The King of Urban Mercenaries-Chapter 1166 - 1168: Poison Scorpion and Long Xie

Chapter 1166: Chapter 1168: Poison Scorpion and Long Xie
"That’s right, the rise of the Hell’s Judgement Mercenary Corps was rapid, and now the Ghost God Mercenary Corps is rising just as quickly. They have many similarities; in fact, the Ghost God Mercenary Corps may even surpass the Hell’s Judgement Mercenary Corps!" Long Xie said, recognizing them as the most promising mercenary group and one he had been watching closely all along.
Old Scorpion nodded in agreement after hearing Long Xie’s words and said, "This mercenary group is indeed similar to the Hell’s Judgement Mercenary Corps, but their development models are completely different."
Long Xie laughed, "One grows rapidly and becomes powerful, the other relies on absolute might to become powerful. There is indeed a difference. The Hell’s Judgement’s strength was a sudden growth; its members increased rapidly and quickly caught up with the numbers in the top three mercenary groups. However, their actual equipment couldn’t keep up, and coupled with Lin Fei, who was careless, their eventual failure was inevitable."
Old Scorpion said, "Therefore, I absolutely won’t allow anyone like Lin Fei to threaten our position again. Just one Lin Fei made us, the Poison Scorpion Mercenary Group, expend so much effort, and even then, it was only with the help of the Gentleman Mercenary Group that we got rid of him. Now, another Lin Fei is on the rise, and we must find a way to strangle it in the cradle!"
"Boss, I don’t think we need to do that," Long Xie said.
"What do you mean by that?" Old Scorpion asked, knowing that if Long Xie said so, he must have a reason.
Long Xie smiled and said, "I believe that given the speed at which the Ghost God Mercenary Corps is rising, there must be someone even more anxious than we are to eliminate them. All we need to do is hold our ground."
"You mean we don’t make a move?"
Old Scorpion frowned; he always thought that if others rose, they would challenge the Poison Scorpion Mercenary Group. This would push the Poison Scorpion Mercenary Group out of the top three rankings, weakening their influence, which in turn would deteriorate their standing internationally. The consequences of that downfall would be unimaginable, especially considering that behind the Poison Scorpion Mercenary Group lay the power of the Iron Country.
Long Xie explained, "Boss, we’ve done all we can, and we shouldn’t do thankless tasks. Since the opposition is coming on strong, there’s no need to invite trouble. I’ve heard that the Ghost God Mercenary Corps accepted an S-tier mission; anyone with the courage to take on such a mission is no simpleton. If they attack us, it would be a losing gamble."
"I see, Long Xie, you’re right." Old Scorpion nodded. Long Xie had become quite exceptional, and whether or not he coveted the boss’s position, Old Scorpion couldn’t match him in capability. This particular problem, though simple, had eluded Old Scorpion’s understanding.
"Now that the matter is resolved, all of you may leave; Long Xie, please stay," Old Scorpion said.
The others glanced at Long Xie, unsure of what Old Scorpion planned, while a burly Black man called Black Eight stood behind Old Scorpion. If...
Long Xie glanced at Old Scorpion and said, "Hurry and go. Didn’t you hear the boss’s orders clearly?"
With Long Xie’s words, they all stood up and headed toward the door, disappearing as the door closed. Old Scorpion smiled wryly and said, "I am indeed getting old."
Long Xie comforted him, "Boss, this is just in form only, but please rest assured, as long as you wish, I will continue to support you all the way." Long Xie displayed a sincere expression; however, inwardly, he was more scheming.
Old Scorpion nodded, understanding Long Xie’s intentions. By now, the Poison Scorpion Mercenary Group was beyond his control. Although Long Xie appeared powerless on the surface, he secretly controlled the group. Old Scorpion’s current role was simply to appear as the leader in others’ eyes, while handling none of the responsibilities.
Long Xie’s plan was simple: to keep Old Scorpion in his position without power. If any enemies, like Lin Fei, attacked, their target would be Old Scorpion. Although Old Scorpion escaped once, the reaction at that time proved the Poison Scorpion Mercenary Group no longer cared for Old Scorpion.
Yet, Old Scorpion was unwilling to relinquish power, even as a powerless leader, so he silently allowed this situation to persist.
"Boss, do you have any plans regarding the Ghost God Mercenary Corps?" Long Xie asked.
Old Scorpion awakened from his thoughts and said, "What are your plans for the Ghost God Mercenary Corps?"
Long Xie looked at Old Scorpion, acknowledging him. At least Old Scorpion was once a boss of the Poison Scorpion, not without wisdom. He said, "Boss, our mercenary group may seem at the bottom, but in reality, the top three mercenary groups are a collective; surely, you know this better than I do."
"Of course, it is precisely because we are a collective that I’ve always suppressed the other mercenary groups, but our principles of service are eternally distinct; it’s merely profit that binds us together," Poison Scorpion said.
"Then that’s it."
Long Xie finished speaking and smiled, "Boss, since we are a unit, even if profits bind us, in essence, we are not the same. So why should we fend off external enemies? We’ve set up so many adversaries, and the first and second mercenary groups offer a stable future. It’s a losing game, I feel there’s no need for us to continue playing."
"You want to break this form?" Old Scorpion asked in surprise.
Long Xie shook his head, "We’re not trying to break this form, but because this form doesn’t truly exist. For the balance, real fairness is parallel; since we are a unit, we must maintain equilibrium. But it’s clear our current relationship is not balanced."
At this point, Old Scorpion had an epiphany. Poison Scorpion had been striking at various mercenary groups outside, only strengthening the first two mercenary groups. Unknowingly, the Poison Scorpion Mercenary Group had become a perpetual number three as the gap widened.
Just like the Poison Scorpion Mercenary Group striking Lin Fei: although Lin Fei died, the shame and loss he brought to the group would never disappear or change. Therefore, Long Xie was right; the number one Gentleman Mercenary Group and the number two Tank Mercenary Group had become too complacent, growing larger as they enjoyed their comforts.
Seeing Old Scorpion’s contemplation, Long Xie understood he finally saw the form clearly. "I got word that the original tactician of the Judgement Mercenary Group, Xue Zhi, was poached by the Tank Mercenary Group. Xue Zhi agreed to become part of the Tank Mercenary Group," he said.