Chapter 45

Although Yan Shiying had been keeping an eye on the Yan family’s movements from abroad, he truly remained in the dark regarding specific details and internal affairs—especially the transformation of Xie Yunshen.

Yan Shizhou remarked, “Since his temperament underwent that massive change, the Yan family has indeed avoided many calamities. There’s one more thing you don’t know: he actually took a bullet for Brother.”

Yan Shiying frowned. “Who hired the assassin?”

“Well, the assassin named you as his boss.” Yan Shizhou patted Shiying’s chest, finding this point particularly hilarious.

Yan Shiying froze, looking confused and cautious. “And then?”

“If Brother had believed the assassin, would he have called you back?” Yan Shizhou asked.

Yan Shiying looked at Yan Shiqi’s back ahead of them. It was true; he had contributed less to the Yan family than an outsider. In fact, he had contributed almost nothing.

Xie Yunshen didn’t think that much of it. Sitting here, his only goal was to better protect Mr. Yan. He scanned the venue; aside from students, most were businessmen. There were no obvious danger factors.

A familiar figure approached, and their [stolen content]eyes met from a distance. Lin Jin raised an eyebrow. “We meet again.”

As expected of the Male Lead, he’s everywhere. Xie Yunshen didn’t need to guess to know he was here to support the Bai family. Since entering, this fellow had been looking at him with a meaningful, occasionally pitying smile.

Xie Yunshen said impatiently, “Is your facial nerve malfunctioning? If you have something to say, spit it out.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you. You shouldn’t be playing bodyguard right now; your priority should be finding a place to hide.”

Xie Yunshen was taken aback. “What are you talking about?”

Lin Jin walked over to him, desperately suppressing a grin, and whispered: “On the cruise, you bullied a guy who was too injured to move, stripped his pants off, and ran. I heard that guy screamed in the hospital for a day and a night, vowing to kill you.”

Xie Yunshen quickly glanced at Yan Shiqi in front, who was focused on the speeches on stage.

“I didn’t realize you were so much more wicked than me—and in such a… unique… way… Hahaha…” Lin Jin leaned on his shoulder, shaking with laughter. If the occasion weren’t so solemn, he probably would have let out a literal honk.

“…” Xie Yunshen shrugged his shoulder to shake him off. “If you want to laugh, go over there.”

Lin Jin continued to chuckle. Suddenly, Yan Shiqi turned his head, and Xie Yunshen violently shoved the person off his shoulder.

“He’s having a cramp.”

The candidates began their speeches. Aside from the Great Families, the others were respected elders.

“Next, we invite Mr. Yan Dingxuan to the stage.”

Third Uncle walked up to the podium. His leg was ninety percent healed; although a careful observer could still see a slight limp, it was worlds apart from a month ago.

Xie Yunshen heard someone behind him sneer: “The Yan family really sent a cripple to compete?”

“The Yan family has been dwindling these past few years. Master Yan hasn’t even announced a marriage yet. I wonder what they’re thinking?”

Yan Dingxuan ignored the gossip. His speech was unlike the others; it lacked the typical merchant’s calculation or the flowery pleasantries of officialdom. Instead, it possessed the stern coldness of a soldier enforcing discipline, filled with a sense of justice and mission. His words were sharp, his sentences like blades.

By comparison, the previous speeches seemed like tired clichés. This speech truly made everyone see him in a new light.

Master Bai remarked to Yan Shiqi, “To be honest, Master Yan, I thought the Yan [unauthorized copy]family was just going through the motions with this election…” He paused and smiled. “I apologize for my prejudice. It seems every member of the Yan family is a dragon among men.”

Yan Shiqi gave only a brief response.

Just then, a Chamber official stepped onto the stage. “We have an important announcement. We have one more candidate who hasn’t spoken yet. This gentleman experienced a terrible ordeal recently, but fortunately, he escaped from the devil’s clutches. His ideals and ambitions were not erased by pain or disaster. Our Chamber offers him its full support and understanding. Please welcome Mr. Shangguan Hong.”

Applause rang out.

Xie Yunshen watched in shock as Shangguan Hong’s silhouette slowly appeared at the base of the red stairs. Tall and dressed in a Mao suit with a smile on his face, he walked slowly onto the stage.

Xie Yunshen wanted to turn and look at Lin Jin, but he heard Yan Shiqi’s voice, low and firm: “Don’t move.”

Xie Yunshen snapped back to attention. Right—Shangguan Hong and the Top Star Sect must be watching them. Any slip-up would draw suspicion. He could only suppress his massive doubts and curiosity. He had assumed that with Lin Jin’s “eye-for-an-eye” personality, he never would have let Shangguan Hong go.

Shangguan Hong’s face was still a bit gaunt and pale, but his hands were shaking—likely from excitement.

His voice was steady and clear: “I am very happy to have escaped death to meet you all. As everyone knows, I spent twenty long days in the hands of thugs. During that time, I suffered torture, bullying, and humiliation, losing my dignity as a human being like a dog…”

Every word of his accusation was steeped in blood. His gaze, hidden like a blade behind his glasses, seemed intent on lingeringly executing every person [unauthorized copy]he suspected. Yet, his face wore a joyous smile, as if he were ready to embrace the world.

Xie Yunshen screamed internally: I’m not afraid of a villain turning dark; I’m afraid of a villain catching a break! Shangguan Hong was already as dark as could be, but what was with this “emotionally stable psycho” vibe?

“In truth, since the A-City Chamber of Commerce was founded, there have been many negative, corrupt phenomena. I know of quite a few myself…”

His first sentence caused an uproar. Shangguan Hong’s speech was incredibly sharp; he was undeniably a brilliant political talent.

Xie Yunshen didn’t have the heart to listen to the rest. At the very end, Shangguan Hong suddenly said: “To that Mr. Black Impermanence: thank you for your ‘care’ these past days. It allowed me to shed my old self and be reborn from the ruins. You will become the most important mentor of my life. If we meet again, I will surely thank you properly.”

The word “thank” made Xie Yunshen’s heart thud. Shangguan Hong’s gaze was like a venomous snake—make no mistake, it would strike at any moment.

Shangguan Hong exited to applause, and a twenty-minute break preceded the voting. These breaks were designed for candidates to lobby for votes.

Voting was divided into three parts: the general public, students, and the Heads of the Five Families (each Head’s vote was worth ten). It was assumed each Head would vote for their own, and the public’s stance was mostly set, so the battle was for the students. But with Shangguan Hong’s arrival, the situation had shifted completely. The Chen and Huang families would likely vote for him.

During the break, Mr. Yan went to the restroom, and Xie Yunshen waited in the corridor. Amidst the milling crowd, Lin Jin immediately walked up to him. He also looked terrified and confused.

“It wasn’t me!” Lin Jin swore before Xie could speak.

“What happened? Keep it short.”

“After you left that day, I went back in disguised as Black Impermanence.”

“Did you find out anything?”

“No, but he knew everything about my sister. He told me that before she died, she had important keepsakes to give me. I actually believed him. To be safe, I drugged him with sleeping pills and tied him up.”

“But that guy’s willpower is beyond human. On the road, he faked being asleep and used a screwdriver in the car to cut the ropes. He even had the strength to jump out and escape.”

“And then?” Xie Yunshen had calmed down by now.

“He wasn’t fast, so I caught him easily and wounded him in the chest with a dagger. But at the last second, he jumped into the flooded river nearby. It was raining hard; I thought he wouldn’t survive.”

“When you used the dagger, you didn’t aim for a kill,” Xie noted.

Lin Jin admitted it. “Right. ​stolen content​I didn’t hit anything vital because I still wanted to find out about my sister from him.”

The more Xie Yunshen listened, the more incredible it seemed. A normal person in that state wouldn’t even have the strength to speak, yet Shangguan Hong had not only escaped Lin Jin’s high security but also managed to climb out of a raging river while wounded. This villain was terrifying.

“I’m not hiding anything from you. Like you, I only just found out he was alive,” Lin Jin said.

Xie Yunshen asked, “Does he know about the relationship between you and your sister? Maybe he heard your name from her.”

“He doesn’t know. My current name was given to me by my master later. My sister didn’t know it either.”

Xie Yunshen’s voice was low and cold. “That’s good. At least for now, we’re still in the shadows.”

“What do you want to do?”

“Next time—I won’t let him have the chance to escape again.”

“What, you still have the guts to go after him?” Lin Jin narrowed his eyes.

Xie Yunshen stared straight ahead. “If we don’t, we’ll definitely be the bailiantales.com ones to die first.”

Lin Jin froze, feeling a sense of wonder. When Xie Yunshen said this, he looked unshakeably righteous. When this guy turned serious, he truly had the aura of a Black Impermanence from hell.

Just as Lin Jin was marveling, Xie Yunshen suddenly broke into a smile and walked toward the restroom door. “Let’s go, Mr. Yan.”

Yan Shiqi was stepping out.

Lin Jin: “…” I give up. He took back what he just thought. The moment this guy saw Yan Shiqi, he turned right back into a dog.

Yan Shiqi saw them together and glanced at Lin Jin. Xie Yunshen suddenly turned back. “When it’s time to vote, I remember you have a vote too, right?”

“What do you want?”

“Remember to vote for my Third Uncle,” Xie Yunshen whispered, leaning in.

“Oh.” Lin Jin closed his eyes in resignation. What choice did he have when he owed this guy so many favors