He changed Tiwat

"Huh?" Gao Fei was somewhat surprised as he hid the "Super Wood Flow Iron Armor" behind his back. He remembered his mother saying not to talk to strangers.

But Mu Chen, the older brother, was surprised by something else—"You are...you are that, that Han Fulai!"

"Which Han Fulai?" Gao Fei asked his brother, puzzled.

"That's the one who fought with Ausel and Ba Che! I heard he was the first to propose the 'Qunyu Pavilion Deterrence' theory!" Mu Chen said excitedly to his younger brother.

"My God! It's Han Fulai!" Gao Fei was also very excited.

"Yes, I am Han Fulai." Han Fulai nodded with a serious expression.

"Brother Han... what's wrong?" Xingqiu asked Han Fulai, puzzled.

Han Fulai said to Xingqiu very seriously, "Xingqiu, this is the future chief designer of Gundam for Liyue."

"...So, what is 'Gundam'?" Xingqiu asked the biggest question.

Years later, when Gao Muchen and Gao Fei, the chief designers of Liyue's Gundam, were interviewed, they were asked why the mobile weapon used in the Liyue Decisive Battle was named "Gundam" and whether it was related to their surnames. The Gao brothers said with a look of reverence that it was named by Mr. Han himself.

Chapter Six: The Seven Stars Selection (Part One)

Han Fulai finally decided to treat Shen He to lunch at Xinyuexuan, the flagship restaurant of Liyue's Moon Cuisine and the highest-class seafood restaurant in Liyue. Generally, it takes up to three months to make a reservation.

When Shen He first arrived in Liyue Harbor a few days ago, she also ordered food at Crescent Moon Pavilion, but she only ordered takeout items such as stir-fried fish noodles and never brought them into the restaurant. She also never tried many of the dishes that were not allowed to be taken out.

As is customary, Han Fulai would normally have to wait in line, but his reputation in Liyue is now too great, and he has a close relationship with Ningguang, a shareholder of Crescent Moon Pavilion. After revealing their identities, Crane, a waiter at Crescent Moon Pavilion, hurriedly led them inside and even made room for them in a private room.

This time, Han Fulai ordered Xinyuexuan's signature Golden Crab and Bright Moon Egg for Shen He.

Golden Crab is a traditional crab dish. The crab is chopped into pieces, coated in flour, deep-fried in hot oil, and then stir-fried with seasonings. The aroma of the crab meat wafts for miles as soon as it comes out of the pan, and a single bite evokes the charm of a waterside fishing village. In both appearance and quality, this dish lives up to its name, even allowing diners to experience the ultimate luxury of gold.

Moon Eggs are a traditional Liyue dessert. The dough is made by mixing egg liquid with flour, filling it with minced shrimp and fish, shaping it into a teacup, garnishing it with whole shrimp, and then steaming it. Its shape resembles a cloud embracing the moon, hence the name "Moon Eggs." A light bite while it's hot reveals a tender filling bursting with savory juices, perfectly pleasing to the taste buds, while the lingering sweetness of the shrimp adds a finishing touch. The diner's eyes are filled with the image of a bright moon, a tranquil autumn lake, fishing boats moored on the shore, and the sounds of fishermen singing songs of a bountiful harvest.

Although the meal cost Han Fulai 50,000 Mora, Han Fulai, who is usually quite conservative with his own money, felt that the meal was indeed worth it. Not only him, but even Shen He, who is not particular about food, had his eyes light up.

As soon as the two left Xinyue Pavilion, they ran into someone.

Or rather, it shouldn't be said that they bumped into each other, because the other party clearly came specifically to find Han Fu.

The person who came to see Han Fulai was his direct deputy secretary-general assistant, the designated scapegoat who handled documents for him while he was away on fieldwork, who had borrowed a uniform from him and worn it out without returning it, and who was also the cheap niece whom Tian Shuxing had personally helped to elevate his seniority, Miss Yun Huixin.

“Vice Minister Han… I have something important to discuss with you.” Seeing Shen He beside her, Hui Xin swallowed back the “Uncle Han” she was used to calling him.

Han Fulai looked at Huixin and found that things were obviously not simple. He had only been away on a business trip for a few days, but Huixin looked much more haggard.

"What happened?" he asked hurriedly.

The three walked a few steps and came to a corner next to Xinyue Pavilion. Huixin explained the reason for their visit: "Due to health reasons, my father is stepping down as the 'Tian Shu Star'."

"Is Uncle Tian ill? Has a doctor been consulted?" Han Fulai asked hurriedly. The resignation of the Seven Stars of Liyue was a major event.

Huixin shook her head. "According to my father, there is no physical discomfort, but he feels increasingly lacking in energy."

Han Fulai recalled seeing Uncle Tian at the Seven Stars Conference a few days ago; he did indeed seem to be in poor spirits.

Huixin sighed and lowered her head: "'Everyone will grow old one day'... Although my father often says this, seeing the wrinkles on his face getting deeper and deeper, I still feel a kind of indescribable feeling in my heart."

"So you also..." Han Fulai finally understood why Huixin looked so haggard; it must be because she was worried about her father.

"I've been getting distracted at work lately, and I can't seem to concentrate... I'm sorry." Huixin rubbed her temples, trying to appear more energetic.

"So what are you referring to as the important matter?" Han Fulai asked without further ado, getting straight to the point.

Huixin quickly composed herself and got into work mode: "As is customary, the handover of Tian Shu Star is handled by the current Tian Shu Star appointing a candidate, with Secretary Yue Haiting responsible for reviewing the candidate. Aunt Gan Yu's intention is for you to take on this review role. The review is confidential, and I'm only here to inform you. Please discuss the details with my father. He's currently on the second floor of the 'Yanshang Tea House'."

As usual, Han Fulai would get a day off after each business trip, after reporting his work. That's why he dealt with his personal matters before reporting to Ningguang upon his return today. However, the matter of Tian Shu Xing's resignation was not only of great importance, but judging from Hui Xin's expression, it seemed quite urgent. Since Gan Yu had assigned him the task, he had no reason to stay here and slack off with Shen He.

Han Fulai nodded, thought for a moment, and said to Shen He, "Ahe, you were present when I went to Aozang Mountain to talk with Immortal Master Liuyun. You can go to Qunyu Pavilion to report to Miss Ningguang in my place. You should know the way to Qunyu Pavilion. Just go to Yujing Terrace to find Buyun."

Shen He nodded silently. She had been to Qunyu Pavilion once before, so she remembered the route.

"Then I'll have to trouble you. After you finish your report, go straight back to Yanfei's place. I might have to work overtime depending on the situation, so I won't be able to keep you company. If you need to find me, go to Yuehaiting to find your senior sister Ganyu."

He and Gan Yu had a divine power contract that allowed them to locate each other easily. The fact that Hui Xin knew he was at Xinyue Pavilion likely meant Gan Yu provided the coordinates—so, did Gan Yu also know exactly where he went to slack off before?

No, no, let's not think about this too much.

Han Fulai shook his head, then remembered something else and added to Shen He, "By the way... just talk about the 'Liyue Academy of Celestial Arts' and the 'Preparatory School for Celestials.' As for our private matters, don't tell Miss Ningguang about them."

"I understand." Shen He gently pulled his hand and said goodbye.

After parting ways with Shen He, Han Fulai followed Huixin to the Yanshang Tea House.

Last time he came to the second floor of the Rock Tea House, the Geo Archon was sitting there. This time, however, it was Tian Shu, one of the Liyue Seven Stars, sitting on the second floor. Speaking of which, Tartaglia also obtained the Unbound Talisman at the Rock Tea House…

Thinking about it this way, the Rock Tea House, though named a tea house, is actually a gambling den, and is probably no ordinary place.

Han Fulai and Huixin went up to the second floor and saw Uncle Tian sitting alone, drinking tea.

Upon seeing Han Fulai and his daughter arrive, Uncle Tian's rather aged face broke into a rare smile: "Young Master Han is here, it's been a long time. Huixin, go downstairs to find the shopkeeper and get another pot of freshly arrived tea."

Huixin responded and went downstairs.

Uncle Tian slowly stood up and greeted Han Fulai: "Brother Han, I heard you went to Mount Aozang these past two days. How did your talks with the immortals go?"

"Everything went smoothly." Han Fulai quickly picked out the most important things and told Uncle Tian about them. Uncle Tian nodded repeatedly, but his eyes looked somewhat forlorn.

"Are you tired?" Han Fulai asked with concern.

Uncle Tian waved his hand and said, "Hearing you talk about the 'Liuxian Preparatory School' makes me feel a bit emotional. I don't know if I can find a suitable successor."

Chapter Seven: The Seven Stars Selection (Part Two)

Uncle Tian's two sentences even hinted at a desire to entrust his affairs after his death.

Seeing the complicated look in Han Fulai's eyes, Uncle Tian forced a smile and said, "It seems you've already heard Huixin's words... Don't worry, my health is fine, it's just that time waits for no one."

"As I get older, I'm starting to feel powerless in many things. Lately, I've felt my energy declining rapidly. Although everyone says I'm highly respected, I also want to hand over the position of Tian Shu Star before I get too senile."

Uncle Tian spoke these words with great determination, clearly indicating that he had made up his mind.

Han Fulai knew there was no need for him to offer any advice, so he took the opportunity to ask the crucial question: "Uncle Tian, ​​how do you plan to hand over the reins?"

"Among the Liyue Seven Stars, the existence of the Celestial Star is quite special. The Celestial Stars of each generation rarely appear in public, mostly devising strategies behind the scenes, so they are not suitable for open selection. Moreover, we hope that the candidates for the Celestial Star will not be influenced by various forces as much as possible, so the assessment and appointment will also be relatively secretive. For these reasons, the replacement of the Celestial Star is usually based on the opinion of the previous Celestial Star, and then confirmed by the other members of the Seven Stars."

As Tian Shu spoke, he bent over and coughed twice, then slowly sat down in the chair, as if his back and legs couldn't support him after standing for so long.

If Han Fu hadn't recognized him, seeing his frail and old appearance, coupled with his very plain coarse cloth clothes, one would really think he was just an ordinary old man of little renown.

Regarding the duties of Tian Shu Star, Uncle Tian only gave a superficial explanation, but Han Fulai easily discerned the hidden meaning in Uncle Tian's words.

With the exception of Ningguang, most of the Liyue Seven Stars prefer to remain out in the public eye, which is generally the norm for all generations of the Seven Stars. However, even by this standard, Dubhe is a special case among the Seven Stars, indicating that the duties of Dubhe require its holders to act in secrecy.

Furthermore, Uncle Tian also said that the candidates for the Celestial Star should not be influenced by various forces, which naturally include the other Seven Stars and the forces behind them. In other words, the Celestial Star's stance is relatively independent even among the Seven Stars of Liyue.

To the people of Liyue, the Seven Stars are all rather mysterious figures. The position of Dubhe, in particular, requires secretive operation, and its targets are not the people of Liyue, but rather other individuals. Furthermore, Dubhe's position is relatively detached among the Seven Stars, potentially granting it discretionary power unaffected by the other stars.

Combining these two points, regarding a task requiring secrecy and involving independent decision-making, Han Fulai can arrive at two conclusions:

One inference is that Tian Shu is the head of Liyue's intelligence agency, and is the intelligence minister among the seven stars.

Second inference: Tian Shu is the head of Liyue's oversight agency and the Minister of Internal Affairs among the Seven Stars.

According to Han Fulai, Ningguang is the head of Liyue's intelligence agency, so inference one can obviously be ruled out.

The answer is obvious: the position of Tian Shu Star is the supervisory body among the Seven Stars, and the object of its supervision is its fellow Seven Stars!

Tian Shu is equivalent to Liyue's Minister of Internal Affairs, or the Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme Court. If any of the Seven Stars break the law, Tian Shu will make the judgment!

Therefore, the position of Tian Shu Star is extraordinary, and the successor can be directly designated by the previous Tian Shu Star. The confirmation of the other seven stars is just a formality to recognize the person.

This also explains why Uncle Tian has always been on good terms with Gan Yu, why he sent his wife and daughter to Yuehai Pavilion, and even why his daughter recognized him, the deputy head of Yuehai Pavilion, as her "uncle"—as an observer among the Seven Stars, a relatively independent force, in order to avoid being affected by the object of his observation, he could only rely on another relatively detached force, namely Gan Yu's Yuehai Pavilion.

After all, everyone in Liyue's upper echelons knows that "the seven stars come and go, but Ganyu remains constant," and "only Mora and Moonsea are eternal in Liyue."

This is also why Celestial is the most steadfast conservative in Liyue; when necessary, Celestial must ensure that the immortals can become its external ally.

No wonder the handover of Tian Shu required the Moonsea Pavilion's review, and no wonder Gan Yu entrusted this task to him. Han Fu now fully understood the importance of this task—Tian Shu could be considered an extension of the Moonsea Pavilion's power, and for Gan Yu, who wanted to change Liyue, it was only natural to control the Liyue Supreme Prosecutor's Office.

To put it bluntly, sending Han Fulai to examine the next batch of Tian Shu Stars was a way of currying favor by having him serve as the chief examiner!

Moreover, there was actually a hidden meaning behind why Uncle Tian met with him in advance and told him all this...

Within seconds, Han Fulai's brain was already working like a computer, instantly listing out most of the possibilities and considering them one by one.

He then bowed to Uncle Tian and said, "I will do my best to live up to Uncle Tian's expectations."

Han Fulai deliberately emphasized the last phrase, "I will not fail Uncle Tian's trust."

Uncle Tian nodded slightly and said, "Hearing you say that, I'm relieved. Given my current physical condition, I don't have time to examine each candidate individually... By the way, I specially found a very capable examiner for this purpose. I wonder if you've met him yet?"

Han Fulai was taken aback. Besides him, Uncle Tian had actually found another examiner? This meant that Uncle Tian had sought out another force to form an alliance with, in addition to Yue Haiting...? Did he have more than two choices? And who could this examiner be?

Just as Han Fulai was wondering, footsteps sounded behind him again.

Han Fulai turned around and saw a beautiful woman with blue hair walking upstairs.

The woman appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six years old. While her looks couldn't be described as stunning, she was certainly a beauty that would attract countless men.

She was tall and athletic, her every move resembling that of an elegant female leopard, seemingly possessing boundless explosive power. But what truly captivated her was her magnificent bust, a veritable jade-like mound, like snow-capped peaks. A small mole atop those peaks was like the finishing touch, drawing all eyes to her.

Even though Han Fulai was no longer a novice, he had to admit that this ambitious woman was incredibly destructive. Especially her azure eyes; just looking into them was captivating. If she were to hold him in her arms from above, Han Fulai might involuntarily call her "Big Sister." This woman was practically the embodiment of the term "mature and powerful woman."

Han Fulai suddenly thought of his sworn brother Xingqiu—the woman in front of him had short blue hair and a dark blue bodysuit, and her color scheme was so similar to Xingqiu's.

He even thought to himself with a hint of sarcasm that if Xingqiu had an older sister, she would look just like this. Or perhaps if Xingqiu were a girl, she would grow up to look just like this too.

The woman walked up to Han Fulai and naturally extended one hand. Han Fulai noticed that she had a blue jade bracelet on her wrist.

"Hello, Vice Minister Han. My name is Ye Lan, and I am a civil servant in the General Affairs Department."

Chapter Eight: The Seven Stars Selection (Part Three)

"Hello, Miss Yelan." Han Fulai quickly reached out and shook her hand in return.

Han Fulai had only heard the name Ye Lan from Xing Qiu a few hours earlier, when Xing Qiu said that Ye Lan had inquired about his whereabouts. He also remembered how Xing Qiu described Miss Ye Lan—

"Have you ever heard the phrase 'a person with a thousand faces'? Miss Yelan gives me that feeling. When she came to visit, my father and brother treated her with courtesy, and she returned the courtesy just as well, like a kind and steady older sister. But when I saw her in other places, she gave me a completely different impression."

Ye Lan makes such a deep first impression that almost everyone who sees her immediately thinks of her as "big sister." So why does Xing Qiu say she has "a thousand faces"?

Han Fulai turned to Uncle Tian and asked, "Uncle Tian, ​​is this Miss Ye Lan the very capable examiner you mentioned?"

Before Uncle Tian could speak, Ye Lan answered directly: "That's right, I was invited by Uncle Tian to investigate the three candidates."

Three candidates? Han Fulai keenly caught this key word. It seems that he was not the first examiner invited by Uncle Tian. Before he got involved, Ye Lan had already learned about the situation and conducted preliminary investigations. In other words, Yue Haiting was not Uncle Tian's first choice.

Ye Lan seemed to be very familiar with Uncle Tian, ​​and did not show any respect to Tian Shu Xing when she saw him, speaking without any restraint.

“But Uncle Tian, ​​you usually like to plot in the shadows, and I’m used to operating in the dark too. Don’t you think I also have the potential to become a star like Tian Shu?” Ye Lan’s lips curled up, a half-smile on her face, making it hard to tell if she was serious.

Uncle Tian seemed to have long been used to Ye Lan's way of speaking, and laughed, "I don't mind, but on your side, would you be willing to let you go?"

Ye Lan neither agreed nor disagreed, but simply smiled.

Uncle Tian glanced at Ye Lan and said, "How about this... if the assessment results show that no one is suitable, I will recommend you to help me with this job."

"No problem." Ye Lan crossed her arms, looking confident. "There's no rush. I've already made arrangements for the assessment."

This means that Uncle Tian originally only planned to invite Ye Lan as the examiner. He thought Ye Lan came with ill intentions, but it turns out I was the one who came. Han Fulai gave a wry smile; it seems this mission is going to be troublesome again.

Ye Lan glanced at Han Fulai with interest and said, "Deputy Minister Han, let's meet on the first floor later. Before that... you can finish your conversation. There's no need to pay for the tea; as the new owner of 'Yanshang Tea House,' I can afford a good pot of tea."

After Ye Lan finished speaking, she turned and went downstairs. Her white fur shawl brushed against Han Fulai's nose, carrying a faint fragrance.

Huixin, carrying a pot of tea, brushed past Yelan and went up to the second floor.

Seeing that Huixin had already poured the tea, Han Fulai didn't stand on ceremony and sat down opposite Uncle Tian. He picked up his teacup, took a sip, and realized it was the "Rock Bone" tea that Zhongli had treated him to last time. It was indeed a fine tea.

"Uncle Tian, ​​since that's the case, let's talk things out."

Uncle Tian also picked up his teacup, but didn't rush to drink it; he simply took a light sniff of the aroma.

After a while, he replied, "Please speak, Brother Han."

Han Fulai nodded and asked, "Of the three candidates, which one do you prefer?"

Uncle Tian glanced at Han Fulai, smiled, and said, "The three candidates are competing fairly. I only ask to select the most outstanding one."

"Well, let me rephrase my question." Han Fulai put down his teacup and looked directly at Uncle Tian's aged face. "Between me and Ye Lan, which one would you choose as the next Tian Shu Star?"

Uncle Tian laughed heartily.

"I would like to reiterate that all three candidates competed fairly, and I only wish to select the best one."

Han Fulai shook his head. "I really have no interest in the position of Tian Shu Star."

He was telling the truth. Although everyone coveted the position of the Seven Stars in Liyue, he had already chatted and laughed with the Geo Archon and had personally witnessed a chessboard facing the Sky Isles. While the position of the Seven Stars was not insignificant in his eyes, he certainly didn't value it much.