“…Go on.”

Xu Shi blinked. "What is your purpose in doing all this?"

"For the purpose of deduction."

He Yuxia said, "I think everyone knows what the biggest problem is with Night City, right?"

"You mean 'rust fog'?"

Xie Qingyan was the first to react.

"Yes."

He Yuxia nodded. "Since its emergence, the 'Rust Fog' has become the greatest threat to the world, and the mission of 'Heavenly Principle' is to find the most suitable future for development among infinite possibilities."

"So you chose to sink into the river."

Xu Shi picked up where she left off, saying in a deep voice, "Try making him the protagonist, guiding him step by step to take control of the entire Night Sin City, and then leading everyone to face and even resolve the threat of the 'Rust Fog'?"

"That's right."

He Yuxia did not deny it, saying, "The situation is almost exactly as you described."

"Then you didn't need to do something like destroying 'Celestial River' and 'Refraction,' did you?"

Ye Shanshan, with her curly hair, chimed in, "Shen He is the heir to 'Tianhe,' born to stand at the pinnacle of this city... Since he's been chosen, why not just greet him directly?"

"Is it because there have been similar precedents before?"

Xu Shi answered He Yuxia's question for her, "If I'm not mistaken, this certainly isn't the first time your 'Heavenly Principles' has made such a so-called 'deduction,' right?"

"...Chairman Xu really has a keen eye."

He Yuxia smiled, whether genuinely admiring or sarcastic, "We have existed for far longer than you imagine, and we have already predicted countless times... To be honest, every change that has occurred on this land has our shadow behind it."

Everyone suddenly understood.

Miss He's words were convoluted, but not difficult to understand.

Because everyone here is educated and familiar with the history of this city—the City of Nights of Sin wasn't born this way; it also went through agriculture, industry, and eventually became the technologically advanced place it is today.

This land has also had so-called emperors, and the situation of heroes vying for supremacy is countless... The "Rust Fog" has long been a threat and hidden danger. In the years since its appearance, the City of Night Sin has seen many changes of dynasties, with one dynasty rising and another falling.

“We have tried to allow the wealthy and powerful to consolidate power, and we have also arranged for people from poor families or even those who have nothing to climb to the top of this city step by step.”

He Yuxia continued, "But the outcome has never been as we imagined... To this day, no ruler has met our expectations, so we have to destroy them and then create a new one."

"Should we choose one that offers the best of both worlds?"

Xu Shi looked at her calmly and said, "Shen He was once a young master from a wealthy family, but after his family fell from grace, he fell from the heights to the depths of despair... Therefore, he can see things more comprehensively and is more likely to guide everyone toward the future you desire."

Destroying "Tianhe" is naturally part of the process; how can the gears be pushed to the next step if he doesn't lose everything?

This is also the best way to create a hero—give him a terrible life, and a little bit of love.

For example, Xia Wuyou probably plays such a role—a once high-and-mighty young lady who falls from grace with her childhood sweetheart, reunites after many years, and while supporting each other through thick and thin, they can also hate evil together.

"...So just to make him grow up according to your ideas, you're going to ruin countless lives?!"

Just as everyone was deep in thought, a near-hysterical roar shattered the silence.

The one who roared was Xia Ke'an.

After Su Lin's attempt to arrest the person failed, Xu Shi instructed her to bring the old lady over, partly to serve as a witness, and partly because she was one of the parties involved back then and had the right and should know about all of this.

Unfortunately, the timing of her appearance was rather delicate—she happened to hear the most bloody truth.

How could she possibly resist?

To be honest, although she seems carefree and unflappable, Xia Ke'an has suffered no less than anyone else over the years... not only physical pain, but also the mental torment of watching her niece suffer while being powerless to help.

Now she's being told that all of this is just the effect of "Heavenly Principle" in creating a "hero" like Shen He. How could she possibly tolerate that?

She lost everything too! A glamorous and wonderful life, a loving family... what did she end up with?

Xia Ke'an wasn't stupid. She knew that if everything proceeded according to that so-called bullshit deduction, she would probably be kept in the dark for the rest of her life, being led around like an idiot. At best, she would just be a mascot elder offering blessings or help to Shen He? Or perhaps she would be attracted by his "personal charm" and then compete with her niece for his affections?

"I'll kill you! Die!"

After a brief mental blank, all that remained in her heart was anger, which erupted with a power completely out of a patient's rage, and she lunged at He Yuxia.

"Calm down."

Xu Shi grabbed her and said, "She's just an insignificant pawn; there's no point in killing her."

"Calm down? What do you expect me to do to calm down?!"

The old woman was so enraged that she wouldn't listen to anything he said, and even swore, "Xu Shi, you fucking let me go, or I'll never forgive you... Waaah..."

Before she could finish speaking, Xu Shi pulled her into a tight embrace.

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