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

I guess I'll just have to suffer myself.

"Good morning, Chairman Xu."

Tang Shuang didn't seem to have rested well; her slightly haggard face was adorned with faint dark circles under her eyes.

However, upon seeing him, she perked up and warmly invited him into her office, saying, "I hope I haven't bothered you by coming all this way?"

"How could that be? I'd be happy to serve Governor Tang."

The sarcastic tone in her voice didn't escape Xu Shi's notice, but he didn't care much and laughed it off.

At the same time, he noticed another unusual thing about the other person, "By the way, why are you still wearing the Inspection Bureau uniform? I heard from Yu Xingchuan that the handover and appointment of the new governor has been completed?"

"Let's talk about business."

Tang Shuang ignored the question and instead handed him a proposal. "Here, I've been working on this for the past few days. Take a look and see if there's anything that needs improvement?"

Xu Shi didn't stand on ceremony and took the proposal to read it carefully.

To be honest, this scene is actually quite funny—theoretically speaking, the governor is the highest authority in Night City, and even with major conglomerates watching him from behind, it's rare to see someone like Tang Shuang, acting like a primary school student handing over their homework to Teacher Xu for correction...

But neither Xu Shi nor Tang Shuang seemed to think there was anything wrong with it, and their back-and-forth movements were very natural, as if they understood each other without saying a word.

Do you even understand the true value of the Supreme Emperor of Night City? (Hands on hips)

"It's alright, pretty much the same as what was discussed at the meeting a few days ago."

After a short while, Xu Shi put down what he was holding. "But that's not enough. You've just taken office, and you need to make a few moves to establish your authority. You can't be too lenient."

"What about it?"

Tang Shuang moved closer to him and said humbly.

“For example, the public announcement of the handling of this riot was clearly a case of starting strong but ending weakly.”

Xu Shi pointed to the plan, "The discontent among the city's residents towards the 'Forgotten Ones' has always existed, especially since they were the masterminds of the riot. The methods used to deal with them must be even more severe; otherwise, putting everything else aside, whether you can even gain the support of the people is a question."

That's true. Even though everyone knows this, the conglomerates play the role of behind-the-scenes manipulators, while the city hall is the one that appears in front of the public. This balance still needs to be carefully managed.

"For example, those leaders, Zhao Yuan, Shen He, and so on, even if they are already dead, we still have to bring them out and whip their corpses again... Including Shen Qin, that is, Nan Qian, you can borrow her for now."

He laid out the points for Tang Shuang one by one, "Based on this, it would be best to bring Yue Chizheng out for a public trial as well. After all, the charge you leveled against him was colluding with the 'Forgotten Ones,' which would not only give everyone an explanation but also further enhance your image."

This is the solution. He's not worried about how to implement it. Qi Maoyang is keeping an eye on public opinion, and he can't afford to make a mistake after doing this for so long.

Tang Shuang herself was no pushover; she understood things immediately and didn't need him to chew the food and feed her bite by bite.

"Well, you're right."

Governor Tang remained noncommittal, but she also had questions: "That Shen He... is dead? Don't I remember you and I were captured alive? And Shen Qin, what do you mean by 'borrow'?"

"He's dead. I killed him with my own hands a couple of days ago."

Xu Shi spread his hands, "As for Shen Qin, she is indeed being lent to you because she is still useful to me. Even if she is to be executed, I cannot let her really die."

"You did it yourself... Why didn't you say that when I contacted you yesterday?"

Tang Shuang hesitated, then suddenly became somewhat angry, "Who gave you permission to use vigilante justice?"

"You didn't even ask."

Xu Shi retaliated with a resounding thud, "Besides, it's a personal grudge between him and me. He's done a lot of things related to 'Snake Ring,' and we were the ones who arrested him. So, how we deal with him is my decision."

"You."

Governor Tang said helplessly, adopting the posture of an elder sister who couldn't handle her unruly younger brother, "Please, Chairman Xu, don't be so presumptuous, okay?"

"The fact that I didn't skin him already shows that I'm a kind-hearted person."

Xu Shi wasn't buying it and smiled back at her.

"...This is a one-time exception, and there will be no next time."

Tang Shuang sighed, not knowing how many times she had said "this is the last time"... "What about 'Dragon City' and Song Chen's faction? From what you're saying, my handling of things wasn't quite right either?"

"A little bit."

Xu Shi nodded slightly. "It's still a matter of controlling the intensity. Of course, 'Dragon City' should also be criticized, but it should be done gently and decisively. All the blame should be placed on their family. This way, the ordinary people of Sin City won't have any doubts about Night City's entry, and it will be easier for them to accept it."

"As for Song Chen, not only should he be rewarded, but he should be greatly rewarded, because you don't know how many people are still unwilling to give up in the dark. They need to know that going against him is a dead end, and surrendering is the best choice."

"But you also said that the factional divisions among the 'Forgotten' won't end just because Zhao Yuan and Shen Qin stepped down."

Tang Shuang still had some doubts, "Isn't praising Song Chen too much indirectly exacerbating the conflict between them?"

"Not necessarily."

Xu Shi waved his hand, “The situation of the ‘Forgotten Ones’ was already precarious, and it’s become even more difficult after this riot. Most of them just want a peaceful life. Giving them a better environment will help them get on Song Chen’s side more quickly.”

"As for the small number of fanatics, we'll nip them in the bud as soon as they emerge, using swift and decisive measures."

"...You have indeed considered things more thoroughly than I have."

Hearing him say that, Tang Shuang felt much better. "Thank you."

Having just taken up this position, it's inevitable to be blinded by one's own perspective. Trying to take care of and balance all aspects is no easy task.

In this situation, having someone to help her figure everything out would really make things much easier for her.

"This is just a suggestion, Your Excellency, you flatter me."

Xu Shi smiled and put on a humble expression, "You'll have to figure out the specifics yourself. Good luck!"

"I don't know who's giving me such a headache."

Tang Shuang rolled her eyes at him. "If we're really talking about it, isn't the one next to me the most troublesome?"

"Don't wrong an innocent person, sister."

Xu Shi quickly protested, "Am I not a victim? You know what I've been going through lately... If they treat me like this when I'm constantly putting them down, what would happen if I just accepted it all? Wouldn't they rebel?"

"Stop it."

Governor Tang snorted, "Don't think I don't know that this riot has been under your control from beginning to end."

"I don't understand what you're saying."

Xu Shi glanced elsewhere and began to feign ignorance.

"Then I'll just pretend I'm talking to myself."

Tang Shuang said leisurely, "And it's not just this riot; you've been using me quite a bit long ago, haven't you?"

"You clearly knew about the attacks on your 'Snake Ring' factory in District 13 and at the chip launch event from the very beginning, yet you still let them escalate the situation. That's because you were fearless and had everything planned from the start. The Inspection Bureau was nothing more than a pawn in your game... In your business terms, this should be called maximizing profits?"

"And if I'm not mistaken, the theft of the 'Shark Tooth' chip was also something you arranged?"

After saying all this, she looked at Xu Shi quietly, as if waiting for his reply.

"...That happened a long time ago, there's no point in bringing it up now, is there?"

Xu Shi's words were not a denial; inwardly, he sighed, "So you finally figured it out..."

However, this was something he had expected. As he said before, Tang Shuang wasn't stupid. It was one thing if she didn't notice it for a moment, but it would be a problem if she never noticed it in her entire life.

"Including the fact that you were the one who put me in the position of governor... Did you talk to Hoshikawa first? So my position as the head of the inspection bureau was vacated for her?"

Tang Shuang's attitude didn't seem like she wanted to bring up the past; it was more like she was sighing, "I knew she was working so hard. Don't I know that girl well?"

Xu Shi smiled without saying a word. Everything had already been settled, and he didn't care if the other party exposed him.

"Answer me a question."

As they were talking, Tang Shuang suddenly leaned closer, staring straight into his eyes, and asked, "What will you do with me if I refuse the position of governor?"

"...I'll find a way to completely oust you from the city hall, leaving you with no other choice but to join the 'Snake Ring'."

Xu Shi thought for a moment and said seriously, "Since we've come this far, lying to make it sound nice isn't his style. As for the position of governor, I might just put a puppet in it, or maybe I'll personally take charge and indulge in my official duties?"

Moreover, he could tell that the other party already had an answer in mind.

"Sure enough, it's pretty much what I expected."

Tang Shuang's expression wasn't surprised, but her emotions were visibly low; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say she was a little disappointed...

What you think yourself and what you hear him say are two different things; sometimes the truth is the quickest way to tell the truth.

Seeing this, Xu Shi did not offer any comfort or anything, but quietly waited for her reaction.

"...It's so stuffy in the room, is the air conditioner broken?"

After a long silence, Governor Tang gently tugged at his collar. "Come outside with me for some fresh air, okay?"

My tooth still hurts. It would be irresponsible of me to post more in this state. Everyone should pay attention to this; early prevention can really save a lot of pain…

The extra chapters for the alliance leader, as well as the chapters owed from before, will be made up gradually. Don't worry, they're definitely coming.

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 183 Guards! The Governor is abusing his power and harassing an innocent young man!

Even in early summer, the weather outside is just as hot and humid, not much better.

But getting some fresh air is always more comfortable; at least the slightly tense atmosphere weakened considerably as the space expanded.

In the garden behind the city hall, Tang Shuang walked silently, keeping parallel to Xu Shi, her head down, lost in thought.

She remained silent for a while, as he was not one to feel awkward. He didn't even pay much attention to Tang Shuang herself, but instead gazed at the garden before him with a sense of melancholy.

It doesn't feel as refined as a quill pen...

However, this was to be expected. If the city hall were built to be more extravagant than those of the conglomerates, then Night City would truly be turned upside down.

Just then, Tang Shuang suddenly sighed deeply as if she had made up her mind, looked up at him, and said earnestly, "...Thank you, Xu Shi."

"Ok?"

Her voice was barely audible, and Xu Shi didn't hear it clearly for a moment.

"I said, thank you, Xu Shi."

Tang Shuang repeated herself, her eyes filled with sincerity.

Then she gave a self-deprecating laugh, "Don't you think I'm ungrateful? I owe you such a huge favor, but I haven't shown any appreciation at all. I almost got into an argument with you just now..."