He changed Tiwat

Uncle Tian looked at Ye Lan, then at Han Fulai, and remained silent for a while before speaking: "It was inconvenient to say before, for fear of interfering with your judgment, but now we can talk about it. As you know, these three candidates have all studied with me for a period of time, but Qianwei is busy with business, Mingbo has work to do in the General Affairs Department, and in comparison, Zhiyi has spent more time by my side."

"Qianwei was recommended to me by an old friend, and Mingbo is someone I noticed at work. As for Zhiyi... haha, he seems like an accident."

"An accident?" Han Fulai asked curiously.

Uncle Tian closed his eyes, as if he were reminiscing.

“At first, we were just fishing buddies who met by chance. We gradually got to know each other and started talking about all sorts of topics. Zhiyi comes from a poor family and his parents passed away early. But he is exceptionally talented and learns everything very quickly. When I see him, I think of myself when I was young. So I often give him some pointers when we're fishing, and he understands them very quickly.”

Han Fulai nodded. "So, Uncle Tian and Zhiyi are both teacher and friend."

“That’s right.” Uncle Tian turned his head and looked at the bustling crowd downstairs. “Without realizing it, he has grown to such a height. Thinking about it now, it’s both gratifying and poignant. Young people are growing up one by one, and I’m getting old too. Time really flies. Birth, aging, sickness and death are indeed hurdles that no one can avoid.”

Ye Lan smiled and said, "Why do I feel that Uncle Tian is still in good health? Can he work hard for a few more years?"

Uncle Tian turned around and smiled helplessly. "You don't need to comfort me. It's good that I don't have enough energy. Now that I've taken off my burden, I can finally go fishing freely like an ordinary old man."

Han Fulai recalled that night during the Lantern Festival, when he and Ke Qing strolled through the lantern market and talked about Tian Shu Star. Ke Qing said at the time, "That Tian Shu Star, although he has a huge fishing industry under his control and a rich information network, he usually refers to himself as Uncle Tian, ​​a fisherman. If I weren't one of the Seven Stars like him, I would find it hard to imagine that this old man who fishes holds a high position."

When Zhongli passed on his immortal power, he deliberately struck a fishing pose.

The fishermen of Liyue are all shrewd and unsophisticated.

"If you want to kill time, fishing is definitely the best choice. And the fish you catch are very fresh. After processing them by the water, you can cook a pot of delicious fish soup. Some time ago, Zhiyi even bought a special recipe from an old fisherman. Lately, every time Zhiyi goes fishing, he brings some pre-processed ingredients. After adding the ingredients, the taste is even more delicious than before, which is really unforgettable... It's a pity that my old bones probably won't be able to drink it many more times."

Uncle Tian looked regretful and lowered his head, seemingly quite saddened.

Ignoring the atmosphere, Ye Lan asked again, "So, have you made up your mind? Me, Vice Minister Han, or Zhiyi?"

Uncle Tian's expression also turned serious: "Since I have entrusted you with this investigation, I trust your judgment. If you hadn't asked, I wouldn't have mentioned my personal relationship with the three of them... Although it is true that one should not avoid relatives when recommending talent, fairness must also be upheld. Please make sure to eliminate these external factors and thoroughly investigate the candidates' talents and abilities before drawing any conclusions."

He closed his eyes as he said this, seemingly wanting to rest.

Seeing this, Han Fulai and Ye Lan rose to take their leave. Just as they were about to part, Uncle Tian's voice rang out once more—

"Remember, you must...investigate thoroughly."

Ye Lan lowered her head and remained silent, while Han Fulai seemed to be deep in thought.

Chapter Fifteen: Knowing a Person's Face (Part Two)

The two walked down the first floor of the Yanshang Tea House in silence. Han Fulai finally spoke: "Miss Yelan, if my guess is correct..."

“Your guess is correct.” Ye Lan gave him a definite answer before Han Fu could finish speaking.

Han Fulai gave a wry smile, knowing that he had gotten himself into trouble again. He thought that when he told Shen He that he would have to work overtime depending on the situation, it was just a casual remark. Now it seemed that he was definitely going to have to work overtime.

He remembered that the True Lord of the Moon-Cut Yang was skilled in fortune-telling. Should he find some time to ask him to tell his fortune and see if he was "born with a life of hardship"? And see if the immortal had a way to avert it?

Gan Yu's task for him was to participate in the review of the successor of Tian Shu Star and ensure that the new Tian Shu Star stood on the side of Yue Hai Ting.

After the interview this afternoon, Han Fulai thought his task was complete—Zhiyi was Tian Shu's chosen successor, far surpassing his peers in ability, and had even cleverly curried favor with him during the interview. All he had to do was support Zhiyi's ascension. Even if Ye Lan wanted to become Tian Shu Star, with his and Tian Shu's support, Zhiyi's rise to power was practically guaranteed. Besides, Ye Lan didn't seem to have much ambition for the Tian Shu Star position.

If Uncle Tian only hoped that he, as the deputy head of Yuehaiting, and Yelan, who was related to Tianquanxing, would endorse Zhiyi's rise to power, or that the two forces would unite to protect Zhiyi, then things would be much easier, and he could go off work and take a vacation without worry.

To be honest, as a young man who had just found a girlfriend and ended his 24-year virginity, Han Fulai had planned to go to Shen He for a few more treatments after finishing his job. His savings weren't enough to buy a house, but renting a hotel room wouldn't be a problem…

The problem lay in Uncle Tian's final words, "Investigate thoroughly." With those four words, Han Fulai's premonition of having to work overtime instantly became a reality.

In fact, when he realized that Ye Lan was Ning Guang's intelligence agent, he should have thought of it—why were the two investigators that Uncle Tian found him and Ye Lan?

Besides his position as the deputy head of Yuehaiting, it was also related to his resume—before joining Yuehaiting, he had already arrested Zhi Dong's "500,000" Croso. Excluding Gan Yu, he was the only person in Yuehaiting with experience in counter-espionage.

As Ningguang's intelligence agent, Yelan is probably even more skilled in this area.

His and Ye Lan's real job was political vetting.

If Zhiyi passes this political vetting, then everything will be fine. If he doesn't... well, he definitely won't pass. Even a fool could tell that Zhiyi has a problem. Their job is to find out what's wrong with Zhiyi.

The reason is quite simple: Uncle Tian admires Zhiyi so much, secretly cultivating him and even leaking exam questions to him, he's practically ready to take Zhiyi as his godson and pass the position directly to him... Since things have come to this point, why bother having someone conduct a thorough investigation? Why not just pick two deputy secretaries-general from Yuehaiting as inspectors as usual, and go through the motions? If it's a political deal, just find Gan Yu and Ningguang, there's no need to scrutinize them.

Clearly, something must have happened recently that made Uncle Tian suspicious of Zhiyi. Liyue is going through a turbulent time, and the Seven Stars have heavy responsibilities. It's fair to say that if you doubt someone, you shouldn't use them, and if you use someone, you shouldn't doubt them. If suspicion has arisen, then Zhiyi shouldn't be allowed to continue in his position.

However, Zhiyi was an exceptionally capable successor, and Uncle Tian, ​​on the one hand, lacked sufficient evidence to prove his suspicions, and on the other hand, due to old age and declining health, or perhaps out of affection for his disciple, was unwilling to investigate personally. Therefore, Uncle Tian entrusted this task to the two people who were most likely to be able to uncover the problems with Zhiyi, and who also had the most vested interests in the position of Tian Shu Star.

For the sake of Yuehaiting's interests, for the sake of Ningguang's interests, or to put it more seriously, for the sake of Liyue's interests, Han Fulai had no choice but to thoroughly investigate this potentially problematic candidate for Tian Shu Star.

Han Fulai now understands these matters perfectly well.

The question now is, where exactly is the problem with Zhiyi?

As the ruler of Liyue's Celestial Pisces, given Tian Shu's abilities, Han Fulai believed he wouldn't accept someone of unknown origin as a student. Zhi Yi's background, educational experience, and so on should be impeccable; Tian Shu probably noticed something amiss in subtle details like everyday speech and behavior. However, these things couldn't be used as evidence, and to avoid influencing their judgment, Tian Shu didn't explain.

But this also means they'll have to find the clues themselves—and they need to be quick, because the interviews ended this afternoon. As usual, the review results should be available within a few days, and they don't have much time left.

Han Fulai thought for a moment and then asked, "Miss Yelan, I have no interest in the position of Tian Shu Star. Even if Zhiyi is not selected, I am willing to support you to take the position. So, can we cooperate now?"

"Oh? What about your mission?" Ye Lan asked in return.

Han Fulai gently shook his wrist. Although Ye Lan was unaware, Han Fulai's wrist still concealed a divine power contract with Gan Yu.

"Liyue's interests come first, and Lord Ganyu will understand."

This is what it means to disregard personal honor and serve the people of Liyue! Han Fulai added this slogan to his mind with a sense of righteous indignation.

Although his original intention was simply to make the best use of Ningguang's resources. As Yue Haiting's secretary, Han Fulai's counter-espionage work could only be considered a side job. Of course, it was better to let someone like Ye Lan, a professional, handle it. Even if he were to compete with Ye Lan, he might not be able to do a better job. It was better to do her a favor; the matter would be settled, and he wouldn't lose out in the process.

He and Ningguang were already on friendly terms, and he had helped her a lot, so Ningguang wouldn't ignore his position. Besides, even if Ningguang took over the power of Tian Shu Star, could she really go against Gan Yu's Yue Hai Ting and the Rock King Emperor behind him who was always ready to do sit-ups?

“Then my opinion is to reinvestigate,” Ye Lan said.

"How will you conduct the investigation?" Han Fulai asked.

"Seeing is not necessarily believing. The worst thing in intelligence work is to only get information from the parties involved. The truth is always shrouded in layers of fog, so we need to collect intelligence through various channels."

Ye Lan clapped her hands as she spoke. "Wen Yuan, Shang Hua."

"exist."

Like summoned beasts, two young men suddenly appeared in the hall of the Iwakami Tea House, bowing their heads and kneeling on the ground to pay their respects to Yelan.

They were all wearing the uniforms of the Iwakami Tea House waiters, with a five-pointed die-shaped symbol on the back of their black jackets.

Could this be considered the "Liyue Imperial Guards"?

These two were elusive, just like legendary ninjas. Even though Han Fulai was a man of many experiences, he couldn't help but be surprised when two living people suddenly appeared before him, and his lips parted slightly.

Ye Lan smiled and turned to introduce them to him: "These two are my subordinates, Wen Yuan and Shang Hua. As my capable assistants, they usually keep watch in the vicinity and will also carry out various missions when necessary."

She pointed to the man among the two, who wore glasses and had a side-parted hairstyle, and said, "Shang Hua is an expert in business and likes to exchange intelligence for transactions."

Then he pointed to the man with the buzz cut next to him, "Wen Yuan mostly relies on persuasion to obtain information."

"Besides them, there's also Wu Pei, who isn't currently present..."

“That big guy has been keeping watch at sea for a while now, right? Is everything alright? I don’t think he can swim,” Wen Yuan chimed in to his companion.

"Hehe." Shang Hua laughed, "That guy is lucky. This little storm is nothing to him."

"Shang Hua, go to the various chambers of commerce and check Zhi Yi's transaction records for this period of time; Wen Yuan, go to the Liyue General Affairs Department and check Zhi Yi's files."

"Yes!" The two accepted the order and left.

“Deputy Minister Han, let’s go to the port. It’s a place where there are lots of people and all sorts of rumors spread.”

"I'll gladly oblige." Han Fulai sighed and resigned himself to starting to work overtime.

Chapter Sixteen: Knowing a Person's Face (Part Three)

Their first stop was the "All Things Shop" at Liyue Harbor.

As the name suggests, "Wanyou Shop" is an all-encompassing general store. Basically, as long as the customer has a legitimate need, the owner will sell whatever he can get his hands on. "Wanyou Shop" is located in the port, a hub of information, with a large daily flow of customers. Sources from all sides often converge here, making it the first choice for the two to gather intelligence.

In fact, Boss Bolai himself was also a part-time intelligence broker, occasionally contacting Ningguang's subordinates to pass on messages. His invitation to the Immortal Invocation Ceremony this year was partly due to his years of intelligence-gathering. Of course, the messages he relayed were mainly rumors or business information, not of high caliber.

Bo Lai had just finished a heated debate and signed a large order for Sunset Fruit with a fruit vendor. It was said that if those Sunset Fruits fell into a well, the water in the entire well would turn sweet. He didn't want his competitors to snatch such a good deal. Just as he was strolling back to his shop, satisfied, he saw two familiar figures.

At the ceremony of inviting immortals, Bo Lai and Han Fulai sat together at the end of the audience. In order to prepare for the ceremony, Han Fulai even bought 297 flowers from him to make perfume. After Han Fulai became famous, Bo Lai often boasted to his colleagues about his witty conversation with Vice Minister Han of Yuehai Pavilion.

Ye Lan, on the other hand, was a regular customer of Bo Lai's. She would always find an excuse to chat with Bo Lai from time to time, and they gradually became familiar with each other.

Upon seeing the two of them arrive together, Bolai hurriedly stepped forward to greet them.

"Gentlemen, is there anything you need today? My shop has everything you could want, and the prices are negotiable!"

Han Fulai bowed to Bolai and said, "Boss Bolai, we've come here today to inquire about someone. Have you heard of Zhiyi?"

Bo Lai reached up and touched the two small mustaches on his lips. "Zhiyi? That guy has quite a reputation."

"Deputy Minister Han, I always said that Boss Bolai is knowledgeable and far more experienced than others. In Liyue Harbor, apart from Lord Tianquan, Boss Bolai is the most well-informed." Yelan's flattery came out without restraint, her face full of anticipation.

Praised by such a beauty, Bo Lai straightened his back instantly, pinched his mustache and struck what he considered to be his most wise and profound pose, and said, "I've heard a story about Zhi Yi. It is said that he came from a poor family, his parents died early, and he was often treated coldly by those around him. His former neighbor often spoke ill of him, but Zhi Yi did not retaliate. On the contrary, after the neighbor went bankrupt, he took good care of his family."

"It seems that Mr. Zhiyi is indeed a talented person?" Han Fulai tilted his head and looked at Ye Lan.

Ye Lan readily agreed.

Bo Lai, still shaking his head, commented, "This Zhiyi is truly a man who repays evil with kindness, upright and peaceful... How come I never noticed such a talent before? Yue Haiting came to inquire about Zhiyi, could it be that his reputation has already spread..."

“It’s not too late now. If we can invite him to be the brand ambassador for my ‘Wanyou Shop’…” He suddenly clapped his hands, “Oh, Zhiyi is right there!”

Han Fulai and Ye Lan turned around upon hearing this and saw Zhiyi walking and talking with a woman in a purple robe on the street next to the dock.

Ye Lan immediately recognized the two of them.

“It is indeed Zhiyi, and that one is… Linlang, the owner of ‘Xiguju’. Let’s go, let’s follow them and take a look.” Ye Lan said, lowering her voice, “Listen to their conversation, and try not to let him find out, so that the information we gather will be more accurate.”

Han Fulai nodded, and under the cover of night, he and Ye Lan followed Zhiyi.

Seeing Han Fulai and Ye Lan follow immediately, Bo Lai panicked: "Oh no, I need to prepare an employment contract. Hey, you two wait for me! Hey—"

Ignoring Bo Lai's shouts, the two used the buildings and shops along the street to conceal themselves as they slowly approached Zhi Yi and Lin Lang.

Snippets of conversation between Zhiyi and Linlang occasionally reached their ears—"...I understand...Mr. Zhiyi wants to purchase a set of wine utensils?"

Zhiyi, with his back to them, seemed to nod slightly.

Linlang's voice was noticeably more cheerful: "An expert doesn't lie to an expert. Mr. Zhiyi should know something about our shop, right?"

"To be honest, I have an old friend who enjoys having a few drinks from time to time..."

Oh? Does Zhiyi want to send his teacher, Uncle Tian, ​​a set of wine utensils? Han Fulai had just had this thought when Zhiyi's next words refuted it.

"...He loves to indulge in refined pursuits but doesn't want to be extravagant, so I want to buy a set of high-quality replica wine utensils to entertain him."

Putting aside the fact that the term "pretentious and cultured" shouldn't be used to describe Uncle Tian, ​​a dignified figure like Tian Shu Xing wouldn't need to use a high-quality counterfeit wine vessel, so this gift was clearly not for Uncle Tian.

Linlang chuckled and said, "Mr. Zhiyi is so considerate. Leave this to me. Just come to Xiguju to pick up the goods whenever you have time."

Zhiyi quickly thanked Linlang, saying, "Thank you very much, Boss Linlang."

The deal was done, and Linlang was clearly very happy: "Not at all, Mr. Zhiyi is so famous, it's really rare for him to be so considerate of his friends."

"I will also go back to the store and choose carefully, Mr. Zhiyi, please don't worry." After the two finished talking and exchanged a few polite words, they parted ways.

Linlang walked towards Feiyunpo, where "Xiguju" was located, while Zhiyi seemed to have other things to do and walked into the crowd at the dock, disappearing after a few steps.

"It seems that Zhiyi has a pretty good image in other people's eyes. Can this kind of investigation really find out anything wrong?" Han Fulai whispered to Ye Lan.

"The sample size is limited, so there's no rush to draw conclusions. Let's go over there and ask some more questions."

Yelan pointed to the east side of the dock, where the fishing community of Liyue Harbor was located.

“I remember Uncle Tian saying that Zhiyi and he often went fishing together, and the fishing spot was over there. I heard that people who fish here sometimes sell their fish to fishmongers nearby. Let’s go ask Old Sun first.”

"Old Sun?" Han Fulai felt like he recognized the name.

Old Sun is a shrewd and capable-looking middle-aged man who has been running a fish stall for more than ten years. He catches fish in the morning, sells fish in the afternoon, and drinks with his companions late at night. These three things make up almost his entire life.

Upon seeing Lao Sun, Han Fulai immediately recalled who he was—an NPC commonly seen by players in the game, who usually sits at night with his companions in "Three Bowls and You Can't Cross the Harbor" drinking and boasting.

Old Sun's fish stall only had a few leftover fish on the cutting board. He was about to tidy up and go drink with Old Gao, the fishmonger across the street, when he was stopped by a man and a woman.

Ye Lan bowed politely to Old Sun, and even took out a business card from her pocket and handed it to him:

"Excuse me, we are members of the Liyue Fishing Club and would like to inquire about someone. We've heard there's a young man named Zhiyi who is an excellent angler. Do you remember him?"

Chapter Seventeen: Knowing a Person's Face (Part Four)

Han Fulai glanced at the business card Yelan had handed him. It was exquisitely crafted, printed with a fishing rod shape and Yelan's name and membership number. He had no doubt that there really was a "Liyue Anglers' Club" in Liyue Harbor, and even less doubt that a member named Yelan might appear at any moment. Yelan truly was a "thousand-faced person."

As he pondered this, he stole a glance at Ye Lan beside him—or rather, at her chest. He remembered Ye Lan had just pulled the business card from her bosom, but the problem was, her clothes didn't have any pockets. So, could this business card be…?

Old Sun casually accepted the business card, glanced at it, and then put it in his pocket.

"You're asking about Zhiyi, right? That guy's reputation has been really high lately. Some of my friends who travel all over the country have heard of him. It's said that he had a very tough time when he was studying, and he had to work several jobs to keep going. Isn't there a saying, 'No pain, no gain'? Based on that, he'll definitely be a super awesome person in the future."

Old Sun was clearly quite knowledgeable about the I Ching, recounting its stories in one long string of words, clearly using it as a topic of conversation quite often.