I Have an All-Knowing Mirror

Chapter 107: First Pot of Gold

As a Fourth-Rank expert highly regarded by Gang Leader Gu, Saber Devil Qin Mo's words carried significant weight.

The Money Gang powerhouses who had been prepared to charge forward immediately stopped and looked toward Gang Leader Gu.

"Brother Qin, you..." Gang Leader Gu's expression changed slightly as he looked at Saber Devil Qin Mo.

Saber Devil Qin Mo was a Fourth-Rank expert he had recruited two months ago.

A Fourth-Rank expert was already considered the highest level of combat power in a place like Green Xiang City, truly rare and sought-after.

To recruit Saber Devil Qin Mo, Gang Leader Gu paid a monthly remuneration of up to a thousand ounces of silver. Furthermore, he had to provide a Mid-Tier Martial Arts Manual every month.

"Gang Leader Gu, hold on a moment,"

Saber Devil Qin Mo said. He stepped forward, looking at Su Yuan, and asked, "Are you from the Azure Surge Empire?"

Saber Devil Qin Mo was also an Imperial Citizen player, and his current inquiry was a secret code between players.

Only a player would know the concept of the empire. As for the game world itself? There was only the Dayong Dynasty."Correct!"

Su Yuan nodded, seeing no need to hide this fact. Knowing his status as an Imperial Citizen player did not mean knowing his real-life identity.

The virtual world network placed extreme importance on the privacy of its citizens' personal information.

Not to mention, they were separated by the layer of the Void Shattering game.

Hearing Su Yuan's reply, Saber Devil Qin Mo's brow relaxed slightly. "What is your name? How should I address you?"

"You can call me Wu," Su Yuan replied.

This was simply a name Su Yuan had made up on the spot.

The virtual world network highly valued the privacy of citizen information. Unless a player voluntarily revealed it, outsiders could never discover their true identity.

But this did not apply to Su Yuan.

Through the Gray Mirror, Su Yuan knew everything about the Saber Devil Qin Mo standing before him crystal clear.

Saber Devil Qin Mo, originally named Qin Mo, a Level 9 Life form from the Luoshen Star Sector of the Azure Surge Universal Human Empire...

"Wu, what are you doing here?"

Saber Devil Qin Mo pondered for a moment before asking.

Su Yuan stated directly, "Taking control of the Money Gang."

This was exactly his purpose for coming here.

"Taking control of the Money Gang..." Saber Devil Qin Mo suddenly fell silent.

As one of the three major gangs in Green Xiang City, the Money Gang was dripping with wealth. Who wouldn't want to take control of it?

To an Imperial Citizen player, taking over the Money Gang meant more than just becoming part of the ruling class in Green Xiang City.

It was a literal cash cow.

The Money Gang controlled the most lucrative businesses in Green Xiang City. The daily cash flow alone was hundreds of thousands of ounces of silver, and crucially, it was a steady, never-ending stream of income.

It was important to note that the money in the Void Shattering world could be exchanged for actual Azure Surge Coins in reality.

"How do you plan to take over?" Saber Devil Qin Mo glanced at Gang Leader Gu beside him. "Kill him or control him?"

Saber Devil Qin Mo gently shook his head.

As a veteran player who had been in Void Shattering since the servers opened, Saber Devil Qin Mo had thoroughly figured out the core of this game.

And that core was order.

The Dayong Dynasty was currently at its absolute peak. Everything operated on order, and the power of the authorities was unprecedentedly strong, capable of suppressing everything.

The three major gangs in Green Xiang City might look glamorous and unparalleled, but they were nothing more than puppets pushed to the surface by the authorities to rake in wealth.

And behind the Money Gang stood the Golden Guard.

The Golden Guard was the violent law enforcement agency of the Dayong Dynasty. Across the Nine Provinces of Dayong, every city had a Golden Guard branch dedicated to suppressing ranked experts.

The Golden Guard Commander of Green Xiang City was a peak Fourth-Rank expert.

Kill or control Gang Leader Gu? Let alone taking over the Money Gang, one would be suppressed by the Golden Guard within half a day.

This was also the reason why Saber Devil Qin Mo had been willing to be recruited by Gang Leader Gu.

With his strength, killing Gang Leader Gu would be effortless, but what about afterward? Facing the pursuit of the Golden Guard, he wouldn't be able to take a single step in the Nine Provinces of Dayong.

"Are you going to stand in my way?" Su Yuan asked.

"Forget it." Saber Devil Qin Mo thought for a moment and shook his head. "Be my guest."

He could sense that Su Yuan was also a Fourth-Rank expert. In reality, he was likely an 8th or Level 9 Life form as well.

There was no need to risk his life against an expert of the same level for a mere thousand ounces of silver a month.

Based on the exchange rate, a thousand ounces of silver was only equivalent to a hundred thousand Azure Surge Coins, and the cost to re-enter the game after dying was exactly that same amount.

"Brother Qin, you?"

Gang Leader Gu's expression turned incredibly ugly.

However, he also realized that this expert carrying a Long Gun on his back must also be a Fourth-Rank expert.

Otherwise, Saber Devil Qin Mo wouldn't have given up on fighting.

"All of you, attack together!"

Without hesitation, Gang Leader Gu immediately ordered the Money Gang powerhouses he had brought to strike.

Whoosh!

Saber Devil Qin Mo was merely a subordinate recruited by Gang Leader Gu; strictly speaking, their relationship was a collaboration. Saber Devil Qin Mo wouldn't throw his life away for Gang Leader Gu over that meager compensation.

But the other experts of the Money Gang were different. Having been cultivated by the gang, they were naturally fiercely loyal.

However.

Thrum—

Gripping his Long Gun, Su Yuan swept it in a wide arc. An invisible, scorching aura condensed into a powerful domain that enveloped his surroundings, forcing all the Money Gang experts to stumble backward.

"Hmm?" Saber Devil Qin Mo, who had retreated to the side to watch the battle, felt a jolt of shock at this sight.

'Is Wu already comprehending cosmic power?'

As a Level 9 Life form in reality, Saber Devil Qin Mo knew exactly what this meant.

In theory, cosmic power could only be comprehended by a Starry Sky Lifeform. But theory was theory, and reality was reality.

A very small number of life forms with astonishing talent could grasp a tiny fraction of cosmic power when stuck at the absolute limit of Level 9.

In addition, those life forms with profound backgrounds could rely on external resources to sense cosmic power to a certain extent.

'Wu...'

Saber Devil Qin Mo instantly felt that his decision not to fight was incredibly correct.

In his view.

Su Yuan either possessed terrifying talent.

Or a profound background.

Regardless of which it was, he was not someone to provoke into a conflict.

Compared to the simple minds of the game's native residents.

Imperial Citizen players had much more to consider.

They not only had to weigh in-game factors.

But also balance them against out-of-game backgrounds.

Tap!

The sharp tip of the gun pressed directly against the center of Gang Leader Gu's forehead.

Gang Leader Gu immediately broke out in a cold sweat, pleading repeatedly, "Spare my life, great hero! Have mercy! Whatever you want, I'll give it to you!"

Although he was backed by the Golden Guard, the strongest violent law enforcement agency in Dayong, Gang Leader Gu didn't dare mention them at this moment.

Who knew if it would provoke Su Yuan?

"Do you want to live?"

Su Yuan stared down at Gang Leader Gu.

He had no intention of killing the man.

To completely take over the entire Money Gang, killing alone wasn't going to cut it.

"I do, I want to live!" Gang Leader Gu frantically agreed.

The higher one's status, the stronger their desire to live. Those lowly grunts could throw their lives away without a second thought, but he, Gang Leader Gu, absolutely could not.

"If you want to live, deliver this letter to Commander Lu."

Su Yuan produced a letter and handed it to Gang Leader Gu.

"A letter?"

Gang Leader Gu was slightly stunned.

The Commander Lu that Su Yuan mentioned was none other than the Golden Guard Commander of Green Xiang City, the true backer behind the Money Gang.

"Get lost already!"

Su Yuan glared at Gang Leader Gu.

"Yes, yes... I'm going..."

Gang Leader Gu scrambled out of the Moon Blossom Tower as fast as he could.

"Brother Wu, you..." Saber Devil Qin Mo finally realized what was happening.

Su Yuan was no fool; he had considered the variable of Commander Lu from the very beginning.

That letter was his answer to dealing with Commander Lu.

Saber Devil Qin Mo was simply curious about what was written inside that gave Su Yuan the confidence to seize control of the Money Gang.

Su Yuan smiled faintly as he sat down in the main seat. He swept his gaze across the room. "Why is everyone just standing there? Resume the music and keep dancing."

Although the time from when Su Yuan first stepped forward to when he ordered Gang Leader Gu to deliver the letter was brief, for everyone present—especially the members of the Hua family—it felt like they had been on a terrifying roller coaster.

Especially at the end, when Su Yuan forced the Fourth-Rank expert Saber Devil Qin Mo to back down without a fight, and then dispatched the Money Gang's experts in just a few moves; it made the Hua Family Head tremble in fear. "Where are the courtesans? Get the courtesans back on stage immediately!"

The Hua Family Head instantly snapped back to reality, hastily ordering the scattered and fleeing courtesans to return to the stage.

Outside the Moon Blossom Tower.

Gang Leader Gu steadied his nerves. It wasn't until this moment that he was entirely sure he had survived.

"That man..."

Gang Leader Gu's expression grew extremely solemn.

"Gang Leader, what do we do now? Should we gather the brothers?"

One of his subordinates approached and asked.

"Gather the brothers to throw their lives away?!"

Gang Leader Gu glared fiercely at his subordinate. With the strength of a Fourth-Rank expert, even if he couldn't beat them head-on, he could simply hide and assassinate them one by one. How could the Money Gang possibly defend against that?

"Then right now..."

The subordinate's tone was hesitant.

"Deliver the letter!"

Gang Leader Gu gritted his teeth as he stared at the envelope in his hand.

Inside the Moon Blossom Tower, the sound of music began to play once more.

"Wu, who are you waiting for here?" Saber Devil Qin Mo sat nearby, asking out of curiosity.

"Waiting for Commander Lu," Su Yuan said calmly.

As the Golden Guard Commander of Green Xiang City, Commander Lu was not an Imperial Citizen player, but a native resident of the game.

In fact, at present, all the high-ranking officials within the Dayong Dynasty in Void Shattering were native residents. Players hadn't been in the game for very long. Even if they were lucky enough to bluff their way into officialdom, they couldn't have climbed too high.

The native residents of the game were not simply lines of data; they were intelligent life forms with their own complex web of grievances and affections.

Eighteen years ago, Commander Lu had been hunted by a nemesis family. During their escape, his wife and infant son tragically fell off a cliff. Although no bodies were ever recovered, the chances of survival in that environment had been practically zero.

Without any corpses, the most likely outcome was that they had been carried off by wild beasts.

Leaving not a single bone behind.

Yet, through the Gray Mirror, Su Yuan knew that Commander Lu's son hadn't died.

Instead, the infant had been discovered by a passing wandering monk and taken to Mount Shaoshi to become a young novice monk.

In truth, even without the Gray Mirror, an Imperial Citizen player could potentially discover this hidden secret as long as they thoroughly studied the Void Shattering chronicle.

At the Golden Guard branch in Green Xiang City.

Commander Lu sat imposingly in his seat, watching Gang Leader Gu, who was kneeling on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly.

"Commander, you must seek justice for me!"

Gang Leader Gu cried out, looking aggrieved beyond measure.

"Useless trash."

Commander Lu frowned. "Give me the letter."

Commander Lu was quite intrigued by the letter Su Yuan had ordered Gang Leader Gu to deliver to him.

Pressing a long gun to Gang Leader Gu's head in broad daylight—wasn't that slapping him, Commander Lu, right in the face?

But the other party was a Fourth-Rank expert and had sent a letter with such supreme confidence.

Was he that certain that he wouldn't dare to turn hostile and attack?

"Right away..."

Gang Leader Gu hurriedly took out the letter.

Commander Lu opened the envelope. After a single glance, his expression shifted drastically.

A moment later.

Commander Lu stood up abruptly, folded the letter, and closed his eyes. "To think that at my age, I would still learn of..."

Commander Lu's mind was reeling. The contents of the letter were exactly about his son.

Not only that, but the letter also mentioned a birthmark on his son's body—a birthmark known only to Commander Lu and his late wife.

Knowing about this birthmark meant that the sender had undoubtedly seen his son.

"Eighteen years."

Commander Lu reined in his chaotic thoughts and looked down at Gang Leader Gu. "Where is he?"

"Ah?"

Gang Leader Gu immediately sensed that something was wrong.

But he didn't dare defy Commander Lu's will and quickly answered, "That man is still at the Moon Blossom Tower."

Moon Blossom Tower.

Clomp, clomp, clomp—

Dozens of Golden Guards clad in golden armor swiftly surrounded the Moon Blossom Tower.

Commander Lu strode directly into the establishment.

"Commander Lu..." The Hua Family Head trembled in terror.

Facing Gang Leader Gu, he still dared to speak a word or two, but Commander Lu?

This man was a god of death.

"All of you, get out."

Commander Lu walked right up to Su Yuan.

He waited until everyone else had evacuated the area.

Only then did Commander Lu finally speak. "You have impressive methods, meticulously scheming to obtain news of my son. Out with it. What do you want?"

"I want the Money Gang," Su Yuan stated bluntly.

From beginning to end, his sole objective had been the Money Gang.

"The Money Gang?" Commander Lu frowned.

The Money Gang was the Golden Guard's biggest tool for gathering wealth.

"Don't worry. The cut you're supposed to get every month will not be a single penny less,"

Su Yuan assured him.

"First, tell me where my son is," Commander Lu demanded.

"That won't do." Su Yuan smiled faintly. "What if I tell you, and you refuse to agree?"

This wasn't just a 'what if'—it was an absolute certainty.

The Money Gang scraped together millions of ounces of silver for Commander Lu every year. Even with Su Yuan's guarantee that his share wouldn't diminish, Commander Lu wouldn't give it up so easily.

"Are you so quick to trust my word?" Commander Lu chuckled coldly.

"A promise from Commander Lu is a promise worth a thousand gold. I understand that much." Su Yuan nodded.

"And if I refuse?" Commander Lu stared intensely at Su Yuan.

"With Commander Lu's strength at the peak of the Fourth Rank, I am indeed no match for you,"

Su Yuan shook his head. "However, it would be just as difficult for you to make me stay. Those dozens of Golden Guards surrounding the Moon Blossom Tower outside cannot stop me."

"And once I escape, I will never return for the rest of my life. You will never hear another word about your son again."

As soon as these words were spoken.

Commander Lu fell silent, carefully weighing his options.

His concerns ran deeper. If he turned against Su Yuan, the man would undoubtedly target his son afterward in retaliation.

By then, Commander Lu, having just learned that his son was still alive, would likely have to endure the agony of losing him all over again.

"How can I be sure that the boy is actually my son?"

Commander Lu asked.

An identical birthmark could just be a coincidence.

"Once you find your son, you can use whatever method you wish to verify his identity. A descendant bloodline resonance? Or any other technique—it doesn't matter."

"If he isn't your son, I will willingly hand the Money Gang right back to you,"

Su Yuan declared.

In the Void Shattering world, powerful experts could use certain methods to sense their descendant bloodline. Impersonating someone's child was virtually impossible.

"Fine. I agree to your terms."

After a long silence, Commander Lu spoke with a solemn tone.

Su Yuan was right. He might be cruel and ruthless to the outside world, but he kept his word. If he didn't agree, that was one thing, but once he made a promise, he would undoubtedly see it through.

"Deal."

A bright smile surfaced on Su Yuan's face.

Taking control of the Money Gang was Su Yuan's crucial first step in integrating into the wider universe.

From the several businesses controlled by the Money Gang, after deducting various expenses and the bribes paid to the authorities,

Su Yuan would be able to net twenty-three thousand ounces of silver from the gang every month.

Twenty-three thousand ounces of silver, when exchanged for Azure Surge Coins, equated to two million three hundred thousand Azure Surge Coins.

Two million three hundred thousand Azure Surge Coins a month meant twenty-three million in ten months. In a hundred months, it would be two hundred thirty million Azure Surge Coins—equivalent to the total value of two normal life-sustaining planets.