Chapter 137: Glory, Vanity; Conspiracy, Caution

Chase Wei stared at the chessboard, his expression fluctuating. Across from him sat an elderly man, smiling serenely. The old man sat cross-legged, arms folded, exuding an air of unshakable calm. After a long silence, Chase sighed, "Grandfather, your skills are as sharp as ever. I've lost."

For the Crown Prince of West Capital to admit defeat so readily, there was only one person who could elicit such submission—his grandfather, known as the "Ninth Emperor", Lawrence Wei.

"Do you know where you lost?" Lawrence Wei voice was calm, like a gentle breeze.

Chase shook his head.

"You lost because of four fatal mistakes!" Lawrence Wei reprimanded the younger man as if he were an inexperienced novice, his tone carrying a hint of sternness.

"Your rook advanced recklessly, not understanding when to retreat!"

"Your knight was unsupported, lacking strategic foresight!"

"Your pawn charged forward without considering the consequences!"

After a pause, Lawrence Wei gave his grandson a meaningful look before delivering a cold verdict: "No defense for your king—you court disaster!!"

Chase's face paled slightly. To outsiders, the conversation might sound confusing, but he knew his grandfather was using the chess game to criticize his recent actions.

Lawrence Wei casually began tidying up the chessboard, speaking as if it were an afterthought, "Chase, you shouldn't associate with those people. You've committed a serious breach of protocol."

Chase wanted to argue, but under his grandfather's penetrating gaze, he could only remain silent.

"Tell me, what have you been up to lately?" Lawrence Wei asked, his tone neutral.

Chase stayed silent. The first rule of the Wei family—Glory and Vanity; Conspiracy and Caution!—was clear: you can flaunt your wealth, power, intelligence, even your women, but you must never reveal your schemes!

He knew that some things, once done, could never be admitted. Ever since his humiliation at H University, West Capital had appeared calm on the surface. Everyone wisely refrained from mentioning Chase's disgrace. Yet, for Chase, the more people avoided the topic, the more it fueled his rage. He had countless ways to ruin someone's life, but this time, he found himself powerless.

After the mysterious car accident led nowhere and the executioner disappeared, Chase, who would normally consider the bigger picture, was pushed to his breaking point by a series of setbacks.

Upon learning that Leon Chen was leisurely working on a new album with Angelina Dream, Chase devised a plan to ruin the arrogant young man's reputation. The idea was to stage an incident where Leon would be caught assaulting Angelina. Even if Leon had connections to the Royal Clan, the sheer weight of public opinion and social condemnation would drag him into the abyss.

To ensure the plan couldn't be traced back to him, Chase first sought out the Southern Spiritualists. In his position, he was aware of their existence and had some knowledge of their activities. He planned to use their power to counteract Leon's so-called protection. If you have rules shielding you, then I'll use the same rules to break you—that was Chase's thinking.

Lawrence Wei had anticipated his grandson's silence, feeling both regret and a hint of relief. He waved his hand tiredly, "Go now. I don't want to hear another word about that student. Otherwise, you'll face the consequences."

"Grandfather, do we have to accept defeat like this?" Chase growled in frustration. He looked at his grandfather's weary posture, the once indomitable figure of the Nine Thousand-Year-Old now seeming diminished. "West Capital is our family's domain. Why should your grandson tolerate others' disdain?"

"When you think you've climbed to the highest peak, looking down on everyone below, that's when you'll realize the higher you climb, the more powerless you become..."

Chase was stunned, seeing his grandfather so resigned and pessimistic for the first time. He asked in disbelief, "Is the Victor Gallant's family really that terrifying? Who are they?"

Lawrence Wei shot him a cold, pitying glance, full of unspoken sorrow.

Never give up! That was the conclusion Chase reached after his match with his grandfather.

The more Leon Chen silently oppressed him, the more Chase wanted to break free and show everyone. If one Spiritualist wasn't enough, then ten, a hundred would do the job.

Chase sneered. Though associating with such people was a grave taboo in China, he didn't care.

Just as he was thinking this, Chase received a call. Seeing the number, his eyelids twitched. It was the Spiritualist.

"What's going on? That kid is still unscathed," Chase snapped.

"Don't be hasty, Young Master Wei. I have good news for you!" came the relaxed reply.

Chase's brows immediately smoothed. "For me, there's only one kind of good news."

"Let's meet at a location."

"Meet?" Chase frowned again.

"What are you worried about? Heh." The Spiritualist chuckled. "Let's meet at the Xihai Crab Garden Plaza, at XXX time. I'll deliver the good news personally!"

After a moment's hesitation, Chase nodded. "Alright. I trust you won't disappoint me."

"Not disappointing our clients is what we do!"

Leon Chen hung up the phone nonchalantly, leaning on the rooftop railing as he gazed out at the snowy landscape of West Capital.

The world stretched out in a transparent white expanse, with boys and girls below playing in the snow. Leon exhaled a cloud of cold mist, his thoughts conflicted, his gaze shifting from cold to uncertain. This crucial decision weighed heavily on him; after all, it would have far-reaching consequences.

Just then, a soft, playful voice echoed in his mind. "So this is snow. It's so beautiful."

"Lina, how did you know it's snowing here?" Leon was momentarily taken aback, then realized it wasn't surprising for Lina, as a Heavenly Realm's customer service, to know such things.

Lina chuckled, "Leon, you must be doing well lately. You've even obtained No. 9's top ability. You now have 30 abilities in total. Complete all 108, and my mission will be accomplished, hehe."

"I haven't even mentioned this yet—mind reading and mind searching have such nasty costs!" Leon wanted to sound angry.

Lina responded, "When it comes to deep mental abilities, this cost is relatively mild. Some of the other costs are way more extreme. For example, the cost for the ability: 'Exquisite Thousand Faces.'"

Leon was surprised. "What's the cost for Exquisite Thousand Faces?"

"I can't reveal that. You'll find out when you use it. It's a lot of fun, hehe."

"Ugh, I just don't understand what these costs are for. Are they really just for balance?" Leon wasn't convinced.

Lina only giggled in response, as if there was some hidden secret. Leon decided not to dwell on it—nothing in this world comes for free.

After enjoying the snowy view for a while, Lina suddenly remembered something and reminded him, "Oh, by the way, I came to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"Your watch needs an energy refill."

"Energy refill?"

"Of course, everything needs specific energy to operate. But don't worry, Leon. You just need to press the energy button on your watch, and it'll automatically absorb energy from the surroundings."

"That simple?"

"Yes, that's right."

Leon found the button and pressed it. The watch emitted a cool glow, and he saw blue particles gathering in the sky, being absorbed by the watch. In that moment, he heard groans echoing throughout the building.

"Huh? Why is the power out?"

"My experimental data!!"

"I was typing... Damn. Why did the power suddenly go out?"

Not only that, but Leon saw entire rows of skyscrapers in West Capital suddenly go dark. Thankfully, it wasn't nighttime, or Leon might have witnessed a spectacular city-wide blackout.

He quickly turned off the energy button, speechless. "This thing is way too overpowered."

Lina laughed carelessly. "That's why I suggest collecting energy during a thunderstorm."

"Guess I'll have to," Leon muttered. "How long can the watch's energy last?"

"Over 40,000 minutes. The bit you just absorbed added another ten minutes, so there's no need to worry."

Leon had thought energy management would be a hassle, but after Lina's explanation, he felt reassured. Even if he ever ran out of energy, he could just turn the watch on and let it keep absorbing.

He and Lina chatted about the Heavenly Realm, abilities, and other topics. Although he didn't gain any new information, Leon was intrigued by Lina's apparent love for snowy days. She kept praising the beauty of the snow as if she were right beside him, experiencing the pure white world firsthand. The image of Lina sitting in front of a giant screen, watching his world, popped into Leon's mind. It was odd—did the Heavenly Realm have cameras set up here? Leon looked up at the sky, amused by the thought.

The Crab Garden Plaza was one of West Capital's famous squares, always bustling with people. But at this moment, the crowd in the garden's center was fleeing in panic, with some brave souls occasionally glancing back.

Chase Wei!

The Spiritualist's pupils narrowed. "What are you doing?"

"Ever seen 'Code Geass R2'?" Chase asked, his words seemingly out of place.

"What's that?"

"The protagonist has a line I particularly like—'Only those prepared to be shot have the right to shoot!'"

"What nonsense are you spouting? Even with your status, this won't end well for you. Do you really want to make enemies of the Spiritualists?" The Spiritualist's tone grew cold, but his eyelids felt heavy, and his mind was clouded, as if filled with mercury.

Chase smirked, lifting his chin arrogantly. "That's exactly what I intend."

"Are you out of your mind?"

At that moment, two uniformed police officers rushed over. Under their watchful eyes, Chase smiled coldly.

The Spiritualist froze in shock. "You—"

Bang!