You Might Even Thank Me

Chapter 7: Perhaps You'll Thank Me

The charge of illegally manufacturing military weapons was a serious one under Earth Federation law. If it had been an ordinary company with no backing, everyone involved might have been executed. But for a group like the Shangguan Family, which had some influence, it would at the very least damage the family's foundations and strip it of its current glory and prominence.

"Even if I can't bring down the Shangguan Family, Miss Shangguan, you certainly won't retain your current glamorous status and halo. When that time comes, a beauty like you may become the plaything of a group of men, rather than a strong woman in control of her own future and life." Mu Xiao mercilessly tore away the hypocritical mask of high society.

Indeed, if the Shangguan Family collapsed, Shangguan Yuanxin, as its first heir, would inevitably be the first sacrifice.

After hearing Mu Xiao's words, Shangguan Yuanxin's full, crimson lips suddenly curved into a meaningful smile. "Mr. Mu, it seems you aren't someone backed by an organization. Perhaps you're merely someone with some hacking skills, trying to use this to blackmail me."

Her words struck Mu Xiao like a bolt from the blue. It could be said that Shangguan Yuanxin had seen straight through his trump card.

Was she bluffing me?

The more critical the situation became, the calmer Mu Xiao was. Even his heartbeat did not quicken much as he replied composedly, "I don't quite understand what you mean. If you agree to my terms, I can even provide the complete program for 'ZI-S001.' Once you complete this machine, your family's status and wealth will far surpass what Bauhinia Group possesses now..."

Shangguan Yuanxin stretched out her graceful, enchanting body in a relaxed, leisurely posture, as though control had returned to her hands. She interrupted Mu Xiao without ceremony and smiled. "Mr. Mu, I am now even more certain of what I said earlier. You're a man with no background whatsoever."

Then Shangguan Yuanxin changed the subject. "Taking Bauhinia's assets is impossible, but I am willing to hire you at a high salary as my right-hand man. That position would surpass every employee in the company, and it would also be an excellent opportunity for you to enter our upper-class circle."

Mu Xiao's eyes remained calm as water as he stared silently at Shangguan Yuanxin's smooth, alluring face.

Not to mention the noble circles of Earth—even if he could return to the noble life on the Moon, Mu Xiao had no interest in it now...

"Looks like you still don't know where you made your mistake..." Shangguan Yuanxin leaned forward slightly, opened the drawer beside her, and took out a bottle of liquor and two glasses. She poured two glasses of white liquor and set one before Mu Xiao. After taking a small sip with her scarlet lips, she explained unhurriedly, "If there were someone behind you, you would definitely know what goes on in our circle. The Shangguan Family and the An Family have arranged a marriage alliance, and I happen to be the future daughter-in-law of the An Family. Even if the Shangguan Family falls, I will still have status and prestige in the An Family. Therefore, your threat poses no real danger to me. With the An Family helping us, the Shangguan Family won't suffer damage to its foundations either. Though it may be troublesome, at most we would only lose Bauhinia Group's assets... As for why I won't give you Bauhinia's assets to avoid further trouble, it is because I am not someone accustomed to being threatened."

The An Family? The An Family that controlled the special police force? Could she be An Renwang's fiancée?

Mu Xiao frowned, understanding that his threat was no longer effective. He had initially thought he could intimidate Shangguan Yuanxin with the 'ZI-S001,' a common machine from the later era. Instead, the An Family had become an unexpected variable, and he had not expected this woman to be so perceptive.

In the late apocalypse, the Shangguan Family had been considered a mid-sized organization. Its most famous product was this machine model, 'ZI-S001,' so Mu Xiao knew something about the Shangguan Family's background. As for the powerful figures of that later era, there had been no one named Shangguan Yuanxin. It seemed that, in history, she had died young. On the other hand, An Renwang, the An Family's most famous figure, had been quite formidable...

Ah... So even the memories of a reborn prophet have their limits. Mu Xiao sighed inwardly. He sighed even more at the fact that, without his former status on the Moon, his information channels had become far less reliable. Still, even on the Moon, he would never have paid attention to the "family affairs" of some Earthly tycoon.

With the bearing of a victor, Shangguan Yuanxin looked proudly at Mu Xiao and said forcefully, "Mr. Mu, you understand the consequences of refusing me. This is also your only way out."

If there truly were people behind Mu Xiao, they would certainly be some major families, perhaps even plotting something enormous against the An Family and the Shangguan Family. That was what Shangguan Yuanxin had been worried about. But after seeing through Mu Xiao's "trump card," those worries vanished. Even if news of the illegal manufacturing got out, she would have ample time to make preparations.

Thus, Shangguan Yuanxin believed she stood completely on the platform of victory. Yet she had encountered Mu Xiao—and she had encountered this crucial day.

Mu Xiao looked gently at the peerless beauty before him and smiled faintly. "Miss Shangguan, I had originally intended to solve this problem peacefully. That would undoubtedly have been good for both you and me, but unfortunately, you refused to cooperate..."

"Hm?" The instant Shangguan Yuanxin sensed something wrong, a sharp gleam flashed through Mu Xiao's eyes. His entire bearing changed completely, like a ferocious beast bursting from its cage and bringing with it a violent, bloody aura. It flooded Shangguan Yuanxin's entire consciousness with savage malice. Her rosy, seductive face turned deathly pale at once. Invisible terror seized both body and mind, leaving her unable to react.

Although Mu Xiao had temporarily lost the combat power of a New Human, the aura of a former New Human powerhouse remained. It was more than enough to completely intimidate Shangguan Yuanxin, who was still an Old Human. Before his rebirth, Mu Xiao had at least been a somewhat renowned lone New Human. He had experienced countless battles, great and small, and his aura had fused into his fighting instincts, fully under his control.

Therefore, to Shangguan Yuanxin, who had yet to evolve into a New Human, Mu Xiao's aura was no different from a mental attack. He had deliberately restrained it to its lowest level. If he unleashed his former battle stance, that overwhelming fighting intent alone would absolutely crush Shangguan Yuanxin's mind.

A person in a high position could cultivate the aura of authority, invisibly oppressing ordinary people until they trembled in fear.

How much more terrifying was the aura of a warrior who had endured countless battles? It was far more difficult to defend against, unless a person of authority had experiences comparable to a warrior's and held the power of countless lives in their hands. But Shangguan Yuanxin's experiences could not compare to Mu Xiao's at all.

"Actually, I'm not used to being threatened either. So now I'm giving you a chance to compromise with me. Otherwise, I don't know what might happen next, nor can I guarantee that we'll continue our conversation as pleasantly as we are now." Mu Xiao's eyes were cold and merciless. At some unknown point, he had gripped a red energy blade more than a meter long, its scorching tip less than half an inch from piercing Shangguan Yuanxin's smooth, tender throat.

What he held was the modified Overclocked Microwave Blade. Its energy blade had been extended from less than half a meter to over a meter, greatly increasing its energy consumption. Fortunately, he had replaced it with a large energy block beforehand, enough to support extended use. The only issue was that the material could not withstand such high output for long...

"Y-You... who are you? An ordinary person wouldn't possess such pressure..." Shangguan Yuanxin's face was pale as she felt the sharp, scorching presence against her throat. Yet her eyes remained bright and resolute, carrying a light that refused to submit.

"If your fingers keep trembling at that frequency, my blade will definitely pierce your throat before you can trigger the alarm." Mu Xiao's expression remained blank. The Overclocked Microwave Blade in his hand did not tremble in the slightest as it directly cut through the skin of her throat. A streak of blood ran down her elegant, slender neck, but it was instantly evaporated by the blade's heat.

Shangguan Yuanxin's body stiffened again. She did not dare move at all, as though she had been targeted by a savage beast that could tear her into pieces at any moment. That icy killing intent was like an invisible hand clutching her throat, making even breathing difficult.

"Aren't you afraid of retaliation from the Shangguan Family and the An Family?" Shangguan Yuanxin asked, forcing herself to remain calm.

"Get through today first." Mu Xiao gave a meaningful, cold smile.

"What do you mean?!" A chill rose in Shangguan Yuanxin's heart, as though some enormous disaster was about to befall her family.

"I don't want to waste words with you. Immediately disable every alarm in this room in front of me, including those two S-rank robots. Otherwise, I'll take you hostage, strip you naked, and parade you floor by floor through your company so everyone can admire your naked—"

"Shameless!" Shangguan Yuanxin's beautiful eyes filled with anger. A flush of fury rose on her formerly pale face, slightly dispelling the fear in her heart.

"Will you disable them or not?" Mu Xiao asked calmly.

Shangguan Yuanxin had not wanted to yield so easily to Mu Xiao's shamelessness, nor did she believe he would really strip her and take her downstairs. After all, that would only result in the terrifying retaliation of two families. But when she saw his indifferent gaze, an instinctive shiver ran through her heart, as if he truly would do it.

"You will regret everything you've done today." Shangguan Yuanxin shot Mu Xiao a cold look, took a deep breath, and reached out to draw several motions in the air. A light screen appeared before her, filled with settings. Mu Xiao watched intently as she disabled every option. Only then did he shut off the energy output of the Overclocked Microwave Blade. He could also feel the handle heating up. If it went on much longer, the side effects of overclocked output might cause its internal components to burn out.

"After today, perhaps you'll thank me." Mu Xiao's frightening aura faded away, and his face returned to a natural, friendly smile. But Shangguan Yuanxin understood very clearly just how calm, brutal, and shameless this man was beneath that smile.

"Alright." Mu Xiao spoke in an idle, casual tone, without a hint of anger. "Now hand over the passwords to the company's financial accounts, as well as the passwords to your personal accounts."

Seeing how lazy and unconcerned he looked, as though he were merely asking her for a few credits, Shangguan Yuanxin was so furious she nearly went mad and fought him on the spot.

No one had ever dared speak to Shangguan Yuanxin like that, nor had anyone ever treated her with such an attitude. Since childhood, she had been surrounded by countless honors and praises. This was the first time she had suffered such a tremendous blow. Given such an enormous contrast, it would have been strange if she did not lose her mind.

What if I refuse? Aren't you afraid I'll die with you?

Of course, Shangguan Yuanxin would not say that, because she understood that her life was far more valuable than Mu Xiao's. So she "cooperatively" gave him the financial account numbers and passwords.

Mu Xiao used the optical computer on her desk to log into the bank. He quickly opened the accounts she had provided and discovered that the credits inside were nowhere near as vast as he had expected.

"Bauhinia Group only has this much money? Are you insulting my intelligence, or trying to prove how clever you are?" Mu Xiao looked at Shangguan Yuanxin with amusement in his eyes.

"The two billion credits in those accounts are enough for you to spend for a lifetime." Shangguan Yuanxin folded her arms before her proud, full breasts and said pointedly, "Besides, I wonder whether you'll have the time to spend all the credits in them."