The Last 299 Days of Humanity

Chapter 144 The Essence of Trading

Chang Sheng was furious when he couldn't find his prey.

He slammed his fist on the control panel, causing the holographic projection to shake violently and reflecting his face contorted with rage.

He mobilized a great deal of resources to track down the thousand boxes containing humanoid beauties, fearing that one of them might contain Yu Qing.

Monitoring footage, logistics records, and scanned data from traffic nodes scrolled across the screen like a waterfall, almost exhausting the tracking system's computing power.

Because the boxes left the city at different times and via different routes, it wasted a lot of his resources. The convoy split into more than twenty routes, and some groups even stopped and started, hiding and dodging, requiring manpower and resources to verify every clue.

The final results showed that there were no living organisms in the box. The scan images only showed precisely fixed humanoid parts, without any signs of life, not even a single cockroach.

But the boxes seemed to be converging on Qiongshan from different paths, the place he feared most, the location of his grandfather's former residence.

Chang Sheng stared at the converging arrows on the map, his brow furrowed, as if he could see the mocking gaze of the deceased elder. Chang Sheng then suspected his men had overlooked something. Therefore, he spent considerable time repeatedly checking.

He ordered his men to set the scanning data to the highest precision for secondary analysis of biological traces, and even risked using several high-orbit reconnaissance satellites, just to see every subtle movement of those containers after they arrived in Qiongshan.

The worst part is that those boxes have scattered in all directions again.

At this point, Yu Qing had completely vanished. Like a drop of water merging into the ocean, he left no traceable digital fingerprint or biosignature.

Chang Sheng couldn't find him, so he suspected it was all a ruse, and that he was still hiding in the same spot. A sense of humiliation at being played burned within him.

Following the original path, Chang Sheng's "rat" finally discovered the bunker where Yu Qing had been hiding two days earlier.

The reconnaissance unit, no bigger than a fist and disguised as a damaged pipe, detected a faint energy fluctuation at the bunker's exhaust port after exploring seventeen abandoned pipe nodes.

So two hundred "rats" carrying the toxic protein infiltrated the bunker through the sewage pipes. Silent and stealthy, like a black tide, they communicated with each other using ultrasound, precisely bypassing obstacles and heading straight for their target area.

However, the authorities in the city are investigating the "loach" incident and have also found clues about rats in the sewage pipes—several unusual friction marks and a piece of fiber optic cable that was being dragged abnormally—and they intend to catch them again.

The sheriff's unmanned cat swarm has quietly deployed at key points in the sewers, waiting in ambush.

These specially designed rats are much smarter than loaches. When they find themselves blocked by multi-frequency signal interference and the pipes that allow them to move forward and backward are blocked by suddenly lowered isolation gates, leaving them nowhere to escape, they do not hesitate to initiate a self-destruct program.

The high-energy batteries inside overloaded, triggering a violent explosion that caused a chain reaction of annihilation explosions within the bunker. The warehouse collapsed.

The enormous roar was muffled underground, and when it reached the surface, it became an unsettling, dull tremor, accompanied by noticeable subsidence in parts of the street.

This thoroughly enraged the authorities in the city. This was not only a blatant provocation against the order of the city, but also a serious disruption to the city's infrastructure.

The rats' self-destruction was originally a means of destroying evidence, but it still left some traces for the authorities to trace the source—a fragment that was not completely melted had a unique anti-wear coating, and the etching process of a micro circuit board was extraordinary.

They discovered Shengtian's unique craftsmanship and distinctive material codes through these fragments.

Sheng Tian was suddenly thrust into the eye of the storm. A torrent of criticism followed.

As instructed by Yu Qing, E Ying spread the news that Yu Qing had taken refuge in the bunker some time ago, and through multiple encrypted information channels, she detailed the story of how President Chang Sheng attempted to seize Shengtian and secretly harm Chairman Yu Qing, which caused a worldwide uproar.

The story is rich in detail, with a clear timeline that fits perfectly with the bunker explosion, making it incredibly compelling.

This made Chang Sheng restless. He paced back and forth in his office, the constant stream of negative news on the holographic news panel whipping at his nerves like a lash. He felt as if he were sitting on the edge of a volcano about to erupt.

What Chang Sheng found even more difficult to deal with were the representatives of the Asia Metropolitan Government.

The stern-faced, high-ranking sheriff-in-chief-clad Hawkeye and her technical team arrived directly at his top-floor office, demanding an unquestionable explanation within 48 hours, along with all relevant production and scheduling records of the "rat" units. The pressure instantly reached its peak.

This is the perfect opportunity to defeat Chang Sheng. Victory is within reach; with just a little more effort, this formidable opponent can be completely overthrown.

But Yu Qing suddenly calmed down, pondering a question: what to do after driving Chang Sheng away, and what consequences it would cause? His fingers unconsciously tapped the table, his gaze passing over the victory before him and turning towards a more distant and complex future.

He concluded that this might hasten his death. This conclusion was like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing his urge for revenge and bringing him completely back to his senses.

Chang Sheng is not a person, but a large, intertwined tree. The roots of this tree have long penetrated into every corner of Sheng Tian, ​​drawing nutrients and supporting the entire system.

Although he had stirred up some internal conflicts, they would still band together in a life-or-death situation because they had formed a group bound by shared interests. The reality that they would all suffer together or prosper together made them exceptionally united in the face of external threats.

None of them were clean, so everyone was afraid of actually sitting above them. Each of them harbored secrets they didn't want to see the light of day. Everyone knew that after Chang Sheng was dealt with, he might be next. Fear was the best glue, temporarily binding together people with their own ulterior motives.

The key point is that the newly appointed person doesn't have to bear the same pressure that Chang Sheng is currently under, quickly becoming the next Chang Sheng. History and themselves have no personal grudges; it's driven by self-interest. The next person will also decide their actions based on what's most advantageous to them. The nature of power doesn't change; only the people wielding it change.

Another most likely consequence is that when Chang Sheng falls, Sheng Tian will suddenly lack a core entity built up over a long period of time. The entire company will immediately disintegrate, just like in the modern world, and be easily defeated by Sheng Di's people. Without Chang Sheng as its main axis, the massive machine will instantly fall apart and be devoured by its watchful competitors.

If that were the case, what was the point of him keeping this mess? What would happen to all those Shengtian employees? Imagining thousands, even tens of thousands, of people instantly losing their jobs, he felt a heavy responsibility. It would be better to immediately sign the documents and give the company away to Chang Sheng and his team free of charge. This extreme thought, however, made him see the true pros and cons.

If possible, turning enemies into friends is the best strategy. The highest form of strategy is not to eliminate the opponent, but to turn their power into one's own. He must admit that he contributed nothing to Sheng Tian's cause, and possessing it is legitimate but unreasonable. This inherited property is more like a heavy debt than an asset to him.

So he had his assistant issue a notice to all employees of Shengtian, stating that his relationship with Chang Sheng was quite harmonious, and that the rumors circulating outside that the president of Shengtian intended to harm the chairman were pure fabrication, a ploy by malicious individuals to bring down Shengtian. The notice was written in a calm and assertive tone, as if the previous bloodshed had never occurred.

This effectively saved Chang Sheng from a predicament. However, Chang Sheng felt no gratitude; he merely halted further action. He even concluded that Yu Qing was too soft-hearted and incapable of great things. In Chang Sheng's worldview, the victor was never merciful.

However, Yu Qing then had his assistant send him a strongly worded letter, denouncing his various misdeeds towards him over the past period of time.

The letter detailed Chang Sheng's every action, turning what he thought was a clandestine conspiracy into a transparent blunder. This sent a chill down Chang Sheng's spine, making him suspect that Yu Qing had countless informants around him.

Yu Qing also sent recent photos of his son, daughter, grandson, and three surviving relatives.

Each photo captures a casual moment from their daily lives not long ago, suggesting that they are all under control and ready to take action at any time.

These photos were all purchased by Yu Qing from the public at a high price through E Ying. Yu Qing explicitly told Chang Sheng that if anything happened to him, the people in the photos would disappear from this world forever within 24 hours.

This is not an emotional threat, but a calm statement, which is all the more chilling.

This warning startled Chang Sheng.

This means that now he not only cannot harm Yu Qing, but he must also do everything in his power to prevent Yu Qing from getting into trouble. Protecting his greatest adversary has become his most important task. The irony of fate could not be more profound.

Chang Sheng admitted that based on their previous encounters, he might not be able to defeat Yu Qing. This young man possessed a shrewdness and patience beyond his years.

In the next part of the letter, Yu Qing stated that, based on Sheng Tian's current interests, he would not investigate any of his past actions. All old grievances would be wiped clean, but from then on, Sheng Tian must diligently perform his duties. Such magnanimous forgiveness is often more powerful than assigning blame.

Yu Qing told him that his ambitions did not lie in Shengtian. As long as he could stay true to his duties, he would continue to serve as the president of Shengtian and would not interfere in any of Shengtian's specific affairs.

However, he must hand over 2000 billion RB in profits to himself every year, with the remainder as a reward for his free use. This is a condition he cannot refuse; it is both a shackle and a reward.

This condition stunned Chang Sheng. Although handing over 2000 billion RB in profits was not a small amount, he could legally obtain approximately 500-700 billion RB in benefits. Wealth acquired in the sunlight was far more reassuring than wealth seized in the dark.

If he could get rid of those corrupt guys in the current team, he could legally monopolize more profits. He admitted that this was the most advantageous option for him. Cleansing out the company would not only purify the organization but also increase his own share, so why not?

However, the information transmission link that Yu Qing is currently using is one-way, which means that Yu Qing can send letters to Chang Sheng, but Chang Sheng cannot send letters to Yu Qing.

Now he desperately wanted to express his remorse and loyalty to Yu Qing, but he didn't know how to get it to Yu Qing. This one-way communication was like a carefully designed power ritual, emphasizing who was the real leader.

Finally, he chose to issue a notice to all employees as a response to Yu Qing's previous notice. This was the only way that Yu Qing could "hear" it.

In his announcement, he refuted the rumors that he wanted to harm the chairman and vowed that if anything happened to the chairman, he would immediately resign as president and use half of his personal wealth to apologize to all employees, thus deeply binding his future and fate to Yu Qing's safety.

This public oath is both an explanation to the employees and a pledge of allegiance to Yuqing.

In the next announcement, Yu Qing also praised Chang Sheng highly, saying that he was the best leader that Shengtian could not replace. As long as he was still the chairman of Shengtian, he would not allow anyone to question Chang Sheng's ability and loyalty.

In a coordinated effort, a crisis vanished, and the power structure became stable again.

After Yu Qing finished reciting his announcement, he sighed, "The greatest knowledge in the world is how to turn the most sordid transactions into heartfelt vows."

His words carried a weary detachment from everything, tinged with a touch of cynical wisdom. The game of power never cares about the truth, only how to package it and steer it in the direction they desire.

He didn't know how long such confident words could remain true. Human words are far less reliable than those of a humanoid creature.

He remained secluded in this unit for two more days, during which time Chang Sheng extended an even stronger olive branch. He publicly stated that he was representing the employees of Quanshengtian in welcoming the chairman to the headquarters to address the management team.

Indeed, it would be unreasonable to remain silent at this point, and it was also necessary to solidify his position.

Moreover, all the young men and women in the company wanted to meet this legendary handsome man. Some girls were already thinking about how to dress themselves.

Original humans have a natural advantage: these new humans, whether they are now burly or have bull-like features, can accept their original appearance and structure. However, different types of new humans often keep their distance from each other.

You can't imagine a winged man, a werewolf, and a turtle walking side by side. One loves the sky, one loves the earth, and one plays in the water; they rarely cross paths.

Shengtian Company has different types of employees in different city-states, and they are basically not together.

Now that people are hearing that the chairman is going to make an appearance, many employees in the city are strongly urging him to visit every branch office.

Two modern girls with skin as smooth as mutton fat jade were chatting together, claiming that they would never mind the chairman's oily skin full of pores.

They said excitedly, "What does it matter if a man is a little rough? As long as he's willing, he can just treat me like a washcloth."

(End of this chapter)