Its the Cyber Age—Still Playing a Traditional Villain? - Chapter 173

Chapter 173: Don’t Even Think About Running Away~
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Translation by: Weebsread👹
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How many times had it been now?
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When the triumphant news from City Hall’s Governor’s Mansion reached Xu Shi, his first instinct was to start counting.
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He’d truly lost track of how many times he’d used Tang Shuang as a pawn... There was no denying it.
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Truth be told, guilt wasn’t something that came easily to him, but even he had to admit that constantly fleecing the same sheep left him feeling a little sheepish.
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But this time, was it really so bad? After all, she had her own ambitions to clean up City Hall, and he’d promised her the Governor’s seat. If anything, she ought to be thanking him, should she not?
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Still, “That’s not really how it works, is it?” he muttered to himself.
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Xia Ke’an, looking every bit the little adult, clicked her tongue at him. “If I were her, and someone manipulated me into achieving my greatest dream without even realizing it, I’d be tempted to riddle you with bullets. Just saying.”
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“And let’s be honest, Tang Shuang isn’t my airheaded niece—you can’t just crook your finger and have her eating out of your hand. You two aren’t that close, are you?”
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“Oh, so you know everything now?” Xu Shi, feeling a little exposed, poked the white-haired loli’s forehead in a feeble attempt to hide his embarrassment.
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He couldn’t deny it. Ke’an’s read was dead-on. Expecting Director Tang to be grateful was just wishful thinking. With her temperament, flying into a rage was far more likely.
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As for the state of their relationship... well, it was complicated.
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Xu Shi was sure Director Tang wasn’t as blindly loyal as Xia Wuyou and the others, ready to follow his every word. But she wasn’t like Lin Yue either—full of resentment, yet forced to obey.
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She was somewhere in between. He’d used her plenty, but he’d always made sure she got something out of the deal.
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She’d even gotten all mysterious last time, telling him to change his clothes for some reason... Who knew what she was thinking?
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One way or another, it was bound to cause him more headaches in the future—just the business of bypassing her to use Yu Xingchuan was enough to spark trouble. If the tables were turned, he wouldn’t take it lying down.
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Not that it mattered much to Xu Shi. The big picture always took priority. He’d already factored all this in when making his moves.
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“I figured it out ages ago,” Xia Ke’an said, hands on her hips, preening. “The second you dangled that carrot in front of Deputy Yu, I saw right through you.”
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Xu Shi wasn’t about to give up Tang Shuang just for Yu Xingchuan. If he was clearing the Director’s seat, it was only because he had an even bigger prize to offer.
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And aside from Chief Inspector, the only thing left at City Hall was the Governor’s post.
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Someone at Ke’an’s level wasn’t about to be fooled by that kind of maneuver.
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“So you knew, and you still played innocent?”
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Xu Shi couldn’t help but laugh.
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“Some people think I’m your daughter. Better to keep my mouth shut and play along, right?” The white-haired loli bobbed her head sagely. “Kids are cuter when they’re a little clueless.”
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“But next time, pick a smarter mom for me, will you? This one’s too dumb. I don’t like her.”
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“Who are you calling dumb?!” Miss Black Rabbit blurted out, caught completely off guard.
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“Whoever answers, that’s who.” Ke’an made a face, then darted into Xu Shi’s arms. “Not just dumb, but scary too. Yikes~”
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“Alright, that’s enough out of you.” Xu Shi was helpless in the face of Auntie’s childish antics. “How did I ever think you were some mature, steady mastermind?”
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Calling her a brat would be more accurate.
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“Hey, with you around, what’s the point of acting mature?” The white-haired loli shrugged like it was the most natural thing in the world. “But have you thought about what you’ll do if Tang Shuang flat-out refuses to become Governor?”
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“Then I’ll find someone else,” Xu Shi replied with a shrug. “As for her... she can come work under me. I’ll keep her busy.”
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“That’s so you.”
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“I’ll take that as a compliment.”
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“Hey, hey, are you two done?” Miss Black Rabbit, having failed to get a word in, finally lost her patience and cut them off. “Everything outside’s settled, right? Are we just going to hang around here?”
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Honestly, none of it felt real to her. This was a huge deal, wasn’t it? And yet, here they were, joking around like it was nothing. It didn’t even feel as intense as the last gala...
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But thinking about it, she realized it made sense. From the very beginning, this was always going to be a one-sided steamroll. It just showed how powerful Xu “Jerk” really was now.
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And the more she thought about it, the more she couldn’t help but grin.
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Damn, my man’s a beast!
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And to think, I used to butt heads with him! That’s a story I could brag about for years!
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So what if I lost? Nobody else managed to win either!
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“Pretty much wrapped up,” Xu Shi said, setting Xia Ke’an down and stretching. “Just need to tie up a few loose ends.”
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“Let’s go. Time to see the look on the losers’ faces.”
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——
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Sin City, 5th District, a nameless alley.
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Unlike Xu Shi, who might as well have been out on a family picnic for all the tension he felt, the news battering Shen He from every direction landed like sledgehammers to the chest.
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The uprising outside the city—crushed!
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The rebellion inside the city—crushed!
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The civilian psychic infection—crushed!
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Even Dragon City had been toppled in an instant... It wasn’t just that his plans had all failed. Even his escape routes were cut off.
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“C-Chief Shen...?”
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A few people still stuck with him, but they were panicking now, voices trembling as they asked, “What do we do now?”
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“...We leave. Now.” Shen He took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to stay calm. “We try to find Little Qin. Once we have her, we make for the city limits and get out.”
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Not that he felt confident about it—the city was locked down, and he was terrified for his sister’s safety.
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Truthfully, ever since the city rebellion had failed, he’d had a sinking feeling.
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And his subordinates’ words were a knife to the gut.
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“Escape the city... and then what?”
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Yeah. Good question.
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Shen He suddenly realized—last time, after his defeat, he’d at least had the Forgotten Ones outside the city to fall back on. But after this disastrous comeback, even that lifeline was gone.
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So where could he go now? Deeper into the wastelands, where not even the Forgotten Ones could survive? Or throw himself into the endless sea?
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Wait. Wait...
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Sweat broke out on his palms, his limbs going numb. He forced himself to focus.
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It couldn’t end here. There had to be a way... Yes!
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He hurriedly activated his communicator, trying to reach He Yuxia.
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Maybe, just maybe, she could hide him for a while—let things cool down.
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But it was hopeless. She didn’t answer. He called and called, each attempt vanishing into the void.
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And just then, news about Sharktooth finally reached him. “Chief Shen, Sharktooth’s been hit. The entire He family has been taken away—no one knows where!”
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“What?!”
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It hit him like a bolt from the blue, his arms falling limp at his sides.
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Whether it was Imaginary and Xu Shi’s secrecy or just his own distraction, the information hadn’t reached him until now. But the timing couldn’t have been worse—a fresh blow when he was already down.
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As for City Hall... he hadn’t even dared to think that far ahead.
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“Shen He!”
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Now, even his followers were losing their heads. No one bothered with titles—most of them were Forgotten Ones, not the loyal Sparks veterans.
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“Shut up!” Shen He snapped, teeth clenched. “Stick to the plan—some of you try to get out of the city, the rest come with me to find Little Qin. We’ll regroup outside. Move!”
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Staying here was the worst option.
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“Evacuation” was just a nice way of saying “run for your life”—they were a mess. Honestly, when the Forgotten Ones had first slunk into the city, it hadn’t been this bad...
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Still, things went surprisingly smoothly.
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Mostly thanks to Old Master Wen causing such a stir—not just in 1st District, but all of Sin City was in chaos. Even Serpent Ring’s squads were stretched thin.
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Taking advantage of the confusion, they managed to bluff their way past several checkpoints.
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Then, they caught a break.
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“Hey, is that the Sparks?”
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Someone with sharp eyes spotted a small, organized squad moving quickly nearby, uniforms unmistakable, the logo on their sleeves clear as day.
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“Sparks?”
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Shen He’s head snapped up.
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Right! How could he have forgotten?
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Truth be told, after returning to Sin City, he’d never fully trusted Lin Yue or her new Sparks. There were too many things he couldn’t figure out, and a lot of the members had a strange attitude toward him.
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But at a time like this, surely they could be counted on? After all, they were his old comrades...
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He was still weighing his options when the Sparks squad noticed them.
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Before Shen He’s group could react, the Sparks moved in, surrounding them.
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“You—”
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“Relax, Chief Shen,” the squad leader said smoothly, flashing a smile. “Things are too chaotic here. We’ve been looking for you. Let me call Chief Yue, and then we’ll all leave together.”
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As he spoke, he subtly signaled his team behind his back.
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The words didn’t reassure anyone. Even Shen He’s ragtag followers realized something was off.
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Someone immediately raised a gun. “No, something’s wrong—”
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Bang.
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Before he could finish, a bullet punched through his skull.
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“I told you, didn’t I? Relax,” the squad leader said, lowering his smoking gun. “Your men don’t understand the rules, Chief Shen. I had to make an example. I’m sure you understand.”
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“...”
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Shen He fell silent. What was there to say?
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Even a fool could see it now—the Sparks weren’t here to protect them. This was a roundup, plain and simple.
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But knowing didn’t help. Their weapons and gear were no match, and in no time, they were all taken prisoner.
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Including Shen He himself—he was never a fighter, and with his faith at rock bottom, “not built for running” was the most accurate way to describe him.
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Just then, Lin Yue arrived.
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When she saw Shen He pinned to the ground, her eyes lit up for a moment—then her face clouded over with complicated emotions.
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“Lin Yue! You—You too?!” Shen He roared, spit flying, losing control in a rare outburst of profanity.
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Maybe this wasn’t the thing that broke him, but it was definitely the final straw.
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He’d never fully trusted her, but he never thought she’d side with Xu Shi. But why else would she be capturing him? In all of Sin City, who else would go to such lengths to hunt him down?
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“I...” Lin Yue looked down at him, lips moving, but in the end, she said nothing.
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She’d wanted to apologize—it wasn’t like she had a choice, trading Shen He for her sister.
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But as the words formed, Xu Shi’s voice echoed in her mind.
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“But he’s the one who gave up on you first, Miss Lin.”
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!
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Lin Yue spun around, but the man himself was nowhere to be seen.
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But the voice stuck with her. Worse, she realized, deep down, Xu Shi was right.
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With that, her apology faded away.
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“...Restrain them, just as I instructed,” she said quietly.
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The little assassin gave the order, ignoring Shen He’s impotent rage. She simply waved her hand, then closed her eyes.
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Maybe that was her last kindness.
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With no response, Shen He’s shouts grew weaker and weaker.
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But that didn’t mean he was giving up. He still had one last, crucial card to play.
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The Beacon.
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His father’s life-saving artifact, with one use left.
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This wasn’t over yet!
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Not yet!
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But—
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Just as he was about to discreetly activate the Beacon, Lin Yue’s communicator rang out, shattering the moment.
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She answered, her expression first twisting in frustration, then turning sullen as she yanked off her wristband and tossed it in front of Shen He.
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She switched the call to speaker. Xu Shi’s voice came through, full of mockery.
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“Hey, hey, can you hear me, little darling Shen He?”
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His tone was pure mischief. “Bet you never thought she’d be the one to catch you, huh?”
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“Xu Shi!”
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Shen He’s nerves snapped, and he screamed uncontrollably.
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Xu Shi ignored him, voice turning cold. “I know you’ve got a way to run. But don’t even think about it.”
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As he spoke, he sent over a photo—the last thing Shen He wanted to see.
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Shen Qin, trussed up like a work of art, eyes closed, hanging from a ceiling beam.
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“Your beloved sister is my guest now. If you run, I’ll snap her neck without a second thought.”
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Xu Shi: You’ve used your escape tool three times already. Leaving me one use is only fair, right?