Under One Person: The End of Technique, Company Building

Lu Ci had already stood at the doorway without anyone noticing, his figure blocking most of the door frame.

He changed into a dark brown silk robe, his hair still neatly combed, but there was an extra vertical line between his brows compared to when he was in front of the mountain gate, making him look less serene.

He walked in, not even glancing at Zhuge Qi, and sat down in the chair opposite Lu Jin. He picked up a walnut from a dried fruit plate on the table, pinched it between his thumb and forefinger, and with a soft "crack," the walnut shell split open, and the kernel fell intact into the plate.

He slowly tossed a walnut kernel into his mouth, chewed it, swallowed it, and then raised his eyelids: "We're all here to participate in the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony, so just follow the old rules and don't bother with all that nonsense."

Lu Jin wasn't annoyed by his retort. Instead, she smiled and picked up her teacup, taking another sip, as if she were savoring a fine old teapot.

The two of them have never gotten along since they were young, and even in their old age they still can't stand each other, always exchanging a few words whenever they meet.

However, given their current status, they can only talk the talk. But this mad dog is indeed a mad dog; if he really gets pushed too far, he might actually disregard his status and resort to violence.

This person has no sense of propriety.

The room was quiet for a few moments.

Zhuge Qi looked at the two giants of the supernatural world in front of him, both over seventy years old. He had fought against Lü Ci in Tianjin, and that time he had the upper hand.

Now, in Longhu Mountain, this is someone else's home turf. He doesn't have any leverage over the Lü family, but he has the company's identity and the Old Celestial Master's word, which is enough.

He turned to the side, poured himself a cup of tea, picked it up and swirled it, not in a hurry to drink it, but casually began to speak: "Elder Lü, I didn't have a chance to chat with you in detail at the mountain gate earlier. It's been many days since I last saw you, and you are still so healthy."

Lu Ci paused as he picked up the second walnut. He knew it was just a polite greeting, but he could also sense that there was something else in the other person's words.

Zhuge Qi didn't beat around the bush. He put down his teacup and spoke in a tone as light as if he were talking about the weather: "Since we parted in Tianjin last time, I've been thinking about one thing. How has that kid Lü Liang been doing since he went back?"

I originally intended to have him stay at the company a few more days to have a heart-to-heart talk and work things out with him. After all, he's young, and it's not uncommon for him to make mistakes. But since you personally took him home, I presume the family discipline was handled appropriately?

The question was perfectly worded, with every word reflecting the concern of an elder for a younger generation. It contained neither any threat nor any hint of schadenfreude.

However, it is indeed necessary to ask about the other party's attitude.

After all, he had read Ren Fei's report before, but he hadn't seen any trace of Lü Liang, and he hadn't come today either, which clearly meant that there had been no reconciliation.

Dou Le listened from the side, and subconsciously lowered his head, pretending to write in his notebook, but his ears were perked up.

Lu Ci didn't squeeze the second walnut in his hand.

He simply placed the walnut on the table, making a very soft cracking sound, then raised his eagle-like eyes and looked at Zhuge Qi.

He remained silent for two or three seconds.

For those two or three seconds, the air in the room seemed to freeze, and even the noisy cicadas outside the window seemed to be shut out.

Then Lü Ci spoke, his voice lower than before, his pace unhurried, like a piece of iron sinking to the bottom of water: "Children's affairs are none of your concern, Section Chief Zhuge. You are from headquarters, just take care of your files and meetings. The trivial matters within the Lü family are not worth your time, great Buddha."

He did not answer where Lü Liang was now, nor did he say whether Lü Liang was dead or alive.

He simply deflected Zhuge Qi's question with a polite and clearly defined statement.

Zhuge Qi looked into his eyes without changing his expression, but his mind raced through the information.

He did not see Lü Liang among the eight people Lü Ci brought with him up the mountain.

There are two possibilities in this.

Either Lü Liang has already been severely punished by Lü Ci, confined at home under strict supervision and forbidden to leave, or Lü Ci has no intention of letting this descendant who almost dragged the Lü family down with Quanxing appear in any public place again.

Regardless of the possibility, it suggests that Lü Liang's situation in the Lü family was even more precarious than it was that night in Tianjin.

However, this shouldn't be the case, since it was already discussed back in North China, and Ren Fei has indeed achieved some results.

The other party is still hiding it like this.

Could it be that something else has happened?

Zhuge Qi silently made a note of it in his mind, then picked up his teacup and took a sip. The smile on his face remained unchanged, and even became a little more relaxed than before: "Old Master Lü is right. I was too talkative. Come, come, have some tea. This Longhu Mountain melon seed tea has been stored for quite some years. It's rare to drink it on ordinary days."

Lu Jin remained silent throughout, simply holding his teacup, his eyes narrowed to slits as he watched the exchange between the old man and the young man, his expression as if he were observing a meticulously timed game of chess.

Zhuge Qi gently steered the conversation toward the broader Luotian Grand Ritual procedures and the security arrangements on the mountain, chatting about things like "which families are participating this year" and "how the Old Celestial Master's schedule is going lately."

Lu Jin occasionally chimed in, while Lü Ci remained mostly silent, only humming once to indicate that he had heard when the specific rules of the competition were mentioned.

Sunlight streamed in obliquely through the window, casting a long rectangular patch of light on the square table.

The tea on the table was refilled twice, and most of the walnuts and peanuts in the dried fruit platter were peeled off.

Zhuge Qi looked out the window. The sun was already slightly setting in the west, and the clouds on the horizon were beginning to take on a faint orange-red hue.

He put down his teacup, turned to Dou Le and whispered, "Director Dou, go and see how Young Master Wang is resting, and invite him over for a chat."

Dou Le understood, put down her notebook, stood up, glanced at Lü Ci and Lu Jin, and then quickly walked out of the room.

Zhuge Qi leaned back in his chair, crossed his hands on the table, and slid his gaze from Lu Jin's profile to Lü Ci's perpetually stern face.

His breathing was even, and his heartbeat was steady. There were two Ten Elders in the room, but he was the least anxious person in the whole place.

The cicadas outside the window continued to chirp, one after another, as if trying to prolong the end of summer.

He knew that although Lü Ci hadn't directly answered his probing question about Lü Liang, his momentary silence and the words he used to deflect the question were themselves an answer.

He accepted the answer, kept it in a corner of his heart, and would look at it again later.

Once things are settled at Longhu Mountain, it seems necessary to deal with the Lü family first.

He picked up the now-cold teacup and took another sip.

After the initial bitterness, the sweet aftertaste is indeed quite pleasant.