, possessing it granted one the qualifications to enter this place at the very center of power. It also displayed Wei Yanwu's generosity and open-mindedness.

Of course, that was for all under heaven to see.

In short, it was all for show.

Someone like Chlorine Sodium, who possessed the second kind of invitation, could also attend. Naturally, her qualifications happened to be just enough to pass the threshold for now.

After all, quite a few high-ranking officials and nobles knew her.

That was interpersonal connection, though more often it was simply a transaction.

Along with a small favor.

These wealthy people valued protecting their heads quite highly, so she had saved up a considerable sum of money.

It was more than enough to buy a decent evening gown.

In any case, she had not come for interpersonal connections. Her main purpose was to confirm one thing.

Whether this world's "protagonist" existed among the upper circles.

This was a banquet held by the most powerful person in Lungmen. All the major and minor figures had scrambled to come here, hoping to cling to a higher branch, associate with greater figures, and obtain more benefits.

It could be said that, to some extent, all of Lungmen's wealth had gathered here.

Chlorine Sodium could confirm tonight whether the person she was looking for was here.

Elsewhere, on the second floor of the hall, Wei Yanwu stood beside the staircase railing leading between the second floor and the hall, looking down over the entire venue and watching the distinguished guests arrive one after another.

Wei Yanwu, the ruler of Lungmen, tapped the railing uneasily with his fingers. Though he was looking at the crowd, his heart was elsewhere. He was waiting for something.

Then a shadow appeared silently within the darkness behind him.

"Lord Wei."

"Report."

"The Frozen Land's communications have been cut off, but..."

"Go on."

"As for the Snow Demon incident, the informant's tongue has been cut out."

The Shadow Guard, wearing a bamboo hat and completely concealed beneath a gray robe, knelt in the shadows behind Wei Yanwu and reported the intelligence he had gathered.

"Nothing to worry about. Every household should mind its own snow in front of its door. It's fine if the Ursus army has something to occupy it, so it won't come bother Lungmen. You may go."

Wei Yanwu, whose blood carried that of the ancient people, still did not turn around. He merely adjusted his breathing slightly.

As a veteran of the political world and Lungmen's true ruler, Wei Yanwu always presented an image of wisdom and strength, with methods that were firm and seasoned.

Breath was important. In the ancient mystical philosophies of the East, the proper use of qi could extend one's lifespan and even change one's demeanor. It could exert pressure, or make one appear amiable.

That was important in official circles. Every word and action of Wei Yanwu represented his political aspirations. Even if he was not truly that kind of person, he had to act that way for everyone to see.

That was what it meant to put on an act.

Just like playing the good cop and bad cop, the one playing the bad cop was not necessarily hot-tempered, nor was the one playing the good cop necessarily so easy to reason with. Sometimes, however, they needed to act that way for others to see.

And Wei Yanwu was an expert at it.

"Another gathering, another birthday celebration. With this time, you might as well spend more of it with Little Tal and Hui Jie."

Suddenly, a woman's quiet complaint reached the expert's ears.

She was a woman from the East Country.

Wenyue—or, more precisely, Wei Wenyue.

The East Country's princess and, of course, Wei Yanwu's wife.

Since this was a formal occasion, Wenyue naturally wore the gorgeous kimono that only the East Country's great nobles wore on formal occasions. An elegant smile adorned her face.

She appeared on the second floor alongside Wei Yanwu. After all, it was a formal occasion, and Madam Wei naturally had to attend as well.

But women were simply like this: their public and private faces did not match. Her face wore a ceremonial smile, making her seem dignified, graceful, and composed, while she quietly complained about Wei Yanwu under her breath. Truly, she was one thing on the outside and another within.

"Ahem... It's all for show. This so-called birthday banquet is merely a performance that has to be put on.

"And Little Tal has Hui Jie keeping her company. She'll be fine for a while."

"Hmph."

Madam Wei let out a quiet snort, seemingly unconvinced.

"It'll be over soon, just for a little while. Besides, you know this is like the Imperial Secretariat's tea, the Military Academy's blades and spears, the Dali Temple's articles, the Office of Surveillance's administration, and the Imperial Medical Institute's prescriptions." They were all just for show... To put it bluntly, even my younger brother's birthday celebration is a performance for all under heaven to see. The necessary effort is merely to let everyone know who the true boss here is."

After soothing his wife's little fit of displeasure, Wei Yanwu finally had time to inspect his own appearance.

As a noble among the nobles of the Yan Nation, he had always paid great attention to his appearance. His formal attire and leather shoes were his armor, while the pipe he always held with effortless composure was his weapon.

When everything was orderly and immaculate, that was when he was about to fight.

The man walked downstairs and immediately became the center of attention. As the most powerful person here, no one could afford not to watch him.

Today was the foundation for putting his philosophy into practice and taking it one step further.

It was a test, as well as a search for more opportunities for cooperation.

After all, nearly all the people who needed to be gathered were already here. No one dared not pay attention to him.

Except Chlorine Sodium.

She glanced at Wei Yanwu, memorized what the man at the peak of power looked like, and then lost interest. Her purpose here had nothing to do with this man. She merely wanted to confirm a few things.

But it seemed that what she was looking for was not here.

She had begun to lose interest.

The young woman did not particularly like the atmosphere here.

Noisy, boring, nothing but people everywhere.

She liked quietness and living alone in peace, like a plant, rather than being in this noisy, boisterous place filled with rouge and schemes.

It was completely incompatible with her aesthetic.

Thus, Chlorine Sodium began considering leaving early.

After all, in her eyes, this place was truly a bit foul and murky.

Until...

The appearance of something made Chlorine Sodium's pupils suddenly contract!

ps: I have to continue expanding the outline again. It's so annoying. I collapsed after finishing the plot, only to realize I hadn't thought of the new plot yet. Every time this happens, I have to stay up late.