Terrifying Superpowers

Zhao Xin felt his plan was simply perfect.

Although it did not align with Zhao Liang's expectations, there were times when following one's own heart was more important.

After all, people are inherently selfish.

"Father, forgive me," Zhao Xin muttered to himself.

At this moment, Zhao Xin was so confident that he felt compelled to ask for Zhao Liang's forgiveness, even though he knew full well that Zhao Liang would never grant it.

However, he had actually made a mistake.

Many smart people tend to make this kind of mistake.

Because they are too clever, they naturally treat everyone else as fools, assuming that everyone can be played like a puppet in the palm of their hand.

In reality, the gap between Lan Meng and him was certainly not large.

In fact, due to the differences in their upbringing and family education, Lan Meng was superior to him in many respects.

Even if Lan Meng did not understand certain things, it did not mean she could not utilize them.

"Wu Wei, did I put you in a difficult position today?"

"No. I have my own code of conduct, and I am never troubled by such matters."

Wu Wei was telling the truth.

That was why Lan Meng felt even more hurt.

"Do you dislike that I did this?"

"I do indeed dislike it. You used me, and in my view, such manipulation is a pure waste of time."

In Wu Wei's current eyes, Lan Meng had manipulated both Zhao Xin and himself.

It certainly wasn't a heinous crime, but Wu Wei truly disliked such behavior.

Lan Meng offered her own explanation.

"Actually, I did it to help you."

Wu Wei smiled, but he did not stop his stride toward the library.

His favorite thing to do was to read in the library.

As long as he was immersed in the ocean of knowledge, he could forget all the trivialities of the outside world.

Wu Wei had always felt that no matter how many trivial matters arose, they should never interfere with his primary tasks.

As a student, the most important thing is always learning.

Everything else comes second.

Facing such a Wu Wei, Lan Meng was not discouraged; instead, she kept pace with him and provided a reasonable explanation: "Didn't you ask me about Zhao Xin yesterday? So, I paid some attention to him and gave him a few hints."

Wu Wei's footsteps faltered.

He realized that this might actually be true.

Lan Meng was, after all, an Awakened.

"You entered his dream?"

"Yes, and I gave him some guidance so that we could observe him better. But first, I need you to tell me why you are investigating Zhao Xin? Is there something wrong with him? Has he also been affected by the Heart Demon?" Lan Meng asked in a rapid-fire manner.

In truth, everyone here was a thousand-year-old fox, and each assumed the other had never read Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio.

Zhao Xin believed his actions were entirely his own, unaware that his heart was already riddled with holes.

With Zhao Liang before him and Lan Meng behind him, both were influencing his choices without his knowledge.

And they all assumed the other was completely oblivious.

Zhao Xin thought so too.

Wu Wei thought for a moment, then told Lan Meng about the situation, finally adding, "Based on my deduction, there is a high probability that this is false. I don't believe Zhao Xin and I share any blood relation."

Every cell in his body was filled with disdain.

Moreover, Wu Wei had always trusted his own judgment.

Lan Meng nodded thoughtfully. A moment later, she grabbed Wu Wei's hand and said earnestly, "If the situation is as you say, your uncle might have been set up, or perhaps the target is you. Wu Wei, you need a more meticulous analysis."

"What I need more right now is to study. These are all minor matters; I am not in a hurry," Wu Wei shook his head.

No matter how many urgent matters came rushing at him, choosing to prioritize self-improvement would never be wrong.

This was actually the trait Lan Meng admired most about Wu Wei.

However, she had her own methods: "Learning comes in many forms. Broadening your horizons and experiencing new things is also learning. Wu Wei, let me take you to see the world."

"You're taking me to broaden my horizons?" Wu Wei's smile was somewhat strange.

Lan Meng curled her lip and said dismissively, "Wu Wei, I've told you before: poverty limits your imagination. Don't think that just because you study better than me, you are necessarily better than me. I have seen more good things than you even know exist."

That was a stinging remark, old friend.

"When you were discussing things with Qin Yunhai last time, didn't you say you wanted to develop an artificial intelligence, input all known information about a person, and use the AI to calculate the various possibilities of their future life path?"

"That is indeed the case. Why do you ask?"

"I talked to my father about it, and he said your mother had the same idea back in the day."

Damn, my mom is awesome, Wu Wei thought. She's just as smart as her son.

"She poured a massive amount of energy into researching it, but ultimately failed due to technological limitations. However, she settled for the next best thing and developed a low-spec version of artificial intelligence."

"What were the results?"

"It scans a person and makes a basic assessment, including their potential, IQ, values, and behavioral patterns. Since Aunt Lin's research was fully funded by my father, the AI naturally ended up with our Lan Family. The reason the Lan Family was able to transform so rapidly, filling our conglomerate with talent and amassing wealth that rivals nations, is largely thanks to the role this AI played."

Wu Wei blinked.

"You don't believe me?"

"No, I believe you. I'm just marveling at the fact that my mom really didn't let me down."

Lan Meng: "..."

Could you please not be so shameless?

"I can help you apply for permission to use it once to analyze this Zhao Xin character."

The poor rely on mutation; the rich rely on technology.

Zhao Xin would never understand just how terrifying the resources at Lan Meng's disposal truly were.

A person's strength has always been multifaceted.

Wu Wei was becoming increasingly aware of this fact.

"Having money really does let you do whatever you want," Wu Wei sighed.

Lan Meng smiled: "It has always been that way."

Wu Wei recalled something Lin Shen had once told him:

"Back when I was broke, I thought that once I had money, I could find love, make my parents happy, and earn the respect of my friends. Later, when I actually had money, I discovered that it was indeed true.

Son, don't you ever be like your father, insisting that happiness is what matters most. He will never know just how happy the rich really are."

Thinking of his monthly allowance of 2,000 Qin Coin, Wu Wei suddenly felt like crying.