Necromancer, summoning 055? What the heck?

Chapter 508 Old Ma Rectifies Liu Shuang's Connections
Although Gu Liyang and Han Mu both call Ma Tianheng "Old Ma," he is actually not old at all.

Well, this guy is the kind of person who, in a crowd, will definitely catch your eye the moment you look at him.

He was in his early forties and looked a bit thin, but his shoulders were broad enough to make his crisp military uniform look perfectly upright.

His top button was fastened tightly to the very top, and the skin exposed at the collar was a light tan, the kind that shows off both indoor and outdoor activities. His stubble was clean-shaven, and his chin had a faint bluish tinge.

A pair of thin black-rimmed glasses sat on the bridge of his nose, behind which were a pair of bright and spirited eyes.

His posture is his most striking feature. He is very upright, and even if you can only see his front, you can feel that from his head to his neck to his chest to his waist, he is like a drawn sword, taut in a straight line.

When Chen Mo gestured for him to sit down, he first gently pulled at his trouser crease, then slowly sat down, his back about a fist's distance from the chair back. He placed both hands flat on the table, his left hand lightly pressing down on his right, the brass buttons on his cuffs perfectly aligned.

Chen Mo felt his back tighten and his body involuntarily straightened up.

Seeing that the atmosphere was a bit too heavy, Chen Mo had no choice but to bite the bullet and greet him: "Um, General Ma Tianheng, right? You don't have to be so reserved."

"Since this is our first meeting, let's relax a bit."

"it is good!"

Ma Tianheng answered with unusual decisiveness, raising his hand to take off his hat, revealing a bald head that was rather irregular, with uneven sides.

And you know what? The atmosphere instantly lightened up a lot.

Seemingly determined to carry out Chen Mo's suggestion to "relax," Old Ma loosened his top button, gently loosened his collar, then tilted his body to the side, placing one foot on the crossbar of the chair, knee raised to chest level, and then resting one arm diagonally on it.

That is to say, this is not a kang (heated brick bed), otherwise I would definitely have taken off my shoes.

Ma Tianheng grinned, as if he had instantly transformed from a flag bearer into a seasoned soldier.

"Commander, I'm here now as your soldier. I'll follow your orders and arrangements. Whatever you say, I'll do. Is that alright?"

"Uh..." Chen Mo felt uncomfortable being called "commander" and quickly waved his hands, "You're too kind. This title gives me goosebumps. Just call me Xiao Chen!"

"That's impolite. How about I just call him by his first name?"

"Lord Chen Mo, let me state my position first: you need not have any concerns about how you use me. Ask me questions if you need to, send me laborers if you need to, and don't worry about whether I can handle the job!"

Ma Tianheng made a fist gesture: "Don't let my thin appearance fool you, I'm quite strong. I'd be a master at digging trenches on the front lines, and many young men can't compare to me."

These few words were enough to get the conversation flowing. Chen Mo stopped being polite and asked directly, "So, General Ma, what do you think is the most important thing for us to do next?"

"You're too kind, my lord. You can call me Old Ma or Tianheng, it's up to you!"

"Since you asked, I'll just say it directly."

"The most important thing is to first check all the electronic devices provided to you, from the command center to your vehicle and even your home, to see if there are any surveillance, listening devices, or other devices that shouldn't be there, and to completely eliminate any potential risks."

"???"

Chen Mo felt like his brain had gone blank.

What's going on here?

He stared at Ma Tianheng for a long while, then asked hesitantly, "What... what does this mean? Is this an arrangement by our elders?"

"That's not it!"

Ma Tianheng shook his head: "Commander Li Zehua instructed me to prioritize your safety and wishes, which means that if there is a conflict between you and my family, I will stand by your side without hesitation."

"Therefore, I suggest that we first conduct a self-inspection of the equipment provided by Dongxia, with an attitude of skepticism towards everything."

"After all, it's too easy to tamper with this!"

Chen Mo still couldn't quite accept this line of thinking, and frowned as he said, "I believe Dongxia wouldn't have any ill intentions towards me..."

Ma Tianheng decisively interrupted Chen Mo: "You're right!"

"However, Dongxia is Dongxia, and the people of Dongxia are the people of Dongxia! Just because Dongxia cannot do something does not mean that the people of Dongxia cannot do it."

"Even if it was arranged personally by Elder Li Zehua, it should still be investigated first!"

"If you're careful, it's like clearly telling them not to be stupid, not to act recklessly, and not to do anything underhanded."

“Not giving them any chance to make mistakes is the most responsible attitude towards yourself and also the most responsible attitude towards Dongxia.”

Chen Mo suddenly felt a sense of awe and respect.

Regardless of whether the other party was putting on an act, the underlying principle in their words is absolutely correct.

The state, its ruling class, its representatives, and the supreme leader chosen from among the many representatives are not actually a unified whole; each has its own interests.

In most cases, the overall interests of the state and the individual interests of the ruling class are actually inconsistent, or even completely contradictory.

Looking at the current state of bald eagles makes it all clear.

If one's trust leads to some unscrupulous individuals taking advantage of the situation, causing a rift in one's relationship with Dongxia, that would indeed be a worse scenario.

"Okay, we'll do it your way! I'll leave this to you!"

Ma Tianheng nodded without hesitation: "No problem, but you'll have to send at least two people with me."

"Ideally, your subordinates would be from different factions but trustworthy. Firstly, the three parties can supervise each other, giving everyone peace of mind. Secondly, I am new here and lack prestige. Making any big moves might cause unnecessary concerns, so I need to borrow your influence."

"it is good!"

A few days later, Chen Mo understood more and more deeply why Han Mu praised him so highly, and why Gu Liyang was indignant but helpless.

This man is indeed a super soldier with no blind spots. No matter what it is, even matters of the stars that he knows nothing about, he can handle them cleanly and efficiently by allocating manpower, almost perfectly.

There's one thing: this person is too wary.

He talked with Helan all night, and the next day, Helan took the initiative to submit a memorial, proposing that his long-term and continuous appointment as the chief councilor of the Han Hai Territory Council, which was almost a lifetime appointment, was unreasonable.

We hereby request a change to a periodic election system, with nominations made by the council and approval by the lord.

In the past, Helan was deeply trusted by the lord and his abilities were indeed outstanding. At the same time, the council had been functioning well since its establishment, so no one had ever mentioned reforming it.

Now, Helan has stepped forward on his own initiative.

Although the election is over, Helan is still the chief councilor, and it seems like there is no difference. But in reality, everyone knows that it is a completely different matter.

In the past, Helan was stuck in that position, and no one had the motivation to work hard. Now that he has a term, shouldn't he try harder?
If one round doesn't work, try two rounds; if two rounds don't work, try three rounds. What if?
If we go further down the list, the chief councilor has a term of office, so the other councilors can't remain unchanged, can they?
The most direct result of this incident was that the corruption and dereliction of duty of certain officials in the deliberation office, which Xia Yuanchen had failed to uncover in his previous large-scale investigations, were brought to the attention of the inspection department.

Before Xia Yuanchen could even laugh out loud, Old Ma swung his knife and slashed it down on his head.

The Inspectorate was split into four: external intelligence, internal civilian staff, internal military staff, and an operations department, each becoming an independent system.

Although Xia Yuanchen remains the head of the Inspection Department, the heads of each branch have the authority to speak directly to the central government.

At the same time, an emergency reporting and approval mechanism was established. If Chen Mo was not present, the report would be to Liu Shuang; if Liu Shuang was not present, the report would be to He Lan. In short, the arrest must be clearly authorized; otherwise, the action department would refuse to accept Xia Yuanchen's order.

An operation similar to the last arrest of Galen will never happen again.

Of course, this will inevitably lead to a decrease in the efficiency of the inspection department, which is difficult for a perfectionist like Xia Yuanchen to accept.

However, Ma Tianheng settled Xia Yuanchen's matter with just a few words.

"You are utterly loyal to the lord, so no matter how much power you wield, you will never harm him. I believe you!"

"But if you get sick, die, are transferred, or leave your post, can you guarantee that your successor will be as loyal as you?"

Xia Yuanchen was stunned.

That's impossible! My loyalty to my lord is unparalleled! No one could be more loyal than me.

Therefore, Old Ma is right. The Inspectorate must be brought under control. Low efficiency is not a big deal; the lord's safety comes first!

In this way, the Han Hai Territory, which was previously a mess of code—a hybrid system of lordship, feudalism, and modernity—was gradually dismantled and reassembled by Ma Tianheng, transforming it into a jagged and intricate mess.

Every advantage has its disadvantages, and the actual work efficiency will inevitably be affected by the reform. However, another amazing thing about Lao Ma is that he is very good at judging people.

He was able to recover some of the work efficiency lost due to the expansion of the organization and the increase in processes by finding suitable people to fill the positions. This truly dazzled Chen Mo.

When Old Ma started targeting the army again, Chen Mo held a family banquet in the inner courtyard of the city lord's mansion, inviting Ma Tianheng alone.

Old Ma is a man who doesn't smoke, drink, gamble, or chase girls, so Chen Mo can only treat him to a meal.

"Old Ma, shouldn't we slow down the actions of the field army? Makaga fought alongside me, and I trust him."

"We can't delay!"

Ma Tianheng finished chewing and swallowing the food in his mouth, then took out a document from his pocket and pushed it in front of Chen Mo.

"That's exactly what I wanted you to sign!"

"Makaga is good, and I believe in him!"

"But the same principle applies: the field army cannot be equated with Macaka, and Macaka cannot represent the entire field army."

"The centaur clan has too much power in the field army. Outsiders call the field army the 'Centaur Army,' as you know."

Chen Mo didn't speak, he just silently looked at Lao Ma.

Ignoring Chen Mo's gaze, Ma Tianheng tapped the table with his knuckles: "Even if Macaga is loyal to you, what about his subordinates? What about their subordinates' subordinates? Won't some of them have other ideas?"

"Now that the Hanhai Army is winning battle after battle, all the conflicts are hidden from view. But what if the field army suffers a defeat one day? Could this lead to a major outbreak of problems?"

"Besides, we're about to embark on an exploration of the New World. We can't predict what the troops will encounter. What if some of them develop ulterior motives?"

Ma Tianheng pointed to the signature area in the blank space of the document: "Therefore, nipping any unstable factors in the bud is for the good of Mackay."

"Like I said before, if you really like him, never give him a chance to make mistakes, not even a chance to be forced to make mistakes, not even a single chance!"

"This is true love for Macaga!"

Chen Mo was speechless. After pondering for a while, he picked up his pen and signed the document.

Seeing Ma Tianheng get up to leave, Chen Mo quickly called him back.

"Hey, don't rush off. Sit down, sit for a while. I have something to tell you."

"You're so focused on work every day that you can't even take care of your own life. It's not a good thing. My family asked me before to try and set you up with someone. Have you seen any girls you like?"

"How about I find you an elf? Or a beast-eared girl?"

Ma Tianheng chuckled, tilted his head and thought for a moment, then sat down and seriously discussed the topic with Chen Mo.

"My lord, you'd better take care of your own affairs first."

"We're waiting for your wedding; it's what everyone wants!"

"Not only is the vast ocean waiting, the elves are waiting, and even the orc warriors under their command are eagerly anticipating it. As for the old homeland of Dongxia, it's not appropriate to urge you openly, but we've subtly reminded you more than once. You can't keep ignoring it."

Seeing that the fire had suddenly spread to him, Chen Mo scratched his head somewhat awkwardly. Fortunately, Lao Ma didn't dwell on it and instead changed the subject, talking about his own affairs.

"The commanders' decision to let me settle down here is not primarily for my own sake, but rather to express an attitude, to let me put down roots in Fanxing, in the hope that it will put your minds at ease."

"So, it doesn't really matter who this girl is, as long as she exists."

"If I had to offer my thoughts, I think the core consideration is just one point."

Pushing up his glasses, Ma Tianheng continued:
"This girl should ideally be one of yours, such as a loyal military academy student or a staunch supporter of the Frostfire Guard—the kind of person who might betray me, but would never betray you."

"As for race or age, it doesn't matter."

“In that case, once I get married and have children in the future, you and I will be a community of shared interests. When dealing with outsiders, we can trust each other more and be less wary of each other.”

Chen Mo sighed deeply.

This person... how should I put it? He factored everything in.

"Don't sigh, this is actually good for me too!"

“The things I’m doing now have offended a lot of people, and they’re all powerful figures in your Hanhai.”

"The wife you found for me is essentially a marriage decree bestowed upon me. It's a signal to the outside world, and the stronger the signal, the more trouble it will help me avoid!"

"It will be easier for me to do things in the future."

Chen Mo didn't know what to say.

Old Ma is extremely smart and his work ability is impeccable, but can you please not be so extreme and link finding a partner to work?

After finishing his meal, Ma Tianheng left in a hurry. Chen Mo went upstairs in the city lord's mansion. At this moment, a large patch of rosy clouds was burning on the western horizon.

It was a typical sunset in the vast desert, where the sun generously gilded the entire sky with a warm hue before sinking below the horizon.

The clouds were dyed a gradient of red, from deep to light, from dark to pale. Rays of light shone through the gaps in the clouds, draping the stone carvings on the railings of the city lord's mansion, the lampposts standing on both sides of the road, and the city buildings near and far with a soft golden veil.

Liu Shuang practiced her swordplay in this rosy glow.

Returning from her visit to Dongxia, the little girl's style of dress seemed to have been greatly influenced. She wore a plain white traditional Dongxia martial arts uniform, with the sleeves rolled up to her forearms, revealing a section of her wrist that looked like a lotus root.

The longsword seemed to come alive in her hands, sometimes moving like a dragon soaring through the air, sometimes like a swallow carrying mud in spring. The rosy light fell on Liushuang, coating her profile with a fine and soft halo.

Chen Mo just watched without saying a word.

After finishing a round of practice, Liu Shuang wiped the sweat from her forehead, sat down next to Chen Mo, and began peeling fruit for him as she did every day.

Chen Mo stuffed a large piece of fruit into his mouth and mumbled about what had happened that day, causing Liu Shuang's eyes to crinkle again.

The little girl had a very keen sense of things; she detected a different emotion in Chen Mo's tone.

While other people's attempts to urge him to get married had little effect, Chen Mo must have been moved by Beria's memorial and the persuasion of Old Ma, his unparalleled right-hand man.

The little girl was in a great mood, and joy rippled in her eyes.

“Liu Shuang,” Chen Mo suddenly spoke.

"Ok?"

"Do you have any suitable candidates to introduce to Lao Ma?"

Liu Shuang paused for a moment, then slowly applied force, breaking open another stone fruit. With a flick of her fingertip, the marble-like outer shell fluttered down.

"What do you think..."

How is my sixth sister?

Chen Mo blinked a few times.

I remember now, Liu Shuang seemed to have promoted herself once back then.

Chen Mo, who embodies the Five Stresses, Four Beauties, and Three Loves, would certainly not engage in such behavior as having two women on his left and two on his right, or having two sisters on his way. Besides, when he said those words, Liu Shuang was still clueless and almost completely ignorant of the ways of the world.

What a short window of opportunity that was!

Returning to Liu Shuang's suggestion, that girl is indeed a nice one, but... she's divorced.

However, judging from Lao Ma's thinking, he probably wouldn't care about this.

If the two really hit it off and got together, then Old Ma would become the lord's brother-in-law and Liushuang's brother-in-law!
That's enough to make you roam freely in the vast ocean!

"Alright, find a chance to ask your sister and see what she thinks."

The trouble caused by her foolish talk back then seems to finally have a chance to be eliminated. Liu Shuang breathed a sigh of relief and responded crisply.

"it is good!"

(End of this chapter)