Sword Shatters Stars

Chapter 146 Give the information first, then do the work

Zhao Youyue entered the bedroom and saw Lin Xiufeng lying on the bed with her legs crossed, looking quite relaxed.

“My uncle did take a bit too much, but isn’t it a bit much to use this big operation as a bargaining chip? They didn’t mean to deliberately delay by asking you to gather information; it does take time.”

"If this delays the success of the major operation and you still can't tell me in advance, then it means it really will take that long."

Lin Xiufeng spoke casually, not caring about it at all.

"But that's going too far."

Zhao Youyue was a little angry. She had never seen or even imagined that Lin Xiufeng could be like this!

"Your uncle didn't think of the word 'excessive' when he was exploiting us," Lin Xiufeng retorted.

Zhao Youyue said, somewhat annoyed:
"No, why are you getting angry with my uncle? He's doing this for our own good!"

"Yes, I'll be the minister and you'll be the deputy, but you'll also be the deputy minister of the branch."

"Where else can you find such an opportunity to rise to the top in one step?"

"How about this, you be the minister and I'll be the deputy, okay? We're practically family, aren't we?"

Lin Xiufeng sat up straight and said with a smile:
"The key issue isn't who's in charge or who's in charge; I've never cared about that at all, you understand?"

"My plan has always been the same: revenge! Only after I've taken my revenge can I think about anything else!"

"My uncle's actions give me the feeling that he's exploiting my weaknesses to squeeze as much value out of me as possible, as quickly as possible!"

"It's like this: you don't know if you can squeeze any more juice in the future, so you should squeeze as much as you can while you can. Do you understand that feeling?"

Zhao Youyue quickly explained:

"No! My uncle didn't object to us. He even said he wanted to meet with you alone. He's just thinking of me and wants to take this opportunity to promote me as soon as possible."

"After all, in the Tianwu Group, there's a fixed position for everyone. If you miss out on an opportunity like becoming a branch leader, no matter how outstanding you are in the future, you'll have to wait for someone else to make room for you before you get another chance!"

"On Sky Blue Star, you can either rely on promotions from superiors or wait for them to retire. Do Sky Warriors even retire? Are there any positions above branch managers for promotion?"

"Tell me, my uncle saw an opportunity to push me up the ladder, how could he not be anxious?"

Lin Xiufeng, however, was not in a hurry and said with a smile:
"As you know from reading Sun Tzu's Art of War, you can exploit the weaknesses of enemy generals."

"The reverse is also true. If I back down now, it means that I am someone who can be exploited at will until we hear the news."

"Then your uncle will definitely not stop there, he will definitely continue to push his luck."

"The fact that he got to his current position shows that he is good at managing people and manipulating human nature. He is not a soft-hearted person."

"Our normal thought is, 'Ah, Lin Xiufeng has helped such a big group and made so many contributions, it's time to send him a message!'"

"Your uncle's idea is, 'This kid is useful, so we should use him to continue eliminating enemies. If he gets the news, he will be eager to seek it out and will have no heart to make progress!'"

"To put it bluntly—every minute that's left idle is a waste!"

"You know what? This mentality is just like when my mom is managing my studies. I'm soft-hearted and don't want her to be too anxious, so I try to be more proactive."

"Hey! She's not satisfied, she's just urging me to get more."

"Let me tell you, from my observations of people since I was a child, I've found that people almost always act this way when given the opportunity."

Zhao Youyue couldn't refute it; she also felt that her uncle thought so, but there was one thing she thought Lin Xiufeng was overthinking.

Her uncle is definitely a man of his word in this matter; if he said he would have news by a certain time, then he definitely will.

"Lin Xiufeng, let's not be childish anymore, okay?"

“I guarantee on behalf of my uncle that it will be exactly the timeframe he mentioned, at most a year, or at most six months from now. There will definitely be news.”

"Let's work together to get this big operation done first, okay?"

“Xiao You, do you know? Your words and actions right now are actually within your uncle's prediction. You've unwittingly placed yourself on the opposite side of me in this matter, becoming one of your uncle's ways of putting pressure on you.” Lin Xiufeng continued with a smile:
“It’s especially like when my mom used to lie to me when I was little, saying, ‘Do these questions first, just do this much.’ Once I agreed, she would switch to a different subject and repeat the same thing.”

"If you keep doing this, I'll just disappear and come back in six months. That way, we won't have to keep discussing this over and over again, turning it into an argument, which will only make us unhappy and hurt our relationship."

Zhao Youyue said somewhat impatiently:

"Lin Xiufeng, even if my uncle thinks the same way as you! Even if it's exactly the same!"

"Then let me ask you, aren't we direct beneficiaries? This kind of exploitation where we only benefit and suffer no loss is an excellent opportunity for our own advancement and development!"

"If it weren't for my uncle, would anyone else have given us this opportunity?"

"An opportunity that others could only dream of! We're only doing this for ourselves, for our future, and there's absolutely no reason for us to refuse it!"

Lin Xiufeng stared at Zhao Youyue and suddenly realized that this was the first time they had experienced this kind of problem together.

Yes, before, they were carefree and talked about feelings and went on adventures together.

So much so that he forgot that Zhao Youyue was originally a top scholar who had always strived to be number one since childhood!

“Xiaoyou, if you insist on saying it this way, then it means that your interests and stance are aligned with your uncle’s in this matter.”

“Then let me make this clear: my principle of reciprocity dictates that the way your uncle treats me is the way I treat him.”

"So, he manipulated me, and I seized the opportunity to manipulate him."

"Give me detailed and accurate information about your enemies. In return, I will cooperate in the major operation to ensure maximum success."

"Based on his work style, I don't believe him when he says he'll give me information after I start working. There's no room for negotiation."

"It seems like our meeting won't be pleasant unless this matter is resolved. You go about your business, I'll continue my stroll."

Lin Xiufeng went out and left.

Zhao Youyue sulked alone in the room for a while, then hurried off to catch up with Qin Yong.

Fortunately, Qin Yong couldn't run as fast as Zhao Youyue, and after a while, he caught up with her.

Zhao Youyue tried her best to express Lin Xiufeng's attitude tactfully, and said at the end:
"Don't blame him. He came here for revenge, and that's what he thinks about every day. He was involved in the conflict with Fantian earlier. Let my uncle try to find out as soon as possible!"

"...I really misjudged Lin Xiufeng! Junior sister, you've got a lot to worry about!"

Qin Yong left those words behind and continued on his way.

No matter how it's embellished, someone as perceptive as Qin Yong understands the core meaning—

Lin Xiufeng didn't trust her uncle Zhao Zongshan and insisted on getting information before doing anything.

Zhao Youyue was very troubled and had a headache. She never thought she would go through these things!

Previously, the two of them had only been happy and had no worries, and there had never been any conflicts or opposing positions!

Experiencing all this suddenly reminded Zhao Youyue of the constant conflicts between her parents.

That's not the situation she wants...

'Why did it turn out like this... Lin Xiufeng, why are you so unambitious?!'

Zhao Youyue's troubles grew day by day, and she always wanted to catch Lin Xiufeng and have a good chat with him.

But time and again, he suppressed the urge to go to Mirror Lake to find him.

Because Zhao Youyue knew that, as Lin Xiufeng said, now that they met, all they did was repeat their thoughts and argue in a fit of emotion, which was of no practical significance.

It's better not to meet than to see each other. Once they get substantial news that can actually solve the problem, their points of conflict will disappear.

Fortunately, Qin Yong returned on the twelfth day after he went back, bringing news that the problem had been solved.

(End of this chapter)