DTTM 61

Chapter 61: Killing the chicken to scare the monkey

Although the series of chain reactions triggered by our withdrawal kept Melanie and Xu Chengye extremely busy and even forced them to rely on oxygen masks to stabilize their emotions, this time, neither of them complained.

Zong Yanlei did not show up until the post-match celebration party started. I had no idea if he was busy, resting, or simply didn’t want to see me.

A video of Yi You crying on the dashboard was uploaded online, sparking celebrations from both fans and haters. Overwhelmed, he hid in his room and refused to show himself. Tan Yunmei went to comfort him. Therefore, of the four Sun God members that night, only I attended the party.

The championship at this race was won by Full Throttle’s main car, while the Sun God team had zero points because neither of their cars finished the race.

This unexpected result caused the Sun God’s points, which had been in the top spot, to stagnate, while Full Throttle and Western Fantasy, which were ranked behind, took the opportunity to quickly narrow the gap.

Particularly Full Throttle, now trailing the Sun God by two points. With the final game approaching, the championship, which seemed to be within the Sun Gods’ grasp, had suddenly become unpredictable.

The Crown Prince did not appear at the celebration party, but Yu Xuan did. Ostensibly, he was there to offer his congratulations to the racing drivers on behalf of the Crown Prince, but from the moment he stepped into the banquet hall, his expression was far from pleasant. After the perfunctory greetings and polite words, he couldn’t wait to go to the terrace for some fresh air, and even had his guards stand at the door to prevent any unauthorized personnel from disturbing him.

Holding my sparkling water, I feigned an attempt to befriend Yu Xuan, asking a guard to announce my arrival. Perhaps the guard had been instructed beforehand, because he quickly let me in.

A huge brazier burned in the center of the terrace, its flames swirling in the night wind. Yu Xuan sat alone by the brazier, a glass of strong liquor in his hand, lost in thought. The conspicuous hickey on his neck had been covered with a skin-colored patch.

“Why are you the only one here?” I sat down on the single sofa next to him and asked the question that had been bothering me since I first saw him.

Yu Xuan glanced at me and said in a cold voice, “Chu Shengcheng was meeting with Bondor and deliberately sent me away.”

One was a former member of the royal family of the Kingdom of Wo, and the other the current ruler of Wo Province. There was a deep-seated hatred between them, so it was indeed not advisable for them to meet.

To be honest, I originally thought that Yu Xuan wouldn’t set foot in Wo Province before Bondor died. His presence was already beyond my expectations.

Yes, Bondor must die; this was a consensus we three have long ago reached. As for how and when he dies, Yu Xuan never allowed Ye Shuer and me to interfere. This was his grudge, his unresolved issue, and no one was allowed to touch it.

“I went through so much trouble to get you this competition qualification,” Yu Xuan tilted his head back to finish his drink, his eyes reddening as he looked at me coldly, “and this is how you repay me with such dog shit results?”

He was drunk.

When Yu Xuan was sober, he would never say the words “dog shit”.

I stretched out my arms and moved closer to the brazier, warming myself by the flames. I didn’t want to stoop to the level of a drunkard: “The purpose of winning is to win people’s hearts. If I lose even that, what’s the point of winning the competition?”

“I hope everything really goes as you predict,” Yu Xuan sneered.

“Once a group forms, rationality is quickly diluted,” I said slowly. “Emotions are amplified and contagious, and judgment gives way to suggestion and conformity. Whether they are from Penglai or Wo, they are essentially the same. Just wait and see tomorrow, see how public opinion ferments and how I am shaped into a benevolent ‘god’.”

Ye Shuer not only manipulated public opinion to vilify the powerful and wealthy of Penglai, but also promoted my glorious image among the people of Wo. This was the most basic tactic of propaganda warfare, which can also be considered… manipulating people’s hearts.

Yu Xuan didn’t continue the topic. He leaned back on the sofa, tilted his head back, and looked up at the night sky.

“Twenty years,” he exhaled, “this place has become so different, I almost don’t recognize it anymore, it’s become… so ugly.”

Following the civil unrest, Wo Province’s economic development stalled, unemployment soared, and it was quickly abandoned by capital. The hotel we were staying in today still had the decor from twenty years ago; the moment we opened the door, the musty smell of years past wafted in the air. Next door stood a dilapidated hospital. Twenty years have passed, and it remained as its crumbling ruins.

“It will become beautiful in the future.” After a pause, I asked, “How are those miners doing?”

Yu Xuan stared at the sky for a while, then straightened up and poured himself another glass of wine: “After the competition, Bondor had them thrown back into the mine to fend for themselves. They won’t die, but they’ll suffer from the aftereffects. Especially those children, they’re so young, they’ll probably have physical and psychological problems.”

“Still such a beast.” Finally, he raised the glass to his lips and murmured.

I stared at the leaping flames, thought for a moment, and said, “Do me a favor.”

“…Have you been ordering me around too much lately?” Yu Xuan looked dissatisfaction.

“We’re family, why are you talking about ordering around?” I looked up and smiled at him. “Besides, I’m just paving the way for you.”

I instructed him to secretly send people to treat the miners in my name, and then have Ye Shuer bring the matter to the forefront.

In this way, it could be considered a win-win situation, making the best use of resources.

After listening, Yu Xuan didn’t say anything more and agreed.

The night wind was too cold. Yu Xuan didn’t feel it because he had been drinking, but I was already starting to feel the chill. The heat from the brazier was no match for the cold. Before my back went numb from the cold, I got up and went back to the warm hall.

As soon as I entered the banquet hall, a well-mannered attendant in a black suit came up to me and told me that the Crown Prince had invited me.

I was slightly taken aback, and then followed him.

The attendant led me to the top floor of the hotel and stopped in front of a huge, heavy wooden door. After the doorbell rang, someone quickly opened the door.

In the large living room, three people sat on the U-shaped sofa: Chu Shengcheng, Wen Nan, and a Wo, who had a scar on his face.

That man in his fifties or sixties, had slicked-back hair and a cigar in his mouth. Although he was slightly overweight, his eyes were still sharp as blades, and one could still vaguely see the ruthlessness he displayed when he slaughtered the Yu clan. This man was none other than the current governor of Wo Province, Bondor.

“You arrived quite quickly.” Chu Shengcheng sat cross-legged on the long sofa in the center, a white bathrobe loosely tied around his body, revealing a large expanse of his muscular chest.

He still had that fiery red hair, perhaps from a recent shower; his long, slightly damp curls hung down his sides, and stray red hair stained the fabric like mottled bloodstains.

He was slowly wiping a black gun, which was probably an old Webley revolver with a heavy body and cold, hard lines, definitely an antique.

“Your Highness, good evening.” I stopped in front of Chu Shengcheng and bowed slightly. “May the stars shine as brightly as you.”

Chu Shengcheng looked up at me, then chuckled: “Good?” He clicked the cylinder back into place and pointed the gun at me. “I’m not good at all.”

Facing the dark muzzle of the gun, my smile froze, and I immediately raised my hand: “Your Highness, what are you doing…?”

“I hate people who play passively the most, it’s such a downer. Do you know how much money I lost because of your withdrawal?” He smiled, showing no anger, but what he said was the opposite: “That guy Zong Yanlei, he thinks he’s above everyone else just because he’s a nobleman. I even made an exception for him and let him participate.”

“Your Highness, please calm down.” I said, trembling with fear. “It was indeed our fault, and we are willing to accept punishment. Please don’t upset yourself.”

Chu Shengcheng did not answer, but slowly pulled the trigger.

I stood still, holding my breath, betting he wouldn’t actually shoot.

“Click”.

Empty sound.

“This kid’s got some nerve,” Bondor said slowly. He exhaled a puff of smoke as he watched the scene unfold.

As soon as he finished speaking, my legs went weak and I knelt down.

“Your Highness, spare me!” I groveled, my forehead almost touching the carpet. “I…I don’t deserve death!”

After a brief silence, laughter erupted from the three people in the room.

“I thought you were tough, but it turns out you’re just putting on a brave face,” Bang Duo sneered.

Wen Nan’s voice rang out immediately: “Your Highness, Zong Yanlei now commands the Sun God God, his mother comes from the Wuxi family, and he is also your brother-in-law. He is by no means an ordinary player. As for the punishment for passive play, how about… a fine, or a one-season suspension?”

“Former brother-in-law,” Chu Shengcheng interrupted him.

Wen Nan immediately changed his tune: “Yes, former brother-in-law. If the punishment is too severe, it might not look good.”

“Clap—clap—”

Chu Shengcheng tapped his palm with the butt of his gun, pondered for a moment, and said, “That’s too easy on him. He said before that he would crush anything in his way, whether it was a car or a person. Now that he’d been given the chance, he’s acting like a saint.”

To remain noncommittal is to say “no”.

In traditional motorsports, passive racing is tantamount to manipulating the outcome and is severely punished. In the GTC, however, such behavior directly crossed the line involving betting and the enormous profits at stake. Once deemed “passive racing,” affecting the integrity of the race, it was not something that can be easily resolved with just a fine.

Previously, a GTC player intentionally lost a match. After it was exposed, he was not only banned for three years, but also thrown into the metaverse, where he was whipped one hundred times in front of the entire Penglai. Because of these one hundred lashes, he was left with severe neurological aftereffects, and his professional career was over.

“Exactly! This is a masterpiece that I personally guided the designer to create based on the inspiration from Zengcheng Station. It’s so exciting, and he actually withdrew from the competition? He really can’t take a joke.” Bondor was just enjoying the show and continued to stir things up.

Chu Shengcheng drawled, “He says his upbringing and stance forbid it. What? Does he think his education and stance are different from mine, or superior?” Before anyone else could agree, he asked again, “Tell me, in your opinion, how should I punish him?”

The room fell silent. After a while, I looked up and saw that all three of them were looking at me, confirming that Chu Shengcheng was talking to me.

“Your Highness,” I said slowly, “Zong Yanlei, or rather the Zong family and the Sun God Group, have never been your enemies.”

Chu Shengcheng narrowed his eyes: “You mean, he’s untouchable?”

I quickly denied it: “There is no one in the entire Penglai that you cannot touch. You must have already made up your mind on how to deal with him. How is it my place to interfere?”

“And what about you? Can I touch you?”

I was wondering why he would summon me for no reason; it turned out he was waiting for me here.

He wanted to kill the chicken to scare the monkey, and I am that “chicken”. (Making an example out of someone in order to threaten others.)

“Your Highness, spare me!” I bowed my head again and begged for mercy.

“I’ll give you two choices.” Chu Shengcheng was still smiling, even sounding more pleased. “First, I’ll punish Zong Yanlei by throwing him into the metaverse and executing him in public; the ratings will definitely be high. Second, I’ll punish you…”

He said with great interest, “Take off your clothes now, lie down on my bed, and serve me well, and this matter will be over.”

Um?

The atmosphere suddenly froze.

Things took a turn for the better than I expected.

So I wasn’t a “chicken” after all, but a “duck”? (Euphemism for male prostitue)

“Ha, Your Highness, you… you really do have a special fondness for the Wo people.” Bondor sounded somewhat amused.

“I like red,” Chu Shengcheng said nonchalantly.

“I keep quite a few concubines in my quarters. If Your Highness is interested, I will choose some and send them to you another day. However, speaking of which, this one, apart from being blind in one eye, is more like a ‘plaything’ than Yu Xuan.”

Chu Shengcheng didn’t respond. At this moment, Wen Nan also came to his senses, cleared his throat, and then joined the ranks of those forcing a good man into prostitution.

“You…you’re just a lowly commoner, this is an immense honor for you. Why don’t you quickly strip naked and lie on the bed to await the Crown Prince’s favor?”

I closed my eyes briefly, raised my head slightly, and said sheepishly, “It’s not that I’m unwilling, but I have my reasons.”

“I’ll count to three.” Completely unwilling to let me finish, Chu Shengcheng, stroking the gun, spoke again, “After three counts, I’ll have Bondor take Zong Yanlei into the metaverse.”

Once a group forms, rationality is rapidly diluted, emotions are amplified and contagious, and judgment gives way to suggestion and conformity. It becomes both predictable and easily manipulated. However, when it comes to individuals, the difficulty of manipulation increases dramatically. Because individuals are not bound by groupthink, their individuality is prominent, their intelligence is normal, and they are more prone to producing unpredictable, even irrational, outliers.

Like this complete madman in front of me.

“3……”

I frowned, my mind racing: “Your Highness, actually I’m sick…”

“2……”

Chu Shengcheng admired the gun in his hand, the countdown showing no sign of stopping.

I slightly clenched my fingers into the carpet.

Ha, these Penglai people, on the surface, were all devout followers of the Jing Shi religion, upholding its doctrines as gospel and strictly adhering to the rules of monogamy and natural procreation, yet behind the scenes, they were more uninhibited than anyone else. Was it sexual repression? Or was it that the more a social class was filled with money, material desires, and power, the more likely they were to abandon all restraints and live solely to satisfy their desires?

“1……”

There were four humans in the room, but I felt like I was being watched by three greedy, hungry wolves, and that I was in danger of being torn to pieces at any moment.

However, compared to being shot in the head by Chu Shengcheng, this was nothing.

As long as I’m alive, there’s always a way. I kept repeating to myself.

Slowly, I loosened the pressure on my fingertips.

“I choose.” After a brief pause, I made my choice, “Of course, I choose number two.”

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Author’s Note

The complexity of human nature is important, but melodrama is also indispensable.

The knowledge of group psychology in this chapter comes from Gustave Le Bon’s “The Crowd”.