NOVEL NEXT Chapter 73 - Departure
Mai Dongzi firmly rejected the Fifth Elder’s hope for her to ally with Erica, clearly expressing her unwillingness to have any further contact with the Nigri family.
Mai Dongzi is determined to avenge both the original owner’s grudge and the bounty placed on her own head.
However, while she intends to take revenge, she does not plan to die along with her enemies. She must find the right opportunity.
If she cannot find a suitable chance in reality, she will retaliate by issuing a bounty on Zhao Fanni.
Of course, Mai Dongzi’s bounty will not demand Zhao Fanni’s head; that would be too decisive and could give the impression that she is ruthless and assassinated a family elder.
Mai Dongzi prefers a more subtle approach, aiming to strike at the heart rather than kill outright.
For someone like Zhao Fanni, Mai Dongzi, even without a deep understanding, could identify three key weaknesses from Lucy’s memories where she could apply subtle tactics.
The most satisfying method for Maidongzi would be to target Zhao Fanni’s public image.
Zhao Fanni is very concerned about her image as a wealthy lady; she loves being praised and enjoys giving opinions on significant matters.
If Mai Dongzi were to issue a bounty, it would be for Zhao Fanni to appear in public, and anyone who could beat her up without causing serious injury, leaving her bruised and battered, would receive the reward. The bounty would continue until the funds were exhausted.
The more often this happens, the more Zhao Fanni would not only suffer physical pain but also develop a psychological fear of going out. Moreover, her distinctive “pighead” image would become a topic of conversation among the upper echelons of society.
Given Zhao Fanni’s nature, being publicly beaten into a “pighead” would make her suffer more than death.
In this case, although Mai Dongzi would be violating the law, as long as she handles things discreetly, avoids leaving any incriminating evidence, and it’s not a case involving a loss of life, the authorities would not pursue her with much effort, even if she is a suspect.
Mai Dongzi had consulted with Deputy Chen about this idea, primarily to report it and gauge whether it was feasible and the potential consequences.
Mai Dongzi believed that her actions would not go unnoticed by these people, so it was better to ask directly.
After all, Zhao Fanni’s convoluted attempts to have her assassinated were exposed by Prince Arthur’s people.
Deputy Chen only mildly criticized Mai Dongzi, advising her not to act recklessly and to focus on her cultivation instead.
After reflecting on Deputy Chen’s criticism, Mai Dongzi revealed a knowing smile; the advice was to act cautiously, not to abandon her plan.
However, she couldn’t carry out this plan herself or have someone close to her do it, so she needed to adapt to the broader environment before finding the right person for the job.
Since her conflict with the Nigri family was bound to deepen, Mai Dongzi was unwilling to engage with them in a superficial manner, as it would waste time and give the impression of being scheming.
The Fifth Elder likely didn’t expect Mai Dongzi to be so resolute, openly displaying her resentment and disrupting his plan to keep everything under wraps. He felt annoyed, thinking that the child was too stubborn and lacking in courtesy.
In families like theirs, issues are usually resolved privately, while outwardly maintaining a facade of harmony. Bringing such matters to the public only invites ridicule.
But the Fifth Elder quickly recalled the incident with the StarNet online controversy about the real and fake daughter, and his anger subsided.
When the revelation about the real and fake daughter first appeared on StarNet, he had instructed the Nigri couple to quickly suppress the matter.
The Nigri couple had promised to handle the situation well, but a few days later, when he checked again, the issue had already escalated beyond control.
Since even the elders handle things this way, there’s nothing surprising about the younger generation following suit.
Seeing Mai Dongzi’s stubborn nature, the Fifth Elder was reluctant but had no choice but to abandon his plan for her and Erica to get along harmoniously.
These two girls are the most outstanding talents of their generation in the Xi family. If it weren’t for the Nigri couple’s misdeeds and their underhanded tactics, their branch of the family could have been far more glorious.
Seeing the Fifth Elder storm off, Mai Dongzi couldn’t help but smile slightly.
What kind of elder is this? When Lucy was wronged, he ignored it completely. Now that she has some capability, he demands that she prioritize the greater good and favor his family’s bloodline.
It’s truly a daydream to think things would work out so perfectly; let’s see if she doesn’t infuriate him.
Fortunately, despite his anger, the Fifth Elder still left the family’s material compensation for Maidongzi.
Mai Dongzi examined the space ring left on the table by the Fifth Elder. Using her mental power, she checked its contents and found it filled with various supplies within the eighty-cubic-meter space.
Most of these supplies were things Mai Dongzi lacked.
At the same time, her optical brain account received five million credit coins as living expenses from the family.
For Mai Dongzi, the most practical item was the eighty-cubic-meter space ring, which allowed her to discard the space backpack provided by the survival game crew.
Originally, the space backpack was supposed to be returned to the show crew after the survival program ended.
However, after the survival game live broadcast ended, Mai Dongzi was directly taken away by Prince Arthur’s people and never had a chance to see the show crew. The director even sent her a message asking her to handle the space backpack herself.
To avoid revealing that she had a space ring, Mai Dongzi continued using the space backpack. Now that she has a better cover with the space ring, she can retire the backpack.
Mai Dongzi stayed at the Xi family’s residence for an afternoon and evening, meeting with Mira and two other friends who supported Lucy. The next morning, she left with her bodyguard, Su, to take the flying car.
The capital city of Capital Star is the most prosperous city in the Blue Black Empire and the only one with traffic control.
In the capital city, private flying cars are generally not allowed to operate; most citizens travel using public flying cars.
To save resources and time, public flying cars are usually five-seaters.
Mai Dongzi had booked a seat through her optical brain a minute before, and as soon as she stepped outside, she saw a flying car descend from the sky without any waiting.
Bodyguard Su boarded the flying car first to ensure it was safe before allowing Mai Dongzi to board.
The seats in the flying car are individual, separated by partitions, providing ample space to maintain distance.
The flying car is also equipped with a mechanical guard. If any violent incidents occur in the vehicle, this guard can not only record and alert authorities but also physically subdue the perpetrators.
Inside the flying car were a middle-aged man and a woman. When Mai Dongzi boarded, they merely glanced at her before returning their attention to their optical brains.