However, this time, Cheng Juan did not answer him.
Xu Zhengyang pursed his lips, deciding whether to answer or not, it was irrelevant.
After finishing his cigarette, Xu Zhengyang opened a webpage, searched for some historical anecdotes, and looked through them, pondering them as he went.
After a while, Xu Zhengyang sat down at his computer desk, closed his eyes slightly, and with a thought, entered the City God's Mansion, whereupon he summoned Su Peng.
“My lord!” Su Peng bowed and stood up without any doubt.
"Go and try to see if you can get into the military or the public security department, and see if you can control the minds and bodies of soldiers or police officers," the City God said slowly.
"Your humble servant obeys." Su Peng accepted the order, bowed, and retreated.
"Wait a minute," the City God suddenly called out.
Su Peng stopped.
Be careful.
"Thank you, Your Excellency!" Su Peng trembled, so moved he almost cried. He knelt down with a thud, kowtowed heavily, and then got up and left.
Xu Zhengyang wondered if it was really necessary to be so moved.
Yes, Xu Zhengyang is still a human being, and everyone has a heart. Over time, he inevitably develops feelings for his subordinates. He can't bear to see anything happen to them, especially Su Peng.
Xu Zhengyang only wanted to leave these tasks to Su Peng to do alone, and even then, he had to warn him not to have any useless ideas.
The reason, of course, is that they don't want all the ghost messengers to become suspicious and suspicious. It seems that this City God doesn't know anything, and we ghost messengers have to conduct experiments on him one by one to prove some things.
The reason Xu Zhengyang had warned Su Peng to be careful was because he had read in some records that soldiers in units of ten naturally possessed a fierce, murderous aura, a powerful masculine energy, which was highly effective against ghosts. If Su Peng went to check on the army and ended up dying there, Xu Zhengyang would be in deep trouble.
The purpose of having Su Peng conduct these investigations and experiments was, of course, to... prepare for the future.
Xu Zhengyang sighed for a moment, then thought of Wang Yonggan, a despicable, shameless, and scoundrel when he was alive.
As fellow ghost messengers, Wang Yonggan satisfied Xu Zhengyang more than Su Peng in certain matters. For example, when this guy's soul possessed a person, he would do many bizarre things that made Xu Zhengyang laugh. His imagination was extremely rich, seemingly comical, a bit silly, and even somewhat despicable, but the deterrent effect he had on ordinary people was definitely much greater than that of Su Peng's actions.
This made Xu Zhengyang truly reluctant to part with Wang Yonggan.
Because he had thought that once a more suitable ghost was chosen, Wang Yonggan would be just like the other bad guys who had committed numerous misdeeds in life, and would be mercilessly thrown back into the slow flow of the River of Three Crossings by Xu Zhengyang...
This shows that Xu Zhengyang is a man with inherent flaws.
As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together; great minds think alike...
Volume Four, City God Chapter 194: The Fox Borrows the Tiger's Power
Even after that seemingly calm yet fierce verbal exchange, where he expressed his thoughts, opinions, and determination in an unusual way, in the eyes of the seemingly retired but still powerful and influential elder, Xu Zhengyang was not worthy of being an opponent, a threat, or an enemy.
Because the old man could never have imagined that Xu Zhengyang was a god.
This makes Xu Zhengyang a strange point of balance, balancing between two forces, or rather, two different ideas and beliefs.
As long as the so-called "deity" remains hidden in the shadows, undetected, Xu Zhengyang can continue living his comfortable life in the real world without worry. Who would risk angering a force so powerful it's impossible to resist by dealing with someone as seemingly ordinary as Xu Zhengyang, especially a good person?
Xu Zhengyang was naturally pleased to see this happen.
He wouldn't be so arrogant as to declare to the world that he is the only god and no one dares to do anything to him...
However, Xu Zhengyang truly admired Old Li's courage. A person who stands at the pinnacle of human society possesses an intellect and boldness far beyond the reach and imagination of ordinary people. He was able to analyze the various events that had occurred around Xu Zhengyang over the past year and deduce things that seemed unbelievable to most…
Hmm, it's a beautiful balance, and it's best if it's not broken.
Xu Zhengyang even shamelessly thought that if he could maintain this strange relationship, he could continue to leverage Old Li's prestige to more smoothly develop his own strength and influence in the world; in addition, he could marry Li Bingjie...
Old Li's prestige was indeed very effective.
When Xu Zhengyang approached Zheng Ronghua, the CEO of Ronghua Group, to discuss establishing an integrated tourism company in the Jingniang Lake scenic area, Zheng Ronghua immediately agreed. However, while the tourism company would be under the Ronghua Group, the investment would be made in Zheng Ronghua's personal capacity, with no connection to the group's shareholding. Zheng Ronghua would hold 60% of the shares, and Xu Zhengyang 40%. As for the management team and other complex matters, the Ronghua Group would handle everything; Xu Zhengyang only needed to provide the necessary investment funds.
Xu Zhengyang didn't care about the percentage of shares; he knew exactly what Zheng Ronghua was thinking. He was genuine, unpretentious, and unobtrusive, yet he appeared extremely sincere. And realistically, for Xu Zhengyang, owning 40% of the shares was practically a steal. What did this country bumpkin like Xu Zhengyang know about running a company? He didn't need to worry about management, nothing at all—a true hands-off boss, just counting the money on time… Xu Zhengyang had stumbled upon all the best things in the world.
As for whether Zheng Ronghua would embezzle his money, Xu Zhengyang was even less worried. Firstly, Zheng Ronghua didn't have that amount of money; secondly, Zheng Ronghua wouldn't dare, because Xu Zhengyang shamelessly hinted at a vague message to Zheng Ronghua: actually, a young woman was involved in the shares of this tourism company, and he and she each owned half.
Zheng Ronghua was a shrewd and experienced man. He knew without a doubt who the young woman was. Otherwise, why would he have agreed so readily to start a travel company with Xu Zhengyang, a young man? Why would he share a large piece of the pie that he could have easily swallowed himself?
Zheng Ronghua had always been puzzled by how Xu Zhengyang, at such a young age, had developed so rapidly in such a short time—it was practically a meteoric rise. But after meeting Old Li on the opening day of the new Gu Xiang Xuan store last year, Zheng Ronghua finally understood. No wonder, now he knew.
Merchants are driven by profit and power; such an opportunity is a once-in-a-lifetime chance, so how could Zheng Ronghua bear to miss it?
Moreover, Zheng Ronghua genuinely didn't want to offend certain individuals. Under the existing system, even someone of Zheng Ronghua's status, position, and power had things to fear and needs to fulfill.
Therefore, after Deng Qingfu's criminal gang was dismantled, the several resorts that Jingniang Lake Tourism Company had left behind, which combined hotels, bath centers, and resorts, were purchased by the newly established "Huayang Tourism Co., Ltd." and resumed operation before the Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day.
The total investment amounted to nearly 70 million yuan...
Where was Xu Zhengyang supposed to get so much money to invest? In desperation, Xu Zhengyang worked overtime, going out to dig for treasure for five consecutive nights, selecting the best items, and pawned them, along with Gu Xiangxuan, to Zheng Ronghua: Well, I don't have any cash, you can lend me the money first.
Yao Chushun was initially dissatisfied, but when he saw the piles of antiques, his eyes narrowed with delight.
Zheng Ronghua was both amused and exasperated, but showed no dissatisfaction or hesitation.
Xu Zhengyang, however, felt perfectly at ease. After all, those antiques were valuable, and Gu Xiangxuan (the antique shop) was valuable too; combined, they weren't that much more valuable. Who told Zheng Ronghua to look down on those antiques and refuse to buy them? He could only wait until the antiques were sold before paying Zheng Ronghua back.
As for using Li Bingjie's name as an excuse, Xu Zhengyang had a perfectly good reason in his mind: Anyway, Li Bingjie will be my wife sooner or later, so it's not like I'm lying or deceiving anyone... Anyone who dares to object to me marrying Li Bingjie? I'll fight them to the death!
Of course, Xu Zhengyang was an honest man. On the afternoon that "Huayang Tourism Company" officially took over all the business of Jingniang Lake Scenic Area, Xu Zhengyang called Li Bingjie and said, "Bingjie, we just started a tourism company, and we each own 20% of the shares..."
"Is one of mine?" Li Bingjie was clearly surprised.
"Well, consider it a gift from me."
Why are you giving it to me?
"We're like family, aren't we? Besides..." Xu Zhengyang originally wanted to say something cheesy like "what's mine is yours, and what's yours is mine," but ultimately, because of his pure heart and thin skin, he changed his explanation to, "You know my identity, right? Why would I care about these worldly things like money?"
Li Bingjie, with her simple mind, agreed and said very seriously, "Zhengyang, I won't tell anyone, don't worry."
"Ahem, I wasn't trying to shut you up," Xu Zhengyang quickly said.
"I see."
"Understand what?"
“You…” Li Bingjie was too embarrassed to say it.
Xu Zhengyang said cheerfully, "Good that you understand, good that you understand. By the way, how are you doing at school?"
"Yes, it's fine."
I'll come see you when I have time.
"No need, I'll be going back to Fuhe City for the Mid-Autumn Festival."
"I can't wait." Xu Zhengyang chuckled.
"What?"
I miss you.
"Yes, me too."
...
After hanging up, Xu Zhengyang put his phone in his pocket and squinted.
Standing on the traffic bridge of the Jingniang Lake Reservoir dam, feeling the autumn breeze blowing across the mountain stream and lake, admiring the vast expanse of the lake with its rippling blue waves, and the towering peaks on both banks, layer upon layer of mountains, both beautiful and perilous; mountains and water depend on each other. The mountains are made beautiful by the water, and the water is made more wondrous by the mountains... Xu Zhengyang felt refreshed and invigorated.
The mortal realm is no less beautiful than a fairyland!
It's truly baffling. The villagers of Jingniang Lake Village at the foot of the mountain, living in this paradise-like place, could have been quite wealthy thanks to their unique geographical advantages. Why did they all go astray and end up living in constant fear and anxiety? What a waste!
From now on, they'll live a good life. Have they learned their lesson?
Xu Zhengyang walked calmly along the scenic road, pondering what to do next.
After deterring and punishing the villagers of Jingniang Village, the eleven ghost messengers dispersed again, wandering across the four districts and fourteen counties of Fuhe City, covering an area of more than 10,000 square kilometers, to perform their duties as ghost messengers, investigate evil deeds, and punish evildoers.
How many things have happened in the past six months?
Although the ghost messengers would always warn the City God, as instructed, "Heavenly secrets must not be revealed," every time they punished someone, big or small, some people would inevitably feel uneasy and unable to control their pent-up emotions, secretly confiding their secrets to their closest and most trusted confidant.
One tells ten, ten tell a hundred...
Therefore, in this vast area, three new City God Temples have now appeared, along with some dilapidated temples that remain. Regardless of what gods or deities are enshrined inside, they now receive incense offerings and have gained the faith of more people.
Xu Zhengyang's divine power was also steadily and rapidly increasing, making up for the half of his divine power lost in rebuilding the Southeast Yama Palace.
Now, Xu Zhengyang's divine power has been fully restored.
It's time to go to the underworld and try to build the Mingnie Platform, and arrange for some underworld ghost messengers.
In this way, one would be qualified to be a true judge of the underworld, thereby gaining the faith of countless ghosts in the underworld, and one's divine power would increase by leaps and bounds.
A black Mercedes-Benz drove up from a distance and stopped beside Xu Zhengyang. Zheng Ronghua stepped out of the car.
"Zhengyang, you seem to be in quite an interest!"
Xu Zhengyang snapped out of his daze and smiled, "I've never been here before. I had some free time today, so I came to check it out."
Zheng Ronghua nodded and stood side by side with Xu Zhengyang on the traffic bridge, looking into the distance. He smiled and said, "I always hear Master Gu complaining about you. You don't take care of the affairs of Gu Xiangxuan shop or the operation of Jinghui Logistics Company. He said you're a hands-off manager who only cares about counting money. It seems Master Gu wasn't wrong about you!"
"I don't understand those things, and if I worry about them, I'll only cause them trouble, so I might as well ignore it." Xu Zhengyang scratched his head.
"People often say that one should learn as long as one lives, but we can't keep doing this forever," Zheng Ronghua said gently, like an elder.
"Hmm, I'll have to think about it carefully later." Xu Zhengyang didn't comment, but in his heart he was thinking, where would I find the time and energy to learn these things?
So when he said he turned around, he might have gone back somewhere else entirely.
Zheng Ronghua, of course, had no idea that Xu Zhengyang would have such thoughts. He didn't say anything more, and it seemed that there was really nothing wrong with him; he was just there to relax.
An old man and a young man strolled side by side on the traffic bridge, each lost in their own thoughts.
Sometimes, it's not necessary for certain people to deliberately support someone; just a few words or a brief mention can be enough to provide decisive help. Of course, the reverse is also true.
Xu Zhengyang was thinking: I don't have many tricks up my sleeve, and I don't want to force anyone. We just want everyone to get rich. Also, under the premise of ensuring that I benefit myself, I take from the people and use it for the people. I am a god, and I am also a good person.
Volume 4, City God Chapter 195: Desire to Build the Ming Nie Terrace
It's Mid-Autumn Festival again, a time for the full moon.
However, Li Bingjie did not return to Fuhe City. She stayed in Beijing to spend the holiday with her mother. There was no other way; no matter how much Xu Zhengyang missed his girlfriend, he couldn't prevent the mother and daughter from reuniting for the Mid-Autumn Festival. You see, Li Bingjie had never spent any holiday alone with Jiang Lan over the years. Even when Jiang Lan returned to that courtyard house during the holidays, Li Bingjie always kept a certain distance from her.
Not only Li Bingjie, but also Xu Rouyue and Chen Chaojiang did not return.
Two days before the Mid-Autumn Festival, Ouyang Ying had a huge fight with her parents and was in a terrible mood. She didn't want to go out, so Xu Rouyue was worried about her and stayed with her in Beijing. Chen Chaojiang stayed at the branch office in Beijing and, while on duty, invited Ye Wan to visit the company. He honestly told Xu Zhengyang about the matter and asked for leniency.
Xu Zhengyang thought to himself, "Chen Chaojiang has really figured it out. The power of love is indeed great."