Chapter 51: Sniping the Crown Prince

When Sasaki appeared before Longyin, Longyin was pondering how to handle the enormous sum of seventy trillion crystal coins. With a slightly troubled expression, he looked at Sasaki and couldn't help but shake his head. "Uncle, I have a huge amount of money on my hands—how should I deal with it?"

Fortunately, Longyin knew how to throw his worries onto others; just because he wasn't skilled in something didn't mean others weren't. He considered his greatest talent not his card-making abilities, but his knack for recognizing people, for discovering their strengths and knowing when to let go and let them act.

Sasaki saw that Longyin's gloom had completely vanished, leaving only a clear, bright aura, and couldn't help but set his worries aside. It seemed the boss's problem had been resolved. With a faint smile, Sasaki asked, "What was your initial plan for this huge sum, boss?"

Longyin recalled that he wanted to buy card-making materials because he had run out. He nodded. "I was planning to purchase materials for card creation. What I have now isn't enough to last me a single night of indulgence." He frowned; lately, he'd been wasting things unconsciously due to so many troubles, but he knew he had to break that habit.

Sasaki nodded and continued, "Is it because the amount is so large that you're unsure how to proceed?"

Longyin wore a look that said, 'No one understands me better than Uncle,' and nodded. "Seventy trillion crystal coins—though that's just a drizzle for many powerful families, it's still a headache for me!"

For someone who once stretched every penny, seeing the exact number made Longyin uneasy. If it were just a silver card, he'd have no qualms—just swipe it and be done. But this was different.

Sasaki seemed to understand. "Just tell me what you want to do, boss. I'll see if it's feasible." Longyin leaned back in his chair, his lips curling into a maddeningly enticing smile. "I want an inexhaustible supply of medicinal herbs from now on."

Sasaki was taken aback, then looked at Longyin in surprise. "Boss, are you thinking of acquiring a production site for card-making herbs?" His shrewd eyes flashed with admiration, then he continued, "The last time you asked me to check the structure of medicinal herb producers in Texas, my data shows: the Cardmaker Guild controls twelve percent, other major forces—the Card Cultivator Guild, Mechanic Guild, and the Wanderers' Alliance—each hold ten percent. The Ji family, unexpectedly, owns ten percent. Other notable families in Texas hold forty-four percent, and the remaining four percent is scattered among small organizations."

After pausing, Sasaki added, "In truth, the Cardmaker Guild controls the most production sites—thirty percent of Texas's land. But most of what they produce is for their own use, and they secretly supply other state guilds at low prices, so officially, they only claim ten percent."

Longyin nodded; this made sense. Guilds of the same nature would naturally trade among themselves. The ten percent officially sold was probably to give the governor of Texas some face—if there were no taxes, he'd surely be envious. The distribution among other forces was expected, but the Ji family's ten percent was a surprise. A hint of coldness flashed in Longyin's eyes; what was swallowed must eventually be spit out.

He frowned; these were conservative numbers, and a deeper investigation would surely reveal differences. Still, the data gave a rough picture of the power dynamics in Texas. The Cardmaker Guild looked like a giant, but their presence seemed less forceful in these investigations. Yet, a dead camel is still bigger than a horse; as long as they didn't break with the other forces, they remained at the forefront. How much longer could that last, though?

With a sigh, Longyin considered the families surrounding Dexin, led by the Ji family. This force was strong enough to contend with any in Texas, though its cohesion seemed loose. But Longyin had a bad feeling—would the opposition really let this power disperse? The Ji family's actions had always been secretive; if not for a string of coincidences, he wouldn't have realized they'd made moves.

As for the Crown Prince's behavior, Longyin didn't believe for a moment it wasn't authorized by his family. The Crown Prince represented the Ji family, so he would have to be toppled first.

"For that four percent of scattered holders, Uncle, how long would it take you to acquire them?" Longyin asked directly, not finding the task difficult, and Sasaki didn't either. Only a small portion of that four percent produced high-grade card-making herbs; the rest were low-grade. After thinking a bit, Sasaki replied discreetly, "That depends on your level of support, boss."

Longyin was momentarily surprised, then laughed. "Uncle, you're sly." He sat up straight. "Just say it— even with seventy trillion crystal coins, it's not enough for even four percent of the scattered holders. How much more would I need?"

Sasaki shook his head. "Boss, you know that card-making herb production sites are like hens that lay golden eggs; asking them to sell is akin to killing the hen for its eggs—they won't agree."

Longyin nodded; that was true. To hold onto their small plots amidst the major powers of Texas required not only that the big players didn't want a fight, but also that these people had vision and skill. He looked at Sasaki with a half-smile. "You had this idea long ago, didn't you, Uncle? Just say what you want me to do. Talking to me, you don't need to be roundabout like with those old geezers. With my own people, I'm too lazy to guess!"

Sasaki paused, loosened his collar as if to relax, and said, "I've dealt with those old foxes for so long, I forgot how to be direct." He seemed genuinely relieved, sat casually in his chair, then sent a file to Longyin. "Boss, take a look. This is information on those people—I’ve documented each scattered holder with obvious needs!"

Longyin reviewed them one by one. Some issues only he could resolve—for example, certain scattered families cared about their children's education and tried everything to get them into Dexin. If he used that as leverage, things would be much easier. Such matters could be handled by someone else, and if that person wanted to, it would be much easier than for him. Supporting his chin, Longyin tapped his finger on the table, the irregular rhythm making Sasaki's heartbeat uneasy. Though the boss was young, the aura he exuded was comparable to any big figure, making Sasaki restless and unconsciously sit upright, the casualness gone.

Longyin leaned back and fixed his gaze on Sasaki. "Uncle, I've said I trust His Highness. No matter what you think, you must trust him unconditionally. I don't want you to be wary of him; matters like this can be discussed with him. Understand?"

His tone was gentle, but Sasaki felt a chill and nodded. "I understand."

"Good!" Longyin smiled, as if spring snow had melted and the breeze swept the earth.

"So, how are the arrangements for those five hundred people?" Sasaki was about to reply when Longyin waved his hand to stop him, summoned another, and in the next moment, Yuan Shaolin sat opposite Sasaki. Sasaki, recalling the boss's warning, greeted him first. Yuan Shaolin was momentarily surprised, then nodded and looked at the child, only to find a satisfied look in his eyes. Yuan Shaolin raised an eyebrow and curved his lips at Sasaki, even if only slightly, which nearly made Sasaki fall out of his chair—after all, the stone from the eternal ice pit had smiled at him, a truly terrifying sight.

Damn, with that stern face, he looked as if his family held a funeral every month; still, better not to see him smile. Sasaki inwardly wailed.

Steadying himself, Sasaki deliberately coughed to cover his embarrassment. "Boss, may I begin?"

Longyin nodded, adopting an attentive posture. Yuan Shaolin looked at Sasaki, who sighed inwardly before explaining with a blank expression, "This is about arranging the five hundred cardmakers. Everyone has reached their assigned states; in two days, you can convene the first five-hundred-person cardmaker meeting at midnight."

"The other nine have infiltrated their assigned states, and the overt personnel have been placed as well. Both groups have begun contact, and in a day, we can convene online on the federal network. I’ve linked all their personal terminals to yours. As for tracking the Crown Prince and the Ji family…" Sasaki shook his head, "Their movements are increasingly hidden; I can't uncover anything. They only use their clan members—never outsiders. We can't infiltrate, and that mysterious force has vanished completely."

Longyin turned to Yuan Shaolin. "Your Highness, what do you think?"

Yuan Shaolin glanced at Sasaki and retorted coolly, "Anyone can be bribed—especially family members. If we can’t get our people in, then buy theirs. Also, if we can't infiltrate, it's because you haven't trained them properly. If our people are good enough, and attract attention, the big families will beg to hire them." Yuan Shaolin's lips curled further as he looked at Sasaki, his usually cold voice carrying a new note. He uttered Sasaki's codename, "Uncle!" With that word, their relationship officially changed. Yuan Shaolin added mockingly, "You're not up to it!"

Sasaki's face turned red, his fists clenching and unclenching repeatedly. Being called "Uncle" by him was not as pleasant as he'd imagined. The tone… Sasaki took a deep breath and laughed. "Fine, Your Highness, I'll remember that 'Uncle.' I admit I didn’t think it through this time, and I wish you eternal strength, never a day of failure!" Turning to the smiling Longyin, Sasaki said, "Boss, I'd like to hear His Highness's plan for your trip to Green Mountain Ridge."

Longyin tilted his head toward Yuan Shaolin, recalling Uncle's biting words. Holding back his laughter, Longyin said tightly, "Your Highness, I want to know too!"

Yuan Shaolin glanced meaningfully at Sasaki’s lower body, then, under Sasaki’s fiery glare, calmly averted his gaze. "You must go to Green Mountain Ridge. The Ji family is too deeply hidden; we must investigate, even if there’s danger."

He paused and glanced again at Sasaki, who nearly erupted, then continued slowly, "Aside from our own people, the more chaos, the better for us."

"Fishing in muddy waters!" Sasaki’s eyes lit up, then he added, "I could organize a Green Mountain Ridge meeting with those old foxes."

Longyin shook his head. "No need to take risks; there are plenty of ways to fish in troubled waters!" His eyes sparkled with cunning and interest. "Let’s invite the ten ace teams of the Texas Wanderers’ Alliance for a tour of Green Mountain Ridge!"

Yuan Shaolin raised his eyebrows. "In that case, we can issue a super quest targeting individuals!"

Sasaki nodded. "I’ll chat with those old foxes and instruct our people not to be too clever. Sometimes, you have to leak information to the other side!"

…

And so, the three continued discussing their plans, gradually patching up the flaws, making the scheme seem flawless. This time, their strike against the Crown Prince would, at the very least, make him suffer!