Over the next two days, the wake passed smoothly.
Su Ning stayed in the mourning hall, regularly offering incense and adding oil to the lamps. Amidst the monks' and priests' all-night chanting, she emptied her mind, thinking of nothing. Her body and mind were relaxed and peaceful, and her whole being settled into a deep calm.
She was enjoying a rare moment of relaxation.
In the outside world, countless people were stirring up massive storms just because of a single word or look from her.
Lin Sen truly lived up to his reputation as the only male lead in the original novel series whose story arc could be called a satisfying power fantasy. His drive, methods, and even his luck were all top-tier.
He sent people to keep the Fang family under airtight surveillance.
In less than three days, he also gathered all of the Fang family's outstanding debts in the market—payments owed to suppliers, unsettled funds with silk merchants, and even the credit accounts the Fang family members used for food, clothing, and daily expenses at various shops.
Originally, these debts had different repayment cycles.
Some were settled every three months, some every half year, or paid off in full at the end of the year.
Under normal circumstances, they wouldn't put too much pressure on the Fang family.
Now, Lin Sen had collected all these accounts together. The total amounted to a staggering figure. He calculated that it was enough to drain the Fang family of all their liquid assets.
After doing all this, he made no further moves.
When a dog is about to bite, even if its teeth and claws are already sharpened to the extreme,
it still has to wait for its master's command, doesn't it?
...
Lin Sen's actions were very discreet. At least the Fang family, the victims in this, did not notice a thing. However, his foundation was too shallow and his experience lacking, so his moves were still noticed by observant eyes.
Inside the city government building.
After finishing his report, the secretary-general stepped aside. He waited a long time without hearing any response. Unable to hold back, he looked up just as Chen Huaiqian put down his pen and sighed softly:
"After being worn down by life for all these years, I thought you, Runhe, would have become more steady. Looking at you now, you're still as impatient as you were in your youth."
"A leopard cannot change its spots."
The secretary-general spread his hands:
"Even if you grind a stone for another ten years, it won't turn into jade." As he spoke, he glanced at Chen Huaiqian. Dressed in a plain Zhongshan suit, his only accessory was a gold pocket watch chain on his chest. His expression was as deep and calm as an abyss, making it impossible to see into his heart.
Who could have imagined that over a decade ago,
Chen Huaiqian was the most spirited and untamed of them all.
The years had ground away his rough, stony exterior, completely revealing the precious jade within.
The world naturally marveled at it, but to the jade itself, the ground-away stone shell was flesh, blood, skin, and spirit.
Scraping flesh and carving bone—a pain worse than death.
"As your secretary-general, I can't guess the Mayor's thoughts. Afraid of messing up your plans, I have no choice but to ask. Please, Mayor, be kind enough to give me an answer."
The secretary-general said seriously, "The situation in Beiping cannot be stabilized by you alone in a short time, and the South is constantly urging us. There are wolves in front and tigers behind. What exactly are your thoughts on this Su Ning?"
"Do you want to ally with her, or completely subjugate her?"
Hearing this, Chen Huaiqian gave his old classmate a deep look. He relaxed, leaned back in his chair, interlaced his fingers, and said with a smile in his voice:
"If things really go south, I'm the one who will meet a bad end, not you. Why are you the one getting anxious? Anyone who didn't know better would think the secretary-general is plotting to usurp power."
With those words, the tension in the room eased.
"Alright, alright. The emperor isn't worried, but the eunuch is anxious to death. Satisfied?"
The secretary-general laughed as well.
His previously tense body quietly relaxed.
"Subjugating Su Ning is impossible." Chen Huaiqian rested his chin on his hands, staring blankly into space as if lost in thought, and spoke unhurriedly:
"Although Miss Su is a woman, she is domineering, forceful, and deeply ambitious. With such a temperament and massive wealth in her hands, she will never submit to being beneath anyone."
"You've only met her once—no, you haven't even met her, and you can be so certain?"
"Why shouldn't I be?"
Chen Huaiqian couldn't help but recall the grandeur of Su Ning's outings. He shook his head and smiled:
"To understand someone, knowing what they look like is the least important part. You have to look at what they do."
"Newly arrived and penniless, despite clearly being a young lady raised in the lap of luxury, she was able to bide her time. Even knowing the pawnshop had driven the price of her watch outrageously low, she actually swallowed her pride and accepted it?"
Hearing this, the secretary-general couldn't help but agree:
"Yes, that watch was of exquisite craftsmanship, worth at least two hundred silver dollars, yet she pawned it for a mere twenty."
A full tenfold difference!
This showed Su Ning's calmness and ability to assess the situation. So many important figures couldn't handle hitting rock bottom like she did; they would fall into disbelief or even hysteria.
Su Ning internally: Ah, did I get scammed?
A mechanical watch I bought on Taobao for seventy bucks—I thought pawning it for twenty silver dollars was a great deal.
Chen Ziwei continued speaking:
"After reconnecting with her subordinates abroad, her performance was also brilliant. Every step was perfect. First, she went to HSBC to exchange foreign currency and hint at her background. Then, she reached out to help Jian Ren at his lowest point, winning him over in one fell swoop!"
"Yes, her timing was so precise that I suspect she had her eyes on Jian Ren early on, but deliberately waited until he was at his most desperate to make her move."
"Because that yields the maximum benefit."
The secretary-general swallowed hard. The image of Su Ning in his mind gradually became clear—a textbook cold, ruthless, and arrogant superior.
Letting his thoughts wander and dig deeper, he couldn't help but ask:
"Then, her holding a funeral for her biological father and standing up for her sister against the Fang family must also have deeper motives."
"What else?"
Chen Huaiqian asked in return:
"It's not that she's completely devoid of emotion. After all, he is her real father, and her sister is her real sister. But a grand funeral serves three purposes: first, to display her financial power; second, to make initial contact with the various factions in Beiping; and third..."
"There's a third?" the secretary-general blurted out, then shut his mouth and waved his hand.
"You continue, I won't interrupt."
"The third use of this funeral is to reconnect with the Su family's old network." Chen Huaiqian sighed sincerely. "Having a grand eunuch ancestor might not sound great, but it brings practical benefits."
"What does Beiping have the most of?"
"—The princes and nobles of the previous dynasty. A centipede dies but never falls down. Their influence is far from small!"
"I bet she will draw closer to these old-guard figures later on. I just don't know what methods she will use..."
Having spoken for so long, he felt thirsty and took a sip of tea.
The tea was cold and bitter in his mouth. Clearly, it was brewed with cheap tea leaves, and left overnight at that.
Chen Huaiqian's expression darkened, and his tone turned cold. "As for the Fang family, they aren't important. They are probably just a target for Su Ning to establish her dominance in Beiping."
"Blame the Fang family for being too stupid, blindly throwing themselves at her to seek their own ruin."
Listening to his analysis of all Su Ning's actions since arriving in Beiping, the secretary-general sighed deeply:
"Someone like that truly cannot be subjugated. So, an ally it is?"
Chen Huaiqian nodded.
In truth, he hadn't fully made up his mind before. To associate with a fierce tiger like Su Ning meant that even the best hunter risked being devoured until not even bones remained.
Until he drank that cup of cold tea.
It was as if it were mocking his baseless anxieties. Why worry about being devoured? If he didn't take action soon, he might die tomorrow from choking on his food or water.
Making a prompt decision, Chen Huaiqian said:
"Send someone to clean up the loose ends Assistant Lin left behind. Aside from keeping it hidden from the Fang family, there's no need to cover it up too much."
The secretary-general understood his meaning perfectly.
Cleaning up the trail for Su Ning's subordinates was a gesture of goodwill.
More importantly, it sent a message to the other factions that Chen Huaiqian intended to draw closer to Su Ning and build a friendly relationship.
It was a mutual deterrence—both for the other factions and for Su Ning.
...
As soon as Chen Huaiqian made his move, Lin Sen received the news. Knowing the gravity of the situation, he did not even have the time to be frustrated over his failure to clean up the loose ends properly.
He quickly went to Su Ning to report the situation.
"I know."
Su Ning's face was calm and unreadable. She placed the sandalwood incense she was holding into the censer. Seeing Lin Sen hesitating, she offered no explanation and simply waved her hand lightly to dismiss him.
Once he was gone, the System popped out with a cheeky giggle:
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. How did a fiercely loyal guy like Lin Sen end up with such a scummy boss like you? You obviously knew about this ages ago, yet you still put on this profound and mysterious act just to mess with his head."
"Don't slander me."
Su Ning frowned, speaking with righteous indignation:
"It is simply hard to explain. How would I, staying right here in the mourning hall, know that the new mayor, Chen Huaiqian, wants to form an alliance with me?"
"Besides, who told Chen Huaiqian to be so suspicious and conflicted? The reward notifications kept pinging so much, and it is not like I wanted to listen to them either. It is so annoying getting such a tiny bit of money every single time..."
Anyway, none of it was her fault.
She was a pure, innocent, and good person!
Su Ning continued bickering with the System, and time flew by until the drawn-out sound of the night watchman's clapper echoed from outside.
It was already the third watch of the night.
"I cannot be bothered to argue with you anymore, I am dead tired." Su Ning stretched lazily, though her eyes remained clear and bright. "The funeral procession leaves tomorrow. I need to rest up and gather my energy."
Ninety miles is merely half of a hundred-mile journey. She absolutely could not afford to drop the ball now.
