Chapter 197: Evening Talks

It wasn't until nightfall that Zhou You and his team left their rooms. Calling them out for dinner, Zhou You was relaxed, especially with Xuan Yue accompanying them.

Long Gan went home. Having been away for several months, he missed his loved ones. Zhou You didn't want to intrude, so he planned to take the others to a restaurant he had visited before.

But as they were leaving, they were stopped by influential figures. With Cheng Zi'ang and Zhao Jinghao present, both of whom had assisted them in the past, the outing transformed into a grand dinner.

Mayor Lan had prearranged everything. When they arrived, dishes and drinks were already on the tables.

"To meet Mr. Zhou is a privilege," Mayor Lan began. "I hope you'd give me the honor of properly hosting our great hero."

Although unfamiliar with him, Zhou You found Mayor Lan's flattery inoffensive, responding, "You're too kind, Mayor Lan. I hardly deserve such a title."

"You're being too modest. Last month, we established a Heroes' Foundation to honor those who've made significant contributions. Among the first ten awardees, both you and Marshal Shao are listed. We were thinking of sending your award, but now, you've come!"

"Had I known you were coming, I'd have suspected you were here for the award," Lan Tu joked, the award ceremony being scheduled in a week.

"There's no need. To be honest, we aren't really from the Jiangnan Base."

"This award isn't determined by one's registered residence. It's a token of appreciation from the entire base to our heroes. The foundation not only recognizes those who have made outstanding contributions but also supports underprivileged students with aspirations. The martial arts culture is thriving in Jiangnan Base, thanks largely to you and the Marshal."

"We merely provided a platform. The real teaching and learning are done by others. It also requires everyone to have the willingness to learn."

Impatient with Lan Tu's rambling, Cheng Ziang interjected, "I heard that there's a new martial arts school for adults in Yang City. Could you tell us more about it, Mr. Zhou?"

Zhou You sensed Cheng's intention to emulate Yang City's initiative. Recognizing it as a positive move, he detailed the mission and admission criteria of Xuanmen Martial Arts School. As its honorary principal, he had closely monitored the school's operation. Except for a brief period when they stopped teaching internal skills, everything had been going well.

As for the Xuanmen's internal martial arts manual, he was still studying it. He's made some progress and plans to first train his eleven disciples from Xuanmen. If it proves effective, things would be set.

Although Cheng Ziang's martial arts skills weren't advanced, he was adept at management. After listening to Zhou You, he started forming an initial idea.

The Martial Arts Association's rise to power is due to its ability to appease all martial artists, offering both financial support and job opportunities. As a result, the association gradually superseded the government, becoming a sacred place for martial artists, which directly challenges his military power.

Shao Qi initially brought martial arts into the public eye, encouraging national participation. This was to diminish the dominance of the big sects. The major sects' interests are deeply intertwined with the Martial Arts Association, which compromises national interests.

On this matter, he and Zhou You clearly shared the same vision. Thus, they began discussing the topic of "schools." Others, wanting to engage with Zhou, joined in, making it feel less like a dinner in a restaurant and more like a national affairs conference.

Xuan Yue could offer his opinion, given that the school was established by Xuanmen. However, being young and not involved in management, he couldn't provide any constructive feedback and just quietly enjoyed his meal.

The cuisine in Jiangnan Base, predominantly seafood with a light flavor, was quite different from Yang City. Initially, Xuan Yue wasn't accustomed to it, but the inherent freshness was so tempting that he kept eating, without ever feeling overly full.

The ten bodyguards sent by Elder Xuan were, in reality, his top disciples. Accustomed to major events, these elite members from the major sect quickly bonded with the Jiangnan Base's top brass. Anyone entering would never guess that this was their first meeting.

Zhou You had another meeting with Cheng Ziang that evening. Therefore, he declined all offers for drinks with a simple excuse: his partner forbade it. And once people knew who his partner was, no one dared to persuade him further.

Zhao Jinghao had been out today. He heard about the insect swarm and thought it might be a minor or major issue. After a quick scout around the base and seeing no sign of the insects, he returned. Upon hearing of Zhou's arrival, he naturally wanted to visit.

He was closer to Zhou You than others because he was a disciple of Xuanmen. He'd also heard rumors of the sect leader wanting to pass on the leadership to Zhou. With many of his fellow disciples around, he certainly had to accompany them.

Zhao Jinghao's main concern was the insect swarm. Anything considered dangerous by Zhou was indeed troublesome. Their base was steadily growing, and any turbulence wasn't welcomed.

Zhou You shared a video he had taken, suggesting that Zhao should use it as a reference. He only had one dead insect; this would definitely be given to the research institute. Catching live insects would be up to the Jiangnan Base.

Dinner went on till midnight. Many were drunk by the end. Zhou You had Zhao Jinghao escort Xuan Yue to the hotel, while he got into Cheng Ziang's car.

Cheng Ziang, who hadn't drunk much, started the car and asked, "Heading to the military district?"

"Yes, we'll talk at your place."

Cheng Ziang wondered about Zhou's purpose for this visit. Was it related to some confidential mission from Marshal Shao? Cheng had received many updates from Cheng Yuran and had a fair understanding of their activities in Yang City. Given this relationship, the Jiangnan Military District was clearly on Marshal Shao's side.

"Upon returning to the sect, Yuran went straight into seclusion. She said she's close to a breakthrough. The sect leader is thrilled and even mentioned personally thanking you."