Chapter 568: Boarded Your Pirate Ship

Chapter 568 -333: Boarded Your Pirate Ship

“My dad used to joke that maybe he was trying to research immortality or something. Just another delusional fantasist. Emperor Qin proved that stuff doesn’t exist more than two thousand years ago.”

Her expression was one of not knowing whether to laugh or cry. As she talked about this, her mood gradually relaxed.

‘At least I can have a conversation with this man.’

An Yunzhi knew that for a woman, physical intimacy could lead to psychological acceptance. It was a basic human instinct. Now, she could already feel herself starting to change, developing a certain sense of closeness.

Of course, her reason was still intact.

But she wasn’t deliberately trying to control it.

‘All in all, while I won’t fall into Stockholm syndrome, there’s no need to wear myself down with internal conflict. Otherwise, life would become impossible.’

Lin Chu smiled, placing his hand on her leg. “He and I talked about this in a little cabin in the Alps. The whole thing is pretty interesting. He founded a club called the Genius Club, which has quite a few global billionaires as members… The old man is on his last legs, so he’s looking for a successor. He’s already picked five finalists, and there’s a sixth spot he’s planning to fill from a few other candidates. I’m one of them.”

“To be honest, I thought it was total bullshit at first. My main reason for going abroad was to do business—specifically, the luxury goods business. I wanted to build a top-tier Chinese luxury brand and take it global. I had the whole roadmap planned out: first, acquire a bank, then incrementally buy up subsidiary brands or shares of luxury conglomerates. After that, I’d slowly merge and absorb them until the job was done.”

“I never expected to get tangled up with this old man… And though I was forced to kill someone under his orders, I had a change of heart after seeing a list of his assets.”

“You know how much money he has, right? And it’s not even mainly about the money. It’s his assets: banks, oil, grain.”

At this moment, Lin Chu held nothing back, giving her a rough summary of his recent experiences and his thoughts.

She ought to have some say in this matter.

Hearing all this…

An Yunzhi found it a bit hard to believe, but her eyes began to shine as she stared at Lin Chu, captivated.

‘This is the stuff of legends, isn’t it?’

But on second thought, it seemed quite possible. After all, Lin Chu himself was a mysterious and dynamic person. He was also quite young for a global billionaire, with a promising future.

Besides, if someone like Liszt were to truly screen for a successor, his options would be limited because his philosophy was so extreme.

“I suddenly think you and he are actually a pretty good match. You’re quite compatible.”

An Yunzhi couldn’t help but laugh. “This is a good thing! Forcing you to kill someone was probably an initiation rite, a test like a pledge of allegiance. The fact that he actively exposed it was probably part of the same calculation. But compared to what he has, this isn’t such a big deal… Are you considering asking for help?”

“Asking for help has its pros and cons.”

“The pro is that you’ll have powerful backing from now on. No matter the crime, as long as you make a monumental contribution, it won’t be an issue.”

“There are two cons. First, you’ll have to be more principled in your actions from now on. Second, if Liszt finds out, I expect he’ll become wary. After all, loyalty that isn’t absolute is absolute disloyalty.”

An Yunzhi quickly gave her opinion. These were things she had been immersed in since childhood. As an outsider, she could still offer her own judgment.

Listening to her, Lin Chu lit another cigarette, a smile playing on his lips.

‘This was her value.’

‘She was on his wavelength.’

When it came to practical matters, Lin Chu felt she wouldn’t cut it. She hadn’t experienced many things and lacked the kind of go-for-broke life experience. But in terms of abstract strategy, she could absolutely be his advisor.

“You’ve said exactly what I was thinking.”

“I bought an island in the Philippines. My current plan is to first develop my own power base. I have a security company with nearly ten thousand men, plus foreign banks and various assets. Violence, money, territory… I’ve got it all sorted.”

“As for an official, public identity, I just secured diplomatic immunity from a small country… so the next step is to stockpile resources.”

“We’ll see how many years the old man can last. I even hope he lives a bit longer. As for the various tests he throws at me, I’ll just deal with them as they come.”

Lin Chu said with an air of nonchalance.

An Yunzhi waved her hand to clear away the smoke but didn’t say much else.

At this moment, this conversation gave her a strange feeling. It was like listening to her grandfather, her father, and the family elders talking in the study at home when she was growing up. Back then, she usually just served them tea and water, listening quietly from the sidelines. Though she could not reach their level, her heart had always yearned for it.

The man before her was in a different field, but his ideas and strategies—at least from what she could hear—seemed flawless. She found herself in high agreement.

“You don’t exactly seem like you’re trying to keep a low profile… and at a time like this, you still have the mind to come and bully me.”

An Yunzhi changed the subject. She could empathize with Lin Chu’s situation, but at the same time, she was somewhat at a loss for words.

‘This man really knows how to treat himself!’

Hearing this, Lin Chu couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Heh, you were an opportunistic catch. A rabbit I happened to spot while gathering hay. I wasn’t planning on going after you at first. I was just going to let it be; I was even afraid you might expose my identity.”

“Earlier this evening, I took care of a lot of things. I was being followed—by quite a few people, five or six of them. But after a bit of maneuvering on my part, I got the ship’s security department on my side and just had all six of them arrested.”

“After finishing all that, I thought I’d reward myself. Get a pianist to come up, play some music, have a dance.”

“As for now… I’m not bragging, but this is an opportunity for you, too. You could say I’m your benefactor, right?”

Lin Chu didn’t bother sparing her feelings at all. This was what he truly thought. From the moment she walked in until now, he could visibly see her real attitude toward him growing closer and closer. This, naturally, was a form of conquest.

It was more satisfying than a purely physical conquest.

An Yunzhi was slightly stung by the “rabbit” comparison, but when she heard the word “benefactor,” she shot him a glare. She didn’t refute it, however, and tacitly agreed in her heart.

“I’ve boarded your pirate ship!”

she said, the words a double entendre.

‘After all, weren’t they on a ship right now?’

“So where are we going now?”

“I’ll go with you.”

“If that’s the case, then there’s no need for me to bother with that bank directorship or any of it. It doesn’t help the bigger picture, and I don’t want to be treated like a kept canary. Mr. Lin, frankly, I have my own ambitions. There’s no need to hide that from you. Of course, I’m also aware of my own limitations. You’ve truly given me an opportunity—a chance to prove myself…”

“I’m not trying to get anything back; I was destined to never get it back anyway. For a while now, I’ve been thinking about how to spend the rest of my life. To be honest, when I got on this ship, I even thought that maybe I should just drift on the ocean forever, like the legend of the pianist on the ocean… But now, I think I can still do something. By taking a ride on your ship.”

“What’s your ambition? How far do you want to take it?”

She spoke as if a great weight had been lifted, feeling a sense of rebirth. There was even a hint of emotion welling up in her heart—she was moved by her own ability to face her inner self so honestly and even voice it to someone else.

‘This was a sign of strength. It meant she was finally emerging from the shadows.’

“Ambition… To see the stars and the seas, I suppose. To live, to leave a legacy of my own. On a grander scale, to see my country grow strong and its people prosper. And on an even grander scale, maybe I can even give human civilization a little push forward.”

Lin Chu said with a broad smile. Now, he could finally say these things out loud.

‘The ocean really is my lucky place.’

He still remembered being by the sea before, pondering this very question. That was when he met Jiang Ya. It’s just that back then, he hadn’t figured it all out yet.

But now, he could finally declare it openly.

‘He now had the qualifications, the identity, and the status to say such a thing.’

An Yunzhi’s eyes sparkled as she looked at him, feeling a little unsure of how to respond.

But in all honesty, at this very moment, Lin Chu’s words held a powerful charm for her.

He was lecherous, shameless, and domineering, but he also held the stars and the seas in his heart.

Contradictory, harmonious, and unified.