He changed Tiwat

“This is consistent with what we know about Zhiyi’s background,” Han Fulai said softly to Ye Lan, who nodded in agreement.

“However…” Old Sun changed the subject, “Your fishing club looking for him will probably be making a wasted trip.”

"Why is that?" Ye Lan asked curiously.

Old Sun chuckled. "Because that kid is good at everything except fishing. He fishes at the dock and occasionally sells his catch here. But his catch is usually just average—not bad, but nothing special either. If you're looking to recruit members, I know a few experts, like Uncle Tian who often fishes at this dock..."

This guy, who's always "airing out" (i.e., not very good at fishing), is a failure as a fishing expert! Han Fulai chuckled inwardly.

Hearing Uncle Tian's name, Ye Lan blinked. "That's great. But we have something else to do right now. Shall we talk about it over drinks next time?"

"Alright!" Old Sun was clearly quite happy to be invited by the beautiful girl from the fishing club. He'd have plenty to brag about when he drank with Lao Gao later.

After the two left Old Sun's fish stall, Ye Lan lowered her head and pondered for a moment, then looked at Han Fulai and said, "Deputy Minister Han, have you noticed? 'Friends from other places have all heard about it'..."

"You mean, his fame is a bit too great, right?" Han Fulai said with a smile.

"Hmm, but that's actually quite normal. Let's go ask somewhere else."

As Ye Lan spoke, she took out a small badge from her bosom and handed it to Han Fulai. The badge was engraved with the words "Fish Price Survey Meeting".

"This is...?" Han Fulai held the badge up to his eyes with some doubt, then looked at Ye Lan—just how much was she hiding on her?

Ye Lan smiled nonchalantly. "Our new identities. It's easier to have more 'identities' when you're navigating this world. Do you need me to fabricate a few more for you?"

"No need, thank you for your kindness." Han Fulai quickly declined. "By the way, was that fishing club business card you saw earlier also a scam?"

“These identities are all real to me.” Yelan’s eyes flickered, her expression seemingly quite aggrieved. “I’m an unofficial member of the Liyue Fishing Club, I’m quite good at fishing, and I also have part-time experience in Liyue’s fisheries market research, so it’s not like I’m lying, right?”

"No, no." Han Fulai quickly nodded, inwardly thinking: The identity is real, but the documents are fake, right...?

The two arrived at the fish stall across the street. The vendor, Old Gao, saw the customers and loudly proclaimed, "Buying fish? Three hundred moras for one, one thousand moras for three! Scarcity drives up the price, there aren't many left today!"

Ye Lan gave Han Fulai a wink, and Han Fulai raised the badge in his hand and waved it in front of Lao Gao, almost shouting "Liyue Market Supervision Administration!"

"Hello, we are members of the 'Fish Price Survey Committee' and would like to ask you about some things." Ye Lan's tone was very serious, as if she were performing official duties.

"...Why does one fish cost 300 moles, and why is it 100 more moles if I buy three?" Han Fulai simply took on the official duties of the "Fish Price Survey Meeting".

"I...I haven't done anything wrong, don't interfere with my fish selling!" Old Gao raised his voice, though he was in the wrong, he was very assertive.

"Don't worry, we're not here to investigate you," Ye Lan said. "We heard that someone named Zhi Yi has been selling fresh fish at low prices in the area recently. Do you know anything about him?"

Hearing that it wasn't him they were investigating, Lao Gao breathed a sigh of relief. "You should have said so earlier... Phew, I know about Zhiyi's matter, I'll tell you."

“Selling fresh fish at low prices… I didn’t see it with my own eyes, but it wouldn’t be surprising if it was Zhiyi who did it.”

"Oh? Why do you say that?" Han Fulai asked.

"Because he's too poor." Old Gao sighed, his face deepening with wrinkles, making him look several years older. If he didn't say so, probably no one would know that he and Old Sun, with whom he often drank, were the same age.

"Zhiyi's parents died early, and his alcoholic father owed a large debt before he died, so no one wanted to associate with Zhiyi. When he first came to the dock, he was young, wearing tattered clothes and with bandages wrapped around his head. It was said that he had been beaten by debt collectors. It was only because Uncle Tian gave him a meal that he survived. But even now, he still doesn't have any savings."

"He's not so poor that he can't even afford food, but you often see him haggling over a few moras. That's why it's not surprising that he's out selling fish. Anyway, he doesn't have many fish, so he doesn't bother our business. ... Oh, don't tell him that."

"You don't want him to know?" Ye Lan asked.

"Hmm." Old Gao nodded. "I've talked to him a bit, and I feel that deep down, that kid really cares about what others think of him, and is even a little insecure... But from my perspective, I have no right to say anything... He's already better than most people."

"No one is perfect, I just hope he won't be unhappy because of this."

Ye Lan nodded. "I see. Thank you for the information."

"It's nothing, it's nothing." Old Gao waved his hand magnanimously, then stared at Han Fulai and said very seriously, "Let me reiterate, the price of the fish I sell is absolutely no problem!"

"...This isn't a price issue, it's a math issue..." Han Fulai was about to complain when Ye Lan pulled him away.

The two walked to a secluded spot, and Ye Lan whispered, "According to Lao Gao, Zhiyi is very poor... but..."

"Where did he get the money to buy the high-quality replica wine set at Xiguju?" Han Fulai interjected. "Xiguju is a famous antique shop in Liyue. Even high-quality replicas of antique wine sets must have cost a fortune. Given Zhiyi's financial situation, he has to work several jobs to support his studies, so he probably can't afford such a gift. And why did he buy these gifts, and who are they for?"

The two exchanged a glance and realized that more and more mysteries were surrounding Zhiyi.

Chapter 18 Knowing a Person's Face (Part 5) (Bonus chapter for the big spender's monthly vote)

"Shouldn't we investigate Zhiyi's sources of income now?" Han Fulai asked.

"No rush, there's someone else I want to ask." Ye Lan's eyes swept around the dock, already locking onto her next target.

"Who?" Han Fulai asked curiously.

"A special intelligence agent—he moves among the diverse crowds at Tiger Rock, where all sorts of people are willing to talk to him, revealing their true reactions, and no one avoids him..."

As Ye Lan spoke, she led Han Fulai toward the seaside, where a short figure was striking various poses in front of the waves that were constantly crashing against the pier.

As you get closer, you can see that he is holding a small dagger in his hand, slashing and stabbing at the waves, as if he is emitting invisible sword energy to shatter the waves.

Han Fulai knew this was a common trait among male human offspring. For example, male human offspring from China, if they had a stick in their hands, would always unconsciously imitate a monkey; male human offspring from Liyue, if they had a small knife in their hands, would also imitate legendary heroes. This was an unchangeable natural law.

Hearing footsteps behind him, the little boy spun around with a flourish, sheathed his short dagger, and recited two lines of poetry: "With my sword in hand, I roam the world freely! What business do you have with me, the Great Hero Dugu?"

Han Fulai chuckled and quickly covered his face to stifle his laughter, but the little boy glared at him and said, "You're making fun of me!"

Han Fulai quickly explained, "Master Dugu has misunderstood..."

"Hmph! Your eyes are clearly saying, 'How could a little bean sprout as short as a sword be a great hero?'" The little boy who called himself "Hero Dugu" was named Dugu Shuo. He lived near the dock and had always admired the heroes in martial arts novels, enjoying swordplay. The dagger at his waist was the "Dugu Sword," forged for him by Old Zhang, who was wrapped in "Cold Edge Ironware"—of course, it wasn't sharpened.

Ye Lan smiled and pushed Han Fulai aside, then clasped her hands in a fist salute to Dugu Shuo and said, "Great Hero Dugu, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Seeing that Ye Lan understood the rules of the martial world, Dugu Shuo quickly returned the greeting by clasping his hands in a fist salute: "It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"To be honest, we're new to the martial world and have heard that Master Dugu is well-informed, so we've come to inquire about something." Ye Lan's polite demeanor made Dugu Shuo beam with joy.

Dugu Shuo proudly puffed out his small chest: "I never thought this great hero would be praised for being 'well-informed'... Indeed, this great hero is well-informed!"

The well-informed swordsman Dugu was unaware of his own extensive network of information... Han Fulai turned his face away from Ye Lan, afraid that he would burst out laughing again.

Ye Lan earnestly followed up by praising him: "Of course, I've heard that Master Dugu is a kind-hearted hero who always answers questions."

"That's wonderful!" Dugu Shuo was so happy he almost jumped up, but then realized he had lost his composure as a chivalrous hero, so he coughed twice. "...Ahem, what do you want to ask? I know everything about what happened on this street!"

Boys need to protect themselves when they go out, be careful not to be deceived by bad women... Han Fulai looked at this scene with complicated eyes.

The wicked woman Ye Lan, who even deceives children, clearly didn't care who she was deceiving, and asked her question: "Then, I wonder if the great hero Dugu has heard of Zhiyi?"

"Of course!" Dugu Shuo nodded vigorously. "Is it Brother Zhiyi that the adults have been talking about lately? I've heard a lot about him, such as..."

"For example?" Ye Lan eagerly awaited his next words.

"Hmm... I can't quite remember... Anyway, none of them seem to be major issues." Dugu Shuo, true to his Jianghu heritage, was very unconcerned with details, and when he said he didn't remember, he simply didn't.

"This great hero still prefers to hear stories of chivalrous heroes with flashing swords! How about I tell you the story of the great hero Han of the Guhua School fighting against Ba Che? Oh, and the great hero Shen He, 'who risked everything for Han Lang!'"

Han, the great swordsman of the Guhua School, coughed violently behind Ye Lan.

Ye Lan smiled and said, "I wholeheartedly agree with that. I'll definitely listen to your story of Master Han next time. But this time, Master Dugu, do you remember... roughly when did the adults start talking about the I Ching so often?"

"Oh, I know that! It was about two or three months ago!" Dugu Shuo quickly replied, "Before, when people mentioned Brother Zhiyi, they used a tone that made me uncomfortable... But starting two or three months ago, suddenly many more people liked Brother Zhiyi. Brother Zhiyi often gave me candy, so I was very happy when people talked about Brother Zhiyi's good points!"

“As expected…” Ye Lan said softly.

"Eh, what exactly?" Dugu Shuo asked, looking at Ye Lan with curiosity.

"I mean, as expected, the Great Hero Dugu is as kind-hearted as the rumors say," Ye Lan said with a smile.

"N-no, it's not that amazing..." Dugu Shuo became unusually shy. "By the way, I've recently seen a lot of strangers talking about Brother Zhiyi's story on the street. They must all like Brother Zhiyi, right?"

“That’s right.” Ye Lan nodded, but her tone was much more serious.

Han Fulai then asked, "What kind of clothes and appearance do those people you don't recognize wear?"

Dugu Shuo glanced at Han Fulai and pursed his lips: "I'm not telling you."

This kid holds a grudge... Han Fulai twitched the corner of his mouth.

Dugu Shuo drew his "Dugu Sword," brandished it, and declared to Han Fulai with an imposing air: "Don't underestimate a young man's potential! Once I obtain the Eye of the Rock Element, I will be the number one swordsman in the world!"

"Uh... why does it have to be the Eye of the Geo element?" Han Fulai asked curiously.

"Of course!" Dugu Shuo arrogantly explained to him, "If I had the Eye of the Geo element, I could control the Geo element to erect a tall stone pillar, and then I would stand on top of it! At that time, you would have to look up to me, hahahaha..."

This kid... Han Fulai was both annoyed and amused.

Ye Lan then spoke up to help Han Fulai out of the predicament: "Thank you for the news, Master Dugu. Master Dugu, we'll meet again in the martial world!"

"See you in the martial world!" Dugu Shuo returned the greeting in a proper manner.

The two walked to a secluded spot on the dock, where Ye Lan stopped.

"Master Han, did you notice the problem?"

Han Fulai ignored Ye Lan's teasing and replied seriously, "'Repaying evil with kindness' and 'studying diligently' are indeed enough to make Zhiyi famous in the village, but not enough to make him famous overseas."

“That’s right. Dugu Shuo’s evaluation of Zhiyi’s deeds is a normal reaction—his deeds are admirable, but I’m not particularly interested in him. After all, the story of Master Han is much more interesting than Zhiyi’s,” Ye Lan said with a smile.

"Ahem, let's not talk about my affairs. The positive reviews about Zhiyi have only come about in the last two or three months. Zhiyi's humble background, his story of pursuing education, and even his dealings with his neighbors, didn't happen recently, but they've only started circulating recently. Moreover, according to Dugu Shuo, strangers are spreading these messages everywhere, making it hard not to suspect that someone is manipulating public opinion behind the scenes," Han Fulai said.

As the person who orchestrated the Liyue currency press conference, Han Fulai knew very well what Zhiyi had done. In more modern terms, this "Brother Zhiyi" had bought "Liyue trending topics" over the past two or three months and even hired online trolls to help him promote his work.

"Actually, if that were all, I wouldn't care." Ye Lan crossed her arms and said coldly, "Zhiyi paying people to publicize his deeds and pave the way for his ascension to Tian Shu Star is, in my opinion, still within the 'rules of the game.' But the problem is..."

"I'll say it again, where does his money come from, right?" Han Fulai's gaze was intense.

Chapter Nineteen: Knowing a Person's Face (Part Six)

Ye Lan clearly shared the same opinion as Han Fulai.

“Zhiyi lived in poverty, and his income was spent on his studies, travel, and paying off debts. I don’t think he could come up with such a large sum of money.”

“That’s right. The nature of the matter has probably changed. Perhaps there is a hidden force that wants to take advantage of this to seize the positions of the Seven Stars of Liyue.” Han Fulai raised an eyebrow.

Ye Lan pondered for a moment, then nodded and said, "This is the worst-case scenario, but often the worst-case scenario is the closest to the truth."

"So first we need to figure out which force is helping him behind the scenes," Han Fulai said.

The two looked at each other, their expressions solemn.

The expensive replica wine set from Xiguju and the commission Zhiyi paid for hiring people to promote his deeds were both things that would cost a lot of money, but Zhiyi was just a poor student from a poor family.

These things would naturally be no problem for someone like Qianwei, who comes from a wealthy family, but what is Zhiyi's source of income? After some investigation, the key issue ultimately came down to his finances.

Zhiyi's outfit, if placed in modern times, would actually resemble that of a celebrity. If he were an idol trainee participating in a talent show like "Liyue Idol," it would be quite reasonable for him to hire someone to package him in order to gain popularity.

But Zhiyi is currently running for office on Tian Shu Star, and his source of income inevitably raises questions about "political donations." If someone wants to package him as a "Liyue idol" to gain power on Tian Shu Star, then who is funding this package? What benefits do they want to gain from him? These are all things that Han Fulai and Yelan have to investigate thoroughly.

"My men Wen Yuan and Shang Hua have gone to investigate Zhi Yi's background, and we should have results by tomorrow. I'm going now to find out the identity of the person who helped Zhi Yi spread the rumors," Ye Lan said.

"I'll go back and review Zhiyi's proposal again. I was pressed for time this afternoon and didn't get to read it all, but I believe there must be some reason behind it that a backer is helping him," Han Fu replied.

Ye Lan made special provisions for the "Current Affairs Strategy" assessment, requiring candidates to implement the plans in their proposals after taking the stage. Therefore, these plans may contain clues about stakeholders. Han Fulai hoped to find flaws in Zhiyi's proposals.

Although with Zhiyi's abilities, these flaws would probably be difficult to find, Han Fulai was very confident—behind him was a senior secretary who had ruled Yuehaiting for three thousand years.

Even if Zhiyi could deceive his eyes, he couldn't possibly deceive Gan Yu! When it comes to official document skills, Gan Yu claims to be second to none in Liyue.

"Then let's do it this way. We'll meet at the Rock Tea House first thing tomorrow morning to exchange information."

After speaking with Han Fu, Ye Lan turned and left.

On the way back, it rained lightly. Han Fulai took shelter from the rain at a roadside stall and had dinner there. After the rain stopped, he went straight to Gan Yu's office at Yuehaiting.

After explaining the situation to Gan Yu, Gan Yu agreed without hesitation to help Han Fulai. Han Fulai divided Zhiyi's thick stack of planning documents in two, giving one half to Gan Yu and starting a detailed review.

Zhiyi probably never imagined that he would have such an honor to face the joint investigation of the strongest secretaries in Liyue's history.

It is said that Cardinal Richelieu of France once famously said, "Give me six lines written by the most honest man in the world, and I will find enough reason to hang him."

With the permanent secretary-general and permanent vice minister of Liyue's Moonlit Pavilion joining forces, they are clearly no match for Richelieu.

It should be said that Zhiyi's plan was written in a clear and organized manner, which greatly facilitated Han Fulai's review work. Based on the classification in Zhiyi's plan, Han Fulai focused on finding his plans for Liyue's pillar industries. After all, if the person secretly funding Zhiyi wanted to gain benefits, then of course the greater the benefits, the better.

Even though Han Fulai was reviewing Zhiyi's plans with the intention of finding flaws, he couldn't help but be deeply impressed by Zhiyi's foresight and wisdom. Many of his plans even coincided with Han Fulai's own plan to strengthen the military in Liyue.

"Due to various factors, the sea conditions have become increasingly rough in recent years. It is recommended to establish a special patrol team to deal with various sea monsters. The fleet configuration is as follows..." Zhiyi succinctly described various matters related to Liyue's coastal defense in the plan—although not explicitly stated, Zhiyi clearly intended to promote the establishment of a Liyue fleet to provide protection for Liyue's marine industry.

"Huaguang Forest, Qingyun Peak, and other places are characterized by steep mountains and inconvenient transportation. The only connection between the peaks is a suspension bridge, which is dangerous even for people to walk on, let alone transport goods. This area is also rich in medicinal herbs and minerals. If a ring road could be built along the mountains, it would be a win-win situation..." In the plan, Zhiyi also mentioned the problem of inconvenient transportation and lack of roads in Liyue's mountainous terrain. Building bridges and roads would naturally facilitate the development of Liyue's mountain resources and further enhance Liyue's infrastructure, benefiting both the country and its people.

In fact, Han Fulai also mentioned the road problem in Liyue in his 99-point strategy essay. If he weren't in the position of reviewing Zhiyi, he would probably be shouting "Great minds think alike" now. As the saying goes, "To get rich, build roads first," Han Fulai wholeheartedly supports this plan.

"There's a common saying that 'the Emperor hides his wealth in the mountains and fields of Liyue.' However, due to the obstruction of the excavation in the Laminariat, many projects have come to a halt. The workers at Blackrock Depths have been staying near the Golden House for quite some time. If a suitable project comes up, they can be given priority to start it..." In this passage, Zhiyi mentions various matters related to mining, tunnel construction, and exploration of ruins. It's clear that he has a considerable understanding of Liyue's mining industry, and everything is arranged in an orderly manner.

If there's any conflict of interest involved, it lies in the priority rights to the "Black Rock Factory" project that Zhiyi mentioned—as everyone knows, it's an asset of the Liyue Yun Clan. However, Yun Tian of Tian Shu Star, as Zhiyi's mentor, is a member of the Yun Clan, and Zhiyi needs the Yun Clan's support to secure his position on Tian Shu Star. It's perfectly reasonable for him to seek some benefits for the Yun Clan.

Han Fu finished reviewing his half of the planning document but found no flaws. Just then, Gan Yu finished reviewing her half as well.

“I’ve found a plan that might be flawed,” Gan Yu said.

"What is it?" Han Fulai's eyes lit up, and he secretly praised her, "She truly lives up to her reputation as Gan Yu!"