Qin Sansi was currently in a city called Thousand Faces City.
As a former high-ranking leader and important figure, he had seen many bustling metropolises and exquisite buildings. Yet, this Thousand Faces City still far exceeded his imagination, leaving him utterly shocked and feeling like a little mutt from the countryside.
It was a perfect fusion of advanced technology and supernatural power, futuristic sci-fi and cultivation. All the buildings were suspended, and the entire city was divided into many layers from bottom to top.
“It is practically a place where the gods reside,” Qin Sansi marveled in his heart.
Immediately, that admiration turned into greedy covetousness. Such a beautiful city should become his own back garden!
Qin Sansi pretended to be an ordinary extra, wandering through the lower levels of Thousand Faces City.
At this stage, what he needed to do most was to reunite with his companions as soon as possible and gather some intelligence along the way.
He kept his eyes and ears open, his gaze scanning through the crowds while his ears captured every passing bit of idle gossip.
Certain groups of passersby were the most well-informed people in the city. They had money and time, and their daily work consisted of entertainment and finding various ways to keep themselves from getting bored, which included sharing gossip or inside information.
“Have you all heard the news about the Third Young Master of the Ximen family being ambushed and assassinated?”
“I heard, I heard! The news spread through the city at light speed. Who doesn't know by now?”
“Could it be an exaggerated rumor? There are baseless stories every day; they’re impossible to stop.” A fat man asked repeatedly, his face full of disbelief.
“I also think it might be a rumor. Third Young Master Ximen has such an exalted status and a large group of bodyguards. Ordinary people couldn't even get close to him, so who would have the ability to kill him?”
A tall youth nearby lit a cigarette and said disdainfully, “I heard Third Young Master Ximen always liked to do things his own way. Although he had bodyguards, he didn't like them following him closely. This time, he went out and ditched them all to go play around on his own. Who could have expected he’d run into something like this?”
Someone couldn't help but sigh. “A man of great wealth should not put himself in harm's way. The Ximen family has so many enemies watching them like hawks. Why did the Third Young Master have to show off his individuality regarding his safety?”
“With such great resources at home, he could enjoy the best of everything in the world without even stepping out, yet he insisted on showing off. Now look what happened—he showed off his life away.”
“Who exactly did it? Who would actually dare to kill the Third Young Master?” The fat man's voice rose a few octaves, drawing several people nearby closer.
Almost everyone said the same answer in unison: “The killers must be the other ladies and masters of the Ximen family!”
The conclusion came so quickly and uniformly that it was as if they had all agreed on it beforehand.
It wasn't surprising they thought so. The inheritance struggle within the Ximen family had been the talk of the town in recent years. Every one of the patriarch's children was eyeing the position of family head.
Although the Third Young Master wasn't the strongest contender, his existence was a stumbling block. By getting rid of him, the others would have one less rival for the family assets.
The motive was clear, and the logic was sound.
Qin Sansi listened to their conversation, his gaze sweeping over their faces as the corners of his mouth began to curl upward.
A feud within a wealthy family?
He loved this kind of soap opera melodrama!
...
Tulip Security Company.
In the office, Jian Lai sat in the boss's chair with his legs propped up on the desk, holding a cup of freshly brewed tea.
The tea had been found in the boss's drawer. Originally, he hadn't dared to touch the boss's things, but on second thought, he was being forced to act as the boss here anyway, so what was there to be afraid of?
He was the boss now! What was wrong with having some tea?
The tea was clear and had a long-lasting, sweet aftertaste.
“Excellent tea!”
Jian Lai’s status as the acting boss was now firmly established. The other players had gone from initial doubt to swift acceptance, with only the timely distribution of mission rewards separating the two states.
No one would pick a fight with their cultivation techniques.
Jian Lai was the one who controlled the salaries and rewards now. Aside from his usual hard work practicing spells, he didn't forget to make the most of his role as acting boss to earn more benefits for himself.
Thus, a bold idea was born. He began to cultivate his own god-tier persona on the Supernatural Forum.
He posted a thread on the forum titled: “The Dove in the Magpie's Nest: How I Pushed Out the Original Boss and Took Over.”
In the post, he described himself as a brilliant and courageous opportunist. Through a series of meticulous schemes, he had driven the original boss out of the company and taken the top spot for himself, building his own faction within the game.
The content of the post was half-true and half-false. The true part was that the boss had indeed left; the false part was his methods.
He hadn't used any schemes at all; the boss had practically forced the position onto him.
But the people in the real world didn't know that.
Once the thread was posted, the number of comments in the section shot up like a rocket.
“Is this for real? Wasn't the boss of Tulip Security Company You-Know-Who?”
“Everyone, whatever you do, do not mention that person!”
“I think the game company might have just gone with the flow and dealt with that NPC. I heard through the grapevine it was related to that certain sickness.”
“Audacious! I told you not to mention it!”
“I don't believe it, but I am deeply shocked.”
“Does anyone know the inside story? Come out and speak!”
“I'm an employee at Tulip Security. The original boss is indeed gone, and Jian Lai is currently in charge of the company, but I don't know the specifics of how he rose to power.”
“Heavens, then it's probably true!”
In the comments section, some people tried to debunk it, some questioned it, and some just watched for the spectacle.
Of course, many people believed Jian Lai's words and began asking all sorts of questions in the thread—how he did it, what the company benefits were like, and if they were still recruiting new members.
Whether they were debunking him or flattering him, the traffic Jian Lai wanted had been achieved.
Infamy is still fame. As long as he could make money, his reputation didn't matter~
The netizens could curse him all they wanted as long as there was discussion. He could just count his money until his hands went numb.
Jian Lai leaned back in the chair, resting his hands behind his head.
The sunlight from outside filtered through the gaps in the blinds, drawing long, thin streaks of light on the floor.
The snow leopard had also been taken away by the boss. Being alone in the office made it feel too quiet.
Should he get a pet too?
For example... just summoning a Sky Ghost directly?
He closed his eyes, and the Sky Ghost Diagram surfaced in his mind.
The lines of the Sky Ghost slowly unfurled in the depths of his consciousness. The incantation rolled off the tip of his tongue, and rustling whispers began to echo in his ears.
Rate on N.U.
