From Joy of Life, the Tian Gang is reversed

Chapter 502 The Truth Behind the Robbery! A ready-made circle—no, a den of thieves and horses!!

Are you ready to rule the world?

Li Tianhao felt that he must be hallucinating, or that he was under too much pressure recently and was experiencing mental problems.

To rule...the world?
Those four words made his eardrums ring, and his mind went completely blank.

His mouth opened slightly without his noticing, and the cigarette butt he had just stubbed out slipped through his fingers and fell onto the expensive wool carpet, burning a small hole and emitting a faint burnt smell, but he was completely unaware of it.

His lips seemed to be trying to form a "you're kidding me" smile, but it was frozen by the overwhelming absurdity, making his whole face look like it had been suddenly frozen and then hit with a blunt object.

He stared intently at his son, as if he were seeing him for the first time.

A few minutes ago, the news of "solving the beast plague" had already overloaded his heart. Now, the words "rule the world" directly burned out the CPU of his brain, which was tempered by storms and was a high-ranking bureaucrat, and it started to emit invisible smoke.

"You...you..." Li Tianhao made a hoarse sound, as if an invisible hand was choking him, and he couldn't utter a complete sentence for a long time.

He raised his hand, pointing a trembling finger at Li Chengqian, "Chengqian...you...did you...injure your brain in the ruins? Or did you suffer a qi deviation during cultivation?"

He would rather believe his son was insane than believe what he had just heard was true.

This isn't ambition, this is... hysteria! It's a scene that only appears in the most absurd dreams!

Looking at his father's expression—as if he'd seen a ghost or was about to have a heart attack—Li Chengqian couldn't help but chuckle. He had expected this reaction.

“I am very clear-headed, clear-headed like never before.” Li Chengqian’s voice was calm but carried an undeniable power. He walked to the desk, picked up the smart bracelet and operated it a few times. A clear laser projection map instantly appeared in the center of the living room, which was the map of Earth before the catastrophe.

“Look,” Li Chengqian pointed to East Asia, “once the beast plague is resolved and humanity regains ownership of the land, what will be the biggest problem? It’s not rebuilding our homes, but how to divide up this lost and regained vast land and resources.”

His fingers traced across the vast expanse of Siberia, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia, finally landing heavily on the Japanese archipelago.

"The existing international order and territorial divisions are based on the population, national strength, and history of the old era. But after the Great Rebirth, all of this was completely overturned. China, with its strong organizational capabilities and martial arts prowess, has preserved its largest base, but Europe and America have declined, and countless small countries have been annihilated, like the remnants behind the Kinmen Group, like those Japanese who hide in the corners of certain base cities but have never been honest..."

Li Chengqian's tone turned icy: "Do you think I would allow these scoundrels to point fingers at our recovered territory and even demand the restoration of our homeland based on some random map from somewhere before the beast calamity? On what grounds? Just because they didn't die thoroughly enough?"

His finger traced that vast area once more, encompassing the entire eastern and central Asia, as well as parts of Southeast Asia and North Asia, including the Japanese archipelago without hesitation.

“Here,” Li Chengqian’s voice carried an unwavering resolve, “from this day forward, there is only one sovereignty, and that is China! I reclaimed this land, and I possess its sovereignty!”

Li Tianhao stared blankly at the enormous, suffocating new map circled by his son, feeling even more breathless.

"As for places outside of China," Li Chengqian's tone softened slightly, but remained unwavering, "they are incapable of independently clearing and ruling vast lands. They must be subservient to us and pledge allegiance to us. They can exist as autonomous regions, vassal states, or alliance members, but they must accept our guidance and constraints. In particular, cancerous capital groups like the HR Alliance must have their power strictly limited and regulated. I mean, let it serve as a pledge of allegiance to other countries. Otherwise, I will not help them deal with the Zeng disaster!"

Li Chengqian looked at his father, who was almost petrified, his gaze intense: "Besides, I have neither the interest nor the time to personally handle these tedious political affairs. I need an efficient, reliable, and loyal management team to carry out my will, stabilize the order of the new world, and promote the new laws. I think you are the most suitable."

Li Tianhao finally regained some of his senses from the extreme shock. He took a few deep breaths, like a drowning man surfacing, his voice hoarse: "So...so...you're looking for me? To...become this 'World Governor'? Emperor? Chengqian, you overestimate me! I'm just a finance guy, barely managing to be a deputy director, I...I don't have that ambition, much less the ability to rule the world! This is insane!"

He could easily manage the finances of Yangzhou. But to manage... a vast country dozens of times larger? And coordinate globally? Just thinking about the boundless political affairs, the intricate international relations, and the power struggles between various factions sent chills down his spine. This was simply inhuman work!
“Who said you were going to become emperor?” Li Chengqian smiled. “Of course, you can become emperor if you want, but there certainly won’t be any harems or concubines. Besides, the existing Chinese government system is the best framework. It has withstood the test of a great rebirth and possesses strong organizational, mobilization, and execution capabilities. What we need to do is not to overthrow it, but… guide it, strengthen it, and let it adapt to and take over the territory and responsibilities of the new era.”

Li Tianhao was stunned, and subconsciously began to think. Utilize the existing system? That sounded... a little more reliable than creating a ruling institution from scratch? But scaling it up globally was still an unimaginable challenge.

Looking into his son's calm yet unwaveringly confident eyes, Li Tianhao suddenly realized that he wasn't discussing anything, but rather stating a future that was about to unfold. He truly had the confidence! The strength to resolve the beast calamity was the foundation of his resolve to enforce his will!

After the immense shock, an extremely complex emotion spread through Li Tianhao's heart...

Fear, confusion, a touch of absurdity, but deep down, there was also a small, burning ambition that even he dared not admit.

He rubbed his face vigorously, trying to clear his head. His voice was still trembling, but it had gained a touch of composure after careful consideration: "But... Chengqian, even if you have extraordinary power, managing the world cannot be solved by force alone."

“You’re wrong. In a world like this, force can solve everything,” Li Chengqian laughed. “However, if you do that, you’ll really become a dictator. And if you bring me a few more stepmothers, I’ll have a hard time dealing with it.”

"Don't talk nonsense!" Li Chengqian's words made Li Tianhao blush. "Don't you know how old I am?" "Age is not a problem," Li Chengqian said. "Although your qualifications are not very high, it's not impossible to solve the problem." Li Chengqian smiled. "Actually, I am very satisfied with the current Chinese government, but this government needs some people who can be absolutely trusted and some fresh blood. I think you should have some recommendations, right?"

Upon hearing this, Li Tianhao's gaze suddenly became somewhat subtle and profound. "You mean to talk about your master...?"

"My master, and those friends of yours in the government, the same group that carried out the Four Star Society robbery with you thirty years ago, they wield considerable influence in the government now!"

"You really are... nothing can be hidden from you!"

Li Tianhao chuckled upon hearing Li Chengqian's words.

"Your guess is correct. The Four Star Society robbery thirty years ago was not simply the work of a few hotheads acting on impulse. Strictly speaking, it was a government operation?"

"Government action?"

“That’s right, it was a government action, although it wasn’t authorized by the government!” Li Tianhao’s voice carried a hint of reminiscence and emotion as he looked out the window, as if he had traveled back in time to that passionate and crazy night thirty years ago.

"At that time, the Great Nirvana had just ended. Although the satellite cities had been initially established, they were still very chaotic. Most of the government's forces and martial artists were deployed to the front-line battlefields. The remaining forces were mainly used in core base cities like Jiangnan City. Satellite cities like Yangzhou suffered from a lack of manpower and chaotic public order. The Four Star Society, the remnants of a South Korean conglomerate, brought a lot of resources and considerable military strength when they arrived in Yangzhou. Due to their special relationship with the Americans, they received covert support from the HR Alliance and quickly conquered a large territory..."

“Do you know what I hate most about them?” Li Tianhao gritted his teeth and said, “These bastards brought the South Korean chaebol system here and caused a lot of trouble. The biggest incident was over the land on the north bank of the Wen River. In order to obtain ownership of that land, they set fire to it, burning many residents to death. This crossed the government’s bottom line, but at that time, the government simply couldn’t spare the resources to deal with it…”

"If you don't have the time, it's none of your business, you high school students!"

“Who said it was us?” Li Tianhao said. “The mastermind behind the Four Stars Heist was Zhang Zhenbang. At the time, he was the deputy director of the police station, responsible for the security of the area north of the Wenhe River. Because there weren’t enough people, they couldn’t carry it out on a large scale, so Xiao Qi devised a plan.”

"Zhang Zhenbang? A bigwig in the Ministry of the Interior? Who is Xiao Qi?"

"Yes, it's them. Boss Zhang is famous now, and Xiao Qi is no ordinary person either. He is Qi Yunfei, the current Chief of Staff of the General Staff of the Military. He planned everything. The plan is actually very simple: to use someone else to do the dirty work."

"Borrowing a knife? An HR alliance?"

"That's right. Four Star Society acted as the HR Alliance's black glove at the time, and the cooperation went very smoothly and pleasantly. Precisely because it went too smoothly, their vigilance was not strong. On that occasion, the HR Alliance happened to obtain a batch of extremely valuable resources that needed to be delivered to its headquarters in Jiangnan City. Due to transportation issues, the resources were temporarily stored in Four Star Society's warehouse. That batch of goods was too valuable, and it was related to the promotion of an important figure in the HR Alliance. Even if they sold Four Star Society, they couldn't afford to lose it..."

"So you hijacked the goods? The HR Alliance took its anger out on the Four-Star Society, which was severely weakened, and then the police station took action and buried the Four-Star Society alive?"

"That's how it is. To be absolutely sure, Boss Zhang and Xiao Qi didn't select people from the government. In those years, the police station was heavily infiltrated, and there were many stakeholders in the government. However, because the Four Star Society was causing a lot of trouble and made many enemies, Xiao Qi selected a group of people from among them. For example, your master's father was a martial artist. He was seriously injured by the Four Star Society's martial artists and died in front of him because of a conflict with the Four Star Society. There's also the current police station chief, Chen Mingyang. He was only twelve years old at the time. His whole family was burned down by the Four Star Society, leaving only him. As for me, I also have a grudge against the Four Star Society. There are also a few others, whose backgrounds are similar. They are all young people who hate the Four Star Society to the bone."

"Because Xiao Qi had prepared all the intelligence in advance, our operation went very smoothly..."

And what happened next was exactly as Xiao Qi predicted: Four Stars lost its goods and couldn't explain it to the HR Alliance. In addition, a batch of important personal items was lost, which enraged the HR Alliance...

"I see." Li Chengqian nodded. That makes sense now!

Li Tianhao said with a smile, "I just didn't expect that after thirty years, these dead bastards could still find me. It's a pity that thirty years have passed, and the children from before have all grown up. Moreover, many of them have developed quite well. If it weren't for the fact that the Golden Gate Group and the Four Star Society separated too cleanly, we would have wiped them out long ago."

What happened to those resources afterward?

"The precious cultivation resources were given to a few of us with high martial arts aptitude, including your master. As for the ordinary resources, Boss Lu cleaned them up and exchanged them for money to build an orphanage. He took in the orphans who were harmed by the Four Star Group back then. Now, they have all grown up. Lu Zhendong, the War God of Thunder Martial Arts School, who was the last to strike in the crackdown on the Golden Gate Group, was one of them. Back then, his parents were beaten to death by the Four Star Society and they threw him into a fire. If he hadn't been lucky, he wouldn't have survived."

"So, he beat Lee Dong-gun to death?"

“No, they were burned to death. They were roasted on the banks of the Wen River.” Li Tianhao smiled, a strange light flashing in his eyes. “Actually, since fifteen years ago, we have stopped worrying about this matter being exposed. Because we are now scattered in various systems such as government, military, martial arts schools, and commerce, most of us have reached the middle or even high level and have formed our own circles. But the real owner of that batch of goods back then was the HR Alliance, so everyone tacitly kept quiet about it.”

"If you really want to usher in a new era, our circle does have quite a few talented people!"

"Okay, after we've dealt with the beast plague, give me their list."

(End of this chapter)