Deposed? I couldn't be happier! I wouldn't even be a dog to the crown prince.

The crisp sound of Li Shimin slapping his leg marked the end of this unprecedented battle between father and son.

The dull thud of flesh colliding echoed in the empty and messy imperial study, even shaking off a layer of dust remaining on the edge of the dragon desk. The tense, almost explosive atmosphere in the air rapidly dissipated in that instant, replaced by a strange sense of contractual agreement.

Li Chengqian looked at the old man's eyes, which were now shining with renewed fervor, and his eyelids twitched slightly involuntarily.

He knew the real show was about to begin.

If he acted too casually at this moment, the old man would realize later that he had fallen into some kind of trap. He had to act, and act like a hapless man who had lost everything and whose own father had even stripped him of his underwear.

Li Chengqian took a deep breath, his previously relaxed brows suddenly furrowing, and the corners of his mouth even twitched slightly due to "pain." He slowly, even with a slight tremor, reached his hand into the inside pocket of his black trench coat.

The movement was extremely slow, as if the pocket contained not a data disk, but half of his life.

"Father, this is my most treasured possession... I originally intended to keep it for my own retirement and funeral."

Li Chengqian muttered, his voice filled with deep grievance and reluctance. He pulled out an encrypted data disk that was faintly glowing from his pocket, his fingertips gripping the metal casing tightly, his knuckles turning slightly pale from the excessive force.

Under Li Shimin's burning gaze, Li Chengqian reluctantly took half a step forward.

His clear eyes were now filled with heartache, and his eye sockets were even slightly red, making him look like a tragic figure of a "rebellious son cutting off his own flesh to save his father." The hand holding the data disk hovered in mid-air for a full five seconds before Li Chengqian seemed to have made up his mind to fight to the death. He gritted his teeth and gently placed the data disk on the broken imperial desk.

"Here you go... Are you satisfied now?"

When Li Chengqian said this, his voice was choked with emotion, and his body even swayed slightly from the "heartache".

However, beneath this acting skill that could win every award in Chang'an, a grand fireworks display, capable of illuminating the entire Atlantic Ocean, was unfolding deep within Li Chengqian's mind.

"It's done! The old man has finally taken the bait!"

He screamed wildly in his mind, the thrill of surviving a disaster making him almost want to roll around on the broken glass.

"Once this automated system goes live, all those damned memorials, damned morning court sessions, damned ceremonies will be a thing of the past for me! I'm going to Hawaii to fish for the freshest tuna, I'm going to lounge on the beach until the system shuts down! Old man, you can just keep entangled in this 'Chairman' title until the end of time!"

This extreme conflict between inner elation and outward heartache made Li Chengqian's expression appear somewhat strange, but in Li Shimin's eyes, this was precisely the true reaction of this unfilial son after being driven to a dead end.

Li Shimin had no interest in observing Li Chengqian's micro-expressions; his attention was completely drawn to the glowing data disk.

In that instant, Li Shimin, who had been dejected, disheveled, and even somewhat like a mad old man, completely vanished.

His previously slightly hunched back straightened instantly, becoming as sturdy as a battle-hardened spear. The resentment in his bloodshot eyes vanished, replaced by a cold, aggressive, and valiant wisdom.

The confidence that came from mastering high-dimensional weapons gave him an aura that inspired fear in the heavens.

"Wang De! What are you still doing there, you old geezer?"

Li Shimin turned his head abruptly, his voice booming like thunder in the imperial study.

Wang De, kneeling in the pile of broken glass, suddenly jumped up like a startled rabbit. He didn't care about the crisp cracking sound of his knees from the sudden movement.

"Your Majesty, this servant is here! This servant is here! Please give your orders!"

Wang De shouted, tears streaming down his face. Looking at the emperor before him, whose fighting spirit had been rekindled, he felt nothing but the overwhelming joy of seeing the light of day again.

"Get up! Convey my decree!"

Li Shimin picked up the data disk with one hand, feeling the cold metallic touch with his fingertips, his eyes sharp as an eagle surveying its territory.

"Minister of Works! Those old fogies from the Academy of Works! Tell them to drop everything and come to the palace tonight! I don't care if they crawl or fly, I want the top-of-the-line server setup completed in the Hall of Diligent Governance within half an hour!"

Li Shimin strode forward, stepping directly over the broken porcelain shards and tattered dragon robe on the ground.

With each step he took, the floorboards creaked with a deep, resolute sound. At this moment, the decisive and ruthless Tang emperor had been fully resurrected amidst the ruins of this civilization.

"Furthermore! Have all officials prepare. Tomorrow morning at court, I have an extremely important announcement to make. Anyone who dares to be even half a second late will be sent to the mines at the North American base to experience what it truly means to be a 'worker'!"

Wang De hurriedly responded and scrambled out of the palace gate.

At this moment, the palace maids and eunuchs who had been trembling outside the door finally, under the command of the chief eunuch Wang De, nervously carried brooms, buckets and trays and quietly slipped into the imperial study.

Their movements were extremely light, as if they were afraid of disturbing some sleeping giant.

A young palace maid, head bowed, paused at the threshold with her small steps. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the shattered, expensive LCD screen and the torn dragon robe on the ground. Her heart pounded wildly with terror.

Those were the remnants left by the storm that had just struck, a storm powerful enough to overthrow imperial authority.

The rustling sound of the broom sweeping across the floor was particularly jarring in the silent hall. Pieces of broken glass were swept into the dustpan, making a crisp, pleasant yet chilling clanging sound.

Through these anxious and busy figures, one can clearly feel the relief of escaping death from extreme fear.

The gloom within the main hall was gradually dissipating. Although the smells of burning and sweat still lingered in the air, the suffocating feeling before the collapse had vanished. In its place came a chilling, metallic excitement, the kind that evokes the anticipation of a new era.

Li Chengqian stood by the window, watching the palace servants bustling about, and watching the old man's hurried departure. The last trace of feigned pain on his lips finally melted away into a deep, unspoken smile.

"Your Majesty, you must do a good job! My future happiness depends entirely on you, the 'Chairman'."

He muttered something under his breath, then stretched out a huge yawn.

That night, Chang'an was destined to be sleepless.

The lights of the Ministry of Works illuminated half of the imperial city, and countless intricate cables and servers intertwined in the darkness, constructing the steel heart of what was known as the "Chairman's Management System."

Meanwhile, in the mansions of high-ranking officials and nobles outside the city, countless uneasy eyes were fixed on the direction of the imperial city. They sensed the air tremors caused by the intrusion of higher-dimensional logic, but due to a lack of information, they were plunged into even deeper fear.

This fear fermented in the darkness until the first ray of dawn pierced the sky above the Tang Dynasty.

The next morning, the bell and drum towers of Chang'an tolled a somber morning bell. Officials, with the anticipation of being executed, marched towards the Taiji Hall, only to be met with a bizarre imperial edict that would be recorded in human history.