Cheng Long was unbelievable. He stayed silent from start to finish, refusing to utter a single word in the chat. It was as if he had vanished into thin air the moment the situation turned genuinely dangerous, leaving his wife to flounder alone in the digital crossfire.
[Lan Shao]:"@Tang Yuan, Liu Xia, you really don't need to worry about your jobs. No one can mess with your positions. I'm the one who arranged those jobs for you, so I won't let anyone slap me in the face like this.
@Jing Shu, jokes are jokes. Even if you have the power, you shouldn't use someone's work as a punchline. Don't worry. Even if you said something to the higher-ups, they won't lose their jobs. I can still speak for the entire power grid."
[Jing Shu]:"Do you think my methods are that low?"
She let out a soft, dry laugh, the sound echoing in her quiet room. She really didn't want to deal with this petty drama. Threatening people's livelihoods was the last thing she was good at. What she was truly good at was the art of the kill. Using rocks, knives, or guns was just one visceral form of ending a threat. There were plenty of other ways to dismantle a person's life without ever touching a weapon.
A soft blade was still a blade. It could kill without spilling a single drop of blood.
Using someone's job as a threat was such a cheap, amateur move. She wouldn't stoop to that level of petty bureaucracy. Besides, it was an easy way to run straight into a wall of political red tape. If someone like Lan Shao refused to give her face, she would only end up embarrassing herself in a public power struggle. She preferred a more surgical approach.
[Tang Yuan]:"No no no, Lan Shao, Jing Shu really didn't threaten me, really. Please stop asking. I messed up, I admit it. I'm begging Jing Shu to forgive me. I was blind and didn't know any better."
This demon is after my life. My actual life! Tang Yuan's fingers were trembling so hard she almost dropped her phone. She regretted everything. She regretted provoking this demon, this devil who had seen right through her carefully constructed facade.
[Lan Shao]:"We are all classmates. We can talk things out like civilized people. Jing Shu, no matter what connections you used, why make the situation so stiff? It's better to leave everyone a way out. We will keep running into each other in Wu City anyway."
[Jing Shu]:"@Tang Yuan, @Liu Xia, I heard I threatened you? Alright then, why don't we talk it out here and see if I really threatened you or not? I have got nothing to hide from the group. I don't want anyone thinking I'm bullying people behind the scenes."
[Tang Yuan]:"Don't don't don't! Please don't say anything. Don't say anything at all! I messed up, I'm begging you. Don't talk about it. I was wrong, truly wrong. Tell me what you want me to do. I will come to the group every day to confess and apologize. Just please, please forgive me."
The university group chat fell into a sudden, stunned silence. Everyone was becoming intensely curious. What could have scared Tang Yuan like this? Did Tang Yuan do something so shameful that she couldn't reveal it to her own husband?
Jing Shu must have gotten hold of some dark secret. Otherwise, Tang Yuan wouldn't be this terrified for her survival. Even Lan Shao was trying to help her smooth things over, suggesting there was something serious at stake that affected his own reputation as well. She must have grabbed Tang Yuan by the throat with a secret that could destroy her entire life.
[Jiang Changke]:"A big shot is a big shot. One look and you know the difference. A single finger is enough for her to crush these little ants. Weren't they all shouting a few minutes ago? Look at them now. This is what happens when you provoke a true power player. Hmph, let's see who else dares talk nonsense in front of the Boss."
"Shut up. Stop talking already." Jing Shu was speechless as she read the messages. This troublemaker again. If it weren't for Jiang Changke, none of this wouldn't have blown up so spectacularly today. She honestly didn't have any impression of him from their school days. She certainly didn't remember lending him money back in college.
[Lan Shao]:"Alright alright, it's not that big of a deal. Let's do it this way. We are all classmates. I know this whole argument started because everyone was excited about the Elite Gala. I can get five more spots for you all. I can also get ten temporary-worker slots for the event.
You can't join the auction, but you can be waiters and see the scene. A free meal is included. And Jing Shu, whether the news is true or not, I would like to invite you to the Elite Gala as my guest. How about it? Let the matter go? If you know what you know, then you should also know I have a lot of influence in Wu City's Power Company. Let's all get along from now on."
"Wow, Lan Shao is amazing. He actually got that many spots. I want to go too!"
"Count me in for the work shift. I want a spot just to see the people there!"
Jing Shu couldn't help laughing at the irony of it all. If she hadn't asked Heng Jin to investigate Tang Yuan's background, she wouldn't have realized Tang Yuan was already "exercising" with several different people in Lan Shao's inner circle. She was a biological double agent.
And that wasn't the only piece of dirt in the report. No wonder Tang Yuan was scared out of her mind. Not only was she involved with Lan Shao, she was also tied to Lan Shao's primary rival in the power grid's management. Even Jing Shu was shocked when she saw the detailed logs. She could only say, "666, impressive," to herself.
No wonder Lan Shao was acting like some gallant protector. The poor guy didn't realize he had already been betrayed a dozen times over. Tang Yuan was terrified of getting exposed because she knew her ending would be very, very ugly once the truth came out. As for Tang Yuan's husband, Cheng Long, he wasn't a decent man either, with his own hidden ledger of sins.
The apocalypse was chaotic, but their little social circle was even worse.
[Jing Shu]:"Keep those invitation spots for people who actually need them. I won't go. Let's end this here. In the future, be careful not to invade someone's privacy. I'm not easy to deal with, and I might do something that scares the person who crosses me. If anyone provokes me again, the consequences won't be this simple."
They were arrogant words, but no one dared to talk back. Even Jiang Changke shut up for once.
Lan Shao's offer was too tempting for the others. The Elite Gala had too much social influence for them to ignore. The group chat quickly shifted toward that topic again, the drama of the last hour discarded for the sake of potential profit.
"Good timing, there's one more extra spot. We all want to go!"
There were more than a hundred people in the group. Soon, almost everyone was fighting for a position. Lan Shao enjoyed this feeling, this power to decide who got in and who stayed out. It felt like he was the undisputed boss of their territory, and the thrill was addicting.
All the talk about whether Jing Shu was truly the Medicinal Herb Association's vice president disappeared. Tang Yuan and the others no longer dared to stir trouble, their messages deleted or buried under the new flood of chatter. Jing Shu soon forgot about the whole thing, putting the phone face down.
She really didn't need anything from the Elite Gala. With this group of university classmates who never got along well, she didn't want to stand out more than necessary. Back in school, everyone loved comparing everything, and that habit had only turned more vicious with the shortage of food.
There were definitely other hidden talents in the city besides Lan Shao. She didn't know who they were yet, but it was already the fourth year of the apocalypse. She didn't want to show off her wealth or her position. She didn't want people targeting her villa. Everything had the potential to become trouble.
Funny how things work. You don't want to do something, but life won't let you be still. Not even two days later, Jing Shu received a formal invitation from Li Yuetian. He wanted her to attend the so-called Elite Gala.
"I'm not going. The factory is going through hard times. We still owe the town office a lot of virtual currency for the last energy bill. I don't have spare money to participate in frivolous auctions." She came up with an excuse immediately, her voice flat over the phone.
Li Yuetian sat in her study, sipping the Turtle Snake Wine she had given him. He savored the spicy, medicinal heat, his little wings of joy practically flapping with every swallow. He took a big, exaggerated swig and said, "Is that so? What a pity. We have got a mission this time too. We are supposed to reclaim some high-value supplies from the New District. But I heard this event has a lot of mobile mansions up for trade. Didn't you tell me to keep an eye out for them?"
"Mobile mansions?"
Jing Shu's eyes lit up instantly, shining like a fifteen-thousand-watt bulb.