Don't You like Little Dogs? Now that I'm Taking Liberties, You're Suddenly Reluctant? - Chapter 37

A few days later, an unexpected piece of news arrived.

Jiang San, Jiang Si’s third elder sister and the actual controller of “Orbital Vision,” one of the most influential media groups in New City, requested a meeting with the leader of Skeleton.

The message was sent directly through an encrypted commercial cooperation channel. Its phrasing was polite, almost to the point of being aloof, and it professionally stated a hope for friendly communication regarding certain recent commercial frictions that may have caused misunderstandings.

When Jiang Si received the news, he was listening to a report from the First Squad regarding the pursuit of leads on a certain mole. His face remained expressionless, but his gaze instantly darkened like the surface of a frozen lake.

“Respond to her. I will set the time and the location,” he said coldly. “She is to come alone.”

“Yes,” the adjutant replied and immediately went to make the arrangements.

Jiang Si was left alone in the study. He walked to the liquor cabinet and poured a glass of strong spirits but did not drink it. He simply stared at the amber liquid.

Jiang San was four years his senior. In his memory, this sister had been a sophisticated egoist since childhood. She knew best how to cater to their parents to obtain resources and how to wrap a sharp, calculating mind in a gentle, appropriate exterior. Her choice to visit personally was certainly not just for misunderstandings and communication.

It seemed his status as the crow that left the nest had finally disturbed those finches in the golden cage. A bone-chilling curve formed at the corner of his mouth.

It was time for some people to see clearly that the youth who left ten years ago was no longer someone they could easily manipulate or ignore.

In the hospital ward, Pei Ye caught wind of the rumor that someone from the Jiang family was coming from the elite organization members guarding him. He immediately realized this likely had something to do with the Starry Universe Biotech matter. An inexplicable sense of tension gripped him.

The Jiang family was a top tier powerful clan in New City. Almost every member of the family was an elite in their respective fields. He knew his Master had always been at odds with the family, but he had never known the specifics. He could not imagine what kind of environment his Master had lived in.

Was it cold instruction or overly programmed training? Had his Master once felt as lonely and helpless as he did?

He instinctively touched his chest, right where the name was tattooed. It felt slightly warm, as if he could sense the hidden emotional fluctuations his Master might be experiencing at that moment. He felt a strong urge to return to his Master’s side immediately. He wanted to stand behind him so that no matter who came, they could not bypass him to harm his Master in the slightest, even if the visitor shared the same bloodline as his Master.

Jiang Si set the meeting at a reception room on the top floor of a private club under Skeleton’s control. The room was perfectly soundproofed with tight security and was completely outside the potential influence of the Jiang family.

The reception room was furnished in a cold, luxurious style. Beyond the massive floor to ceiling windows lay the freezing steel jungle of the city. Jiang Si sat alone on the main black leather sofa, a slowly burning cigarette held between his fingers. The cold scent of cedar mixed with the mellow strength of the whiskey. He was not dressed formally, wearing only a simple black silk shirt with the collar slightly open, yet he exuded more pressure than any guarded stance.

The door was pushed open silently. The adjutant stepped aside to lead the way, and a woman with exquisite clothing and a sharp, capable aura walked in.

Jiang San. After ten years apart, time seemed to have left few marks on her face, instead refining a sharper kind of elegance.

“You are punctual,” Jiang Si said, pulling the corner of his mouth slightly.

She wore a well tailored champagne colored suit with meticulous makeup and a perfectly measured, commercial smile. However, her eyes flickered almost imperceptibly when they met Jiang Si on the sofa, and her smile appeared slightly stiff.

“Fourth Brother, it has been a long time.”

Jiang San’s voice was pleasant, carrying the smooth polish characteristic of media professionals, yet the title sounded exceptionally foreign. Jiang Si did not even stand up. He merely lifted his eyelids and casually pointed to the opposite sofa with the hand holding his cigarette.

“Sit.”

The adjutant withdrew silently and closed the door as if he had never been there.

Jiang San sat down with a dignified posture. Her gaze quickly swept across the reception room before settling back on Jiang Si. “You certainly know how to pick a place.”

“It cannot compare to the glamour of your Orbital Tower, but it excels in peace and quiet.” Jiang Si took a drag of his cigarette and slowly exhaled the smoke, looking at her through the pale blue haze. “Speak plainly. What matter is worth you making the trip yourself?”

The smile on Jiang San’s face faded slightly. “It seems you are the same as ever and do not like talking in circles. Very well.” She opened her clutch bag, took out a thin folder, placed it on the coffee table, and pushed it gently toward him.

“Recently, some unusual movements appeared in the capital flow of a subsidiary under Starry Universe. Although it was quickly smoothed over, our Eldest Brother felt it was necessary to let you know to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings.” Her tone was light, as if she were discussing a common financial oversight.

Jiang Si did not even look at the document.

“Misunderstandings?” He gave a light laugh filled with cold mockery. “Obsidian used the money you let slip to buy weapons and set an ambush that nearly cost my confidant his life. You call that a misunderstanding?”

Jiang San’s expression did not change, but her fingertips tightened slightly. “Fourth Brother, you cannot speak recklessly. Starry Universe’s business is vast, and regulatory oversights are inevitable, leading to exploitation by certain criminals. Our Eldest Brother has already ordered a thorough internal investigation and will certainly provide you with an explanation. Father and Mother also do not wish to see things escalate.”

She downplayed the attempted assassination as a regulatory oversight and brought up their parents. The underlying pressure in her words was self evident.

The gaze in Jiang Si’s eyes turned completely cold. He stubbed out his cigarette and leaned forward slightly. His bottomless eyes were like a freezing pool, firmly locking onto Jiang San.

“Jiang San.” He called her by her name, his voice not loud but carrying a bone chilling frost. “Put away your hypocritical tricks. Whether it was a regulatory oversight is something you know well, and Jiang Yi knows even better.”

“I made it very clear ten years ago when I left the Jiang family that I walk my own path. Whether I live or die has nothing to do with you.”

“Now, my man almost died from bullets bought with money overlooked by you. Do you think a simple explanation and a desire not to escalate will settle this?”

With every word he spoke, the color drained further from Jiang San’s face. The mask of composure she tried to maintain began to crack. She had not expected Jiang Si to be so direct and forceful, showing no regard for past ties or the reputation of the Jiang family.

“Jiang Si! You!” She sounded somewhat exasperated. “What exactly do you want? Do you intend to start a war with the Jiang family? Do not forget that in the eyes of the family, your current career is nothing.”

“What does it count for in my eyes?” Jiang Si interrupted her, the corner of his mouth hooked in a cruel arc. “In my eyes, Skeleton is my empire. And the Jiang family? It is nothing more than a shell that looks glamorous on the outside but has long since begun to rot on the inside. You had better pray that this incident truly was just someone’s oversight.”

He stood up and looked down at her, his gaze as if he were looking at a dead object. “If I find out who intentionally reached out behind the scenes, I will finish it.”

He did not complete the sentence, but the undisguised killing intent made Jiang San shudder violently. She instinctively avoided his gaze. She finally realized clearly that the man before her was no longer the youth who could be easily ignored or manipulated by the clan a decade ago. He was a beast entrenched in the darkness, possessing the power and determination to tear everything apart.

“Leave the folder. You may go.” Jiang Si issued the order to leave in a tone that allowed no doubt. “Tell Jiang Yi to keep his own people in check. If there is a next time, I do not mind visiting him at Starry Universe in person.”

Jiang San stood up with a pale face, grabbed her bag, and walked toward the door with hurried steps. As her hand gripped the doorknob, Jiang Si’s cold voice came from behind her.

“Additionally, tell Father and Mother for me that I am well. There is no need for them to trouble themselves by thinking of me.”

Jiang San did not look back. She pulled open the door and walked out as if she were fleeing. In the corridor, the adjutant made a gesture of invitation with an expressionless face.

The door closed slowly, isolating the two worlds.

Jiang Si remained standing in place, looking out the window. The violence and coldness from a moment ago seemed to drain from him instantly, leaving only a deep, unspeakable exhaustion and disgust. Dealing with the Jiang family always easily stirred the darkest and coldest memories in his heart. That feeling of being scrutinized, measured, and treated as an anomaly or a failure still followed him like a shadow, even after ten years.

He sat down again, poured a glass of very strong whiskey, and drank it in one gulp. The burning liquid slid down his throat but could not warm his heart, which felt as if it were submerged in an ice cellar.

It was truly ridiculous.