Don't You like Little Dogs? Now that I'm Taking Liberties, You're Suddenly Reluctant? - Chapter 41

The night settled deep within the apartment. The brief exchange on the balcony earlier was like a stone cast into a dark pool; once the ripples subsided, it left behind an even deeper and quieter understanding.

Jiang Si’s command to go to sleep carried his typical unquestionable authority, yet it was strangely wrapped in a nearly imperceptible trace of care. Pei Ye wondered if his Master truly cared for him. This feeling was almost explicit, as if the words were on the tip of his tongue but left unsaid. It was exactly his Master’s style.

Pei Ye returned to the room Jiang Si had prepared for him. It was no longer a guest room, but a space that truly belonged to him, situated adjacent to his Master’s bedroom. The new furniture emitted a faint scent of wood and leather. Everything was in perfect order, but with his residency, the space began to take on the breath of life.

Lying on the soft bed, Pei Ye’s fingertips unconsciously brushed over the tattoo on his left chest. The spot seemed to retain the cool touch of Jiang Si’s fingers and the searing heat that followed. His Master’s past acted like a cold chisel, carving a deeper mark into his heart. It was no longer just loyalty; it was a painful resonance and a fierce desire to protect him. He closed his eyes, his senses filled with the scent of cedar and tobacco, the scent that belonged solely to Jiang Si. He loved that smell.

In the master bedroom, Jiang Si stood by the window with his final cigarette. He realized he had spoken a great deal tonight: things he should have said and things he should not have. He rarely revisited the past, viewing it as an ineffective and weak exercise.

However, tonight, facing Pei Ye’s eyes which were filled with pure loyalty and love, those frozen fragments of memory had surged up involuntarily. After speaking, he felt a strange sense of relief. That puppy seemed capable of swallowing all of his darkness without changing color; instead, his eyes only grew brighter.

Jiang Si extinguished the cigarette. Deep in his eyes flickered a complex emotion he had not yet fully defined. It was not irritation or any familiar negative emotion. It was something else, a strange feeling he only experienced regarding Pei Ye. He did not understand it, but he did not dislike it. Ultimately, he could only define this sensation as strange. It was very strange indeed.

The expansion of the Skeleton organization never ceased. Recently, it had reached the Rust Belt, a derelict urban zone adjacent to the New City. The area was occupied by several scattered but fierce local gangs, as well as an emerging, cunning organization called the Scorpions. The expansion plan, formulated by Jiang Si himself, was cold and efficient.

“The Scorpions are not a major threat, but they are as disgusting as cockroaches. They excel at hiding and biting from the shadows,” Jiang Si said in the meeting room, his fingertip tapping the Rust Belt area on the holographic map. His voice was icy. “Intelligence shows their movements have increased lately. They seem to have obtained external support, as their weapons and tactics have improved. They need to be wiped clean.”

His gaze swept over the core members present: Adjutant Ji Churen, Pei Ye, and the First Division Captain, Cang Jun.

“We strike in two directions,” Jiang Si ordered. “Cang Jun, take the First Division and eliminate the Scorpions’ three known main strongholds. Make it quick and leave no survivors. Adjutant, take the Second and Third Divisions to intercept their largest ongoing smuggling transaction. Seize the goods and eliminate the personnel.”

“Yes,” Cang Jun and the Adjutant replied simultaneously, without objection.

“Pei Ye,” Jiang Si looked at the man beside him. “You come with me. We are going to meet a middleman who claims to have critical intelligence regarding the Scorpions’ backers. He specifically requested to meet me in person.”

Pei Ye looked up immediately, his gaze sharp. “Master, a private meeting carries high risks. Should we”

“He is not qualified to make me mobilize an entire force,” Jiang Si interrupted, his tone full of absolute confidence. “Having you follow is enough.”

Rather than arrogance, this served as a signal of his recognition of Pei Ye’s abilities. To use the smallest and most elite force to set the board and then tighten the net was always Jiang Si’s style. Pei Ye suppressed a faint trace of unease in his heart and bowed his head. “Yes.”

The Adjutant frowned slightly but said nothing. Jiang Si’s decisions were always final. He only added, “Fourth Brother, please be careful. The environment in the Rust Belt is complex, and the Scorpions’ behavior has become unusually aggressive lately.”

Jiang Si gave a noncommittal acknowledgment.

Elsewhere, inside the top floor office of the Xinghuan Biotechnology headquarters building, the massive floor to ceiling windows revealed the glittering skyline of the New City. Cold light filtered through specialized glass, illuminating the room brightly but without warmth. Jiang Yuan, the head of the Jiang family and the actual controller of Xinghuan Biotechnology, sat behind a wide desk. He was nearly sixty, well preserved, with his hair meticulously combed back and a cold expression. He wore no unnecessary adornments, save for a priceless watch on his wrist that signaled low key yet absolute power.

“You are saying that rebellious son, Jiang Si, wrecked the laboratory a few days ago?”

His eldest son, Jiang Yi, stood before the desk, his face looking very strained. “Yes, Father. It was my poor management. I did not expect Jiang Si to be able to”

He had not expected Jiang Si to slip into the interior of Xinghuan so easily. Moreover, he had done so quite brazenly. It was a clear sign that he did not respect them at all. Jiang Yuan let out a cold laugh, causing Jiang Yi to shudder. “Useless.”

“It was my mistake. It will not happen again, Father,” Jiang Yi said, trembling slightly. He then projected an encrypted file onto the holographic screen on the desk. “Additionally, the experimental data from the Rust Belt came back yesterday. The stability is still insufficient. Those fools in the Scorpions cannot meet the testing requirements at all.”

Jiang Yuan’s gaze swept over the complex streams of data, his face showing no emotion. “Failed products have no value. Wipe them out and replace them with a new batch of test subjects.”

“It is already being handled.” Jiang Yi observed that his father’s expression seemed to improve slightly. He steadied himself and continued, “However, our plants have sent word that Skeleton is expanding into the Rust Belt. Their leader” He paused before saying the forbidden name. “Jiang Si, he seems very interested in the Scorpions.”

At the mention of that name, the atmosphere in the office, which had just begun to ease, dropped several degrees. Jiang Yuan’s finger tapped lightly on the smooth desk surface, producing a dull thud. “That rebellious son.”

His voice was steady, yet it carried a bone chilling coldness. “He always enjoys rolling in the gutters and bringing shame to the family. The laboratory was not enough; now he wants a share of the waste city as well. His very existence is a continuous injury to the reputation of the Jiang family.”

Jiang Yi’s tone was void of emotion, as if stating an objective fact. “Especially now that his wings have grown, combined with the laboratory incident, the power of Skeleton cannot be underestimated. Now that he is interfering in the Rust Belt, he might discover the non-public projects we are conducting there.”

“So what if he knows?” Jiang Yuan sneered, a trace of mockery in his eyes. “He ceased to be a member of the Jiang family long ago. He is a traitor and a madman.”

“A madman is at his most terrifying when he loses his mind,” Jiang Yi said, looking down and analyzing calmly. “Furthermore, according to intelligence, he recently gained a very capable assistant named Pei Ye. He seems to trust him quite a lot.” He purposefully emphasized the word trust with a hint of sarcasm.

“Trust?” Jiang Yuan spoke as if he had heard a joke. “A cold blooded thing like him, trusting someone else? He is nothing more than a useful tool.”

“Tools have their value.” Jiang Yi pulled up another file containing a blurry image and brief information on Pei Ye. “For this tool, he recently warned our third sister, and the laboratory incident was also”

Jiang Yuan’s expression finally darkened. Mentioning the laboratory incident again, combined with Jiang Si’s frequent recent movements, not only caused significant losses for Xinghuan but also made him lose face as a father.

“It seems it is time to wake that madman up,” Jiang Yuan said, his voice laced with cold murderous intent. “Let him understand who the true Master is. Ten years ago, when he left the Jiang family, he became nothing. Does he think he is qualified to challenge the Jiang family now? Everything he owns, I can take back at any time. Or rather, I can destroy it.”

Jiang Yi nodded slightly. “We can help the Scorpions and provide a little technical support. At the same time, we can test the real world effects of our new generation neuro-suppressants and biological toxins.”

His plan was thorough and direct, killing two birds with one stone. It fit the Jiang family’s usual style perfectly. It could heavily damage or even eliminate the stain that was Jiang Si while completing the field testing of their weapons.

Jiang Yuan was silent for a moment, his gaze once again turning to the prosperous but cold world outside the window. After a long time, he spoke slowly, every word sounding as though it were dipped in ice. “Do it cleanly. Do not leave any evidence.”

“Yes, Father,” Jiang Yi replied, his face still showing no emotional fluctuation, as if they were discussing a common business contract. “He will pay the price for his rebellion.”

The holographic screen went dark, and the office returned to an absolute silence, save for the distant, blurred hum of the city outside. A cold encirclement directed at his own flesh and blood was decided upon with a few casual words in that bright, spotless top floor office. The sunlight continued to shine coldly, yet it could not illuminate a single trace of warmth in the eyes of this father and son.