LWGP - Chapter 34
Chapter 34: Personal Vendetta
The timing was perfect, catching him while he was still stunned and his scalp was tingling from watching the video.
Chen Jun opened the private message and saw the text.
—Tell me, if you send this video to Yang Dong right now and give him a detailed report, will he praise your loyalty first, or will he praise your loyalty and then turn around and send you to your grave? After all, you were merely incompetent and not loyal enough to stop Yang Yu's little adventure, but he's the one who lost his only son.
—By the way, you haven't even entered a Tutorial Instance yet, have you?
Vicious, utterly vicious!
The heart of a viper!
Chen Jun, who was by no means stupid, understood the other party's meaning and replied: "What do you want?"
—So obedient? Looks like you've already found the seafood market. Did someone give you a heads-up?
Chen Jun: "How did you know I was investigating… You know I have an account on that website?!"
—Didn't you know high-level users have viewing privileges over low-level users? Pretty shady, right? I was terrified at the time, so I quickly paid a fee to upgrade. Since I upgraded, I have to make good use of the privilege, otherwise the money would be wasted. So I've viewed many low-level accounts. I happened upon yours the other day when I was looking into Yang Yu. I thought I was seeing things.
So what if you're rich?
Damn it, being rich really is amazing.
The important thing was that she not only paid the money but also passed the upgrade review!
Chen Jun, a high-level corporate drone who couldn't even afford the fee: "Wang Jiu, I know it's you. I can't afford to offend you, but Professor Lin Zi's matter truly had nothing to do with me. Why are you coming after me?"
Right now, all he wanted to do was run.
—Hmm, it seems the person you know is quite formidable, scaring you with just a few words. But are you overreacting? I think he was probably just warning you from his own position and level. Although I have level-two clearance, I'm nothing compared to others. If you ask around in the future, you'll know I'm telling the truth. If it weren't for Yang Yu, I would never have used that account in my life.
Chen Jun: "Are you mocking me with a humblebrag? What is it you want me to do?"
—Pack your things and go to the funeral hall.
Chen Jun was stunned. Damn it, was this woman insane? Going there now was suicide, wasn't it?
Yang Dong would tear him apart alive!
—What are you afraid of? He's definitely going to contact you in a bit to ask where his precious baby is, why he isn't there yet, and if something has happened. Just tell him that Young Master Yang is about to succeed and will be at the funeral soon, but the signal in the capital is acting up again, and your call with him just kept dropping.
This excuse was plausible, as there had indeed been such signal issues recently.
"Then what do you want me to do there?"
—A computer science degree from Wudaokou Vocational and Technical College? Feels good to graduate and become a nanny for the young prince, doesn't it?
Chen Jun: "…"
He had a vague idea of what she wanted him to do. But did he have a choice?
"Zheng Yu's Strength and Agility are basically both over 10, and he was a mercenary. His resume should be quite impressive," he sent, his face expressionless.
The implication was that taking him on was a lost cause.
—Oh. Just go there first and see if the official regulations for the afternoon meeting state that private fights are prohibited, and that proactive violators will be severely punished.
Chen Jun froze.
After finishing her chat with Chen Jun, Wang Jiu noticed someone had just called her, but the line had been busy. She glanced at the unknown number and considered it. Hmm, could it be him?
Little brother Qi Dong.
If he hadn't called, she was planning to call him herself.
Elsewhere in the capital, the government was also in a flurry of activity. There were many busy departments, but when it came to liaising with the military, Qi Dong, who felt he had just been carried to victory but was praised internally for his leadership, was one of the officials in charge of coordinating with the government.
But now, with a task from his superior, he personally contacted Wang Jiu.
Hearing her voice, Wang Jiu spoke before Qi Dong could. "Is the government planning to hold a mobilization meeting at my old lady's funeral?"
Qi Dong was surprised she knew.
Wang Jiu: "A normal funeral should be the day after tomorrow, or maybe in two or three days. After all, the old lady has a large family behind her that cares about appearances. Plus, she wasn't an ordinary person, so many people would be coming from all over. It shouldn't be this rushed; many people wouldn't be able to clear their schedules. Under normal circumstances, neither family would agree to this, unless they're wary of major upcoming changes to society, transportation, and the general situation. Or perhaps the government has other arrangements. It must be that you persuaded the two families with some sort of classified information."
She was being proactive to cut off any mention of recruitment from him.
She had to control the tempo.
Qi Dong was silent for a moment, then said, "These are exigent circumstances. I hope Ms. Wang can understand."
"It's fine. I don't care about what happens after a person dies, and the old lady would care even less. She might even support it, since it's for the sake of social stability. But why did you call me? Is there something you need?"
The woman had just lost her only relative and still sounded to be in low spirits. Qi Dong felt it was inappropriate to bring up recruitment over the phone, so he said, "We haven't seen Ms. Wang at the venue yet. I wanted to ask when you might arrive, and also if you would be able to attend the unofficial meeting for Registered Players this afternoon."
That was a good name.
The Unofficial Meeting for Registered Players.
Not many people would be there, but it was the government's first contact with the Registered Players in the social system.
"I'll be there. I'm already on my way, but I'm stuck in traffic. You know how the capital's traffic is."
Qi Dong understood. "I'm afraid that won't be a problem for much longer," he said.
Smart people didn't need things spelled out for them; they understood the meaning behind his words. Wang Jiu didn't argue, only saying, "I fully support this meeting, but I'd like to take the liberty of making a suggestion."
"Please, go ahead."
"I may have a bit of a personal vendetta with the Yang family. It's unavoidable that I might get a little aggressive emotionally. However, I can guarantee that the Yang family will be the ones to make the first move. When that happens, I will certainly retaliate to protect myself. If that occurs, a good meeting might turn into the start of a fierce battle, which would be detrimental to the government's original intention of coordinating social order."
Her voice was soft and gentle, but tinged with the fatigue of sleeplessness.
As if she were mentally and physically exhausted.
Yet she was still considering the bigger picture.
Qi Dong was a little surprised. He thought for a moment. "May I ask what this personal vendetta is?"
He actually had some guesses. Being in the core of power, he received information quickly. But if the government was still uncertain, how could she be so sure?
Was it information from the game system?
"A creature like the Bloodthirsty Beast is generally far beyond the selection level of the current novice tutorial period. Encountering one would mean a guaranteed team wipe, but that's the effect in a formal dungeon. Whether it's in the unknown wilderness mode or the invading wilderness mode, it wouldn't be strange, but the Tutorial Instance is different. You and I have both been through it. I think you understand better than I do, and the big data collected by the government should also confirm this—it has standards, and a sense of balance. The main purpose is to stimulate potential through survival and screen out Registered Players layer by layer. If the Bloodthirsty Beast has an all-around advantage in terms of force and lethality, then the only survival angle for the weaklings involved is to win through intelligence. This is the balance established by the game, and it's also the Bloodthirsty Beast's weakness. But think about it, in that classroom, in terms of IQ, where would that Young Master Yang rank?"
Qi Dong became serious. "I'm afraid he wouldn't even make the bottom ten, and the one ranked first would certainly be the old lady."
Wang Jiu: "And the old lady and Yang Yu did not get along; they had conflicts. Although the logic is a bit far-fetched, I have the right to be suspicious. Sometimes, thinking negatively isn't necessarily a bad thing."
Qi Dong: "The government is indeed investigating this now. The incident was truly tragic, the most devastating consequence our country has seen from this game's upheaval so far. Even without the old lady, the loss of several research talents in that classroom is a major blow, not to mention all those students. But the result is not yet determined. I hope Ms. Wang can try to look on the bright side."
See, that was the government's current attitude. They couldn't just strike like lightning.
But this decision was also calm and correct.
Wang Jiu, displaying a keen sense of the bigger picture, said, "The friends and relatives of the deceased are naturally entitled to a phase of irrationality and emotion. They either grieve in despair, or in their despair, they want to find the truth for the deceased. This is just human nature, Sir Qi. You can understand and tolerate that, right?"
Qi Dong: "Yes."
Wang Jiu: "But I am still unwilling to cause trouble at the old lady's funeral, nor do I wish for the other party to do so. The morning's funeral is a private affair, and the old lady's peace should be the priority. I also don't want to be controlled by my emotions and become a murderer. The afternoon is about the bigger picture, and the nation's bigger picture should be the priority."
Qi Dong: "I understand. I will report this to my superiors. Thank you for your understanding and consideration, Ms. Wang… I won't disturb you any longer. Drive safely. And my condolences. Please take care."
Wang Jiu: "Thank you."
After hanging up, she returned to the driver's seat and began to speed, taking control of the wheel herself to make up for lost time.
By her calculations, by the time little secretary Chen Jun arrived at the funeral home, he should have seen that rule. With his intelligence, he would know what to do.
After speaking with Wang Jiu, Qi Dong went to find his superior. Upon learning of the situation, the superior pondered for a moment and said, "As expected of Professor Lin Zi's star pupil, she's truly sharp. The point she suspects is actually something someone at the top has already raised. That would be Xie Lu. You know him, right?"
Qi Dong's expression suddenly turned solemn. "I do. I heard he's already been through four dungeons, and that's not including the Tutorial Instance."
The superior smiled. "I know you're not convinced. It's because headquarters immediately sent him into those dungeons as soon as they were detected. It would be the same if we sent you, right?"
Qi Dong lowered his head. "I wouldn't dare."
The superior: "Don't think we old-timers don't know what you're thinking. Let me put it this way: in the dungeons he experienced, anyone with an average of less than five points in all three attributes would be guaranteed to die!"
Qi Dong was shocked.
"The Xie family produces talented individuals who rise to the occasion. It's not an empty saying. But even someone like him almost died in there this time. I only got the news this morning. He's currently recuperating."
Qi Dong was speechless, only saying gravely, "He is terrifying."
"So, after he raised this point of suspicion, headquarters immediately launched an investigation. But events inside a dungeon cannot be verified. We were preparing to find a breakthrough with Zhang Dongcheng, but given the current situation, it wouldn't be much use even if he spoke up. You understand, right?"
Qi Dong nodded.
They already felt the situation was tricky. Incidents of social chaos were increasing. The one at the airport was manageable, as it was humans against monsters. But what about humans against humans? In the past, laws and regulations could be used for judgment, but that was no longer possible.
If the government itself resorted to extrajudicial punishments, it could easily lead to major problems.
"This meeting is a breakthrough. This Wang Jiu is quite important. Try to give her a heads-up. The rule she proposed should also be included. Inform everyone in advance to avoid real trouble later. By the way, headquarters wants to recruit her because of Professor Lin Zi, but according to procedure, we need to conduct a background check and evaluation on her. Unfortunately, the tech systems have been having issues lately, making it difficult. The currently known information says she's from Lin City. Isn't there an Investigation Team over at Miao Mountain? Go contact them and have them check her background on the side."
As the superior mentioned Miao Mountain, he suddenly grew agitated. "I don't like that place. It's so mysterious, always feels ominous. But the earliest and most concentrated anomalies occurred around Lin City. The higher-ups think it's related to that damn mountain. They went into the mountain under the pretext of investigating some old bones, who knows if they'll dig up anything useful. They might even try to shirk this task. If you can't handle them, tell me, and I'll go have a word. But I'll tell you beforehand, the person in charge of this Investigation Team might not be easy to deal with. Ugh, more people means more factions. That Yang family has latched onto one of those connections, and now they have someone speaking up for them. Heh!"
The superior grumbled a bit, but since it involved high-level matters, he couldn't say more and quickly left.
Qi Dong was surprised and stood there, thinking for a moment.
Miao Mountain? What secrets could a deep mountain in a remote little county hold?
But Wang Jiu was from Lin City?
He had always assumed she was a native of the capital.
Perhaps she was from there before being adopted by the old lady.
Lin City, Miao Mountain.
After receiving Qi Dong's call, Investigation Team leader Jiang Qiu was about to give him a perfunctory reply, but when he heard the name Qi Dong mentioned, he raised an eyebrow.
"Wang Jiu?"
"Yes." Qi Dong keenly sensed the change in the other's tone. "Captain Jiang, you know this Wang Jiu?"
"Of course not. I'm only just getting to know of her today. Is this person being recruited into your unit?"
"It's a decision from my superiors."
"Is that so? If it were up to me, I would definitely not approve. But this person… I will investigate her. Thoroughly."
Jiang Qiu's tone was extremely serious, with a hint of deeper meaning, but he refused to elaborate to Qi Dong and hung up directly. However, he quickly made another call.
The recipient was in the capital.
After finishing the call, Jiang Qiu looked at the two objects on his desk with a half-smile.
One was an ID tag, and the other was a child's hair clip.
They both bore the marks of great age.
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