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"No! You are not Xiang Dong! Xiang Dong would never forgive me, never forgive me. I killed him, I killed him!"
Lu Ying shook her head frantically, her mind beginning to spiral into madness, and then she screamed! She cried out in a frenzy, "Ah! Xiang Dong! I'm so sorry! I killed you! Wait for me, wait for me, I'll be there soon! I'll be there soon!"
As she spoke, Lu Ying began to bang her head against the wall.
I was momentarily stunned, watching as her head collided violently with the wall. In that instant, I felt like I was losing my mind. I could only hold onto Lu Ying tightly. They say men don’t shed tears easily, but that’s only until they reach a point of heartbreak. At that moment, tears streamed down my face; my heart ached for this girl.
"What happened?" Zheng Yu burst through the door, his face filled with shock. Lu Ying had bloodied her head, and it splattered all over me. Yet she continued to struggle violently, trying to hit her head again. I held her tightly, refusing to let go.
"What is going on? How could this happen?"
Zheng Yu was stunned by the scene before him. From his expression, I could tell that Lu Ying had never attempted suicide before. Our assumptions had been wrong; my presence seemed to have exacerbated her condition instead of helping it.
Zheng Yu and I exerted great effort to calm Lu Ying down. He immediately called for the best doctor in Kyoto to inquire about what was happening with her.
The doctor informed us that Lu Ying's condition had indeed worsened compared to before. He advised us not to provoke her and not to lie by saying that the person she longed for had returned unless he truly did.
Taking a deep breath, I understood what the doctor meant. Simply put, this face of mine was not Xiang Dong's but rather Lu Yan's. If I wanted Lu Ying to recover, the only way was for me to truly become Xiang Dong and gently communicate with her.
Once the doctor left, Zheng Yu and I fell into silence.
This face of mine was crafted by some foreign quack; it was an abomination of artistry. My face bore no signs of having undergone surgery; it wasn’t that he couldn’t restore my face to its original form; it was just that Qu Youyang must have instructed him to make me look like this.
In truth, I despised this face that didn’t belong to me. If returning to my original appearance could save Lu Ying, it made me hate this face even more.
"Dong Ge, you can’t change your face right now. If you do, you won’t be able to stay in Huaxia anymore; all our previous efforts will have been in vain."
Under the effects of the sedative from the doctor, Lu Ying had already fallen asleep. Zheng Yu took a drag from his cigarette and said to me, "That’s right."
I genuinely wanted to save Lu Ying; my desire to rescue her was urgent. But I couldn’t do it irresponsibly. If Lu Ying were awake at this moment, she certainly wouldn’t approve of my actions.
However, the doctor also mentioned that if too much time passed, the impact on the patient would deepen, making future recovery even less likely.
I took a deep breath of smoke and then crushed it underfoot.
There were three months left—three months until a significant change would occur. That would be our opportunity; we needed to seize it and prepare for the upheaval coming after those three months!
I spoke up about this plan, causing Zheng Yu to pause in surprise as he asked what changes would happen in three months. I explained that North Hongmen had kidnapped Kang Qin and demanded that we refrain from taking action against Tian Ye Group within that timeframe.
This indicates that the current situation, constrained from all sides, will be broken in three months. It will undoubtedly be a significant upheaval. If I can seize this opportunity, it may lead to the downfall of the three major factions. If I cannot, then if I can occupy one side, I can still face them openly as Xiang Dong.
However, we currently know nothing about the so-called changes in three months. How can we seize control when we are completely in the dark?
Zheng Yu asked me, and after listening, I calculated with Zheng Yu. In this moment of three powerful factions working together, what could disrupt their balance? We had already analyzed this before: it is Qing Gang!
The attitude of Qing Gang is crucial for breaking this balance. But why would Qing Gang's stance change within three months? My speculation is that Lu Ding Tian might only have three months left to live, at least from the perspective of North Hongmen. North Hongmen has already begun to plan to reach out to Qing Gang!
Killing Lu Ding Tian and placing Lu Xian in power is their plan for these three months. But what if Lu Xian cannot rise to power? What if Lu Fei cannot take the position either? That would leave me as the only option. I need to find a way within these three months to ensure that both Lu Fei and Lu Xian cannot ascend, taking over Qing Gang's leadership for myself! Then the rhythm will naturally be set by me.
“Dong Ge, you make it sound easy, but how could it possibly be that simple in just three months? The leader of Qing Gang? Jian Tian Fang Ye Tan! Your strength is far too weak compared to Lu Fei and Lu Xian!” Zheng Yu said, surprised after hearing my speculation.
Indeed, my strength pales in comparison to theirs; saying such things feels like a fantasy. However, what if I could gain the support of Nan Hongmen? That mysterious Nan Hongmen!
“Nan Hongmen? Do you think they haven't intervened in this matter? If North Hongmen is involved, then Nan Hongmen will certainly intervene as well; they are just more discreet about it, and we haven't noticed,” Zheng Yu replied after hearing me.
I smiled upon hearing this; I knew that Nan Hongmen must have been involved in this matter—Lu Fei is one of theirs. But what if I were to cause Lu Fei's untimely demise? Nan Hongmen would have no choice but to seek cooperation with me. As for Lu Xian? He has no ability to compete with me; it's simple—he collaborates with North Hongmen, who are likely the masterminds behind Lu Ding Tian's death. As long as I gather evidence of this, Lu Xian will be implicated alongside outsiders in harming his own father; he would only have the option to flee.
It's a good plan, but executing it will still be difficult. Zheng Yu nodded after hearing this and said to me. I nodded back; if I want to contend for the leadership of Qing Gang, I certainly cannot do so from Kyoto—I must return to Shanghai.
This point alone poses a significant challenge. I have only just arrived in Shanghai a few days ago, but time is limited; I have at most three months to operate. I must think of an excuse to return to Shanghai immediately.
Afterward, I devised a plan to ensure that Lu Fei would meet an untimely end and contacted Nan Hongmen. I began to ponder what excuse I could use to return to Qing Gang and then to Shanghai. The only person who could give such an order was Lu Ding Tian. I started to think about what Lu Ding Tian wanted; he knew that the Tian Ye Group was not truly under his control. Whether he intended to collaborate with Nan Hongmen or North Hongmen, he ultimately wanted to have a firm grip on the Tian Ye Group, as only his own power could bring him benefits.
During this time, the only one who called to inquire about my progress was Lu Ding Tian, as his two sons were busy plotting their own schemes. In Lu Ding Tian's eyes, my presence at the Tian Ye Group made him feel more in control. I needed a reason to convince him that without me there, he could gain even greater control over the Tian Ye Group! But what reason could I provide?
I began to think and suddenly recalled our elementary school homeroom teacher. When our teacher was present, the class was quiet; when he was absent, chaos ensued. He was clever, often discreetly asking the class monitor about the situation in his absence, and the monitor would report back on any disruptions.
What if I played the role of that homeroom teacher? I wondered if this reasoning would persuade Lu Ding Tian. I dialed Lu Ding Tian's number and started with some casual conversation. Each time we spoke, he would ask how things were going on my end, and this time was no exception.
Usually, I would tell him things were fine, but this time I said, "No, they have been too compliant lately; they know I'm watching them, and I can't find any leverage against them." After a moment of silence on Lu Ding Tian's end, he acknowledged my observation.
I felt that continuing like this was not a solution. "Do you know Fang Ying? I've successfully developed her as my undercover agent. If I leave the Tian Ye Group, they will all reveal their true colors. At that point, Fang Ying can gather evidence for me. Once enough evidence is collected, I can return and eliminate them one by one!"
I told Lu Ding Tian this, and he responded with a thoughtful "Oh?" before falling silent for a while. He knew about my development of Fang Ying but had never fully trusted her.
"What if Fang Ying plays both sides?" Lu Ding Tian asked, concerned that she might tell me she was siding with me while simultaneously reporting to Du Tao.
I reassured him that I had other people in place within the Tian Ye Group keeping an eye on Fang Ying; she wouldn't dare act recklessly. Moreover, our goal was to eliminate them rather than merely watch them make mistakes. My presence there seemed more like a hindrance than a help.
I stated that as long as Lu Ding Tian believed me, I could return to Shanghai.
"Mm," Lu Ding Tian replied after considering it. He acknowledged that this outcome was indeed not what he desired. "So you mean you want to come back and remotely direct your people within the Tian Ye Group?"
I confirmed this with a yes, and Lu Ding Tian then told me to proceed as I saw fit, as long as I could get the job done.
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