Ambassador Joconson was completely unaware that Garan had received asylum in Country M.
Yoconsen was quite surprised to encounter this situation today. He was well aware of the trouble this man, especially the trouble he had caused the country, particularly with this guy named Garan. If Garan were indeed being protected by the government, it would have a very negative impact on the diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Especially... even if it's true, it must be highly confidential, so how did they find out here?
Joconson inquired with the diplomatic official who had summoned him: Was the information reliable? Were you certain?
The other party answered very firmly. Yes.
Joconson was helpless. Whenever he encountered such a strongly worded and protesting proposal, he always delayed as usual. Especially since he was completely unaware of today's matter, he could only say that he was unaware and could not give a reply at the moment. He would contact his country immediately after returning to the embassy, carefully inquire about the relevant situation, and then properly handle the matter.
Practicing Tai Chi is a skill that ambassadors at any embassy and diplomatic officials from any country are most proficient in and frequently use.
To put it bluntly, this is like an unspoken rule, something everyone knows, and we just use it as an opening act. As for whether we change the persona later to play the positive or negative role, that's up to the leadership.
However, this kind of role is not easy to play; you have to have some real talent.
Yoconson was definitely a man of real talent. After returning to the embassy, he did not call home to report the matter first, but went to Nelson, the head of the FBI's office there.
However, Joconson would not tell Nelson about what happened today directly. Instead, he maintained his usual attitude and asked Nelson if he knew anything about the incident that Dao Xian Gong had caused here last time, or if he had heard any news about it.
Nelson was surprised. He said, "Of course I know about this. There isn't a single country in the world that hasn't heard about it, is there?"
“I mean, Nelson, was this something your FBI people arranged?” Joconson asked.
“How is that possible?” Nelson was even more astonished. He said, “You mean…”
Before he could finish speaking, Joconson nodded.
Nelson understood and asked, "So, do they know about this on their end?"
“Yes.” Joconson got up and walked out without saying another word.
Of course, Nelson wouldn't ask too many questions; everyone just needed to do their job. Those in their line of work understood that some things were better known, while others... were best left unexplored and left uninvestigated.
In the first place, Joconson shouldn't have gone to Nelson about something like this.
However, since they work together in the field, they still need to communicate about some more serious matters. Moreover, if this matter is related to the FBI, then discussing it with Joconson and Nelson could lead to more reasonable arrangements.
Yoconson returned to his office to report the incident to his superiors back home.
Meanwhile, Nelson Buck sat in the room, starting to think about what he should do next.
Regardless of whether they are in the same department, they are all ultimately serving the national interest. Therefore, when such an incident occurs, they naturally need to make all necessary preparations in advance, including gathering intelligence and analyzing the situation.
Just as Nelson was sitting behind his desk pondering his next task, a figure mysteriously appeared out of nowhere on the sofa against the wall to his right.
He was dressed plainly, with a slightly thin face and a calm expression; he seemed like an ordinary young man.
Nelson was taken aback and jumped to his feet, almost instinctively drawing his pistol.
However, even with the pistol pointed at the young man, he dared not pull the trigger.
The young man sitting on the sofa clearly didn't take the dark muzzle of the gun or the possibility that Nelson might accidentally pull the trigger out of nervousness seriously.
Even the most composed person would lose their composure upon encountering this young man who had left such a deep impression on Nelson.
In the past, such as when Xu Zhengyang and Weiwei entered this office last time, Nelson did not show much nervousness. Instead, he spoke and communicated with Xu Zhengyang in a very composed manner.
This time, however, he couldn't do it. Nelson was tense for a long time before he came to his senses. He smiled apologetically, put away his pistol, and then forced a smile as he sat back down in his office chair behind his desk. He said, "Mr. Xu, I wonder what brings you here to see me?"
"It's nothing serious," Xu Zhengyang said casually. "I don't like dealing with strangers, and we've known each other for a long time..."
"Please speak," Nelson said, trying to appear calm.
Xu Zhengyang leaned back on the sofa and said casually, "You should have heard of the name Jialan..."
Nelson nodded, his expression turning serious, a hint of unease creeping over him.
"I suppose you already know that."
“I’m sorry, I don’t understand what you’re talking about.” Nelson shrugged.
Xu Zhengyang didn't care about Nelson's habitual cover-ups and lies; it was his job, and Xu Zhengyang wasn't that demanding or excessive. He casually said, "You should call your superior. Right now, Garan is basically useless to your government and various departments... He blasphemed the gods, so he must be extradited back."
"Mr. Xu, are you sure Jialan is in our country?" Nelson asked somewhat nervously. He originally wanted to say that he didn't know anything about it, so he was sorry, but he couldn't say such a thing to his superiors back home. However, Nelson was still very afraid of Xu Zhengyang's identity, so after thinking it over again and again, he finally asked this pointless question.
“You’ve also gathered a lot of information about me, so you should know very well that I’m a lazy person and don’t like to go out…” Xu Zhengyang got up and walked out, saying, “About half a month. If Jialan doesn’t come back by then, I’ll personally go to your country to bring her back.”
His tone was very easygoing and calm, without a trace of authority.
However, this attitude, which leaves no room for negotiation, appears quite domineering.
Nelson watched as Xu Zhengyang seemingly passed through walls and disappeared into the distance as if he were in an empty space. After a long while, he was stunned and his large body suddenly slumped into his office chair, his back going numb.
Xu Zhengyang wasn't doing this to show off, nor was he trying to scare anyone.
If the US doesn't extradite Jialan over within half a month, Xu Zhengyang will definitely have to make time to go there in person.
The reason I didn't consider sending my subordinates there was simply because I wasn't sure if Li Haidong and his team could handle things efficiently. The reason is simple: that area isn't under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Heavenly Court, and given the limited authority of Li Haidong and his subordinates, some things would be very inconvenient there.
Just like that hijacking case, in the end it all came to nothing.
Xu Zhengyang was not comfortable giving them higher priestly ranks, so it was much more convenient for him to do many things himself.
Xu Zhengyang had already analyzed it. He could go to the United States without expending any effort and arrive smoothly.
Even if the United States doesn't allow him to enter, with his own abilities, who can stop him?
Moreover, would the US really use missiles or even nuclear weapons against him just because he's a legitimate tourist citizen? That's utterly absurd.
Xu Zhengyang's concerns were valid. As a world-leading military, technological, and economic superpower, the United States would not so easily submit to this somewhat eccentric individual. Even if it was now almost certain that he was a deity, like Li Haidong before him, as a figure at the top of the human society pyramid, they possessed an almost terrifying self-confidence and dignity that could not be discriminated against or trampled upon.
It's like how many times, some people know they are no match, but they will still risk their lives to fight it out.
However, Xu Zhengyang still hoped that his words would have some effect.
That's why he reminded you: "Jialan is no longer of any use to you."
That's the truth, and I imagine the intelligence agencies in the US will understand as well. As for the departments and personnel who secretly manipulated and orchestrated this incident... Xu Zhengyang thought he should proceed step by step. If he tried to achieve everything at once, he might push them too far and end up accomplishing nothing.
Are we really going to go on a killing spree?
If a war breaks out, many more people will be affected.
This was absolutely not unfounded worry; it was something that Li Ruiqing and several others who were very familiar with and skilled at handling such international issues had considered together, and they quickly informed Xu Zhengyang.
So when Xu Zhengyang’s consciousness returned to the villa where he lived in Jingniang Lake, Fuhe City, he was still thinking, what should I do if Jialan doesn’t come back in half a month?
After thinking it over, Xu Zhengyang got up and went outside for a walk.
He had already made up his mind: half a month was for the departments in the US, and he would have a month and a half to himself. If the people didn't return by then, Xu Zhengyang would personally go and deal with them one by one, including the masterminds behind the scenes.
...
Xu Zhengyang's decision is an extremely fortunate thing for his country, for the United States, and for countless ordinary people.
In the past, given Xu Zhengyang's temperament, he probably wouldn't have had the magnanimity to wait for anything.
He hates being long-winded and dislikes playing games when dealing with matters.
If they continued to act recklessly and without restraint as before, perhaps a strong deterrent would cause panic and prevent them from making any rash moves due to their unconventional behavior; however, the danger is simply too high.
Therefore, Xu Zhengyang has matured and become more composed.
However, this relatively better change made Xu Zhengyang feel somewhat uncomfortable. He couldn't quite explain why, but he always felt a sense of emptiness in his heart. It wasn't the loneliness he felt as a master before, but a different kind of indescribable feeling, as if something was missing from his heart.
After returning from Beijing, Xu Zhengyang had no intention of contacting the person named Nelson again, and he didn't even bother to ask about the negotiations between the governments.
There's no need for that; he only cares about the results.
The streamlining of the clergy is proceeding smoothly. Apart from the three capitals, Li Haidong, Wan Yun, and Chen Chaojiang discussed and formulated a clear plan regarding the specific central locations of the six prefectures and the boundaries of regional divisions.
In addition, according to Xu Zhengyang's instructions, the new regulations for the three capitals and six prefectures have also entered the final stage of discussion and decision-making.
Because the establishment of the clergy in the six prefectures and three capitals has been greatly simplified, there are no longer enough ghost messengers roaming around like before, blatantly vigilantes. Therefore, when dealing with some worldly affairs, it is necessary to categorize and exclude certain matters. To put it simply, it is about clearly distinguishing between matters of varying importance and severity.
However, one thing is clear: any ghost messenger from a state god's office or a capital god's office must, without special missions, constantly roam the areas under the jurisdiction of each state god's office or capital god's office.
They patrolled as always, and when appropriate, they could use some of the powers of the ghost messengers to teach and warn the world.
Chen Chaojiang, on the other hand, was responsible for continuing to patrol various places on a daily basis. Since he had a human identity, he would step in to resolve some matters that were inconvenient for ghost messengers and gods to handle.
With fewer ghost messengers and a simplified organizational structure, efficiency has indeed decreased.
However, it is much more secure and also more deterrent.
It's like this: if the police come to your village to arrest people every day, you might not feel much fear towards them. But if you live a peaceful life for three to five years, and suddenly a large group of heavily armed special police officers come to your village and arrest your neighbors, then the shock and fear you feel will be exceptionally strong.
This point was jointly discussed by Li Haidong and Wan Yun, and then reported to Xu Zhengyang.
The two of them assumed that Xu Zhengyang must have already thought of this, which was why he abolished all the City God Temples and merged them into the State God Temple, thus streamlining the organization.
The truth of the matter, of course, cannot be known to them.
After reviewing the two men's regulations and arrangements for the current six prefectures and three capitals, Xu Zhengyang nodded in satisfaction.
In this way, the basic structure of the six prefectures and three capitals was established. After all, such a structure was extremely simplified, and due to its special nature, it was hundreds of times faster than the creation of new government departments in ordinary society.
In just over ten days, it's all set up and ready to go.
As the saying goes, you can't catch a wolf without risking your cub; Xu Zhengyang truly understood the benefits of streamlining the organization. In just a few days, his divine power recovered remarkably quickly. It makes sense, considering the vast number of people across the country, regardless of their religious beliefs or faith in deities. Furthermore, as one of the de facto Four Star Lords, he absorbed far more than just the faith of a single nation's people.
Without the heavy burden of the City God Temple, I felt incredibly light.
Before the three capitals and six prefectures officially began operating, Xu Zhengyang had two very important tasks to complete.
One purpose is to create divine artifacts, upgrading the existing city scrolls into state scrolls. A complete set of scrolls, consisting of three capitals and six states, requires nine jade stones. This does not include the foreign territories under the jurisdiction of the Eastern Azure Heaven Court that can be collected after the Nine Provinces Record is automatically upgraded.
In addition, a replica of a divine artifact similar to the Nine Provinces Record was made, although its essence cannot compare with the Nine Provinces Record.
The nine divine artifacts representing the three capitals and six prefectures were Xu Zhengyang's initial idea to distribute power among his subordinates, preventing it from being too concentrated in one person's hands and thus avoiding unforeseen circumstances. However, after they were made, Xu Zhengyang felt it was inappropriate. There were already few suitable subordinates, and now it was even more impossible to create so many deities.
Therefore, they could only keep it for future use, which is why they made a replica of the powerful artifact, the Nine Provinces Record.
Tragically, the large quantity of mutton fat jade that had been mined was completely exhausted.
Xu Zhengyang was very disappointed; he never expected it to cost so much. Moreover, his divine power was almost completely depleted. Fortunately, the supply of divine power was currently sufficient, and only a small amount was allocated, so Xu Zhengyang wasn't worried about that.
As for mutton fat jade, he simply stopped arranging for people to mine it.
Let's make do with these things for now. When we need them again, well, we'll go to the Heavenly Court. It's full of treasures, and they're all top-quality. Right now, he's the nominal acting emperor of the Eastern Azure Heaven Court... Even if he isn't, with his position as one of the Four Imperial Star Lords, traveling between the Heavenly Realm and the Mortal Realm is quite convenient.
Another important thing is to re-deify the gods!
Conferring the title of True God!
Xu Zhengyang had thought things through very clearly these past few days. He wouldn't banish the position of the State God, but he could elevate the positions of Li Haidong and Chen Chaojiang by one level. They would still be under the jurisdiction of the State God's Office, so the Nine Provinces Record in Xu Zhengyang's possession, which already had the effect of the Divine Control Token, could control them.