The White Cloud Temple was exceptionally quiet.
The scent of sandalwood filled the air.
Su Ning devoutly offered three joss sticks to the deity, hoping for a blessing to complete her mission as soon as possible, leave the Republican era, and successfully return to the modern world to be a wealthy woman...
The young Daoist priest beside her was still a boy.
He couldn't help but steal glance after glance at her, only retracting his gaze when his master smacked his hand, though a sense of disbelief still lingered in his heart.
Just moments ago, after this Miss Su finished speaking.
Opposite her, the male devotee's face instantly contorted with rage. Looking just like an evil spirit from a book, he reached out to strike her. Since he was a tall and burly man, the little priest had actually been quite worried.
Who would have known that the slap wouldn't land.
Before it could, Miss Su pulled out a gun and pressed it directly against his head.
She said with perfect composure:
"An imported new-style weapon. My subordinates oil it every day, so the quality is excellent. Do you want to make a bet on whether I pull the trigger first, or your slap lands first?"
"I am the dignified Mayor."
"Su Ning, I don't believe you dare to fire."
Deputy Mayor He forced a calm tone through trembling lips. Unfortunately, even the little priest could tell he was fierce on the outside but cowardly on the inside; his momentum had already fallen into a disadvantage.
"It's Deputy Mayor, not Mayor."
Su Ning corrected the loophole in his first sentence, and then responded to his second.
The next second, a gunshot rang out.
Deputy Mayor He had lived a pampered life for years, yet surprisingly, under the threat of death, his reaction speed was incredibly fast. He threw himself hard onto the bluestone floor.
A heavy thud echoed.
It didn't hurt.
He hadn't been shot! Deputy Mayor He felt a surge of wild joy, only to see a small, smoking hole a meter away—the gun hadn't been aimed at him at all. He had been played!
"Prostrating yourself in admiration? It seems Deputy Mayor He's research into eunuchs is quite thorough indeed."
Su Ning blinked and calmly put the gun away. "However, I am not the Emperor. Receiving such a grand bow for nothing, I'm quite afraid it might shorten my lifespan. Fortunately, it's the New Year."
What did it have to do with the New Year?
Everyone present, including the little priest, had this doubt pop into their minds.
Then—a heavy red envelope fell to the ground.
"Happy New Year."
...
Miss Su was truly infuriating. It took the little priest a moment to realize it, but the others were smarter and reacted faster.
Some laughed out loud, while others grew furious.
The two groups had completely different reactions.
As for what happened next... The little priest blinked with lingering fear. He almost thought a fight was going to break out and squatted with his head in his hands for a long time, not daring to open his eyes.
Fortunately, a fight didn't actually break out.
The little priest puffed out his cheeks and exhaled. He suddenly felt as if the silver dollars in his chest pocket had disappeared and hurriedly felt for them. Thank goodness, they were still there.
He planned to buy candied hawthorns to eat tomorrow.
He could eat them for one, two, three... well, for many days anyway.
This was the money from that red envelope.
The male devotee didn't want it, and Miss Su didn't take it back, generously giving it to him instead!
After muttering her wish ten times to ensure the gods and Buddhas heard it loud and clear, Su Ning finally stood up, returned to the car, and rested her eyes while mentally reviewing the situation.
After a long time, she smiled slightly.
Running into Deputy Mayor He was an accident, but for her, this accident came at just the right time.
Although she and Chen Huaiqian had already gained a considerable advantage and only needed to proceed step by step, Deputy Mayor He was destined to fall by their hands.
But it was too slow.
Her time was precious. Spending so much energy on a nameless NPC from the original story was already a massive loss.
A dignified deputy mayor, humiliated by a female merchant he looked down upon—he must be incredibly angry and aggrieved, wishing she would immediately disappear from the world.
Unfortunately, under the watchful eyes of the public.
He couldn't make a move.
Su Ning wanted to laugh just thinking about the expression on that man surnamed He. The accumulated anger wouldn't just vanish, especially since he thought he had a trump card to strike back. Perhaps tomorrow or the day after?
It definitely wouldn't take more than three days.
He would inevitably make his move.
"Host, have you realized that your mindset is very abnormal?"
The system spoke faintly.
"I don't think so. Considering all factors, by pushing the man surnamed He to strike now, think of how much time I saved and how many fewer people will die. My merits are practically boundless!"
"But you are walking a tightrope over a cliff," the system advised earnestly. "The result is good, but did you ever think about what would happen if Deputy Mayor He hadn't held back and started a fight with you right there and then?"
"Bullets have no eyes."
"Can you guarantee you would remain completely unscathed?"
Actually, the system noticed that Su Ning had a somewhat contradictory self-destructive tendency. On one hand, she valued her life greatly, always talking about returning to the modern world to be a rich woman.
But on the other hand.
She was more than willing to use her life as a bargaining chip, unhesitatingly placing it on the gambling table just to increase her odds of winning.
The system felt a bit of regret after saying this.
Especially when it saw the smile on Su Ning's face melt away like a snowflake, it felt it shouldn't have spoken. No matter what, as long as the outcome was good, that was enough.
Why bother?
Why say things that would hurt the relationship between it and its host?
"You're right."
Hearing this straightforward admission, if the system had eyes, they would have popped out of their sockets by now. Su Ning continued to reflect. She bit her lower lip hard, speaking as if to the system but also to herself:
"How did I forget again? Right now, my own life is the most precious thing. As long as I'm alive, I can overturn the board and start over."
"Thank you."
Su Ning thanked the system earnestly, giving a self-deprecating smile: "The marks left by my past life are too deep, so I always unconsciously stray off the path. Thankfully, I have you."
"It's nothing, this is what this system should do."
The system replied awkwardly.
Upon returning to the Grand Hotel de Pekin, Su Ning instructed Lin Sen to make a trip over to Chen Huaiqian's side:
"Tell him, it's time to make our move."
