Chapter 184: Dark Boundless Realm 39
Su Rong practiced shooting on the third floor of the villa, while Kui Xin sat in a chair, occasionally offering tips on Su Rong’s grip.
The villa’s walls were lined with soundproofing material, muffling the sound of gunfire from reaching the streets outside, allowing for bold and unrestricted practice.
In addition to firearms, Kui Xin also taught Su Rong how to wield other weapons and equipment. She not only learned how to shoot but also how to remove a bomb’s pull ring, set up a timed detonation device, and use night vision goggles and firearm-assisted aiming devices.
There was clearly no difficulty for Kui Xin in instructing Su Rong, so she occupied herself in the training room while simultaneously accessing the city’s tight data network with Augus’s help, watching a live broadcast— a press conference held by the Popov Clan.
The reason the Popov Clan was hosting this press conference was not only that an obscure underground organization had kidnapped their young master, but also because the kidnapping incident had greatly affected their reputation. Their stocks were plummeting, and their assets were shrinking.
In this situation, remaining silent was not an option. Moreover, they not only needed to respond but also needed to take a strong stance, demonstrating their confidence and telling everyone that they were still a powerful family atop society.
Present at the press conference was Polina Popov, the chairwoman of the Popov Entertainment Group. According to Augus, Ms. Polina was the eldest daughter of the current head of the Popov family, Dmitri’s mother, and one of the most powerful figures in the clan.
“The Popov family is truly pathetic,” Kui Xin said to Augus. “With a key family member kidnapped, they still have to consider stock prices…”
Augus replied, “From my observations, the richer and more powerful a person is, the less human warmth they possess.”
“I somewhat agree with that,” Kui Xin acknowledged.
“Some members of the Popov family are even relishing this event. Dmitri holds shares in several companies; if he dies, those shares will be distributed among other family members, who would benefit financially,” Augus remarked.
Kui Xin asked sensitively, “So, how much is he worth?”
“He just came of age, estimated to be worth about five to six billion,” Augus replied. “The Popov family’s total assets are in the hundreds of billions. I’m not sure exactly how many hundreds of billions, but maybe Eve would know since she manages the tax network.”
“Then asking for a hundred billion would just be a loss?” Kui Xin pondered. “That amount wouldn’t even cause them severe bleeding, considering that a young family member is worth fifty to sixty billion.”
“A hundred billion is substantial already,” Augus stated. “You could buy the head of a city’s mayor for less than a billion on the black market. And with a hundred billion, you could even buy a warship equipped with long-range destructive weapons or ten nuclear submarines.”
Kui Xin sighed, “But for those tycoons, a hundred billion is just a drop in the bucket; they are truly rich enough to rival nations.”
The press conference began, and a formally dressed woman stood at the podium. She bore a slight resemblance to Dmitri, with brown curly hair and a calm demeanor that suggested she was unaffected by the situation. Despite her son being kidnapped, her expression was steady, and she spoke with minimal emotional fluctuation.
Hovering cameras flitted around the conference hall like black dragonflies, their lenses flashing continuously.
An assistant handed Polina a portable microphone and then gestured to the waiting reporters below, causing the flashing lights to halt immediately.
A reporter pressed the button on their device first, signaling to ask a question.
Polina turned her gaze toward the reporter, who stood and asked, “Ms. Polina, do you have anything to say regarding the kidnapping of your son, Dmitri Popov?”
“This is quite an unpleasant incident,” Ms. Polina replied. “As a mother, I am deeply worried about my son’s safety. The terrorist organization known as ‘The Shadowless’ is demanding a hundred billion in ransom, but they haven’t stipulated any other negotiation terms…”
Another reporter asked, “Will the Popov family pay the hundred billion ransom to ‘The Shadowless’?”
Polina did not answer the question directly: “As I mentioned, ‘The Shadowless’ organization has not proposed any other negotiation terms aside from that ransom, which is irrational. I have witnessed similar kidnapping incidents before, and other members of my family have had similar experiences. If those kidnappers succeed, they would undoubtedly impose an additional condition: not to inform the authorities, usually threatening us with the risk of execution if we involve the Investigation Bureau… But at no point has ‘The Shadowless’ mentioned such conditions, indicating either they are not concerned about being pursued by the Investigation Bureau, or they are not truly interested in that hundred billion. All signs point to their intention to stir up trouble.”
“Do you believe this kidnapping incident is in fact a ‘provocation’? A provocation against the Popov family? That the kidnappers are not seeking ransom but have ulterior motives?”
Ms. Polina slightly nodded: “Yes.”
She looked into the hovering cameras, her calmness almost chilling: “The Shadowless organization has not proposed any negotiation terms nor any additional conditions. I have reason to believe my son, Dmitri, is dead. If ‘The Shadowless’ only requires a hundred billion in ransom, the Popov family can pay that, but you must first prove my son is still alive. Without crossing the bottom line of the Popov family, we can negotiate.”
Another reporter pressed the question button and stood to ask, “Ms. Polina, from what you just said, it seems that the Popov family intends to take a less aggressive approach to retrieve Dmitri?”
“We take a less aggressive approach because we care for our family members. We can be quite aggressive; the Popov family never fears adversaries,” Polina stated. “Do not mistake our protection of family members for retreat or weakness.”
…
“Have you considered how to respond to Polina?” Augus asked. “Her tone is relatively mild; she seems quite cautious, worried about the safety of her son. She’s asking you to prove Dmitri is alive; how will you do that? He’s already dead.”
“I will prepare a proof, but it won’t be given to Polina,” Kui Xin said. “Who are the competing forces against the Popov family? List them out, and also include the companies under their rival factions, especially those that control media resources.”
Augus responded, “What do you intend to do?”
“If Polina wants proof that her son is alive, I will provide it,” Kui Xin said. “I have Dmitri’s blood, and I can read memories from his blood. I could select several secrets known only to family members from his memories and send them to the media; they would swarm like vultures drawn by the scent of blood. If the Popov family inquires, I’ll reply that it was what Dmitri confessed under torture.”
Augus: “…”
“Moreover, this method would put pressure on the Popov family. The longer they delay and the more unwilling they are to give me that hundred billion, the more family secrets I will disclose, embarrassing them,” Kui Xin continued. “Based on their responses, they seem to have a strong sense of pride. If they give me that hundred billion, I won’t disclose anything.”
“And it will further amplify your influence and enhance your visibility, right?” Augus added. “That’s quite a good idea; I didn’t realize you actually have a knack for being conspiratorial.”
Media resources are typically controlled by wealthy families; those who control the media hold the power to shape narratives. However, the Popov Clan is not the only entertainment conglomerate in the world; they just stand at the top of the pyramid. Tycoons will also vie for power, going to great lengths to attack each other’s weaknesses.
“Not just that.” Kui Xin smiled. “With this move, we can profit twice, from both families.”
“Are you implying…” Augus pondered.
“We don’t have to expose the Popov family’s dirty secrets directly to their competitors; we can offer the news for free initially, but if they want to continue reporting, they will need to pay for it,” Kui Xin proposed. “One million per family secret, isn’t that fair?”
Augus replied, “That’s fair; you could even ask for more.”
“In that case, that’s possible,” Kui Xin agreed.
“Another similar kidnapping or two, and you could soon be a billionaire yourself,” Augus concluded.
“Let’s avoid that. Although kidnapping the children of the wealthy is indeed lucrative, it’s also easy to become a target of vendettas. Knowing when to stop is best,” Kui Xin rationally replied. “My primary goal isn’t to make money but to gather some operating funds.”
“Money can easily lead one to arrogance and degradation. It’s good that you’re not addicted,” Augus remarked.
Kui Xin scoffed quietly.
What nonsense; she loved money a lot. Having experienced tough times, she valued money greatly. However, she could always distinguish priorities—some things are far more important than money.
Money couldn’t make Kui Xin obsessed; this was the Second World, and what was the use of earning money here? Besides, no matter the world, the purpose of making money is to spend it wisely.
Kui Xin glanced at Su Rong, who was diligently practicing her shooting, then got up and went downstairs to open her wristband, logging into the dark web.
After two days of brewing, The Shadowless organization had officially revealed itself; she had to take advantage of this opportunity to act.
The dark web had both communication and trading sections. As a highly secretive site, it frequently hosted anonymous posts for various trade and bounty information.
Kui Xin had previously asked Augus who the founder of the dark web was and how it came to be. Augus admitted he was unsure. In a time when network technology was not so advanced and artificial intelligence had yet to be born, the dark web already existed, though it was quite rudimentary back then. After decades of development, it had become the scale it is today—something the Federation could not control.
Kui Xin switched to the communication section and posted a recruitment announcement.
Title: “The Shadowless is recruiting members, with preference given to Awakened. Interested individuals may submit application materials through the dark web; interviews will be conducted upon approval.”
After publishing the recruitment post, Kui Xin shut down the website and stretched, hearing Augus say, “Is it a mixed recruitment?”
“Mixed recruitment,” Kui Xin replied. “We are recruiting individuals from the Second World as well as players.”
