ALSACW – Chapter 107

After the grand plan to backstab his ex was set in motion, Tang Jianshen was unceremoniously removed from his position as CEO of Tang Group by his sister and mother with the speed of a lightning strike. Rumors swirled through aristocratic circles that the Tang family was making way for that live-in alpha, Yun Chuji. After all, Tang Jianshen had been doing a fine job and was on the verge of leading Tang Group to new heights. For him to suddenly vanish from the board of directors couldn’t possibly mean he had a terminal illness, could it?

In an instant, the service attitude of young alphas in the Empire’s high-end clubs reached new heights of enthusiasm. This flock of young alphas adopted the brilliant stratagem of their predecessor, Yun Chuji: A-Virtue master plus a pity play. Whether any of them actually managed to win the favor of a naive, sweet rich woman was never tallied, but their uniform behavior became a topic of ridicule among the Empire’s hedonistic second-generation elites, who mockingly dubbed them “battle-damaged pretty boys.”

But whether the outside world was misinterpreting things or spreading wild rumors, it didn’t bother Yun Chuji, who was currently offline, or Tang Jianshen, who was intent on saving his family’s enterprise and the course of the omega struggle.

Offline, Yun Chuji’s life was quite peaceful. She spent her days reading, pouring her heart out to her dear fiancée over video calls, and then channeling the sweet melancholy that followed into poems for her beloved.

All in all, the only thing missing from her dream life was a Tang Jianxi she could hold whenever she wanted.

But on the other side, Mr. Tang Jianshen, upon whom the hopes of his family and the omega community rested, took a deep breath as he surveyed the motley crew of a few big and small cats before him.

To be honest, their numbers were sufficient, but the problem was that these people were all too far removed from power.

Tang Jianxi’s claim that she wasn’t leadership material was no false modesty. I mean, anyone with a shred of sense wouldn’t try to unite a bunch of theorists in a political organization!

“I mean, I could understand you doing this at the company,” he said. “It’s a clumsy method, but it yields returns eventually. But why are you pulling the same stunt in Spartacus?”

This remark came after Tang Jianshen’s first meeting with the crowd of omega sociology PhDs, omega physiology PhDs, and AO relationship scholars under Tang Jianxi’s command.

Tang Jianxi fell silent for a moment. She gazed at the retreating figures in the distance and explained, “Of course, I’m on good terms with some members who have influential backgrounds. But their demands are similar to Clarence’s—they all want the inheritance rights to their own families.”

“That’s understandable, of course. But they give no thought to the omegas whose life struggles have nothing to do with fighting over family fortunes. They use a kind of… well, almost a bewitching method, to get omegas who can barely afford their monthly inhibitors to cheerlead for their multi-billion-credit inheritance rights.”

“I can’t communicate with people like that.”

The way Tang Jianxi was now reminded Tang Jianshen of how she had been ten years ago. Back then, Tang Jianxi was still an undifferentiated little girl who, like any other, went to school on time and made lots of friends.

Tang Jianshen had been precocious. At that time, he had already started interning at the Group, was swamped with work every day, and had just differentiated. He was emotionally fragile and would often hide under his covers late at night, crying in frustration at his inability to be perfect.

But in front of others, even his family, he never let his emotions show, as if he’d been born with twenty years more life experience than everyone else.

So, the relationship between the siblings was abnormal from the start.

Tang Jianshen didn’t like getting too involved with people, because interacting with others was something he could never do perfectly, no matter how hard he tried.

At first, Tang Jianxi had adored him. Later, angered and embarrassed by his coldness, she became determined to surpass him, and their relationship grew increasingly tense.

But ten years ago, when Tang Jianshen experienced dropping the ball for the first time in his life, he was so exhausted one night that he crouched in the entryway, crying silently. And Tang Jianxi, who was sneaking out to hang out with friends, caught him red-handed.

At the time, Tang Jianshen had assumed that with Tang Jianxi’s competitive and slightly malicious personality, she would surely mock him relentlessly and then childishly declare that she would one day surpass a crybaby like him.

But she didn’t.

Tang Jianxi seemed even more flustered than he was.

The girl in the motorcycle jacket gave an exaggerated yawn in the darkness, put on the fakest sleepwalking act imaginable, and swayed back to her room.

She didn’t come out again after that.

She had probably bailed on her friends.

Because of that one clumsy performance, Tang Jianshen tolerated Tang Jianxi’s inexplicable provocations and accusations for the next ten years.

Tang Jianxi always said he lacked empathy. Tang Jianshen had reflected on it and concluded that she was right, he didn’t have it. But he admitted empathy wasn’t a bad thing, because he had once benefited from it.

Now, ten years later, Tang Jianxi was still exactly like that young girl walking back under the moonlight, treating others’ dignity as her own. But he was no longer the brother who cried in secret.

Tang Jianshen suddenly reached out and ruffled Tang Jianxi’s hair. Tang Jianxi shuddered, staring at him with an exceptionally wary gaze, as if she were about to call someone to take him to a psychiatrist.

“Don’t look at me like that. I’m comforting you.”

“Isn’t this what a lot of older brothers do?” Tang Jianshen said self-righteously.

Tang Jianxi gritted her teeth. “If I recall correctly, I’m about to turn twenty-six.”

Only undifferentiated little brat siblings do that, okay!

Tang Jianshen awkwardly withdrew his hand.

“However, if you have this particular fetish, as long as you kick Clarence out of Spartacus, you can ruffle my hair all you want.”

Tang Jianxi felt she was already being tolerant enough with her brother, but Tang Jianshen’s face darkened at her words.

He tilted his head back and drank a glass of ice water, then moved past the impulsive accident that had just occurred and returned to his area of expertise. “So, Spartacus has a problem with conflicting demands, and right now, the noble omega faction led by Clarence holds the dominant position.”

“You’ve been trying to approach omegas from outside the aristocracy, urging them not to sacrifice themselves for these upper-class omegas. That line of thinking is fine, but it’s too slow. You have to understand that all power struggles are essentially struggles for resources. Commoner omegas can’t share in the success of noble omegas, but the commoners who follow those nobles can.”

“Instead of expecting someone to give up one hundred credits they can have now for five hundred in the future, it’s much faster to make a group of people fight over who gets a million credits.”

A thought struck Tang Jianxi. Make things chaotic within Clarence’s faction?

It wasn’t that she hadn’t tried. But the people surrounding Clarence were essentially vassals; they prospered and fell together, making it difficult to find a point of contention to exploit.

“There wasn’t one before because Clarence hadn’t entered the real circle of succession. But the resources and temptations he faces now are far greater than when he was just an idle prince.”

“Take recent events, for example. Quite a few alphas have pledged allegiance to Clarence in the name of being A-Virtue believers. And it just so happens that most of them are the official heirs of their families.”

Tang Jianshen paused, but Tang Jianxi knew what he was going to do.

Would he choose the alphas who could easily bring family resources to his struggle for the throne, or the omegas who first needed his help to solidify their own positions within their families? This was the multiple-choice question Tang Jianshen was going to pose to Clarence.

It was framed as a choice, but a choice with such a clear bias toward one interest was inherently prone to breeding suspicion.

The mere speculation among the omegas about how Clarence would choose would be enough to transform him from a lofty leader into a sinister opportunist.

But the struggle for succession was, in itself, a stage for opportunists.

Tang Jianshen stood up. His expression was still calm, tinged with his characteristic brand of mockery. As he walked out, he said to Tang Jianxi, “I’ll find him a batch of such alphas. Add them to the ones he already has, and it will be enough to make people doubt his loyalty.”

It was a very feasible plan, Tang Jianxi admitted, but she still had one condition: “I hope Spartacus doesn’t end up so badly damaged that it can’t recover.”

Tang Jianshen stopped and turned to look at her in surprise. “Why would you think I’d smash the whole table when I’m the one making the move?”

Tang Jianxi didn’t answer, but Tang Jianshen gleaned the answer from her silence. He, too, was quiet for a while before saying slowly, “Regarding the Glory incident, I still think you acted too recklessly. And promoting A-Virtue with Yun Chuji later on was also reckless.”

“But,” he paused, his icy eyes as smooth as a mirror, “I have to admit, because you two stirred things up, none of the vested interests can live their superior lives so easily without paying a price anymore.”

“So, are you admitting you were wrong?” Tang Jianxi quickly seized on the main point.

Her brother’s response was to roll his eyes at her.

“Hey, hey, hey, Tang Jianshen, you just rolled your eyes at me, didn’t you?”

“You totally did! Ha, you’re really something else. So coy about admitting you’re wrong. The omegas of the Tang family don’t go in for that whole subtle thing.”

Tang Jianshen was thoroughly annoyed. He felt as if he had been transported back fifteen years, dealing with the noisy, little-turnip version of Tang Jianxi.

But there were adult ways to deal with adults. “If you keep nagging, I’m going on strike.”

“…You…”

“Hm?”

“Fine, let’s go. I remember Clarence has dozens of suitors. Let’s start with them.”

“Dozens?” Mr. Tang Jianshen, who was in the middle of setting a destination, suddenly froze his fingers.

“You didn’t know? Oh, right. The two of you dated like you were having a secret affair.” Tang Jianxi didn’t mean to twist the knife, but that was certainly the effect.

Tang Jianshen stared at her silently.

“…Sorry.” Tang Jianxi never put on airs with her brother.

“Give me the list. I’ll see how to persuade them.” Tang Jianshen returned to his professional demeanor, then added unprofessionally, “I was the one who dumped him.”

“Oh.”

“…”

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