Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Think Tank Group Office, Truth Department.
Ren Ruofeng was combing the hair around his temples in the mirror and he nodded in satisfaction at his reflection. Using the Venerable Dragon God’s Face Rejuvenating Pill daily for these past few months had produced quite amazing results; not a single strand of white hair can be seen. As expected of something produced by the Dragon Clan, what amazing quality.
A couple knocks sounded from the door before it was pushed open.
Ren Ruofeng did not have to raise his head to know who it was. Who else would barge into his office without waiting for permission?
“What’s the matter? I have to work overtime today, so I can’t go home for dinner. You and Zhu Zhu can have dinner by yourselves,” he said calmly.
Hong Yunjiao flung a stack of reports onto his table and said, “Qiongzhou’s Special Affairs Department sent these confidential files. A unique race from the previous realm have descended in a large group and the method that they used to descend hasn’t been discovered yet. The people of this race sport unique characteristics, they’re square and white, and they want to rent our land for farming. They sent information that they have just finished analyzing over an entire night. To maintain confidentiality, they didn’t send it over the Internet and instead had it sent using express delivery.”
Ren Ruofeng remained unmoved. He paid no attention to the stack of printed information and continued combing his hair in the mirror. He drawled, “I’ll read it later. The Venerable Dragon God’s butler had sent their information to me using QQ, so I’ll read the Dragon Clan’s better version first.”
“What?” Hong Yunjiao glared at him and seethed, “Why didn’t you say so earlier, then our subordinates wouldn’t have to rush everything…”
Ren Ruofeng set his comb down and folded his arms. “I had only just received it too, and information channels have never been allowed to interact, which allows for verification of information. I’m working overtime tonight precisely because of this whole Whitestone people business.”
Hong Yunjiao was at a loss for words. How would she not know something like this; it was obvious she was just using it as a chance to stir up trouble…
Zhu Zhu was carrying a child that belonged to the Ren family, yet she had carried none her entire life. It was obvious who was clearly in a disadvantageous situation.
She turned and left the office as she thought to herself, ‘Hmph, all of you think that I’ll compromise, but once Zhu Zhu gives birth, I have my own secret ways to care for it. When that happens, all of you will be in deep trouble…’
Ren Ruofeng watched Hong Yunjiao leave and thought pleasingly to himself, ‘She still knows what’s right. Ever since I explained things clearly to her, she allowed me to bring Zhu Zhu home. She’s even personally checking up on her and caring for her every need.’
Of course the Truth Department had its own strict regulations, and as the leader, he could not break the rules. Although they could not stay together, they could still share meals together and become good friends. Who’s to say that it would not come to a happy ending…
After all, the both of them were looking forward to a long life, so getting along like this seemed to be good enough. An old couple would have too many contradictions, so living separately now was much more comfortable for both parties. It’s not like they would get sick anyways, so there was no need to care for each other…
With a happy heart, he immediately started flipping through the reports that Butler Zheng had sent.
“The Whitestone people are white and square. They are born honest, and they never lie. Their origins are…”
Things went exactly as he said; after staying up an entire night, he had finished reading the thick stack of reports and had come to a conclusion. If both reports were true, then the Whitestone people were one thing.
They were a valuable race, rare treasures even. He could not let them go…
He had no idea how the ancestor of the Whitestone people managed to do something like this. Although he could not say it was something akin to Nuwa creating mankind 1 , it was still an ancient celestial power.
The Whitestone people that were seen as jokes and were ostracized in the previous realm, yet in his eyes, they were different.
He immediately called Xie Dong and asked the other person to leave for Qiongzhou with him. He would not let this group of treasures slip through his fingers.
Xie Dong rushed over immediately, his face one of bitter acceptance.
It was four thirty in the morning of a day in May, so the sky was still dark. He was still sleeping with his wife and child in his embrace…
Ever since the Venerable Dragon God appeared suddenly, especially these past few months after the Venerable One obtained a flying sword, the increased efficiency that he enjoyed had greatly decreased the work the Truth Department had to do.
Sudden outbreaks of evil Extraordinaires have greatly lessened, so they could all enjoy a good night’s rest. It was no longer like before, where they had to worry about waking up in the middle of the night to travel to somewhere thousands of miles away to handle an accident.
Venerable Dragon God was much faster than them. Every time they received a phone call from the police, they would receive a report saying that the matter had been dealt with at the same time…
However, the urgent matter at hand could not even be dealt with by the Venerable One himself?
Slowly but surely, Xie Dong himself did not even realize that he had developed a “Venerable One Reliance Syndrome”.
“Let’s go now, young one, stop acting all sleepy. I haven’t slept the whole night yet you don’t see me complaining. Look at the wrinkles on my forehead, after pulling an all-nighter, have they increased a bit?” Ren Ruofeng went over to clap his hand against Xie Dong’s shoulder, helping wake the other person.
Xie Dong could tell if a person was lying, so unless it were matters of business, otherwise he would always be straightforward while talking to him, there was no point in twisting his words around Xie Dong anyways…
“Your Evergreen Supreme Technique is profound and marvelous, despite pulling an all-nighter, not a wrinkle can be seen,” said Xie Dong with a forced smile.
Ren Ruofeng nodded his head in satisfaction. He grabbed his briefcase and walked towards the door.
After checking his reflection in the mirror by the door, he finally opened the door and left the office. As he walked, he said, “I knew you weren’t lying just now, very good. Your ability will be put to good use with the person we’re going to meet now. Don’t make a sour face, once we return from this trip, I’ll have your Public Relations group get two more days of vacation.”
Hearing this, Xie Dong immediately caught up with Ren Ruofeng and helped carry his briefcase. He proceeded to express his gratitude, “Thank you so much, Captain Ren, I know that you’re telling the truth.”
He did not need money, or a wife, or a house, but he needed a vacation.
“You sly fellow…” Ren Ruofeng pointed an accusatory finger at the other person.
He could use tricks like this to bluff the other people of the Truth Department, only Xie Dong, with his unique ability to tell if a person was lying or not, he could not bluff. He could only not offer anything, or go through with his offer once he did.
If it were some immoral boss that lied to get his way, Xie Dong would be the bane of their existence.
…
The beach of Qiongzhou, Fuluo County.
A group of Whitestone people were sitting cross-legged on the floor while they practiced cultivation, and not one of them moved.
Their leader, on the other hand, had Shi Da with him while he spoke to the representative of the owner of the land they were currently stepping on.
“I apologize, all we want is to farm enough crops to feed us all, we don’t want to achieve anything great.” The leader of the Whitestone people, Shi Gan, said this while he shook his head.
After hearing what Shi Gan had said, Ren Ruofeng felt like had been slapped in the face.
He had just confirmed everything with Xie Dong just now, and it was a fact that none of them were lying. All 250 of them either kept quiet or only spouted the truth when they spoke.
After confirming this, Ren Ruofeng was bursting with happiness like he had gotten a rare treasure, yet he still maintained his composure on the outside. He fanned himself while he described a bright future for the other party if they accepted his invitation for collaboration.
He told them that if they joined the Truth Department’s system, building a world where everyone was honest was only a matter of time.
He spoke with logic, each part of his explanation was elaborated with various methods.
Their race was gifted with honesty, so they were laughed at and ostracized in the dog-eat-dog society of the previous realm.
However, the current society they were living in needed honesty more than ever. They could show their capabilities with jobs like referees, judges, or quality supervisors. They would be able to maintain justice in society.
People holding key positions did not need to worry that their subordinates would lie and bluff about things either. This was the most important point, if an honest person held a key position, they would be able to guarantee that the organization would not fall into chaos and would run smoothly.
He huffed, “Why won’t you accept my proposal?”
Shi Gan remained quiet.
The fat and wide Shi Da beside him suddenly spoke, “Oh, our clan leader had secretly told me that you are an old man, yet you are even lying about your age. You are quite old, yet you still say you’re only 18 years old. There is no way for us to believe him…”
Ren Ruofeng vomited a mouthful of blood. He certainly did not expect for this to cause a problem. When he had introduced himself earlier, he had subconsciously said he was only 18 years old…
He had spent so much time mulling things over just now too. He had described things so perfectly and the other party had agreed as well, it even seemed like he had successfully persuaded the other party as they were about to accept his proposal, yet they had rejected him in the end?
Turns out this clan leader had the ability to tell if a person was lying or not too, how amazing. It was no wonder a bunch of honest folks like them could survive in the previous realm for so long.
He shook his head and sighed, “I apologize, I had spoken out of habit. I’m actually 74 years old this year, and I was able to return to my youth because I had cultivated a celestial ability.”
Right after he finished speaking, he realized Xie Dong could not help but snicker.
He thought to himself, ‘Haha, you young fellow, laugh all you want. You have no idea that your vacation is all but gone now…”
Xie Dong of course had no idea. He could tell if a person was lying or not, but if the other person was not saying anything, he was practically powerless.
He just found it funny that Captain Ren, who has always been strong-willed and brilliant, would also be rendered to his wit’s end in front of an honest person.
Thankfully Captain Hong had not seen it happen, otherwise she would have had a laughing fit.
Only then did Shi Gan nod his head, “Hmm, you’re finally telling the truth. If you could just swear to the skies once again that you would be willing to follow the steps you had just mentioned – one, starting from yourself, there will be no lying, two, starting from yourself, everyone will treat each other with kindness, and three, starting from yourself, everyone will treat their friends and companions with sincerity, then we will join the Truth Department and collaborate with you to form a world where everyone is sincere.”
Right after he finished speaking, he looked at Ren Ruofeng with passion in his eyes. He wanted Ren Ruofeng to know that he knew of the fact that Ren Ruofeng was a prominent figure in this realm and that he held a lot of influence, so if he took the lead, he would be able to influence a lot of people into doing the same.
Ren Ruofeng had just wanted to take the oath when he suddenly broke into a cold sweat. The less you knew about a person, the more you would stand to lose.
This was a Heavenly Oath, so how could he simply go about it? He had never done it before either…
This three-step plan had always been something he had used to bluff others. He was not lying of course, but their words were too broad and lacked depth. The gullible Whitestone people might have believed him, but any person on earth would know that achieving it is possible, but it would take at least a few thousand years…
Seeing Ren Ruofeng’s hesitation, the clan leader’s face flashed with obvious disappointment.
He shook his head and said, “Alas, yet another person trying to lie to us. Please take your leave, we will not place our hope upon somebody else. We will use our own two hands to slowly build the world that we want.”
Ren Ruofeng felt shame for the first time in his life. In front of an idealist go-getter, his brilliance that he could always rely on had been rendered useless.
A long time ago, he also had a dream, but it had crumbled to bits in the face of reality. However, he was once again filled with the urge to pick up the pieces of that dream again.
