Chapter 142: The Perk Goes to You - It’s the Cyber Age—Still Playing a Traditional Villain?

**Chapter 142: The Perk Goes to You** What Xie Qingyan brought was indeed important. Or rather, anything that warranted the personal attention of the Prism Corporation's chairwoman couldn't possibly be unimportant. Thus, when Ye Shanshan laid out the samples from the box, even Xu Shi was slightly surprised. "The second phase of the 'Overlimit Plan' was developed this quickly?" He was well aware of how much effort both conglomerates had poured into the small vial in front of him. The only downside was its appearance, which reminded him of a virus serum from a certain ravaged city... even its color was an eerie blue. It was quite amusing. Are you "Prism" or "Umbrella," hmm? "It's just a sample. Achieving stable efficacy without side effects will likely take more time." Xie Qingyan smiled wryly. "What? Xu Dong didn't know? Didn't your subordinates inform you?" "With you personally coming here, what need do I have for reports from underlings?" Xu Shi grinned at her, not at all worried about the drug's development. With Xie Qingyan at the helm and the resources and technology supplied by the "Forgotten," failing to produce results would be a reason to find a tofu block to smash his head against—preferably frozen tofu. "Haha, indeed. Xu Dong just needs to keep playing with the Bureau of Inspection." Xie Qingyan shot him a sidelong glance, as if implying she were one of his subordinates... "As for how to market it once the drug is successfully developed, I think it might be wise to wait a little." Xu Shi ignored her look and continued, "Though chips and drugs aren't the same sector, their effects are similar. Releasing them too quickly would impact both our interests." "There's another way: bundle them together. To buy the drug, one must also purchase the chip. We can make some covert improvements to the chips, enhancing the drug's effectiveness when used in conjunction with them." "This way, people have no choice but to buy the chips." After all, the "Gemini" still has its profit margin to exploit. No way it could be phased out so soon. Even if the drug proves more effective and comprehensive, it wouldn't do to let it chip away too much of the market. "Of course, wasn't that our decision before?" Xie Qingyan didn't object. Her thoughts aligned with Xu Shi's. "And since the drug doesn't have a name yet, would you like to christen it?" "...Let's call it 'Sublime.'" Xu Shi mused for a moment and casually suggested, "For future development and improvements, we'll rely on our friends at Prism." "Working together lets us earn more." Xie Qingyan chuckled, "Though what I'm considering now is the direction for our next product line." "What do you have in mind, Qingyan?" Xu Shi showed interest. "I'm all ears." "My thoughts lean towards further specializing like 'Gemini'. It seems more suitable as a research direction for the future." Xie Qingyan spoke earnestly, "I compared 'Gemini' with 'Sublime' and found that the latter's advantages are actually lower." "A general-use drug has to account for all different types of 'Ascendants,' which inevitably weakens its specific strengths. The clinical trial data is only better because we used superior materials and technology. If we upgrade 'Gemini,' this advantage shrinks." "So I think, moving forward, we might need to reduce the product scope to focus on length?" She continued to discuss at length, "Even if a product ultimately benefits just one specific target, the enhancement it provides could be world-changing." "...You're right." Xu Shi paused and then nodded. Huh, she really thought this through? Though Xie Qingyan's explanation was a mouthful, in essence, she was discussing the idea of specialized weaponry. Xu Shi didn't deny his private motives; after all, he couldn't fully trust this sly woman. He hadn’t mentioned specialized weaponry development to her, and even subtly tried steering her in other directions. But it seems that wasn't enough to deter her. Yet he wasn't shocked. Once someone engaged with the project, considering this direction was inevitable. Especially someone of his fiancée's caliber—it would be odd if she hadn't thought of it. "Since you have this idea, why not give it a try?" Xu Shi was slightly surprised that someone of Xie Qingyan's disposition would share such an important thought directly with him. Well, that wasn't like her... "I just think these overt and covert battles between us are pointless." Sensing his thoughts, Xie Qingyan said seriously, "Considering our engagement and that we're partners, shouldn't our focus be on others?" Her expression didn't appear insincere. Even if Xu Shi was unconvinced, never having won a confrontation against him was reason enough to be skeptical. But looking at the whole scenario—given the city of Night Sins—there was probably no better partner than the "Serpent Ring." Coincidentally, Xu Shi’s power and influence were expanding continually. These days, not just "Prism," but none of the six major conglomerates seemed to be able to pin him down. Better not miscalculate and lose everything... Especially now, maintaining stability is crucial. "As for 'Shark's Tooth'...?" Xu Shi blinked, clearly still processing her sudden change in attitude. "I'm not giving that up. After all, I've managed it for so long." Xie Qingyan was open about it, "What's wrong with fifty-fifty? As long as we don't hinder each other, do you think He Lao San could outplay you, or He Lao Da could rival me?" The discussion seemed less like corporate strategy and more like bartering vegetables. "Alright, you have a point." Xu Shi conceded, "I wasn't expecting this from you." "I respect those with ability." Xie Qingyan raised an eyebrow, "Our future husband counts as one. To coordinate and suppress the 'Forgotten' so quickly, I couldn’t think of another." "Speaking of, those 'Forgotten' absorbed under your leadership, are they behaving?" "...They'll need time, I suppose." Xu Shi sighed. The reality was that having them behave was unrealistic. Shen Qin, in particular, could never be completely obedient, which was an irreconcilable conflict. Without thoroughly purging them, peace couldn't be assured—especially with Shen He outside the city. "True. It's only been a short span; expecting complete integration isn't realistic." Xie Qingyan concurred, "It's the same on my end. That Li Si is quite shifty, jumping around as if I wouldn’t notice." "You should be careful." Xu Shi chuckled, having noticed that Song Chen wasn't a simple character from their first meeting. True to his nature, not much easier to handle than Shen Qin. "He won't bounce around for long." Xie Qingyan spoke frankly, "Such trivial antics I just see as monkey tricks. Once he's outlived his usefulness, he'll be nothing more than trash." "Wow, that's brutal." Xu Shi feigned surprise but internally agreed. After all, in dealing with the "Forgotten," their thoughts were much aligned—regular folk would serve as talent and labor, but their former leaders needed early and decisive handling to root them out. Otherwise, if the leaders suddenly got an idea for rebellion akin to a "one-eyed stone man," it wouldn't be good. Once their leaders were dealt with, ordinary "Forgotten" members would gradually get assimilated—this sort of thing takes time. Perhaps in another ten or twenty years, even they wouldn’t recognize themselves as once-exiled refugees. In truth, after just a couple of months, some had begun to think this way; after all, life inside the city was far better than the precarious and bleak existence outside, constantly struggling against the "Rust Mist." Only fools like Zhao Yuan stubbornly resisted integration. That said, Xie Qingyan's expression, while discussing, perfectly encapsulated the epitome of a capitalist overlord. Tsk, tsk, tsk. "What else? Not everyone is like you." Xie Qingyan was unfazed, "At least not Li Si; he's completely out of his depth." Ye Shanshan, standing aside, noted with interest that her boss's words weren't entirely false. Like Su Lin, she too functioned as a secretary while acting as a trusted aide. Following Xie Qingyan closely, she knew her well. Lately, Xie Qingyan’s reactions suggested she might have developed a split personality... Whenever Xu Shi was mentioned, Xie Qingyan often ground her teeth, spouting insults as if they were candy, yet admiration in her eyes was equally hard to hide; scolding often turned into laughter, leaving Ye Shanshan guessing at what exactly had crossed her mind. "You are a bit conflicted!" Yet, Little Curly (Ye Shanshan) understood perfectly why her boss Xie Qingyan was caught in this dilemma. Having spent no less time beside Xie Qingyan than Su Lin had with Xu Shi, she was well aware that, once upon a time, Xie Qingyan had a favorable opinion of Xu Shi. It was only after seeing more of his antics that her disappointment began to set in. If you think about it, you probably still like him, right? Especially now that he's demonstrating a lot of competence; that's certainly attractive... So why are you so conflicted? Why not just lay it out plainly? If you're going to lose in this little rivalry, then so be it. Instead of continually stirring things up, which only results in you getting the short end of the stick... Eh? This seamless train of thought left Ye Shanshan momentarily taken aback. Goodness, what strange ideas are these? Have I really become resigned to it? She surmised that her inability to harbor resentment towards Xu Shi was certainly due to his influence, yet she wasn't sure how to rid herself of it. By now, she'd even grown accustomed to it... And here she was, still stuck in Xu Shi's office, which felt like a nightmare to her. It was here that she'd previously been caught, forced into silence by that man... Ugh, continuing like this, she'd become a fool... Little Curly hung her head, trying hard to suppress her internal conflict. "Anyhow, once the second phase of the drug is fully completed, I'd like to try this direction. Shall we?" Thankfully, Xie Qingyan didn't notice anything amiss and revisited their earlier discussion. "If you're not interested, I'd still like to try it on my own." "...Sounds good." Xu Shi, after a brief contemplation, didn't oppose. After all, he'd been letting Jiang Chengcheng work on specialized weaponry. Whether or not to share with Xie Qingyan still needed some careful watching. As adults, he couldn't just believe every sweet word this sly woman said. With anyone else, maybe. But definitely not Xie Qingyan. Things seemed to unfold as he anticipated—Xie Qingyan rarely acted with pure intent, and this instance wasn't any different. Her feelings were genuine, though, as she navigated the conflict between being frustrated with and admiring Xu Shi. Now that he wasn't a luxury-seeking playboy anymore, it secretly made her happy, yet she couldn't swallow her pride after being wronged repeatedly. What? Some of the problems were my own making? Caught pulling stunts? ...Doesn't matter. I was the one being bullied, anyway. Thus, she stuck to her conviction: no matter what, she had to get one over on him... Whether or not she would concede was beside the point. In fact, making a show of concession actually worked in her favor. Recently, all the attention was on the "Serpent Ring," so "Prism," which once shared the spotlight, had received much less scrutiny. This allowed her to quietly amass wealth. So why not lower her stance a bit more, giving herself a better shot at finding the right opportunity? Just wait, you'll see, hmph. "But this move will take some time. Don't rush it and end up hurting yourself," Xu Shi noted ambiguously, then redirected the conversation. "However, there's a not-so-small opportunity for profit recently. I wonder if Chairwoman Xie is interested?" "Oh?" "In Night Sins City, after the 'Disger' incident, the 'Furious Wolf' has been severely weakened, making it a viable acquisition." Xu Shi said casually, "I know you have 'White Iron' on hand. Why not give it a shot?" "Are you saying the 'Long Sword Party' doesn't intend to get involved?" Xie Qingyan raised an eyebrow, questioning. She was evidently interested but knew Xu Shi tended to have hidden agendas, justifying her curiosity. "The 'Long Sword Party' won't be participating." Xu Shi shook his head. "Like you said, our constant rivalry is pointless. This benefit can be yours—it’s a gesture of goodwill in return for your insights on the 'Overlimit Plan.'" This was sincere; he didn't plan to involve Ding Jun. Because he intended to bring the "Sparks" into the fold. If his calculations were correct, the little assassin sister was about ready. Time to help her move forward. (End of Chapter)