In this cyberpunk era, why are you still playing the traditional villain?

That's true. Who knew He Yuxia would cause such a huge mess? Luckily nothing bad happened, so everything is fine. Otherwise, it would indeed be a big problem.

Since that's the case, he naturally couldn't stop her. Anyway, He Yuxia wasn't confined to her home, which he thought was actually a good thing—he didn't expect the He family to change their minds and treat her any differently, but at least they were paying attention to her and treating her well, which wasn't bad at all.

"To be honest, both Yuxia and Xiao Guyi are good kids in my eyes."

Speaking of this, Grandpa Wen was also quite emotional, "The main thing is, young man, you know? They all actually look a bit like your mother."

"is it?"

Xu Shi raised an eyebrow; he really didn't know much about it.

But thinking about it, it's strange, aren't these two completely different personality templates? Grandpa, why do you make my mom sound like she has a split personality?

"Want to hear it? If you do, I'll tell you."

When this topic came up, Wen Shengkui opened up and spoke to them gently about Xu Shi's mother, Wen Rujin.

This was the first time Xu Shi had gained a detailed understanding of his mother—how to put it? Listening to the old man's description, he also discovered that his mother was a very interesting person.

As the eldest daughter of the "Feather Pen" family, Wen Rujin naturally received a scholarly education from a young age, and her grandfather had always groomed her to be the future successor of the "Feather Pen" family.

Wen Rujin did not disappoint her family's expectations. At a young age, she was proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and was also quite skilled in social interactions. Her position was quite similar to that of Xia Ke'an in the past. In fact, the two were indeed compared back then, and in the eyes of outsiders, they were two very dazzling beauties.

However, compared to the white-haired loli, Wen Rujin is probably even more lively. She has a more quirky and mischievous side in her dealings with people and has a lot of past experiences of outsmarting her opponents, which still makes people laugh when they talk about them now.

Xu Shi understood immediately. No wonder Aunt Xia Ke'an always mentioned her mother; it was probably due to her competitive nature from her younger years.

As for the point that "He Yuxia and Gu Yi are very similar to Wen Rujin", it is easy to explain. The two of them are each half of their mother's personality. One is as still as a virgin, and the other is as lively as a rabbit.

"Even you, kid, are actually quite similar to Ah Jin, but more so in terms of being perceptive and observant?"

Wen Shengkui added, "Ah Jin was also an S-level 'Ascensionist' back in the day, capable of reading other people's inner thoughts on a large scale... You're just like her in that respect."

"It's a good thing to resemble one's mother in some way."

Xu Shi smiled upon hearing this. No wonder he always felt so natural in this area. Was it hereditary?

However, the abilities of an "Ascended One" shouldn't be inheritable, right? Of course, this doesn't seem to be a superpower. He knows very well that his ability to accurately understand the other person's psychological activities is not entirely due to "Entropy Increase of Evil Thoughts".

But then again, my mom's personality sounds quite complex, so how did she end up with my dad?

Thinking of his father Xu Cheng's typical taciturn and reserved personality, Xu Shi couldn't help but chuckle.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 155 So you even have a child?!

After leaving the "quill pen" shop, Xu was in a great mood on his way home.

"I've never seen you so happy before."

Sitting to the side, Gu Yi joked, "I feel like you're about to jump up, you rascal."

"Is there? Maybe."

Xu Shi didn't deny it, "But being able to hear some things about my mom, and also learning that she's a very capable person, is definitely something to be happy about, isn't it?"

Anyway, he knew nothing about it before... mainly because he had no way of finding out. He probably only had a vague memory from when he was a baby. After his mother passed away, his father always kept quiet about her. The strange estrangement between father and son may have been partly due to this.

As for Su Lin? If you ask her, she'll definitely tell you everything, but unfortunately, she knows very little about it. Well, there's nothing we can do about that; it's never easy to make up a story about these things…

That's why Xu Shi was so excited when he heard his grandfather talk about these things. He even felt that a certain emptiness in his heart was being gradually filled.

Actually, he was still quite engrossed in the conversation. If he didn't have some other things to arrange, he might have stayed at "Feather Pen" and had another long talk with the old man.

"That's right."

Miss Black Rabbit nodded. "From what the old man said, Auntie is indeed a very interesting and perfect person."

"At least I'll have something to think about in the future, right?"

Xu Shi leaned back. "Before, I could only see her photos. I couldn't really imagine what she looked like. How can you fill in the blanks if you don't know them, right?"

"And my dad... I kind of miss him."

As he spoke, he became somewhat melancholy.

Despite the estrangement, it's true that the two met three times and argued twice while the old man was alive. But it's undeniable that Xu Cheng treated him well, and there was no strange complex of blaming the child because of his wife's death. At least, what was lacking was only spiritual communication, while he was always there for his child's material needs.

Hearing this, Su Lin, who was in the front row, also felt a strange sense of emotion.

The truth is that the master treated her and the young master similarly; there was no beating or scolding. In fact, because of the strained relationship with the young master, he confided in her more often, so she understood this deeply.

In a sense, the master is really a good person, but he's just not good at expressing himself to the young master?

Thinking of how the old man used to sigh when he mentioned Xu Shi, and the instructions he gave her in his last few years, she smiled helplessly.

"You know what? Some people describe parents as magical wish-granting machines."

Xu Shi closed his eyes and whispered, "But they are the kind of clumsy wish-granting machines. Their abilities may not be very strong, and they are by no means omnipotent. But they will still try their best to find loopholes and take detours, just to fulfill your wishes as perfectly as possible."

Parents from past lives, and parents from this life... It's a pity we can't see them anymore. Some things we only learn to cherish after we lose them.

"Oh."

Gu Yi wholeheartedly agreed, especially since her feelings about it were perhaps even deeper.

After all, Xu's parents were at least big shots, but her mother was just an ordinary person in Sin City. However, she still raised her by herself... Speaking of which, she and Xu Shi were the opposite. She never knew who her father was. When she asked her mother, her mother would say that he was a heartless bastard.

Looking back now, Miss Black Rabbit only feels that her mother is a superhero.

"Okay, okay, why are you acting so unlike yourself when you're just trying to hear a story?"

However, she only commemorated it a little in her heart. Xu, that rascal, needed comforting more, so she thought for a moment, then leaned over, took Xu Shi's hand, and said, "Didn't Grandpa say I look like Auntie? Come here, come here, Mommy loves you... um..."

Before she could finish speaking, she met Xu Shi's strange gaze and realized that what she had said might have been inappropriate.

"So, you can play video games with your grandpa, but at least learn something else, right?"

Xu Shi rolled his eyes at her. It was quite remarkable that Miss Black Rabbit hadn't improved her emotional intelligence at all during such a good opportunity for cultivation... Her attempts to comfort him were ineffective and sounded more like she was trying to take advantage of him.

However, given that her intentions were good, he didn't say much, but simply flicked her forehead lightly.

"Ouch, that hurts!"

"If you talk nonsense again next time, you'll be in for a world of hurt."

Xu Shi refused to spoil her and raised his hand expressionlessly.

"There won't be a next time. Go ahead and be sad yourself. Nobody will comfort you."

Gu Yi shrank back and complained in the most timid tone.

"Haha, alright, alright."

Xu Shi smiled and said, "I know you didn't mean that... Let's talk about something serious. You'll probably be busy for a while, so cheer up!"

"How to say it specifically?"

Miss Black Rabbit nodded with a pout, but didn't object.

Although she didn't care much about what was happening outside, she knew that Xu Shi had some messes to clean up recently.

She reiterated her previous statement: "Just do whatever you're asked to do."

"Afterwards, I will contact the inspection bureau and work with them to build a security system."

Xu Shi explained in detail, "This matter definitely requires you, as the person in charge of 'Snake Ring,' to step in. Use your expertise to help me keep a close eye on a few key areas that need to be guarded against."

"...Would the inspection bureau agree?"

Before Gu Yi could say anything, Su Lin asked first.

On the surface, it didn't seem like a problem, but upon closer inspection, she realized that this matter had a significant impact... mainly because as a result, the "Snake Ring" could monitor a wider area using network methods, and it was possible that it would even extend to the entire City of Night Sin.

Xu Shi spoke lightly, but in reality, this was a further step in encroaching upon their territory. To be honest, it wouldn't matter much to the city hall and the inspection bureau, since they wouldn't dare to disagree. However, other conglomerates might not be so lenient.

In the past, everyone kept to their own ways when it came to online methods, and didn't interfere with each other. If the young master really does this, won't others think he's overstepping his bounds? It's something that needs to be taken into consideration.

"That depends on whether Director Tang can withstand the pressure."

Xu Shi wasn't worried about this. Regardless of his current relationship with Tang Shuang, she probably wanted to advance further in the current situation. Now that she had this offer, he wasn't afraid she wouldn't accept it.

Furthermore, through subtle manipulation, "Snake Ring" is currently the dominant force that overshadows everyone else. Even if the remaining conglomerates become aware of this, the opposition may not be very strong.

Or rather, whether they object or not, he's going to do this anyway—ambition without action isn't enough; he can't just do nothing because he'll encounter resistance, can he? Sorry, that's not Chairman Xu's style.

Su Lin remained noncommittal, but she vaguely sensed that the young master was even more confident than she had imagined. "When did you become so close to that person from the Investigation Bureau..."

As for concerns, she didn't have many—the fact is, as someone who had always been by Xu Shi's side, she probably knew best what the young master was thinking.

Lin Wenhua and Shen Qin are causing trouble, including the missing Shen He... even Long Tianding is probably not his main concern.

Xu Shi's true purpose was to use these events to thoroughly clean up the City of Night Sin; the other events were merely triggers.

In fact, he was the one behind the scenes driving many things, using this to integrate and resolve these restless factors... Su Lin could even imagine that once these obstacles were removed, the future "Snake Ring" would definitely become an existence on par with "Refraction" and "Heavenly River" back then. There are already some signs of that, aren't there?

Thinking this way, she felt only relief—her child had not only grown up, but was even getting bigger and bigger.

Gu Yi didn't consider as many things as she did; she focused on a different perspective.

"Me and the Bureau of Investigation...you mean the one from that party?"

Stop it!

The fact is that even now, Miss Black Rabbit still has a strange fear of the Inspection Bureau, even when it's protecting her.

This is what it means to have a guilty conscience.

I have heard of some industry veterans who have been recruited by the city hall... but the problem is that she doesn't seem to have gone through this process.

So the thought of working alongside the corrupt officials from the inspection bureau was still a bit overwhelming for her.

But then I thought, I haven't revealed anything yet, so there shouldn't be any problems...

"Mmm, you can do it, Gu Xiaoyi, stand up straight!"

I gave myself a silent pep talk, and just then the car came to a stop.

"Um, when we get back, do you want to...?"

Having calmed down, Miss Black Rabbit breathed a long sigh of relief and hugged Xu Shi's arm, whispering something.

To be honest, playing games with the old man was really fun, but there are some things that games can't replace. Of course, I've been thinking about him a lot since I haven't seen him for so long.