I did not believe Wang Ren was spouting nonsense. When I thought of "demons," I wasn't thinking of Senior Sister Cao Qian, but of a young man named Tao Yue. This Tao Yue was born in the old era and suffered from tuberculosis. A dying man did many things, he reformed Huang Youdao and saved Tao Xiaoniu (Wang Ren's childhood name).
In Wang Ren's description, Tao Yue possessed no earth-shattering abilities, yet in that era, he embodied precognition to its utmost. Tao Yue was an extraordinary individual, and even the esteemed Elder Wen De regretted not taking Tao Yue as a disciple. After Tao Yue's death, Huang Youdao dreamed of becoming a demon. Huang Youdao also had a drastically different life; he became a mentally fractured old man after saving Cao Qian for the world. In a sense, the Huang Youdao we knew was not the Huang Youdao of those days. The world is truly wondrous. The generation's "demon," Tao Yue, died in such a manner, with love and righteousness, and his skills were carried on as a legend by Elder Wen De. Gao Ji was a representative of an era, an elder that Li Jiu and Cao Shi could only contend with through their utmost efforts. Yet, legendary figures were also devoted fans of "demons." When Gao Ji first appeared before me with ambition, it was because of "demons." Zhu Guang established the "Demon Forest" organization, which terrified Gao Ji. He feared the world was filled with terrifying "demons." But in the end, it proved that there were only two "demons" in existence: Zhu Guang, who enhanced intelligence through medical means, and Cao Qian, who possessed exceptionally high natural intelligence. In that battle concerning "demons," Cao Qian emerged victorious. Zhu Guang's steel nails were removed, his nerves became disordered, and he died tragically due to complications. Huang Youdao retreated to Inner Mongolia, perishing on the barren plains.
When Wang Ren mentioned the word "demon," these past events inevitably surfaced in my mind. Just as I thought "demon" was merely a conventional method, Wang Ren mentioned "demon" again. If Wang Ren were a "demon," she would undoubtedly be the "Demon King."
"Martial Aunt, you've defined this incident as a tragedy. Can you give us a hint?" I hoped Wang Ren would tell me the current situation. I believed she would. Upon hearing this suggestion, Wang Ren smiled slightly and said softly, "I agree to investigate Gao Ziyan, but detaining Gao Ziyan in Beijing as a murder suspect was not my intention." "Then whose intention was it?" I hadn't considered this point. Mulling it over, it truly was important. "Li Qiang!" "Does he have such capability?" I found it hard to believe. Although I hadn't met Li Qiang, I didn't think someone who abandoned his wife and child would be any formidable figure. "Do not underestimate Li Qiang. He did this partly to appease those above. After all, some independent individuals have indeed gone too far. On the other hand, Li Qiang also received benefits." "Who gave him the benefits?" "I've mentioned 'demons' so many times, haven't you thought of her yet?" Teacher Wang Ren finally got to the point. She had been talking about "demons" precisely to convey this. The problem now lay with me; I hadn't considered things thoroughly. How could I have overlooked such an important person? Cao Qian was still in Beijing. She had even visited Wen De Xiao Yuan a few days ago. From my understanding of her, if she was involved, this world would certainly not be peaceful. As expected, the one who began colluding with Li Qiang was Cao Qian. Thinking of this, I couldn't help but sigh. The mere pressure from Teacher Wang Ren was suffocating. Now, with Cao Qian as a ticking time bomb, was there any room left for me to live?
"What role did Cao Qian play in this incident?" If Cao Qian and Teacher Wang Ren were on the same side, I couldn't approach this matter of schematics, planning, and breaking schematics so simply. I had to accelerate the progress. Hearing my question, Teacher Wang Ren replied with a teasing tone, "You're asking this question of your opponent. Aren't you afraid I'll deceive you?" Teacher Wang Ren said with a smile. "Even if I had eight hundred cunning schemes, I couldn't win against you. Is there any need for you to lie to me?" I said with a forced smile. At this moment, there was no need to put on a brave face. She said it would benefit me. Even if she didn't analyze the situation for me, I could still act slowly, but I feared delaying things. "From small to large." Wang Ren said nonsensically. "What do you mean?" I truly didn't understand. "It's Cao Qian's scheme. She thinks too highly of herself. Humans are social creatures. We don't have the teeth of a tiger or the speed of a cheetah. Survival and evolution depend not only on wisdom but also on collective strength. After Cao Qian defeated Zhu Guang, she developed an air of being invincible in the world. But in reality, she wasn't that formidable. Finance is the battlefield second only to military warfare. In military warfare, schemers are never generals, only strategists. It's the same on the battlefield of finance. Yet, Cao Qian stubbornly refused to believe this. She thought she was a god, invincible. In fact, she was steadily defeated. Within a year, her money was trapped, her stock prices plummeted, and several companies went bankrupt. And her husband, Gao Ziming, leaped to his death from a 30-story office building." Hearing this news, I couldn't hide my shock, "Gao Ziming is dead?" "Yes, burdened by debt, he chose to take his own life." When Gao Ziming and Cao Qian were on the same boat, I had already anticipated that Gao Ziming would have a bad ending. Gao Ziming hadn't inherited Gao Ji's excellent genetic intelligence. He thought he had endured for a long time, which made him increasingly self-important. "Was Cao Qian involved in this matter?" "It has something to do with her, to some extent." "Cao Qian heartlessly abandoned Gao Ziming." I guessed, using the tactic of sacrificing a pawn to save the king. Schemers often used this move. But Cao Qian wouldn't. Cao Qian was selfish; she would abandon everything and survive alone. "Otherwise? Cao Qian, this girl, is inherently cold-hearted. Could she possibly like Gao Ziming? She won't like anyone. Once cooperation becomes impossible, she will abandon anyone without hesitation." Wang Ren explained calmly. With her discerning eyes, she had long seen through Cao Qian's nature. I sighed, "Yes, this is Cao Qian's style." "On the financial battlefield, Cao Qian was no match for Gao Ziyan and had to resort to tactics, deliberately leaking information to Gao Ziyan about several independent individuals who possessed lucrative projects." Wang Ren briefly described what Cao Qian had gone through. I asked with a bit of confusion, "Did Gao Ziyan willingly fall for it?" Gao Ziyan was no fool. The fact that she could defeat Cao Qian was a testament to her intelligence. "In financial warfare, to harm the enemy a thousand times, you must also damage yourself eight hundred. Although Gao Ziyan's losses didn't shake the Gao family's foundation, they could still be described as heavy. Moreover, this Gao Ziyan you've brought up is naturally a shrewd businesswoman. She understands that business has no borders; one can do business with anyone as long as it's profitable." "But in reality, we don't seem to have that kind of tolerance," I said with some worry. "Yes, you're right. We don't wish to cooperate with independent individuals, and we want to drive them out of Hong Kong." Wang Ren spoke with an air of prosperity. I understood these points, but I was still a bit confused. I asked again, "Did Gao Ziyan still fall for it?" "Yes, but upon careful analysis, I can say Gao Ziyan willingly fell for it. The independent individuals' projects would enable her family's finances to recover rapidly, and she herself had to take the risk of coming to Beijing." "Didn't she know that baseless charges awaited her here?" I blurted out. Wang Ren glanced at me before softly and gently saying, "She absolutely knew." "Then why did she still come?" "Because of you." "When I left Beijing, my mental state was unstable. The Gao family's intelligence network had no reason not to know this." Because of me? This reason was completely unreliable. I retorted loudly. "This is the terrifying aspect of Gao Ziyan," Wang Ren said this with great seriousness. "What's so terrifying about this?" "She knew you had problems, yet she believed you. This isn't simply because she likes you. Her judgment of the situation is so sharp it's frightening." "Are you also afraid?" I just asked. How could Teacher Wang Ren possibly be afraid of Gao Ziyan? "Afraid!" To be honest, this answer left me dumbfounded. I murmured, "Why?" "Because I've seen this kind of blind faith before." "When?" "Back then, Gao Ji was at his zenith. Old Nine and Little Ten defeated Gao Ji by relying on this very blind faith in each other. And the current situation is that Cao Qian believes you should join her to deal with Gao Ziyan, just like your master's intimate cooperation. But in reality, the one cooperating with you is Gao Ziyan, while Cao Qian has become your enemy." This was the current situation, something I had never considered. Teacher Wang Ren was right; if Gao Ziyan could utilize this dynamic, then Gao Ziyan would truly be terrifying.