Mysterious Awakening

The news brought by Li Yao was indeed very important.

Yang Jian had not expected the reaction of the people in his social circle to be so swift; they had called an overnight meeting to discuss how to deal with him. And although the proposal to knock him out had been rejected, it was a dangerous sign that, if not nipped in the bud, could lead to a crisis for him.

"Jang Shangbai really does fear you," Li Yao suddenly burst out laughing: "He thinks that using people from the circle to take you down would come at a great cost, and besides..." with a snicker, "he also thinks you’re mad. Spending so much energy to take down a madman just isn’t worth it."

"Your performance at headquarters was indeed very good, making people think you were just a hothead. The potential threat you posed was not as great as imagined; otherwise, the content of this circle’s meeting would have had to change."

Yang Jian shook his head slightly, "You’re wrong, their dread of me is not because they think I’m just a hothead, but because they know my counterattack would be extremely vicious, and I have the ability to cause them unbearable losses. Cost is the key to everything; if they could afford it, even if I were a lunatic, they would take me out without hesitation."

"But having said that, since those guys in the circle aren’t considering dealing with me now, they must have other plans. Why not talk about it?"

Li Yao said with a light laugh, "Your judgement is sharp, which is a great strength of yours. The people in the circle do have other plans for you, but not malicious ones. They’re goodwill attempts to recruit you, hoping to get you to join the circle."

"Join? Let’s hear the terms," Yang Jian said, "I’m not cheap, can the circle afford my price?"

Li Yao held up two fingers, "Twenty billion. Just join the circle and they give you twenty billion."

Upon hearing this number, Yang Jian didn’t show any reaction; instead, he just slightly shook his head with a smile, carrying a hint of mockery, "Frankly, before I came to J city, I had already fixed my financial issues. Although not a lot, it’s more than enough for my family for several generations. The rest is just a number, meaningless."

In the past, he indeed needed money because he was struggling to survive and needed to secure funds for his family’s future.

"If the circle’s only offer is this, then I think there is no point in discussing further. After all, I would be the one to lose the most by truly joining the circle, and headquarters is unlikely to allow another captain’s position to the circle, right? Moreover, my personal resources and achievements will be diminished due to the existence of the circle."

"Don’t forget, these things are related to life and death matters later on."

Li Yao thought for a moment, "But there are benefits, right? At least having a power to rely on means not having to face so many dangers."

"Are you speaking on behalf of the circle?" Yang Jian’s gaze flickered.

"No, you misunderstand. I’m simply more concerned about your personal safety. It’s most important that you stay alive." Li Yao immediately clarified, "The circle has too much power, and I’m worried about your safety if things with them go sour. Rather than watching the situation worsen, it’s better to stop here and make peace with a handshake."

"In the business world, there are no permanent enemies. The clash between you and the circle has cost both sides— they’ve lost a member, and you’ve felt the pressure from the circle, haven’t you? I believe Jang Shangbai does not want to flip the table, and neither do you."

"I’ll repeat myself, it all depends on what price the circle is willing to pay. Moreover, your idea is wrong. For ordinary people, having backing or a force to rely on is great, but for people like us, we can’t rely on anyone but ourselves."

Yang Jian stared at her, "Because no one else can save you, only you can save yourself, so this isn’t a business deal. Besides, joining the circle would mean losing everything from headquarters. That loss is personal, yet the circle loses nothing. This move would suppress and restrict me, so joining them would be more of a shackle than a support."

"Of course, if they’re willing to pay enough, I might consider giving up my position at headquarters, but obviously, that price can’t be measured in money."

Li Yao was slightly taken aback.

She had not expected Yang Jian’s perspective to be like this, but after pondering, it made sense. After all, those who control spirits are not ordinary people, and using common values to judge them was wrong.

"Unfortunately, they didn’t offer any other price." In the end, Li Yao shook her head with some regret.

"They didn’t offer, because they are unwilling to part with more. I don’t believe a circle like them cannot produce anything else," Yang Jian said, looking at her, "This also shows that their attempt to recruit me is a temporary measure. After all, it’s a crucial moment for selecting new captains. If they let me join the circle now, causing me to lose the captain’s position, then they wouldn’t have to pay anything to suppress me. Once the captaincy is settled and implemented, my threat decreases, and that’s probably when I’d pay the price – either be replaced or sidelined within the circle, either way, there’s no good ending."

"But with my temper, when it comes to that point, I definitely won’t accept it quietly. I’ll flip the table."

"So why should I wait until everything is settled before flipping the table? Better now than later. Do they really think I’m a naive kid, to be fobbed off with a lollipop?"

"You actually analyzed so much? I really hadn’t thought that far," Li Yao said, somewhat astonished.

If it was as Yang Jian had said, then those people in the circle were exceedingly cunning, practically setting a trap for Yang Jian to fall into.

Pointing to his head, Yang Jian said, "After dealing with some sneaky and incredibly smart beings, you have to pick up a few tricks. I may lack social experience, but I’m not stupid. Think things through and you can always clear things up. Besides, if there’s anything I can’t figure out, don’t I have your help?"

"I’m not as complicated as you think," Li Yao said with a smile.

Yang Jian gave a slight smile and said nothing; he did not need Li Yao to analyze anything for him, just bringing him intelligence was enough.

This time, the memory tampering had obviously been very successful.

"So what are you going to say to the people from the Friend Circle?" Li Yao suddenly asked, "They’ve sent me to do PR for you, I should at least take a message back, right?"

Yang Jian said, "Tell them, I’d consider joining the Friend Circle, but only after I become team leader. And at that time, I want thirty percent of the Friend Circle’s shares."

He stretched out three fingers with a hint of mockery.

Li Yao burst into laughter, "You’re really asking for the moon here, and moreover, we have to wait until you’re team leader before you join. Won’t the Friend Circle just watch you grow bigger by then?"

"That’s their problem to consider, not mine. And pass on another message, warn them that if they want to take revenge for Gao Zhiqiang, they can just come at me. I’m just worried they won’t be able to handle it," Yang Jian said with a cold face.

"Isn’t it bad to make such a direct threat? Shouldn’t we be a bit more hypocritical? Say something like let’s both take a step back temporarily?" Li Yao blinked and felt she was being rather reckless.

Yang Jian cocked his head and looked at her, "If I said something like that, they’d probably suspect I’m up to something behind their backs. A reckless warning like this is more in line with my style. That said, words are just words. You’ll need to help me keep an eye on the Friend Circle’s movements. The moment they decide to make a move on me, notify me immediately. I’ll strike first and deal with them."

"Right, get me another copy of the Friend Circle’s membership information, the more detailed the better." Read latest stories on

"Alright, I’ll compile the information and give it to you in a few days."

Li Yao nodded, then voiced her concerns, "But do we really need to burn our bridges? That doesn’t seem cost-effective. There could still be a chance to reconcile. After all, things haven’t escalated too severely. I’m really worried about your safety."

"Reconciling or not isn’t up to me; it’s up to them. If they really want to take me down, how can I reconcile?" Yang Jian shook his head slightly, "You don’t need to worry about my safety, just make sure you’re not discovered."

"The meeting is about done, you better head back first."

"Hey, I took a day off just for this, and you’re just sending me back like that?" Li Yao said, a touch of grievance in her voice.

Yang Jian replied, "I have other matters later, I’ve made an appointment."

"With whom? It’s not with that cute operator of yours, is it?" Li Yao asked.

"You sure know a lot, but you’re overthinking it. It’s not Liu Xiaoyu, it’s a friend. It’s my personal affair, don’t ask too much," Yang Jian replied.

"I don’t believe you," Li Yao pouted.

Seeing her act spoiled and stubborn, Yang Jian felt a headache coming on. If he hadn’t been afraid of being discovered, he would have altered Li Yao’s entire personality when he modified her memory.

Playing love games of all things.

Now Li Yao acted like a girlfriend whenever they met.

"Brother Tui, the door isn’t locked... uh, did I come at a bad time?"

Just then, the door was pushed open, and Wan Delu, who had been scheduled to meet earlier, stood there looking somewhat embarrassedly at Yang Jian and Li Yao on the sofa.

"No, you’ve come at just the right time," Yang Jian spoke up.

If Wan Delu hadn’t arrived, who knows how much longer Li Yao would have clung on to him, possibly even forcing him to capitulate.

"You really did make an appointment?"

Li Yao looked somewhat astonished at this, then stood up regretfully, emanating a reluctance to leave, "Well, I’ll come see you another time then. We should keep our relationship a secret. It’s best if you remind your friend not to spread rumors. There are people from the Friend Circle in this hotel. If I didn’t have a legitimate excuse, I wouldn’t have dared to come in contact with you directly. If the people from the Friend Circle found out, it could cost me my life."

"Don’t worry, nothing will happen. I’ll take care of it," Yang Jian assured her.

"Okay."

Li Yao nodded her head, then quickly put on sunglasses and hurried off with a sexy stride.

Wan Delu quickly stepped aside, giving a polite smile, not daring to meddle in such matters.