Since then, I haven't seen Gao Ziyan again, likely because she no longer needs me.
This time, I returned home with great success. I had been in Hong Kong for over a month, bringing back a hundred billion yuan. Yet, I felt no joy. I didn't see myself as a victor. However, I had certainly witnessed the high-stakes games.
A false heart, no matter how expertly acted, can never fool a schemer. Sincerity, on the other hand, requires no pretense and can make those within a game willingly follow its lead.
...
Zhoutou finished eating. Seeing that Old Ghost's home didn't even have a bottle of wine, I knew it was time to leave. I figured no one would stop me from leaving Hong Kong today. Qin Sisi knew I was leaving and said Gao Ziyan had hired a private jet to take me. I didn't refuse.
Qin Sisi came to see me off today. In the car, she handed me a card – a postcard of Hong Kong scenery.
"Sister Sisi, what is this?"
"Miss sent it to you."
I turned the postcard over. On the back was a line of text: "Whenever I feel dejected and life seems dull, I pick up a book of poetry. It makes me feel that even in reality, there might be poetic charm. Thank you for your sincerity, which allowed me to experience poetry in reality. I promise you, I will be someone who elevates selfishness into love, and transforms small love into great love. When I learned that Grandpa was going to die, I felt a profound sadness. It was a difficult choice. I knew it went against my initial intentions, but I did it anyway. Not for myself, nor for the Gao family inheritance, but for the Grandpa who loved me.
I don't seek your understanding, nor your forgiveness.
I admire you greatly, but from the moment we met, it was destined that we would have no romantic connection in this life.
Goodbye, Tang Nan!"
...
Looking at the postcard, I smiled slightly. "Do you have a lighter?"
"Yes!"
I lit the postcard, watching it burn to ashes, and then threw it out the car window. I didn't close the window, partly to let the smell dissipate, and partly, I supposed, to let the wind blow away the suppressed emotions in my heart.
"Sister Sisi, I have a question. Why did you help Old Ghost scatter his ashes at sea?"
"Mr. Cao Shi asked for my help, so I did it."
"Why would you do it just because he asked?"
"Because Mr. Cao Shi protected Brother Shun while I was in prison."
"We're about to part ways, let's talk about Li Jiu."
"What do you want to ask?"
"It's not what I want to ask. I want to say that I once defeated Li Jiu, the one who planned everything. In Hohhot, he set up a trap for me, but I broke it. Li Jiu didn't expect that method, and neither did Old Ghost."
This statement piqued Qin Sisi's interest. She widened her eyes and looked at me. "A scheme that could fool both of them must be very clever. What was it?"
"It wasn't a scheme, it was a matter of cause and effect. Good deeds are rewarded."
"Ah~"
Qin Sisi didn't understand, but I could understand her. Such a statement sounded rather far-fetched. I looked at Qin Sisi's rare expression of confusion and said with a smile, "In Shandong, a doctor violated hospital rules to save Old Ghost. This was because Old Ghost had been kind to him."
"Mr. Cao Shi has indeed saved many people."
"Yes, including me. And he always treated me with sincerity. I doubted him, but he didn't blame me. Because of Gao Ziyan's situation, I thought carefully about it. Actually, I was just a pawn for Old Ghost to deal with Gao Ji. It's just that he wasn't acting; he was guiding me with genuine sincerity from his heart."
Qin Sisi chuckled. "Tang Nan, if you keep talking like this, I won't understand what you're saying!"
"Do you not understand, or do you not want to listen? If that's the case, I'll get straight to the point."
"Please, go ahead."
"Old Ghost once told me that Elder Gao had a doctor prepared for him. That doctor had a medicine that could make a person fall into a deep coma, making them appear dead."
After speaking, I observed Qin Sisi's expression. Her face remained unperturbed. From my perspective, this could be described as flawless.
"I haven't heard of such a medicine, nor have I heard of such a physician."
"Old Ghost isn't dead, is he? He was tired of staying with the Gao family, so he used Elder Gao's scheme to make a clean getaway."
Qin Sisi fell silent for a moment. "He died. I personally handled the procedures and watched his body go into the furnace."
"Sister Sisi, the next time you're asked, please don't hesitate. No matter who it is, tell them decisively that Old Ghost is dead, and you personally sent his body into the furnace. Am I right, Brother Shun?"
Brother Shun was Qin Sisi's driver. It was because of him that I dared to ask the question that had been weighing on my mind in this compartment.
"I didn't hear any of what you were talking about, haha," Brother Shun replied heartily.
"That's wonderful, Brother Shun. If you miss home, come back to the Northeast to visit. I'll arrange it for you."
"Thank you. I'll contact you then."
As we were speaking, we had already arrived at the airport. I looked at Qin Sisi. "Sister Sisi, I have one last question?"
"Please, ask."
"Most of my life I've been poor. I've only flown a few times, and never on a private jet. May I ask if I need to go through security?"
"There's a specific VIP channel. I'll escort you through."
"Thank you!"
...
Looking at the planes flying to Beijing, I couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion. I was truly saying goodbye to this extraordinary period of my life in Hong Kong. I didn't know what role I had played in this game. The established concept of a schemer was shattered in this "inheritance dispute" game. Even the most formidable "demon" was a grand scheme. However, I had solidified one concept: I wanted to forge my own path as a schemer.
These predecessors have shown us that each of them was the most formidable schemer in their own right, each with their unique characteristics. Old Ghost's "Everything from Yin and Yang," Li Jiu's "Underlying Logic," Zhu Guang's "Theory of Victory or Defeat," and Teacher Wang Ren's "First the Dao, then the Method." They were all masters in their field. I learned a great deal from them, even at one point using their methods like a chaotic stew to arm myself into a strong contender.
However, from today onwards, I will walk my own path, which is cause and effect. For all things in the world, every cause has an effect. In the face of adversity, one can use cause and effect to understand a situation, and also to break through it.
This is my future path. It may be a long one, but I will persevere until I have the capability to claim that I am the true fifty-sixth generation successor of the Schemers.
...
The private jet was a custom service, offering excellent privacy. However, I encountered my senior sister here. She was dressed elegantly, beautiful and poised. She looked at me with a smile, while I frowned. Her appearance here was definitely not a good omen for me.
"What are you doing here?" I asked.
"Seeing you off. After Master died, you're the only family I have left."
"Let me correct that. I am not your family."
My senior sister remained indifferent to my attitude. She turned to Qin Sisi and smiled. "Tang Nan and I have a few words to say. Could you give us some privacy?"
"Tang Nan, I'll go and help you with the procedures. Miss Cao Qian, then I won't disturb you."
...
After Qin Sisi left, my senior sister said seriously, "I admit I lost. I didn't expect to be defeated by a young girl from the Gao family who was pretending to be weak."
"Are you unconvinced?"
"There's nothing to be unconvinced about. Gao Ziyan has indeed achieved a temporary victory, but her 37% equity is unstable. Gao Ziming and I have 36%, so it's still uncertain who will ultimately prevail."
I knew my senior sister too well. She was incredibly proud. If I had defeated her in this game, she might have accepted it mentally. However, this time, it was clearly not me who had made the move, and she couldn't be reconciled.
"Cao Qian, if you were truly so confident, you wouldn't have come to me."
"The recent events have begun to deviate from my expectations. I want to ask you, after Master's death, did he leave you anything?"
I understood my senior sister's feelings. For a time, she had been the all-powerful "demon," with every move of her opponents within her grasp. But that was no longer the case. She couldn't predict the outcome, and hence, she was lost.
"After Old Ghost left, he did leave me some information. He said that the 'demon' was not the highest realm of a schemer, and that 'demon' was a game specifically designed for Gao Ji. If you want to defeat Gao Ziyan, just react to her moves and understand and break her schemes."
My senior sister was an exceptionally intelligent person. With my explanation, she understood immediately. She muttered a "no wonder," and then continued to ask, "Why didn't you stay to help Gao Ziyan?"
"Gao Ziyan doesn't need my help anymore."
"You think so highly of her?"
"I could think even higher."
My senior sister sighed. "I'm sorry. I thought you would stay to help Gao Ziyan, so I sent you a 'gift'."
As expected, that woman never had good intentions. I didn't ask, because I knew my senior sister wouldn't tell me. She looked pleased with herself and turned to leave, waving goodbye over her shoulder. "Tang Nan, my dear junior brother, the mountains are high and the roads are long. We shall meet again in the martial world."