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Chapter 216. The Fool's Society's Plan
As dusk settled, Jiang Jianxin finished his dinner and walked along the Cangjiang Dam in the evening breeze.

From afar, Xie Yan's slender figure came into view.

With her yellow schoolbag on her back, she stood against the wind on the dam like a stubborn reed.

Where the sea meets the sky, turbid waves surge into the air.

The leaden-gray clouds hung low, tearing into a chaotic mass with the churning, inky sea in the distance.

The salty sea breeze swept across the top of the dam, lifting Xie Yan's red jacket, the hem fluttering like a flamingo, ready to break free at any moment.

"Sister Jiang—"

The girl turned her face, her smile as sweet as honey, but her eyes held a hint of weariness.

Jiang Jianxin slowly stepped forward and followed her gaze.

Waves crashed against the embankment, the splashing water shimmering in the twilight.

Are you looking at the sea?

Xie Yan gently shook her head, her hair disheveled by the wind:
"Watching the sunset."

Her voice was very soft, almost swallowed by the sound of the waves.

Jiang Jianxin narrowed his eyes.

At the horizon, the dim afterglow and the dark clouds intertwined, like an overturned palette.

There is no sunset today.

She paused.

"Actually, I think..."

Jiang Jian thought about saying she didn't think it was anything to see, but then realized that would be a bit tactless, so he quickly changed his mind and said:

"...I think it has a unique charm."

Xie Yan nodded, raised her hand, and pointed to the place where the yellow and black of the setting sun met, saying:
"Sister Jiang, look, there's a road over there."

Jiang Jianxin looked up at the direction she was pointing.

Where the clouds meet the sea, a delicate gradient spreads, like rice paper dampened by water, with yellow and black layered in the twilight—it's beautiful, but there's really no road.

Jiang Jianxin stared at that patch of sky for a long time, thinking that even if the Heavenly King himself came, there would be no way out today.

If it were anyone else standing here, Jiang Jianxin might have stubbornly confronted them head-on, but the person next to him is a fool.

Fools are a group that exists between confusion and clarity, and occasionally they go mad.

Jiang Jianxin felt she should tolerate her good friend's ramblings, so she touched her neck and said insincerely:
"Ah...it seems there really is a road."

Xie Yan slowly lowered her hand, but her gaze remained stubbornly fixed on the distance.

The salty sea breeze swept across her hair, blowing a few stray strands into disarray, as if trying to obscure the unfathomable landscape in her eyes.

"The line where the yellow and black of the setting sun meet, the long staircase emerging from the sea... that's the road to heaven. I know... I've walked it."

Her voice was so soft it seemed to dissipate in the wind.

The wind was too strong, and Jiang Jianxin didn't hear clearly, so he had to ask again:

"What did you say... what long street?"

"Does Haidu even have a commercial street by the sea?"

Xie Yan's smile faded, and she suddenly became serious again:
"Nothing, I was just admiring how beautiful the scenery was." "Oh."

Jiang Jianxin felt a little embarrassed, but she really hadn't heard it. Since the other person didn't want to talk about it anymore, she had no choice but to change the subject:
"Did you ask me to come for a walk because of something?"

Xie Yan countered with a question:
"Can't I ask Sister Jiang to come for a walk if there's nothing else going on?"

Jiang Jianxin scratched his head:
"Of course, that's possible, but I think you also have to handle the affairs of the Fools' Society, so you might not be that free. That's why I thought you might need to talk to me about something."

The friends she made were all influential figures, holding high positions in various powerful organizations.

Zuo Siquan, who was closest to her, was someone she could hardly contact when the Dream Pavilion got busy, let alone Xie Yan, the leader of the Fools' Society.

Sometimes Jiang Jianxin felt that the chaos and turmoil of the world was like a major battle being waged within his own social circle.

Soon, best friend #1 and brother #2 had a falling out and started fighting, tearing each other apart, which also led to their underlings getting into a brawl.

Driven by self-interest, Best Friend #1 and Brother #2 suddenly reconciled and formed an alliance, joining forces to fight against the united front of Brother #3 and Best Friend #2.

Her friends were all warmongers, and all ambitious, busy pursuing their own interests; she was the only one who remained a lazy, untroubled figure.

Jiang Jianxin knew that it was probably because of his high status, standing at the top of the class, and knowing only outstanding talents that he had this illusion of a battle among friends.

But this feeling is quite wonderful, as if when a person stands high enough, the world really looks like a game of chess.

At this moment, the King Chess piece bearing the words "Fool's Society" stood before her, speaking coldly with the most innocent face:
"I was just joking. I really do need to talk to Sister Jiang."

Xie Yan gestured with her hand:

"Now that there is an unrest in the southwest, the primary target of the Restoration Army is the Rose Group, which is blocking their way out."

"But as you know, the Rose Group is a very pure conglomerate. As long as the world hasn't ended, that Crown Princess's goal is just to make money, lots and lots of money."

"So she won't get involved in these wars. She'll probably show her skills tomorrow and shift the focus of the veterans' campaign."

Xie Yan paused, then continued:
"I don't know how she shifted the target; the Crown Princess has her own clever methods. But I do know which faction she will direct the Furong Army's anger towards."

Jiang Jianxin frowned and asked:
"what do you mean……"

Xie Yan looked at her, her eyes full of seriousness:
"The Rose Group will shift the focus of the war to the War Alliance."

Jiang Jianxin gasped, his expression suddenly turning serious:

"Why do you think so?"

Xie Yan remained calm and slowly explained to her:

"The War Alliance previously caused public resentment because it only recruited high-level talents."

"The warring forces act in a high-profile manner and are not so restrained. Although everyone knows that the root cause of the current state of society is the rampant exploitation by a few monopolistic forces, the other forces are shrewd enough to know that they do things in the open."

"They recruit talented individuals under the guise of not considering rank and treating everyone equally, but they secretly delete the information of lower-ranking talented individuals once the application information is submitted."

Xie Yan frowned and said again:
"But the War Alliance doesn't know about unspoken rules. Their recruitment restrictions are all written in the announcements, and all kinds of rules are open and transparent."

“Even those at the bottom of the talent pool who belong to the Light faction don’t have much insight. They only know that the War Alliance clearly looks down on them, while they feel that other forces still respect them.”

At this point, Jiang Jianxin already understood somewhat, and she pursed her lips to add:

"...So when they suddenly rose up, their primary target was the War Alliance."

Xie Yan nodded and said:
"Yes, the Crown Princess of the Rose Group must understand all this, so shifting her anger to the War Alliance is the safest and most foolproof option."

The waves crashed loudly, but Jiang Jianxin remained silent.

After a long pause, she asked:
"You're suddenly bringing this up with me? Is the Fool's Society also eyeing the War Alliance?"