Spy-x-War Showdown
Chapter 332 - 320 He Can Be Replaced

Chapter 332: Chapter 320 He Can Be Replaced

Yang Yi naturally accepted Mike’s guidance with an open mind; he had to.

The difference between an expert and a novice can often be seen at a glance. Just now, Yang Yi had revealed that he was a novice, for a simple reason: Upon hearing that the task was worth five million US dollars, Mike would never again mention the difficulties, because if it were simple, why would someone offer five million US dollars?

Another issue was that Yang Yi shouldn’t have looked at Mike. The reason is also straightforward—if Yang Yi were at the core of the Organization of Water, he wouldn’t look to Mike for approval when making decisions. This small gesture showed his lack of confidence.

Yang Yi was smart, and even more importantly, he was eager to learn. So he only needed a hint to get the full picture; Mike didn’t have to keep hammering the point home before he understood.

"This man is no ordinary person..."

"Oh, why do you say that?"

Mike rested his hand on his chin, gently tapping his lips with two fingers—a habitual action when he was deep in thought.

After pondering for a long time, Mike said in a low voice, "This Justin is different, he’s not like the other members of the Cicero Family. This man, he has ambition!"

Yang Yi asked with surprise, "Ambition? Why do you say he has ambition?"

Mike spoke nonchalantly, "When a company grows large, it develops the ailments of a large company. A family that has been successful for too long will face the same problem. The Cicero Family has monopolized the underground world’s information market and collaborated with intelligence departments of various countries. For a family business, the Cicero Family has indeed reached the pinnacle."

Yang Yi spoke gravely, "There is a saying in Huaxia: ’All that is at its height declines,’ and another one goes, ’Wealth does not pass three generations.’ When a family’s wealth reaches its peak, their decline becomes inevitable."

Mike spoke seriously, "Exactly, this is Eastern wisdom. The Cicero Family is now so powerful that they have forgotten the very foundation of their existence."

"What do you mean?"

Mike exhaled lightly and said, "The opera singer is the turning point for the Cicero Family. If the opera singer is the first one betrayed by the Cicero Family, then it marks the beginning of their decline. If the opera singer is not the first, then the Cicero Family is already in decline."

Looking at Yang Yi, Mike spoke softly, "What is the most important thing for an information broker? Credibility. An information broker is not a spy; they buy information from spies and sell it to those in need. Cicero may be big, but essentially they are just an information broker. If the people working with the Cicero Family cannot even be assured of their safety, then the decline of the Cicero Family is inevitable."

Yang Yi nodded lightly; he strongly felt the same about Mike’s words.

With a serious expression, Mike said, "The Cicero Family’s advantage is that they have a vast network of information, connecting sellers and buyers. True, we currently must rely on the Cicero Family’s network to sell our information, but the Cicero Family is just a platform! If we, the sellers, lose trust in the Cicero Family, a new platform will naturally emerge and take the place of the Cicero Family."

Yang Yi said indifferently, "Princes and generals, would they rather have seeds?"

Mike frowned and asked, "What?"

Yang Yi smiled slightly and replied, "Hence, others may take their place."

Mike spread his hands and said, "What do you mean?"

Yang Yi exhaled softly and replied, "What I mean is, why can’t we be the ones to replace the Cicero Family?"

Mike pointed at Yang Yi, then he started laughing, but Mike’s smile soon faded.

Yang Yi continued calmly, "In Europe, nobility remains nobility, knights stay knights, and commoners are commoners. It’s rare for a commoner to replace an old noble and become a new noble. Why? Because Europeans cannot say ’Isn’t it better to be born of the nobility than to become a noble through one’s efforts?’"

Yang Yi pointed at himself and said, "When I see an old noble, I don’t think about how to become his knight, but how to pull him from his horse and become the new noble myself, even a king!"

Yang Yi harbored resentment toward the Cicero Family because a singer was betrayed by them. He was simply powerless to take revenge on the Cicero Family, but he would never calmly accept a betrayal.

So, if the Cicero Family were starting on a downward path, why not hasten their decline, why couldn’t the Organization of Water replace the Cicero Family.

Mike asked with a solemn face, "Are all Huaxia people like this?"

Yang Yi smiled and said, "Not all, but certainly many. With no chance, adapt to the situation, with an opportunity, rise in rebellion. Whether forced or voluntary, there will always be people who aspire to be kings. Oh, correction, Huaxia people don’t want to be kings; they prefer to be emperors."

After speaking, Yang Yi said with an embarrassed face, "Have I revealed my ambition too early?"

Mike was silent for a moment, then remarked, "For a young person, having ambition is a good thing."

Waving his hand, Mike said in a grave tone, "Like many Italian mafias, the Cicero Family is patriarchal. The current patriarch of the Cicero Family is too old. He can no longer control the family business as before, so he must have already started to delegate power to his sons. If the Cicero Family under his control hadn’t done such a thing, the betrayal of the singer would never have happened. Under any circumstances, the Cicero Family would never betray their partners, which is the foundation of their enduring presence."

Once again propping up his chin, Mike tapped his lips lightly with two fingers. After a moment, Mike said in a low voice, "Justin is different from the generation that is starting to take power in the Cicero Family now. He disclosed that the Organization of Water and the singer were connected, then said such a betrayal would never happen on his watch. Do you know what that implies?"

Yang Yi thought for a moment, then asked, "What does that imply?"

Mike exhaled and replied, "If credibility is the foundation of the Cicero Family, then the betrayal of the singer must never be known to anyone. To eliminate future trouble, the Cicero Family will spare no expense. As a member of the Cicero Family, Justin’s words are a warning to us, but they’re also a clear stance!"

"A stance to recruit us?"

Mike shook his head and answered, "Yes, but not just that! Justin is building his own strength. Using the structure of the Cicero Family, but forming a power independent of the Cicero Family’s system."

Yang Yi faintly grasped something, but he couldn’t quite make it out clearly for the moment.

Mike looked at Yang Yi and said in a low voice, "Justin is an anomaly. Like you, he’s not thinking about how to gain more power within the Cicero Family. He wants more; he is striving to become the patriarch of the Cicero Family!"

As if piercing the final layer of thin paper, Yang Yi suddenly understood and said, "He doesn’t want to be a noble; he wants to be a king!"