Chapter 44: Asking A Fox for Its Skin

Translator: Lordbluefire  Editor: Lordbluefire

“Not bad!” It was like he knew what Feng Lin wanted to say next. Feng Lang instantly continued with his words.

“As long as you have enough strength and gain a good ranking in the ranking competition of the clan, you would be able to earn recognition and toss aside the fate of you becoming a factory worker. Low-grade clansmen are still clansman. As long as you can exhibit startling talent, who would suppress you? Even the Head Butler would be powerless to act against you!”

Feng Lang’s tone was filled with instigation. Clearly, he wanted to provoke Feng Lin into joining the ranking competition.

Feng Lin was naturally aware of this, but he didn’t mind it.

Because Feng Lang’s words weren’t false. This ranking competition would truly be of great help to him, allowing him to escape from the predicament that was currently before him.

“This ranking competition isn’t bad, but I’m already about to be escorted to the factory to work. How can I avoid this? Water from afar isn’t able to save a near fire, how would I get the chance to enter the clan’s ranking competition?” Feng Lin silently mumbled.

“This would depend on whether you have the courage or not!” Feng Lang’s eyes narrowed to slits, gleaming with sharpness. He felt that he had taken back the initiative.

“To do what?” Feng Lin directly asked.

This Feng Lang was clearly making use of him, but Feng Lin couldn’t care less. As long as he could get out of his predicament, all other things were considered minor matters.

There wouldn’t be mercy without any reason. If you obtained something, others would definitely covet it. You had to pay a price to get what you wanted, an equal exchange. This was something steeped in logic.

Feng Lin was thinking about how he could obtain the greatest benefits out of this exchange.

Certain that Feng Lin wouldn’t reject him, Feng Lang laughed. “You have to think of a method to leave the clan and escape the factory assignment. Come back in a domineering manner only when the time for the ranking competition comes. At that time, display overwhelming strength to sway the family to your side!”

“So simple? I just have to escape from the clan?” Feng Lin started. Wasn’t this too easy? So easy that it felt unreal.

“You think it is easy? Escape? Where can you run to?” Feng Lang sneered. “What era is this? Even in the Ancient Earth Era, there’s something called GPS, a global monitoring system. In the Interstellar Era, if someone wants to monitor you, it’s useless no matter where you flee to. It’s not that I’m trying to frighten you, but if the clan really wants to find you, in this vast planet Earth, they wouldn’t even need three seconds! In fact, in this entire solar system, they wouldn’t need more than ten seconds!”

Feng Lin fell silent. He speculated that Feng Lang, as an upper-grade clansman, should be privy to some secrets that ordinary clansman wouldn’t know.

“How?” He bluntly asked.

Since Feng Lang had already revealed some secrets, he didn’t plan to hide anything anymore. “For every clansman, since they grew up in the clan, the clan’s influence would seep into all aspects of the clansmen daily lives. Even the identity microchip you have is obtained from the clan. Do you really think that the clan wouldn’t do anything to the microchip? How naive! You low-grade clansmen weren’t told of this; only descendants of direct descent like me would know about it. Each clansmen’s id microchip is tracked by the clan’s A.I. The clan’s authority over your microchip is even higher than yourself, they can override it easily and use it against you. This means that no matter what you want to do, which location you are at, the clan can know everything. There’s nowhere for you to flee. Also, each id microchip is bound to a person. One cannot change it easily. Once you changed it, you will definitely rouse the clan’s suspicion, and they would immediately take actions to monitor you closely.”

Feng Lang’s words were like a thunderbolt ringing out in his mind, devastatingly shocking.

Every human in this Interstellar Era had their own identity microchip, but to think that this was actually a monitoring tool used by the clan to keep their members in check. This made Feng Lin extremely uncomfortable.

This meant that if the clan so intended, they would be able to monitor him without him knowing. He would not be able to keep any secrets from them.

Feng Lin silently grabbed his id microchip in his hand. This microchip was manufactured from a transparent, glass-like substance, incorporating the highest technology available in this era. Its toughness was incomparable; it could even be used to block bullets at crucial moments.

This wasn’t a joke!

Humanity was now all over the universe, several billion in number. There were scientific institutions who did a calculation before. Every day, there were a few people using their microchips to block bullets. This was already considered old news.

Even with Feng Lin’s strength, his fingers made cracking sounds as they attempted to crush the microchip. He couldn’t damage it at all.

Feng Lang shook his head when he saw this. He silently added, “Don’t waste your effort. The microchip isn’t something you can destroy. Also, without an id microchip, it would be extremely tough for you to move about in the human world. You would become an unregistered resident and would be pursued no matter where you go. I’m sure this isn’t the outcome you want.”

“Since you know all this, what is the meaning behind those words you told me earlier?” Feng Lin counter-asked. He didn’t lose his cool.

This Feng Lang wasted so much breath to tell him so many things. It was impossible for the information to be useless.

And indeed, the truth was as he expected.

“Who said that there’s no meaning? I can tell you the truth because I have a way to resolve this issue. I’m of the direct line of descent, my authority in controlling the clan’s A.I. is much higher than yours. Hence, I spent some effort and gained the passcode to unlock your microchip from the A.I. system. As long as you access the backend of your id microchip and input the passcode, you would unlock the shackles and free yourself from being located and monitored by the clan’s A.I. By doing so, no matter where you want to go, the clan wouldn’t be able to track you down!”

“What are your conditions for me to acquire the passcode?” Feng Lin didn’t feel happy. He remained calm as he asked.

Food wouldn’t fall from the sky.

There wouldn’t be something good happening to you without reason.

If he wanted something, he naturally had to pay an equivalent price in return.

“Good, you are straightforward enough!” Since Feng Lin had asked, Feng Lang didn’t beat around the bush either. “Firstly, I’m impressed by your courage and wish to give you a path to walk. Secondly, when you participate in the clan’s ranking competition, I hope you can finish off three opponents for me. I hope you won’t reject this.”

Feng Lang seemed to have thought of something embarrassing as he gritted his teeth.

So, it turns out that he wants to use me to settle his opponents?

Feng Lin didn’t feel surprised at all.

With regards to many things Feng Lang had said earlier, Feng Lin didn’t believe it. But for the last part, it was fully believable.

With humans, there would always be competition and conflict. For low-grade clansmen, they had nothing to fight each other for, hence, they led relatively peaceful lives despite being poor. But it was different for members of the upper echelons. They appeared to be in an extremely good environment, enjoying the clan’s resources, but it was impossible for the human heart not to feel greed. As their bottom lines slowly corroded away, they would want to obtain more and more.

In order to fight for limited and valuable resources, they naturally could do anything.

Even in the feudal era, there would be royalty fighting in the imperial palace.

The human clans of the Interstellar Era weren’t that much different. Which clan wouldn’t have a little competition and conflict within their ranks? The more glorious the clan appeared on the surface, the fiercer would the competition be within!

Since this Feng Lang is willing to go to such an extent, ignoring his face to make a deal with me who have a conflict with the Head Butler. Most likely, he will soon be forced into a dead end as well!

Hence, he wants to use this chance to get me to participate in the ranking competition, seizing an opportunity to fight for more authority, using me to suppress his opponents.

It seemed like he couldn’t underestimate anyone from the upper echelons. This Feng Lang appeared to be a silk pants young master, but he was truly a deep schemer, as crafty as a fox.

Many thoughts flashed through Feng Lin’s mind, and he was sure that he had guessed at least 80% to 90% of Feng Lang’s objective. He had made a decision.

This deal can be accepted!

“Do you believe in me so much, even to the extent that I can defeat your opponents?” Feng Lin didn’t directly accept but reply with a smile that was not a smile. “For opponents that you can’t handle yourself, they should not be ordinary. They can enjoy the clan’s resources and even have teachers guiding them on their path. The mythological genes they awakened are definitely powerful ones. Their vitality stats should be higher as well, making them extremely difficult individuals to deal with.

“Instead of saying that I don’t believe in you, why don’t you ask yourself if you believe in yourself?” Seeing that his thoughts were seen through, Feng Lang’s eyes twitched as he laughed sinisterly. “During these days, I did an investigation on you and was truly shocked by the results. You stunned everyone during the qualification exam in your school, explosively rising up from someone with a 0.4 vitality stats to 1.5, even passing twenty levels in the illusory martial pagoda. Aren’t you also someone who pretends to be a pig to eat the tiger? I’m sure you have been biding your time, waiting to surprise everyone at the college exam to shake free from your fate of being controlled by the clan. From my estimation, your vitality stats clearly isn’t just 1.5; it might even surpass 2.0. If the clan didn’t arrange you to go to work at the factory, I’m sure you wouldn’t have been forced to reveal your true capabilities. Hence. I think that betting on you now is the correct decision. You have a possibility to accomplish it!”

Evidently, Feng Lang had made many preparations before he had come here and had investigated Feng Lin fully.

“Are you not the same type of person as me as well?” Feng Lin calmly spoke, not feeling surprised at all.

After crossing blows with so many schemes of Feng Lang, how could Feng Lin not be able to tell?

This Feng Lang wasn’t anyone virtuous as well. He wasn’t as simple as he looked. His silk pants behavior were only a pretense!

Sadly, his conjectures about Feng Lin was wrong. Feng Lin wasn’t pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger, but the past him was truly trash. He had only risen up during this period of time, and those who didn’t know his secrets would naturally assume that he had been acting earlier, keeping a low profile to surprise everyone at the right moment.

But since the truth had to do with his secrets and the genetic equation ability, Feng Lin naturally wouldn’t be foolish enough to argue with Feng Lang.

With regards to Feng Lang’s character, when Feng Lin thought back about everything, he gradually understood Feng Lang’s personality better.

In order to suppress his opponents, this Feng Lang placed all his hope on him. This was simply staking everything on one throw. Behind his scheming mind, it revealed a craziness in his character. He could even thicken his face, possessing no moral integrity at all.

By entering a deal with him, this was simply like asking a tiger for its skin.

No, Feng Lang wasn’t a tiger. He was a crafty fox!

Asking a fox for its skin, Feng Lin really had to be careful not to be betrayed.

In any case, if Feng Lang really planned to do something malicious toward him, Feng Lin wouldn’t mind teaching him a lesson at that time.

“Why? You don’t dare to accept? You even dared to bet with the Head Butler, surely you wouldn’t be frightened off by this, right?” Seeing that Feng Lin didn’t reply after a long time, Feng Lang’s tone turned teasing as he used words to provoke him.

“Why wouldn’t I dare?” At this moment, Feng Lin made a decision. He didn’t reply but counter-asked, his calm smile seemingly tinged with a hint of madness and determination.

Seeing how suddenly Feng Lin accepted, Feng Lang, on the other hand, actually hesitated. “By agreeing so cleanly without negotiating at all. Are you not afraid that I am cheating you?”

“Only when one is crazy enough, will one survive. Let’s speak of other things after first ensuring my survival.” Feng Lin calmly spoke.

Feng Lang froze, but soon after that, the two of them started laughing.

It’s true.

Only the crazed will survive.

Regardless of Feng Lang or Feng Lin, both of them were in desperate straits. If they didn’t gamble now, should they just obediently wait for their death?

Coming to an agreement so easily. Maybe, behind both their scheming minds, their true nature was that of a mad man.