Xu Zhengyang sat behind his desk, leaning back in his chair, looking somewhat tired. He lowered his head slightly, raised his right hand, and slowly stroked his chin with his thumb and forefinger. He held a lit cigarette between his fingers in his left hand.
There was a gentle knock on the office door.
"Come in," Xu Zhengyang said without even looking up.
Zhan Xiaohui and Deng Wenjing walked in nervously and closed the door.
Then, the two slowly walked to the center of the room and knelt down in unison. "Sir, please don't be angry. Yes, we were wrong..."
Xu Zhengyang frowned and said coldly, "Get up! You're not allowed to kneel anymore! What kind of act is this?"
Hearing Xu Zhengyang's stern voice, the two dared not hesitate any longer and hurriedly stood up, standing there trembling with fear.
"You guys figure out what to do yourselves. The company's image is of utmost importance." Xu Zhengyang waved his hand impatiently. "Go on, go on, I'm not that petty."
Zhan Xiaohui and Deng Wenjing could tell that Xu Zhengyang was in a bad mood, so they didn't dare to say anything more and quickly turned around and left.
After leaving, before the door was closed, Zhan Xiaohui told Deng Wenjing to go first, then came back in and closed the door. He then stepped forward and said in a low voice, "Sir, there is... someone who seems to suspect my and Wenjing's... identities."
"Hmm?" Xu Zhengyang frowned as he looked at Zhan Xiaohui.
“My family said that a few days ago someone privately visited the families of Cheng Jinchang and Cui Yao, and also Wenjing’s family, and it was kept secret.” After saying this, Zhan Xiaohui quickly added, “I just confirmed it myself, it’s true.”
Xu Zhengyang lowered his head and thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "I understand. Go ahead and get busy. Just pretend nothing happened. Just keep it in mind."
“Yes, I understand, sir,” Zhan Xiaohui replied.
After watching Zhan Xiaohui leave, Xu Zhengyang smirked and thought to himself, "Since everyone has reservations, why do you keep pressing me so relentlessly?"
If I don't do something soon, what will become of Kamui and Zai?
Volume 4, City God Chapter 201: Why bother worrying and suffering?
In fact, within the jurisdiction of Fuhe City, the covert investigation by relevant authorities was not limited to Cheng Jinchang and Cui Yao, who had been dead for over a year. It also included the two current de facto leaders of Jinghui Logistics Company, Zhan Xiaohui and Deng Wenjing; those who had conflicts with Xu Zhengyang and suffered bizarre attacks and shocks; and even inmates currently in prison. All of them were subjected to indirect questioning.
Most people, because of the saying "heavenly secrets cannot be revealed," dared not disclose too much about the strange experiences they had encountered; however, a small number of people inadvertently revealed some related questions during the investigators' roundabout questioning; of course, some people could not hold back their long-standing pent-up emotions and told their stories all at once.
All of this was done in secrecy, and absolutely no leaks were allowed. Even those who confessed after being investigated were ultimately met with the investigators' final words: "Absurd, incomprehensible!"
Then why the hell are you asking me all this?
Dissatisfaction and annoyance are clearly useless. Because in the eyes of many, the investigation and questioning of them is a very strange thing.
The existence of gods among humans cannot be made public.
This coincided with some of Xu Zhengyang's thoughts, because although he hoped that everyone in the world would know that there are gods even on flat ground, and that heaven is watching what people do, so that people would have something to fear and respect, and therefore dare not act recklessly; he did not want people to clearly know that there are gods in this world, great gods, who are very fierce and powerful.
It sounds somewhat contradictory to the effects of what he is doing now, and in fact, Xu Zhengyang is indeed puzzled and overwhelmed by some of the problems that have arisen.
As the saying goes, "If you have a clear conscience, you won't be afraid of ghosts at night." As long as you don't do bad things and live an honest life, who cares about you? The problem is, for some people who have confirmed the existence of gods and ghosts and have experienced some strange events, their fear is a bit excessive. It's not like you have to live in constant fear.
For example, in Shuanghe Village, although the villagers know that there are gods in the dark, they still live well and happily. The villagers in Jingniang Village are completely different. For the past few months, they have lived in fear, as if they will not wake up the next day after they go to sleep.
Well, the villagers of Jingniang Village are so afraid because they have done something wrong.
However, if everyone who has been punished lives in such fear and terror every day, then the punishment is indeed too severe. Since punishments in the world vary in severity, Xu Zhengyang also differentiated the severity and intensity of punishments when formulating the regulations and punishments of the City God's Palace.
The problem is that, regardless of the severity, nine out of ten people who have been punished will suffer significant psychological trauma.
Xu Zhengyang pondered that this situation could not be allowed to continue. Once negative news was spread artificially, other people's awe and faith in the gods would turn into fear, and their faith would become coercive.
Then the god would no longer be a god, but a demon.
It seems necessary to carefully study the doctrines of other religious beliefs and see how those gods act and how they prescribe.
Xu Zhengyang couldn't quite grasp these things in a short time, but there was one thing he was very clear about—God is not to be profaned!
Demolishing a temple is clearly a form of blasphemy against the gods.
Xu Zhengyang hadn't been angered by this before because he didn't want to escalate the conflict with the old man. Firstly, it was because of Li Bingjie, and secondly, because of Li's personal prestige and reputation—Li was indeed someone Xu Zhengyang admired and respected. Thirdly, Xu Zhengyang had his own concerns and reservations. Although he held a divine position and possessed terrifying supernatural abilities, he had family, friends, and countless emotions. Especially since he had a physical body, and after gaining a divine position and the hope of immortality, who would be willing to risk their life?
Besides, he had considered it before, and concluded that as long as one has faith, it doesn't matter whether there's a temple or not.
However, he now realizes that trying to sit between two forces, be a down-to-earth person, and seek the middle way is simply not feasible.
It seems they won't give up until they get to the bottom of things.
What was that saying again? A single spark can start a prairie fire, so we must control or extinguish it beforehand. Knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory. The old man doesn't understand this deity, so it's necessary to learn about him. Demolishing the temple was a probing move, but it received no response. Therefore, the old man was extremely confident that his speculations and judgments were correct, which is why he continued his actions, trying to drive the deity away.
And that's how the current situation came about.
Xu Zhengyang was getting annoyed. If the investigation continued like this, sooner or later it would be Xu Zhengyang's turn to be investigated, and his relatives and friends would also be investigated.
He gathered up and eliminated every ounce of faith that the gods had spread across the earth.
Well, the old man was also uneasy; he was hesitant, conflicted, and worried.
He was confident that he had never been at a disadvantage in dealing with anyone or any force throughout his life. Since retiring to a lower position and rarely getting involved in affairs, he had basically stopped thinking about anything except for occasionally inquiring about some major issues.
To put it bluntly, the real rivals he cares about in this world aren't those who don't exist, but rather those who are no longer rivals. Or rather, if people at their level were to clash, it would only result in mutual destruction, harming ordinary people. Therefore, balance is the issue that people at their level should be considering.
This explains the so-called lonely mindset of a master.
Don't talk about how enchanting the leisurely life of picking chrysanthemums by the eastern fence and gazing at the southern mountains is. For an old man who has spent his entire life playing politics and military affairs, who has personally experienced war, who was once invincible and unafraid of the influence of various forces, who brazenly launched wars and intimidated the surrounding countries to the point that they dare not provoke him to this day, he is not content with being idle.
But he's old.
As he grew old, this unexpected event occurred to him.
Something that made him lack absolute confidence, something that made him hesitate and think countless times.
After the temple was demolished, there was no reaction from the other side; it was unusually calm, which was something the old man hadn't expected. At the very least, Xu Zhengyang should have represented that deity and said something to him, or shown something in daily life.
But no. On the contrary, Xu Zhengyang seemed to be in a good mood, constantly donating money and doing good deeds.
What worries the elderly even more now is that while the demolition of the temple and some propaganda have indeed had a positive effect, negative effects have also emerged. According to private investigations and inquiries with some relevant people, a large number of people have not only not given up their faith in the gods, but have become even more devout, and they are very dissatisfied with the demolition of the temple. Many people have set up ancestral tablets for the gods in their homes and offered incense and candles.
The elderly man felt helpless about this, deeply frustrated and lamenting the series of drawbacks brought about by the rapid development of society.
This is something that no ruling government can do anything about.
The old man knew that if every citizen could live a happy and healthy life and enjoy fair treatment at all times, who would be willing to accept the existence of so-called gods from the bottom of their heart? People have discontent and helplessness, which is why they have faith and feelings about the heavens above, and place their hopes on gods to help them.
Unfortunately, absolute fairness can never exist in this world, whether between individuals or between nations.
Moreover, in today's rapidly developing society, materialism is rampant, and people's life philosophies and values are undergoing tremendous changes. Who can control this? In times of chaos, severe punishments are used, and cruel torture is necessary to curb evil. But now is a time of peace, and under the so-called international humanitarian circumstances, how could torture possibly occur?
The old man sat on the sofa in the room, squinting his eyes wearily, fiddling with the purple clay teapot in his hands, deep in thought.
Last night, the old man had a dream in which he dreamt of a god who claimed to be the City God of Fuhe City, and had a conversation with him.
The old man believed this was because he had been thinking about it during the day and dreaming about it at night.
But the words the City God spoke in his dream resonated with his own hesitations and inner conflicts, leaving him speechless and helpless. Ah, the words the City God spoke were exactly what the old man had been pondering.
The old man became somewhat confused again.
Was the deity in my dream real, or was it something I was saying to myself because I had doubts?
The nanny, Wu Ma, lifted the thick cotton curtain and entered the room, saying softly, "Xu Zhengyang is here."
"Hmm?" The old man looked up, his expression instantly returning to its usual mountain-like calm. He nodded slightly and said, "Let him in."
Aunt Wu responded and turned to leave.
A moment later, Xu Zhengyang, wearing a leather jacket, walked in looking energetic.
His expression and demeanor were noticeably different from each of his previous visits. Previously, he always wore a simple, honest smile, his expression respectful, his back slightly bent, and his head bowed. This time, however, he was imposing, head held high, his eyes, though not particularly large, radiating a calmness far beyond his years, and exuding an aura of confidence.
He was still carrying two beautifully packaged boxes of nutritional supplements. When he walked up to the old man, he bowed slightly, then straightened up and smiled, saying, "Grandpa, I've come to see you."
The greeting was still very polite.
"Sit down," the old man waved his hand.
Xu Zhengyang sat down opposite the old man with a smile, placed the gift on the coffee table, and said, "Grandpa, how have you been lately?"
"I'm an old man, it's hard to say whether I'm good or bad."
Xu Zhengyang stopped offering flattery, his expression returning to calm. He casually glanced at the two men in black suits who had followed him into the house, then said to the old man as if no one else was there, "Grandpa, you've put me in a difficult position these past few days."
"Hmm." The old man did not deny it, nor did he wonder what Xu Zhengyang meant. Since Xu Zhengyang said he was in a dilemma, it must be that he was the balance point between the two forces, and seemed to have received some hint from the other side, thus bringing the message over.
Volume 4, City God Chapter 202: I'm Angry!
Outside, it was freezing cold with howling winds; inside, it was warm and cozy, peaceful and serene.
An old man and a young man sat facing each other. The coffee table had been moved aside, and a small square table with a chessboard drawn on it had been placed in its place. The old man and the young man were slowly placing pieces on the chessboard.
The bodyguards inside had already temporarily left at Mr. Li's signal.
The two seemed in no hurry to discuss anything, as if they could explain something through playing chess. Well, the old man might have such high comprehension, while Xu Zhengyang did not. However, Xu Zhengyang did not need to understand anything through the layout of the chessboard or to ponder the old man's thoughts. He couldn't even understand some profound words, but he could easily know what the old man was thinking.
In Xu Zhengyang's view, saying ambiguous things that are hard to understand and require careful consideration is just a waste of time and effort, or it's just a way to deliberately make things difficult for people, play the profound role, or intimidate them.
People like them are probably used to talking like that.
Xu Zhengyang picked up a "horse" and crossed the river to devour a "soldier";
The old man immediately kicked over Xu Zhengyang's horse;
Xu Zhengyang fired his cannon...
In this game, Xu Zhengyang held nothing back, and his style shifted from a balanced and steady approach to a fierce and aggressive one. He exuded a murderous aura.
Perhaps the attack was too hasty, which inevitably led to gaps in the defense?
So, after a fierce and frenzied offensive, they were finally stopped by the enemy at the most crucial moment. At the same time, the enemy's vanguard had already reached their own central command tent. The situation suddenly reversed, and the predicament became critical.
The old man slightly raised his eyelids and glanced at Xu Zhengyang.
Xu Zhengyang's expression remained calm; he lowered his head, frowned, and it was impossible to see what was in his eyes.
Xu Zhengyang hastily retreated and led his troops to the rescue.
To the old man's astonishment, Xu Zhengyang seemed to have anticipated this situation. When the troops returned, the guards in the central command tent remained calm and composed, defending steadily and fighting desperately. Meanwhile, the vanguard troops returning from the front lines were just as fierce and aggressive as when they attacked before. Like sharp knives, they tore through the encirclement formed by the red pieces against the black pieces' central command tent and quickly created a counter-encirclement.
At this point, Xu Zhengyang's victory was already assured!
The red side, however, suffered a crushing defeat, with all but their veteran generals being wiped out.
Black also has very few pieces left. A Pyrrhic victory.
The old man smiled and straightened up, leaning back on the sofa. He said, "Not bad, the sudden change in your playing style is quite unexpected."
"It's all luck. I felt like I was always losing to you, so I tried a different approach..." Xu Zhengyang said neither humbly nor arrogantly.
"One more round?" the old man suggested.