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

He paused, his voice now carrying a resigned calm and a world-weary clarity: "Just stick to the Party's leadership, I guess. When the time comes, all the old folks across the country will definitely think it was Zhang Zhiwei who set this up. What can I do? Accept it. Taking the blame for the country is the last bit of use I can have."

After listening, Lu Jin leaned back in his armchair and remained silent for a moment. Then he chuckled, his tone carrying a hint of schadenfreude but also a touch of righteousness and frankness: "What you say makes sense—you're quite open-minded, you old fox. Who in the world of supernatural beings doesn't give you some face? Those old guys are after you, after my Tongtian Talisman, and I'll put that score on your head. I'm not going to worry about you."

"The pressure is too much, you'll have to bear it yourself. But let me tell you the truth—this Director Zhuge probably won't take a hard line directly, won't implement any sweeping, drastic reforms. That would cause chaos. Someone as intelligent as him, a pillar of the nation, surely understands this."

He abruptly changed the subject, his tone suddenly becoming serious, as if he had given it considerable thought, each word carrying weight: "What I'm thinking about now is—should I hand over the Tongtianlu to the state and formally apply for intangible cultural heritage status? Anyway, I don't really care for this thing; keeping it is just a gimmick for your Longhu Mountain Luotian Grand Ritual. To be honest, I, Lu Jin, have never relied on the Tongtianlu for food or drink in all these years. If I pass it on to a disciple, I haven't taken on any; if I pass it on to future generations, I'm afraid they won't be able to preserve it. So why should I keep it? It's better to give it to the state."

Zhang Zhiwei was visibly taken aback on the other end of the phone, then chuckled.

The laughter held a newfound sincerity and heartfelt praise, as if he had heard something unexpected yet perfectly reasonable: "Old Lu, it's only been a few days, but your awareness has skyrocketed! You, Old Lu, actually took the initiative to offer to hand over the Tongtian Scroll to the state—I think that's a good idea. Find a suitable opportunity to have a good talk with Director Zhuge. If this is done, your reputation in the history of the supernatural world won't just be 'flawless,' it'll be 'deeply righteous.'"

"Hmph, at least you're thinking of me."

Lu Jin leaned back in his chair, his expression shifting between seriousness and stubbornness. "But I, Lu Jin, am not that kind of person—I won't betray you. I've already used this Tongtian Scroll as leverage to support your Luotian Grand Ceremony. If I hand it over to the state during this time, it won't belong to me, Lu Jin. I can't use state property as a bargaining chip. Taking state property to support your 'bullshit'—isn't that treason? I can't afford that. Let's talk about it after the Luotian Grand Ceremony. We'll follow the proper procedures then."

Zhang Zhiwei remained silent for a moment.

Then when he spoke again, his voice lacked some of the composure and calmness, but contained a genuine, unadorned emotion.

He hid his emotion deep within, beneath his usual calm tone, but Lu Jin, who had heard it all his life, could tell: "Old Lu, that's enough. Come to Longhu Mountain, fly first class, I'll reimburse you. The best wine and food are all in the mountains."

Lu Jin laughed heartily, his voice so loud it made the old clock in the hall hum back and forth. His laughter carried the unique boldness and magnanimity of a centenarian: "Good! Excellent! It's a deal!"

……

At the same time, at the headquarters of NaDuTong Company, in the chairman's office.

Zhao Fangxu gently placed the landline receiver back on the telephone, as if he were placing a fragile item.

He leaned back in his chair, his fingers interlaced on the table, his chin resting on his hand, his gaze fixed ahead, but not on anything specific.

The night view of Beijing outside the window reflects off the glass curtain wall of the office building, creating twinkling lights that flicker in the darkness like silent, shimmering eyes.

He muttered to himself, his voice so soft it was as if he were having a meeting with himself: "Zhang Chulan ran away—to the World Alliance. Feng Zhenghao, one of the newly promoted Ten Elders—is no ordinary person either. Xu Si is usually quite sensible, capable, and efficient, so how come he couldn't even keep an eye on a college student at this crucial moment?"

He tapped his fingers lightly twice on the table, his brows furrowed into a deep frown, and the wrinkles on his forehead were twice as deep as usual.

The action was repeated three times in the quiet office, and with each tap, his brow furrowed even more.

During this special period, Zhang Chulan is the breakthrough point for the entire Luo Tian Grand Ceremony operation plan, the key task that Zhuge Ming specifically requested to focus on, and a crucial figure who is being watched closely by those above and below, with a bunch of people in the middle waiting for the results.

Then he ran away.

His fingers continued tapping on the table, his mind racing through various possibilities.

He had no doubt about Xu Si's abilities—Xu Si had earned his position as the head of the North China region through genuine talent, not by flattery.

But this time the timing was terrible.

Zhuge Ming mentioned Zhang Chulan by name at the highest-level meeting this afternoon, and then he ran away tonight.

If Zhuge Ming finds out about this, the first to bear the responsibility will be the North China Region, and the first to be held accountable will be Xu Si.

However, if he doesn't report it, and things escalate, and Zhuge Ming finds out through other channels, then Zhao Fangxu will be considered to have known about it but failed to report it, which would be a more serious matter.

It wasn't that he didn't want to protect Xu Si—he had worked with Xu Si for so many years, watching him grow from a naive young man into a pillar of the North China region, and his feelings for him were undeniable.

But he can't protect it now.

He looked up and his gaze fell on the six telephones on the table.

The red dedicated line gleamed with a dark light in the twilight, quiet and still, as if waiting for something.

He took a deep breath and, in a calm tone that only comes after making a firm decision, muttered to himself, "Xu Si, Xu Si—don't blame me. This is also a work requirement; it must be reported. As the chairman of the company, I must set an example and consider the overall situation. There is no room for personal feelings when it comes to organizational discipline. Reporting problems to superiors immediately is an organizational principle and a basic obligation of every Party member and cadre."

He picked up the red hotline receiver and pressed a series of numbers on the dial pad.

The movements were neither too fast nor too slow, and each button was pressed firmly...

Meanwhile, the lights were still on in Zhuge Ming's office.

He had taken off his white shirt and put on a dark casual jacket, with the cuffs slightly rolled up.

The documents on the desk had been put into the briefcase, the lines of the six telephones had been checked one by one, and the encrypted computer had been turned off.

Two special forces soldiers in civilian clothes stood on either side of the office door, their holsters bulging slightly and inconspicuously beneath their clothes.

The two stood ramrod straight, their gazes steady and sharp, their shoulders and backs taut with the sculpted features of years of training, like two unmarked human sculptures.