Xu Shi shook his head; this was no lie.

In fact, after awakening his past life memories, he realized the seriousness of the matter—in terms of influence and dominance, "Refractive" and "Heavenly River" were superior to other conglomerates in the past. If they couldn't withstand something, then he had to prepare for the future.

Reorganizing the group, winning over capable subordinates, launching the "Over-Limit Project"... To be honest, I did all these things not entirely to deal with Shenhe.

But he gained nothing from this matter itself.

My character died too early in the original story; he didn't get to see the later versions...

So, to be honest, he wanted to use Xia Ke'an to get some information about this, since she was one of the people involved.

"Looks like we're about the same?"

Hearing him say that, the white-haired loli couldn't help but tease, "I was unconscious that night and knew nothing about what happened... Wuyou was the same, but we were the only two who survived."

However, although it seemed so, the sadness and frustration in her eyes grew heavier and heavier ever since the topic came up.

For Xia Ke'an, this was her nightmare—everything she cherished vanished in an instant, and she was powerless to stop it.

What can a helpless person do? She may seem powerful sitting on her hospital bed, giving orders, but in reality, she struggles to survive without anyone to take care of her... It's clear that the sense of powerlessness that has haunted her for the past ten years has taken a heavy toll on her.

Seeing this, Xu Shi didn't say anything, but simply handed her a glass of water.

"...In that case, shall we...cooperate?"

Xia Ke'an took the glass but didn't drink it. Instead, she lowered her eyes and stared at her small reflection in the cup. "This is our shared goal... I know you're very ambitious. Don't think that 'Snake Ring' or 'Dragon City' is your goal; the entire City of Night Sin might be your target."

"If that's the case, then you'll have to face all of this sooner or later... right?"

She suppressed her trembling voice and rambled on about the pros and cons, seemingly trying to persuade Xu Shi as much as possible.

"What kind of cooperation would you like to propose, Miss Ke'an?"

Xu asked calmly.

"How else can we cooperate?"

Xia Ke'an chuckled self-deprecatingly, "Didn't you want my abilities... Well, I've recovered quite well now, so can I help you in that regard?"

"oh?"

Does that mean she can already activate her ability? Hearing this, Xu Shi couldn't help but ask, "Then how many times can you use your ability?"

"Given the current situation... just once?"

The white-haired loli pondered for a moment and said, "Don't think that one time is too little. It's more than enough to find out who the opponent is, but I can't help with anything else."

"And what about you?"

Xu Shi paused for a moment, then said, "Don't tell me you'll die after you use it."

"Anyway, I don't have to worry about anything with you taking care of me."

Xia Ke'an smiled. "I've been a burden to her for so many years, it's not a bad thing to let her have an easier life in the future... I'm quite relieved to hand her over to you, you'll treat her well, right?"

She didn't answer Xu Shi's question directly, but that was essentially a tacit agreement.

Xu Shi suddenly realized why the old lady had insisted on avoiding Xia Wuyou and talking to him alone.

If it were about those things from before, then Xia Wuyou would just listen, what's the big deal... Is it because she's considering that this topic might come up? It's obvious that she doesn't want her niece to realize that she has this kind of thought.

However, her current emotions are indeed very different from usual—self-abandonment, self-blame and guilt, and that stubbornness to find the truth at all costs... To be honest, the white-haired loli is hiding it very well. Even with the ability to help, Xu Shi was unable to see through all of these things before.

His appearance was heartbreaking, and Xu Shi was also deeply moved when he saw it.

Therefore, after careful consideration.

He shook his head very seriously.

"No. If you die, I will torture her every day."

"……Why?"

Xia Ke'an was stunned.

"Mr. Xu, are you joking with me?"

She was caught off guard by this answer, and after a long pause, she stammered, "You, you wouldn't really do that... right?"

"Yes, because I don't do business at a loss."

Xu Shi's tone turned cold. "So my advice is, don't take any chances."

“Miss Ke’an should know that you are also one of the ‘values’ in the deal between Team Leader Xia and me.”

“I’ve invested quite a bit in you. If I don’t get the expected return, then I can only hold Team Leader Xia accountable and try to make up for it from her.”

What a joke! My buddy spent so much money, nearly 100,000 yuan a day on treatment, and all he got in return was a one-time trial card for a superpower?

This isn't just a loss; it's a disgraceful blunder that will turn him into a crying cat and nail him to the pillar of shame.

"Hmm..."

Xia Ke'an was speechless for a moment, and lowered her head to listen to him continue.

"And as you said, we share common goals."

Xu Shi said with a straight face, "If that's the case, why are you wallowing in self-pity? You don't actually think this kind of behavior is cool, do you?"

"What, you're lecturing me now..."

The white-haired little girl pouted, and, somewhat unconvinced, repeated her old tune, "I'm even more..."

"That's enough. Saying that only makes you look like an idiot."

Xu Shi poked her forehead twice in annoyance. "In my opinion, trading your life for the enemy's is the most foolish thing to do. It's punishing yourself for someone else's mistakes."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!