Mental Illness Evolution Manual - Chapter 118

A gust of wind whipped up the scattered snow, battering against the glass window. The deep blue, heavy curtains were pulled open, revealing the city shrouded in a mist-like haze under the fierce wind and snow.

In his hand was a cup of hot tea. After working for the Yan family for so many years, he had inevitably picked up some of their habits.

The aroma of tea wafted in the air. Saint Heart held the teacup and looked out at the Presidential Palace in the distance. Suddenly, an epiphany struck him—wasn’t this scene exactly what he had seen in his prophetic dream?

Saint Heart suddenly felt a sense of peace and certainty.

He had told the deputy minister of finance that he wanted to “stay away from the turmoil,” pretending to be a recluse. But neither the deputy minister nor he himself believed it.

They both knew that this was just an excuse, an attitude, a way of showing that he wanted to completely break off his relationship with the Yan family.

His ability was destined to draw him into the vortex of power.

This was prophecy, not something that could be replaced by fighting and killing. Which ruler wouldn’t want someone like him by their side, someone who could predict good fortune and misfortune, and foretell the future?

So, Saint Heart was confident and sure of himself.

His goal was simply to extricate himself. He didn’t care who he would serve next.

It would be good if General Cheng won, but it didn’t matter if he lost. After all, people like him relied on their usefulness. No matter who was at the top, it wouldn’t affect his enjoyment.

Saint Heart took a sip of his tea. He was already thinking about which of the clubs and social clubs in the capital he should join first.

Before he could figure it out, the door suddenly opened, and a group of people in uniform and armed to the teeth walked in. Without a word, they fired a shot at him.

The surprise on Saint Heart’s face froze. His body slumped down softly.

It wasn’t a real bullet, just a tranquilizer dart.

Several other people dragged him away, put him in the back seat of a sealed car, and drove him to the interrogation room of the prison.

How could someone like him live and enjoy a luxurious life? The crimes he had committed for his own selfish gain were too serious. Providing information and defecting was far from enough to atone for his sins.

His fate was to be squeezed dry of all his information. If he cooperated, he would be given a quick and painless death. If he was uncooperative, the interrogation department had plenty of methods.

He thought he was important. He was being a little self-important. Perhaps others would indeed treat him as a treasure and pamper him, but those people definitely didn’t include the current president.

Everything she had achieved since taking office had not relied on any prophecies. All her decisions and choices were based on her own belief in herself.

Since that was the case, what did it matter to her whether there were prophecies or not?

Saint Heart died because of his arrogance and conceit. After a night, Yan Wen had also guessed who the traitor was.

Of the three Red Cardinals, his own son, Yan Xun Gui, had escaped because he stayed in Yuecheng. Another one had already been sacrificed. The remaining one had never been heard from.

Yan Wen didn’t believe in coincidences.

Whether Saint Heart had left voluntarily or been forced, his disappearance had only one interpretation: he must be the traitor.

If Yan Wen had known Saint Heart’s fate, he would have happily cursed him for getting what he deserved. But he couldn’t find anyone to investigate the other person’s whereabouts for the time being, and he hadn’t received the good news he had expected.

Why hadn’t the president’s black material been released yet?

Seeing that the election was approaching, there wasn’t much time left. To create a buzz, it was best to start as soon as possible.

A series of setbacks made him very unhappy. Yan Wen wasn’t afraid of disturbing his collaborator and directly made a phone call.

No one answered.

This was strange. How could it be that no one answered? Unless the person was dead, but how could a dead person receive a signal?

He hadn’t heard a busy tone in a long time.

A beep—the signal was interrupted.

A bad feeling suddenly arose in the heart of the head of the Yan family.

His premonition was quickly confirmed. The news of the Minister of Information’s death spread like wildfire. The manner of his death was extremely indecent.

He died in his lover’s arms.

In today’s society, no one would question the idea of these upper-class people having lovers. It was like an unspoken rule. But dying in bed was too vulgar. It was simply disgraceful and lost all face.

Although the Minister of Information was quite old, he was at a position where he wouldn’t lack any kind of medical care. There was no possibility of a sudden illness.

He didn’t die naturally. It must have been intentional.

The person who could have killed him was obvious.

Yan Wen was almost speechless in shock. They were all competitors, and it was such a sensitive time. Was it too much to use such a method?

Directly killing someone was unbelievable.

Wasn’t she afraid that people would suspect her?

Not long after the Minister of Information died, his black material was exposed. It was all dirty and smelly. Bribery and tax evasion were the least of his crimes.

Yan Wen even saw some of the dirt he had originally wanted to throw at the president.

Soon, a secretary came to contact him, saying that the president wanted to see him.

Yan Wen couldn’t refuse. He took a car to the Presidential Palace.

The secretary led him to the reception room.

He had some respect for the president, but that didn’t stop him from disliking her and wanting to get rid of her.

They were both fighting over the same cake. If someone ate more, someone else had to eat less.

Yan Wen naturally didn’t want to be the one who lost out.

But today, at this moment, as he sat on the sofa and his gaze met the person behind the desk, he had to admit that he had lost.

“Mayor Yan is still so calm and composed,” the president said, her voice as steady as ever.

“Not as good as you,” Yan Wen replied.

“I have a plan here, about the development of Yuecheng. I hope you can take a look.” After the president finished speaking, her chief secretary picked up a document on the table and walked over to Yan Wen, presenting it with both hands.

Yan Wen took the document and looked down.

The content wasn’t much. In summary, it was about the Yan family’s various industries. The Federation wanted to get involved in all of them, under the guise of cooperation.

There were also some about reducing the size of the guard force, inviting the Federal army to station there, replacing the current officials, and transferring them to other places. They would choose a new batch to come.

In all aspects, they would be replaced by the president’s own people.

Even the Yan family’s own arms business would be handed over to others to control, under the guise of cooperation.

It was called cooperation, but in reality, it meant taking half of his wealth and cutting off his arms and legs.

This wasn’t a development cooperation plan, it was a bandit’s robbery list!

“This is a bit too much,” Yan Wen put down the document.

“Is it?” The president’s eyes were clear, “Mayor Yan has always had a good reputation. He is very well-liked in Yuecheng. I was in the mood to read the Yan family’s history before. It has been passed down for thousands of years, a family of great influence. It must have been very difficult to reach this point.”

“You are the head of the family. Can you tell me what your secret to success is?”

Yan Wen’s eyes darkened.

What secret was there? Even if there was, there was only one—following the trend.

Following the trend could save your life, going against it would lead to death. It was that simple.

The Yan family had been able to survive for so long, not because of their reputation, but because of their strength, their power. Reputation was the least useful thing.

Facing an enemy who wanted to kill him, could he stand up and say, “I am a good person, a kind person, who is rarely seen in hundreds of years. You can’t kill me!”? Could he hope that the other party would retreat in fear of his reputation, thinking that he was untouchable, and exclaim, “I robbed the wrong person!”?

If the other party had such high moral standards, who would be more suitable to be a good person.

This cooperation plan was just a life-saving plan, using half or even more of his wealth to buy his life.

The president’s meaning was simple: agree, and you live.

The entire family could live.

Disagree, and the Minister of Information was a prime example.

The cards were on the table.

Yan Wen only wanted to refuse, but he knew that the president was coming in full force. The Yan family couldn’t hold out anymore. Even if he could delay it, how long could he delay it by himself?

The remaining tycoons were just a handful. They couldn’t do anything significant.

He picked up the plan and read it carefully from beginning to end. Then he reached out his hand.

The chief secretary placed a pen in his palm.

Yan Wen signed his name.

“I need a month to arrange my affairs,” he said calmly.

“That’s fine,” the president said, “You don’t need to attend the next council.”

“Thank you for your consideration,” Yan Wen nodded, walked out of the study, and walked out of the Presidential Palace. The scattered snow fell on his shoulders and hair, as if it had turned his hair white.

The Yan family could survive, but he couldn’t.

Only his eldest son, who was more stable, was suitable to take over the family. He hoped that he could survive this difficult period and leave a seed for the family.

On the way back by airship, Yan Wen was heartbroken. He finally coughed up a mouthful of blood.

“Don’t put my memorial tablet in the ancestral hall,” he said softly, “I am a sinner of the family. I don’t deserve to be enshrined. You must be cautious and think carefully before you act.”

“Son understands,” Yan Mingjing’s eyes were slightly moist. He replied hoarsely.

“Little Four has a hot temper. You need to restrain her. Don’t let her cause trouble.”

“Let Xun Gui hide for a while. Don’t let him show up. Otherwise, he won’t be able to save his life.”

…

Yan Wen arranged the family’s affairs, big and small, one by one. He was meticulous. His children all returned to the imperial palace to see him.

For them, Yan Wen was a strict father, but he was also the head of the family, the support of everyone. Everyone cried very sadly.

“Don’t live in the imperial palace anymore. It’s too ostentatious,” Yan Wen finally instructed, “Choose a few palaces at random and burn them down. Spread some rumors about repairs or something. Move out.”

“Yes,” everyone replied.

The president gave him a month. She didn’t say how he would die. It was best if he ended his own life.

Yan Wen sighed deeply towards the direction of the ancestral hall. He chose a relatively dignified way to die. He took medicine and fell asleep, as if he were sleeping.

The Yan family quickly issued an obituary, announcing to the outside world that he had died of a sudden illness.

The new mayor of Yuecheng was replaced by an official sent by the Federal government.

The Yan family was filled with mourning. The atmosphere in Yuecheng was also very low. The people in the city were very reluctant to part with the mayor and worried about the character of the new mayor. Many people spontaneously went to mourn Yan Wen.

The flowers under the imperial palace formed a small mountain.

Of course, Yan Xianchuan had no intention of going to mourn. She even took Lu Mingqiu out for a big meal.