54: Chapter 54 New System Mission: Deal with That Arrogant Female Councilor

"Texas Pearl?"

Chen Yuan looked at the photo of the blonde woman on the holographic projection, a playful arc curling at the corner of his mouth. "Nice nickname, I just don't know if this pearl is hard enough."

On the screen, Ivanka Strange's resume was brilliant, enough to make 99% of her peers feel inferior.

Top honors graduate of Harvard Law School, the youngest partner at a top Wall Street investment bank, Executive Vice President of the Strange Real Estate Group... Now, she had set her sights on the political arena, preparing to run for the youngest female senator in Texas history.

Her campaign slogan was loud and grating.

"Reshape border order, clear out the grey zones, and let the sunshine of Texas illuminate every corner shrouded in darkness."

"Translate that."

Chen Yuan leaned back in his boss chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the desk. "It means she's going to smash my rice bowl."

"Yes, Boss."

Alice's voice was as calm as ever. "According to the model simulation by the Red Queen, once Ivanka Strange is successfully elected, there is a 92% probability that she will push for a 'Purification Act' targeting San Verde. By then, our 'powerful' business, arms trade, and the Elysium Manor currently under construction will all face catastrophic disaster."

"A woman, causing such a big storm?" Victor gasped in shock from the side. "Is her father the governor?"

"Her father is richer than the governor."

Chen Yuan pointed to the vast commercial empire of the Strange Group on the screen. "In Texas, having money is equivalent to having power."

"Then what should we do?" Victor was a little panicked. "Boss, should we... let Viper or Natasha handle it? Stage an accidental car crash or something? We are professionals."

"Idiot."

Chen Yuan glanced at him, his eyes cold. "What time is it now? The eyes of the whole world are on us. At this critical juncture, if a high-profile political rising star suddenly dies near San Verde, how do you think those idiots at the CIA will react?"

"That is the lowest form of tactic."

Chen Yuan stood up and walked to the huge floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking the city of sin that he had already stepped under his feet.

"To deal with this kind of woman, you cannot use violence."

"She has a noble background, a perfect resume, and was born standing in the clouds. This kind of person enjoys the feeling of controlling everything the most, and despises 'nouveaux riches' like us who crawled out of the mud the most."

"The more brutally you deal with her, the more she will treat you as trash that must be eliminated."

Chen Yuan turned around, his eyes flashing with the sharp light of a hunter.

"To deal with her, you must use finesse."

"You must make her lower her noble head herself, walk to you voluntarily, and willingly... beg you."

"But... how is this possible?" Victor scratched his nearly bald head. "She is the one who wants to send us to the gallows."

"Everyone has weaknesses."

Chen Yuan smiled and signaled for Alice to bring up another top-secret file.

It was a medical record.

[Name: Ivanka Strange]

[Diagnosis: Dilated Cardiomyopathy (hereditary)]

[Expert Prediction: Without effective treatment, the patient will die of heart failure before the age of forty.]

"See that?"

Chen Yuan pointed to the glaring diagnosis. "This is her Achilles' heel."

"She possesses everything—beauty, wisdom, wealth, power... but the only thing she doesn't have is time."

"A person who knows they won't live long will either become cynical or erupt with a desire to survive stronger than anyone else. Clearly, our Miss Ivanka belongs to the latter."

Chen Yuan's smile became unfathomable.

"She wants to be a senator, wants to leave her name in history, and wants to burn with the most dazzling light in her limited life."

"And I just happen to be the only person in this world who can 'extend her fire'."

Victor looked at the medical file, then at his boss's confident expression, and felt a chill down his back.

It was too terrifying.

This man could not only control the life and death of others but also see through their fate.

"Boss, what do you mean..."

"I need a perfect 'encounter'."

Chen Yuan sat back in his chair, hands crossed, like a chess player setting up a board. "An encounter where she sees a 'miracle' descend at her most desperate and helpless moment."

He looked up at Victor, a flash of unquestionable command in his eyes.

"Tomorrow night, San Verde Convention Center, that damn charity gala."

"I want an invitation."

"No, I want ten. Let our core members go. Remember, dress decently. We are 'philanthropists' going to donate, not gangsters going to collect protection money."

Victor nodded and bowed immediately. "Understood! I'll get it done right away!"

"Also."

Chen Yuan called him back, took an exquisite little box from the drawer, and threw it over. "Find a way to mix this thing into the champagne tower at the gala."

Victor opened the box. Inside was a capsule smaller than a grain of rice.

"This is?"

"A little 'catalyst'."

Chen Yuan's mouth curled into a devilish arc. "It will accelerate blood circulation and increase the heart's load several times over. For a normal person, it might just be a bit of chest tightness. But for someone with heart disease..."

"It's like dropping a match onto a pile of dry firewood."

Victor looked at the small capsule, feeling as if he were holding a bomb.

He finally understood what the boss was going to do.

This was not an encounter.

This was a design.

A perfect "hero saves the beauty" that would go down in history.

"Boss, you really are... a genius." Victor praised him sincerely.

"No, I am not a genius."

Chen Yuan waved his hand, signaling him to get lost.

The office returned to silence.

Chen Yuan stood up and walked to the huge holographic projection.

On it, Ivanka Strange was giving a speech on television. Her blonde hair was draped over her shoulders, her eyes were firm, and her words were sharp, full of the charisma of a politician.

"...I promise, if I am elected, I will use the most iron-fisted means to completely eradicate the tumors entrenched on the border of Texas! Let those hyenas who rely on drug trafficking, arms smuggling, and exploiting lives have nowhere to hide!"

The audience in front of the TV erupted in thunderous applause.

Chen Yuan watched the dazzling woman on the screen and couldn't help but laugh.

He reached out, through the air, and gently stroked her exquisite face.

"What a proud phoenix."

He whispered to himself, his eyes blurred and dangerous.

"But soon, you will know."

"No matter how beautiful a phoenix is, it must land on my parasol tree."

"Because I am the only one who can let you be reborn from the ashes."

Just then, at the gala, the venue was bustling with noise.

As the host, Ivanka was holding a wine glass, elegantly weaving through the guests, enjoying the adulation and praise of everyone.

She felt she was at the peak of her life.

But suddenly, a violent palpitation struck, like an invisible hand grabbing her heart fiercely.

The world spun.

The world before her eyes lost its color instantly.

"Ugh..."

She let out a painful muffled groan, the champagne glass in her hand slipped, fell to the ground, and made a crisp shattering sound.

Amidst the terrified screams of the crowd, this rising star of Texas collapsed straight onto the red carpet.

And in the direction she fell.

An Asian man in a black suit, holding a wine glass, was standing in the crowd, watching her quietly.

On his face was a hint of just the right amount of... surprise.