Chapter 864: The Fox's Tail
"Heh heh," Yang Haoran said, a smile on his face. "Whether Deputy Administrative Chief Zhu and Deputy Administrative Chief Sun had any conflict, I truly know nothing about it. However, what I never expected was that I would accidentally stumble into eliminating a major headache for Deputy Administrative Chief Zhu. What a coincidence, indeed."
Yang Haoran spoke with a smile, his expression betraying not the slightest hint of pretense, as if everything he said were genuinely true.
After his words fell, he smilingly lit another cigarette for himself. Taking a deep drag, he then continued,
"Since I've decided to cooperate with Deputy Administrative Chief Zhu, I naturally need to demonstrate some sincerity. I was originally quite vexed, wondering what I should present or do to convey my good faith. Now, it's all settled. I don't need to present anything or do anything at all, because Deputy Administrative Chief Sun's corpse is the best display of sincerity. Though it was an unintended outcome, one could say it still counts as having eliminated a major headache for Deputy Administrative Chief Zhu. I wonder if Deputy Administrative Chief Zhu finds this sincerity satisfactory? " Yang Haoran asked with a smile.
"This can indeed be seen as a display of sincerity, but it can also be seen as a threat, a warning."
Zhu Rong did not voice these words aloud; instead, she pondered them silently, for she dared not utter them.
She dared not speak her true thoughts, but the polite pleasantries on the surface still had to be uttered.
"Satisfied, extremely satisfied. Emissary Yang, we haven't even officially begun our cooperation, and you've already bestowed such a grand gift upon me. How could I, Zhu Rong, possibly have any reason to be dissatisfied? " Zhu Rong quickly replied.
"Emissary Yang's promise to assist me with all his might is already a tremendous display of sincerity. I, Zhu Rong, am not an unperceptive person; how could I possibly make any other demands of Emissary Yang?"
At this point, Zhu Rong paused slightly. Seeing that Yang Haoran had no intention of responding, she then directly asked him,
"Since Emissary Yang has demonstrated his sincerity, I naturally should also demonstrate mine. Emissary Yang, please speak frankly: what do you need me to do?"
Zhu Rong knew perfectly well that Yang Haoran's agreement to help her, and his decision to wager on her, definitely had a purpose; otherwise, Yang Haoran would absolutely not agree to cooperate with her.
However, as for what Yang Haoran was truly after, though she harbored some suspicions, she couldn't be certain her guesses were correct. So, she refrained from speaking carelessly, waiting instead for Yang Haoran to proactively state his conditions.
But until now, Yang Haoran hadn't presented any conditions to her. On the contrary, the threat in his words grew increasingly obvious. She didn't know what Yang Haoran was cooking up, but she knew that if she didn't take the initiative to speak now, Yang Haoran might lose his patience.
She felt that if it truly came to that, the one to suffer losses wouldn't be Yang Haoran; it would certainly be her, Zhu Rong. That was why she now took the initiative to inquire.
"Heh heh, my demand is very simple, and there's only one. If Deputy Administrative Chief Zhu agrees, then from now on, the affairs of your Administrative Courtyard will be my affairs, Yang Haoran's. I will certainly do my utmost to help you. " Yang Haoran said with a smile.
"Emissary Yang, please speak. As long as I, Zhu Rong, can accomplish it, or our Administrative Courtyard can, I absolutely won't hesitate. " Zhu Rong responded to Yang Haoran, a faint smile appearing on her face.
"I wish to invite Deputy Administrative Chief Zhu to join my team. As long as you are willing, let alone the affairs of your Administrative Courtyard, even your personal matters, I, Yang Haoran, will fully assist you."
Yang Haoran spoke with a smile, his expression utterly unchanged. He still wore that benevolent smile, that utterly harmless demeanor.
However, when his words reached Zhu Rong's ears, her smile stiffened.
"Emissary Yang, I, Zhu Rong, came here today to seek your cooperation, not to pledge allegiance. Does the condition you've proposed still count as cooperation?"
The smile vanished from Zhu Rong's face, and her expression turned grim, as if it might drip with water at any moment.
She had previously guessed what Yang Haoran's conditions might be. In her estimation, Yang Haoran might propose something regarding Spirit Mediums, seeking to leverage their official power to investigate every move of the Spirit Mediums, and immediately inform the Lecheng Underworld Division of any news.
She had also considered that Yang Haoran might ask their officials to conduct propaganda, urging ordinary citizens not to believe in Spirit Mediums, not to worship the Spiritualist God, and to extensively construct Death God Temples, so that more common folk would come to believe in the Death God.
If Yang Haoran had proposed such conditions, she would have carefully considered whether to agree, because doing so would thoroughly offend the Spirit Mediums, and before Yang Haoran demonstrated sufficient sincerity, she absolutely could not easily agree to his terms.
But what she never expected was that she had still gravely underestimated Yang Haoran's ambition. What Yang Haoran desired was not merely for their officials to help deal with the Spirit Mediums; what Yang Haoran wanted was the entirety of Lecheng!
While shocked by the sheer scale of Yang Haoran's ambition, she was also furious. She felt that she had been played by Yang Haoran!
Yang Haoran noted the change in Zhu Rong's expression. Not the slightest hint of surprise appeared on his face; it seemed he had long anticipated such a reaction from Zhu Rong.
"Deputy Administrative Chief Zhu, please don't get angry yet. Because anger, aside from making your heart clench with frustration, holds no other meaning and changes nothing. Of course, at the same time, please don't rush to refuse me, because if you do, you will definitely regret it. " Yang Haoran said with a smile.
"Regret? Heh heh, if I refuse, are you going to kill me just like you killed Sun Yu? I'm not like that wimp, Sun Yu, so please, Emissary Yang, don't lump me together with him."
Zhu Rong let out a cold laugh. Although she didn't erupt in fury, the anger in her words was palpably evident.
"I know you're upset, but please calm down for a moment. It won't be too late to make your decision after you've listened to my analysis. " Yang Haoran said with a smile.
Zhu Rong kept her face grim and remained silent, for she did not wish to speak. Her inner fury would make her words ill-considered, and such words would do her no good, only exacerbating the situation.
Moreover, she wanted to hear what Yang Haoran truly intended to say. Only then could she address the problem appropriately, devise a way to change Yang Haoran's decision, and ultimately achieve the ideal cooperative outcome.
If she truly confronted Yang Haoran head-on, she would definitely be the one to suffer losses, not Yang Haoran. So, she simply closed her mouth, quickly adjusted her mindset, and in the shortest possible time, quelled the anger in her heart and regained her rationality.
Seeing that Zhu Rong indeed had no intention of speaking, Yang Haoran then continued.
"Some of what I said just now was indeed a joke, but what I'm about to say next, I assure you, I am not jesting. To be frank, I've been planning this for a very long time. Although some variables emerged in the interim, forcing me to revise this plan again and again, what I changed was merely the process; the final outcome has never been altered. From this, you can see the strength of my resolve regarding this matter, so do not delude yourself into thinking you can change my decision through words or any other method."
Zhu Rong, who had originally intended to address the problem appropriately, couldn't help but furrow her brow even deeper upon hearing Yang Haoran's words, and that sliver of hope in her heart became even more remote.
However, she did not give up because of this. In her view, until the very last moment, she still held hope. So, she remained silent, waiting for Yang Haoran's next words.
"What I just told you was merely to express my determination regarding this matter. Next, I'll analyze the pros and cons for you. After you've heard it, then tell me your choice."
Yang Haoran adjusted his tone, then continued to speak.
"If I want to gain control of Lecheng, I can still do it without you, Deputy Administrative Chief Zhu. As for the Spirit Police, I will have Bai Xue step forward to handle it. With Bai Xue's current standing in the Spirit Police, taking control of that force will not be difficult. As for your Administrative Courtyard, I will find someone else to take the Administrative Chief's position. If you, Deputy Administrative Chief Zhu, do not agree, it doesn't mean others in the Administrative Courtyard won't. Heh heh, there are many people who want to sit in the Administrative Chief's seat; I believe you know that better than I do."
Speaking of this, Yang Haoran let out a soft sigh, then continued,
"Alas, I originally intended to bring Captain Luo and Vice-Captain Zhou under my wing, but given their personalities, achieving that would have been very difficult. It wasn't entirely impossible, though; once the time was ripe, there was still a possibility of success. It's just a pity that they both died, forcing me to change my plan. Fortunately, Bai Xue has already laid a solid foundation within the Spirit Police, so it won't be too difficult for me to operate."
"Regarding their deaths, I feel deeply regretful. However, my plan must still proceed as it should; it will not halt because of their passing. By the same token, whether you agree or disagree, you cannot possibly obstruct my plan. Agreement means a path to life; refusal certainly means certain death."
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