Chapter 1601: Also Kind
“It seems that you’re aware that the current set of rules in Dragon City is not very fair, Senior Shen.”
Meng Chao said, “Since they’re not fair enough, then we must continue to improve them until they’re fair enough. Although there may be various difficulties and problems in the process of improvement, this is definitely not a reason for us to stop moving forward, right?”
“What do you think I’m doing?”
Shen Yuanbao glared, “What do you think I’m doing by bringing you, a top-notch fighter who has countless connections with the Azure Alliance, to the heart of the Shen family and The Grand View of the Universe? To get in touch with my family’s most important secrets?
“Don’t I know that today’s meeting is destined to turn into a farce?
“Don’t I know that bringing you to The Grand View of the Universe would make us a laughingstock and expose our dirty laundry?
“Don’t I know that by doing so, I would be handing over the future of the Shen family and Universe Corporation to you, an outsider and a guy from a humble family who had an ambiguous relationship with Lu Siya?
“I’ve been trying to improve the unfair rules of the game!
“However, to improve the rules of the game, a consensus is needed. The most important consensus is to admit that the current rules are reasonable and necessary to ensure that the cake in the stomach of the current players won’t be spat out and that everyone will continue playing the game instead of completely flipping the table and breaking up!
“Meng Chao, I believe that you are different from Lu Siya. You are also different from those hot-headed low-level superhumans in the Azure Alliance. Not only do I see an unparalleled power in you, but I also see a mind that can control this power. I believe that you will neither place your personal ambitions above Dragon City’s nor be muddle-headed. You won’t be controlled by all the ambitious people, including Lu Siya. You are the one with the most hope to save Dragon City. Of course, you’ll also save the people of the Shen family and Universe Corporation!
…
“That’s why I brought you here before I cut the focus of the Shen family and Universe Corporation into pieces. I wanted you to see it clearly so that we could increase our mutual trust and consensus. I wanted you to see how to slowly adjust the current rules of the game while ensuring our mutual benefits. Cough, cough, cough, cough, cough!”
Shen Yuanbao’s heart-to-heart talk triggered a series of coughs.
The blood he coughed up, though still bright red, glowed faintly as if it were some kind of radioactive substance.
It was a sign of spirit energy corruption and backfiring.
The most powerful man in the world was dying.
...
Even with the power and resources to survive, he was doomed to not return to the peak and compete with a rising supernova like Meng Chao.
Perhaps, this was the reason why this warrior of the older generation, who was known for being strong, hot-tempered, and overbearing, was so patient and sincere as to reason with Meng Chao.
“Lu Siya’s method won’t work.”
Shen Yuanbao coughed violently for a while, and his entire chest shriveled up.
However, he still did not give up and continued to persuade Meng Chao. “The Azure Alliance’s current method is to launch a large-scale attack in all fields, seriously violating the interests of the nine mega corporations, and even splitting the nine super enterprises into dozens or even hundreds of small and medium-sized enterprises, completely losing their compet.i.tiveness.
“Such an aggressive and merciless approach will inevitably set off a strong backlash from the nine Super Enterprises, and eventually, Dragon City will fall into the abyss of Civil War.
“Meng Chao, even if you haven’t experienced the chaotic and lawless b.l.o.o.d.y era decades ago, you should at least have read about it in many books and materials, right?
“At that time, every street in Dragon City was a battlefield. Two skysc.r.a.pers across the road were likely to harbor two incompatible forces. In order to fight for food and s.p.a.ce, humans used all their tools and creativity to kill each other. More humans died at the hands of humans than zombies and monsters.
“It took us nine super companies decades to end this tragedy and rebuild the rules of the game. I don’t want to see my life’s work go down the drain, and I don’t want to see the era of humans killing each other again.
“So, Meng Chao, tell me, what are you trying to do? Are you, Lu Siya, and the Azure Alliance really going to kill the nine super companies and the older generation?
Meng Chao was silent for a moment and said, “I’ve already said that Lu Siya and I are not the same thing.”
“Come on, you can only fool a three-year-old with such words.”
Shen Yuanbao said, “One plays the good cop, one plays the bad cop, one plays the moderate, and one plays the radical. It’s nothing more than a trick that has worked for thousands of years.
“Everyone knows about your relationship with Lu Siya. She still acts under your banner on many occasions. Why do you need to be so clear about yourself?
“Listen, whether you are telling me the truth or not, whether you have just returned to Dragon City after a year, you know nothing about the Azure Alliance.
“In short, you’re the founder of Broken Star Club, the major shareholder of Superstar Company, the disciple that Battle G.o.d Lei Zongchao admires the most, and one of the developers of the extreme stream. You’re also a hero who has made great achievements in battle and an idol who has inspired countless disciples of the poor to train crazily and fight. Combine all of these ident.i.ties together, and you’re more suitable than Lu Siya to be the leader of the Azure Alliance, and more suitable than Lu Siya to be the negotiating opponent or even a partner of the nine super companies.
“We have nothing to talk about with Lu Siya.
“Looking at the current situation, she wouldn’t be interested even if we wanted to talk about it.
“But you are different. I believe that we can still communicate, compromise, and cooperate, right
“That depends on who exactly compromised.”
Meng Chao stared at Shen Yuanbao and suddenly laughed as if he had thought of something.
Shen Yuanbao said, “What are you laughing at?”
“What I want to say is…”
Meng Chao answered, “Although I don’t agree with some of Lu Siya’s specific actions, if it weren’t for her stirring up trouble and gathering so many middle-and low-level superhumans to work together to attack the nine mega corporations, including Universe Corporation, without her poaching people from the Shen family, the Shen family would be in a state of turmoil and panic.
“I wonder if Senior Shen, who has always been known for being arrogant, domineering, and extremely protective of his own shortcomings, will try to reason with me in such a calm and reasonable manner as he is doing now?”