Chapter 547: Gao Yuan Knows Men
He Zhenghao shot a quick glance at Gao Yuan, then immediately began professing his loyalty to Li Fan.
Li Fan offered no comment. He simply retrieved two small metal figurines from his storage ring and handed one to each of them. They bore a passing resemblance to him.
"These are Consciousness Jade Slips," he said calmly. "They contain a strand of my consciousness, akin to half an avatar. During my seclusion, I will sever all contact with the external world. If you encounter any true emergencies, you can use these to reach me."
Gao Yuan and He Zhenghao accepted the metal figurines with care, a mixture of honor and trepidation rising in them both.
They knew what Consciousness Jade Slips were. Typically, a cultivator would only bestow such an item upon a junior they held in the deepest trust, using it as a tool for close, personal guidance. For the Secretary-Envoy to entrust them with something so significant was a clear declaration of absolute faith.
Their hearts stirred, and they bowed in gratitude once more.
"You may go," Li Fan said with an impassive nod, dismissing them.
***
In the Council Hall of the Administration Hall, He Zhenghao was compiling a list of cultivators.
Ever since Li Fan had abruptly announced the temporary suspension of his contribution point fundraising plan, many cultivators who had hesitated and waited had been filled with regret. Several rounds of Li Fan's funding initiative had already been completed, and each time the contribution points had been repaid on schedule, principal and interest intact, sometimes even ahead of time. The widespread fear that Li Fan would abscond with the funds had never materialized.
And so, the cultivators who had initially chosen to watch from the sidelines began to trust him. They waited eagerly, hoping to be included in the next round.
Who could have known Li Fan would simply stop?
"It seems we measured the heart of a gentleman with our own petty standards," they had lamented.[1] "Master Li is Master Li, after all."
When word later reached them that Li Fan had been appointed Acting Island Master of Myriad Immortals Island, their remaining doubts dissolved entirely.
They knew He Zhenghao was the one managing Li Fan's fundraising efforts. So these cultivators found all sorts of ways to meet with him, offering small tokens of appreciation and urging him to give them priority consideration should the plan ever resume.
If onlookers felt this way, those who had already benefited from the earlier rounds felt it even more keenly. They had long since made their intentions known to He Zhenghao.
Heh, with so many people, I was worried there wouldn't be enough to go around. He Zhenghao mused contentedly to himself as he wrote name after name, preparing to send out a batch of messages. Now, with a hundred million contribution points, everyone gets a share.
"Fellow Daoist, remember that matter you mentioned before? There are new developments! I have confirmed news..."
In stark contrast to He Zhenghao's visible excitement, Gao Yuan wore a puzzled expression. He tapped the table lightly with one finger, eyes narrowed, his attention fixed inward.
After a long while, once He Zhenghao had finished his flurry of work and stretched to ease the fatigue from his body, he finally noticed Gao Yuan's unusual demeanor.
"Brother Gao, what's the matter?" he asked, surprised.
"I'm pondering the deeper meaning behind the two tasks the Secretary-Envoy has given us," Gao Yuan said, his expression grave.
"Deeper meaning? It was explained quite clearly, this..." He Zhenghao began with a laugh, ready to dismiss it as overthinking. Then he paused.
He glanced around, leaned in, and lowered his voice. "What insight do you have, Fellow Daoist?"
Gao Yuan spoke in a measured tone. "The Secretary-Envoy has always planned before acting. Nothing he does is without a purpose. But these two tasks he entrusted to us... they feel off."
"Off? How so?"
"Fellow Daoist, do you think one hundred million contribution points is a lot?" Gao Yuan asked, answering the question with a question.
"A lot? Of course it's a lot," He Zhenghao replied, finding the question almost baffling in its obviousness.
Gao Yuan gave a quiet laugh. "One hundred million contribution points. I, too, think it is a sum one could hardly accumulate in a lifetime. But, Fellow Daoist He, try to recall: when the Secretary-Envoy said the number, was there any shift in his tone? Any change in his expression?"
He Zhenghao went still.
He furrowed his brow, thought for a moment, then shook his head.
Gao Yuan's tone grew unhurried. "Exactly. He said it as casually as if he were commenting on the weather. No particular weight, no particular emphasis. And yet he repeatedly stressed that he would be entering deep seclusion and cutting off all contact with the outside world. Does a mere hundred million contribution points truly warrant such solemnity from the Secretary-Envoy?"
He Zhenghao was about to object, but he stopped himself. He recalled Li Fan's evident disdain for wealth in their previous dealings, and his certainty began to waver.
After a moment's reflection, he nodded slowly. "There is something odd about it. When I first met the Secretary-Envoy, he demonstrated to me his terrifying ability to accumulate wealth. Doubling contribution points in less than seven days... with a gift like that, one hundred million is probably nothing more than a slightly larger number to him."
Gao Yuan nodded firmly. "Precisely. Even when he was a solitary rogue cultivator, he likely wouldn't have placed much importance on one hundred million contribution points. Let alone now, when he is, in practice, the ruling authority over the Congyun Sea region. I have never heard of a provincial leader entering deep seclusion solely for the sake of a hundred million contribution points. His claim that the matter requires meticulous preparation is nothing but a pretext."
A sharp glint crossed Gao Yuan's eyes as he said it.
He Zhenghao considered this, then nodded in slow agreement. "But what does the Secretary-Envoy truly intend? Congyun City has just been rebuilt; everything is still being restored. Why choose this exact moment to enter seclusion?"
Gao Yuan looked quietly confident. "In my view, this is a test."
"A test?" He Zhenghao stared at him.
"Correct," Gao Yuan said with certainty. "Fellow Daoist, you know I have always been skilled at reading people. I can grasp the general outline of a person’s character and temperament after interacting with them for a while. The Secretary-Envoy... I would not dare claim to understand his thoughts clearly, but one thing is beyond doubt."
Gao Yuan lowered his voice. "He is inherently free-spirited. He would never willingly be bound by the trivialities of administrative duties."
1. 以小人之心、度君子之腹: classic idiom meaning that someone is projecting their own petty, selfish, or dishonest nature onto someone else who is actually honorable and upright. They assume others think and act the way they themselves would. ☜