Chapter 1353: Chapter 512: Undercurrents Surging
Engaged in special operations for a long time, Young Master Ou possesses a keen ability to observe nuances in others, and with just one glance, he could sense a change in Zheng Tian’s mental state.
Now Zheng Tian is already an excellent military commander, adept at concealing her emotions through her qi cultivation skills.
Yet, Ou Youning was able to perceive the deep-seated changes within her. Although she instinctively sought to hide them, the lightness and sense of release emanating from her were unmistakably genuine.
So Young Master Ou probed, "Wow! My goodness! Zheng Tian, you actually smiled! Has something good happened recently?"
Zheng Tian shook her head, "I laugh at you for being someone ranked among the top twenty actual power holders on Red Blade Star, yet still retaining the ingratiating habits developed in the past."
Young Master Ou curled his lip, dismissively saying, "You wouldn’t understand. It’s a survival strategy for a small fry like me. Speaking of ingratiating, I can’t compare to you as the captain. Back in the day, some people even wanted to bathe the boss, but unfortunately, with a figure like a washboard, the boss wasn’t interested."
"Oh, go away..."
Watching as the two gradually disappeared from view during their playful chase, Ren Zhong’s subconsciously smiling curve at the corner of his mouth gradually faded.
To this day, it’s only when he’s with these old loyalists who have been with him from the start that this civilized leader can easily reveal his true nature.
It’s not that he’s being pretentious, but as his status changes, he can no longer easily reveal his genuine thoughts in public like he used to.
With the emergence of the Red Blade Star’s influence, he will inevitably find himself under increasing scrutiny, and there will certainly be numerous specialists analyzing him personally, attempting to use micro-expression psychology, body language studies, and other humanities to probe his inner thoughts, thereby forecasting future policy directions of Red Blade Star.
This discipline is collectively known as Integrated Analysis Method. It might sound a bit mystical, but in the competition between civilizations, Integrated Analysis Method is indeed indispensable. With just a successful speculation and prediction, it can potentially be decisive. In some respects, this technique is akin to a weakened version of Ren Zhong’s foresight ability.
For instance, right now Ren Zhong has already decided to dispatch the Expeditionary Fleet to hunt in the Shattered Star Ring. However, if the specialists from Nanxiang’s Earldom use the Integrated Analysis Method to grasp his thoughts and clearly pinpoint this matter, then strengthen the control over the entrances and exits of the subspace channel targeting the Southern Nine Star System, the Expeditionary Fleet would fall into peril, likely with no return.
Therefore, in the coming days, Ren Zhong will thrust Huo Donghua onto the stage, pretend to be in cryogenic slumber, but secretly remain in control behind the scenes, while maintaining high attention and deep intervention in all significant affairs, secretly directing the civilization’s trajectory for three purposes. First, to increase his own mystique and prevent other forces, led by Nanxiang’s Earldom, from capturing the movements of the Red Blade Clan through Integrated Analysis Method. Second, personally deeply intervening in critical matters to expedite the growth of the second and third-generation management layers of Red Blade Star, stratifying the leadership management to prevent a lack of personnel after the original team who fought for the realm gradually passes away. Third, concealing his natural longevity ability with a theoretical lifespan of up to 192 years, avoiding attention from the Imperial Family, to prevent becoming a guinea pig.
Another two years passed in the blink of an eye.
Enduring humiliation, Grue Augustus underwent two years of compulsory learning on the Nanxiang Main Star and was forced to copulate with the Liu clan woman appointed by Nanxiang’s Earldom, siring a son, then personally ordered the family guard on South Nine b to act and killed dozens of his wives, concubines, and offspring, prematurely establishing this son as the first in line to inherit the title of Viscount Nan Jiu. Finally, he returned home with honor under the escort of Nanxiang Earldom’s fleet.
From then on, the comprehensive sanctions of Nanxiang Earldom against the Viscount Nan Jiu came to an end. Within the Nanxiang Star Cluster, various forces held diverse opinions about Grue Augustus’s actions, some positive, some negative.
Some said Grue Augustus was very decisive, adept at enduring, turning risk into opportunity by using this to connect with Nanxiang’s Earldom. They believed he would certainly be a heroic figure in the future.
Others said Grue Augustus had no integrity, continuously erring out of fear of Nanxiang Marquis’s power. These people were dubious about the deaths of Sosgate and Bocao, believing Grue Augustus acted maliciously, seeking forgiveness. Afterwards, Grue Augustus actively became the bloodline vassal of Nanxiang Marquis, entrapped the wolf, betrayed his family’s roots, particularly by establishing the inheritance rights of the Liu clan’s daughter’s son, and ruthlessly slaughtering his close kin. Such behavior was utterly insane, and not calling him the disgrace of Imperial aristocracy wouldn’t be an exaggeration.
