In the living room, a man and three women are seated or standing, each with a different expression.
Cheng Jinyang remains calm and composed, Xing Yuanzhi's face is as still as water, Wang Wanrou's laughter is cold and relentless, Chu Qingqing exudes a murderous aura, Chu Qingqing is filled with helpless rage, and Chu Qingqing seems to have lost her soul.
If it really came down to killing to silence someone, neither the Mind Steel Seal nor Gravity Manipulation would excel in close combat. Even Mass Effect, mostly focused on assassinations in the shadows, isn't suitable for direct confrontation.
I'm not bragging, but if it really came down to fighting against my Metal Manipulation, no one here would be able to escape.
However, this is a civilized society, not a primitive jungle. Even if you want to kill people, it doesn't mean they can be killed just like that. Just being accountable to the Taiyuan Wang family alone might be too much for the Yangdi Chu family to handle. Add to that the Shendu Cheng family and the Hejian Xing family, her family would probably come down to their knees directly, right?
Unlike Chu Debiao, who betrayed the family, Chu Qingqing is immensely grateful to her family. After all, not only did her family repair the physical damage caused by her mutation and resolve the lingering effects of the massacre incident, but they also made her a scion of the family, ensuring that no one dared to bully her again... It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that they gave her a new lease on life.
Of course, that matter also has some impact on her.
Three months after merging into the Yangdi Chu family, Chu Qingqing began to display a series of symptoms of mental illness, specifically numbness, insomnia, excessive alertness, easy startle response, paranoid delusions, and over time, an increasingly strong desire to attack others.
After psychological diagnosis, this condition should be 'battle cry syndrome,' which mostly occurs in post-war veterans. The specific cause could be prolonged exposure to high-intensity violence and oppression, leading to severe mental tension disorders. In her case, it's an especially severe manifestation that can't be resolved with simple psychological therapy.
The doctor's solution is: by engaging in certain cathartic behaviors to release accumulated negative pressure naturally, while reinforcing the cognitive belief of 'I am strong', gradually improving this high-aggression mental state stemming from paranoid delusions of persecution.
Considering that there isn't an animal protection organization promoting humane treatment of animals in this world, the Yangdi Chu family decided to simply buy a meat processing factory in Jiangning District, providing it for Chu Qingqing to use for her regular treatments.
Of course, such matters would tarnish their reputation, especially since Chu Qingqing is a young girl. That's why all employees at the meat processing factory are synthetic and outsiders are strictly prohibited to prevent any leaks. But now, with Cheng Jinyang stumbling upon it in a dream, it's no wonder Chu Qingqing rushed here overnight, attempting to silence him.
And then she found out that his backing was even more impressive than her own family's. It's understandable for Xing Yuanzhi, but Wang Wanrou is the daughter of the current Grand Secretary. Even her father, Chu Jiye, has to treat this 'boss's daughter' with kindness.
Damn it! Cheng Jinyang, you little white-faced, freeloading man! You actually managed to hook up with the Five Great Family's daughter!
Chu Qingqing became angrier the more she thought about it, her bloodthirsty desires rising, wishing to cause chaos and kill everyone on the spot... Of course, that was impossible. After all, she was a rational girl from a respectable family, at least when she wasn't having an episode; she couldn't act without considering the consequences and costs.
But leaving like this, Chu Qingqing must feel unwilling. Let's not talk about anything else. If Cheng Jinyang tells Wang Wanrou about this matter and it spreads in the aristocratic circle, what can she do? Explain, "'I'm not a bloodthirsty demon, I'm just suffering from a mental illness'"? Wouldn't that just make things worse?
Can't let Cheng Jinyang talk about this! He must keep it a secret!
Thinking of this, Chu Qingqing's smile returned, and she sat down beside Cheng Jinyang.
Cheng Jinyang: ???
"Jinyang." Chu Qingqing hugged his arm affectionately and said, "Are you working tomorrow? Why don't you come to our Yangdi Chu family to have some fun?"
"Please, Miss Qingqing, restrain yourself." Cheng Jinyang pulled her hand away and said, "Before, it was out of obligation due to the contract, being forced to pretend to be boyfriend and girlfriend, but now the contract has ended."
"Stop being so formal." Chu Qingqing disregarded the darkening expression on Xing Yuanzhi's face and once again hugged his arm. "I can just hire you again. Will you accompany me on a date tomorrow?"
"No." Xing Yuanzhi said coldly.
"I didn't ask you." Chu Qingqing smiled brightly.
"I'm his partner Tianluo," Xing Yuanzhi exclaimed angrily. "We don't have time to play pretend games with you, Chu Qingqing! And it's four in the morning, don't you think it's extremely rude to disturb people at this hour?"
"I don't think so," Chu Qingqing blinked. "Even if I come to see my boyfriend in the middle of the night, what does it have to do with you?"
"I'm his fiancée, how come I didn't know he had another girlfriend?" Xing Yuanzhi walked up to the two of them, pulled Chu Qingqing's hand off his arm, and said, "The last contract has ended, we won't be taking any more contracts from you, Chu Qingqing."
"You don't have the final say. I hired not you two as Tianluo partners, but Cheng Jinyang as an individual," Chu Qingqing completely ignored Xing Yuanzhi's hostile attitude, smiling brightly. "Jinyang, won't you reconsider? After all, you know well that I won't easily let you go now."
Cheng Jinyang fell silent for a moment, clearly understanding what Chu Qingqing meant: she feared him exposing a secret that she couldn't afford to reveal, so she wouldn't give up on the matter unless she received a concrete guarantee.
"I won't say it," he said with a smile.
"I won't believe it," Chu Qingqing responded with a smile.
Xing Yuanzhi: ....
She could also guess why Chu Qingqing said so, it was simply because she was worried about leaving handles in others' hands. Back then, were she and Miss Wang not for the same reason, doing everything they could to stay close to Cheng Jinyang?
I eventually stayed because Cheng Jinyang needed the gravitational algorithm; Wang Wanrou stayed because she guessed the secret of 'blood explosion'; as for Chu Qingqing, what virtues and abilities does she have to deserve the same treatment as us? Nonsense!
So, with a raised eyebrow, Ah Zhi was about to coldly mock a few words, only to see Chu Qingqing raise her arm, and the door in the middle of the room melted again into liquid, revealing a huge hole for people to pass through.
"Jinyang, I don't think your home's security door is very safe. If a thief were to break in at night while you're all sound asleep, wouldn't that be dangerous?" She said with a smile.
Cheng Jinyang: ....
Xing Yuanzhi: ....
This girl actually dares to threaten Tianluo! Damn it, does she think we're fake?
"If you want to stay, what benefits can you offer?" Miss Wang, who had been silent all along, seemed to finally grow impatient and lazily yawned, "Or do you arrogantly believe that mere harassment and threats can compel him to be under your influence and control?"
"Of course not," Chu Qingqing said seriously, "I need a reliable guarantee, finding mutually binding common interests would be the best. Aren't you the Tianluo? There's been a lot of unrest in Jiankang City lately, and the risks are increasing by the day. I happened to serve in the family's covert security force, with assistance of my 'Metal Manipulation.' With me joining in, some gunfire and explosives wouldn't pose a threat to you guys anymore. What do you think?"
Cheng Jinyang was somewhat surprised by Chu Qingqing's suggestion. He hadn't expected her to come up with such an idea.
The Tianluo partners want to hire foreign aid... Well, there's no restriction from the family on this matter anyway, so the risk is yours to bear.
Even if this girl is named 'Joining In' but is actually 'Monitoring', as long as we don't tear apart the facade and expose her secret, it's advantageous and harmless for us.
However, Cheng Jinyang clearly saw the combat power of 'Metal Manipulation' in his dream. It can attack and defend seamlessly integrated, just like Gaara's Sand Manipulation technique in Naruto, it is definitely a powerful asset in team battles in the early stages.
So rather than of using it on Tianluo's daily missions, it's better to use it in other places that 'need more combat power'!