"Machine, opportunity?"
Shen Tang expressed her skepticism to this notion with utmost doubt.
It wasn't due to her being overly sensitive; it was simply that the more she understood and interacted with Qi Shan, the clearer it became that his essence contradicted his name and title.
Benevolence?
Merely a façade of the Schrödinger brand.
Various reasons led Shen Tang to deeply suspect—wasn't the chance of overnight riches that Qi Yuan Liang mentioned written into the penal code?
To some extent, her suspicions seemed prophetic.
Qi Shan chuckled, his smile carrying a hint of devilish allure as he whispered, "Shen Xiaolang, when have I ever deceived you? If I say wealth, it is indeed wealth, albeit not grand. I guarantee you a lifetime of comfort! So, Shen Xiaolang, are you tempted?"
Shen Tang exclaimed softly, tilting her head back to avoid his gaze.
She responded, "You've never deceived me, but neither have you been entirely forthright."
For instance, he always spoke in half-truths, leaving out crucial information, creating pitfalls one after another.
Life goes on, and so does deceit.
Qi Shan's expression turned serious as he inquired, "So, does that mean you're not tempted at all by this vast fortune, Shen Xiaolang?"
Shen Tang lowered her head, touching her nose thoughtfully. "It's not that I'm not tempted, it's just that there are no free lunches in the world. I'm not worried that the pie is fake; I'm worried that the pie is too big and will crush me."
The greater the benefit, the greater the risk, a universal truth throughout history.
Upon hearing this, Qi Shan resumed his relaxed posture, his eyes half-closed, a sense of contentment evident in his demeanor.
His cat, Su Shang, stretched lazily in his arms, playing with his fingers out of boredom. In that moment, Qi Shan and Su Shang's expressions miraculously synchronized. Shen Tang found the scene amusing and suggested, "Why not tell me about this great fortune first? Let me listen and see if it's worth pursuing."
Who doesn't like money?
Honestly speaking, she was quite eager to give it a try.
As Shen Tang expressed concerns about the risk involved, she also couldn't help but covet the "vast fortune" mentioned by Qi Shan. After all, as the saying goes, "Those who dare to take risks will prosper."
Shen Tang's words amused Qi Shan, the corners of his lips curling slightly, even the corners of his eyes gleaming with indescribable delight. After a moment of contemplation, he slowly revealed, "It is none other than the tax revenue of Sibao County over the past three years."
Shen Tang: "???"
What tax?
What revenue?
Tax revenue???
Tax revenue!!!
Damn!
Shen Tang felt as though her backside had been shocked by electricity, almost jumping up on the spot, itching to give a three-fold bow—farewell, goodbye, I'm out!
Then she cursed under her breath, "Qi Yuan Liang, are you kidding me?"
Shen Tang couldn't decide if she was the foolish one or if Qi Shan was. How could they even think of such a thing—robbing the tax revenue of Sibao County? How was it any different from robbing an armored car?
Why didn't he just fly away on a rocket right then and there?
However, Qi Shan chuckled and remarked, "Goodness is serious."
Shen Tang felt her bottom and her hair were on fire, her mouth firing off like a machine gun, "You're serious? I'm not! Besides the fact that this is illegal, even if we did it, is there any room for maneuver? There's just the three of us at best— you're injured, I'm underage, and Mr. Wu is elderly. Well, if we're lucky, we can even add 'disabled' to complete the set!"
Some of Shen Tang's words were incomprehensible to Qi Shan. However, given the context, he could roughly understand. He consoled her, "Young Li, don't worry, don't worry. We still have Gong Shuwu here, don't we? He's a ninth-ranked physician. With his command over four hundred and fifty soldiers, even if it's just you and me providing support, these four hundred and fifty soldiers can hold out for at least an hour. So, that makes it four hundred and fifty-four, doesn't it?"
Shen Tang was astonished to hear that Gong Shuwu was also included in the plan. She widened her eyes in shock, "Qi Yuan Liang, are you really going to do this?"
Qi Shan shook his head, "I'm not that omnipotent, but I've had this idea in mind and made various plans. If we can find Gong Shuwu and recruit him, it would be even better. If not, there are other ways, albeit more complicated."
Qi Shan had been secretly searching for Gong Shuwu's whereabouts since he arrived in Xiaocheng, but there had been no progress. He was even considering giving up on this plan. Who knew luck would be on his side, thanks to Shen Tang's drunken episode. Without her help, Gong Shuwu might have been captured or killed, and this assistance would have been lost.
With Gong Shuwu on board, their chances of success increased significantly.
"But, what do you want with this tax revenue?" Shen Tang asked.
Qi Shan replied, "It's useful, very useful."
Shen Tang asked again, "Can't you tell me its purpose?"
Since he already mentioned the tax revenue, what couldn't he tell her?
"It's not that I can't, but Young Li, do you think the stability of Geng Kingdom under Zheng Qiao's rule will last? It's bound to fall into chaos sooner or later. As a floating weed in troubled times, I can only plan ahead. This tax revenue may provide a place to settle down and alleviate the suffering of other unfortunate people. Sibao County's heavy taxation over the years, being the lifeblood of the people, naturally should be 'used for the people'. What do you think, Young Li?"
It was just the usage that differed from the usual.
"Using tax revenue to help the people?"
Qi Shan pondered for a moment and added, "It's also a form of robbing the rich to help the poor."
Shen Tang couldn't shake off the feeling that something wasn't quite right. Qi Shan's words seemed to evade the heart of the matter, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it for the moment. According to the logic in his words, the original intention was indeed noble.
She hesitated for a long time.
Qi Shan asked, "Young Li, what are you afraid of?"
Shen Tang awkwardly replied, "We're just four people..."
With Gong Shuwu, who was injured, they could barely form a group of the old, weak, sick, and disabled, akin to the heroes of Liangshan Mountain, but even more rudimentary.
Seeing her wavering, Qi Shan's mood visibly improved, and he reassured her, "Don't worry, they're all elite."
Shen Tang: "..."
This sounded like a condensed version of
'quality over quantity.'
But she was still anxious.
This pit was just too deep.
Should she jump, or should she jump, or should she jump?