Cyber Era Witch
Chapter 442 - 397: The Passing of Life

Chapter 442: Chapter 397: The Passing of Life

Shijin Mansion.

The messages from Silla were seriously delayed, but various media outlets still reported the news of Wei Shiyue’s death. The information Xu Yang received from both teams was identical: Wei Shiyue had perished in the flames of war.

"I need to pass on the news of Wei Shiyue’s death to Mond," said Xu Yang as he walked out of the secret chamber, feeling deeply regretful that the affair of the Moonlight Princess had ended in such a manner.

"Make sure it doesn’t go mad," Farosa reminded him. "Mond often pretends to be a rational scholar, but in fact, it is no different from the other ancient mad gods."

"...I’ll try my best."

Xu Yang returned to his room to adjust his clothing in the mirror: a long-sleeve black shirt, black gloves, and a black Phantom mask with only the tie a bright red.

"Guabu." Little Fool stood on the vanity, pressing against the mirror, looking at her reflection as she clenched her fists, wanting to fight her mirrored image, believing that the dummy in the mirror was no match for her.

"It’s best not to follow me, this is bad business," Xu Yang said, patting Little Fool’s hair.

Little Fool shook her head, stubbornly stretching out her hands to Xu Yang, insisting that he take her with him.

Afterward, Xu Yang went to the partition between the 13th and 14th floors of Shijin Mansion, a particularly concealed location. Following the magic formula left by Mond, Xu Yang created a communication talisman.

"Mr. Mond," Xu Yang conveyed the message from Silla, "I’m sorry, Wei Shiyue... she fell in battle."

"Dead?" Mond’s voice trembled.

"...Yes," Xu Yang nodded with regret, "She died on Silla’s battlefield."

"Killed by a corporation? A regular cannon?" Mond muttered, sounding like a real old man losing composure, which Xu Yang was witnessing for the first time in the Elder Dragon, "Dead... Wei Shiyue is dead."

"Please accept my condolences..."

"Because of foolish... balances of power... mutual deterrence..." Mond’s voice grew increasingly mournful, "I can’t even avenge my own daughter."

All corporation space stations and outer space detectors captured an unprecedented sight.

The gigantic White Dragon perched on the moon surface had stretched its neck out, lifted its massive head, and opened its huge maw towards the empty starry sky as if issuing a mournful cry. Since the vacuum of space does not carry sound, not the slightest trace of that immense sorrow could be captured. What could make a dragon shed tears in the space between stars? The senior think tanks of corporations exchanged information in secret, linking this event quietly to the death of Wei Shiyue.

Xu Yang silently waited for Mond’s grief to subside.

"I will continue..." Mond whispered, "...I will open a portal to the Ground... If you can erase Silla’s corporations from the surface... If you can help me retrieve the body of Wei Shiyue."

"Understood," Xu Yang promised, "We will make every effort to accomplish both tasks."

"...Thank you..." Mond didn’t want to speak further.

The Moonlight communication talisman flickered out.

Finding the news of his lost daughter was difficult enough, but receiving only the cold news of her death.

Silla was such a complex and puzzling place, Xu Yang thought to himself. Long-term communication was restricted, and for some unknown reason, even the undersea cables had been cut, leaving various facilities operating within limited local networks.

Xu Yang lifted Little Fool into the air with both hands.

"Guabu?" Little Fool waved her little hands and feet.

Seeing her adorable look, growing up day by day by his side, there was an incomparable sense of happiness. Xu Yang could very much relate to Mond’s feelings; after all, if anything were to happen to Little Fool, he too would pursue the perpetrator with an indefatigable thirst for vengeance. Could anyone accept the transformation of a daughter they lived with day and night into foreign bones in a strange land?

Xu Yang placed Little Fool on the table and patted her head.

He too needed to organize two teams for the next move, to let his forces take root in the shadows of Silla and to observe and resolve this warfare. All previous messages had been summarized and sent back to Shijin Mansion for reference and analysis.

After careful planning, Xu Yang sent a secret letter each to 102 and Kong Tai.

"102, based on the information you’ve sent back, Wei Shiyue is dead, and the Righteous Army has a grand movement to the south while Heavenly Cardinal Manufacturing has brought Lu Jing and Mireya. I suggest you monitor the movements of the Heavenly Cardinal Manufacturing delegation under the guise of protection. Heavenly Cardinal Manufacturing’s influence plays a pivotal role in this Silla civil war. Serving as the Guard Squad, you have a legitimate reason to restrict their excessive actions. Whatever they request, use ’security’ as an excuse to stall and evade as much as possible; do not let yourselves become a tool for their schemes."

"Kong Tai, after the Righteous Army moves southward, do not engage with them and do not rashly open fire on the military forces of the Modern Entertainment Company. The Flying Birds Group should gather as much intelligence as possible in Silla, determine the state of military facilities, defense bases, power plants, and research centers. Endeavor to make contact with the leaders of the Righteous Army and reach certain terms of cooperation. Of course, most importantly, ensure an escape route so even in the worst-case scenario, the Flying Birds Group can retreat intact."

A large-scale battle between the Righteous Army and the massive legions of Modern Entertainment was imminent, Xu Yang mused. The fate of the Eastern Hemisphere would be decided in the coming months.

Meanwhile, on the 140th floor of Litian Tower.

Here, at the summit of Litian Tower, resided the private office of Li Gaoping, chairman of the Modern Entertainment Company.

His son, the company’s executive director Li Minhuan, was standing in front of the desk, head bowed, listening to his father’s teachings.

Traditionally, Li Minhuan was the chief heir to the entire company, now 32 years old, strong and vigorous.

"Capital is the value used to create new value," Li Gaoping’s voice was hoarse as he silently tapped his fingers on the desk, "Capital that cannot bring new wealth is just a number, you have to find the most worthy investments... You must choose the right projects, for good assets have the capacity to regenerate. Stick to your grand objectives... work towards them step by step, what you set out to do at the beginning is what you can achieve later on, remember this..."

"Yes... yes... Father," Li Minhuan said softly.

"Technology and informatization make it very easy for you to hear various voices," Li Gaoping straightened his body in the chair, which did not shift in the slightest, "Voices from all levels... some are ignorant noises, some suggest reforms... but you cannot let them influence you, the most foolish rulers are those who pander to the masses, fulfill promises, satisfy all kinds of needs. Once they sense your weakness, that’s the beginning of disaster, they will demand more and more. The more you treat them as people, the more self-entitled they become, you must keep them living under the centralized control of the technological system."

Li Minhuan dared not look at his father, only standing in place, tears falling.

"Modern Entertainment will eventually be yours..." Li Gaoping muttered, "We are in the best industry, a person only needs to eat three meals a day, can only drive one car at a time, live in one house at a time. But a person can watch a hundred variety shows in a day if they want, listen to fifty albums, write reviews for fifty singers they like... That’s Modern Entertainment, in the modern era, providing people with entertainment, service industry, cultural creativity... Technology saves us from repetitive manual labor, and everyone will eventually join the creative businesses... remember this..."

Li Minhuan took a tissue from the desk, wiping his tears hard.

He looked up, his eyes tearful, and the figure of Li Gaoping in front of him gradually disappeared.

His father had been dead for five years.

In the fire that destroyed the headquarters of Modern Entertainment, Chairman Li Gaoping died in the flames. Li Minhuan had been keeping this secret, never announcing the death.

Li Gaoping became famous at a young age, running Silla for forty years, single-handedly maintaining Modern Entertainment with an illustrious reputation.

If his death was made known to the world, Silla would immediately be attacked and divided up by the neighboring five giants – Northern Military Industry, Kyushu High Pavilion, Heavenly Cardinal Manufacturing, Kyoto Infinity, and Black Fire Innovation, resulting in a lost, ruined state.

At the time of his father’s death, Li Minhuan was only 27 years old, fond of luxury cars and beauties, thinking comfy days would last forever.

He fled after the October incident, leaving the burnt-down company building behind. Li Minhuan arrived at the scene, made a swift decision, sealed off the news, and quickly transformed into a competent manager.

Li Minhuan locked the 140th floor, pretending to outsiders that his father was still alive, maintaining the dignity of the Modern Entertainment Company. It wasn’t until over a year after his father’s death that he gradually disclosed the news to his confidants and management team. They were extremely shocked, which confirmed to Li Minhuan that he had made the right decision.

He also erected information barriers, closing Silla’s internal and external communications, until he was capable of integrating the giant enterprise his father left behind.

Li Minhuan took out a smart disc from the side of the desk, which recorded a part of his father’s consciousness, albeit incomplete, usable only for teachings. Li Gaoping had no pursuit for eternal life – he only hoped his son would properly inherit his legacy.

"Father," Li Minhuan looked at the disc in his hand, silently swore, "Your son will avenge you."

He took a deep breath.

Modern Entertainment was in internal and external trouble.

Internally, there was an annoying opponent like Anberly, along with a large crowd of people he had deceived and brought along.

Externally, the wolfish ambitions of Heavenly Cardinal Manufacturing were evident, sending a delegation straight to Litian Tower to probe the truth. With the situation about to be exposed, Li Minhuan had no choice but to relay the true state of affairs to that Jade Automaton.

... Lu Sizhou.

Who knows what else she had planned. From several encounters, she seemed even more shrewd and capable than her father, Lu Shibo.

Li Minhuan took a deep breath; the Righteous Army had broken through the Yaoyin Mountain defense line, marching straight toward Yidu City. In his eyes, this was a godsend opportunity. If the Righteous Army kept hiding behind Yaoyin Mountain, slowly operating around Xin City, they would be a constant shadow over Silla.

But after this series of events, the "Righteous Army," having defeated the company’s first wave of troops, then mistakenly believed they could control the entire territory of Silla...

He would give them a lesson.

Li Minhuan quickly set up bold response strategies, issuing orders in his father "Li Gaoping’s" name, sufficient to quell any dissenting voices.

First, he disbanded and then remixed the K2 and K3 Legions. Although they numbered 400,000 men, they lacked combat effectiveness due to long-term corruption in their operations. Li Minhuan pulled out the elite, reformed a company army with retained combat power about 170,000 strong, enough to crush the Righteous Army. The enemy claimed an army of 600,000, but with too lengthy a battlefront and logistical issues, they would collapse after a few large-scale battles, while his side would become stronger with each fight.

Then, he launched a public opinion campaign to garner continental support. Being the defense side that the Righteous Army charged towards from the south, it was easy to attribute the destruction and slaughter in the bloody civil war to the lax military discipline of the Righteous Army. After all, the media, news agencies, newspapers, and short video platforms all belonged to the company; what could the Righteous Army use to compete with the company in the sphere of public opinion? This way, the Righteous Army would become the notorious "rebels" without any legitimacy for their actions.

Lastly, he allocated finances to end the final upgrade of the "Golden City" space mothership. As soon as the renovated mothership ascended, any number of Righteous Army troops would be decimated.

In addition, he was courteous to the surrounding corporations, keenly listening to their movements. Heavenly Cardinal Manufacturing and Kyushu High Pavilion were still clashing with Black Fire Innovation, preparing for the final showdown. If they decided to destroy the world with nuclear weapons, his own side would have to dig deep and ready the anti-missile facilities.

After arranging all strategies, Li Minhuan looked outside. Through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the balcony, he could easily see the panoramic view of Yidu City. The beautiful corporate city was something he had to protect.

This was the outcome of a thousand years of the Li family’s struggle since The Li Dynasty.

Generations of the Li family had labored tirelessly to achieve today’s prosperity, he could not just give it up.