Chapter 1182
A Conspiracy?
The elderly men exchanged glances, all seeing the same surprise in each other's eyes. They then slowly looked away, their faces regaining their solemnity, as if the intriguing scrutiny they had just witnessed was merely a figment of Yiyuantang's imagination.
Forget it, forget it.
The oldest man, with the whitest hair and the strongest aura, spoke first. His tone was calm and unwavering, skipping over the unimportant embarrassing incidents and getting straight to the point: "Yuantang, we've all heard about your situation. Let's leave those trivial matters aside for now and focus on the plan."
In their eyes, Rokufengi Gendo's predicament and embarrassment were nothing more than trivial episodes. Compared to those romantic entanglements and absurd embarrassing incidents, what they cared more about was the plan they had agreed upon with Rokufengi: how to control Akagi Naoko's technology, how to deal with Choi Myo, and how to achieve their ultimate goal.
Upon hearing this, Rokufen Gigendo breathed a sigh of relief, his heart finally settling down—thankfully, these elders hadn't pressed him about his embarrassing incident or humiliated him in public. He quickly composed himself, nodded, and said respectfully yet firmly, "Yes, esteemed seniors, I understand. I will dedicate myself fully to the plan from now on and will not let trivial matters affect the overall situation."
As soon as he finished speaking, he felt the unique gazes of the old men again. His lips twitched, and he subconsciously tightened his hand covering his weak spot—he knew that these old men were probably still secretly surprised that he, the "controller," had become the one being played.
Hearing the words of the elders, Rokubun Gigendo's tense body relaxed slightly, and the embarrassment in his eyes completely disappeared, replaced by his usual gloom and stubbornness. He clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white, and said to the elders on the communicator in a heavy but firm tone: "I know, but I hope to get your support. Choi Myung, that guy is an obstacle and must be eliminated."
Choi Myung's existence was like a thorn, deeply embedded in his heart—ruining his plans, stealing Yui Ikari, and making him a laughingstock online, subjecting him to endless humiliation. In his view, only by eliminating Choi Myung could everything return to normal, allowing him to regain control and keep Yui by his side.
On the other end of the communicator, the elderly men exchanged glances. The one with the strongest aura nodded slowly, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable power, and said to Rokubun Gigendo in a somber tone, "Alright, we'll help you."
Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Rokubun Gigendo's eyes brightened slightly, but then he thought of Yui Ikari, a barely perceptible tenderness and stubbornness flashing in his eyes. He quickly added, "Don't hurt Yui Ikari."
This was his only bottom line. No matter what the plan was, no matter how much he hated Choi Myung, he would not allow anyone to hurt Ikari Yui, not even the old men who were cooperating with him.
Upon hearing this, the old man's face remained expressionless, his tone perfunctory yet tinged with impatience as he replied indifferently, "Don't worry, we know what we're doing."
They knew perfectly well how important Yui Ikari was to Rokkaku Gendo. Keeping Yui around for the time being was the only way to better control Rokkaku. As for what would happen next, it would depend on the progress of the plan. The so-called "knowing one's limits" was just a pretext to appease Rokkaku.
Although Liu Fenyiyuantang was still somewhat uneasy, he knew that these elders always kept their word, so he could only nod and respectfully say, "Thank you, seniors. I will certainly not let you down."
After briefly explaining the details of the plan, Rokubungi Gendo hung up the communicator. The screen slowly went dark. He stood there, staring at the void with a gloomy look in his eyes, muttering to himself, "Cui Ming, this time, I will definitely get rid of you!" On the other side, the communication between the elderly men did not end with Rokubungi Gendo's hanging up. The screen remained lit. The elderly men leaned back in their chairs, their solemn expressions fading, replaced by a hint of amusement and coldness, as they began to communicate privately.
One of the old men tapped his fingertips lightly on the table, and asked slowly with a hint of doubt in his voice, "Is it a wolf?"
The question he was asking was naturally about Rokufen Gigen Hall—seemingly ruthless and obsessive, with some ability, but in their eyes, they were ultimately just a pawn. As for whether this pawn was an uncontrollable wolf or a docile and obedient dog, that remained to be seen.
The most imposing old man curled his lips into a disdainful sneer and replied confidently, "It's a dog, a dog that can wear a collar."
In their view, Rokubun Gigendo's obsession and stubbornness were weaknesses they could exploit. As long as they grasped these weaknesses, they could control him like a dog and make him work for them. His dignity and grievances were never within their consideration.
“Since he’s a dog, he should be useful.” Another old man said coldly, without any emotion, and went straight to the point. “Have someone get rid of that Cui Ming. Keeping him around is always a hidden danger, and it’s not conducive to our control of the Sextant. It will also hinder our plans.”
The most imposing old man nodded slowly, a ruthless glint in his eyes, and said in an unquestionable tone, "Yes, give the order to find the best assassins. Make sure it's clean and efficient, leaving no trace. Don't let anyone trace it back to us, lest it cause any further trouble."
"Yes."
The elderly men responded in unison, and the communication screen slowly went dark. Silence returned to the room, but a strong sense of conspiracy permeated the air—an assassination plot against Cui Ming had quietly begun.
After hanging up the call with the elderly, Rokubun Gigendo slowly closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and the forced respect and composure he had just displayed vanished instantly, leaving only the unyielding obsession and fervor in his eyes.
Of course, as for Rokufen Yiyuantang, he didn't care at all how these old men viewed him—he didn't care that they treated him like a dog that could be controlled at will, he didn't care about the disdain and amusement in their eyes, and he didn't care that they were just using him as a pawn.
He'd spent most of his life obsessing and scheming. All his power and plans were, in the end, just tools to get closer to Yui and keep her by his side. Now, he had only one thought in his mind: he wanted Yui, he wanted to bring her back to his side, even if it meant resorting to any means necessary, even if it meant paying any price, even if it meant continuing to be controlled by these old men and being ridiculed by the entire internet, he was willing to do it all.
He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze falling on a yellowed photograph on the table—the photograph showed Yui Ikari, her smile bright, her eyes gentle; it was the softest, and most obsessive longing he held deepest in his heart. Rokubun Gigendo reached out, his fingertips gently tracing Yui's face in the photograph. The gloom in his eyes faded slightly, leaving only an almost devout obsession. He murmured softly, "Yui, wait for me. Soon, I will eliminate Choi Myung, take you home, and never be apart again." (End of Chapter)