After a standoff that did not seem like a standoff.

  Ling Xiao said, “You should consider the Ding family’s matter first. While Ding Miao claims that he has sufficient evidence, he still hasn’t produced the witnesses yet. He’s probably waiting for more people to reach out to him with benefits……such as those eyeing Ning Garden’s land, such as my family. He wants to get as much out of it as possible.”


  Xu Tingsheng said, “If others don’t infringe on my things, I won’t infringe on theirs. This already doesn’t seem like the correct logic and principle.”


  Ling Xiao said, “In this world, there is only gain which completely aligns with logic and principles. As for what exceeds it, there is only emotion. Familial relationships, love, brotherly ties……hatred, gratitude……whichever kind. It’s just that emotions are increasingly losing to gain and profit now. Gradually, only one principle will remain in this world.”


  The enemies continued their conversation. Before long, it was already noon.

  There was still nothing over from Ding Miao’s side. News of the Ye family’s intervention, though, had spread……Yanzhou’s bureaucracy was rendered even more chaotic now.

  At the door of the visiting room, Ling Xiao glanced inside. It was lunchtime, and Xu Tingsheng was earnestly and calmly eating the allocated food as per the rules.

  Ling Xiao grit her teeth and headed outside.

  There were some things in which she simply had no choice. She could laugh and talk with Xu Tingsheng like fishes in water, talking calmly and warmly. It was also oftentimes when she felt she had met her match, hitting it off incomparably well with him.

  Still, this did not mean she would not think of ways to make things difficult for him.

  To be precise, she had no choice but to do so.

  The nature of the situation had already changed. What Xu Tingsheng sought now was not to extricate himself, but to strengthen himself……if he succeeded, it was very likely that the Fang family’s matter would end just like that.

  The Ling and Xiao families were definitely unwilling to see this. They had spent over twenty years preparing for this. If they did not sever the threat at its root, they would run the risk of suffering vengeance from the remnants of the Fang family in the future.

  Calls were made one after another as the net that the Ling and Xiao families had spent the past twenty over years weaving was forced to open and circulate at full strength for the first time.

  She had to resist the pressure from Mr Xu and Ye Qing’s family, protect those within the net and give confidence to Ding Miao who was holing up who knew where. In the stalemate between the two sides, what Ding Miao possessed had become the crucial element that would decide victory and defeat.

  They and Ding Miao both needed each other now. They would give Ding Miao help and support before using Ding Miao’s ammunition to forcibly dispel the pressure on them-it was not just that, actually. If Xu Tingsheng was convicted of murder, the lawsuits of the Xu and Ye families would actually become totally meaningless.

  As long as Xu Tingsheng fell, the remainder of the Fang family would be like roaming lambs on the plains, just waiting to be slaughtered. Lions were unnecessary as even hyenas and wolves would be sufficient to shred their flesh till not even dregs remained of them.

  Ling Xiao finished her calls, and Xu Tingsheng finished eating lunch.

  She didn’t return to sit opposite him like before, but neither did she leave. Standing at the little surveillance window, Ling Xiao saw Xu Tingsheng get up and stretch for a while before calmly closing his eyes and resting. All throughout, she was wondering unceasingly: Why must I see him dead?

  From a personal standpoint, Ling Xiao could not find any reason for it at all.

  The word she should use to define him was interesting. She had to admit that he was filled with allure for women. Sometimes, he was very simple. He had once been totally played by her too. Yet, she somehow felt like she was unable to see through him. For instance, how could he be so calm right now?

  “He should know what I’m trying to do……I’m thinking of a way to get him convicted of murder.”


  Xu Tingsheng was aware of this, of course.

  Still, all the steps and arrangements had actually already been completed when he and his father had met.

  He had asked his father for help with two things at the time. One was to give Old Jin a reminder, letting him return to Binzhou to handle things with an ease of mind. The other was to retrieve a mother and daughter pair from a certain district in Yanzhou.

  Ling Xiao received the first call in response to earlier.

  “Minister Meng from the Promotion Ministry has been arrested,” A rather frantic voice resounded from the other end.

  Things had been very chaotic since this morning as everyone had tense nerves and were all too jumpy and on edge.

  This Minister Meng from the Promotion Ministry was that same person who had been Vice Chief of the Yanzhou Nightly a few years ago, having been promoted at insane speeds due to his substantial background. He had once been Chen Jianxing’s boss. The Ling and Xiao families had exerted a lot of effort these twenty years in secretly raising a batch of people in Yanzhou where the Fang family’s base was. In the end, their manpower and connections had virtually come to encompass all the various ministries of Yanzhou.

  It was impossible that the illegal exchange of benefits did not exist in such a group. Otherwise, it would be impossible to establish and maintain it.

  “Was it the Xu family or the Ye family?”


  Ling Xiao was still relatively composed. If it was the two families who had done it, she could simply treat it as an act of intimidation. Just a Promotion Minister alone was not sufficient to affect the overall situation.

  “I’m not sure. It seems to have been an investigation squad from up above.”


  “Up above. The province?”


  “Yanjing, it seems.”


  “.……” Ling Xiao’s heart sank abruptly, “Are you sure? Stay calm. Think of a way to check first.”


  “Alright.”


  Thinking that some time should be needed to investigate and verify this matter, Ling Xiao was just about to put her phone back in her bag.

  Her ringtone sounded again.

  “Hello.”


  “Deputy Mayor Ma.”


  “What?”


  “Deputy Mayor Ma was out of town in a meeting when he was directly cuffed.”


  “.……”


  “I couldn’t get through to Chairman Zhang. Head Secretary Zhao gave me a call earlier. I picked up, but there was no answer……and then the call ended. They should have come from Yanjing……” The other person said in a defeated tone.

  “I got it,” Ling Xiao said sombrely.

  There was no further need for investigation here. Had it been an investigation squad from the province, it was impossible that no news would have leaked whatsoever before this operation. They also could not have acted at such a speed and scale in such an important city of Jianhai Province. So, the squad had definitely descended high from the capital of Yanjing.

  Also, the province should share the same stance as up above, being happy to see this happen. Otherwise, judgment would never have come down speedy as a descending thunderbolt.

  “They’re still making arrests……” This time, the person on the other end reported no names as his voice was filled with fear and despair, “It seems……we’re going to be overturned entirely.”


  “What’s the reason?” Ling Xiao was still disbelieving and somewhat unable to comprehend it.

  Even in a central area, such a quake amongst the bureaucracy was very rarely seen……be it the Xu family or the Ye family, neither should be capable of unleashing such huge waves with their background alone.

  “It should be related to that person.”


  “Who?”


  “Chen Jianxing. He previously entered the capital with the report team, reporting sickness and thus staying behind……”


  “Chen Jianxing?” Who’s that?” Ling Xiao didn’t even recognise this name.

  “Deputy Mayor Ma’s son-in-law. Someone from our group. If he had the desire to, he should know everything. More than two years would have been more than enough for him to collect evidence. If he is willing to be used as a lance and people above happen to be willing to use him, we……”


  “What? Hello, hello? ……Beep……beep, beep……”


  There was only silence from the other end.

  Ling Xiao stood defeatedly……

  Some had previously likened the Fang family’s instant collapse to an earthquake in the bureaucracy of Yanzhou. In that case, now……an ultra massive quake had suddenly come. Besides the new mayor who had come to Yanzhou with two new, big projects yet been left without any actual power over the long term, everyone in Yanzhou’s bureaucracy was left fearing for their positions.

  Ling Xiao abruptly rushed back to the surveillance window.

  Xu Tingsheng gazed at her. While he clearly shouldn’t be able to see her, he was looking in this direction. Ling Xiao felt like his gaze was tangible as it fell on her.

  Slowly, the corners of Xu Tingsheng’s mouth bloomed into a brilliant smile.

  In his previous life, an inconsequential person like Chen Jianxing had been able to stir so great a tide, overturning so many people……however much evidence he might possess, he definitely wasn’t the sole reason for it.

  The truth of the matter was that he was willing to be a lance, which someone also happened to need.

  While no one knew who the harbour behind the mayor of Yanzhou whose power was being diminished was, Xu Tingsheng knew it. Looking at the time, it was now time to completely stabilise Jianhai Province as their territory. How could as important a city as Yanzhou fall behind?!

  “Officer! Is anyone there? I think it should be time for me to pack up my things,” Xu Tingsheng got up and said.

  Ling Xiao zoned out for a moment as two scenes reappeared before her eyes.

  The first scene: Xu Tingsheng visited the Ling family manor, playing a game of chess with the two old men. That game should originally have been a draw……still, at the end of the game, Xu Tingsheng had taken two pieces and returned them to the chessboard-those were two pawns that had crossed the river.

  Pawns that had crossed the river were equivalent to warriors pledged to their deaths. They would only die, they could only advance.

  Ling Xiao had always thought that that was Xu Tingsheng bluffing, overstating his assets……

  The second scene was from just earlier. Xu Tingsheng had said this: Why can’t I just rip the entire net apart? If sufficient points are broken through, its surface can be pierced. Your net’s too dense. The benefit of this is that it’s stable. The detriment is that when it’s ripped, a whole patch falls apart.

  Ling Xiao knew now that he was right. The net of the Ling and Xiao families was too dense……once ripped, it was the whole patch.