Chapter 106: Rebirth of the Tool Man in a Pampered Protagonist Novel

The two people who arrived were none other than Moore James and Shi Liangchen. Pushing a wheelchair, Shi Liangchen was accompanied by a familiar face—Shi Meijing, who had become a helpless invalid, unable to move or speak.

Fang Ziyang’s lips curled slightly upon seeing them.

Shi Meijing, seated in the wheelchair, looked even more haggard, and upon seeing Fang Ziyang, her face immediately filled with terror and deep resentment. She kept making “mmm mmm” sounds, glaring at Fang Ziyang with a look that could have devoured him whole.

It was all Fang Ziyang’s fault; he was the one who caused her to end up like this! If it weren’t for Fang Ziyang, she wouldn’t have gotten involved in Yan Tong’s mess, wouldn’t have deceived her brother, and wouldn’t have ended up hated by him!

Clearly, it was all Yan Tong’s fault as the mastermind, but she had only helped a little, and yet Fang Ziyang had been so ruthless, turning her into a cripple! What was worse, she didn’t know what Fang Ziyang had said to her brother, making him hate her so much that every day felt like living hell.

Shi Meijing was filled with pain and hatred, yet even now, she couldn’t see her own mistakes and didn’t think she was at fault.

Fang Ziyang wasn’t surprised to see Shi Meijing still like this. If these people had any conscience, they wouldn’t have tried to destroy him in the previous life.

The worse off these people were now, the happier he was; it filled him with a deep sense of satisfaction.

After a brief, secret exchange of glances with Shi Liangchen, Fang Ziyang continued to keep a low profile in the group.

On Shi Liangchen’s side, Moore James spoke with a tone of interest, “I’ve heard that Mr. Tang Xun is a leading figure among the younger generation in the scientific community. Seeing you today, you truly live up to your reputation, and your boldness is impressive. But I wonder if Mr. Tang Xun can really make decisions on behalf of the Huaguo team. If you lose the bet, will the Huaguo team really withdraw from the competition?”

Compared to the arrogant members of the M Nation team earlier, Moore’s words were equally unkind, but there was an unmistakable sense of confidence behind them.

He had the appearance of an elegant and gentlemanly aristocrat, yet anyone with even a bit of sensitivity could sense a cold and sinister threat, like a snake lying in wait.

Moore James was the epitome of a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Rick clenched his fists tightly as he glared at his ruthless cousin.

Tang Xun held Rick back, smiling gently. His demeanor was calm, not sharp, but it had a soothing effect that dispelled the chill from the other side.

“Of course. Since I proposed the bet, I naturally have the authority to make decisions. But I wonder if Mr. Moore, who agreed so readily, can make decisions on behalf of your team?”

“Of course. It’s always more exciting to have a wager alongside the competition. Since your team is willing to add some excitement to the event, as the host team, we’re more than happy to oblige. I hope Mr. Tang Xun’s performance won’t disappoint me, especially considering the potential partnership with the James family.”

Moore finished speaking and then looked at Rick, who was standing beside Tang Xun. “Cousin, it’s been a while. You have good taste.”

His gentlemanly tone and smile should have made people feel close, but instead, everyone felt uncomfortable.

Rick’s expression turned even darker.

“Moore, I’m no longer part of the James family. I don’t care about your affairs, and you’d better not target me anymore. Tang is my lover, not the James family’s partner, so drop your schemes unless you want to give our other brothers an easy opportunity.”

As someone who had long competed against More within the family, Rick knew all too well the meaning behind every word and expression his cousin used.

More was a natural-born schemer, and Tang Xun’s abilities were clearly something he wanted to claim. But Rick would never let that happen.

“Cousin, you’re still as hot-tempered as ever. I merely appreciate my cousin-in-law’s abilities. There’s no need to be so hasty.”

Moore shrugged. “Alright, since you’re so eager to be rid of me, I won’t keep you any longer. I’ll contact the competition officials to make our wager public online. Mr. Tang Xun, see you at the competition.”

With that, Moore signaled the troublesome M Nation team members to leave.

As he passed by the Huaguo team, Moore glanced at Fang Ziyang, narrowing his eyes slightly, smiling as if he had found a new prey.

Their eyes met, and Fang Ziyang responded with a bright, innocent smile.

A conflict that began with intensity ended swiftly and quietly. However, everyone could sense the undercurrents of tension beneath this calm surface.

When Moore returned to the hotel room with the M Nation team, the gentlemanly smile on his face vanished instantly. Without a word, he slapped each of the members in front of him. Afterward, he took out a high-end handkerchief from his suit pocket, wiping his hands with disdain before speaking in a harsh tone.

“Useless fools. I sent you to probe them, and instead, you let them suppress you. You embarrassed me in front of so many people, and I had to step in to save the situation. It was just a bet, and yet none of you dared to respond, making us the laughingstock…”

“S-sorry, Mr. Moore. We just didn’t expect the Huaguo team to be so tough today, and we were caught off guard. We really didn’t mean it,” stammered the slapped members, clutching their faces, too frightened to even show any anger. Facing Moore’s harsh tone, they shrank back in fear.

Although many of them had backgrounds and connections, in front of the James family, displeasing Moore would leave them unprotected by their own backers or families.

Especially after the James family produced those research results, their influence in M Nation’s political arena had risen to an unparalleled level.

The once arrogant and haughty group now cowered like frightened chicks.

Moore had no interest in wasting his precious time on these cowards. He impatiently waved his hand, dismissing them with a curt “Get out.” Once they were gone, his expression softened, and he turned to Shi Liangchen, who had been silently observing.

“Shi, what do you think? It seems the Huaguo team came prepared this time. Do you have confidence in the bet?”

“I certainly do, but I can’t vouch for the others. After all, the first round of the attack-defense competition is divided into individual and team categories…” Shi Liangchen’s tone was calm, stating the facts without any emotion.

Moore was not satisfied with this response, but he understood the reality. The quality of the Huaguo team this time was exceptionally high. Besides Tang Xun, there was also the unpredictable Fang Ziyang. The Lu family, who left behind those research materials, was not to be underestimated.

However, Moore’s expression turned into a dangerous smile. “It doesn’t matter if we lose the bet. It’s an opportunity to gauge the true strength of the Huaguo team. I want to see if Fang Ziyang is really as formidable as Yan Tong claims, even more so than his brother.”

“Don’t mention that person to me!” Shi Liangchen’s usually calm demeanor instantly shifted, his voice filled with intense disgust and hatred.

But Moore wasn’t angry. In fact, he seemed to be in a very good mood. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, and the more Shi Liangchen loathed Fang Ziyang, the harder he would work for Moore.

Initially, when Moore first met Shi Liangchen, he didn’t trust or think highly of him. But later, Shi Liangchen proved his worth through his actions and results. Among the entire research team of the James family, not a single one could compare to this young man. The professors and experts painstakingly recruited by the family were all useless compared to Shi. It was hard to believe that Huaguo had produced such a genius.

As for Yan Tong… Though he seemed appealing, he was nothing more than a broken toy played out on the Caesar cruise. Moore had no interest in such a thing. Moreover, Yan Tong was incredibly foolish, harming himself while trying to harm others and offending the more valuable Shi Liangchen.

Still, Yan Tong was not without use, so his life would be spared for now.

“Alright, alright, I won’t mention him. Once I’ve extracted all the information from him, you can have him and do whatever you want,” Moore generously offered, changing the subject.

“Earlier, I couldn’t quite understand why you were all so afraid of Fang Ziyang, especially Yan Tong. He seems to view Fang Ziyang as an inevitable enemy that he must eliminate. Looking at the photos, he appears to be a beautiful Oriental angel, but… today, I understand.”

“What do you understand?”

Moore’s eyes gleamed with a predatory light. “This Fang Ziyang is indeed intriguing. In him, I see a kindred spirit. I think we’re a match, don’t you, Shi?”

“A kindred spirit? I think that’s playing with fire…” Shi Liangchen spoke bluntly, smiling as he continued, “He’s Xiè Zhēng’s partner. You should know who was behind Rick leaving the James family.”

“Xiè Zhēng, what an annoying name,” Moore’s smile vanished at the mention of the name, but he quickly regained his composure, his expression returning to that of a refined and noble gentleman.

Moore’s face lit up with interest again. “But that makes it even more fun, doesn’t it? Stolen things always taste sweeter, especially when the previous owner is someone as irritating as Xiè Zhēng. Shi, I think I’ve found the perfect canary. Aren’t you happy for me?”

Shi Liangchen remained silent, his expression darkening.

Seeing this, Moore patted his shoulder, his tone both comforting and imperious.

“Shi, I know your sister’s current state is all Fang Ziyang’s doing, but there are many ways to get revenge. Such a beautiful and intelligent canary—how could you bear to clip its wings? Isn’t it better to keep him for your amusement? Trust my judgment; you’ll come to appreciate his taste…”

“Prepare well. I don’t want the technology competition’s championship to fall into someone else’s hands.”

With that, Moore left with a satisfied smile.

Shi Liangchen stared in the direction Moore had left for a long while before collecting himself.

Then, he turned his gaze to the person sitting in the wheelchair—Shi Meijing. His eyes filled with deep-seated hatred, causing the already pale Shi Meijing to tremble uncontrollably in fear.

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