611: Chapter 66 Two Dragons Struggle for the Throne

It was the absolute condescension of one powerful being toward another life form on a spiritual level.

The talents they prided themselves on, those complex codes and formulas, seemed to become pale and powerless justifications in this moment.

Shen Yan looked at them.

These two young men were like butterfly specimens pinned under a spotlight; every subtle tremor was seen with perfect clarity.

He suddenly felt a bit bored.

What he wanted was not timid sheep scared out of their wits.

What he wanted were wolves capable of conquering new territories for him.

"Follow me."

Shen Yan turned, breaking the suffocating silence.

He did not head toward the obviously expensive office areas, but led them to a wall on one side.

The wall was smooth as a mirror, without any seams.

Shen Yan's finger tapped lightly in the air.

A soft beam of light shot out from his fingertip, landing on a certain spot on the wall.

The wall silently contracted and folded inward, revealing a space.

A small conference room.

The interior furnishings were equally minimalist.

A black, suspended conference table, and a few ergonomic chairs.

In the center of the table was a miniature holographic projection device, emitting a faint blue light.

Shen Yan casually sat down and pointed to the seat opposite him.

"Sit."

Lin Shen and Lin Mo sat down somewhat stiffly, like puppets on strings.

"What would you like to drink?"

Shen Yan's voice was calm, as if the person who had just emitted that immense pressure wasn't him.

Without waiting for their reply,

He spoke toward the tabletop.

"Two hot Americanos, no sugar."

The light on the tabletop flickered once.

A moment later, two trays slowly rose from a corner of the conference table, holding two steaming cups of coffee.

The entire process was silent and efficient.

Lin Mo secretly glanced at his older brother, his eyes filled with shock.

"Alright, there's no one else here now."

Shen Yan's knuckles tapped lightly on the table, producing a dull sound.

"Tell me your expected salaries."

He asked so directly,

It was like asking the price per pound of a head of cabbage in the market.

Lin Shen and Lin Mo were both stunned.

They had envisioned countless opening scenarios.

Perhaps they would be tested on their technical skills, perhaps interrogated about their resumes, or maybe even deliberately harassed.

But they had never imagined that Shen Yan would lay the most realistic, and the most difficult question for them to utter, so nakedly on the table.

"Salary..."

Lin Shen opened his mouth but found his throat too dry to make a sound.

Discussing money, for them at this moment, was both their greatest desire and their deepest humiliation.

It meant having to appraise and then sell off their mother's illness and their family's predicament like a commodity.

Lin Mo's face instantly flushed crimson. He kept his head down, tightly clenching his hands on his knees, his fingernails almost digging into his flesh.

Shen Yan did not rush them.

He picked up his own glass of plain water and simply watched them.

He had enough patience.

Because he knew these two men had no right to refuse him.

The air became viscous again.

Every second felt as long as a century.

Finally,

Lin Shen raised his head, the bloodshot veins in his eyes seeming even heavier than before.

"Mr. Shen."

His voice was somewhat hoarse, but carried a resolve of burning one's bridges.

"Before discussing salary, I want to tell you about our situation first."

"My mother suffers from Neurodegenerative Synaptic Disintegration Syndrome."

Every word he spoke seemed to be tearing open his own wound.

"This is a rare genetic disease for which there is currently no cure, only medication maintenance."

"The annual cost is at least eight million."

After he stated the figure, the entire conference room fell into a dead silence.

Eight million.

For ordinary people, this number was astronomical.

It was enough to crush the dignity and hope of an entire family.

Shen Yan's expression showed no change.

It seemed he already knew all of this.

"So, you need a job with an annual salary of eight million or more."

Shen Yan finished the sentence for him.

Lin Shen nodded with difficulty.

"I know this request is excessive."

"But we..."

"I'm not curious about your demands."

Shen Yan interrupted him.

His gaze turned sharp.

"I'm curious about something else."

"Since the expenses are so high, how are you currently maintaining your mother's medical bills?"

This question was like a sharp knife stabbing directly into the heart.

It carried a hint of offense, a hint of interrogation.

Yet, it precisely cut to the crux of the matter.

Lin Shen and Lin Mo's complexions instantly turned pale.

This was their biggest secret.

And also their greatest shame.

Lin Shen remained silent for a long time.

He could feel Shen Yan's gaze, like X-rays, penetrating his body and seeing all the unspeakable things deep within his heart.

He knew that any lie before this man was futile.

"It's the Qi family."

He closed his eyes, as if using all his strength, spitting out those two words.

"The Qi family, one of the so-called 'Four Great Families' of the metropolis?"

Shen Yan's tone carried a hint of amusement.

"Yes."

Lin Shen opened his eyes, his gaze a complex mixture of hatred and helplessness.

"The current head of the Qi family, Qi Zhenxiong, is our... biological father."

"My brother and I are a mistake he made in his youth."

"The money in our hands is sent to us monthly by the Qi family. Nominally, it's for living expenses."

"In reality, it's hush money."

"They don't want us to appear in public, don't want us to go to the capital, and certainly don't want us associated with the surname 'Qi' in any way."

As soon as Lin Shen finished speaking,

A cold, emotionless electronic voice suddenly sounded in Shen Yan's mind:

[Ding!]

[Key Information Node Detected, Random Mission Triggered.]

[Mission Name: Twin Dragons Seize the Heirship]

[Mission Description: The twins before the Host carry noble bloodlines yet are treated as abandoned children by their family. Their talent and resentment will become the optimal weapon to stir up the situation. Please assist brothers Lin Shen and Lin Mo in creating a power storm within the Qi family, ultimately seizing partial or complete control of the Qi family.]

[Mission Reward: One piece of advanced wealth intelligence.]

[Plan A (Thunderous Might): Utilize the Host's existing capital and influence, combined with the technical abilities of the Lin brothers, to directly launch a commercial sniper attack on the Qi family's core industries. High posture, quick decision. Risk: Extremely High. Success Rate: 35%. Expected Return: Massive.]

[Plan B (Hidden Dragon Beneath the Abyss): Help the Lin brothers hide their identities, secretly support them in establishing an independent technology company, gradually erode the Qi family's peripheral market, and only reveal their true intentions when they have fully grown their wings. Risk: Medium. Success Rate: 65%. Expected Return: High.]

[Plan C (The Way of Infiltration): Create an opportunity for one of the Lin brothers to return to the Qi family as an 'illegitimate son,' gain trust, and dismantle the power structure from within, coordinating from the inside and outside. Risk: High. Success Rate: 5%. Expected Return: Extremely High.]

A barely perceptible glint flashed in Shen Yan's eyes.

So that was it.