Regina’s dissatisfaction was perfectly normal.
After all, she had been the first to object when Li Chang’an proposed expanding the Anti-Terrorism Mobile Team, clearly stating the potential consequences of having too many members.
But not only did Li Chang’an ignore her.
He had instead forcefully transferred her to the Anti-Terrorism Mobile Team to handle logistics.
Now, Li Chang’an’s stubborn actions had triggered a public outcry across Night City, and even Charles no longer supported his behavior...
Seeing that she was quickly running out of options, Regina was starting to feel mentally exhausted.
Noticing the resentment in her eyes, Li Chang’an smiled and asked, "Have you finished compiling that list I asked for a while back?"
At his words, Regina snapped back to reality. She grabbed a USB drive from the desk behind her and handed it to Li Chang’an. "These are all the core figures of the major district gangs. Their contact info was easy enough to get, but what do you want with so many street thugs?"
Li Chang’an took the USB drive from her. He didn’t have a neural interface himself, so he just glanced at it before handing it back to Regina. "In a bit, I need you to call them one by one. Tell them they have six months to clean up the territories they control. I don’t want to see any more gang wars, organ trafficking, arms dealing, or any of that other crap in Night City!"
Hearing this, Regina thought she must have misheard, her voice rising in disbelief. "What?"
Li Chang’an patted her shoulder and said flatly, "Just do as I say."
Regina was still dumbfounded.
She hesitated for a long moment before nodding. "Alright, but what’s the point of this? Why would these gang members give up so much profit just because of a verbal warning from you?"
She was putting it very diplomatically.
In reality, forget Li Chang’an, who was just a disfavored heir of the Yunxiao Group. Even if Charles himself made the call, the person on the other end would very likely ignore it.
After all, for the leaders of the major gangs, telling them to stop fighting over turf and dealing in arms and organs was like signing their death warrant.
How could you expect them to cooperate when you were demanding their very livelihood?
Even if it were Charles, these hardened criminals who lived and died by the knife would make sure to teach him a harsh lesson before they went down.
The chaos of Night City was like a ravenous beast that devoured anyone it chose. The city streets were stained with black blood, reeking of power and money.
Regina could already picture the scene after she made the calls. The gangsters on the other end would definitely think she was some psycho who’d taken too many drugs.
Seeing her utterly confused expression, Li Chang’an chuckled. "What can I say? I’m a kind-hearted person. I always like to give people a way out before the bloodshed begins."
"Besides, everything requires a just cause, doesn’t it? If I acted against them without warning, that would be my fault. But if I warn them and they don’t listen, then my actions become perfectly justifiable, right?"
Listening to Li Chang’an, Regina’s expression remained skeptical.
Making a few calls wasn’t a big deal; at worst, they’d just think she was a lunatic. She only asked these questions to confirm that her direct superior wasn’t having a mental breakdown while giving these orders.
She found Li Chang’an’s Logic hard to follow.
But seeing that he wasn’t mentally unstable, she nodded and went to make the calls one by one using the contact list on the USB drive.
...
...
「Six months passed in the blink of an eye.」
Li Chang’an was now ten years old.
For a long time, the news that the Anti-Terrorism Mobile Team was recruiting criminals dominated the headlines in Night City. The name Little Charles also entered the public eye, though in a unique way.
Unlike other corporate heirs who appeared with a positive image, he emerged in an utterly disgraceful manner.
Fortunately, Night City was never short on big news.
When the public saw that the expansion of the Anti-Terrorism Mobile Team didn’t lead to the riots and unrest they had anticipated, their interest in the matter gradually faded.
Three months ago, Charles had cut off all of Li Chang’an’s financial power within the family and quickly introduced a new heir.
This new heir had a mother; he was the child born from Charles’s marriage to a Princess from the Direct Lineage of a major military tech corporation.
It was only then that people suddenly realized the truth. The once-celebrated "Little Charles" had been nothing more than a Puppet to divert attention. This new child was the true heir established by Charles and the Yunxiao Group!
Logically, this child should have been kept out of the public eye for a while longer.
But because of the scandal surrounding Li Chang’an six months ago, Charles had been forced to push his real heir into the spotlight ahead of schedule.
Under these circumstances, Li Chang’an’s status as the "former Crown Prince" became very sensitive.
After all, the deposed crown princes of ancient emperors rarely met a good end. And though this was now a technological era, the fundamental structure of power had never changed.
It was for this very reason that, after half a year, the name Little Charles once again appeared in the media.
Many of Night City’s residents, along with some intensely curious politicians, were eager to see how this juicy story would finally conclude.
After taking over the Anti-Terrorism Mobile Team, the former Crown Prince, Little Charles, had vanished from the public eye for half a year.