641: Director Lü Zheng?

Li Yang entered with the crowd, his gaze quickly sweeping the entire venue.

This was a moderately sized, tiered conference hall, with rows of red seats neatly arranged, estimated to accommodate a maximum of a thousand people.

On the platform in front of the seats, each desk had a transparent electronic nameplate clearly displaying the name, affiliated Galaxy, and department. They were evidently placed completely and in perfect order.

“Comrade Li Yang, please come this way.”

A staff member from the Conference Organizing Committee walked up to him and guided him toward the center of the venue.

Following the staff member's direction, Li Yang found his seat, beside which were a small information terminal and a summary of the meeting agenda.

After Li Yang settled down, his gaze fell upon the electronic nameplate in front of him.

His fingertip lightly brushed the cool, transparent panel, and the text on it lit up with a soft blue glow.

“Chairman of the Longlan Star Cluster Li Yang.”

Seeing that the seats beside him were still empty and the attendees hadn't all arrived, Li Yang simply turned sideways and curiously examined the nameplates on both his left and right, wondering who his neighbors at this meeting would be.

The nameplate on the left was also electronic, displaying strong, vigorous characters that clearly marked the occupant.

“Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission of the Farria Supercluster Marcus.”

“A Supercluster Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission?”

Li Yang's pupils contracted slightly, and a sense of surprise instantly arose in his heart.

A Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission at the Supercluster level was definitely a Class B high official, whose authority and jurisdiction were significantly higher than his own.

To be seated next to such a powerful figure demonstrated the high caliber of this meeting, and the attendees' ranks far exceeded his expectations.

Withdrawing his gaze, he turned to look at the nameplate on the right.

At this sight, the surprise on Li Yang's face deepened, even flashing with a hint of obvious astonishment, and his brows slightly furrowed.

The text on the right-hand nameplate was clear and distinct.

“Director of the Tax Policy Department of the Ministry of Finance under the Supreme Political Council Lü Zheng.”

If he only considered the position, Li Yang wouldn't have been overly surprised.

Although officials at the Department/Bureau Level within the Supreme Political Council were at the core of power, their rank was Class C, the same as his own position as Chairman of the Star Cluster, making them roughly equal in standing.

What truly stirred his heart was the name “Lü Zheng.”

The name was like a stone tossed into a calm lake, instantly stirring up ripples in his mind.

Li Yang's fingertip paused, his gaze fixed intently on the two characters “Lü Zheng,” as his memory rapidly searched back.

If he remembered correctly, this name clearly belonged to the human Noble Youth who had given him a precious Potion at the previous auction.

“Given his Family background, securing the position of Director of the Tax Policy Department within the Supreme Political Council is indeed reasonable.”

After all, if he wasn't mistaken, this person's grandfather in the Family was the Premier of the State Council.

The Tax Policy Department manages the formulation and supervision of the Empire's inter-Galaxy tax policies, making it one of the core departments of the Ministry of Finance. To hold this position requires both exceptional ability and strong backing resources, and Lü Zheng's identity happened to possess both.

However, the Empire's territory is vast, and its officials are countless, yet those who can enter the Supreme Political Council to serve as a Director and happen to be named Lü Zheng are likely very few.

Especially considering the other party's Family background, the possibility of it being a namesake is extremely slim.

“It's highly likely to be him.”

Li Yang gradually reached a conclusion in his heart.

He hadn't expected that, after such a short time, he would be seated next to this former Noble Youth at such an important meeting.

As time passed, the crowd continued to stream in like a flowing current.

The seats in the conference hall were gradually filling up, and a five-pointed star-shaped light on the dome refracted a warm yellow glow.

Just as Li Yang was immersed in the Smart Computer's database, a slight movement came from the seat beside him, accompanied by a composed aura.

He turned his head to look, and saw that Marcus on his left had already taken his seat. His uniform accentuated his tall figure, his silver hair at the temples was meticulously combed, and the laugh lines around his eyes revealed the gentleness of someone seasoned by life.

Judging by his appearance, he was also a human, not a Mimic Organism. After all, having had more contact, Li Yang could now easily distinguish between Mimic Organisms and true humans.

“Comrade Li Yang, hello.”

Marcus's voice was deep and amicable, carrying just the right amount of enthusiasm. Before Li Yang could raise his hand in greeting, Marcus extended his hand first.

He carried an unaccountable aura, clearly the result of years spent managing affairs.

Li Yang's heart stirred slightly, and he quickly shook the hand in return, his fingertips touching the faint calluses on the other party's palm. A genuine curiosity appeared on his face.

“Secretary Ma, hello. I didn't expect you to know who I am?”

His gaze unconsciously swept over Marcus's face, his tone carrying a trace of barely noticeable astonishment.

Although he had achieved some success in the Longlan Star Cluster, he never thought a leader of this caliber would remember him.

After all, he didn't even know where the Supercluster Marcus belonged to was located, so presumably, Marcus wouldn't know much about the Longlan Star Cluster either.

“Haha, Comrade Li Yang, your name is absolutely resounding throughout our Empire.”

Marcus laughed heartily, the lines around his eyes deepening. He raised his chin, gesturing toward the nameplate in front of Li Yang.

“Besides, the name on this plate is clearly visible. It's not like I could mistake you for someone else, right?”

Li Yang followed his gaze to the nameplate, a slightly embarrassed smile curving his lips.

He hadn't expected his modest reputation to have spread this far. He didn't know how to respond for a moment, so he just nodded along with Marcus's laughter.

The two began chatting intermittently, mostly about trivial matters like Star Domain changes and planetary policies. The tone was relaxed, yet subtly revealed a polite mutual probing.

Marcus occasionally inquired about Li Yang's work situation in the Longlan Star Cluster, his words full of concern, and Li Yang responded truthfully to each query, maintaining perfect decorum.

Although Marcus was not his direct superior, he was still higher in rank, so the necessary courtesy had to be shown. Furthermore, this was also a way to expand his connections.

Perhaps one day, the higher-ups might decide, for whatever reason, to transfer him to Marcus's Star Domain. After all, anything was possible.

Just as the two were exchanging occasional words, a set of light footsteps approached from a distance.

The corner of Li Yang's eye caught sight of a familiar figure. The person's steps were steady, and they wore a simple official uniform without any superfluous decoration.

Once the person sat down in the empty seat to his right, Li Yang fixed his gaze on them, his pupils contracting slightly, and he almost subconsciously called out.

“comrade Lü Zheng?”