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

"Shh—Senior Lu, please keep your voice down! Things aren't what they used to be!"

He lowered his voice, took half a step closer to Lu Jin, and spoke with a heartfelt earnestness and caution, as if sharing a secret concerning his very life: "I'll say it again—don't say anything that's detrimental to unity. The company has never been a one-man show by me, Zhao Fangxu. No matter what level of leadership you are, power is given by the people, granted by the Party and the state. There is only one purpose—to serve the people. Senior Lu, please be careful with your words."

Lu Jin looked at Zhao Fangxu's tense expression and remained silent for two seconds.

Then his expression softened, replaced by a serious and respectful look.

He reached out and patted Zhao Fangxu's arm, much lighter than before: "Look how anxious you are. I was just saying it, and you just took it as a joke. I don't believe that after all these years, someone would report you. You need to believe in your work ability. You, Chairman Zhao, have such high awareness—and I, Lu Jin, as your senior, am not low in awareness either."

He paused, his tone becoming serious, as if making a formal statement: "Don't worry, I understand. I've also looked into this Director Zhuge. A pillar of the nation, truly deserving of the title—such a person must be respected. I, Lu Jin, am not an unreasonable person."

Zhao Fangxu let out a long sigh of relief, his shoulders visibly relaxing, his expression like that of a parent who had accompanied a student to check their college entrance exam results.

He extended his hand forward, palm facing up, in a standard and respectful posture: "It's good that you understand, sir. Let's go—this way please."

……

At the entrance to Zhuge Ming's office.

The knocking sounded again, three times as usual, with a steady rhythm.

Zhuge Ming pushed aside another document he had just flipped through two pages of, looked up and said, "Please come in."

The door was pushed open, and Zhao Fangxu stepped aside to lead the way, followed by an elderly man with white hair but a vigorous spirit.

"Director Zhuge," Zhao Fangxu said, standing at the door with a proper voice, "this is Comrade Lu Jin, one of the Ten Elders."

Zhuge Ming stood up from behind his desk.

The act of getting up was neither humble nor arrogant, neither overly enthusiastic nor pretentious.

He wore a gentle and polite smile, his gaze lingering on Lu Jin for a moment—this was Lu Jin, the flawless Lu Jin, who was nearly a hundred years old and still walked with great agility.

He gestured forward, his tone calm and respectful: "It's Comrade Lu Jin, please have a seat."

Zhao Fangxu quickly took two steps and personally pulled out a chair for Lu Jin.

The action of pulling out the chair was skillful and natural, as if he were doing something he was used to doing.

When Lu Jin sat down, she nodded slightly to him as a way of thanking him.

Zhao Fangxu took a half step back, cleared his throat, and said in a standard official farewell tone, "Director Zhuge, Senior Lu—I have another meeting to chair, so I won't disturb your work any longer."

Zhuge Ming nodded.

Lu Jin turned to him and smiled, her voice loud but polite: "Chairman Zhao, thank you for your hard work."

Zhao Fangxu left the office, grasped the doorknob with both hands, and gently, almost silently, closed the door.

As he closed the door, he glanced back into the office to make sure the lock was fully engaged before turning to leave.

The office fell silent.

The beam of sunlight that had been filtering through the gaps in the curtains had moved from the filing cabinet to a corner of the desk, landing on Zhuge Ming's crossed hands.

Lu Jin sat in the chair with her back straight, her hands on her knees, her eyes shining as she looked intently at the young man sitting behind the desk.

From the moment he entered, Lu Jin began to scrutinize Zhuge Ming.

He lived to be almost a hundred years old and had seen more people than Zhuge Ming had eaten rice—officials,江湖人 (jianghu people), promising, mediocre, shrewd, and stupid. He could almost tell seven or eight parts of a person's character at a glance.

But as he looked at Zhuge Ming, his opinion of him seemed to be constantly being pushed upwards by something.

This young man possessed a restrained yet dignified air, a hidden brilliance, and clear, bright eyes that reflected the moon in autumn waters, inspiring awe in those who beheld him.

His expression was calm and composed without arrogance, his every move steady and unhurried without hesitation, and his aura was natural even before he uttered a word. He was truly a man of imposing stature, outstanding demeanor, vigorous spirit, and magnificent bearing.

He mentally used four idioms, but none of them felt quite right.

Finally, he came to a conclusion in his heart—a pillar of the nation, without a doubt.

"Comrade Lu Jin," Zhuge Ming's voice pulled him back from his inner monologue, his tone gentle and steady, carrying a sense of official business yet maintaining a friendly demeanor, "I heard from Chairman Zhao that you have something to report on regarding the work of the supernatural world. Please go ahead."

Lu Jin snapped out of her reverie and gently patted her knee, as if to put a period to her thoughts.

He cleared his throat, his voice returning to its usual loud and clear tone, but his tone was noticeably more solemn and formal than usual: "Ah—yes! I am Lu Jin, one of the Ten Elders. I have come to the company today specifically to report to Director Zhuge."

Zhuge Ming nodded without saying a word.

He was waiting for Lu Jin to continue.

He didn't rush to ask questions or express his opinion; he simply sat there quietly, his hands clasped on the table, his gaze peaceful and focused.

This silence is not indifference, but a professional listening posture, meaning: I am listening, please speak freely.

Lu Jin clearly felt this respect.

Instead of beating around the bush as usual, he went straight to the point, his tone frank and direct, with the crispness and efficiency characteristic of a centenarian: "Director Zhuge, then I, Lu Jin, will not beat around the bush either, and will get straight to the point. This matter is not only my problem, but also the problem of another Ten Elders—the old Celestial Master Zhang Zhiwei of the Celestial Master's Mansion of Longhu Mountain. He lives quite far away and is also old, so it is inconvenient for him to come in person, and he has entrusted me to come and ask for your advice on his behalf."

He paused, leaned forward slightly, and looked directly at Zhuge Ming: "It's about this Luo Tian Grand Ceremony—what exactly is the higher-ups' intention? Are there any other instructions? Otherwise, the report has been submitted for over a week before it received approval. Also, has there been any change in our cooperation with the company? Director Zhuge, I'll be frank—if there are any instructions, we old guys will absolutely cooperate unconditionally and will not cause any trouble for the organization."

After listening, Zhuge Ming nodded slightly.

He picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, and then put the teacup back in its place. When he spoke, every word was gentle and clear, as if he were reading a standard answer that had already been written. However, there was not a trace of perfunctoriness or arrogance in his tone. Instead, it carried a sense of patient explanation.