Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo' Chapter 1267 605: Cheating the World_5

Zhang Xiuling naturally didn't want to attend this ceremony, she didn't have much of a relationship with Han Yaomen, but He Jiaqing, over some entanglement, wiped out an entire Gang and publicly humiliated them, which Zhang Xiuling felt was too out of line.

"Boss Duan, thank you for your kindness, but the date doesn't work for me. I happen to have something urgent that day. But don't worry, even if I'm not there, my regards will be sent."

Zhang Xiuling thought of sending a gift to resolve the matter.

Duan Shuqun shook his head: "Master Zhang, if you're not present, then the regards aren't present. Our leader said there's something important to discuss with you that day."

"Discuss what?"

"That's hard to say. If you agree, it's a good thing." Duan Shuqun left the invitation and turned to leave.

Zhang Xiuling felt a chill run down her spine.

Could it be that He Jiaqing wants to target the Hundred Flowers Gate?

She guessed right, He Jiaqing's next target was indeed the Hundred Flowers Gate.

Back at the Liu Family Pawnshop, He Jiaqing was discussing the plan to deal with the Hundred Flowers Gate with Big Head when an attendant came with a message: a friend with the last name Kong was asking for a meeting.

"Mr. Kong Fang is here." He Jiaqing raised his eyebrows, gesturing for Big Head to stand aside for now.

Before long, Mr. Kong Fang arrived in the courtyard. He shared a couple of cups of tea with He Jiaqing and briefly inquired about the affairs of the Qingyun Society.

He Jiaqing explained truthfully.

Mr. Kong Fang then asked, "I've heard you've set your sights on the Hundred Flowers Gate again?"

He Jiaqing nodded: "We need money for the experiments, so I must find a quick source of income."

Mr. Kong Fang said nothing, and just as He Jiaqing was about to pour more tea, Mr. Kong Fang covered his cup: "Jiaqing, our business ends here."

He Jiaqing was taken aback: "What do you mean by that?"

Mr. Kong Fang rose up and said: "It means we part ways from here on."

With that said, Mr. Kong Fang vanished.

He Jiaqing held the teapot, quietly staring at the teacup in front of him.

...

Outside Greenwater City, halfway up Yiming Mountain amidst a birch grove, Ghost Hand Sect's leader Xie Juncong knelt on the ground, trembling.

Xiao Qianshou stood before him and asked: "I asked you to arrange a meeting with He Jiaqing, is it that difficult?"

Xie Juncong replied: "He's too high-profile now. Whoever approaches him will be watched by every sect. Our Ghost Hand Sect fears precisely this. I need to find the right opportunity."

Xiao Qianshou was also a bit puzzled: "What exactly does that brat want to do? I can't figure him out either. Okay, tell our people to stay away from him."

...

At night, He Jiaqing and Big Head were drinking together. They had drunk about half when Big Head asked: "Jiaqing, I remember your ambition was to change Puluo State, maybe even beyond Puluo State, to let capable people live with dignity. Has your thinking changed now?"

"It hasn't changed." He Jiaqing shook his head.

"Then why are you doing this now..."

"Hard to understand, right?" He Jiaqing lit a cigarette and gave a wry smile, "I went to a bookstore a couple of days ago, saw a book that taught me a lot."

"What book?" Big Head was quite curious.

"I didn't remember the title, but I remembered the words inside. Any word, if pulled out, could hit me so hard I couldn't fight back.

I thought the bookstore owner was invincible, that I would die in this book.

Who would have thought a friend came and saved me, without much effort. He said the bookstore owner gave him face."

"So much face?" Big Head didn't quite understand, so he just echoed.

"Yes, they all have a lot of face! But how much face do I, He Jiaqing, have? How skilled am I? Why would others want to do business with me? What merit or ability do I have? How much do I weigh?" He Jiaqing extinguished his cigarette, looked at Big Head, and said emotionally,

"Brother, it's been a long time since I met someone to whom I could speak my true feelings. I used to have one in college, but now that person doesn't want to talk to me anymore, which makes me feel suffocated,

I always thought that cultivation level stuff, Cloud Top Third Layer was the summit, once reaching Cloud Top Third Layer, with a bit more effort you reach Above the Cloud,

Above the Cloud doesn't have levels, the battle power should be roughly the same, as long as you reach Above the Cloud, you're among the strongest,

I used every means in the Outside Provinces to gather human energy, delivering food, live streaming, crawling through sewers, just to reach Above the Cloud. I've reached it, but what's the result?

I'm far behind others, I can't even touch the bookstore owner, I can't even beat a few of his books,

And there are people as strong as him who say they want to do business with me, but they're all lying, they're hiring me to be a scapegoat,

I invest money, I put in the effort, maybe even my life, I bear all the business risks, but when the business is successful, I certainly wouldn't benefit, because I don't have the qualification to reach out, with things like this, why do business at all?"

Big Head seemed to understand: "You destroyed the Qingyun Society to keep them away from you?"

"That's right!" He Jiaqing and Big Head filled a glass of wine, "They are doing shady business, so I deliberately put the spotlight on myself. I want everyone in Puluo State to watch me. As long as there's light around me, they have to stay away from me,

In Thief Cultivation, there's a Cloud Top Technique called cheating the world, brother, remember, what we steal doesn't necessarily have to be a good name."