Under One Person: The End of Technique, Company Building

Dusk comes earlier at Longhu Mountain than at the foot of the mountain.

The sun had barely passed the roof ornaments of the main hall of the Celestial Master's Mansion when the entire valley behind the mountain was already bathed in a lukewarm orange-red glow, making even the canopies of the towering ancient cypress trees look as if they were plated with a layer of old bronze.

When Zhuge Qi came out of Guanyun Hall, his sleeves still carried a faint scent of tea.

The "idle sitting" had ended, and Lu Jin said he was going to visit the Old Master first. Lu Ci got up and left without saying a word, without even saying goodbye.

Wang Bing did arrive, but after sitting for less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he exchanged a few perfunctory words and then excused himself, saying he was "tired from the journey."

Zhuge Qi stood on the steps at the entrance of Guanyun Hall, watching the departing figures of the various groups of people, and silently sorted out the attitudes of each party in his mind.

There's no need to say much about Lu Jin's side; the old man came to support the old master and was quite polite to him, a junior in the company.

Wang Bing maintained a very proper demeanor, neither too close nor too distant, like a wealthy young man visiting a temple fair, but there was much more to his eyes than met the eye.

As for Lü Ci, he remained tense throughout the day, neither losing his temper nor giving in. But the more he acted this way, the more certain Zhuge Qi became of one thing: Lü Liang's matter was not so easy to turn the page on.

"Section Chief, shall we go back to the guesthouse?" Ma Hong walked over from under the pillar next to him, a cigarette still dangling from his mouth.

Zhuge Qi withdrew his gaze, glanced at the sky, and said, "Don't rush back. Do me a favor."

"Please speak."

"Go and find out if my cousin Zhuge Qing has arrived yet. According to the schedule, he should be going up the mountain today."

Ma Hong paused for a moment, then grinned and said, "Alright, I'll go right now."

He took the cigarette out of his mouth, stuffed it into his pocket, and turned to stride briskly toward the mountain gate.

Zhuge Qi did not wait in the same place. He slowly walked down the stone steps on the side of Guanyun Hall, passed through a moon gate covered with green vines, and entered a small courtyard.

There are several old osmanthus trees in the courtyard, with dense leaves. Although there is no fragrance of osmanthus flowers yet at this time of year, the shade of the trees is so thick that it can cover most of the courtyard.

A stone table was placed in the center of the courtyard, surrounded by four stone stools.

A few withered leaves lay on the table, and next to them was an empty purple clay teapot, its lid resting askew on the spout, as if someone had been drinking tea here not long ago.

Zhuge Qi sat down on the stone stool and took out his phone to check the time.

There's still more than an hour until dark, so there's still time.

He had just put his phone back in his pocket when he heard footsteps outside the gate.

"Brother Qi!"

Zhuge Qing appeared at the entrance of the Moon Cave.

He was wearing a light gray short-sleeved T-shirt, dark sweatpants, and white sneakers. He didn't look like a sorcerer attending a grand gathering of supernatural beings; he looked more like a college student taking a vacation to go hiking.

He looked a bit darker than the last time I saw him in the office, probably from rushing on the way and getting sunburned.

His expression didn't change much.

"Have you arrived?" Zhuge Qi stood up from the stone stool, a faint smile in his voice. "The journey must have been tiring. I sent someone to inquire about you, but I didn't expect you to find me first."

Zhuge Qing strode into the courtyard, stood opposite the stone table, looked him up and down, and then clicked his tongue: "Cousin, you really look different."

Zhuge Qi didn't respond to that, but simply gestured for him to sit down opposite him. "Would you like some tea? The pot's empty, I'll have someone brew another one."

"No, no, no, I'll just have water." Zhuge Qing sat down casually, brushing a few fallen leaves from the stone table to the ground. "I saw several groups of people on my way here, all wearing vests from the Department of Extraordinary Affairs. Quite a big entourage. Cousin, did you come to Longhu Mountain this time to be the head referee or to keep things under control?"

"A little bit of both." Zhuge Qi poured himself a glass of cold water, took a sip, and said, "General Manager Zhao from headquarters asked me to come and keep an eye on things. After all, this Luo Tian Grand Ceremony is quite a big deal, and all sorts of forces are watching. The company needs someone here to keep an eye on things and prevent the situation from getting out of control."

Zhuge Qing leaned against the edge of the stone table, looking at the dimming orange-red halo on the distant mountain ridge. His tone suddenly became serious: "Cousin, do you think it was the right decision for me to come to the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony this time? I remember everything you told me before. But the more I think about it on the way here, the more uncertain I feel..."

"It's normal to feel uncertain." Zhuge Qi put down his cup. "If you felt certain, it would mean you hadn't grasped the significance of this matter. The Luo Tian Grand Ceremony isn't an ordinary competition; it's the venue where the Old Celestial Master chooses his successor. When you stand on that stage, you're not just representing Zhuge Qing, nor the face of the younger generation of the Zhuge family. You're representing whether the Wuhou School's lineage can still stand firm in the contemporary world of supernatural beings."

Zhuge Qing's expression froze slightly.

He was always a smart man, and he understood the weight of Zhuge Qi's words.

But he is still young, and even the smartest person will inevitably feel a little anxious and uncertain at this critical juncture.

"I understand." Zhuge Qing was silent for a few seconds, then looked up and smiled. "That's why I came to you for reassurance."

"I don't offer any reassurance," Zhuge Qi replied without hesitation. "But I can tell you one thing: on that stage, no matter who you face, as long as you don't give up first, you still have a chance to win. The Zhuge family's magic is not to be underestimated; you are stronger than you think."

Zhuge Qing paused for a moment, then laughed.

They both laughed.

Laughter spread through the shade of the osmanthus trees, carried by the evening breeze to the distant mountain ridge.

The relaxed atmosphere of the courtyard, typical of young people, created a subtle contrast with the increasingly tense atmosphere throughout Longhu Mountain.

After laughing enough, Zhuge Qing slumped onto the stone table, resting his chin on his crossed arms: "Seriously, cousin, there are quite a few members of the Zhuge family who came to Longhu Mountain this time, aren't there? I heard you brought fifteen people up from the village?"

"Fifteen, plus you, sixteen," Zhuge Qi corrected. "I divided them into two groups. One group will work with the company's security team to patrol the perimeter and respond to emergencies; the other group will serve as a mobile force, stationed in the area north of the back mountain. That area is close to the cliffs and has complex terrain, so it will have the best visibility in case of any situation."

Zhuge Qing thought for a moment and nodded: "Okay, I'll help you connect with them later. I have some influence among this group."

"You've always had influence," Zhuge Qi said, looking at him. "You're Zhuge Gong's son, a leading figure among the younger generation of the Wuhou faction. You should be aware of that. Also—"

He paused, his tone softening slightly from its previous relaxed tone: "I sent you to participate in the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony not just to compete for a ranking. I've got a pretty good grasp of the Old Celestial Master's scheme, but no one can predict exactly what will happen on the field. Keep your eyes open; don't wait until something goes wrong to react."