Survival Game: Call Me an Honest Businessman

Li Zhi: "After you go back today, ask for leave, then take a team and lie in ambush at the location I mentioned. Remember, don't let anyone know about this, and don't come to 'me' to ask about it again."

Feathered Spirit Guard: "Yes!"

Li Zhi: "Where is Xiao?"

"The Guardians of Xiao should be working at the Earl's residence."

Li Zhi spread his wings and flew away.

They didn't land until they arrived at Yi's residence.

The guards all bowed their heads in salute.

Li Zhi: "I'm looking for Xiao."

The guard at the door said, "Your Highness, Lord Xiao is in her study. Would you like me to escort you there?"

Li Zhi's expression was cold and arrogant: "Lead the way."

"Yes."

Li Zhi walked while pondering.

Xiao was Yi's confidant.

Last time, when Yi forced her to reveal how the exchange operated, Xiao stood beside Yi and filmed the process, demonstrating her meticulousness.

Li Zhi was deeply impressed by her.

It's hard to get information out of this kind of person.

Going in circles doesn't suit Ao's personality.

Going straight to the point could very well alert the enemy.

The only way is to win them over.

The aunt and nephew, Ao and Yi, seem to be working closely together, but in reality, there are undercurrents of tension.

More than once, Li Zhi saw in Ao's eyes her dissatisfaction with Yi, and Yi felt the same way.

But this is only human nature.

Emperor Yu Ling is in poor health, and his princes have long been vying for the right to inherit the throne.

Ao has the best chance of winning in terms of both status and strength, so his personality is naturally proud and arrogant.

Such a person, who even dared to make a throne out of clouds and place it at home for his mother, how could he possibly be truly respectful to his aunt?

It's just that we have similar interests now, so we're maintaining peace for the time being.

The same goes for Yi.

When she was young, she was willing to use any means to ruin Luo Hong's career path, showing that her domineering nature was no less than Ao's.

But she was able to act so arrogantly back then because she was the only sister of the Feather Spirit Emperor.

Once Ao rises to power, her status as merely an aunt will inevitably decline sharply.

Therefore, judging from the outcome, Yi probably wouldn't want Yu Linghuang to abdicate.

However, judging from his actions, Yi's choice to cooperate with Ao was also a way for him to maintain his original life and status after Yu Linghuang abdicated.

Both of them were fully aware of this.

Neither of them trusted the other.

This can be seen from the fact that when Li Zhi was arrested, Yi, Ao, and Xu were all present and questioned together.

At such an important occasion as the trade fair, which was jointly organized by Yi and Ao, normally at least one of them should have stayed behind to keep an eye on things outside.

After all, the panel can record video.

Write down what you want to ask, and then have another person ask it together.

If all else fails, sending a trusted confidant will do.

Why do they have to appear at the same time?

Unless you don't trust the video provided by the other party at all and feel you can only watch it yourself to feel at ease.

Therefore, it makes perfect sense that Ao wanted to turn Yi's confidante against him and obtain information about Yi from her.

Perhaps Ao had already done this before.

"Your Highness, we have arrived."

Yu Lingwei knocked on the study door.

Xiao opened the door, saw Li Zhi, frowned, but still bowed respectfully.

"Your Highness, what brings you here?"

Li Zhi: "There's something I'd like to talk to you about alone."

The Feathered Spirit Guard had already left, so Xiao had no choice but to let Li Zhi in.

As soon as he closed the door, Xiao said, "Your Highness, I cannot agree to what you asked for last time."

Li Zhi was observing his surroundings when he heard this, and his spirits lifted, but his face showed displeasure at being rejected.

She lowered her voice and threatened, "You should know that I will be the future emperor of the Feathered Spirit Clan."

Xiao lowered his head: "I will not betray the Earl."

Li Zhi: "She's just a count, never mind... I came to see you today not because of what happened last time. I want you to help me find a few things to keep for myself from the tribute the Beast Alliance is offering this time. That shouldn't be too difficult, right?"

Xiao lowered his head and remained silent.

Li Zhi: "If you don't agree, I will let Yi know that you have betrayed her."

Xiao suddenly looked up: "I never betrayed the Earl!"

Li Zhi: "But if I say you betrayed me, will Yi still trust you as before?"

Xiao looked at Li Zhi in disbelief, as if he were looking at a complete stranger.

Li Zhi's expression was inscrutable: "Xiao, I'm going to become Yu Linghuang's person. You'd better think carefully about whether you want to agree to this. Also, the day after tomorrow, the Beast Alliance will send something over. My people will go to meet them some distance ahead. Have your team stand by where they are. When my people return, you can take the things together. Understand?"

When she spoke, she directly activated her B-level mind-reading ability.

Xiao: "Since someone else took your things beforehand, why are you making me choose things for you?"

[Xiao: As expected, the Emperor's choice of the First Prince as the first in line to the throne has its reasons, and the Earl's choice to cooperate with the First Prince also has its reasons. I always thought the First Prince was just pure-blooded and highly talented, but too simple-minded, only able to give straightforward orders and threats. I never expected that I would discover her hidden true colors today... I certainly can't gamble on whether the Lord will abandon me because of her words, but the things she asked me to do are contradictory. I'll test her.]

Li Zhi: "Because that thing can't be put into the space."

[Xiao: She was actually talking about the Beast Alliance's flesh-eating humans! But the Earl had already counted the number of flesh-eating humans long ago, and they were being counted and transported in batches along different routes. There's no way I could steal any flesh-eating humans from them unless I sent another group of people to move the receiving point from the Western Wilderness Forest to the Reverse Time Swamp. Only then would I have a chance to steal a few flesh-eating humans, but the Earl would definitely investigate thoroughly, and I would definitely be implicated! Maybe I should just tell the Earl about this directly...]

Li Zhi: "You know what I'm talking about. You don't need to tell my aunt about this. The reason I came to you is that I have a way to make her believe me and not you, or rather, she will definitely abandon you because she can't afford to fall out with me at this time."

Xiao's expression changed slightly: "Your Majesty, why make things difficult for me? Why don't you just send a team to ambush us in front of our receiving location and have them intercept that batch of human flesh?"

[Xiao: She really forced me to use this incident to choose sides. Although the Crown Prince has shown a different kind of cunning than before, I can't betray the Earl so easily. No one dares to test the Earl's wrath.]

Li Zhi: "I understand your predicament. Here's what we'll do: I'll send people to ambush the Time-Reversing Swamp that day and seize the goods I need. But I need you to calm down the Feathered Spirit Guards after you hear any commotion and not let them interfere with my plans, understand?"

[Xiao: This is the best outcome. Even if we're held accountable for the lost goods, I can find an excuse to get away with it. But... Your Highness is acting really strange today. Although your tone hasn't changed, the overall feeling is completely different from before. Is it just my imagination?]

Xiao: "Yes."

Li Zhi: "You can tell Yi about why I came to see you today, but I believe you don't want to know the outcome of Yi's choice between you and me."

Xiao's expression hardened: "Your Highness, I will not tell the Earl about this, but please do not come looking for me again. I will never betray the Earl!"

[Xiao: Regardless of whether the Crown Prince is right or wrong, what she said is correct. The Earl is suspicious and ruthless. If he finds out about today's events, it will only harm me. As for what exactly is wrong with the Crown Prince, I will have plenty of time to observe him later. There's no need to rush.]

Li Zhi said meaningfully, "We'll talk about the future later."