Chapter 3050 Blinded by Greed

It came to an abrupt halt.

Just as the revelry reached its peak, the brewing storm over Shangjing was forcibly ushered offstage, leaving behind a trace of regret.

But on closer thought, everyone involved still had a bright future ahead of them, and the audience had seemingly gotten exactly what they came for. Bowing out at the height of the excitement made perfect sense.

True, Corvos likely couldn't care less about the fates of the Twin Prides of Shangjing, or even the municipal official. But he clearly wasn't going to provide an endless venue for Professor Fu to play his little games, either.

His core reason for entertaining this alternative Shangjing drama was simply to verify their earlier conversation.

Specifically, he wanted to verify Professor Fu's views on the order in Shangjing and the fruits of the Night Watchers' labor.

As it turned out, Professor Fu's casual pointers had hit the mark with every word, shifting the very winds and clouds over Shangjing.

His profound grasp of the city's overall ecosystem was nothing short of breathtaking, and he maintained an entirely detached posture throughout.

He didn't even mind exposing certain malicious backroom deals right in front of everyone.

In fact, it was precisely this detached, casual placement of pieces that ultimately perfectly achieved the two points he had mentioned earlier—

The municipal official secured further support, making his future even brighter.

The youths of Shangjing refused to yield to one another, engaging in a fierce struggle. It painted a picture of a generation refusing to lie flat, instead leading a new trend of striving. Furthermore, Professor Fu had taken the opportunity to test the depths of the Night Watchers while he was at it... exactly as he had done when he was actually in Shangjing.

All in all, the guest at this Hongmen banquet hadn't been a spoilsport in the slightest. When the host wanted a performance, he had genuinely taken the stage and shown off his skills, ensuring everyone got what they came for.

But "what other place's order do you appreciate?"

It sounded like His Excellency Corvos still wasn't satisfied. Did he want another performance?

"At sea."

Playing the accommodating guest, Fu Qian didn't shy away from this slightly excessive demand. He simply offered a casual answer.

"At sea? You could say that most of it is divided up and controlled by the conglomerates. What specific point of order are you referring to, Professor Fu?"

It was just that the location was a bit too broad. For a moment, even Corvos looked thoughtful.

"Exactly that. Divided and controlled."

Refusing to speak in riddles, Fu Qian got straight to the point.

"Regardless of whether they are constantly at each other's throats, I believe this power structure spearheaded by the Night Watchers is similarly a manifestation of order."

...Chaotic corporate disputes fundamentally reflecting order.

At first glance, Professor Fu's approval sounded a bit like forced praise.

"Better to channel than to dam. The concept of order is ironically best reflected once things are set in motion."

He was even continuing to praise them, further explaining his reasoning.

"Thank you for the recognition. So, in your eyes, the recent conflict between Anjing and Siren isn't a bad thing either?"

Faced with this high-intensity barrage of praise, the Night Watchers finally found it difficult to remain silent.

Gazing at the library, which had once again fallen quiet, Corvos accepted this honor on behalf of the Night Watchers. At the same time, he connected theory with practice, deducing the implications of Professor Fu's statement.

He clearly didn't feel he was overanalyzing it. When it came to the "sea" Professor Fu had just mentioned, apart from the Night Watchers, those two organizations were the undisputed overlords of that domain.

"Indeed. In my view, conflict is a classic manifestation of a functioning system of order. As for whether it's good or bad, that depends entirely on your personal standpoint. For example, to me, it might just be a good thing."

Fu Qian nodded as if this were a matter of course, completely unabashed about using himself as an example.

"Why is it a good thing?"

This time, Corvos seemed determined to get to the bottom of things.

"Because I have some history with them."

Fu Qian answered without missing a beat.

"What kind of history?"

The Night Watcher titan still wouldn't let it go.

"Let me think... Emperor Yasui and I had a bit of a disagreement. As for Siren, they owe me money."

Fu Qian immediately reminisced about his transcendent life.

"My rent deposit."

...

He actually dared to say that out loud? And weren't those two reasons just a bit disproportionate?

He wasn't exactly carving off his own flesh to go with his wine, but his casual banter was enough to startle ghosts and gods alike.

By openly admitting to a rift with Emperor Yasui, Fu Qian's words left the crowd thoroughly rattled. Old Man Stoss even looked as though his heart had leaped into his throat.

The name Emperor Yasui could arguably be considered the root cause of this massive brawl. For Professor Fu to bring her up without batting an eye inevitably led to wild speculations—such as whether he had played a key role in the conflict—sparking an endless stream of conspiracy theories.

But his grudge against Siren was far more abstract by comparison.

When exactly did he become their tenant? Did Siren even know they had offended him over something like that?

"You guys have clearly never rented an apartment."

How could Professor Fu fail to notice their reactions? He merely let out a soft sigh.

How could a group of figures standing at the apex of the world possibly understand the psychological trauma a withheld deposit could inflict on a young man's soul?

"It sounds as though Professor Fu would rather see Siren win this conflict?"

As it turned out, His Excellency Corvos ultimately didn't pry any further into the matter.

He didn't ask questions like whether Fu Qian was the one who killed Emperor Yasui. Instead, he simply asked which side Fu Qian was on.

"Actually, neither. From a purely practical standpoint, I ought to side with the Ji Clan."

Yet again, Professor Fu's candor was almost frightening. He made absolutely no effort to hide his investment in Classmate Liushuang.

...

"I actually thought Your Excellency would answer with the Academy just now."

The banter was effectively killed by that single sentence. Everyone present was clearly aware of the Sword in the Stone incident and knew all about Professor Fu's favoritism toward his research assistant.

But even with Professor Fu displaying such naked, profit-seeking motives, no one voiced any condemnation.

When Corvos spoke again, he even took the initiative to change the subject.

His statement was completely logical. Based on Professor Fu's usual routine, aside from the Shangjing Bookstore, he spent the vast majority of his time idling away at the Academy.

Not to mention that he had been thriving at the Academy lately, churning out quite the impressive results.

"The Academy is indeed quite nice."

Not only was he good at praising others, but Professor Fu was also remarkably unashamed when it came to praising himself.

"But as I said just now, order is best reflected once things are set in motion. The situation at the Academy is actually better described as stable."

"Although the Night Watchers have certainly played a huge part in maintaining that stability."

Moving to a conceptual level, he earnestly broke down the differences in definition, taking the opportunity to affirm the Night Watchers' contributions.

...Played a huge part? Of course, the listeners would read into his words. Whether Corvos and the others drew any hidden implications from it was entirely up to them.

"It is simply our duty... Since that's the case, let's find a new place to chat."

Corvos had stared at him for a full two seconds before speaking. He seemed to have already made his decision.

Tapping his finger lightly against "First Birthday" once more, he ultimately refrained from asking about the Ash Sea or the exploration team.

This place was...

The moment the scenery shifted, Fu Qian realized that their new location wasn't Moore, either.