The Heartless Alpha Just Wants to Follow the Plot - Chapter 79

The Su family was now reduced to just two people: Su Mo and the Old Master. In the eyes of the public, Su Mo was a socialite drifting through the entertainment industry with zero management skills, relying entirely on subordinates to handle her affairs. The weight of the entire Su family still rested squarely on the Old Master’s shoulders.

Su Mo’s mother had been an orphan. She had been chosen for two reasons: first, because Su Mo’s father truly loved her, and second, because their genetic compatibility was exceptionally high—a necessity to ensure the Su lineage could continue quickly.

While most looked down on Su Mo, thinking her ignorant and shallow, Tan Ya knew better. After Su Mo had helped her without a moment’s hesitation, Tan Ya realized everyone had been played. Su Mo was a predator hidden in the shadows, ready to tear apart any threat that dared approach.

The petty schemes of their enemies hadn’t escaped the eyes of the Su grandfather-granddaughter duo. However, since Pu Ying had come to Tan Ya for help, Tan Ya felt compelled to act, even if her intervention wasn’t strictly necessary.

“Is the Grand Marshal really indifferent to these underhanded moves?” Tan Ya mused. “Since the founding of the Federation, control has been light, but order is still order. Once one link snaps, the rest will inevitably follow.”

Tan Ya absentmindedly rubbed the fabric of her pocket. “The Grand Marshal won’t allow the order he worked so hard to build to be sabotaged. Please, find a way to bring all of this directly to his attention.”

The military officer she was speaking to couldn’t understand her logic. “Just because she saved you once, you’re willing to bet the entire Tan family to help her?”

He offered a stern warning: “The Tan family has only just gained favor through certain achievements. If you openly side with Su Mo, many of the people who currently give you the ‘green light’ will turn their backs on you.”

The Neutralists wouldn’t offend the Purge Faction for the sake of a small house like the Tans. These people remained uncommitted specifically to secure their own future positions. At their level of power, they could protect themselves even if targeted for their neutrality.

But Tan Ya was different. She had no protector.

Tan Ya shook her head. “There are things only those deeply involved can understand. You wouldn’t get it.”

She believed in Su Mo. She believed Su Mo had the power to change everything.

Seeing her persistence, the officer sighed and relented. “I’ll do my best. But if the Grand Marshal learns of this and chooses silence, I hope you’ll abandon the Su family. You have greater value than they do.”

Tan Ya didn’t give a direct answer. She simply said, “I’ll consider it.”

Considering it, however, did not mean obeying.

After the call ended, the officer felt a mounting headache. None of these people were submissive; he truly didn’t know what to do with them. He could only hope Su Mo was capable enough to be worthy of Tan Ya’s blind faith.

Thinking of this, he let out a bitter laugh. Why was he pinning his hopes on Su Mo? If there was one person in the world least likely to be a savior, it was her. Yet, he found himself feeling a flicker of expectation. He really was being influenced by Tan Ya’s madness.

Meanwhile, the subject of everyone’s expectations was currently accompanying Qiu Fu on set. Su Mo sat there quietly, yet people still kept trying to strike up conversations with her.

Even though everyone sensed something was going on between Qiu Fu and Su Mo, they were technically still in “enemy mode” on the surface. However, whenever the two sat in the same corner, an undeniable aura of affection leaked out.

It made those sitting nearby wonder if they had accidentally stumbled into a romance novel.

The secret couple occasionally traded glances. Su Mo was still wearing Qiu Fu’s clothes, which made her look several years younger than usual.

While a storm raged on the Star Net, the two of them were barely affected in reality. They were on set together every day; the only difference was that Su Mo was visiting without a role, while Qiu Fu had a packed filming schedule.

The director, watching Su Mo observe with such patience, eventually worked up the nerve to offer her a special guest appearance. Su Mo was momentarily stunned, then laughed in spite of herself. She hadn’t come prepared for work.

“No, thank you. I’m leaving in a couple of days. Things are getting busy, and I only came to visit for a short while.”

Her polite refusal actually made the director breathe a sigh of relief. Adding a mysterious, temporary character to a pre-arranged script was a logistical nightmare that would have required massive rewrites.

Because Su Mo refused so graciously, the crew actually felt a bit guilty. People always said Su Mo was a diva or a “bad person,” but in their eyes, she was sensible and humble. Clearly, everyone else’s standards are just too high, they thought.

When Su Mo said she was leaving, she meant it. That evening, she told Qiu Fu as soon as the latter finished her scenes. Qiu Fu, caught off guard by the sudden departure, hugged her tightly, unwilling to let go.

“When will we see each other again?”

Su Mo hesitated as she calculated her upcoming plans. “I don’t know,” she said softly.

Qiu Fu paused. “Even you don’t know?”

Su Mo coaxed her gently, “There is a lot to handle in the coming days. I have to wrap everything up before the movie starts filming, otherwise I won’t have any free time later.”

Sensing Su Mo didn’t want to elaborate, Qiu Fu bit her lip and obediently stepped out of the embrace. She stared intently into Su Mo’s eyes. “Whatever you’re going to do, you have to remember to come back.”

Su Mo nodded solemnly. “Mm. I remember.”

The next morning, Su Mo left the set. Qiu Fu felt an empty pit in her stomach, a premonition that Su Mo’s departure would trigger something far from normal.

“She’ll come back,” Qiu Fu whispered. She clutched the fabric over her heart, took a deep breath, and headed to her shoot. She couldn’t hold Su Mo back; she had to work hard to become someone who could actually help her.

When Su Mo returned to the Su residence, Pu Ying was already there. The Old Master was busy issuing orders to “hold the line,” as their enemies had finally begun to act like madmen.

“Grandpa.”

Su Mo sat down beside the Old Master, her eyes scanning the three rows of bodyguards standing at attention. She wasn’t sure what prompted such a display.

“You may go. Act according to my previous instructions. Everyone, stay sharp, don’t let them catch you off guard.”

“Yes, sir!”

The synchronized shout of the bodyguards left Su Mo even more bewildered. Where had her grandfather found so many men? And were they truly reliable?

Once the guards retreated, leaving only the two of them in the living room, the Old Master dropped the facade.

“I’ve found them,” he said bluntly. “The person targeting us from the shadows is a Major General in the Military Department. I’m not sure which one yet, and there may be more than one.”

He pinched the bridge of his nose wearily. “These people want to ‘sacrifice a person to the heavens’ to send a message, and they chose us. We are an old-money family with a massive contribution to the Interstellar era and high public approval.”

They had served the people diligently for generations. But now, the Su family consisted of only two people. Compared to the sprawling networks of other Great Houses, a two-person family was a much softer target.

And more importantly, they were incredibly rich.

“As long as the Su family falls, our remaining fortune is enough to fund their entire military operation.”

Su Mo understood the cold logic without it being explicitly stated, yet she still struggled to wrap her head around the sheer depravity of their reasoning.

“Are we preparing to strike back?” she asked.

It would be no small feat. Their opponent was, after all, a Major General.

“We must,” the Old Master replied, a ruthless glint in his eyes. “If we don’t, the Su family will cease to exist.”

He had truly steeled his heart this time. “If we survive this, don’t let your future children enter the world of business. Send them into the military.”

Having immense wealth without the power to defend it was a recipe for disaster. They had made that mistake once, and it had left them in this wretched position. It was a cycle that had to be broken.

Su Mo lowered her head, the weight of the moment pressing down on her. She didn’t know how to respond. With her System currently MIA (Missing in Action), she was truly on her own; everything now rested in the hands of fate.

“They intend to use me as the breach, don’t they?”

Su Mo’s expression was eerily calm. There were only two Sus left. The Old Master was a battle-hardened veteran, far too difficult to topple, which left only her. She was young, perceived as reckless, and possessed a brand of arrogance that made her look like an easy target. To an outsider, she was the perfect prey to incite someone’s desire for conquest.

She was the path of least resistance.

“So, everything I’ve suffered lately, it all traces back to this Major General?”

“Yes,” the Old Master confirmed.

Seeing that his granddaughter had finally grown up, he no longer treated her like fragile glass. He began to mentor her, explaining the complexities of human nature, the intricacies of social conduct, and the hidden webs of their family’s network. He didn’t stop until he was certain she could navigate these waters with mastery.

He reached out, stroking Su Mo’s hair with a gentle, paternal affection. “No matter what happens next, I will protect you, Mo Mo. As long as I draw breath, you have nothing to fear.”

Yet, his secret terror was that his remaining days were few. If he fell, what would become of her?

Su Mo looked at him steadily. “I can hold up this family, Grandpa. You don’t need to worry.”

The Old Master smiled but said nothing more. He wanted to believe her, but he didn’t know if he would live to see that day.

Perhaps because Su Mo had directly challenged the military’s agents, the mastermind behind the scenes grew restless and launched another strike against the Su family.

This time, the family was prepared for both the overt and the covert. Su Mo coordinated with Tan Ya to neutralize the public-facing threats, while the Old Master and Pu Ying held the line against the hidden ones.

The storm was quelled before it could even break, leaving the mastermind seething. Restricted by the very rules they lived by, they couldn’t strike again immediately and were forced to wait.

Like a starving wolf, the enemy sat in the shadows, waiting for that one perfect opening to deliver the killing blow.

Su Mo was waiting, too. She was waiting for them to make a move. Only when they acted could she follow the trail back to the source and unmask them.

Both sides remained locked in a tense stalemate of probing and waiting until the news finally reached the Grand Marshal.

The Grand Marshal’s aged eyes were clouded with a faint, ashen gray. His hand rested on the armrest of his chair, fingers twitching in an unconscious grip. He seemed entirely indifferent to the report being delivered.

Only when the subordinate finished speaking did he seem to drift back to reality. “I’ve heard you,” he said, his voice a dry rasp.

Then, he lapsed back into silence.

The subordinate stood there, bewildered. “?”

That’s it? That’s all there is to say?