SDS: Chapter 22

"Adorably Dumb"

Wang Luosheng choked as if swallowing something bitter, 

forcing down his discomfort before replying, 

"Perhaps... it's because I joined the company later and haven’t won people's hearts."

"A fair point." 

Qin Zhiyan nodded, his tone detached. 

"Your proposal is inferior to Wang Dahu’s, but that’s not the root cause. The problem isn’t the proposal—it’s you."

"You’re absolutely right, President Qin. I’m… no match for my elder brother."

Though Wang Luosheng spoke these words, 

the ambition burning in his eyes betrayed his true thoughts.

"You are inferior to Wang Dahu. Your status, connections, reputation—none measure up." 

Zhiyan’s voice was cold, crushing Luosheng like a cigarette butt beneath his heel.

Luosheng stiffened, a snake pinned at its vital point, 

suddenly envisioning a future where Wang Dahu trampled him into obscurity.

Zhiyan swirled his wineglass, not even deigning to look at Luosheng, 

yet his control over the man’s thoughts was absolute.

"Your company’s executives are mere opportunists, swaying with the wind. It’s not impossible for a latecomer to surpass them."

Abruptly, Zhiyan lifted his gaze, sharp as a blade.

"But how much sincerity are you willing to offer… to borrow my wind?"

The question hung like a hook before Luosheng’s lips, waiting for him to bite.

"If I gain control of the Wang family, we will be your servants." 

Luosheng’s voice was hoarse, his tone groveling.

Ever since Zhiyan had chosen Wang Dahu’s proposal, 

it signaled his endorsement of Dahu as the Wang heir.

Old Master Wang had worried Luosheng’s illegitimate status would draw criticism from other elite families, yet he doted on his younger son. 

To test the waters, he’d submitted two proposals, gauging Zhiyan’s stance.

With Zhiyan’s choice made, Old Master Wang would have to abandon Luosheng. 

The scornful glances Luosheng had endured since then terrified him—

terrified him of returning to the shadows as the bastard son.

If Wang Dahu took power, there’d be no place left for Luosheng in the family.

I have to fight back, 

Luosheng told himself. 

He’d pulled every string to arrange this meeting.

He never expected Zhiyan to agree.

What he didn’t know was—

Zhiyan had been waiting for him.

The moment Luosheng spoke, he was hooked.

Zhiyan’s expression remained unreadable, though he’d anticipated this very response. 

"I don’t deal in empty promises. If you want my help, prove your sincerity."

Luosheng’s pupils constricted. 

He wants leverage—something to control me.

The risk was immense. 

If Zhiyan betrayed him, he’d be utterly at his mercy.

"The choice is yours," 

Zhiyan said coolly. 

"But my patience is limited."

He raised his glass. 

"When this wine is finished, so is my patience."

Luosheng gnawed his lip. 

Money, women—those were easy. 

But leverage…

Seizing the pause, Zhiyan glanced at Tang Keyi.

Throughout the entire exchange, Keyi hadn’t uttered a single thought.

Zhiyan was intrigued.

When Keyi met his gaze, he flinched, quickly looking away.

Having witnessed the high-stakes game, Keyi’s mind raced.

Though framed as a negotiation, it had been a one-sided domination—

Zhiyan orchestrating every move.

Keyi finally understood: 

Zhiyan’s selection of Wang Dahu’s proposal had been a trap, 

bait for Luosheng to willingly walk into.

By bypassing Old Master Wang’s test and letting Luosheng come to him, 

Zhiyan had turned passivity into control.

His goal? 

To mold the next Wang heir into his puppet, securing the family as his own.

The sheer calculation, the strategic brilliance—it was awe-inspiring.

[Qin Zhiyan is so damn cool!]

[Oh no… I think I’m idolizing him. What do I do?!]

[No question—Luosheng is toast!]

Zhiyan, sensing Keyi’s exhilaration, felt a rare flicker of satisfaction in his dark eyes.

Tonight had been a test.

He knew his methods—ruthless, manipulative, duplicitous—would unsettle most.

The world feared him. 

Even Keyi, though they’d grown closer, still harbored traces of that fear.

Zhiyan understood. 

People’s dread stemmed from his reputation in business: 

merciless, leaving no room for retreat.

He’d wanted to see how Keyi would react to the real Qin Zhiyan.

Would he recoil?

Would he flee?

Zhiyan had even prepared to coldly discard this little plaything if fear took root.

Instead, Keyi’s response was… this.

No disgust at his deceit, no horror at his cruelty.

What a peculiar little fool.

Yet… endearingly so.

Zhiyan was no gentleman. 

He’d exploited his ability to hear Keyi’s thoughts, testing him shamelessly.

And unwittingly, Keyi had passed, 

earning the right to step closer to the heart of Qin Zhiyan.

With finality, Zhiyan drained his glass and set it down, 

a lion surveying captured prey.

"Time’s up."

Luosheng shuddered, then surrendered his leverage with bowed head.

Minutes later, a composed Zhiyan and a wide-eyed Keyi exited the room, 

leaving a broken Luosheng behind.

[That was the juiciest gossip I’ve ever witnessed!]

[This could ruin Luosheng if it got out.]

[Zhiyan played him like a fiddle—unreal!]

Amused, Zhiyan side-eyed Keyi’s starry-eyed fascination. 

"What you heard tonight stays buried."

"My lips are sealed!" 

Keyi mimed zipping his mouth, then blurted, 

"But if people find out Luosheng isn’t Old Master Wang’s real son, won’t all your effort be wasted?"

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• "Borrow my wind" (借东风): A Romance of the Three Kingdoms reference—using others’ power for one’s gain.