Shen Zhaozhao's fingertips landed on the cool, smooth tabletop, making a very light yet perfectly rhythmic "tap, tap" sound.
This is a habit she developed over many years of navigating the ups and downs of the business world.
Within the rhythm of absolute rules, her mind, which always tries to precisely capture the optimal solution from thousands of data and possibilities, can barely calm down, stripping away all the chaotic clues and emotions, leaving only the coldest chain of logic.
Rationality, calculation, and equivalent exchange—these are the cornerstones of her world, the only weapons she trusts and that will never betray her.
The system's claim of being "favored by big shots" sounded romantic, but it was actually unrealistic and made her instinctively wary.
With her almond-shaped eyes lowered, the oppressive aura of being able to decide life and death unintentionally, cultivated from her long-standing position of power, naturally flowed out, completely crushing the insignificant ripples caused by the temporal and spatial dislocation.
She twitched the corners of her mouth and let out a very soft, undisguised, cold sneer.
"preference?"
"You even gave me this 'mysterious tycoon falls in love with me' trope?"
Shen Zhaozhao slightly raised her chin: "Get this straight, here, I'm the boss."
[...]
The system glanced at the CEO's office, which could almost be described as "piled up with gold and jade," and then considered the exorbitant land prices. Facts speak louder than words, sob sob.
Shen Zhaozhao leaned forward slightly, her gaze sharp as a knife, as if it could pierce through nothingness and strike the trembling ball of light in her sea of consciousness: "Tell me bluntly, what exactly does your so-called master want from me after going to such lengths?"
"If, as you say, Yun Wan'er is a chosen one favored by Heaven, then what is your powerful figure's motive for investing so much in a mere remnant soul from another world?"
Her tone rose, carrying an almost sarcastic probing and mockery: "What? Is he burning money, or... does he want to challenge the Heavenly Dao above him?"
Deep within his consciousness, the system's electronic light cluster flickered violently, blurting out without hesitation: [Holy crap, host, how did you know?!]
The moment the words left his mouth, the system froze, and the entire orb of light dimmed to the point of almost extinguishing: 【…Uh, well, I mean…】
Shen Zhaozhao's fingertips, which were tapping the table, suddenly stopped, and her eyebrow twitched involuntarily.
no?
She was just habitually trying to bluff in the direction of the most exaggerated and conflict-ridden business conspiracy theories, and she actually guessed right?
What is all this about?
Is there internal strife within the Heavenly Order?
Are the big shots using her as a pawn in their fight?
Thinking of this, Shen Zhaozhao pressed her throbbing temples, feeling even more exhausted than when she had acquired three long-established companies controlled by stubborn factions.
She'd rather go back and act out scenes with Xie Linyuan, that lunatic scriptwriter; at least his emotions are straightforward and easy to understand.
Letting out a long breath, Shen Zhaozhao spoke with a carefree attitude, as if saying, "Since we've already laid our cards on the table, let's just be frank." She said, "Alright, we've already revealed all our cards. It would be ridiculous to keep hiding anything."
"Stop hiding things from me. Tell me everything you know, the cause and effect. Maybe I can even give you some advice."
"After all, just like you said, we're now bound together, sharing both prosperity and adversity."
The system flickered pitifully a few times in her mind, as if making a last-ditch effort.
It tilted its non-existent "head" and thought for a moment, feeling that what Shen Zhaozhao said seemed to make sense—anyway, the biggest bomb had already exploded, so there seemed to be no point in hiding those minor details.
Besides... Xie Linyuan, that lunatic, subconsciously just didn't want Shen Zhaozhao to know his true identity, afraid of being disliked for being too old... He didn't say that he couldn't reveal that he was at odds with the Heavenly Dao... right?
Okay, fine...
The system seemed to have finally made up its mind, its voice carrying a tragic, resolute tone, "[Actually, the thing is like this...]"
It began to stammeringly narrate, trying to omit specific information about Xie Linyuan's identity, only mentioning the title "Immortal Venerable Mo Yuan".
[...The Heavenly Dao felt that the Immortal Venerable's high position and power threatened its absolute authority, so it secretly planned to cultivate a new proxy, namely Yun Wan'er, to... uh, to replace her when the time was right.]
[The Immortal Venerable, of course, was not one to sit idly by and wait for death. He had deduced that the best solution was to extract the Heavenly Dao, this worldly will, and banish it to a different world with completely different rules, allowing it to slumber forever.]
The system's voice grew fainter and fainter, "[What happens next...you...you can probably guess a little bit...]"
Shen Zhaozhao listened quietly, her brow gradually relaxing.
I see.
So it wasn't some inexplicable "favoritism" at all, but rather a power struggle.
The reason that Immortal Venerable Mo Yuan chose her was by no means because of any laughable favoritism, but because he valued her identity as a "remnant soul from another world" and her potential adaptability to the laws of the two worlds.
All the "opportunities" and the so-called "morality value system" are nothing more than packaged chips, a carefully designed transaction.
She needs to grow rapidly and possess sufficient power, while Immortal Venerable Mo Yuan needs a pawn who can be embedded in the rules of another world and perhaps assist him in completing his "exile" plan at a crucial moment.
Thinking of this, Shen Zhaozhao felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from her heart.
That makes sense.
She never believed in any kind of unconditional favoritism in the world; all gifts of fate come with a price tag in the shadows.
She is more accustomed to this kind of naked exchange of interests. The clear purpose makes her feel safe, and everything is within her understanding and control.
They invest heavily because it is profitable.
That's fair.
She breathed a sigh of relief, leaned back slightly, regained her composed demeanor, and concluded: "So, your Immortal Venerable Mo Yuan wants to use these opportunities to make a deal with me, so that I can help him in another world... control or restrain the Heavenly Dao?"
This deduction perfectly aligned with her cognitive logic, making her feel that everything was finally back on track.
However, the system's next words caused her to suddenly lift the stone she had just placed down.
【Huh? No?】
The system's electronic voice was filled with confusion: "[Heaven favors Yun Wan'er because it wants her to challenge my Immortal Venerable in the future, but my Immortal Venerable has absolutely no intention of letting you interfere.]"
He thinks he can handle things on his own, and his attitude towards you is... well...
The system seemed to be painstakingly searching for suitable words in its meager vocabulary, and finally, it produced a groundbreaking phrase: 【Just pure love!】
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