Chapter 28

The Li father and son stirred at this. Wang Zhaoyi continued, "You've heard that the Old District is going to be renovated, right? They say it'll officially begin at the start of next month. Houses around the Old District will be repaired, and water, electrical, and sewer lines will be upgraded. A huge number of construction crews will definitely pour in. My men are all familiar faces in the Old District. Everyone keeps an eye on everyone else, so nobody dares make any big moves. But the Li Family is different. You can find people to disguise themselves as construction workers and enter the Old District. Use the construction work as cover to search for the Zhang Family Secret Passage. I can help cover for you."

As Wang Zhaoyi spoke, he privately found it rather strange. What exactly was Zhang Muyang up to, being so considerate toward the Li Family? Still, that brat probably had no good intentions either. Since it was not Wang Zhaoyi who would suffer the loss, he was happy enough to stand aside and watch the show.

The Li father and son exchanged looks. At first glance, the idea did seem reasonable, but for some reason, neither of them could quite shake their unease. Yet they had no better option at present. After pondering for a long time, Li Cunzhou could only stall. "There is some merit to this plan. However, the Li Family's base is in Yanjing. We need to contact them before we can move people over. Please give us a few days, Boss Wang."

Wang Zhaoyi shrugged indifferently. "I'm not in a hurry. But the renovation plan will be officially implemented next month. If you miss this opportunity, it won't be convenient for me to get people in afterward."

That one sentence gave the Li father and son a renewed sense of urgency.

Wang Zhaoyi raised his hand to check the time, then stood. "There are too many eyes in the Old District. I can't stay gone for too long either. I'll leave first. Let me know once you've made up your minds. Remember to keep it confidential. If anyone finds out, I won't admit to anything."

The Li father and son could only rise and see Wang Zhaoyi out. Afraid of being discovered, they escorted him only to the guest room door. They watched him leave downstairs through the staff passage at the back before turning around and returning to their room.

The moment Wang Zhaoyi left the hotel, he took out his phone and sent a text message. At the other end, Zhang Muyang solemnly told Zhang Xianyang, "Yangyang, stay away from the Li father and son lately—especially Li Mobei."

Zhang Xianyang looked at his elder brother in surprise. He knew better than anyone how calculating and ruthless Li Mobei was. But his brother had only met Li Mobei once or twice, yet he had reached the same conclusion...

Zhang Muyang picked up a stack of documents from the table and handed it to Zhang Xianyang. "These are materials I had someone investigate in Yanjing. Sixteen years ago, the year Little Aunt's relationship with Li Cunzhou was exposed, Li Mobei ran away from home. He later stayed with the Kyoto Zhang Family for two years before the Li Family patriarch, Li Chong'en, brought him back. After that, his personality changed drastically, and his relationship with Li Cunzhou also became distant. So I think Li Mobei is nowhere near as indifferent about what happened back then as he claims. He's far too scheming. He probably harbors a great deal of resentment toward you as well. You'd better stay away from him."

Zhang Xianyang silently looked at the documents on the table. He had not known about this in his previous life. The Li Family had never told him. Perhaps the Zhang Family had investigated it as well, but by then Li Cunzhou had already coaxed Zhang Xianyang back to the Li Family with honeyed words. Zhang Muyang might have feared that learning this would make Zhang Xianyang uncomfortable, so he had not told him.

So Li Mobei was the one in the Li Family who hated him the most. No wonder he had spent nearly ten years gently coaxing Zhang Xianyang in his previous life. Smiling warmly and humoring an enemy every day could not have felt very good, could it?

Zhang Xianyang blinked, unsure what he was feeling at the moment. After standing there blankly for a long while, he promised Zhang Muyang, "Don't worry. As long as he doesn't come provoke me, I have no reason to go looking for him."

But the Li Family had already come knocking.

Zhang Xianyang found it rather funny. Back then, he had cursed Li Mobei for wanting to play the whore while still setting up a chastity arch. Now it seemed Li Mobei was far more than that. This was called enduring humiliation and hardship, biding his time. Li Mobei had probably been thinking about how to kill Zhang Xianyang from the very first day he approached him. Zhang Xianyang had thought the man would discard anything for profit, only to find that he himself had become Li Mobei's motivational target and stepping stone.

What a fucking mess.

Zhang Xianyang cursed under his breath. At that moment, his desire to kill Li Mobei had never been stronger.

Zhang Muyang walked over and rubbed his younger brother's head. The sleek, soft black hair stirred beneath his palm, giving him an oddly gentle, contented feeling. Looking at his younger brother's delicate face, Zhang Muyang said softly, "Don't worry, Yangyang. Your brother will help you vent your anger."

For a moment, the two brothers stood together in quiet warmth, both thinking about how they should deal with those shameless bastards from the Li Family.

The Li father and son, now marked by Zhang Xianyang's resentment, could not sense his hostility. After thoroughly discussing the feasibility of Wang Zhaoyi's proposal in the guest room, Li Cunzhou called his father in Yanjing as usual. After hearing his account, Li Chong'en also found the plan feasible. However, in his eyes, Wang Zhaoyi, Li Cunzhou's prospective partner, clearly had ulterior motives and was unreliable. Li Chong'en did not recommend treating Wang Zhaoyi as a true partner.

Li Cunzhou vaguely agreed with Li Chong'en's advice, but he also found himself in a difficult position. "Father knows something about the Old District's situation as well. This place is far too hostile to outsiders. If we don't work with Wang Zhaoyi, I'm afraid we won't be able to move an inch in the Old District."

Li Chong'en was silent for a long time before saying slowly, "Isn't that Gu Family brat the mayor of the Old District?"

Li Cunzhou's heart stirred. "Father means...?"

"Our Li Family's move into the Old District has, in a sense, cut into the Gu Family's interests. But at the end of the day, we all belong to Kyoto's circle of great families. That Gu Family brat is currently pushing the Old District renovation plan. He may look impressive on the surface, but behind the scenes, the local forces of the Old District have been obstructing him at every turn. With a huge cake sitting in front of him that he cannot take a bite from, that Gu Family brat is probably even more frustrated than we are."

Li Cunzhou still had some reservations. "Even if the Gu Family has not made much progress in the Old District, they may not necessarily cooperate with us."

Gu Zhaohuan was the only one from the Gu Family working in the Old District. No matter what results he achieved, he would be keeping everything for himself. But now the Li Family wanted to stick a hand into the matter...

Li Chong'en chuckled and said leisurely, "I'll speak with the Gu Family about that. Just wait for my news."

Li Cunzhou knew there would inevitably be a series of unspoken deals behind this, and immediately nodded in agreement.

Three days later, the Li father and son, who had been waiting at their Old District hotel, received a call from the Li Family patriarch. They immediately drove to the city government. In the mayor's office, Gu Zhaohuan, who had also received instructions from the Gu Family patriarch, curled his lips meaningfully and reached out to call the Zhang Family's leader, Zhang Linmo...

Meanwhile, Wang Zhaoyi, who had kept people watching the Li father and son, received a report from one of his underlings. He raised his brows and laughed. "It's good that they've got other intentions! If they really worked obediently with me, I'd be too embarrassed to hit them too hard!"

30

After hanging up, Zhang Linmo summoned one younger brother, one nephew, and his three sons to the study. Recently, he had been busy receiving, through illegal overseas channels, various high-tech military and civilian products that international treaties explicitly prohibited from being exported to third-world countries. As such, he had not paid much attention to the Old District itself. Now that Gu Zhaohuan had taken the initiative to reveal the news, Zhang Linmo merely intended to pass it on to Zhang Muyang. As for what Zhang Muyang planned to do, it was not within Zhang Linmo's considerations—

The Zhang Family leader's thoughts were simple enough. If they still had to fear two newcomers on their own turf, then the Zhang Family did not deserve to be called the leading family of the Old District. If Zhang Muyang could not handle two outsiders even while wielding such authority, then there was no point in managing the gang. He might as well go home and nurse babies.

Without taking the Li father and son seriously, Zhang Linmo directly handed the matter to his son as practice. He then discussed something else with his younger brother, Zhang Tumo. "Most of the materials and machinery we ordered have arrived. Find a time to bring the goods back. Keep the materials for building Star Wars Game City yourself, and transport the rest directly into the secret passage."

Zhang Tumo nodded. "Don't worry. I'll handle it."

"I naturally trust you with matters like this." Zhang Linmo said it casually, then turned to Zhang Qingyang. "For the next while, I'll be focused on the Old District, with most of my attention on the secret passage. Since we're building a base inside the passage, we can't make a big production of hiring construction crews. So I'll be drawing more than half of the Dark Dragon Guard. I won't touch the Hidden Dragon Guard under your command. If anything happens outside, discuss it with Muyang and Xiyang."

Zhang Qingyang nodded in acknowledgment.

Seeing that his father had finished giving instructions, Zhang Xianyang immediately stepped forward. "Yesterday, I discussed something with the Brain AI and came up with this. Father, take a look!"

As he spoke, he handed the prepared document folder to Zhang Linmo.

Zhang Linmo took the folder and opened it, his expression turning startled. "Comprehensive network control?"

Zhang Xianyang nodded. "The Old District renovation plan will begin at the start of the month. More forces will definitely use the opportunity to enter the Old District. When that happens, there will be too many people and too many eyes, while the gang has limited manpower. I'm afraid we won't be able to monitor all outsiders. With my current bioenergy as support, the Brain AI can barely control network resources within a radius of one thousand meters. So I hope Father can arrange some nodes during the Old District renovation to make it easier for the Brain AI and me to control them."

Zhang Linmo lowered his head to look at Zhang Xianyang's freshly drafted comprehensive network control plan, and his heart skipped a beat. "The computer in your head can actually monitor the entire Old District through electronic surveillance devices?"

Zhang Xianyang smiled sheepishly. "Not yet. My current abilities only allow the Brain AI to control electronic devices within a one-thousand-meter range. But as my energy grows stronger, the range it can control will continue expanding."

"That powerful? Doesn't that mean that if Yangyang keeps training, the Brain AI might eventually be able to monitor the entire Earth? Wouldn't that mean all our lives would be exposed before a computer?" Zhang Xiyang smacked his lips in amazement. "Why does that sound a little like The Matrix?"

Humans used computers to improve their lives, only to be ruled by computers in the end...

After that one remark, everyone present felt somewhat uncomfortable.

Sensing everyone's fleeting terror and fear, the Brain AI in Zhang Xianyang's mind gave a disdainful laugh and said contemptuously, "Not to mention that I was programmed with the First Sequence auxiliary protocol when I left the factory. In this backward, primitive dump, you couldn't build an environment capable of supporting my control over carbon-based lifeforms even if I gave you two thousand years. Besides, you carbon-based organisms possess the most primitive genetic sequences, without any evolution at all. You are only fit to provide me with a little bioenergy. Rather than wasting time controlling you, I might as well upgrade myself. Then I can return to my homeland sooner and show you what high technology really is, what truly astonishing miracles are. A bunch of country bumpkins, and you're quite good at worrying."

Zhang Xianyang's face darkened, and he quickly barked, "Shut up."

The rest of the Zhang Family could not hear the Brain AI, and seeing Zhang Xianyang's expression, they asked suspiciously, "What?"

Zhang Xianyang came back to himself and immediately said, "Nothing. The Brain AI was assuring me that it would not control humans. It said it's a peaceful and friendly Intelligent Optical Brain."

The Brain AI snorted and said nothing else.

The discussion returned to the plan of setting up more electronic devices around the Old District for the Brain AI to control. Zhang Linmo agreed to meet the Brain AI's requirements as much as possible without alerting anyone else. After hearing Zhang Linmo's promise, the Brain AI inside Zhang Xianyang said, "I've agreed to your request. You also need to remember to add another two hours to your training time starting tomorrow."

Zhang Xianyang's current training schedule had already reached six hours. Adding another two would make eight, leaving practically no time to sleep. But with the Li Family and the Kyoto Zhang Family pressing ever closer, and with the changes in this life growing increasingly different from his previous one, Zhang Xianyang always felt a sense of urgent unease. Thus, he went along with the Brain AI's request. In a way, he also hoped to improve his abilities as quickly as possible, so he could make greater contributions within the limits of his current circumstances.