Chapter 3561: Turning Defense into Offense

Facing Lin Wan'er's praise, An Chengxi humbly said: "Senior, you flatter me. I am far from capable of launching a counterattack now; I have merely made some preparations in secret. Moreover, my late husband had already planned many things for me and organized a professional team. Otherwise, if it were just me alone, I fear I could not even manage to escape with my life."

Lin Wan'er smiled slightly and asked her: "Lady Ye, have you obtained any significant breakthrough from the Wu family members?"

An Chengxi said: "Not to hide it from you, senior, among the Wu family members, indeed a few feel that the Wu family has been aiding Zhou in his tyranny over the years by staying beside Wu Feiyan, gaining considerable material benefits but also bearing deep sins. However, those who genuinely intend to overthrow Wu Feiyan are not in high positions; though they can provide some information, it is difficult for them to be of great help."

Lin Wan'er nodded, then suddenly thought of a breakthrough and continued: "Lady Ye's idea has inspired me. Although the vast majority of the Wu family have aided Zhou in his tyranny, they surely also worry about the future. For the past three or four hundred years, they have enjoyed Wu Feiyan's protection, so they could rest easy and even enjoy boundless wealth and honor. But Wu Feiyan's lifespan now has less than a hundred years left, so they will certainly worry about the upheaval after her death."

An Chengxi's pupils contracted as she looked at Lin Wan'er, waiting for her to continue.

Lin Wan'er went on: "Although the Wu family and Wu Feiyan are on the same boat, Wu Feiyan has no descendants, so she need not worry about the continuation of her bloodline after her death. But the Wu family is different: they have no elixir of immortality and rely on generation after generation of reproduction to reach their current state. Once Wu Feiyan's five-hundred-year lifespan ends, will the Wu family's descendants still be able to control the three great elders? Will they still command those death warriors and the brave cavalry guards? Will they still be able to resist external enemies from the Poqing Hui? These are likely the problems the Wu family will face."

"Therefore, I think we might devise a way to make the Wu family aware of this great risk, gradually alienating them from Wu Feiyan, while also making Wu Feiyan aware of the risk of betrayal from the Wu family. Given her naturally suspicious and violent nature, once she begins to guard against the Wu family, they will surely grow estranged from each other. For Wu Feiyan, resolving the Wu family's alienation will certainly be a most troublesome systemic problem."

An Chengxi exclaimed delightedly: "Senior's idea has opened my eyes! As Wu Feiyan grows fewer, the Wu family will surely grow more anxious. If we can find a way to amplify their worries and simultaneously provoke Wu Feiyan's suspicions, their internal strife might well be worth a hundred thousand troops!"

Having spoken, she again asked Lin Wan'er: "I wonder if senior has any good ideas?"

Lin Wan'er pondered, then smiled and asked: "How about filming our story with Wu Feiyan into a short drama?"

"Ah?!" An Chengxi cried out: "Senior... why would you think of that?"

Lin Wan'er said calmly: "For over three hundred years, I have been hiding everywhere, and Wu Feiyan has likewise been hiding in various places. To speak bluntly, we are both centuries-old demons who cannot bear the light. If we film our story into a short drama, with the ending written as Wu Feiyan's five-hundred-year lifespan ending and her passing like Empress Dowager Cixi did back then, with everything vanishing like smoke, the Wu family would also collapse completely."

Speaking thus, Lin Wan'er suddenly laughed mischievously: "After Empress Dowager Cixi died, heavenly authority vanished like passing clouds, and the Great Qing soon followed. This history is not distant, and most Huaxia people know it; the Wu family naturally knows it too. Outsiders will not extend it to reality, but Wu Feiyan and the Wu family will surely project it onto themselves: Wu Feiyan is Empress Dowager Cixi, the Wu family are the late Qing, and after Wu Feiyan's death, the Wu family's collapse is merely a matter of time. By then, Wu Feiyan will surely be furious half to death, and the Wu family will likely be in constant panic, mutually suspicious, each leaving behind traps for the other. In the coming decades, Wu Feiyan will probably be worn to a frazzle!"

An Chengxi was overjoyed, and Sun Jie and Tang Sihai beside her were also greatly excited.

No one had thought of such a stratagem.

If we truly filmed Lin Wan'er and Wu Feiyan's story into a short drama, the Wu family seeing it would likely collapse, and Wu Feiyan seeing it would likely go berserk!

A simple scheme could plunge the Wu family and Wu Feiyan's alliance into an internal strife trap—truly a classic example of using four taels to move a thousand catties!

Thus, An Chengxi asked her: "Senior, if you are truly willing to have these filmed into a short drama, then I can handle the arrangements, find a reliable team to bring it to life!"

Lin Wan'er smiled: "Lady Ye, we need not personally involve ourselves in this, to avoid leaving clues. Moreover, finding just one team to film it would still be too small a move."

An Chengxi could not help but ask: "Then what is your idea, senior?"

Lin Wan'er said: "My idea is for me to personally write our story into a script, then publish it online, and then take out five hundred bitcoins, give them to the Gray Net, and have the Gray Net organize a themed competition. The competition's content would be to let all short drama makers worldwide freely adapt this script; whoever's version gets the highest views and broadest influence will receive three hundred of these five hundred bitcoins, the second place gets one hundred, the third place gets fifty, and those ranked fourth to thirteenth will each get five."

As she spoke, she raised her brows: "Five hundred bitcoins, at current prices, is about sixty million US dollars, four hundred million RMB. The cost of a short drama is actually only a few hundred thousand RMB, at most a few million. Even if one only gets five bitcoins, that is still six hundred thousand US dollars—such an incentive should be considerable. Moreover, Gray Net's intermediary services have always been trustworthy; as long as the bitcoins are paid to them and they receive their agreed 10% handling fee, they will naturally adhere strictly to the agreement and maintain the competition's fairness. Once Gray Net spreads the word, no one will worry about unfairness or not receiving the prize after winning."

"By then, perhaps hundreds of short dramas will suddenly emerge worldwide, all filming our story with Wu Feiyan. Such an information bombardment will be unavoidable for Wu Feiyan and the Wu family."

An Chengxi nodded repeatedly, excited, and exclaimed: "Senior's strategy is marvelous! Moreover, using bitcoins to post a bounty on Gray Net will leave no clues for Wu Feiyan; even if she flies into a rage, she will be utterly helpless. As for the global audience, they will only regard this short drama as a fictional story, with no one connecting it to reality—truly a hundred benefits and no harm! Senior's strategy truly makes me prostrate myself in admiration!"

Lin Wan'er smiled: "I too was inspired by Lady Ye; seeing her, I suddenly realized that hiding continuously for over three hundred years has been too exhausting and too foolish. Rather than that, I might as well change the game—turn defense into offense. Wu Feiyan has made me suffer so much; it is time for her to taste it too!"