He changed Tiwat

Ordinary people would often tremble under Ningguang's gaze; the authority she had cultivated over years in a high position was almost tangible, and even Lu Tong, who was observing, felt a chill run down his spine. If he were to face such pressure directly, Lu Tong felt he might be too frightened to speak.

But Galcha ignored this and simply repeated calmly, "Flood diversion is useless."

"Please explain, Mr. Galcha." Han Fulai leaned forward slightly, intentionally or unintentionally blocking Ningguang's view.

"Based on the water volume data of the entire Bishui River area, I conducted a simulation of the situation after the flood diversion, and the conclusion is that the water level returning to the original embankment will drop by 0.1 to 0.2 meters after the flood diversion."

Galcha raised both hands, clenched them into fists, and crossed them together.

"That's all, about the height of two fists, nothing more. 17.22 minus 0.2 is still over 17 meters. It's meaningless."

His words were a bit rough, but the logic was clear. After all, the current dike was built on top of the original 15-meter foundation, and it could only be used temporarily. In any case, a flood peak exceeding 17 meters would pose a risk to the dike's design strength, so an extra 0.2 meters wouldn't have a significant impact.

"Are you responsible for this calculation result?" Ningguang's voice was somewhat cold.

In response, Galcia said, "I was afraid when I didn't have data, but the data made me stop being afraid."

"Oh." Ningguang nodded. In fact, she appreciated Galcha's attitude.

He's a talented person, but unfortunately, he chose the wrong side.

Her gaze shifted to Han Fulai.

"Deputy Minister Han, what's your opinion?"

"Does Lady Ningguang want me to make the decision?" Han Fulai asked in return.

“You represent Yuheng Star… Also, they call you ‘Commander-in-Chief Han’,” Ningguang replied simply.

Without Ningguang needing to say anything more, Han Fulai understood perfectly that this was Ningguang's last chance to choose.

He can choose to go against Ningguang, but the price is that he will have to take responsibility.

The responsibility of history.

Leaving aside the distant future, there are currently thousands of soldiers and workers in Guili participating in flood control efforts. If the dikes were to breach, the casualties among these personnel alone would be a responsibility that Han Fulai could not bear.

Choosing to divert the floodwaters is understandable to everyone, and no one has to bear the responsibility. Choosing not to divert the floodwaters means taking all the responsibility upon oneself.

Ningguang was fully aware of the immense psychological pressure this was, and she personally passed that pressure on to Han Fulai.

Han Fulai looked at Ningguang and suddenly smiled.

"The person who serves as the executive secretary must be consistently loyal and reliable, selected through the most rigorous and meticulous screening process, and be the most upright and respectable civil servant. You already have enough experience, and you are flexible, adaptable, and approachable. All you lack is... the ability to keep smiling."

He was already very familiar with this kind of pressure. After all, back on March 9th, when he decided to participate in the struggle for the highest power in Liyue, Gan Yu had already told him in that small flower garden at the Moonsea Pavilion:

"Always remember, 'I am the Liyue government.'"

He raised his hand and tapped his temple.

"If the Guiliyuan Dam breaches, I will take full responsibility. I guarantee it with my own head."

Ningguang paused, suddenly remembering that he had actually done the same thing during the Battle of Ba Che – “The young master offered his head.”

Yes, that's just the kind of person he is.

Han Fulai suddenly turned around and strode out of the tent.

"Pass down the order: As long as we stand, the dike stands! This government will not divert the floodwaters!"

Chapter 384 Then I'll kill him myself

Han Fulai had already rushed out of the tent to issue orders and mobilize personnel, with Shen He following closely behind. Galcha and the other two had also stayed up all night. Now that the command center's decision was made, the next steps were no longer of much concern to them, so they all asked for leave and went to their tents to rest.

Ningguang was the only one left in the "temporary command center".

Ningguang raised the pipe in her hand and silently lit it.

Wisps of smoke curled around Ningguang, giving her an air of otherworldly elegance.

However, Ningguang's face lacked the otherworldly air of a celestial being.

Her body and soul always belonged to this mortal world.

Just as she and Ge Chenlang City True Lord said—their paths are different.

People with different principles cannot work together.

Ningguang slowly exhaled and muttered to herself, "I gave you a chance."

Until the very last moment, Ningguang was giving Han Fulai a chance.

Her strong pressure on Han Fulai was actually a way of hoping that Han Fulai would seize this opportunity—the opportunity to cooperate with her again.

Ningguang had already secretly sent people to spread the news of the flood diversion in Guili Plain. Most of the workers and soldiers of the Thousand Rock Army who were on rest in the camp had already learned about the flood diversion.

For those who came from Mingyun Town, hearing this news evoked complex emotions. They had left their homes to work elsewhere precisely because of Mingyun Town's decline, and many had long since accepted its fate of decay.

But accepting fate and witnessing it come are two different things—it's like everyone knows that people die, but when death is imminent, people still can't help but fight desperately to survive.

They were willing to contribute their efforts to the flood relief efforts in Guiliyuan, but they did not want their hometown to suffer the consequences.

Previously, Guiliyuan was the original flood diversion area, but now that they're building the "Guili New Area," are they turning their own area into a flood diversion area? What's the point of building this so-called "Guili New Area" then? What kind of dike are they guarding?

If the price of defending Guiliyuan is the destruction of their own hometown, then aren't they destroying their own hometown by working day and night?

The thought that their hometown would be forever submerged in the water saddened many people.

Many people felt a sense of betrayal to varying degrees, and resentment began to brew.

For the workers, it didn't matter who proposed the flood diversion; they didn't even know. What mattered was who wanted to build the "Guili New District." Mingyun Town was flooded to protect the "Guili New District," which was proposed by Keqing and Han Fulai—especially Han Fulai, who was also the president of the "Liyue Labor Association." How could a president betray his own workers like that?

The anger thus found an outlet.

Some hot-tempered workers even organized to petition and protest at the command center, but they were all stopped by the soldiers guarding the area.

The human heart is like water; how deep it is!

The people are in turmoil, their movements as swift as smoke; how chaotic it is!

But for Ningguang, manipulating people's hearts and minds is as natural as eating and drinking.

People organized around shared interests can naturally be divided based on those interests.

People naturally seek profit and avoid harm; controlling profit means controlling people's hearts.

She had previously said that she let Han Fu make the choice simply because she wanted to hear his decision.

Although Han Fulai's answer disappointed her, it did not affect the outcome.

Han Fulai essentially had no choice.

Before returning to Guiliyuan, she had already arranged everything: training soldiers, preparing explosives, relocating residents, spreading rumors... including making Keqing fall ill at the right time—all that was needed was for someone in the camp kitchen to add a little "sedative" to the food of Yuheng Star—Keqing ate and lived with the soldiers and workers, making this very simple.

This is the recipe for "An Shen Wan" (calming pills) specially made by Dr. Bai of Bubulu. It is made by simmering ingredients such as chestnuts, mint, glass sachet, horsetail, ephedra, dried tangerine peel, and cinnamon twigs. It can calm the mind and soothe the nerves, and treat neurasthenia and insomnia. For someone who has stayed up for several nights, the effect of this medicine is immediate, allowing Keqing to get a good night's sleep.

Once all of the above has become a fait accompli, the diversion of the Guiliyuan flood has been a predetermined event for Ningguang.

She was well aware of the contract between Han Fulai and Gan Yu, and she was also well aware that Han Fulai would definitely act for the so-called "well-being of the majority of life in Liyue".

The future of Guili Plains represents the well-being of the majority of life in Liyue, and the sacrifice of Mingyun Town for the well-being of the majority of life is merely a "necessary sacrifice".

This "necessary sacrifice" only affected the prestige of those from Mingyun Town and Han Fulai, the president of the "Liyue Labor Association," but it truly benefited the majority of Liyue.

Han Fulai's surrender here will secure long-term benefits for Liyue.

Ningguang was forcing Han Fulai to choose the option she wanted.

This is a "card trick by civil servants"—your choices are all given to you by me, so what can you use to fight me?

She foresaw the thoughts of the soldiers and civilians on Guili Plain, foresaw Ke Qing's fall, and foresaw Han Fulai's current fatigue and helplessness.

She also foresaw the weakness of human nature, knowing that most people, like Patrick, were unwilling to shoulder such a heavy responsibility.

She had also anticipated that Han Fulai would consider seeking Shen He's help. She was now the highest authority here; as long as she disagreed with Han Fulai taking the risk, his backup plan would be rendered ineffective. And if Han Fulai's reasons were insufficient, Ningguang could simply disagree.

If there was anything she overlooked, it was probably Galcia—she hadn't expected there to be such a math fanatic who didn't care about anything else.

Therefore, Han Fulai made a choice she did not want to see.

“This is your own choice, there’s nothing I can do about it,” Ningguang said quietly.

At that moment, a clear and bright voice suddenly came from the divine eye on her body.

"fraud."

Ningguang frowned: "What do you mean?"

"You know perfectly well that yourself." The voice seemed to carry a hint of dissatisfaction and was very impolite. "You do things halfway, neither going in nor out, always leaving room for others, you don't know anything at all... This is not like you at all."

“Where do I have…” Ningguang patted the Eye of God.

The voice in the Eye of God ignored her completely, continuing to say, "Last night you could have simply ordered the flood diversion without waiting for those people's data, and the matter would have been accomplished; you could have also stopped him from explaining so much to Yanbo and directly ordered Yanbo to detonate the dam ahead of time, and the matter would have been accomplished; even just now you could have prevented him from making the decision... but you let it all go."

"You're just making excuses for yourself. You want to hear him choose you, don't you?"

Ningguang shook her head. "No. Besides, he was already on the road to his doom when he made the wrong choice."

"So, assuming he didn't die at someone else's hands, what would you do?" the voice asked again.

Ningguang remained silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Then I will kill him with my own hands."

Chapter 385 "This Government Did Not Divert Floodwaters"

The town of Mingyun was shrouded in mist at dawn, but the mist could not conceal the long, fiery dragon beside the embankment.

The relocation of the civilians had already been completed, and now all three hundred Thousand Rock Army soldiers had returned to their posts.

Holding torches, they stood tall and ready for battle.

They were waiting for the final decision from the two high-ranking officials at the former flood control command center.

Across the clear river, there were also lights on the other side of the bridge.

The firelight did not come from Thousand Rock soldiers or nearby residents, but from reporters who had come from Liyue Harbor.

Reporters from major newspapers and magazines gathered on the opposite bank of the river, awaiting this momentous occasion.

From the moment the first residents of Mingyun were relocated to Liyue Harbor, news spread throughout Liyue Harbor that Mingyun would become a flood diversion area.

Reporters with a keen sense of smell rushed to Mingyun Town overnight, while those less perceptive noticed that their colleagues were all heading to the same place, so they figured following suit wouldn't be a bad idea.

So within just a few hours, hundreds of reporters gathered on the opposite bank of the Mingyun Town dike. Many of them held up cameras, ready to capture the historic moment when the Qianyan Army detonated the dike.

Previously, Guili was routinely used as a flood diversion area, and it wouldn't normally be newsworthy. But this time, when reporters heard that Mingyun Town had become a flood diversion area—the first time Liyue had proactively detonated the dike to establish a flood diversion area—it was, of course, breaking news.

Boyi and Shiyun were also among the group of reporters.

These two are the "Fontaine reporters" who asked Han Fulai a question when the Liyue coins were issued.

Shiyun yawned, clutching her notebook, unable to write a single word for a long time. She was extremely unhappy—she had been sound asleep in the editorial department, but Boyi had dragged her over by the ear.

As a third-rate magazine that makes a living by digging up celebrity gossip and scandalous news and playing on the edge of rumors, it's not even worth writing about serious news. Even if it did, it wouldn't be able to compete with the famous newspapers next door.

Their job was to write things like "Yuheng Star is still unmarried and suspected of having an affair with his personal secretary" or "Ningguang is still unmarried and insiders say she has someone she loves"—in reality, they had already taken photos of Keqing and Han Fulai working together on the construction site and were just waiting to print them.

However, a minor mishap occurred to their new publication, which was scheduled for printing at the end of the month. The release date was slightly delayed, and printing would not begin until tomorrow morning. This gave them time to print an extra edition.

Boyi asked Shiyun to write an in-depth report on the flood diversion in Mingyun Town overnight. For this, he even borrowed the latest phonograph machine from Fontainebleau, which is said to have a "beauty filter" effect.

Around them, journalists were already wielding their pens like lightning, crafting all sorts of eye-catching news headlines and content.

For example, headlines such as "Seven Stars Divert Flood to Mingyun Town," "Observations on the Flood Control Embankment," and "Big Explosion! Big News Breaks Out in Mingyun Town" have been prepared from different angles and with different titles. We are just waiting for a loud bang to be heard before sending the news back to the newspaper.

Pre-writing news is a fundamental skill for journalists, as one of the greatest values ​​of news is its timeliness. In order to publish news as soon as possible, journalists often prepare the news in advance using a template, only needing to add some key data, such as time and people, and attach photos from that time before sending it back.

As a young person aspiring to be a journalist, Shiyun was naturally skilled at writing news articles. If her contract with Boyi hadn't ended, she would have already tried applying for a job at Fontainebleau's Steambird Newspaper—Charlotte, the newspaper's famous investigative reporter, was her idol.

But because of this, she couldn't bring herself to write about the news.

Boyi wanted her to write a headline like "Qianyan Army Breaches Dike," which was clearly the kind of sensationalist article that didn't reflect the facts, just to grab more attention. Shiyun despised this kind of thing. Besides timeliness, news should also focus on authenticity. Although Shiyun could write some tabloid news for Mora, she didn't want serious reports like flood diversion to be tainted by commercialism.

Despite Boyi's constant urging, Shiyun simply refused to move her hands.

While she was struggling with this dilemma, several reporters had already run to the other side of the river and surrounded the squadron leader, Yanbo.

These reporters were no ordinary reporters; they were either the nephews of the chairman or the daughters of the president, and were even "famous reporters" from the largest newspapers in Liyue, making them figures with connections to the highest levels.

They can enter places that other reporters can't, without any hesitation.

In order to keep these reporters out of the restricted area, Yanbo went to great lengths and had no choice but to stand up and give an interview.

A reporter from the Liyue Daily was taking notes in his notebook when he asked Yanbo, "Captain Yanbo, I have another question for you. I heard that you are from Mingyun Town, yet you took on the task of detonating the dam without hesitation. As a hero who took on the flood diversion mission, you have shouldered such a heavy responsibility. Is there anything you would like to say to your fellow villagers?"

The notebook in her hand was titled "The Hero Has Reached His Time to Make His Contribution."

Yanbo gave a wry smile, scratched his head, and said, "Whether or not to divert the flood is not a problem. The flood diversion area was originally designed to 'sacrifice the small to save the big.' After the flood diversion, the Qixing government will also take full responsibility for the relocation and resettlement work... But after all, it is a major event, and I believe that no one wants to give up Mingyun Town until the very last moment."