Chapter 36: Initial Plan
"Kill?" Terrence asked, surprised a bit, but he had expected it a little.
If killing the Patriarch was the ultimate answer, he would have planned and executed that as soon as he gained a powerful beast. But things were never that simple.
The family’s atrocities were well distributed across multiple sectors. Their illegal or less-legal operations were not centered on just one person, as they operated within an extensive network of individuals—some even coming from different allied and associated families.
Terrence shook his mind, taking a quick breath. He didn’t want to jump to hasty conclusions just yet.
"He is just joking," Patriarch Lin chuckled, his deep, stern voice reverberating through the spacious room. "Anyways, who is he?"
Klein presented Terrence with an open gesture of his hand. "This is Terrence Lee, the trash... or should I say, the one who was recently kicked out."
Patriarch Lin nodded slowly, understanding the situation as his sharp eyes studied Terrence’s appearance and posture.
"So, the news has already reached the vertical city, huh," Terrence commented, his tone dry.
Patriarch Lin snickered softly as he gestured toward a set of plush leather couches, showing them to their seats. He sat down first in the middle couch, leaning back into a comfortable position.
"It is not like that kind of news wouldn’t reach here," Jonas said smoothly. "The Lee Family is a major pillar family of the country. Of course, even little developments like yours would eventually reach our ears."
Terrence shook his head inwardly. So it was true after all. He was infamous across the region; he just hadn’t realized how deep that notoriety ran.
Patriarch Lin continued, resting his arms against the leather armrests. "I am Jonas Lin, the patriarch of the Lin Family. Since you are here alongside Klein, I assume he has recruited you into his little operation, right?"
"Maybe," Terrence replied, crossing his legs. "But leaning more toward the yes part."
Jonas snorted, amused by the answer. "So, what do you know about the plan so far?"
"Just a glimpse of it," Terrence said plainly. "You have much more direct connections to the central government than the Lee Family does. I guess you will present this evidence to the officials and serve an official investigation to bring the family down."
Jonas didn’t reply immediately. Instead, an awkward silence settled over the room for a few long seconds before he let out a heavy sigh.
Terrence felt a sudden spike of concern upon seeing that reaction. Did he just sign up for the wrong anti-Lee scheme?
"It is not that simple," Jonas admitted, steepling his fingers together. "Although the plan is doable on paper, the real issue is that we don’t want to risk being openly attacked. You know the structural design of this city is optimized best against beast invasions. But against full-scale civil wars or turf wars, we wouldn’t be able to fully fight back without destroying our own foundation."
’Right...’
The Hanging City was built around surviving environmental uncertainty. While they had chosen a vertical life to remain safe from any potential second apocalypse, they weren’t fully equipped to handle armed ruffians or terror attacks originating from civil conflicts with other cities. That posed a genuinely difficult situation.
Terrence let out a quiet sigh. It was a bit of a buzzkill, as he had briefly thought he could end his former family immediately. Nevertheless, he knew he was finally surrounded by people who shared his exact intentions.
’There’s no need for me to rush this,’ Terrence thought to himself. ’I still have days to ensure a properly planned scheme against the Lee Family. I will put them down whatever happens.’
While pushing back a wave of painful memories, Terrence clenched his fists tightly over his knees, using the physical sensation to refocus entirely on the conversation.
"So, will this be a matter of political struggle then?" Terrence asked.
Klein rested his elbows on his knees, straightening his back as he leaned forward.
"No... that won’t be necessary," Klein said, his tone turning utterly serious. "He has us, Terrence."
Furrowed brows instantly appeared on Terrence’s face. "What do you mean by that?"
"We can still put down the Lee Family with the use of this evidence and ourselves," Klein explained, his eyes burning with resolve. "While Patriarch Lin formally reports the crimes to the central government to tie their hands legally, we can use their official backing to create our own vanguard unit to stop them on the ground."
Terrence paused, taking a moment to process the information as the scattered puzzle pieces finally fell into place. His past conversations, the sudden recruitment outside the hotel, and the way Klein had blocked his path just to secure his aid—everything aligned perfectly now.
"So, that was the entire plan all along?" Terrence’s lips curled up into a faint smile. "I guess that is not bad at all."
Klein nodded firmly.
"We do the dirty cleaning job here, Terrence," Klein said. "With the help of the Lin Clan and the extra support we can pull from the central government, we can tear down their main businesses one by one. And surely, that private assault wouldn’t reflect back negatively on Hanging City, right?"
Terrence smirked as full realization finally washed over him. He felt his heart beating strongly against his ribs, pounding so hard it felt like it wanted to escape his chest. He finally had it—the absolute right opportunity to tear his former family to the ground.
"Just right on time..." Terrence murmured, his eyes flashing. "I have an upcoming duel with my brother. We can use that exact event to our advantage."
"What do you mean?" Klein asked, tilting his head with interest.
Terrence paused, looking between Klein and Jonas. "Wait, are we being too hasty right now? Do you already have a set Plan A or something? Because what I have in mind aligns perfectly with whatever strategy we choose."
Jonas snorted, a sharp glint appearing in his old eyes. "Just continue, kid. Let’s hear it."
Terrence nodded, his facial expression turning dead serious.
"My brother, Lucas Lee, challenged me to a formal duel yesterday," Terrence explained smoothly. "It is scheduled to happen six days from now. Surely, the main family members and the senior elders will all gather to observe why the disowned ’trash’ actually accepted such a challenge, right? We can use my duel to draw their full attention and distract them—while you, Klein, launch a surprise attack on the weakest pillar of the family."
Klein’s face broke into a broad, genuine smile. "Terrence... I am so damn glad you joined us."
Terrence leaned back, his eyes narrowing into cold slits as he named their target.
The weakest pillar of the Lee Family—their primary financial partner, the Lovely Potion Merchant Group.