Seeing that no one else was around, I told them the truth and introduced them, "These are the heroes of Liangshan." Wu Sangui quickly clasped his hands in greeting, "A pleasure to meet you!"
I then introduced them to the heroes: "This is Wu Sangui, Brother Sangui has rebelled quite a bit too. This is Hua Mulan." Hu Sanniang grabbed Hua Mulan's hand and said, "Sister Mulan, you are my idol!"
Dong Ping asked me, "Oh, by the way, who are those old men who draw and write at the school?"
Before I could answer, Yan Jingsheng ran up and said, "Director Xiao, there's a fax for you."
Wei Tiezhu exclaimed in surprise, "Teacher Yan!"
Yan Jingsheng glanced at him and immediately recognized him: "Hey, Tiezhu, you're back?"
My mind started to get a little muddled again. I found Lu Junyi and Fang La and said, "A lot of new friends have come while you were gone. Let's have a meeting so we can all get to know each other. They're unfamiliar with the place and there's no one to take care of them."
Wu Yong glanced at Cheng Fengshou and Duan Tianlang out of the corner of his eye and asked, "Should we let them go or not?"
I whispered, "Just our own people, Strategist Wu, find a way to get them out of the way."
Wu Yong smacked his lips and nodded. This large group of people had spent so much time together in a foreign land that they were now so familiar with each other that they were inseparable. Even the Four Heavenly Kings and the heroes were mostly just arguing now; if you really let them fight, they probably wouldn't be able to bring themselves to actually kill each other.
I patted Fang Zhenjiang on the shoulder and said, "As for your Yuanyuan, you'll have to figure that out yourself."
Fang Zhenjiang said, "Why bother thinking of a solution? Just tell her everything and that's it."
I glanced at him and laughed, "Do you think she'll believe that?" Tong Yuan's situation is different from Hua Rong's Xiu Xiu's; I think this matter needs further consideration. Fang Zhenjiang sighed and went to find Tong Yuan.
I told Lu Junyi, "Let's meet in the lecture hall in 5 minutes."
Then I started searching the entire campus for clients. First, I found Wu Daozi and Yan Liben, the painters, in the auditorium. Zhang Zeduan was also there, though he doesn't paint murals. I'd only caught a glimpse of him on the way there, but the bustling modern society had left a deep impression on him. He numbered over a dozen sheets of paper, planning to paint another long scroll. I glanced at a few and couldn't help but nod repeatedly; even just a glance, the bustling traffic he depicted was so lifelike. When I looked at the third painting, of an overpass, I almost fainted from shock. On the bridge piers in the painting, it said: "Document Processing, 135********".
Then I looked for Bian Que and Hua Tuo from the school clinic. Strangely, Lu Yu, the Tea Sage, was also there. Later, I learned that the old man Lu had come to ask for some medicine to remove the impurities from the water. I asked, "Did you find them?"
Lu Yu handed me a disposable cup: "Try it."
I took a sip. The tea had a slight medicinal taste, but the refreshing feeling was something that no tea master (who was actually just a pretty young woman) could concoct. If you added some saccharin to this and sold it, it would definitely sell just as well as Coca-Cola.
I continued wandering around, sipping my drink. To be honest, this job was quite tiring. I almost mistook Su Wu for the old man in the gatehouse, and nearly called several people to the wrong meeting. Now, I have to think for a long time before I see anyone whether they are my client. The most ridiculous thing was when Xiang Yu, who had just dismounted, asked me where I was going, I didn't even think to invite him to the meeting—subconsciously, I already regarded him as a completely modern person.
It took me a lot of effort to finally gather everyone in the lecture hall, only to find that Li Jingshui was there too. This guy was dressed like a typical urban white-collar worker, looking incredibly handsome in his suit, paying special attention to the first button as he walked and sat. I chatted with him and Wei Tiezhu for a while, then said, "Let's have a meeting first. Later, I also need to have a good chat with your Captain Xu."
Li Jingshui whispered in my ear, "Brother Xiao, Teacher Yan isn't your client, is she...?"
I glanced down and saw Yan Jingsheng sitting upright in the first row, with Wu Sangui to his left and Yan Zhenqing to his right. A cold sweat broke out on my back; I'd almost made a mistake even though I'd arrived. Yan Jingsheng probably thought I was going to have a victory celebration or something, and being extremely responsible, he naturally came along. At Yucai, he's practically the second-in-command, so his presence at any meeting is perfectly natural.
Li Jingshui winked at me playfully and said, "Leave it to me." He went over and whispered a few words to Yan Jingsheng, and the two of them soon found themselves chatting outside.
I wiped the sweat from my brow as I walked up to the podium and said, "Are there no more people like those after the Xinhai Revolution?"
Fang La, the Four Heavenly Kings, Fang Zhenjiang, and Xiuxiu shouted together, "Yes, it's you!"
Chapter Twenty-Four Internal Meetings
Amidst a burst of laughter, my first large-scale internal client meeting began. This meeting was attended by virtually every prominent figure from every field and dynasty. Although Liu Bang, Li Shishi, Guan Yu, Li Bai, and Liu Xia Zhi were absent due to special circumstances, the scale of the meeting was unprecedented. As for Qin Hui, although he was only a short distance away, for the sake of stability and harmony, I dared not inform him—Xu Delong and his two soldiers sat below in perfect military posture.
Before the meeting even began, many people had already introduced themselves to each other, and the hall was filled with compliments such as, "Oh, so you're so-and-so!" and "Wow, you're the person I admire most in my life!" Typical examples include the renowned calligrapher Xiao Rang holding Wang Xizhi's hand tightly, and An Daoquan respectfully following Bian Que and Hua Tuo.
I cleared my throat, looking at the uproar below, and realized I really didn't know where to begin. Finally, I grabbed the microphone and said "Hello" twice, and the crowd gradually quieted down. Facing this hall full of distinguished guests, I said somewhat awkwardly, "Um...should we go by dynasty or by the order in which I've come to this point?"
Zhang Shun shouted, "What order should we go by? Let's start from the front row and go backwards. Xiao Qiang can add his introduction after everyone has finished." People chimed in, "Yes, yes, yes, there's no such thing as a specific order when we're all together. Let's start from the front row."
I thought about it and it made sense, so I said, "Then let's go one by one and not hold grudges against people from different eras." Everyone readily agreed.
I glanced at the first person in the front row and couldn't help but laugh and cry—it was Zhao Bailian. Actually, I'd seen him a while ago, but I hadn't intended for him to leave. Firstly, if he left, Jing Ke certainly wouldn't be able to stay, and secondly, what secrets could a fool like him possibly reveal?
I awkwardly pointed at Zhao Bai and said, "Um... this is my neighbor, he doesn't count. Next, Ke Zi, you go first."
To everyone's surprise, Zhao Bailian, usually so oblivious, suddenly seemed to understand. He slowly stood up, turned around, and said matter-of-factly, "Just call me Little Zhao." Then he gracefully sat down. While everyone was still bewildered, Zhao Bailian suddenly chuckled and gave Jing Ke a high five in celebration, like a pair of mischievous children. The entire room froze in shock…
I leaned on the table and said weakly, "Kezi, it's your turn."
When I called him, Jing Ke quickly gestured for Zhao Bailian to sit down, then adjusted his expression and stood up, saying, "I am Jing Ke." A low "Wow!" immediately rippled through the crowd. Only the heroes who had fought alongside him during the competition knew Jing Ke's identity; others like the Four Heavenly Kings, Fang Zhenjiang, and the old master didn't recognize him. Initially, those who thought he was just a nameless time traveler assumed he was the greatest assassin of all time, which caused a small stir. After sitting down, Er Sha laughed and celebrated with Zhao Bailian by giving him a high five…
Yan Zhenqing, leaning over the table, shook hands vigorously with Jing Ke, seemingly reaching across the mountains and seas: "Brave warrior Jing, it's my great honor!" Wang Xizhi and Liu Gongquan both seemed eager to come over and chat with Jing Ke. I quickly said, "Maintain order at the meeting. Those who wish to speak privately can wait until after the meeting." These scholars, powerless as they are, yearn for the deeds of assassins and killers, and have written numerous works praising such figures, from Sima Qian to Li Bai. Conversely, they mostly harbor a contradictory feeling of seven parts hatred and three parts love towards emperors.
I was supposed to say a few words, but that would inevitably bring up his conflict with Fatty Ying. Anyway, everyone knows him, so I said, "Next."
Sitting next to Jing Ke was Xiang Yu. Xiang Yu stood up and succinctly announced his name: "Xiang Ji, courtesy name Yu." More people recognized him, and everyone applauded enthusiastically, showing their respect for the Overlord. Only Su Wu coldly snorted.
Next up was Mulan. Mulan turned around, gave a crisp, clean fist salute, and said in a clear voice, "My name is Mulan, it's a pleasure to meet you all." Another round of enthusiastic applause followed. Hu Sanniang and Xiuxiu, their faces full of admiration, clapped with extra fervor. I smiled and said, "This one, as you all seem to know, took her father's place in the army. Next up..."
Before I could finish speaking, Bian Que said discontentedly, "What? Everyone knows? How come I don't know? And what were Jing Ke and Xiang Yu doing just now? Taking their fathers to join the army? Did they take their fathers with them when they joined the army?"
Upon hearing that someone dared to disrespect Hua Mulan, Hu Sanniang immediately became displeased: "Other people carry their fathers to school, but you, you bring your father to join the army—do you think you can move China? How could you even think of such a thing!" Then she said to the person next to her, "Who is that old man? He's so annoying!"
This is my fault. I was so focused on Mulan's act of taking her father's place in the army being a timeless tale that I overlooked one thing: many of my clients have stories that transcend time.
Furthermore, I know that although Bian Que was a bit arrogant, he wouldn't care if someone didn't pay attention to him. He was simply curious and wanted to know. This was also related to his inquisitive spirit as a doctor, and it was an academic consideration.
I quickly recounted the story of Mulan taking her father's place in the army in detail, and concluded by saying, "Sister Mulan has suffered a lot over these twelve years, and in the end, she developed a stomach ailment. We'll have to ask Doctor Bian to take a look at her later."
Bian Que was deeply moved after hearing Mulan's story. He stood up and said, "Girl, if I can't cure you, you'll be too ashamed to face anyone." Hua Tuo chimed in, "If that doesn't work, we can always do surgery." An Daoquan quickly added, "Please forgive my intrusion, seniors. I've practiced medicine in the army for a long time, so I'm quite confident in treating this kind of illness." Bian Que pondered for a moment and said, "Let's have the three of us examine the girl in a bit. The main thing is to cure her." And so, the consultation plan for Mulan by these three renowned doctors was decided.
Hua Mulan smiled sweetly: "Thank you."
Hu Sanniang glanced back and murmured, "I never imagined the old man was a doctor."
Bian Que sat behind Hu Sanniang and said, "Miss, you have a bad temper."