Chapter 304: Kill One if One Comes
Su Tao wasn’t too interested in the free lunch. After wandering around, she found Cen Tianjiao and asked, “Where’s your boss, Shi?”
Cen Tianjiao pointed at the ceiling. “He’s on the third floor, having a private meal with the big shots. Didn’t you notice Minister Xu is gone too? Not gonna lie, Xindu is really half-assing this. All this food is just repackaged Tao Yang products. It’s disgusting. This bread would be better without the crispy sausage—it’s so damn hard to chew.”
Su Tao subtly motioned toward Chu Yue and her two companions, who were whispering nearby. With sharp intuition, she asked, “Who are they? I just offended them. Think they’ll retaliate? They look like they’re plotting against me.”
Cen Tianjiao took a closer look. “The tall one is Miss Chu, daughter of the Chu family. But she’s not just a rich girl anymore—she leads a mercenary team of over 200 people. Boss Su, you really pick the worst people to offend. She’s not someone to mess with—spoiled since birth, extremely petty.”
Two hundred ability users…
Yeah, that was kind of a problem. Most mercenary teams only had around twenty or thirty members at best.
“The other older woman is Jiao Qing, the First Lady of Dingnan. Don’t be fooled by her young looks—she’s almost fifty. Her ability keeps her looking youthful.” Cen Tianjiao shuddered.
As a straight man, he just couldn’t accept the idea of a woman looking like she was in her twenties but actually being fifty. Especially one who always acted seductively toward everyone.
Su Tao was shocked. “What kind of ability does she have?”
She really couldn’t tell—Jiao Qing looked even younger than Chu Yue.
Cen Tianjiao coughed. “From what I heard, she can make people fall for her.”
Su Tao immediately sensed danger and asked, “A mental-type ability?”
Cen Tianjiao nodded. “Yeah, it falls into that category, but I’m not sure about the specifics or how strong it is. Just heard rumors.”
Su Tao fell into deep thought.
You can never be too careful.
She decided it was time to use Tan Yong’s ability crystal, “Insulation.”
Too bad this type of crystal only lasted three days.
The one she used previously, “Manipulate” was a Level 2 crystal that lasted six days, but it had completely burned out the day before. She was still regretting that.
Ability user crystals were incredibly valuable—each one used was one less available.
But for the sake of protecting herself from potential trouble, she had to use “Insulation,” painful as it was. Otherwise, if something really happened, it would be too late for regrets.
No time to waste. Better safe than sorry. Use it now!
Su Tao made an excuse to go to the bathroom, retrieved “Insulation” from Fang Zhi’s space, and activated it.
The crystal hovered above her palm, glowing blue before sinking into her body. In less than three seconds, the crystal lost its color, shattered, and vanished into thin air.
Immediately, Su Tao felt a strange sensation—like an invisible barrier forming around her, blocking all malicious influences.
*
Third Floor Private Room
Shi Zijin, Ling Tianji, Zhuo Ercheng, Minister Xu, and other high-ranking figures were engaged in a silent battle.
Ling Tianji personally poured Shi Zijin a drink and once again apologized for the issue with the attendants.
Shi Zijin glanced at the bottle on the table—it looked oddly familiar. After a moment, he realized he had seen it in a Taoyang vending machine.
He accepted the drink without a change in expression. “Captain Ling, no need to be so polite.”
After some mutual flattery, Minister Xu excused himself to the restroom, and Ling Tianji quickly got to the point.
“Major General Shi, I heard that Taoyang and Dongyang have a good relationship. Could you help introduce us?”
Shi Zijin set down his glass. “Captain Ling, how do you want this introduction? If it’s about purchasing supplies, I’m sure Xindu has already experienced Tao Yang’s quality. If you want to continue buying, I’m sure Taoyang would welcome that.”
His gaze lingered on the bottle of alcohol.
Ling Tianji felt momentarily exposed but forced a smile. “Major General Shi, you know what I mean. Taoyang’s resources are so good—why should they be shared with just anyone? If we keep it exclusive to just the two of us, wouldn’t that be better?”
Shi Zijin’s smile faded. “Captain Ling, Taoyang may not officially be a base or settlement yet, but it has an owner. That owner decides who to sell to. Neither you nor I have any say in that.”
Ling Tianji thought he was crazy.
This was like someone sitting on a mountain of gold, telling passing prospectors, “This gold belongs to someone, so neither you nor I can touch it.”
Why?
If it wasn’t officially recognized as a base, then it had no real ownership.
And he had already investigated—there was no obvious leader among Taoyang’s representatives.
That guy Ma Dapao? He was just a mouthpiece, slippery as a fish, with a tight-lipped attitude.
Even crazier, some people claimed the real boss was a barely adult girl.
Ling Tianji scoffed at the idea. If that were true, he would have already sent an army to take Taoyang by force. Even if he couldn’t break in, he’d be willing to blockade them until they caved.
The only reason he hesitated was that he didn’t know who truly backed Taoyang. If the wrong people were involved, things could get messy.
That’s why he was trying this diplomatic approach with Shi Zijin.
But Shi Zijin showed zero interest in taking over Taoyang.
For a moment, Ling Tianji was speechless—his carefully planned scheme was dead on arrival.
Zhuo Ercheng was also surprised. He gave Shi Zijin a deep look and asked,
“Major General Shi, are you saying that if someone tried to claim Taoyang for themselves, you would—”
Shi Zijin didn’t hesitate. “I’d kill them all.”
The entire room tensed.
A direct warning. A blatant threat.
Ling Tianji’s face darkened.
Shi Zijin’s personal strength was already terrifying, but on top of that, the Shi family had once saved his life.
That alone meant he couldn’t act recklessly.
Zhuo Ercheng almost wondered if Taoyang belonged to Shi Zijin.
Silence lingered until Minister Xu returned.
He glanced around at the tense atmosphere and chuckled. “What’s the matter? Let’s eat.”
Only then did the group move their chopsticks.
The meal was neither pleasant nor unpleasant, but when it ended, Shi Zijin didn’t even bother saying goodbye.
Ling Tianji, suppressing his frustration, had to smile and see them off.
Once the unwanted guests were gone, Shi Zijin finally asked Minister Xu, “Minister Xu, I have a presumptuous question. How can one quickly apply for base status in Changjing?”
Minister Xu was surprised. “Why do you ask? To qualify, a settlement must meet four conditions:
A land area of at least 20,000 square meters; A permanent population of at least 2,000; An armed force; It must have existed for at least three years.
If any one of these is missing, it won’t be approved. How do you plan to make it ‘quick’?”
