Chapter 380: Chapter 359: Deal Made
"Brother, right now all of Dragon Soul is talking about you and the Military Advisor. You’ve made too big a stir this time." What Hua Qingyi was worried about was not the content of the matter, but the people it would affect.
"What happened to the Military Advisor?"
"If I tell you that the Military Advisor betrayed Dragon Soul in the Middle East, what would you think?" The ice-cold mineral water seemed to numb his entire heart, and a breathless contraction made Xiao Lin unable to speak.
"I don’t believe the Military Advisor would do such a thing. Others might not know, but surely you, brother, don’t distrust the Military Advisor."
"This is the truth!"
This is not a matter of trust or distrust, but a matter of fact: "You must understand that Dragon Soul doesn’t care about causes, only outcomes. There’s no equal sign between the Military Advisor’s personal wishes and the facts."
"You mean Dragon Soul would eliminate the Military Advisor under the guise of security reasons."
"I always felt that the reason for the Military Advisor going to the Middle East... You and I are not in Dragon Soul, and the Military Advisor never acts alone. Sending her to the Middle East this time is a bait in itself."
"I refuse to believe Master would do such a thing." Hua Qingyi was very agitated, standing up from the sofa and pacing back and forth. He rarely called Lao Long ’Master’. That old man did nothing better than giving him trouble.
"I also hope it’s not him." Regarding Lao Long himself, he too did not want his master to be the mastermind of a scheme against his own people.
"There’s a problem within Dragon Soul!"
"Brother, you’ve gone mad!" Hua Qingyi blocked Xiao Lin’s mouth, nervously looking around: "Even if you’re from the Xiao Family, you can’t just say such things. You’re not in that position yet."
"It’s because I’m not in that position yet that I need to know the truth more. My intuition tells me the Middle East is just the beginning." Xiao Lin pushed Hua Qingyi away, the mineral water in his hand warming up: "Now I wish all of this is just a play Lao Long and those old ghosts orchestrated to get me into that position by their own self-directed and self-fulfilled drama."
"That’s not impossible either." Hua Qingyi spoke in a whisper. If the one before him were to obediently sit in that position, perhaps there wouldn’t be so much trouble.
"If that’s really the case, then it’s even more impossible for me to forgive them for what they did to the Military Advisor." Hua Qingyi was involuntarily frightened by the violent aura emanating from Xiao Lin.
"Let’s not talk about Dragon Soul for now. What about the person downstairs?" Hua Qingyi pointed towards the person still in the basement, not remembering Dragon Soul to be so kind-hearted as to let such a person roam freely: "This is someone from ’Black Crow’. Dragon Soul won’t let it slide."
"Since when does the person I, Xiao Lin, want, have to go through Dragon Soul!?" Xiao Lin took out another bottle of mineral water, this time using his True Qi to heat it up before drinking: "He is someone Dragon Soul cannot tolerate, but he is someone I, Xiao Lin, want."
"Brother, have you already decided to take that position?" Regarding Xiao Lin’s decision, Hua Qingyi was somewhat surprised. He never really thought Xiao Lin wanted that position; the higher you climb, the colder it gets, a principle he knew too well. How was he any different?
Xiao Lin didn’t answer. If he truly had to choose, he would never have had the thought, but the current complex situation forced him to inch towards power. Perhaps he had once considered, persuading the master to make an exception to accept Consort Ling, but Lian’s words made him abandon the thought. Since everyone wanted him in that position, power would naturally need to be utilized from now on; as they say, having power comes with benefits.
A feeling of helplessness threw him onto the sofa. No amount of water could balance his mind and body.
A figure appeared at the door and knocked. Hua Qingyi glanced at the closed-eyed Xiao Lin, pressed a remote, and the door opened.
The cottage was as ordinary as any other, but after remodeling, it was no longer a normal residence.
"Young Master!" No one entered, yet the voice came from outside.
Xiao Lin opened his eyes, sat up from the sofa, straightened his clothes, and walked out.
There were no farewells, no blessings. Hua Qingyi pursed his lips. He didn’t sympathize with Xiao Lin, for from the moment they were born, some destinies were predetermined. He just felt they were all helpless, just like the person leaving at that moment. He pressed the remote, closing the door to block the wind, and found himself less cold.
A spacious platform held a vehicle as black as night. It wasn’t as long and wide as what you’d see on TV, but the glossy black surface had already aptly communicated the car’s value. Xiao Lin waited as the driver opened the backseat door for him. Naturally, he took a vodka from the wine rack and poured himself a glass. He then settled comfortably into the couch by the window, never once looking at the elder beside him as he got in and sat down.
This was a dignified elder, with features resembling Xiao Lin, a cold and commanding presence felt through his brows. Xiao Lin swirled his wine glass in silence, as the car slowly drove out of the alleyway. He didn’t care where this elder would take him, knowing he’d eventually return to where he wanted to be.
"When are you planning to return?" The elder spoke as Xiao Lin finished the last sip of his drink.
"Does the matter with the Military Advisor have anything to do with you?" Retracting his gaze from the window scene, Xiao Lin was engrossed in the elder’s eyes.
"Yes! I arranged it." The elder candidly admitted, his voice void of guilt or regret.
"Good! Very good!"
"Did you think just because you are a Major General of Dragon Soul, you could lead these people?" The elder returned Xiao Lin’s stare. His majesty was as undeniable as his presence, an authoritative air befitting a born ruler.
Xiao Lin eventually withdrew his gaze, turning it to the wine rack in front: "Why do this? You have so many offspring, why choose me?" The words were almost shouted.
"This is your mission." The elder raised his eyebrows, seeing Xiao Lin’s helplessness as a weakness. He allowed him moments of vulnerability, but only in his presence.
"You can select anyone you desire; that’s the power I grant you. No one will interfere, but..."
"What if I refuse?"
"Then you will have nothing." The elder’s words fell coldly, as heavy as their impact on Xiao Lin’s heart: "Your woman will die because of you."
The elder’s threat was real. By himself, Xiao Lin lacked the capacity to protect anyone. Ha-ha, thinking of this, Xiao Lin raised his head.
"Deal!" (To be continued. If you like this work, please come to Qidian () and vote for recommendation votes, monthly votes. Your support is my biggest motivation.)