These words made Yang Xiao’s blood boil. He prided himself on not being someone who lusted after rank and titles, but there are some things you simply can’t do if you’re not in the right position. He... he wanted into the Ministry too badly!
After that night, the relationship between Yang Xiao and Zhao Jingde underwent a qualitative leap. Zhao Jingde not only helped him plot out how to ensure a smooth transfer of power within the Han Family, he even took the initiative to send over two whole crates stuffed with blackmail dossiers and dirty secrets on all the major families in Jiangbei Province. You couldn’t ask for more sincerity.
Seeing all this, Yang Xiao knew Zhao Jingde was now completely on the same boat as him, and he himself intended to honor his promise: in future he would make sure that once Zhao Jingde stepped down, he’d land safely, spend the rest of his life in peace and stability.
Vice Commissioner Zhao hadn’t reached his post for nothing. You could call him a walking encyclopedia of Jiangbei Province’s world of martial arts forces; on certain issues his insight was razor-sharp, and he provided Yang Xiao with immense help.
After he went back, Yang Xiao lay on his bed, pondering a question. Zhao Jingde’s meaning was for Yang Xiao to find someone he could absolutely trust to act as his proxy, to take root in the Northern Han Family, stay by the new Family Head’s side, and command everything from afar.
In the future the Han Family would still be nominally independent on the surface, but in reality it would be nothing more than Yang Xiao’s Puppet. The new Family Head would just be a figurehead; all real power over life and death would be clenched in his hands from behind the scenes.
Yang Xiao had plenty of friends, and a few he could entrust with real trust, but right now those friends were either abroad, or had found better prospects. It wouldn’t be right for Yang Xiao to ruin their future for his own sake.
Thinking it over, Sui was the most suitable, but he knew Sui was currently itching for a fight, gearing up to settle old scores in the battle to take the Academy back. He simply had no time to spare for anything else.
Back then, it was Sheng Youjun and the others from Yiling Academy who set up an ambush against Sui’s team, viciously killed Sui’s daughter, and even put out a bounty, wanted across the whole world of martial arts, forcing Sui to flee all the way to Myanmar and Thailand. That blood feud was something he was determined to avenge.
Tong Han was with the Jiu Mountain Family in Japan, Fu Qingzhu was a vice president in the Chamber of Commerce, and Qu Muzhi had already slipped into the General Bureau ahead of him... Think as he might, there really wasn’t a suitable candidate.
To go to the Han Family and control the overall situation in his stead, this person had to meet several criteria.
First, their combat strength couldn’t be too weak; at the very least they had to be a Ghost-level Apostle, otherwise they wouldn’t be able to keep those old codgers in line.
Second, this person couldn’t be too well-known in the world of martial arts, or it would be detrimental to keeping their identity hidden.
Third, they needed a steady temperament, a quick mind, ruthless decisiveness, and the ability to take full responsibility on their own.
Taken individually, these requirements weren’t much, but put together they became extremely demanding. Yang Xiao racked his brains, and suddenly, as if struck by a jolt, a face flashed into his mind.
That one was also a still fairly young guy.
Chen Nang.
The kid was a real talent, strong in battle, and carried an extremely rare Spell-type Magical Artifact. Once he started trading blows, he was almost impossible to guard against; even Apostles one tier stronger than him would find it hard to beat him.
On top of that, his mind was first-rate. If it hadn’t been for scheming too much back then, he wouldn’t have ended up locked away for so many years.
The key point was that he’d been imprisoned for years, and his old sphere of activity wasn’t in Jiangbei to begin with. Very few people here would recognize his face. Sending him into the Han Family as an undercover agent would be just about perfect.
But Yang Xiao still had misgivings. After all, Chen Nang had offended the Sea Sect, a cousin of the Chamber of Commerce’s president, back then. That cousin was a vice president of the Chamber, someone whose status could rival that of Chief Commissioner Gu—a truly big figure. If one day someone recognized him, that would be trouble.
"If only I could change this kid Chen Nang’s face." With that thought, Yang Xiao closed his eyes and slowly drifted into sleep.
The next day, Yang Xiao went to work as if nothing had happened. Everything was the same as usual. After handling his own tasks, he drove out in the afternoon to the experimental base outside the city.
There he met his uncle, Professor Cui.
Although Zhao Jingde had behaved very well, one must never discard caution. Yang Xiao took out part of the blackmail dossier Zhao Jingde had handed him, gave it to Professor Cui, and asked him to check whether there were any problems with those materials.
Professor Cui put on his reading glasses and leaned in close to examine them. After about ten minutes, he took off the glasses. "Based on my experience, there shouldn’t be any issues. But just to be safe, I’ll find an opportunity to have someone look into them. Don’t rush."
"I’ll be counting on you then, Uncle." Yang Xiao still had great trust in Professor Cui.
Aside from concealing his own senior brother’s true identity, he laid out everything else in full.
"Good, well done!" Professor Cui greatly praised Yang Xiao’s magnanimity and boldness. "I think Zhao Jingde is sincere about cooperating with you this time."
"With Hong Anguo pressing down on him from above, his promotion prospects are dead. It’s only natural that he’s now thinking about his exit route."
"He’s still somewhat of a smart man, able to judge the situation and knowing when to retreat. Otherwise, if he misses this opportunity you’re giving him, he won’t even have the chance to get out clean in the future."
"Heh, with that smiling-tiger temper of Hong Anguo’s, he’s bound to send him inside." Professor Cui let out a cold snort.
"Uncle, with me getting this close to Vice Commissioner Zhao, do you think Director Hong and Chief Wu will be displeased?" This was actually what Yang Xiao was more worried about.
"Displeased, sure, but it hardly matters. You’ve just gotten a bit closer to Vice Commissioner Zhao is all; it’s not like you said you’d help Zhao Jingde go up against the two of them. Their interests haven’t been harmed, so what grounds do they have to complain?" Professor Cui had been deeply rooted in the Provincial Bureau for years, and had a very clear read on the personalities and temperaments of those two.