To be fair.
"Rebirth" was absolutely the most fitting word to describe Jiang Chengcheng now.
The shackles of her past suffering had been severed by her own hand, and the gloom in her heart had vanished with them.
In their place were hope for the future and... fanatical loyalty toward Xu Shi.
"Thank you... Chairman Xu."
Nestled in Xu Shi's arms, she felt nothing but happiness and warmth. "From now on, I will serve only you.
My wealth, my body, and... my soul. Until death do us part."
Xu Shi smiled without speaking, quietly listening to her vow.
He was not surprised by this.
Because under the influence of "Malice Entropy," this was how it should have been.
This could be considered a complete trial run of his ability—from nothing to something, from zero to one.
In truth, while it did little to improve his combat strength, this ability was genuinely powerful. At merely B-class, it could make people willingly submit, and once the loop was complete, that submission would never waver no matter what happened.
Of course, that was contingent on using it properly and not being driven mad by the Ability Complication first. If he had truly been like the original body in the novel, he probably would not have been able to bring out even a tenth of its effectiveness.
Besides, every person was different. This method worked on Jiang Chengcheng, but for someone else—Gu Yi or Xia Wuyou, for example—it would be another matter entirely.
But one thing was certain: everyone had a threshold in their heart. As long as he could find it and break it, he could achieve the same result.
As for the "Re-Ascension" of "Malice Entropy"... unfortunately, the original novel had never mentioned it. Still, it probably would not be too bad.
Well, at least he had something to look forward to.
Thinking that, Xu Shi looked at Jiang Chengcheng before him, and the corners of his lips rose even further.
What did this count as? A minor villain boss gaining a new female villain executive?
Oh ho ho.
And honestly, with Jiang Chengcheng's submission, he had gained quite a lot.
Leaving aside her personal capabilities, the gold coins Jiang Fengshan had dropped were also an important part of it.
Although the Feather Pen had taken some of his illegal income, the overall impact was minor. With his death, the company shares and his personal assets would be transferred to Jiang Chengcheng under inheritance law.
That was no different from handing them to Xu Shi. As long as he asked, she would probably offer everything up with both hands without hesitation.
On top of that, the Engineering Department would naturally fall under his control as well... no matter how he looked at it, this was an enormous windfall.
He had won big.
That put Xu Shi in an excellent mood.
However, just as he was about to leave with Jiang Chengcheng, Tang Shuang, who was leaning against the corridor wall, blocked his way.
It seemed she had been waiting there for quite some time, and her complicated expression showed that she had something to say to Xu Shi.
"...Go wait outside for me first."
After thinking for a moment, Xu Shi sent Jiang Chengcheng away.
"Mm."
"I truly have to thank Director Tang for this."
After she left, Xu Shi smiled and nodded to Tang Shuang, displaying unprecedented politeness.
"...Just this once. There will not be a next time."
Tang Shuang's gaze flickered. "Even if something like this happens again... I will not stand by and let you do such a thing."
A little bit of trivia here—Night Sin City's laws did not include the death penalty.
But that was only on the surface. Extrajudicial punishment was another matter... and public prisons were even better places for backroom dealings. Countless people had lost their lives there.
However, things had improved greatly after Tang Shuang took office—the director was a very righteous person, after all.
As for why she had turned a blind eye this time... it was probably because she resented the pressure from her superiors and sympathized with Jiang Chengcheng's tragic circumstances.
"Understood."
Xu Shi gave a teasingly perfunctory response, not taking her words to heart.
He knew perfectly well that this might have been Tang Shuang's first time making an exception for someone in a matter like this... He was glad that person had been him rather than Shen He, and he hoped he would be the only one she ever made such an exception for.
It should not be too difficult—there were only first times and countless times. Once she got started, making up for it later would not be so easy.
With that thought, and with the lingering aftereffects of his Ability Complication still present, Xu Shi could not help having an idea. He extended a hand toward Tang Shuang and politely invited her, "Would you like me to give you a ride home?"
"...Cut it out."
Tang Shuang froze, then sprang away as though electrocuted. "Remember this: we can let this matter go, but—but you had better watch yourself. If you do anything you should not, I—I will still bring you to justice!"
As she spoke, she even struck an exaggerated fighting stance, while a blush crept onto her face without her realizing it.
Xu Shi could not help frowning at that. Seriously, if she was refusing, she could just refuse. Did she have to react so intensely?
Naturally, he had no idea it was because the director had unconsciously treated him as a side dish... She had been fine while dealing with official business earlier, but now that she had relaxed and they were alone, she could not help recalling it again.
"Instead of keeping an eye on a law-abiding good citizen like me, Director Tang, you should focus your attention on Sin City."
So he merely waved a hand in disappointment. "It has not been very peaceful lately."
Yes, Xu Shi, a law-abiding citizen who had two S-class wanted criminals under his command, said that without the slightest pressure.
"...Th-then that would be for the best!"
Tang Shuang stomped her foot angrily. "If you really fall into my hands, I—I will not let you off!"
With that, the director hurried away in a flustered retreat.
Fine, fine.
His good intentions had been taken for ill will. Xu Shi sighed helplessly and walked out of the prison gates.
Su Lin had also been waiting there for some time. Jiang Chengcheng was holding her hand, looking even more excited than before.
"You told her?"
Seeing how close the two had suddenly become, Xu Shi guessed what had happened.
"Mm."
Su Lin nodded.
Ever since Xu Shi had brought it up that day, she had investigated along that line.
The result was exactly as the two had expected—they really had known each other before, once being close companions at the same orphanage.
It could be said that they had supported each other through those days... Unfortunately, neither of them had names back then, only prisoner-like numbers.
Then they were adopted one after another, and contact between them was cut off.
That had undoubtedly made the investigation difficult, which was why Su Lin had scarcely shown herself these past few days.
Fortunately, the outcome was good, and their reunion made her quite happy.
Jiang Chengcheng was even more excited. She had just experienced a rebirth, and then, while the iron was hot, learned of this. At that moment, she did not even know how to describe her feelings.
Not to mention that the two shared the same position. She felt so happy she could practically faint.
In the car, Jiang Chengcheng carefully leaned against Xu Shi's shoulder and tightly gripped the corner of his clothes, afraid that this happiness was only a dream.
"Take a good rest for a while. Everything unpleasant from the past is over now."
Xu Shi comforted her like this. "Oh, right, Su Lin. Remember to arrange a psychologist for her."
Although the knot in her heart had been untied, her mental illness could not be ignored. Given her current state, Xu Shi was still somewhat uneasy about having her immediately begin research on the Overlimit Project.
Not to mention the matter of awakening her ability—this process often required stimulating the brain, and if her condition was unstable, it could easily lead to disaster.
"Yes, I understand."
Su Lin responded. Watching the two's intimate behavior through the rearview mirror, she unconsciously pressed her lips together.
Logically, this was a good thing... so why did something about it feel off?
As she pondered, a message came through on her communicator.
She casually glanced at it, and her expression became even stranger.
"Young Master, Young Master He of Shark Tooth has run into trouble."
Hm?
Before you continue