Under One Person: The End of Technique, Company Building

The high-speed train sped across the North China Plain. The fields and villages flashing past the window seemed to be constantly pulled backward by an invisible hand. The greenery flickered past the edge of the window, leaving a blurry, long shadow.

Zhuge Qi leaned back in his business class chair, holding an old book he had brought from Zhuge Village. The cover was worn so badly that its original color was no longer visible, and the edges of the pages were frayed.

He wasn't reading; he just had the book open on his lap, his gaze on the pages, but his pupils weren't focused.

The sunlight outside the window was bright and warm, bathing him in its glow. One button on his shirt collar was undone, and the sleeves were rolled up to his forearms.

He sank slightly into the seat, his shoulders and back relaxed, and even the corners of his mouth had a faint smile.

The carriage was extremely quiet, with only the regular rhythm of the wheels hitting the rails.

"Sir, would you like a drink?" the flight attendant asked softly as she pushed her cart past.

Zhuge Qi raised his head, a perfectly timed smile on his face: "No need, thank you."

The flight attendant paused, glanced at him again, and then pushed the cart forward, taking a couple of steps before turning back again.

She had seen many passengers. The business class seats were usually occupied by middle-aged men with their phones in their hands and furrowed brows, or young professionals who were constantly on their computers, never daring to relax for a moment.

But the man in front of me was different. He sat there relaxed and composed, yet he possessed an inexplicable aura.

Zhuge Qi didn't notice the flight attendant's gaze. Or rather, he did notice it, but didn't pay it any mind.

He was thinking about something else.

After lighting the Samadhi True Fire in the family's stone chamber, he did feel that he had become somewhat different. The distracting thoughts in his mind dissipated, and he became much more composed.

And his meditation skills were completely stabilized.

The fourth stage of meditation, "a state of detachment and purity," does not bring about a specific "power," but rather a state of being.

Like a basin of muddy water that has finally settled, with impurities sinking to the bottom and the surface becoming as clear as a mirror.

He saw many things more clearly than before, including what he really wanted.

The high-speed train began to slow down, and an announcement was made that it was about to arrive at its final destination.

Zhuge Qi closed the old book on his lap, casually stuffed it into the briefcase beside him, stood up and stretched his shoulders, his cervical spine making a slight "click".

He glanced out the train window at the platform, where people were coming and going in a hurry.

He picked up his briefcase and walked towards the car door.

Old Zhou stood in the crowd at the exit of the station; he was there to pick someone up today.

He was also stunned when he first saw Zhuge Qi.

It's only been a week since we last saw each other, but the changes in the other person are too great. It's not a change in appearance, but a change in their inner temperament.

More relaxed, natural, and inexplicably carrying a sense of composure befitting someone in a superior position.

Old Zhou blinked, and after confirming that he hadn't mistaken the person, he quickly went to greet him, "Section Chief, over here, over here."

Upon seeing Old Zhou, Zhuge Qi quickened his pace slightly, and the corners of his mouth widened a bit: "Old Zhou, have you been waiting long?"

"No, no, I just arrived too." Old Zhou reached out to take Zhuge Qi's briefcase, but was gently stopped by the other party.

"It's not heavy, I can carry it myself. Where did you park your car?"

"East parking lot, it's a five-minute walk away." Old Zhou stepped aside to lead the way, and the two walked out of the station hall side by side.

The early summer breeze blows in, carrying the city's unique, complex aromas—a mixture of exhaust fumes and the scents of street-side breakfast stalls.

Zhuge Qi took a deep breath, his expression unchanged, but Lao Zhou noticed from the side that his eyes were sparkling in the sunlight, as if he was in a good mood.

"How was your week?" Old Zhou asked as he walked, his tone carrying the usual concern a subordinate has for their leader, but with a touch more sincerity.

"That's good," Zhuge Qi said.

Old Zhou hummed in agreement, then thought for a moment and added, "...You seem a little different from when you left."

Zhuge Qi turned his head and glanced at him. "How is it different?"

Old Zhou scratched the back of his head, carefully choosing his words: "I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's just really good."

Zhuge Qi chuckled, without explaining why.

"Let's go, we'll talk in the car," he said.

They walked to the parking lot, and Lao Zhou took out his car key and pressed it. A dark gray Passat beeped twice.

Zhuge Qi opened the passenger door and got in, while Lao Zhou got into the driver's seat, started the car, and slowly drove out of the parking lot.

"How's the company been lately?" Zhuge Qi asked casually as he fastened his seatbelt.

Old Zhou turned the car onto the main road, glancing at the rearview mirror as he replied, "Overall, it was quite smooth. Mr. Zhao has basically cleaned up all the mess you left behind."

"What about Chairman Fei?"

"Chairman Fei mentioned it twice at the board meeting, saying that your trip to Tianjin was 'overstepping his authority,' but General Manager Zhao deflected it with a single sentence each time, so Chairman Fei didn't say anything more. However..." Old Zhou paused for a moment, "Chairman Bi has been in more contact with the special agents recently. I don't know exactly what they're doing, but General Manager Zhao should have a good idea."

Zhuge Qi nodded and did not ask any further questions.

"What about Liu Yanyan and Feng Baobao?" He changed the subject.

Old Zhou's expression relaxed, and he glanced at Zhuge Qi through the rearview mirror: "These two young girls, you have to admit, they're adapting pretty quickly."

"That girl Liu Yanyan was very reserved at first. She would flutter like a startled rabbit whenever anyone spoke to her. But after a couple of days of getting to know her, she became bolder."

"Feng Baobao is still the same, after all, she's a long-time employee..." Old Zhou thought for a moment, "but I've contacted the Xu brothers in North China a few times, and they visited her when they came to headquarters to handle some paperwork."

Zhuge Qi turned his gaze from the street scene outside the car window. "Xu San and Xu Si are here?"

"Yes, they came last Thursday. They said they were helping Feng Baobao with some paperwork for her personnel file, and they brought some Tianjin-style fried dough twists and dried cakes." Old Zhou's tone was a bit sentimental. "They didn't leave until it got dark. They must have talked about something, but I didn't find out."

Zhuge Qi remained silent for a moment.

He didn't respond, because there wasn't much to say.

Xu San and Xu Si were holding a grudge about him transferring Feng Baobao away from North China; they knew it.

But this must be done, not to weaken the Xu family, but to prevent the Xu family from turning against the company someday because of Feng Baobao.

He took on the role of the "bad cop" and was prepared to be hated by others.

"Where's Zhang Chulan?" he asked.

"Zhang Chulan is still in Tianjin, being watched over by the North China branch. Xu San said that the kid has been quite well-behaved lately, and seems to have made considerable progress in his training."

Old Zhou had also read Zhang Chulan's file and knew that he was a person who had a ten-year gap in his abilities. "Being able to hold back for ten years without showing his skills is indeed a very scary mentality, but mentality is not entirely equivalent to strength."

"Although many people know that the old Celestial Master is going to pass the position of Celestial Master to Zhang Chulan, which is already the default choice, even so, to rightfully take that position, one still needs to have decent strength to convince the public, otherwise the company will have a hard time doing its work afterwards."

"Oh? I don't think so."

Zhuge Qi suddenly laughed and retorted, "If the other party's strength is truly insufficient, then taking the position of Celestial Master in a way that cannot win over the masses is actually the best outcome."