One person said: The essence of Wuhou Qimen lies not in Qimen, but in Wuhou.

But at this moment, everyone present was thinking the same thing.

On the surface, they remained calm and composed, their expressions still the standard, businesslike professional faces. There was no whispering, no secret conversation, and no inappropriate body language.

But in everyone's pupils—a very subtle look of shock flashed across their eyes simultaneously.

Given the rank of those present, they would not have been able to see Zhuge Ming unless they were attending a top-level company meeting.

But yesterday, they all watched the evening news broadcast on Jiangxi TV.

The Zhuge Ming on the screen, standing on the red flag platform of Longhu Mountain and speaking, still had long, dark blue hair.

How did his skin turn black overnight? No one present was an ordinary person. They all knew that this couldn't be just a whim to change his appearance. At his level, any change in his outward appearance was no small matter.

Zhuge Ming sat in the main seat, his gaze sweeping across the faces of everyone present, and he could tell that everyone there was shocked.

He certainly knew what they were shocked about.

It's just a secret that's not made public.

Actually, it's nothing much, it's just because of what happened yesterday—I, the secretary of the provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, actually mobilized the police to seal off Shangqing Town, and the order was issued directly from the Ministry of Public Security to the Guixi City Public Security Bureau.

The efficiency and speed of execution were top-notch, even to the point that armed police were on standby on the perimeter.

The commotion was quite significant.

The news spread faster than he expected, and the old men called that very evening.

The old men never beat around the bush; they were incredibly direct, without a single word of official jargon. They'd just get straight to the point: "Rest in your local area for a while, don't run around, protect your life, and don't get hurt."

I heard that the supernatural organization in Jiangxi has been quite active lately and is acting rather unruly.

Okay, I'll send you an additional reinforced guard team. That's settled, that's the order.

Otherwise, you'd better come back here obediently and keep me company while I drink tea and play chess, it's good for my health...

What could Zhuge Ming say? He could only agree.

He had never disobeyed the orders of the old men in his life, nor would he dare to.

Then the boss called.

The leader spoke much more gently, starting with a string of praises: "You've done a great job. You've made progress and achieved results right from the start. Keep up the good work. The organization has high hopes for you and will fully support you."

Then he reminded me again: Protect yourself, don't act impulsively, think things through and analyze them carefully...

In the end, for reasons unknown, both the old men and the leaders mentioned his hair before hanging up the phone.

The old men's exact words were: "Your hair, even if it was naturally black, I have to dye it black."

I saw yesterday's news. What's with that blue-haired guy saluting?

That tone left no room for negotiation, no room for maneuver, like a hammer slamming into an anvil, sparks flying, brooking no doubt.

The leader was much more tactful, his tone even carrying a hint of an elder's consideration and concern for a younger person: "Xiaoming, why don't you change your hair color?"

We, the descendants of Yan and Huang, have black eyes, black hair, and yellow skin—it's all written in our genes.

You must have been calcium deficient as a child. These past years serving the country and traveling all over the country, the organization has forgotten to give you some calcium supplements. You've worked so hard.

And so, this black Chinese-style haircut makes its debut today.

Black hair, black eyes, yellow skin, descendants of Yan and Huang, upright and honorable.

……

Zhuge Ming spoke first, his tone relaxed and gentle, which lightened the atmosphere.

He leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped on the table, his gaze sweeping from left to right, a faint, slightly teasing smile playing on his lips: "Comrades—you're all very punctual."

They all gave me a pleasant surprise, which almost turned into a shock.

When I walked in, I thought I, the one who started the meeting, was late. I checked the time—it was still several minutes before 2 p.m., so why were you all sitting so close together? Next time, you don't need to be so serious. Just arrive a few minutes early, not more than ten minutes early.

Punctuality is paramount at work, but you can't be too lazy.

He paused for a moment, picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, and then continued in that relaxed and easygoing tone: "It's been half a month since I last saw you. Everyone is in good spirits and very enthusiastic about their work. You are worthy of learning from and praise."

but--"

He changed the subject, his smile deepening, and a hint of teasing in his tone, "I can see from the looks in your eyes—you're quite shocked."

"What, don't you recognize me? We've only been apart for two weeks, and all I did was dye my hair."

He held up a finger and gently twirled it around his hair, speaking casually as if chatting with an old friend, but every word he uttered was precisely balanced between enlivening the atmosphere and offering a way out: "Isn't there a crosstalk performance that's been quite popular lately? What's it called again—Smoking, Drinking, and Perming Hair."

I neither smoke nor drink, but I dyed my hair, so I guess I'd call myself semi-fashionable.

The atmosphere below visibly relaxed.

Some people smiled slightly, while others calmly picked up their teacups, concealing the smiles they had just relaxed.

Zhao Fangxu smiled and took over the conversation. He turned slightly to face Zhuge Ming, his smile perfectly balanced—neither overly obsequious nor lacking in enthusiasm and sincerity, his tone gentle yet measured: "Director Zhuge is right."

The main problem is that it was so sudden—just yesterday, Director Zhuge was on our Jiangxi Channel's news broadcast, and everyone was seriously studying the spirit of Director Zhuge's speech.

Today, Director Zhuge looked completely different at the start of the meeting, which surprised and delighted everyone.

but--"

He changed the subject and continued in a tone of praise that was both appropriate and sincere, "Whether it was her previous hair color or her current hair color, Director Zhuge looks just as energetic and good-looking."

Sitting here with such poise, if this were in the past, it would have been the air of a top scholar.

Even today, they are role models for us to learn from.

Zhuge Ming smiled and nodded after hearing this, then looked back at his watch.

The hour and minute hands coincided exactly at 2 PM.

He lowered his hands, interlacing his fingers on the table. The relaxed smile on his face faded slightly, replaced by the solemnity and composure befitting a formal meeting host, though his tone remained gentle and friendly.

He spoke in a low voice, but each word was clear and forceful: "Comrades, it's time—let's begin the meeting."

Don't be nervous, relax, let's treat this as a democratic life forum.

Many of the comrades here are Party members, so everyone can speak freely.

If you have any questions, thoughts, or opinions, let's talk about them openly today.

Discussing problems openly and sharing ideas is a fine tradition of our Party and a fundamental skill for doing our work well.

Please don't be shy, just say whatever you want.

The atmosphere had been set up quite well, and everyone felt that today's meeting might not be as tense as they had imagined. Some regional managers had even relaxed their shoulders slightly.

Just then, a voice rang out from the corner of the conference room.

"Report."

The voice was not loud but exceptionally clear, accompanied by a raised hand—the movement was precise and meticulous, like a soldier requesting orders from a superior during a military operation.

His voice was loud and clear, crisp and decisive, without any hesitation or ambiguity.