Chapter 107: Repetition

A few days later, in a villa located in the Golden District of Silver City.

“Mr. Luo is truly extraordinary; his moves are as precise and seamless as an antelope’s horns,” Li Xing praised, drinking alongside a middle-aged man in his forties.

“Not at all, Mr. Li. It’s all thanks to the solid foundation you laid. Without it, my modest strategies wouldn’t have had any chance to be put into play,” the man surnamed Luo replied humbly.

Once a business prodigy who built a company worth over a billion yuan from scratch by his thirties, he had been at the peak of his career, proud and confident.

Yet when the evil tide came, he was uprooted, his family destroyed, his ambitions shattered. Drifting aimlessly, he lost all his sharp edges until recently when someone rediscovered him—though all his former brilliance was now completely worn away.

Now, his only thought was to live comfortably through the remaining days. Unable to bring himself to follow his family’s tragic fate, he merely survived in quiet resignation—a sentiment shared by most who suffer severe blows.

“Mr. Luo, you are too modest. In just a few days, you sowed suspicion in the Lin family from the Northern Territories, prompting them to dispatch personnel to interfere with the Star Chamber’s operations. Yet the plan backfired, resulting in the death of a collateral family member outside that refuge—that’s no ordinary feat,” Li Xing said sincerely.

At that moment, he couldn’t help but compare the deceased Xie Bo with the man before him.

While Xie Bo excelled in disguise and scheming, his methods were always underhanded and unpresentable. Though ruthless and cunning, his traces were too obvious. His enemies merely feared his power and dared not retaliate.

But what Mr. Luo did left everyone suspicious yet utterly without evidence.

“These are ordinary tactics, unworthy of such praise,” Luo shook his head. “Lin Zhongqing employs extraordinary means to control the Chamber’s subordinates, which is understandable. But she must not use these methods against people sent by the Lin family. And as she grows stronger, the Lin family will inevitably send people to meddle and seize profits. That’s an irreconcilable conflict.”

Li Xing nodded. “Indeed, if she forces this, it will only estrange mother and son, arousing suspicion within and without. Then she loses her backing, left to fight alone, which weakens the threat she poses to us by more than one degree.”

“But Mr. Li, in this world, brute force reigns supreme. These tactics are, frankly, minor tricks. If you can’t surpass your opponent in strength, you only create temporary obstacles without truly defeating them,” Luo earnestly advised.

“I understand that. But I still wonder—those...” Li Xing gestured upwards, “can they really train Lin Zhongqing so confidently that, in just two or three months, she gains the power to defeat an epic-level evil spirit?”

“All reality is history repeating itself,” Luo declined to explain directly but told a story instead. “There was once a long-standing Anglo-Japanese alliance. Our neighbors rose to power on its back. But the arrogant British never dreamed that the very Japanese they nurtured would, decades later, wreak havoc in Southeast Asia, forcing them into a humiliating retreat, ultimately relying on betraying their own allies to survive.”

“Do you mean that the Lin family behind Lin Zhongqing didn’t wholeheartedly support her, but for some reason was instead backfired upon, allowing her to surpass the master?” Li Xing suddenly understood.

Hearing this, he felt intellectually overwhelmed. Previously, he thought Luo simply found a stronger backer. Now, after hearing the story, it made much more sense.

History is full of such cases: agents supported by their patrons who then surpass and trample them—this is no rarity.

“This is the closest truth I can offer,” Luo said seriously.

“Mr. Luo is indeed exceptional,” Li Xing’s eyes narrowed slightly.

After what happened with Xie Bo and today’s conversation with Luo, a thought began to take shape in his mind.

However, just as the thought was born, he crushed it. Without confirming that Lin Zhongqing’s case could be replicated, he would not entertain such ideas.

...

Copper Fortress, the Dome Office.

“The facts have been established. Lin Qing is impulsive. When negotiations failed, he flew into a rage and drove too fast. Due to road conditions, he had an accident. It was a regrettable and unfortunate accident,” Lin Zhongqing presented an investigation report to three visitors.

Opposite her desk stood three men in suits, all around their thirties.

A sharp man led the group, flanked by a short, stocky man and a tall one.

“This superficial explanation—Chairwoman Lin, do you think your family will accept it?” the leader asked without taking the report, challenging her directly. “Don’t forget, most of the funding and manpower for your Chamber came from our family. It’s just beginning to prosper; do you intend to burn bridges so soon?”

“If you don’t believe it, you can investigate yourselves,” Lin Zhongqing tossed the report on the table.

“In that case, we’ll have relevant local parties come to our family to explain in person,” the leader insisted without backing down.

“How dare you! That place has signed a security contract with my Chamber and employs my servants long-term. Even without a merger, it’s my key client. It’s not somewhere you can act recklessly!” Lin Zhongqing scolded.

She understood perfectly well what they meant. The so-called invitation was a euphemism for capture or retaliation. This was the law of the wasteland—weakness equals guilt.

“This won’t do, that won’t do. Chairwoman Lin, you’d better give us a reasonable explanation,” the leader showed no fear.

“Enough, Wang, Qing, we’re all family here. Why so hostile?” the short, stocky man stepped forward to smooth things over. “Qing, why do you insist on protecting an outsider? Although he’s your client, if he takes responsibility for this, we can explain to our family and you get a free piece of land, right?”

“Hmph,” Lin Zhongqing sneered, leaning back. “You only see the profit under your eyelids. I have my principles and would never wrong an innocent person!”

The three men exchanged looks of disbelief.

The short man’s proposal was the best solution under these circumstances—like the late Qing dynasty, when the death of a foreigner was exploited by colonial powers to extort reparations and even land. They were simply copying the script.

Moreover, in their eyes, that valley lord surnamed Fan would certainly have nothing to say about this.

“But Qing, no matter what, the man died on Lord Fan’s territory. He can’t escape responsibility and must compensate,” the short man relented.

The leader showed some displeasure but was silenced by a glance.

He recalled something someone had told them earlier and immediately fell silent.

Lin Zhongqing was too powerful—she had managed to kill a regional overlord. This might be the first time humans had exterminated a powerful evil spirit from the spiritual realm.

Under these circumstances, breaking ties was impossible.

The family’s real purpose in questioning them was not to sever relations but to test and adjust their relationship.

When necessary, having Lin Zhongqing’s side as the mainstay alongside the family was a choice they could make. In the wasteland, survival comes first; all other interests come second.

Now, they only wanted to see what kind of person Lin Zhongqing truly was—whether she would lose herself in power, and whether they could continue to trust and invest.

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhongqing nodded and then threw down a new document.

“Lord Fan also admitted partial responsibility. His capabilities are limited, and road repairs are not yet scheduled. Out of humanitarian concern, he is willing to offer compensation—this is an agreement for 10 kilograms of gold as condolence.”

Ten kilograms of gold?

That equated to 30,000 silver coins, roughly a hundred years’ wages for an ordinary person. This was not a small payout for death compensation by ordinary standards.

Yet compared to Lin family status and Lin Qing’s own wealth, it was insignificant, though at least it provided an explanation to his family.

The three men exchanged looks, nodded in understanding, knowing this was likely the final outcome of negotiations. Otherwise, breaking ties would be inevitable—and unacceptable.

Yet they still could not understand if Lin Zhongqing was truly such a principled person.

Having grown up together, they knew she wasn’t bad but, relying on rapid cultivation and strength, had often bullied siblings within the clan...

“Very well, if that is the case, we accept the result. But some in the family worry this might be a trick from competitors. After all, Lord Fan lacks a motive to kill Lin Qing. Chairwoman Lin, please assign someone to keep an extra eye on this,” the leader said, softening the tone at the end.

This is power.

A thought flickered through Lin Zhongqing’s mind, and she smiled faintly. “Seems there are wise ones in your family as well? We think the same. We just haven’t found evidence yet. Soon, internal news will surface. If you weren’t so impatient, we might have provided a better explanation.”

“Heh,” the leader smiled as if the previous tense moment had never occurred. “Looks like we’re on the same page. You can’t blame us for impatience—your area is the family’s and our friends’ key concern.”

The four looked at each other and laughed, as if they were one united family.

The Summit.