Free Web NovelNegotiating with x god’s believers? Wouldn’t that allow me to obtain important information?
Goodness, is this the power of a double agent?
On the bus, watching the constantly changing city scenery outside the window, Lu Yibei pursed her lips and, through the Paper Cicada Immortal, responded solemnly to Dorees, “Silly child, if I tell you to go participate in a negotiation, just go. There’s no need to be so flustered.”
“But didn’t you say—”
“That was then, this is now. What I told you before was just one of many possibilities. Now, let me tell you another possibility!”
Dorees hesitated for a moment, then said with a serious tone, “Teacher, please speak.”
“Listen carefully. You’ve only just joined the Eclipse Society and haven’t gained their complete trust yet. If you refuse a task they give you at a time like this 【yes, you can see this negotiation invitation as a special task】—”
“Oh! I understand, Teacher!” Dorees interrupted, “This is what you told me before, isn’t it? When you first join an organization, and you receive a task assigned by your superior, you should try not to refuse it to gain trust. If the task is too dangerous, you should try to slack ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) off while performing it, right?”
“Exactly! That’s it!” Lu Yibei praised her, “Additionally, in this situation, to ensure your own safety, when you participate in the negotiation, besides remaining silent and not drawing attention to yourself, you should also try to capture as much important information as possible from their conversations.”
“That important information could very well be someone’s leverage. As long as you grasp their leverage, you can threaten or entice them when necessary, manipulate them, and make them act according to your will!”
“Dorees, don’t think of the Eclipse Society as too simple. In such a large organization, if you only rely on fighting alone, you will die very miserably. You must find a way to develop your own power.”
These were her true feelings.
In Lu Yibei’s opinion, although Dorees was favored by Feinikesi (Phoenix) Mr., the second-in-command of the Eclipse Society, who could guarantee that Feinikesi (Phoenix) Mr. would always favor her?
Even if he did, she would likely fall into a similar predicament as Blue Yi, living in the shadow of Feinikesi (Phoenix) Mr. and being controlled everywhere. How could a student of Disaster always be someone else’s pawn?
Even if she had to be a pawn, she had to be a king piece!
Ahem, I accidentally got a bit chuunibyou 【Lu Yibei scratched her cheek awkwardly】.
Dorees was silent for a moment, then continued, “I understand, Teacher, but I’m still worried. What if I can’t tell what they’re saying, which parts are important information?”
Upon hearing this, for a moment, Lu Yibei really wanted to tell Dorees to bring the Paper Cicada Immortal to the negotiation site and let her listen to the contents of the negotiation.
However, she then thought that it was, after all, an important negotiation among the middle ranks of the Eclipse Society, and it would likely be impossible for Dorees to bring a suspicious Spiritual Energy item like the Paper Cicada Immortal in, so she dismissed the idea.
I must make Mengmeng develop some ultra-miniature Paper Cicada Immortals for *use* later! Lu Yibei thought fiercely.
“How about I write it down first and tell you later? You can help me analyze which parts might be used as their leverage?” Lu Yibei, “...”
Everyone saw it, right? I didn’t maliciously deceive my student into doing dangerous things to get information! She brought it up herself!
Honestly, the Mountain City Eclipse Society’s confidentiality work is really not up to par.
“That wouldn’t be good, would it? That’s an internal matter of the Eclipse Society. If you tell me, it’s considered a leak, and if they find out, you’ll be in danger.”
“It’s okay, Teacher, I trust you!” Dorees said without hesitation, “After I tell you, as long as you don’t tell anyone else, won’t it be fine? If only the two of us know, it won’t be considered a leak!”
Dorees trusted her Teacher very much. How could a strong person who could unconditionally help a down-and-out Half-Guitan girl have bad intentions?
“This...” Lu Yibei feigned hesitation and was silent for a few seconds, then sighed, “Sigh, I can’t do anything with you! Let’s leave it at that for now. You go with them to the negotiation, and I’ll come find you later, and we can talk in detail when we meet.”
“Also, if the situation feels wrong, immediately destroy the Paper Cicada Immortal. No matter where I am, I will rush to save you immediately.”
When those Paper Cicada Immortals were made, her fingertip blood was dabbed on them. If a Paper Cicada Immortal was destroyed, she could obtain its precise location within a certain range. This way, she could ensure Dorees’s most basic safety.
After Dorees cut off the connection, Lu Yibei put down the Paper Cicada Immortal and only then noticed the old woman next to her, carrying a vegetable basket, looking at her with a strange gaze tinged with pity.
Such a beautiful Miss, why is her mind not normal? She was muttering to a paper doll.
Lu Yibei looked at the Paper Cicada Immortal in her hand, then at the old woman beside her, sighed silently, and stared straight at the Paper Cicada Immortal in her hand, whispering sinisterly, “Baobao, the old woman seems to like you very much. Do you want to be friends with her?”
“What? You like her that much? I’m going to get jealous!”
At this point, she paused, then stiffly turned her head to look at the old woman beside her, brushed a strand of hair from her temple, and said expressionlessly, “Old woman, Baobao says she wants to visit your house tonight. Do you welcome us?”
As she spoke, she gently stroked the Paper Cicada Immortal’s round little head. After speaking, she slowly raised the Paper Cicada Immortal between herself and the old woman.
Her stiff movements, exquisite face, and the eerie tone in the old woman’s eyes felt like an illusion. She felt that the person speaking to her was not a human, but a doll.
She immediately shivered, abruptly jumped up from her seat, and, taking advantage of the bus stopping, exerted the agility she had gained from square dancing to the extreme, darting off the bus with a “whoosh.”
Watching the old woman’s receding back, Lu Yibei shrugged expressionlessly and put away the Paper Cicada Immortal—
After putting away the Paper Cicada Immortal, Dorees took a few deep breaths, adjusted her emotions to the most stable state, and then left the restroom and returned to the restaurant.
Sitting down at the dining table, she had just picked up her spoon and eaten a few mouthfuls of the slightly cool egg fried rice when Zhang Yu handed her a glass of orange juice.
“Drink some of this? Just a little something, and then we’ll leave.” As he spoke, Zhang Yu tapped the watch face on his right wrist twice with his left index finger. “It’s getting late. Those guys on the other side should have arrived by now.”
Dorees frowned, looked at the two full plates of food, then at the glass of orange juice, and openly showed her displeasure. She found that Zhang Yu was really annoying.
Noticing Dorees’s unusual expression, Zhang Yu asked, “What’s wrong? Not full?”
Nonsense! How could two or three mouthfuls of egg fried rice be enough to fill me up? Dorees rolled her eyes and said nothing.
“Haha, if you’re not full, Miss Hatuoer, please bear with it for a bit.” Zhang Yu laughed, “After the negotiation ends, we’ll go to the best restaurant in Mountain City. My treat, you can eat as much as you want.”
Eat as much as I want? Dorees furrowed her brow slightly, reluctantly withdrew her gaze from the plates, and nodded to Zhang Yu. Actually, this guy did have a little shining point?
Though, not even one-ten-thousandth as much as Teacher. —-
On the other side, about five kilometers away, the boss of Longmen Tea House closed the door.
Longmen Tea House was built along the river. The semi-open courtyard-style main hall seen after entering through the main gate offered a panoramic view of the Minshui River. The environment was elegant, and business had always been booming. However, the entire tea house had been booked, and the boss had to hang up the “Closed for Business” wooden sign early, just when customers were about to increase.
Inside the tea house, ancient-style pavilions surrounded green bamboo.
Several Black-Clothed Man stood around the pavilions, their expressions solemn.
Inside the pavilion, a silver-haired Old man used the lid of his teacup to gently stir away the tea scum. After taking a shallow sip, he immediately began to cough violently, unable to control himself.
Seeing this, the tall, thin man behind the Old man timely handed a handkerchief to the Old man.
The Old man took the handkerchief, wiped his mouth, then, as if completely unconcerned by the bloodstains on the handkerchief, crumpled it into a ball and threw it onto the ground beside him. He turned to the man behind him, “Sheng’er, why hasn’t that brat Zhang Yu arrived yet?”
The tall, thin man bowed and respectfully replied, “I just had someone urge him. They said he’s already on his way and will be here soon.”
“Hmph, that scoundrel!” The Old man snorted coldly, “Ever since he latched onto the Chairman’s faction, he thinks he’s grown wings and is becoming more and more disrespectful to his Elders. He doesn’t even think about who helped his family rise to prominence in the first place. He has no gratitude at all.”
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“Heh, who isn’t?” Zhang Sheng smiled and echoed.
He had always disliked that cousin of his; that guy used to hang out with unsavory people when he was young, uneducated and unskilled. If he hadn't been lucky enough to curry favor with the Chairman's faction, he wouldn't have been qualified to sit opposite his father. However,
he was just a lucky fool!
Since the Eclipse Society was established, how many Chairmen have there been? And the Elder Council? It has never changed! If Zhang Yu can't even distinguish between what's superior and what's inferior, what else is he but a fool?
How could the accumulated foundation of countless years by the Elders be comparable to any single Chairman?
"Uncle, that's not right. Back then, didn't both you and my father join the Eclipse Society because of Third Uncle's connections?"
"Of course, even if Third Uncle were here, I wouldn't thank him. If it weren't for him, our family wouldn't have been torn apart. Zhang Sheng, would you thank him?"
"I remember, you were his first test subject for cultivating transplantable Spirit Marks, right? It's just a pity your talent wasn't good enough, and you failed. Otherwise, you should have already merged with Third Uncle by now, right?"
A slightly mocking voice came, and looking in the direction of the sound, the person who arrived was Zhang Yu. Behind him, besides his few trusted aides, there was also an unfamiliar young Miss.
Ignoring Zhang Yu's sarcasm, Zhang Sheng stepped forward, blocking him and his group outside the pavilion, then his gaze fell on Dorees. "Wait a minute! On such an important occasion today, you actually brought an outsider?"
"Outsider?" Zhang Yu glanced at Dorees, pushed Zhang Sheng aside with his hand, and casually pushed Zhang Sheng aside. "You..." Zhang Sheng, who was pushed away, flushed with anger and was about to step forward to stop him, but the Old man in the pavilion spoke. freewebnσvel.cѳm
"Sheng'er, let her in!" the Old man said. "Adelaide's top disciple is qualified to listen in."
"She's not Adelaide's top disciple, she's a Disaster's high-profile one," Dorees muttered to herself, secretly appraising the Old man sitting in the pavilion.
The Old man had a head full of silver hair, and his wrinkled face was covered with many dark age spots. His slightly upturned eyes at the corners, paired with prominent brow bones, gave him an ominous feeling. He was wearing a patient's gown, yet he didn't give off any sense of weakness.
Is this the Zhang Shuisheng that Feinikesi (Phoenix) Mr. told me to be careful of?
Why has he aged so much?
The data clearly stated he was only fifty-five, but now he looks at least eighty. Dorees thought.
While she was pondering, Zhang Yu, who had walked directly into the pavilion, had already taken a seat opposite Zhang Shuisheng. He glanced at the tea and said with a look of disdain, "You knew I was coming, but you didn't even prepare some wine?"
Zhang Shuisheng's gaze lingered on Zhang Yu for a few seconds, then he said impatiently, "Alright, if you don't want to drink, then don't. I've already told you my intention for inviting you here today. Let's talk frankly now, shall we?"
"Those three paintings of Tan Qiuming's, were they taken by you?"
"Indeed." Zhang Yu grabbed a handful of almonds from the fruit plate and put them into his mouth.
"Alas!" Zhang Shuisheng sighed, looking at Zhang Yu's cynical attitude. "Xiao Yu, you've made a big mistake, do you know that? Those are things the Elder Council wants, yet you..."
"Hand them over quickly, alright? You are my family. Even if you make a mistake, you are still my family. If you hand them over now, I can still help you conceal this rebellious act. It will be too late if you delay any longer."
""
Is this what Teacher said, to be wary of enemies playing the family card?
This Old man is so unreasonable, wanting things from others without giving anything in return. It's truly as Teacher said, not all relatives are good relatives.
Dorees listened with relish from the side, nodding thoughtfully. She turned to look at Zhang Yu, wanting to see how he would respond. After hearing Zhang Shuisheng's words, Zhang Yu suddenly stood up, walked over to Zhang Shuisheng's back, and lightly placed his hand on his shoulder. He glanced out of the corner of his eye at the Black-Clothed Men who had quietly surrounded the pavilion and were being restrained by his trusted aides. He curved his lips and patted Zhang Shuisheng's shoulder.
"Uncle, are you muddled by illness? Let me remind you, when we joined the Eclipse Society, we all swore an oath to the black sun Holy Seal: from now on, no home, no country, no self, only the black sun remains."
"Putting aside the oath, I am also here today representing Mr. Adelaide, not your family. If you want those three paintings, at least offer a condition that Mr. Adelaide finds satisfactory, right?"
Seeing Zhang Yu's response, Dorees frowned slightly.
Zhang Yu's behavior was somewhat unexpected to her. In her understanding, although Zhang Yu was a bit annoying, he was still considered refined. But now, both his expression and his words had the feeling of a hooligan.
And it was very exaggerated, as if he was deliberately acting.
But why would he act? No! I'll have to ask Teacher later. Dorees thought.
"Zhang Shuisheng was silent for a moment, then said, "If you hand over those three paintings, this Old man can give you three thousand source spirits." "Is that all? That's a bit too little, isn't it?"
Zhang Shuisheng stared at Zhang Yu in silence for a few seconds, then said with a gloomy face, "I can also hand over some of the businesses I'm currently managing to you, as long as you hand over the paintings!"
"Still too little." Zhang Yu shook his head. freeweɓnovel.cøm
"Zhang Shuisheng gritted his teeth, suppressing his anger, and said, "We can withdraw from Mountain City, but only after our cooperation with that person ends."
"Holy crap! Are those three paintings really that valuable? To make you offer such terms?!" Zhang Yu suddenly exclaimed, his expression troubled, "What can I do now?"
"Adelaide learned that you intended to cooperate with the x god and was worried about causing a Disaster like the one when the former Chairman and Unmyouki Lu Ming cooperated back then, so he informed me to destroy those three paintings in advance. So, I'm very sorry, I burned those three ghostly things last night!"
"You should also know that Chairman Adult's health has been poor recently. If something goes wrong, I'm afraid he won't have the energy to imprison the x god's child, like he did with Unmyouki, into Limen."
"You..." Zhang Shuisheng hesitated to speak, but after a few seconds, he seemed to have realized something, and a smile appeared on his face. "If you insist on not handing them over, this Old man will have to resort to some extraordinary measures."
"What extraordinary measures? Rushing into my store to steal the official seal, or poisoning me, or finding someone to beat me up?" Zhang Yu said indifferently, "Although I have indeed destroyed those three paintings, if you really want to do something, just come. I'll take it all, if..."
"If your Old man's body can still hold up."
""
Three paintings, Unmyouki Lu Ming, Limen, x god's child, Chairman Adult's poor health—Dorees listened quietly from the side, secretly noting down the content of their conversation.
But speaking of it, what's called an important negotiation feels pretty much the same as the shady arguments between those rogue gamblers at Dream Come True Entertainment City!
They even talk about poisoning and stealing official seals. I thought it would be much more profound!
It's truly as Teacher said, many things in this world are often most effective when solved with the simplest and most brutal methods. Dorees thought.
"Next stop, Shancheng Central Hospital station. Passengers arriving at this station, please..."
The bus announcement sounded, and Lu Yibei withdrew her gaze from the window, tidied her clothes, and quickly got off the bus. From a distance, she saw the entrance of Shancheng Central Hospital.
It was just past ten in the morning, one of the busiest times for seeing doctors. People came and went in front of the Central Hospital's entrance, but her first glance caught the blonde young Miss in the crowd.
"You're here. What should we do next? Steal corpses from the morgue? Rob important samples from the lab? Or..."
Hearing the voice behind her, Jiang Hao turned around, glared at Lu Yibei, and rolled her eyes, saying, "Stop it. Can you put something serious in your head?"
"We're just here to visit patients today. We won't do anything illegal or disorderly." "Visit patients? Who?" Lu Yibei tilted
her head.
"Some..." Jiang Hao pondered for a moment and said, "...tumor patients." "Tumor patients?" Lu Yibei was even more puzzled.
"Mm." Jiang Hao nodded, pulled out two volunteer work permits from a public welfare organization, and handed one to Lu Yibei. "The specific situation is a bit complicated. Shall we talk as we go?"
"Okay." Lu Yibei nodded.
