143: Chapter 144: Lord's Technique: Heaven and Earth as One

Tie Shan shook his head. Minister Wang Fugui waved his hand: "I don't have any either." Lei Lie also said: "Neither do I." The Little White Tiger nodded heavily on the chair again, this time seriously.

Shang Youjun sat there, his hollow eyes slightly reddening. He hadn't expected it to be like this. It wasn't that he hadn't expected to be accepted—he knew better than anyone what kind of place Flower City was. What he hadn't expected was this kind of trust. A blind man. A person who had hidden his abilities for over a decade. A person who had only spoken for the first time last night. This morning, he was sitting in the Council Hall, being told he was to become a minister.

Zhou Yun looked at him and smiled. "Then it's settled." His voice wasn't loud, but every word landed firmly. "Appointing Shang Youjun as the minister of the Flower City Supervision Department."

The moment his voice fell, that familiar sound rang in Zhou Yun's mind. [Ding! You have successfully bestowed the position of Supervision Department Minister, triggering a 100,000,000x critical hit reward, obtaining a qualitative change reward, City Lord Skill: One Mind of Heaven and Earth!] [One Mind of Heaven and Earth: Perceive everything within the territory range × 10 area. (Cooldown: 168 hours)]

...

By the time the Council Hall dispersed, the sun had already risen high. The group walked out in twos and threes; Tie Shan was discussing the location selection for the satellite city with Strategist Zhu Ge, and Minister Wang Fugui had somehow sidled up next to Wan'er, whispering to ask about the Mercenary Guild's material budget. Wan'er didn't even lift her head, throwing out a "We'll talk about it later," which blocked Minister Wang Fugui, but the excitement on his face couldn't be hidden at all. Lei Lie walked at the very back, his steps faster than usual, as if he were in a hurry to do something.

Shang Youjun didn't move. He was still sitting in his original position, his hands resting on his knees, his fingers trembling slightly. After the hall quieted down, that sense of emptiness made him even more uneasy. He heard his own heartbeat, fast and chaotic, as if being chased by something. Supervision Department Minister. When these four words were dropped on him, he thought he had misheard. Later, when Tie Shan and Strategist Zhu Ge nodded, and Lei Lie and Minister Wang Fugui didn't object, he slowly realized—he hadn't misheard; it was real.

Remember our 101 Reading Website. But he was just a blind man. A person who had never done anything. Yesterday he was still hesitating in the treehouse about whether to speak, and today he was sitting here, being told he was to become a minister.

"Still haven't left?" Minister Lei's voice came from the doorway. Shang Youjun jolted and stood up in a hurry; his movement was too rushed, and the chair slid backward, making a harsh sound. "Minister... Minister Lei." Lei Lie leaned against the doorframe, eyeing him up and down. "What are you nervous about?" Shang Youjun's lips moved, but no words came out. Lei Lie walked over and slapped him on the shoulder, the force neither light nor heavy, but Shang Youjun was still swayed by the pat.

"Don't overthink it." Lei Lie's tone was similar to how he usually trained soldiers. "When I took over the Military Department, my head was also a mess, and I had no idea what I was supposed to do. Guess how I felt back then?" Shang Youjun shook his head. "Panicked, of course!" Lei Lie said righteously, not feeling ashamed at all. "But panicking is useless. Trust in City Lord's judgment and work hard not to live up to City Lord's trust; that's enough!" He patted Shang Youjun's shoulder again, this time with a bit more force. "Alright, don't think too much. Let's go." After saying that, he turned and left, his steps still fast.

Shang Youjun stood where he was, the spot on his shoulder where he had been patted still feeling a little warm. Before he could digest these words, another voice emerged from the side.

"Yo, still standing here?" Minister Wang Fugui had circled back at some point, holding a cup of tea in his hand, leaning against a pillar with a smile. "Youjun, do you know what City Lord's appointment of you as minister means??" Shang Youjun was taken aback, then immediately replied: "To be in charge of penal laws and distinguish right from wrong?"

"Heh!" Minister Wang Fugui sipped his tea and smiled. "Right, but also not quite." Seeing that Shang Youjun didn't understand, he suddenly lowered his voice. "Your eyes can certainly perceive the human heart, but is that why you must be the minister of this Supervision Department? Heh heh, don't let down City Lord's painstaking efforts!" Shang Youjun fell silent. Minister Wang Fugui didn't rush him, just strolled away with his teacup. After walking a few steps, he turned back to add: "By the way, tomorrow when the notice is posted, you will be a person of status in Flower City. Clean up your clothes; don't look too shabby."

...

Wan'er did not leave immediately. She waited for a while under the corridor outside the Council Hall. When Shang Youjun walked out slowly with his head down, he hesitated for a moment as he passed her, as if he had sensed something, but he did not stop. Wan'er watched his back disappear at the end of the alley before turning and walking towards the City Lord's Mansion.

Zhou Yun was in the courtyard, holding a watering can to water the flowers. Nuan Nuan was squatting nearby, fiddling with a flowerpot. Seeing Wan'er arrive, she stood up and dusted off her hands. "City Lord." Wan'er bowed. "Hm?" "Regarding Minister Shang, I would like to ask for instructions." Zhou Yun did not stop watering: "Speak."

"The Supervision Department is newly established; there are no precedents, no regulations, and not even a place to work yet." Wan'er's tone was calm. "Minister Shang has ability, but he lacks experience. If he has to figure it all out from scratch by himself, I fear he will take many unnecessary detours." She paused. "I would like to help him build the framework." Zhou Yun looked up at her.

Wan'er continued: "What the Supervision Department should manage, what it shouldn't, how to receive reports, how to verify them, how to pass judgments—all these require a set of rules. Minister Shang's strength lies in those eyes, not in paperwork and systems. I can help him sort these things out." Zhou Yun put down the watering can and smiled at Wan'er. "How do you plan to help?"

"First, I will pull two people from the Chief Administrator's office to help him get the daily paperwork and processes running. I will draft the institutional framework, and once drafted, I will show it to Minister Shang. If he thinks it's suitable, we will use it; if not, we will change it." Wan'er's tone was natural, as if she had already thought it through. "Once he is familiar with it, these people will be withdrawn." Zhou Yun nodded: "Thank you for your hard work." Wan'er bowed slightly: "It is my duty. Since City Lord has placed him in that position, I naturally must ensure he can stand firm."

...

The next morning, the notices were posted. Two of them. One was the Mercenary Guild's regulations—task types, enrollment conditions, reward systems, material distribution—written extensively over a large sheet. The other was a personnel appointment—Shang Youjun, appointed as minister of the Flower City Supervision Department, effective immediately. The notices were posted in the most prominent position in the city square, side by side.

General Zhang Tie stood to the side. His back was straight, his hands behind his back, his chin slightly raised. This time, he was better prepared than last time. Last night, he not only memorized his lines three times but also rehearsed seven or eight possible questions in his mind, with responses prepared for each one. He even practiced his tone against the wall in the treehouse. The crowd gathered one after another. At first, it was just a few here and there, but later there were more and more, surging into the square from all directions like a tide. Some were still chewing on their breakfast steamed buns, others had run over without even dressing properly. Once there were many people, the noise became chaotic. But everyone's gaze—almost uniformly—fell on the notice on the left. The Mercenary Guild. ...