Shen Feng's rage had subsided, no longer at its previous uncontrollable state. Upon reading the sincere analysis in his heart, Shen Feng began to hesitate. Had he made a mistake by choosing to fall out with headquarters?
After much thought, Shen Feng could not find an answer and felt a pang of indecision. The main reason was that at this moment, there was no one to advise him. Previously, Professor Chu Yangtian could offer his opinions for Shen Feng to consider. Now, with every step, Shen Feng had to make his own decisions, leading to many doubts.
Looking at the letter in his hand, Shen Feng felt something was amiss, yet the content of the letter repeatedly claimed to be for his own good, appearing to genuinely care for him.
Shen Feng couldn't figure it out. It was Chu Chaoyan who noticed Shen Feng's hesitation. As Shen Feng's wife, she knew what he was thinking from their constant companionship. She then suggested, "If you're unsure, why not go find the strategists you brought back?"
Shen Feng suddenly remembered that he had brought back a "half-immortal" from Wanzhou. This person could read fortunes and palms with high accuracy and could offer advice at any time. It was time for the half-immortal to appear. Additionally, Shen Feng had another advisor, a novelist, whom he would consult as a last resort.
"I'm going to the City Lord's mansion now. Xixi, you take the train back and find a place to rest. Construction is underway ahead, so find a room in the castle to rest. In a few days, I'll still need your help," Shen Feng quickly said to Zhang Xixi.
Upon hearing Shen Feng's concerned words, Zhang Xixi couldn't help but reply, "It's alright, I'm not tired."
This was Zhang Xixi's way of surviving by living under someone else's roof. Since she was living in someone else's place, the best way to avoid being disliked was to show her value. As long as she had value, she wouldn't be easily driven away.
Little did she know, Zhang Xixi had performed too well, becoming the perfect candidate for interrogations in prison. Her competence was recognized by everyone, which led Chang Jianyi to take notice and plan for her to marry his brother, deeming it a suitable match.
Shen Feng insisted, "You should rest for a day first. A large group of people in the prison have been detained for several days, and there's no problem if they remain detained. Listen to me!"
This was practically an order for Zhang Xixi to rest in the Fengshen Palace. She had no choice but to obey such a command.
Afterward, Shen Feng rushed to the City Lord's mansion and found his two advisors in their offices. Dan Zhengming was enjoying tea, still drinking buckwheat tea, which was fragrant and rich, and not harsh on the stomach. Feng Shicheng, on the other hand, was idle, holding a book and reading. His serious expression made one think he was reading a profound work, but upon seeing the title, it turned out to be "Jin Ping Mei."
"Old Feng, you really haven't changed! You're already my advisor, yet you're still reading erotic books all day. You have no decorum!" Shen Feng exclaimed upon seeing the book Feng Shicheng was reading, feeling a sense of disappointment.
Feng Shicheng had been caught selling erotic books back then. Although such people wouldn't be executed, they couldn't escape hard labor. Following the normal procedure, Feng Shicheng would have been sent outside the city to cultivate land. He would have had his meals guaranteed but no salary, barely managing to survive.
However, it was in this situation that Feng Shicheng gained Shen Feng's appreciation. As Chu Yangtian often posed questions to Shen Feng, requiring him to find answers, Shen Feng sometimes lacked the necessary knowledge. By chance, Feng Shicheng began to help Shen Feng answer questions. Although he was just a novelist, he was quick-witted and could handle Professor Chu's inquiries.
Ultimately, Feng Shicheng becoming Shen Feng's advisor could only be attributed to fate.
However, Feng Shicheng's background was always considered inferior. Many in the City Lord's mansion viewed him as someone who wrote erotic novels. The fact that such a person could become the City Lord's advisor was seen as a reward for eighty years of good deeds in his past life, unlike those who entered the City Lord's mansion through formal examinations.
Therefore, Shen Feng now felt that Feng Shicheng was not making progress. Despite his reputation being criticized, he did not strive to change his image but continued to act as he pleased, which was truly uninspiring.
However, in response to Shen Feng's displeasure, Feng Shicheng earnestly explained, "City Lord, you mustn't underestimate Jin Ping Mei. It contains principles of life and was considered one of the six great talented books in ancient times. It is truly a good book."
Shen Feng had heard of Jin Ping Mei before, but he only knew it was filled with vulgar language, and some of its suggestive descriptions were widely discussed. Furthermore, the author, Lanling Xiaoxiao Sheng, dared not reveal his true name, which indicated a guilty conscience, afraid to publicize his deeds.
Hearing Feng Shicheng's defense now, Shen Feng became even less convinced.
Fortunately, Dan Zhengming walked in at this moment and said with a smile, "Jin Ping Mei, indeed, is a well-written book. Few people have truly read it; most only skim the surface and fail to grasp its deeper meaning, especially its depiction of tragedy, which is incredibly sorrowful. One can truly gain insights after reading it."
Hearing the half-immortal say this, Shen Feng also felt that Jin Ping Mei might be a good book. He had likely wronged Feng Shicheng. After all, an eighty-year-old half-immortal praised this book, so there must be a reason behind it.
However, when Shen Feng asked to see the book in Feng Shicheng's hand, he discovered it described Pan Jinlian causing a commotion at the grape trellis, featuring inappropriate descriptions. This time, Shen Feng no longer believed Feng Shicheng's rambling.
"Is this the book you said contains life philosophies?" Shen Feng questioned.
"Uh, the life philosophies are a bit further ahead. Aren't I savoring it carefully?" Feng Shicheng replied awkwardly.
Shen Feng casually tossed the book onto the table and said, "I don't care what book you read, as long as you can give me advice. Now, I have an opportunity, a great chance to mend relations with headquarters, but something about this matter feels off, and I need your advice. Tell me your thoughts!"
With that, Shen Feng took out the letter. It clearly stated that Rongcheng could mediate and resolve the conflict between Yuzhou and the Yanjing headquarters.
Shen Feng felt that this matter was difficult to assess. It seemed everything was for his consideration, yet he felt something was wrong regardless. That's why he came to find the two of them to discuss whether he could trust the contents of this letter.
Feng Shicheng and Dan Zhengming immediately began to discuss the letter, their faces showing grave expressions.
After reading it, Feng Shicheng cautiously said, "City Lord, I think the content of this letter is too fabricated and cannot be casually believed. Of course, this is just my personal opinion. Think about it, since headquarters handled the management personnel they sent from the Tianlong Bureau, why didn't they inform us? Wouldn't that make us understand headquarters' helplessness better?"
Shen Feng stroked his chin and asked, "Are you saying this might be fake? That headquarters didn't deal with these masterminds?"
Feng Shicheng shook his head and said, "It's hard to say. Perhaps it was just an internal handling? Meaning, they were sent to a place for a few years of recuperation, and after some time, they would be reassigned to continue their duties. In short, if no one is killed, these punishments are all false."
Shen Feng deeply agreed with Feng Shicheng's analysis. Indeed, the fairest thing in the world was life. You have one life, and I have one life. As long as the perpetrators are not killed, such punitive measures are false.
Feng Shicheng finally gave his advice: "I think we shouldn't reconcile, at least not now!"
Shen Feng looked at the half-immortal beside him and asked, "What is your opinion?"
Dan Zhengming looked at the letter for a long time and then asked in return, "City Lord, I'd like to ask you, if the reconciliation fails, what would be the consequences?"
Shen Feng pondered Dan Zhengming's question and suddenly broke out in a cold sweat, saying, "I see. This is a trap. If I choose to reconcile, it would be equivalent to admitting fault indirectly, and then the initiative would fall into headquarters' hands!"
"That's right. I, Dan Zhengming, don't understand power struggles, but I understand human nature! And what can kill is not just a knife, but also the power of speech!" Dan Zhengming said, stroking his beard. "Once you choose to ease relations, it's equivalent to showing weakness. In other words, you're not in the right. If you're not wrong, why ease relations? At that time, Yanjing will smear Yuzhou. Will the people below believe headquarters or Yuzhou?"
Shen Feng finally saw what was wrong. It was a deeply hidden trap. Fortunately, the half-immortal's rich experience allowed him to see it; otherwise, he would have fallen for it.
One could imagine that once Shen Feng chose to ease relations with headquarters, headquarters would immediately disclose this and say, "See, we said Shen Feng killed our people? He framed us and killed our people to seize the mutant serums. His actions are heinous and infuriate both gods and men!"
"Good job, Xie Bateng, you fat old man. You look harmless, but you've set a trap for me. You truly are a smiling tiger!" Shen Feng gritted his teeth.
The former Shen Feng thought Xie Bateng was a good person who taught him many principles and was willing to take care of him. When he left Rongcheng, Xie Bateng had taken many medicines and weapons with him, clearly showing he cared for Shen Feng. But now, it seemed that truly insidious people wouldn't reveal themselves.
Dan Zhengming slowly said, "City Lord, Yuzhou is not strong enough! It is much weaker than headquarters. However, why hasn't headquarters made any moves? In my opinion, headquarters is in the wrong, and the world is watching. They dispatched the Tianlong Bureau to seize territory, and after failing, they accused Yuzhou of attacking esper users. Although Yuzhou's news has spread, both sides have their own versions of the story, and ordinary people don't know who is telling the truth."
Shen Feng listened to the half-immortal's analysis and pondered the current situation.
"Therefore, compromising now is showing weakness and losing the power of speech. The possibility of mending relations in the end is also unknown. If relations can be mended, then you can continue to trade for supplies from the outside world. If not, City Lord, your reputation will be shaken!" Dan Zhengming stated.
Shen Feng nodded. After the half-immortal's analysis, he finally understood the underlying problem with the goal of "reconciliation." If he were truly tricked, his side would face questioning.
With others taking the lead, Feng Shicheng continued, "City Lord, don't forget that the guys from the Tianlong Bureau killed over four thousand of our people. It's only been a few days since we fell out, and we're about to reconcile. It's unacceptable to the people below, don't you think?"
With Feng Shicheng's supplement, Shen Feng could only say solemnly, "That's right. I forgot to consider the feelings of the families of those who died. In this light, reconciling with headquarters is absolutely out of the question!"
Shen Feng had previously overlooked the more than four thousand people killed in Yuzhou. These people were, first and foremost, Shen Feng's loyal supporters. After their deaths, he could not simply ignore them; he first needed to get an explanation. Currently, headquarters did not admit to the Tianlong Bureau's indiscriminate killing, and reconciling in such a situation would surely hurt their feelings.
"It's not that reconciliation is impossible, but it cannot be initiated by us. Headquarters' attitude needs to soften. You can consider this clearly, City Lord," Dan Zhengming said slowly.