Chapter 205: Mo Xingyao’s Care
If that genius belonged to a sect that controlled resources or governed the territory where common people lived, it would bring stability. And stability meant lower prices for everyday necessities such as food and clothing.
These were things people in this world had not realized, even until now.
But Wei Chen could not entirely blame them. This world had gone through several resets due to annihilation wars and catastrophic calamities. Each time, knowledge and mindset were wiped clean and refocused on survival.
He must find a partner to establish a news network.
One might ask, what would he achieve by establishing a news network? Would it reduce the death rate?
The answer was yes.
This world placed great importance on "face," especially among those of the righteous path. They treated their reputation like a brand. If that brand were tainted by scandalous news, they would think twice before doing anything reckless.
As for the demonic path, of course those madmen did not care about their public image. They acted however they pleased. But one must not forget that this world also had righteous sects to counterbalance them.
If news spread that they had committed excessive evil acts or caused too much trouble, it would be like ringing a dinner bell for the righteous sects to gather, attack them, and divide their resources after annihilating the offending sect.
Even leaders of the demonic path such as Mo Jue would not be able to protect them if they invited too much trouble upon themselves.
But from Wei Chen’s experience, most demonic practitioners were actually quite sensible and knew their limits. Otherwise, they would only give the ever-hungry righteous sects an excuse to unite against them.
Most of the time, those who caused senseless trouble were hypocrites from the righteous path. They believed no one would discover their actions, or they would shift the blame onto the demonic path as a scapegoat.
This emphasis on "face" could serve as a deterrent. Even if it could not completely stop such behavior, it would at least make them think twice.
Just imagine an intensive investigative journalism organization working relentlessly to uncover the shady dealings of a righteous sect.
And that same righteous sect would have no choice but to hold a live conference for damage control, saying things like, "We know nothing of this incident," or "This incident is merely the fault of an individual, not our organization," or even "None of this ever happened," only to be followed by a relentless barrage of sharp questions from the journalists.
Those were the kind of scenes he would love to see.
As for the partner, he already had one in mind... but that would have to wait until he finished dealing with this regressor situation.
While Wei Chen was deep in thought about Lian Cheng, Mo Xingyao noticed his silence. She handed the little one to Dream Butterfly and walked toward him.
"Brother Chen, you seem to have something on your mind. Can you share it with me? I would not claim that I can help with every problem you face in the Underworld Palace, but... maybe... I can share some of your burden, even if it is only by listening."
"Huh?" Wei Chen was pulled out of his thoughts. "Am I that obvious?" he asked.
"Mm-hm." Mo Xingyao nodded. "So, can you share it with me?"
Wei Chen looked at Mo Xingyao. Her eyes were the same as his girlfriend’s in his previous life. They were the eyes of someone who was sincerely worried about him. They revealed everything she felt. She was worried about him.
He remembered... back then, when he had problems with his career, there were many haters trying to come after him. But he did not care. Anyone who crossed the line, such as intruding into his home, he would call the police and have them dealt with.
He thought he could handle everything on his own. But... he did not know...
He did not know that at that time, his girlfriend was dealing with problems of her own, not so different from his. She had already received threatening letters from those haters, but she chose to keep it hidden, afraid that he would worry about her.
At that time, he believed nothing was wrong with her. He thought she was worrying unnecessarily. He even felt annoyed, even slightly insulted, as if she did not believe he was capable of handling things.
So he chose to ignore it and told her it was nothing.
He did not stop what he was doing because it brought him money and a better quality of life for his family. He needed that money. If he stopped, would that not mean he had backed down? That he had lost to those haters? That he had no backbone?
He hated those feelings the most.
Yes... he had been a prideful man who only saw himself and failed to see what lay beneath the surface.
If... if he had known... if he had even paid attention... no, he had already been suspicious, but his pride and his so called successful life had blinded him to what he should have seen.
Until... it was too late.
She had enough, and she broke up with him. Filled with anger and regret, he doubled down on what he did best.
Being a nuisance.
As if he wanted to go out with a bang... and in the end, he got exactly what he wished for.
He went out with a bang...
With a flash of memory, Wei Chen let out a long sigh.
He looked into Mo Xingyao’s eyes again, the eyes of a girl who was sincerely worried about someone she loved. They were the same eyes...
The same eyes that haunted him...
"Haaa... It is a bit complicated, but... fine..." he said, finally relenting.
Hearing this, Mo Xingyao’s smile widened. She quickly turned toward Dream Butterfly.
"Yu’er, can you bring this little one to our courtyard first? Then come meet us at Brother Chen’s courtyard," Mo Xingyao asked.
Dream Butterfly shook her head with a smile.
"There is no need to wait for me, Sister Yaoyao. This talk seems very important, and unlike you, I do not think I have the means to help him. Besides..." She looked at little Ningning.
"Someone needs to stay and play with her, lest she cause trouble," she added.
"Sister Yuyu! I am not that much of a troublemaker!" the little one protested.
Wei Chen smirked. "But you did not deny being a troublemaker, right?"
"You!" The troublemaker turned to glare at Wei Chen, only to be met with his signature look of superiority.
"Gahhh! I hate that face of yours! I will fight you!" The little troublemaker jumped and tried to kick Wei Chen, but he evaded with minimal movement, casually deflecting her attacks.
The two girls laughed at the antics of the troublesome pair, lightening the atmosphere.
After they played around for a moment, Dream Butterfly finally persuaded and calmed the little one down, then brought her to their courtyard, while Mo Xingyao followed Wei Chen to his courtyard.
At Wei Chen’s courtyard, in the guest hall, the servants brought tea for the two of them. Yin Lan, who had already returned after escorting Yan Rongjun to her courtyard, stood quietly to the side, trying to blend in with the surroundings like part of the furniture.
The two sipped their tea for some time. It was already the third cup, yet Wei Chen still showed no intention of speaking. Eventually, Mo Xingyao decided to break the silence.
She placed her cup down and asked in a gentle, soothing voice,
"Brother Chen, what is troubling you? I might not be able to help, but..."
"But I would feel better if I shared it with you, right?" Wei Chen finished her sentence, nodding at her with an understanding smile.
But that smile carried a hint of melancholy and self pity.
"If Brother Chen finds it difficult to say, or if it is some kind of secret, you do not need to tell me. We can talk about anything. I will listen," Mo Xingyao said, careful not to pressure him.
Wei Chen shook his head. "No, you do not need to worry about that. It is not a secret. It is just hard to describe... and I do not know if you would believe me."
Mo Xingyao chuckled. "Brother Wei, I am the executive who manages one of the largest conglomerates, and my father is one of the leaders of the demonic path faction. I have heard many absurd and unbelievable things throughout my life. I do not think what you are going to tell me will surprise me."
Wei Chen smiled. "If I manage to surprise you, do you dare to continue what we left off in the bedroom before you ran away?"
Hearing Wei Chen’s mischief, Mo Xingyao’s face flushed red, and she repeatedly hit his shoulder.
"You! You lustful demon, you pervert! I am worried about you, and you are only thinking with your lower head!?"
"Aw! Hey! Aw!" Wei Chen pretended to be hurt as he laughed at Mo Xingyao’s girlish antics.
