Sitting at the counter, Ling Ping'an was still savoring the taste of the roasted mushrooms.
"It's really delicious …" he said, "but it's a little little …"
Meow!
The kitten at the counter agreed with its master.
He casually turned on the TV, which was broadcasting a debate program.
This kind of debate program usually had a strong sense of righteousness in the Federal Empire.
Academics and governance had been intertwined since ancient times!
However, the current academic debate was very peaceful.
Both of them were modest gentlemen. They knew when to stop. If they surrendered, they would lose half of the battle.
Therefore, it wasn't as tragic as it was a few hundred years ago. At that time, if one lost academically, even their physical body could be destroyed!
The various party struggles of the previous dynasty had caused the country to be in a foul state.
Therefore, after the founding of the country, Taizu hated it deeply!
In the hundred years that followed, the construction of the entire country also revolved around 'eliminating the factional strife'.
To this day, the electoral game of the Datong Party and the Gonghe Party was a little similar to that of the ministers of two thousand years ago.
A gentleman does not belong to the crowd, so he does not belong to the party.
The two factions were loosely based on academic ideology.
In fact, there were often people who would jump in the opposite direction.
Today's Datong Party, tomorrow's Gonghe Party, and the day after tomorrow, they might feel that 'the idea of Datong is more in line with my heart'.
And in the Federal Empire, this was a common occurrence. No one would think that it was wrong.
Not to mention someone who deceived his master and destroyed his ancestors.
On the contrary, this was considered to be following the Dao.
Hmm …
Since ancient times, scholar-officials had always followed the Dao and not the ruler.
If I think it's wrong, I object!
Apart from that, there was the so-called 'a gentleman has nothing to fight for, so he must shoot'.
In other words, it was a debate.
Whether it was a mule or a horse, he pulled it out for a walk.
What they had to do was to use this method to persuade the people to choose the blueprint they had drawn, and then hand it over to professional officials, which was the cabinet system, to implement.
Lastly, 'a gentleman is harmonious, but different'.
It didn't matter if they lost. As long as they didn't lose too much, they would at least get something.
Because according to the constitution, any party must obtain more than 70% of the electoral votes in order to be qualified to be in power!
In other words, he had to recommend all the cabinet ministers and formulate all the policy routes.
But …
In fact, even if the self-proclaimed gentlemen won more than 70% of the electoral votes, the Grand Scholars would not be able to win.
They would also be gracious enough to invite the losers to 'plan for the country together'.
Of course, during the election period, the smell of gunpowder was still very strong.
Just like now, the guest in the studio.
The Datong Party and the Gonghe Party were engaged in close combat.
For the sake of the 'Great Dao' that they held fast to in their hearts, saliva flew everywhere, pointing at the mulberry and scolding the locust, and exposing each other's shortcomings.
This kind of exposure was mainly about the mistakes and scandals that the other party had committed in history.
For example, the Gonghe Party had always accused the Datong Party of indulging in the control of financial capital last time they were in power, causing the financial tsunami and stock market crash.
The Datong Party, on the other hand, mainly seized the Gonghe Party's ruling this time and designed some policies that caused the economy to decline during the tenure of this cabinet.
Ling Ping'an looked at it for a while and felt sleepy.
"What's all this …" he complained, "Stop talking about these things …"
"Actually, I prefer to watch you guys fight and expose each other …"
"We'd better tear apart the image of a gentleman on those scholars!"
Young people always liked things that were a bit more entertaining.
Of course, Ling Ping'an also knew that his idea was completely unrealistic.
How could serious national affairs be turned into entertainment?
When it came to national affairs, they had to be serious and prudent!
That was why Taizu, Taizong, and Gaozong had formulated those laws and policies during the period of political education. They had even swung the butcher's knife and chopped off countless heads to pave the way.
He leaned back in his chair and looked at the time. It was almost ten o'clock.
"Hmm …" he picked up his phone and glanced at the message that his aunt had just sent, "Have you arrived at the hotel in Nanzhou?"
He looked at the location of the photo: Nanzhou Kingdom. Jiangdu Port. Jiangdu Manor Hotel.
"Tsk tsk tsk..." he sighed, "Another five-star hotel..."
"The treatment is really good!"
With a beep, another message came from his phone: Little Ping'an, will you go to the Imperial Capital Fellowship Party next month?
Ling Ping'an looked at it strangely: Aunt, how did you know about this?
Hehehe...
Mountain people have their own ways!
Ling Ping'an looked at it and shook his head. He naturally knew that it was probably his aunt's colleagues or friends who had received the news.
So he typed and replied: Hmm... I'm going...
… …
Yeah!
Chu Weiwei had just finished bathing when she suddenly heard the captain's cheers in the living room.
She put on her bathrobe and walked out. She saw the captain holding his phone on the sofa, extremely happy.
"Captain, what's the good news?" Chu Weiwei asked.
"My little nephew... is finally willing to go to the Imperial Capital to participate in the Fellowship Party!" Li An'an clenched her fists and said happily.
She didn't believe that her little nephew would be able to control himself in front of all the beauties in the world when he reached the Imperial Capital.
If that was the case.
Then she would have to doubt her nephew's sexual orientation.
Chu Weiwei listened and didn't quite understand.
But since the captain was happy, it was a good thing!
… …
Zhang Hui looked at the time. It was already ten o'clock.
He walked out of the car that he had been in for almost two hours and closed the door.
Then, he took out the flashlight that he hadn't used for a long time and thought that he might never use it again.
He tried it. The light of the flashlight was still very bright.
So, he took it and walked forward.
He crossed the road and went around a secluded alley.
In front of him was the industrial park.
He walked along the deserted industrial park wall and soon arrived at an intersection.
He turned his head and saw that the secluded alley was quiet. Only the streetlights were flashing.
Zhang Hui took a light breath.
Then, he took the flashlight, turned on the power, and shone it forward.
The strong light shone into the fog.
Unbeknownst to him, everything around him had already changed.
He was surrounded by the fog.
However, Zhang Hui had already been here once, so he wasn't surprised.
He took the flashlight and walked forward.
In the depths of the fog in the distance, there was a flickering light.
As he walked, Zhang Hui thought.
"This time..."
"My mission is to find out his opinion on the construction of the nearby residential area..."
If he objected...
Naturally, everything would not be mentioned.
If he acquiesced...
Zhang Hui began to plan in his heart.
There was a lot of land that could be developed here.
It was entirely possible for the cabinet to come forward and buy all of it. Then, it would be built into a dormitory for the children of meritorious people, key scientific research institutions, and potential new stars.
Based on the country's situation, this area would be developed, built, and distributed.
That was Zhang Hui's idea.
In his opinion, rich private capital or transcendent being did not have the right to distribute these benefits.
Because they did not bear any obligations or responsibilities at all.
All the risks were borne by the Blackguard.
He couldn't say that the Blackguard was bearing all the risks, but they were the ones taking the benefits, right?
That didn't make sense!
Of course...
Zhang Hui understood that his plan had to be approved and accepted by the owner of the bookstore.
If he didn't nod, he couldn't do anything.
Because...
Everything here and around here was brought by him.
In a sense, the Blackguard had already been designated as a place similar to a diplomatic consulate in the vicinity.
That was a form of respect for the other party.
It was also a form of respect for himself.
As he thought of this, Zhang Hui slowly walked to the entrance of the mysterious bookstore.
Raising his head, Zhang Hui could vaguely feel that there seemed to be a water-like liquid slowly flowing on the outer walls of this ordinary-looking building.
In his soul, there was an inexplicable voice saying to him, "That is one of the incarnations of the nameless fog..."
"The nameless fog?" Zhang Hui remembered this honorific title. "An unknown ancient god?"
He had been cultivating the Book of Reason for a while.
Because of that, he also understood who wrote this book?
Yith!
An ancient transcendent being race.
A race known as' Absolute Rationality '.
This race was famous for their powerful mental strength.
They could ignore most mental attacks.
They could even reverse time and space and wander through one epoch after another in the form of a spiritual body.
In this way, they could avoid the crisis of extinction and continue their civilization.
Unfortunately...
In the end, they still met an unavoidable hunter.
An interstellar transcendent being called the flying polypus hydroid destroyed them.
The last Yith was even made into a specimen and became the owner of the bookstore's collection.
It was precisely because of this that, in a sense, Zhang Hui, who had obtained the Book of Reason, could be considered a descendant of the Yith.
The Yith's worldview was very strange.
Genes, bloodline, soul...
None of them were things that they approved of.
Because to the Yith, these things were probably the same as the flesh and skin that Buddha had mentioned. They could be abandoned at any time.
Only the form of their own self and spiritual will were things that they approved of.
Therefore, in a sense, Zhang Hui was treated as one of their own by the Yith, who had been made into a specimen and was actually dead.
Sometimes, the dead spiritual will would tell Zhang Hui some secrets.
Just like now.
Unfortunately...
It didn't dare or couldn't reveal more information.
Zhang Hui walked to the door and knocked lightly.
Knock, knock, knock...
Soon, the owner of the bookstore's business came from inside the door. "Please come in!"
Zhang Hui gently pushed the door open and stepped into the bookstore.
As soon as he entered, he saw the mysterious owner of the bookstore. Just like last time, he was sitting in the old wooden counter, as if he was looking at the computer screen in front of him.
He raised his head, and the fire under his eyes flickered.
The head that was shrouded in fog was hazy.
Zhang Hui's psionic sense was keenly aware that he seemed to be a little more 'complete' than the last time they met..
"Complete?" Zhang Hui thought of this sudden thought.
He had already understood something in his heart.
"This ancient God is living in seclusion here... not just to play in the human world?"
"He might also be looking for something of himself..."
Thinking of this, many of the questions in Zhang Hui's heart were immediately solved.
"That's more like it!"
"How could such an existence casually stay in the mortal world for a long time?"
In myths and legends, there was an era when humans and gods coexisted.
But whether it was the East or the West, they all mentioned a common concept: the gods would eventually leave the mortal world.
Because staying here for too long was not good for them.
Thinking of these things, he heard the words of the owner of the bookstore, "Customer, you are?"
Ling Ping'an looked at the customer in front of him who seemed a little familiar. He scratched his head and asked, "Are you a staff member of the Federation?"
Today, Zhang Hui was wearing a very standard set of federal civil servants' attire.
Zhang Hui looked at the ancient God and the fire in his eyes.
Suddenly, he had an idea and nodded. "Yes, I'm an employee of the federation!"
As he said that, he took out his wallet from his pocket.
There were many business cards in the wallet, all of which were designed to make it easier to deal with ordinary people.
Looking at these business cards, Zhang Hui's sixth sense made him pull out a black business card from them.
Then, he took it and handed it over, "Sir... I'm from the Social Investigation Department of the Federal Empire's cabinet..."
"I'm under orders to conduct a social investigation..."
The Social Investigation Committee of the Federal Empire's cabinet was an organization shared by the Gonghe Party and the Datong Party.
It was also an organization responsible for providing social data from various places to the cabinet, the central government, and the Council of Ministers.
It could be considered a variant of the think tank.
Many policies were decided based on the investigation information of this department.
Zhang Hui looked at the ancient God holding his business card, and the fire in his eyes slowly turned.
He immediately smiled and said, "I'm under orders to inquire about the area near you..."
At this point, Zhang Hui's heart couldn't help but pound.
He was a little scared.
But fortunately, Zhang Hui knew that the ancient God knew that everyone was playing a game.
A game rule that the ancient God had set up himself.
The proud ancient God wanted to dress up as an ordinary bookstore owner.
Therefore, everyone cooperated with him and continued playing this game.
Even if, in fact, everyone knew about it.
But if they didn't want to die, they had to obediently follow his rules of the game.
Playing this game with him called 'guess what I want to do'.
Of course, the kind-hearted him would give the poor humans some kind hints through words or some actions.
But in general, the framework of the rules had already been determined.
This was a little like the fairy tale from the Land of Qin, the Emperor's New Clothes.
To a certain extent, Zhang Hui knew that this was also a test.
To test whether he, the Blackguard, and the others had enough respect and loyalty for him.
As expected!
The ancient God opposite him handed back the business card in his hand and said, "So it's Investigator Zhang..."
"Please sit!" He invited Zhang Hui to the sofa and sat down.
Then, he sat opposite him.
Then, he asked, "Mr. Zhang, have I seen you before?"
Zhang Hui was stunned.
He knew that this might be a test.
It might also contain some kind of instruction.
He immediately began to use all his wisdom and think with all his might.
Because, if he didn't answer this question well, he would be angry.
At the very least, he would 'dislike' himself.
In ancient times, this would be 'falling out of favor'.
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