Chapter 3039 You People

It seemed fortune takes turns; was it his turn to provide data now?

His Excellency Corvos's question sounded completely out of nowhere at first, leaving him at a loss.

Fu Qian found it perfectly fair, however. He had asked about age earlier, clearly demanding the man cough up a number.

Now the other party was simply turning the tables and demanding a number in return.

As for what that number actually referred to?

At that moment, Fu Qian silently calculated his SAN Value.

Before coming to the Birthday Party, it had been 116 points. He had just exchanged 51 points for an equal amount of inspiration, leaving him with 65...

He was still 48 points short of hitting 99 inspiration, so he would need to deduct that amount as well...

Then he had to reserve at least 2 points for his final task of the week. After all, he hadn't yet tested if the automatic 1-point deduction at the start of a mission dropping his SAN Value straight to 0 would turn him into an idiot.

Given his ongoing research into the SAN Value over the past few days, Fu Qian figured that possibility was entirely real...

"Fifteen, then."

Ultimately, he ran the addition and subtraction in his head and gave a precise figure.

"...That should be enough."

He didn't seem to expect a young person of this generation to have such perspective, completely refusing to answer vaguely just because his own side had done the same.

Corvos gave Fu Qian a deep look. He didn't question whether the data was faked; rather, he seemed to find the figure quite ideal.

"Besides, don't worry. Based on my understanding of you all, the topics we are about to discuss might cause some depletion."

...

Bold and unrestrained indeed. He truly lived up to his position as a person in charge.

Facts proved there was no misunderstanding. No matter how one listened to it, the "you all" coming from Corvos's mouth referred to administrators.

He even seemed thoroughly familiar with the mechanics of an administrator, knowing full well that they relied on SAN Values to survive.

Of course, this didn't necessarily mean that Stoss and the others had no concept of this.

When Fu Qian praised the perspective of a person in charge, he was referring to how, from the beginning until now, there were certain things everyone might have known but never exposed, maintaining a subtle, tacit understanding.

Yet here was His Excellency Corvos, casually bringing up what could be considered an earth-shattering secret less than two sentences into their meeting, using the exact same tone one might use to ask what someone had for lunch.

Of course, the old man also didn't seem to expect that Fu Qian not only knew exactly what he was asking without needing any confirmation, but was even willing to share the figure so generously.

"No worries. I'm actually quite used to that sort of thing," Fu Qian said.

All in all, the conversation was proceeding in a low-key and harmonious manner.

In response to Corvos's reassurance, Fu Qian waved a hand dismissively, indicating that dropping his SAN Value was already an everyday routine for him.

This was the honest truth. Although he hadn't been an administrator for long, his turnover of SAN Value was nothing short of impressive.

For example, just attending this banquet had already cost him 51 points so far.

Moreover, observing everyone's reactions from the corner of his eye, it was clear that Old Man Stoss did indeed know a few things.

After his initial confusion, Stoss had clearly realized what they were discussing.

As a result, his expression—which had just softened slightly moments ago—had grown indescribably gloomy.

His Excellency Corvos's degree of getting straight to the point had clearly vastly exceeded his expectations.

It ultimately made this Hongmen banquet feel as though the gas pedal had suddenly been slammed, accelerating wildly toward a total loss of control.

As for Yuan Shan and Logan, the two of them were visibly lost, their eyes completely clouded with confusion.

However, His Excellency Corvos clearly possessed an immense amount of accumulated authority, as no one dared open their mouths to demand a clearer explanation.

"Heh... compared to the others, you certainly give off the impression of being far busier," Corvos said.

Yet, as if he had heard their inner pleas, Corvos chuckled in that moment and actually made his words much clearer.

Busier than other administrators? This difference in treatment was something Fu Qian had only confirmed during his last trip to The Abyss.

To think that His Excellency Corvos had already made the comparison so early on.

It made sense. As long as the higher-ups of the Night Watchers weren't complete fools, there was no reason for them to squander their own intelligence-gathering capabilities.

Of course, this was one of those topics where those in the know only understood it better, while those out of the loop only grew more hopelessly confused the more they listened.

Chief Yuan, for example, wore such a profoundly lost gaze that she seemed to be contemplating the ultimate philosophical questions of 'Who am I?' and 'Where am I?'

"Why doesn't Yuan Shan stay here and keep watch, while I receive Professor Fu myself?"

His Excellency Corvos had clearly noticed this as well. Unwilling to let her waste her energy trying to puzzle it out, he gestured toward the nearby pool.

...

Being personally received by one of the Big Three?

Corvos's proposal seemed to perfectly illustrate what it meant to win respect through sheer capability. What was supposed to be a perfectly ordinary academic exchange had seen its reception standards skyrocket at every turn, all thanks to Professor Fu's unique constitution of stirring up trouble wherever he went.

Though whether it was Yuan Shan or Stoss, neither of them seemed to think this was a good thing.

Faced with His Excellency Corvos's suggestion, Yuan Shan's first reaction was to look at Fu Qian, unable to mask her concern.

"Although I trust His Excellency Corvos's judgment, we truly cannot afford to drop our guard," she said.

Fu Qian merely offered a slight nod in response, reminding her that it was best not to let her mind wander while standing guard over the pool.

To his mind, there was absolutely nothing wrong with this personnel arrangement.

No matter how stable the situation appeared, leaving someone behind to keep watch remained a necessity, and Yuan Shan was unquestionably the best candidate for the job.

For one, she would undeniably put her heart and soul into the task. For another, if she were placed anywhere else, she would likely just fret over whether the others were doing their utmost.

"Understood," Yuan Shan said.

At Fu Qian's instruction, Yuan Shan didn't push the matter any further and earnestly accepted the duty.

With things having progressed to this point, anyone could see that His Excellency Corvos's true purpose for this trip was likely to receive Professor Fu.

Even Professor Fu himself seemed to have been expecting this all along. With both sides having made up their minds, someone of her relatively lowly status had no need to put up a pointless resistance.

"Excellent. Let us head up, then," Corvos said.

Corvos looked entirely satisfied with everyone's cooperation.

He was so confident in the safety and control of the area that he didn't even offer a single word of extra instruction. Instead, he directly gestured to Fu Qian, warmly inviting him along.

All in all, the moment gave off the distinct impression that the Hongmen banquet had officially commenced.

The preliminary idle wandering was over; now, it was time to officially take their seats.

"I wonder, what are Professor Fu's thoughts on the Night Watchers?"

However, Fu Qian wasn't given much time to savor this absolute peak of his life.

The very moment Fu Qian was readily accepting good advice and ascending shoulder-to-shoulder with His Excellency Corvos, the older man tossed out his next question in a tone as casual as everyday chatter.

'My thoughts on the Night Watchers?'

At first, it sounded like he was simply soliciting public feedback, even giving off a faintly open and inclusive air.

But one couldn't forget that the "member of the public" standing before him had just been proven to have a highly complicated background. 'As a "Warehouse Manager," what is your view of the Night Watchers?'

Taken in context, that was exactly how the question should have been translated.

And without even needing to think too deeply about it, one could instantly feel the immense weight behind the topic.

The slightest slip of the tongue would invite disastrous consequences—

"They feel unreasonable," Fu Qian replied.

Having spared a polite single second to think it over, Fu Qian immediately threw out a shocking statement.