Tang Ziyi and Xiao Yue had made up their minds to help after listening to the woman's tale.
These kinds of clubs shouldn't exist in the first place. Whenever powerful figures established them to quench their desires, victims appeared.
Whether out of willingness or coercion, both won despised their existence. Like Dong Xi, it seed as though she was cooperating, but was that really the case?
How many others had volunteered? Though they had only heard four nas, who knew how many more remained hidden?
Not to ntion, other provinces might have their own 'clubs.' Perhaps most of the n Dong Xi and the other won encountered were from Province T, but one thing was certain—the powerful figure at the head of it all was no ordinary man. He road freely, allowing officials to cater to his every word.
For so reason, Dong Xi refused to reveal his surna, as if instinctive fear had overridden rational thought.
Fortunately, with Athena, they uncovered his identity quickly. His surna was Qin—a distant relative of the Qin family from the capital.
The fact that even a distant family mber could act so brazenly without consequence made the future of Country C sowhat concerning.
The existence of so many bootlickers made this possible. Otherwise, if each person in the governnt simply fulfilled their duties without excessive flattery, the system should have functioned properly. But when destiny was controlled by those in the highest seats, nothing could be changed.
Since soone from the Qin family was involved in this case, Tang Ziyi and Xiao Yue had even more reason to intervene.
Although Ling Qingyu had been retaliating against the Qin family through underhanded thods, if official power got involved, she was no match.
The battle between titans was one of networks and connections—a competition to see who could endure longer. Ling Qingyu's contacts weren't enough.
Even so, even the smallest moves from the Qin Group created obstacles for Ling Qingyu's business.
Many within the Qin Group believed it was a waste of resources to target a re wealthy figure from the outskirts of Country C. After all, Province N was considered a backwater compared to the capital.
Furthermore, the Qin Group had its own enemies to fend off, as well as internal struggles. Ling Qingyu's sister was rely targeted by one lineage, even though they were the successors of the entire group.
So factions wanted the head family to face trouble and lose their prestige.
Thus, Tang Ziyi and Xiao Yue considered testing the waters and preparing for the inevitable battlefield when Ling Qingyu finally broke all pretenses with the Qin family.
Naturally, it was Xiao Yue who made the decision. The hidden war was far more difficult and complex than one fought with real gunpowder.
In fact, Ling Qingyu could resort to assassinations and brute force to wipe out the entire family while Athena blacked out and filtered all evidence that could lead back to her.
But at what cost? What would be the difference between her and the unscrupulous villains if she resorted to such thods?
Although Yang Qingyue and her mother wouldn't say anything, would they ever look at her the sa way again? Once she set foot on that path, there would be no turning back.
As for Dong Xi's words, Tang Ziyi and Xiao Yue took them with a grain of salt. So of her claims were hard to believe, but ultimately, it didn't matter.
Whether she had truly fallen in love with an older man or simply sought a safe haven from her past worries, they didn't care.
For a rational woman who had sold her body—speaking bluntly—love was out of the question. Perhaps connection and companionship were possible.
Or was Dong Xi simply afraid she might have to relive her previous despair? Regardless, the powerful figures who played with won's lives would be eliminated because Xiao Yue had decided so.
Moreover, Xiao Yue was interested in the won Dong Xi had subtly ntioned. With Athena's aid, she was able to dig into their backgrounds.
Dong Xi was a veteran in the governnt dia sector, having worked her way up from TV host to departnt director of HR managent.
Miao Ying had been heavily promoted to another key position, overseeing Province T's entertainnt industry and monitoring any violations.
Wen Yalan was currently just a simple program director and had not yet fully entered the circle.
The most notable background belonged to Lin Yuxin, who was also from the capital. Her surna was comparable to Qin.
The four most prominent families in the capital were Qin, Su, Yang, and Lin. Lin Yuxin, now the secretary of Qin, had also indulged in promiscuity.
This woman couldn't be simple—she must have had her own hidden agenda and had been working hard toward it. After all, she had no reason to be coerced by anyone, even if she was rely a distant relative of the Lin family.
She was a powerful figure herself, though ranked lower compared to the surna Qin. All in all, Xiao Yue had her own agenda for providing aid, especially to those in need, like Dong Xi and Wen Yalan.
Miao Ying wasn't entirely sure, but she was confident she could persuade these figures to support Ling Qingyu's venture into the dia industry.
Fan Xi was still in the process of establishing a large dia group. All the necessary equipnt was available, including those that required harsher conditions.
Manpower was the only scarcity. Compared to fresh talents, these won were a better fit, particularly since all of them had experience working in governnt institutions.
Unlike the private sector, governnt institutions provided a vast networking field as well as invaluable experience.
Because of the complexity of their internal chanisms, employees were far more capable in managent.
Naturally, corruption and abuse couldn't be ignored, but the broad spectrum of talent was exactly what Xiao Yue sought.
If these won joined Fan Xi's group, they would also bring in other colleagues who wished to escape a toxic environnt while carrying with them the valuable lessons learned over the years. This would allow Fan Xi's project to progress smoothly and reach its goal faster, avoiding pitfalls and illusions.
Xiao Yue believed that with great kindness, generous treatnt, and the deterrent power achieved by helping Dong Xi and the others, no one would dare betray Ling Qingyu.
When Xiao Yue and Tang Ziyi offered their assistance, the liaison officer accompanying them wiped away cold sweat, feeling anxious for the general.
As always, Tang Ziyi and Xiao Yue relied on Athena's power to find weaknesses in Dong Xi's enemies, particularly from a political perspective. Cris, if exposed outright, would create temporary chaos among the public.
Public opinion warfare was also an effective tool to pressure them, though it rarely worked if the entire organization was united in suppressing the news to protect its reputation.
Athena excelled at these two thods, setting the rhythm of the attack. The third strategy targeted businesses linked to their enemies, creating financial losses that would throw the groups into disarray.
Because the chains and connections were difficult to break directly, a distraction was needed. Ling Qingyu's financial resources would support this objective by persuading volunteers to co forward and confess the cris.
The final blow ca from the official background. Since Tang Ziyi and Xiao Yue had negotiated massive deals, especially for the light armored clothing that General Tang was practically drooling over, eager to equip her troops at the lowest friendly price, they had leverage.
Not to ntion, General Tang owed Ling Qingyu a favor. The successful raid on the scamming syndicate had skyrocketed her rits and reputation.
If no major issues arose, she would surely be promoted to a four-star general in a few years.
Of course, the path wasn't that straightforward—hidden complications would follow.
Regardless, for General Tang, fulfilling this request was easy. A senior military official with a deep foundation applying pressure on civilian officials in dia, propaganda, and business affairs?
Even the governor of Province T had to tread carefully, especially when General Tang shalessly cited a distant relative of a military officer who had risked his life on a mission and suffered injustice.
Furthermore, undeniable evidence was already in their hands. The stakes rose when—
Thus, in just over a month of residing in Province T, Tang Ziyi and Xiao Yue used General Tang's resources to send those bastards to jail.
Strong backgrounds and connections proved useless once the governor intervened. General Tang didn't even need to ask for Gu Yi's help.
The operation freed Dong Xi from her bondage and worries, leaving her both grateful and slightly fearful of Tang Ziyi's and Xiao Yue's power.
However, eliminating those who had threatened Dong Xi required little effort and even gained them extra followers, like Wen Yalan and Miao Ying.
With their thunderous thods, even corrupt individuals who hadn't yet been affected kept their distance, wary of getting caught up in the chaos. As a result, Wen Yalan and Miao Ying were temporarily free.
The trio accepted Xiao Yue's offer. As long as their material needs were t, they had few concerns.
Sure, it was a pity to leave behind all their hard work. Although the club had been the sole reason for their rapid promotions, without talent and skill to prove themselves, how could they have held onto their positions when greedy eyes were constantly watching?
Besides, it would have been impossible for them to catch the attention of the people they had originally aligned with.
Cases of people with nothing at all rising through the ranks were rare and would be exposed sooner or later.
Lin Yuxin, on the other hand, sensed sothing was off with the sudden change in Dong Xi and t with the trio. Though amazed and wary, she rely offered congratulations and decided to distance herself.
Her intuition told her that the attack was headed in her direction. She wasn't loyal enough to warn her club mbers about the impending crisis and inform them of the trio's newfound freedom.
This was only the beginning. Xiao Yue's plan involved even higher stakes.
The chaos that would soon catch Gu Yi's attention had begun.
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