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Taking Pleasure in Others’ Misfortune

At that moment, aboard the helicopter hovering over the port ---

Li Wenxing and Qian Jin gazed down from above, looking at the dense horde of zombies swarming across the ground below. Both men couldn't help but feel a chill in their hearts.

It had only been a little over ten hours since the zombie outbreak began, yet the number of infected had already exceeded ten thousand.

Thankfully, Li Wenxing had acted swiftly, evacuating the nearby civilians at the first sign of trouble. Otherwise, if the corpse poison had been allowed to spread unchecked, it would’ve been impossible to contain.

Even so, the presence of over ten thousand near-invulnerable zombies was still a massive headache.

He had already ordered multiple rounds of aerial and artillery bombardments.

Half the port had been destroyed, but the effect was negligible.

Now, all he could do was focus on stalling the zombie horde as much as possible.

“Your Highness, almost all the zombies in Wugang City have been herded here. As for the remaining stragglers, our teams are trying to track and capture them. They shouldn’t affect the overall situation,” Qian Jin reported after receiving an update through his earpiece.

“Well done. All that’s left now is for that peerless expert to make his move,” Li Wenxing nodded.

The zombie army was mostly gathered. As per their initial plan, all that remained was for the peerless powerhouse to strike and eliminate them in one fell swoop --- resolving the crisis completely.

“But what if that peerless expert doesn’t show up?” Qian Jin suddenly asked.

“The message from Margaret was clear. There shouldn’t be any mistake,” Li Wenxing replied, shaking his head.

“Still, better safe than sorry, Your Highness. We’ve been using human lives to bait these zombies. If the situation spirals out of control, the consequences will be unimaginable,” Qian Jin said seriously.

Placing the fate of the city --- and their own future --- in the hands of a complete stranger was far from a sound decision.

“You’re not wrong,” Li Wenxing admitted. “In truth, I’ve already prepared a backup plan. But the cost is far too great. Unless we have no other choice, I won’t deploy it lightly.”

“As long as Your Highness has a contingency in mind,” Qian Jin nodded in approval.

In times of crisis, especially for a future monarch, calm and calculated decision-making was paramount.

“Oh, right --- what’s the situation in Lincheng and Liyang City?” Li Wenxing asked suddenly.

“Lincheng is in chaos,” Qian Jin reported. “When the zombie horde breached the city, the Second Prince’s first reaction wasn’t to retreat or evacuate civilians --- he ordered the military to launch a counterattack. The result? An entire division of over a thousand troops was wiped out. The civilian population was caught in the crossfire, and the number of infected is now skyrocketing --- likely several times higher than ours.”

“Still so reckless,” Li Wenxing shook his head, though a trace of a smile tugged at his lips. “Always thinking he can solve everything with brute force. He doesn’t understand when to retreat. He ends up harming himself and everyone else.”

The more chaotic the situation became in Lincheng, the more it worked in his favor.

If the city fell completely and the corpse poison spread beyond control, there would only be one option left --- obliterate the entire city with overwhelming firepower in the name of national security.

And once that happened, Li Guanglong would be finished --- he would no longer have any legitimacy to contend for the throne.

Even with a massive base of supporters, it would be useless.

A prince responsible for the destruction of an entire city due to a single reckless decision? No one would ever trust him to rule Dragonmarsh.

Not the civil officials, not the military commanders --- and certainly not their father, the emperor.

So naturally, Li Wenxing was hoping Lincheng would collapse as soon as possible.

Once he eliminated Li Guanglong, his strongest rival, the path to succession would be far less obstructed.

“What about Third Brother in Liyang City? Has the corpse poison spread?” Li Wenxing asked again.

“Liyang’s situation is a bit worse than ours in Wugang, but still better than Lincheng. It’s somewhere in between,” Qian Jin said. “To be fair, the Third Prince has handled things fairly well. Liyang was the first city to experience the corpse poison, and to keep things from spiraling out of control up to this point is no small feat.”

“Third Brother’s always had a bit of cunning,” Li Wenxing said coolly. “He’s doing better than Second Brother --- that much is expected. But he’s short-sighted and lacks vision.”

“I heard that when the red mist outbreak happened, Third Brother was busy hoarding wealth and seizing resources, angering many of Lincheng’s high-ranking officials. Now that the corpse poison has spread, those same elites aren’t cooperating --- they’re even actively obstructing him. If this continues, I doubt he’ll last much longer.”

He had detailed knowledge of his two brothers’ movements. The spies he had planted at their sides regularly sent back reports.

“Neither the Second nor Third Prince can compare to Your Highness’s wisdom and charisma,” Qian Jin flattered him. “You are brave, intelligent, and truly care for the people. The position of crown prince could only go to you. No one else is worthy.”

“Hahaha... Qian Shu, you always know just what to say,” Li Wenxing laughed, clearly pleased with the praise.

If his maternal family had been more powerful, he wouldn’t have been overshadowed by Li Guanglong or Li Wenxing in the first place.

In terms of strategy, leadership, and talent, he was superior to both of them.

Only he had the right --- by virtue and capability --- to inherit the throne.

Just then, Qian Jin’s eyes narrowed. He pointed into the distance and exclaimed:

“Your Highness, look! That peerless expert is here!” - Ton


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Comments

Anonymous said…
Thanks for the update, Admin Ton
Anonymous said…
Thanks Ton
Anonymous said…
Thanks Ton
Anonymous said…
Totally repeated chapter but from the first prince point of view.

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