Laughably Foolish

Brooklyn, New York. A colossal skyscraper rising over two hundred meters into the air was currently under construction. Looking at the future landmark that would serve as the Silver Rock Headquarters, Liu Ren's eyes flickered with ambition. For from this very place, he would rise to become an emperor whose influence radiated across the entire European continent! Walking up to Liu Ren, A Chao said with a solemn expression, "It's all taken care of!" "Poor Mr. Wilson! If he hadn't shot himself, I might have even helped him mount a not-guilty defense!" Spreading his hands, Liu Ren wore a face the very picture of benevolence. Hearing Liu Ren's words, A Chao looked at him with deep suspicion. "What's the deal with your revolver anyway? Why is it always dropping to the floor?" "How should I know? What if my gun has a mind of its own?" Explaining to A Chao at his side, Liu Ren offered a thoroughly amused smile. After all, as the head of an arms conglomerate, what was wrong with carrying a revolver around? Besides, it had slipped and fallen; Liu Ren was helpless in the matter. Who could blame him? "That Daisy got kicked out by the Buchanan family. She didn't get a single penny of the inheritance!" A Chao said with a wry smile. "What? She didn't get any money at all? Then didn't her husband die for nothing? No, wait—I mean, didn't she marry into a wealthy family for nothing?" Liu Ren stared at A Chao in bewilderment, genuinely surprised. "She only has a daughter. The Buchanan family acknowledged the girl, but they gave Daisy very little standing. That woman is far too used to a life of luxury!" A Chao explained. He hadn't actually planned on prying into such matters, but who could help it when Liu Ren loved meddling in other people's business? Stroking his chin, Liu Ren's eyes gleamed with mischief. "Go freeze all of Gatsby's bank accounts immediately!" "Why?" A Chao stared at him, bewildered and utterly unable to understand. "If Daisy sees a penniless Gatsby, do you think she'll still be willing to marry him?" Liu Ren shook his head. "I don't think so. So she'd better make the right choice; otherwise, no one is going to help her!" Knowing full well what kind of person Daisy was, Liu Ren was certain she would leave once Gatsby went 'bankrupt.' But if Daisy actually managed to pass the test, he would simply have to shrug like the meme bear—what else could he do? Besides, it was only a daughter, not a son. He was confident Gatsby could handle it; at the very least, it wasn't nearly as difficult as what Dorgon had faced! That evening, at a certain estate. Gatsby drove up in a frantic rush, hurrying into the office in utter disarray. When he saw Liu Ren leisurely clipping the tip off a cigar, he blurted out, "Sir, did I do something wrong?" "No! Gatsby, you didn't do anything wrong!" Liu Ren replied with a warm, gentle smile. Yet Gatsby pressed anxiously, "Then why have my bank accounts been frozen? I can't even cash a check! What on earth is this for?" "What for? To help you see clearly how you should choose your future!" Liu Ren lit his cigar, slowly exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, and said, "Daisy is not right for you!" "No, sir, I know that I love Daisy, just as she loves me! That is true love!" Gatsby stared at Liu Ren, unable to fathom why his boss was trying to stand between him and Daisy. "True love, my ass!" Hearing those words, even someone as unscrupulous as Liu Ren couldn't hold back from cursing out loud. If Daisy had truly loved Gatsby back then, she would never have married Tom Buchanan for wealth. Don't give him that nonsense about Daisy tearing up a three-hundred-and-fifty-thousand-dollar pearl necklace and being forced by her family to marry the man. Those were just fairy tales meant to fool children. Real love transcended life, death, and even species! At this point, one had to mention those legendary figures on par with immortals: Xu Xian, Dong Yong, Ning Caichen, and of course the grand master Luo Shiyi! After all, one took a snake, one an immortal, one a ghost, and the last one didn't even spare a caterpillar! Stunned by Liu Ren's sudden outburst of profanity, Gatsby stood frozen where he was. This was the first time he had ever seen the man lose his temper. Usually, no matter how angry Liu Ren got, he maintained a cold, detached demeanor and never resorted to foul language. Because they all knew there was no point in wasting fury on a dead man walking. Yet now, Liu Ren was actually cursing up a storm. What was going on? "Go right now and tell that Daisy who 'loves you so deeply' that all your wealth has been seized, that you're left with nothing. Ask her if she's willing to endure hardship with you!" Liu Ren snapped irritably. Hearing this, Gatsby fell silent. Liu Ren's words brutally shattered all his romantic illusions about his idealized 'white moonlight.' He had always thought Daisy had chosen Tom Buchanan back then only because he lacked money, never realizing that from beginning to end, Daisy had never once considered marrying a boy from the sticks! Back then, she had merely been captivated by his handsome face. But what about now? Could Daisy possibly fail to understand just how crucial wealth was to surviving in New York? Leaving the estate, Gatsby sought out Daisy with a heart full of trepidation. She was currently staying at the cottage Nick rented, having already been cast out by the Buchanan family. When Nick opened the door and saw Gatsby, he was stunned. "Mr. Gatsby, what are you doing here?" Looking at the disheveled Gatsby, Nick asked in bewilderment. "Well... I'm looking for Daisy. I have something to tell her," Gatsby explained, visibly nervous. He was terrified that this test would drive Daisy away forever. Yet he had no way of refusing Liu Ren's orders, knowing all too well what the man was capable of. "Gatsby, is that you? You came for me!" Looking tenderly at Gatsby, Daisy still carried an air of elegance despite her recent fall from grace. Even without inheriting Tom's fortune, she was still entitled to a handsome child-support allowance—provided she did not remarry. Now, however, Daisy clearly looked down on that allowance. After all, she had a much better option: Gatsby! "I'm sorry, Daisy. It seems the banks discovered my assets... everything has been confiscated! Would—would you be willing to come to Europe with me? I have a business connection there!" Gatsby spoke with intense anxiety. "What?" Daisy stared at Gatsby in disbelief, completely stunned. He had lost all his money! And if Gatsby had no money, how could he possibly sustain her standard of living? "No, Gatsby. I won't go to Europe with you." Rejecting Gatsby, the affection on Daisy's face vanished instantly, replaced by utter coldness. Her involvement with Gatsby had only ever been about enjoying the thrill of an affair. Once she learned his true identity from Tom, she had already grown hesitant, sensing the instability of it all. And now, sure enough, Gatsby's money was gone! Why on earth should she endure hardship with him? Slam! The heavy door slammed shut in an instant. Gatsby's outstretched hand froze in midair, his entire world shattering like glass. Across the street, leaning against a luxury automobile, Liu Ren remarked, "See that? That's what a simp is. Shrewd as he may be in business, when he runs into the wrong person, he's still laughably foolish!" "You're truly an expert at playing with people's hearts," A Chao remarked with disgust. He could see that Liu Ren had known the outcome all along, yet insisted on making Gatsby go through with it anyway. Didn't he know the human heart was the most unpredictable thing in the world? "You don't understand. I love the madness and fickleness of the human heart—it gives me such pleasure!" Laughing heartily, Liu Ren raised an eyebrow. After being repeatedly targeted by that bastard Zhang, he had wanted to understand what made someone such a degenerate scumbag. Yet only now did Liu Ren realize: if that Zhang fellow was a scumbag, then what did that make himself?