Chapter 136: Call Me Daddy! A Hundred Times, Mind You! - It’s the Cyber Age—Still Playing a Traditional Villain?

Chapter 136: Call Me Daddy! A Hundred Times, Mind You! "Was I really that embarrassing just now...?" On the way back, Miss Black Rabbit still hadn't fully recovered from the incident at the "Pan-fried Center." She mused aloud to herself. "It wasn't that bad." Though Xu Shi often called her a silly mutt, he wasn't overly concerned. "Brown-nosing requires skill. Just compliment them on their robust health and spirited demeanor... Instead, you chose something uncertain, and making a fool of yourself was inevitable." The rule is universally applicable—compliment a woman on her beauty and well-maintained appearance; compliment the elderly on their health; compliment kids on their cuteness and intelligence; compliment men on their successful careers. As long as it's not an exceptionally odd case, you won't make a big blunder. Fortunately, this wasn't a big deal. With Mr. Wen's magnanimity, he wouldn’t lose his temper over a slip like that. On the contrary, Gu Yi's botched attempt seemed to endear her to him even more, leading him to offer an "olive branch" of sorts by suggesting he'd teach her to write. "Got it." Miss Black Rabbit sighed, but her tone shifted to one of sincerity. "Your grandfather... is a good man." After a moment’s thought, she added, "So are you." These were genuine words. While listening to Xu Shi and his grandfather chat, she couldn't grasp everything, but the core content was clear to her. Wen Shengkui sincerely wanted to improve the environment of Sin City—a rarity. Few had given it much thought, given its twisted origin from "Dragon City" and its governance through raw, gang-style control from top to bottom. Such methods could maintain stability, and are even considered simple. However, the well-being of ordinary citizens doesn't factor into their considerations. Night City residents looked down on Sin City people as inferior... So, in this light, Mr. Wen seemed an outlier. Xu Shi was no exception. It wasn’t merely climbing up the ladder for him; he had been serious about discussing the details with Wen Shengkui. It wasn't just perfunctory talk; otherwise, he could have fobbed him off easily without so much hassle. This greatly moved Gu Yi, having experienced Sin City's chaos firsthand. If this blueprint could be realized, then what happened to her and her mom would surely become increasingly rare, wouldn’t it? "What do you mean 'so are you'? I am a genuinely great person." Xu Shi, dissatisfied with her wording, playfully tugged at her cheek. "Be content, hmm." Though teasing him verbally, her face couldn't hide her happiness. Her affection for Xu Shi increased even more—not that there was much room left to increase. This was simply the cherry on top. She boldly set a new goal. "I want to learn calligraphy!" "Grandfather and grandmother are thrilled and will reward you with your favorite... Ahem, if you're serious, then learn well. I'll give you Ning Wei's contact info, and you can go whenever you'd like." Xu Shi had no objection and even provided additional advice. "Pay attention—Grandfather has more to teach than just calligraphy." It's true. His age and his position make his grandfather an excellent teacher, from the arts to life wisdom, dealing with others to conversational skills. These are numerous areas where Miss Black Rabbit lacks, and his teachings would far surpass anything Xu Shi could offer. She can't spend her whole life being articulate online or in front of him while shrinking away like a quail in front of strangers... Now with such an opportunity before her, it's something many can only dream of. "Yes, yes, I know!" Gu Yi cherished this opportunity and nodded vigorously and sincerely, "And, by doing this, I become your grandfather's student, right?" "Yeah, is there a problem?" Xu Shi didn’t quite grasp her implication. If not a student, what else could you be? "Then, if we go by seniority, wouldn’t I be a generation ahead of you, Xu Bastard?" Getting off at the doorstep, Miss Black Rabbit counted on her fingers, "You’re his grandson, I'm his student, so... I’m a generation older!" Based on this alone, even if she still feared Mr. Wen's imposing aura a bit, she had to give it a try, right? "Ho ho, why don't you call me Auntie then!" Gu Yi was gleeful, hands on her hips as she looked up at Xu Shi, "Or better yet, how about calling me Master Aunt?" "..." Xu Shi didn’t say a word, silently scanned the iris and opened the door. As soon as they were inside, he playfully pinned the little black rabbit on the sofa, pretended to be furious, and tapped her bottom. "Are you rebelling?" Is this all you have in mind? There’s no hope for you! "I’ll let you call me Master Aunt! I’ll let you say Auntie!" Chairman Xie was trembling with anger at her shallow thinking, "Call me Daddy! A hundred times, mind you!" Poor Gu Yi was no match, crying out like a banshee, and eventually had to submit and reluctantly call out a few “Daddys” before Xu Shi released her. Goodness, her bottom just healed and now she couldn't sit again. Miss Black Rabbit could only turn around, kneeling and laying on the seat, really like a little puppy now… ... It wasn’t long before a "Dragon City" invitation arrived on Xu Shi’s desk, asking him to meet in Sin City for discussions. As expected, it came. This wasn’t far from his predictions. Long Tianding reaching out to Wen Shengkui or anyone else wasn’t about bypassing him; it was all just preparation. Issues concerning the Sixth and Seventh Districts couldn't be avoided, and ultimately, it was him they needed. "...Should we change the location to somewhere more neutral? Or opt for a video conference?" Upon seeing the message, Su Lin's initial reaction was concern for Xu Shi's safety. Wasn't this akin to voluntarily diving into a tiger's den? "No need. Have the Field Operations Department discreetly provide cover, and you can accompany me." Xu Shi wasn’t particularly worried. "If Long Tianding were going to make a move, he’d have done it by now. There’s no need to stir up trouble this way." In the martial world, peace is valued above all. If negotiations succeed, it’s better than anything else. Assassinations or ambushes are last resorts. Taking Su Lin’s suggestion might present a sign of weakness before negotiations even begin, as if he feared Long Tianding, which was unnecessary. "It feels like you haven’t considered your words much lately. What’s going on?" He looked at Su Lin with interest. "Where did the ever-thorough Director Su go? If you know, please return her to me." Faced with such teasing, Su Lin merely rolled her eyes. Though it's true, she has become less worried as Xu Shi’s considerations have outpaced hers, simply following his instructions. Yet it made her restless lately, especially with a growing urge to prove, "I'm the one who cares most about the young master," as was evident just now. But that seemed to backfire, as Xu Shi appeared unsatisfied? Hmm... "Got it, I’ll handle it right away." Director Su shook her head, sighing silently within. Soon, the two of them arrived at the First District. Situated in the heart of Sin City, it felt like being at the center of a labyrinth, shielded from the city’s regular inhabitants and filled with Long Tianding’s trusted subordinates. It was Xu Shi’s first time here, and yet it felt oddly familiar, reminiscent of Ding Jun’s Seventh District. Not quite, it was Ding Jun who mirrored Long Tianding, like a replica, while this here was the genuine edition. Clearly, Leader Ding was skilled at currying favor, modeling his affairs after his superior—a method of brown-nosing or showing loyalty, which was quite effective when used well. "Chairman Xu, welcome, welcome." Long Tianding personally greeted him at the pavilion with a faint smile. "You’ve even brought Director Su along? Please, come in." "It seems since our last meeting Chairman Xu is more spirited than ever." After sitting down, they naturally moved to pleasantries. "City Lord Long is doing well too. At our previous encounter at City Hall, I didn’t pay much attention, but now it’s clear you’re quite impressive." Xu Shi responded with a smile. He hadn’t much interaction with Long Tianding before; this was their first formal negotiation. Information from the original text was limited, yet from this slight interaction, the compliment wasn’t entirely flattery. At least he didn’t complicate things with unnecessary security checks or shows of force that small-minded individuals might use as intimidation, opting instead to greet him with no defenses—a gesture that reveals a lot. Of course, they both knew senseless confrontation wasn't on the table; nobody would fall for that trap. "Chairman Xu flatters me. I’m just an old man now, unable to match up to rising stars like you and Chairman Xie from 'Prism'." Long Tianding waved his hand dismissively. In truth, he was only in his early forties, still within the middle-aged category... His comment was merely self-deprecating. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, he got straight to the point. "Chairman Xu, you probably know why I've invited you here." "Why don't you spell it out, City Lord Long?" Xu Shi acted clueless though he understood perfectly. "You could have invited me for a myriad of reasons." "...The situation in the Sixth District, was that orchestrated by you?" Long Tianding paused before speaking. "Two major districts in Sin City were reshuffled, and I was caught completely unaware... Wasn't that a bit underhanded, Chairman Xu?" "Oh, so City Lord Long is here to cast blame?" Xu Shi didn't back down, "All I know is that 'Discord' was getting restless, trying to target my interests after consuming 'Spark'. We both know who was behind the explosion in District 19. Had I not reacted in time, and if catastrophe had unfolded, the one being blamed would be you, and it wouldn't just be me pointing fingers." That was the honest truth. If something dire had happened during the press conference, the blame would have landed squarely on "Dragon City." At that time, key political and business figures from Night and Sin City were all present, and if any had perished, Long Tianding would be the one held accountable. No one cared about the inner workings of the gangs. Since "Dragon City" prided itself as the uncrowned king of Sin City, allowing your subordinates to cause chaos in Night City is unforgivable. What? "Discord" got gutted by "Spark"? That's no excuse. If you can't manage your factions, how is that my problem? And brazenly claiming ignorance only makes you seem inept. "Chairman Xu, you've misunderstood me. That wasn't my intention." Long Tianding's heart skipped a beat, caught off guard as Xu Shi swiftly turned the tables, leaving him at a loss. Xu Shi's points were valid, but anyone with a discerning eye could see that the underlying problem stemmed from the escalating conflict between him and "Spark." The main culprit being Xu Shi himself. But where did this tension originate? It seemed like "Spark" drew first blood, but who was nudging them from behind? Dang it, the more you think about it, the murkier it gets—a real tangled mess. Tsk. Fortunately, Long Tianding quickly regained his composure. "To be fair, it's a failure of governance on my part, and I owe you an apology for that." "In extraordinary times, extraordinary measures aren't unreasonable. But now that this matter is settled, keeping the two major districts under your control seems equally inappropriate." Long Tianding spoke solemnly, "According to common practice, it’s not acceptable." "Convention? Which convention?" Xu Shi blinked, looking at him curiously. The City Lord nearly choked. What convention? The unspoken rule that Night City folks don’t meddle in Sin City affairs! It’s been like this for ages, a traditionally respected boundary. But then again, since it's merely tradition and not codified law, using it to argue your point can be easily dismissed by the other party. You can't really find fault with it. What, take it to court? "Heh, just kidding." Xu Shi shed his feigned naivety, growing serious. "So, City Lord Long wants me to return the Sixth and Seventh Districts to you?" "Even if I said no, you wouldn't believe me." Seeing Xu Shi address the matter head-on, Long Tianding didn’t hold back and clarified his intentions. "Actually, this isn't that big of an issue. It's just a matter of words." Xu Shi nodded thoughtfully, "But I have invested significantly in supporting the 'Long Sword Gang' with equipment. Simply handing the districts back would be a major loss for me." "I will ensure they return everything to you." Long Tianding said firmly, "Rest assured, Chairman Xu, you won’t incur any losses." "That logic doesn’t sit right with me." Xu Shi shook his head. "Everyone knows today's money is worth more than tomorrow's. Besides, even if you order it, there's no telling when I’ll get it back, how much can be recovered, or if the equipment will still be in good condition. Such accounts are too messy to settle." If push came to shove, can't I just take a bit of a loss and compensate you fairly? Long Tianding was a bit speechless but could tell Xu Shi had no intention of returning the districts. His words were just pretexts. He finally understood the frustration those "Forgotten Ones" must have felt; Xu Shi was even more troublesome than he had imagined. Situations like this happen; if you're not cautious, the other party will exploit the gaps. Rectifying it afterward is far from easy, especially when the other party is your equal in power... No, truthfully, Xu Shi’s prominence now even surpassed his own. That made things even more vexing. However, he quickly pinpointed the crux of the issue. "So according to Chairman Xu... what is it you want?"