"Who is Zhang Ailing?"

"A famous writer from before the great catastrophe on Blue Star."

Tang Fei was silent for a moment before speaking, "Stop reading those messy romance novels."

"Don't you find them quite reasonable?" Lu Siyu blew a bubble with a displeased look, "I know who you're going to meet."

"She's the Finance Minister's daughter, incredibly distinguished. Both the former Zhong Family and the current Shen Family trust them greatly. The Sheng Family may not be among the Nine Great Families, but they're not much weaker than them."

"I don't doubt your feelings for each other, at least, I don't doubt you had feelings in the past..."

"But if the benefits are significant enough, or at a moment of life and death for the family, would she still stand firmly by your side? Would she risk her life and the family's destruction to protect you?"

"So, give me a reasonable explanation... If you haven't slept with her, why would she help you this much? Why help someone who... has hurt their people?"

"..."

Tang Fei was left speechless.

Indeed, in the eyes of normal or abnormal people like Lu Siyu, Sheng Xinhua is a privileged girl, a beneficiary of the upheaval in the Phoenix Palace.

Sheng Jing had gained the trust of the Shen Family, not only was the Phoenix Empire's purse handed over to him, but the Shen Family also contemplated marrying into the Sheng Family...

Certainly, if the Shen Family firmed their dominance as rulers of the Empire, the Sheng Family's status would elevate significantly.

By then, a new 'Nine Great Families' would emerge, and the Sheng Family would undoubtedly be on the list.

They might even become the foremost noble family under the Shen Family, akin to what the Yu Family once was.

The royal family and others will always be different.

What do they gain by helping him?

The enchanting body is already taken, while the interesting soul finds no place to rest...

If the Shen Family discovered their secret assistance and support, they would be seen as rebels to the Tang Family, not only stripping them of current glory and power but their very lives would be at stake.

How would a normal person choose?

This is why Lu Siyu was so worried, why she first cast a questioning glance at Tang Fei when they were trapped by the Security Bureau at M3.

Every cause has an effect—if there were no ties between Tang Fei and Miss Sheng, why would she stand in his shoes and fight for him?

"Having doubts?" Lu Siyu's beautiful purple eyes fixed on Tang Fei as she asked.

"No," Tang Fei insisted on his idea, his expression solemn and resolute, "She won't betray me."

"Seems like you did sleep with her," Lu Siyu commented.

"..."

Tang Fei looked at Lu Siyu exasperatedly, "What are you thinking? Don't you have any pure thoughts?"

"We're like-minded friends, battle-tested comrades at arms, and allies who can trust each other with their backs on the battlefield."

Lu Siyu pursed her lips but said nothing.

Trusting each other with their backs...

A lot can happen, many intense stories can unfold.

"I trust her," Tang Fei unaware of Lu Siyu's thoughts, viewed her as a cold, independent, mechanically inclined girl devoid of gender consciousness, "If she wanted to betray us, could we still be here chatting? She could have done so before killing Shen Lewen."

"As long as you're clear," Lu Siyu nodded, merely voicing her concerns—since Tang Fei assured her it was fine, she had nothing more to add.

Though Lu Siyu now knew Tang Fei's real identity, knowing he wasn't her biological brother...

Their bond was extremely special, surpassing familial ties.

She trusted Tang Fei unreservedly, just as he trusted her.

"Hmm. There won't be any issues," Tang Fei said, "At least not in this regard."

"The Security Bureau is searching everywhere like a mad dog, showing how much Shen Lewen's death rattled the Shen Family... Do they not believe this is internal family strife?"

"It doesn't matter whether they believe it or not, the seed of doubt has been sown, and it's no easy task to remove it."

Tang Fei said confidently. Compared to Lu Siyu, he better understood human nature, "As time accumulates, it'll only deepen. What we need to do now is pour a barrel of oil over the small flames just starting to burn."

"Hmm?" Lu Siyu made a sound, her eyes puzzled as she looked at Tang Fei.

"With Shen Lewen dead, would Shen Jianping and Shen Lewu retaliate?" Tang Fei squinted, smiling like a cunning little fox drowning in conspiracies.

Lu Siyu immediately caught his meaning, saying, "They'll naturally retaliate. Do you have a target in mind?"

Tang Fei nodded, determination on his face, "This person is hard to kill. But if we succeed, the payoff is tremendous."

Killing small fry is pointless; families like the Shen Family have dozens to hundreds of core members, yet few truly step into the inner circle.

The target he chose needed to hurt the Shen Family and sow suspicion among them, stirring up the family's internal chaos.

"What should I do?" Lu Siyu asked.

"Do what you're good at."

------

March Seven Stars refers to the three outstanding women and seven exceptional men of Phoenix Empire.

Though the rankings might not be strict, gaining widespread public recognition and trust indicates some degree of merit.

The three women are Qin Shuang from the Qin Family, Dongguo Chenxi from the Dongguo Family, and Zhong Yu Xiu Xue, the Eldest Princess of the Zhong Royal Family.

Among the Seven Stars are Yu Huoshui from the Yu Family, Shen Xinglan and Shen Leyou from the Shen Family, Shi An from the Shi Family, Qin Jianyi from the Qin Family, Gongshu Wuyu from the Gongshu Family, and Bai Xingjian.

Absurdly, with the Zhong Royal Family collapsed and the Qin Family turning rebel, two moons in the trio have already fallen.

In the Seven Stars, Yu Huoshui died young, Gongshu Wuyu languishes in prison with his fate uncertain. Qin Jianyi, a rebel leader, is currently locked in seesaw battles against Shu Dongjun, a top general under Shen Wuxiang.

The most striking aspect is that two members of the Shen Family made it onto the Seven Stars list.

They are Shen Xinglan, known as the Son of the Empire, and Shen Leyou, mockingly called the perpetual 'idle wanderer.'

Tang Fei knew that Shen Leyou was not a playboy but rather the 'Shadow Emperor' of the Shen Family.

In his hands, he controlled an immensely powerful force within the Shen Family that lingered in the shadows, doing what neither Shen Wuxiang nor Shen Boyu could.

This force belonged to the Shen Family yet had to be completely separate from it.

Any association would tarnish the Shen Family's image.

It's somewhat similar to Tang Fei's Ghost and the infamous first assassin organization, Wuyou Palace.

The Shen Family wanted to rule, and naturally couldn't be associated with such dark activities.

Tang Fei's target was Shen Leyou.

Lu Siyu, a mechanical genius and expert hacker, managed by collecting and analyzing vast amounts of data to finally trace Shen Leyou.

He was in Fengming Palace, accompanying the false Crown Prince, Zhong Tianque.

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