Wu Qiong had been a Daoist priest for centuries; his skill in verbal tai chi was far beyond what most could counter.
Since Xiaojingji had laid her demands out so plainly, Wu Qiong decided to lean into the momentum:"Poor Daoist is but a man of limited talent and shallow learning. Since Tianmi City is willing to take on this heavy burden, I would gladly hand over the operational rights of the game to—"
"Wu Daozhang!"Habsburg VI quickly cut him off. "When did Xiaojingji ever mention Tianmi City? She clearly said the Seven Great Families!"
"Ah, yes. The fault is mine!" Wu Qiong bowed with a genial smile. "Whale Fall City's intention to delegate game operations to a third party is merely to avoid any appearance of impropriety.
"You see, many of Whale Fall City's young talents have registered for the Whale Fall Decision competition. If we were to manage the game ourselves, people might accuse us of bias.
"That's why I considered outsourcing operations to ensure fairness. Today's chaos was due to my own lack of caution—I was misled by a small company claiming to hail from Silvergold Fortress. I nearly made a grievous mistake."
"Silvergold Fortress?"All eyes turned toward the Silvergold delegation. Could it be that the obscure company was actually acting under their flag? Was Silvergold Fortress attempting to seize control under the radar?
A board member from Silvergold immediately stood up and declared:"That company has nothing to do with Silvergold Fortress. They were frauds using our name to scam people. Do not believe such baseless rumors!"
And with that, the room descended into a new round of heated bickering.
Every time tensions flared, the undercover officers hidden in the crowd tensed up.
After all, the president of Duma Corporation had dropped dead in the middle of a similar argument just two days prior—tonight's killer could strike again at any moment.
In his corner, Huang Peiyu silently observed. This Daoist Wu really was something. Every argument started because of him, yet somehow he always re-emerged as the peacemaker, soothing the tension just as it reached a boiling point.
Wu Qiong kept bowing and urging calm:"Please, honored guests, do not be agitated—do allow this poor Daoist to say a few words. Once I finish, you may then decide as you see fit."
His command of the room was masterful. The meeting was progressing almost exactly as he had scripted it.
But the people embroiled in the conflict—the contenders—were too close to see clearly.
It was only as an outsider that Huang Peiyu could see the truth: Wu Qiong was orchestrating the entire drama.
A man who could subtly sway the emotions of hundreds without raising his voice could just as easily, in front of them all, take a life—and no one would even notice until it was too late.
Once the room had settled again, Wu Qiong spoke:"The Whale Fall Decision game now has over 1 billion registered players. Given the current rules, it is indeed unfair to the majority.
"Therefore, I propose this: let the six major families organize a qualifying round before the main game begins. Whale Fall City will not participate in any way—not in setting the format nor in judging results.
"Only after the qualifying matches are complete will the winners be allowed to compete in the Whale Fall Decision proper. What say you all to this proposal?"
At last, the tension in the room dissolved.Compared to the current "first-come, first-served" rule, a qualification round sounded much more fair and reasonable.
The six family representatives each nodded. They agreed.
Wu Qiong let out a relieved sigh and bowed deeply."Since you all find this solution acceptable, Whale Fall City will step back from all qualifying round arrangements. Henceforth, all matters shall be decided by the six families. Whale Fall City's board will no longer be involved."
The message was crystal clear: Whale Fall City is no battleground for your squabbling. If you must fight, take it somewhere else.
The six families felt slightly embarrassed.Just days ago, over a hundred people had stormed into Whale Fall City demanding justice—and someone had died. Now, another mob had marched in with threats and accusations.
Wu Qiong had always been known as a reclusive Daoist hermit, uninterested in worldly matters. Yet in just three days, his city had been turned into a war zone—twice.
Bowing again, Wu Qiong said sincerely:"My daughter and I are deeply grateful for your mercy. I possess no other skills save for some knowledge of medicine. Regardless of who the next City Lord may be, we only wish to continue practicing medicine and healing the people."
Bai Shuang bowed too, her face pale with barely contained tears. Her fragile demeanor stirred something in the hearts of the crowd.
Though they had all come with dreams of seizing the city, seeing Wu Qiong and his daughter standing alone under public scrutiny brought about a pang of guilt.
None of them had truly considered the well-being of Whale Fall City.If the six families didn't step up and offer protection, the city could collapse before the game even began. Whoever won in the end might find they'd inherited a dead city.
At that moment, a dignified man in his sixties stood up and walked to Wu Qiong's side.
It was He Shouchen, President of the Space Federation University.
He hadn't spoken once throughout the entire meeting—not on the first day, nor now. But now he walked to the center of the hall to stand beside Wu Qiong.
"Teacher Wu," he greeted respectfully.
"President He," Wu Qiong returned the bow.
He Shouchen continued:"Your teachings from my youth remain with me to this day. Now that you're being unjustly blamed by the families, I shall bear that responsibility on your behalf."
He turned to the crowd and raised his voice:"Master Wu once guided me when I was young. Any success I have today is thanks to his wisdom. From this moment on, I formally request that you do not trouble my teacher again. Any future negotiations regarding Whale Fall City, I shall handle in his stead!"
Habsburg VI and Xiaojingji both shot disdainful looks at He Shouchen.This old fox was clearly posturing.
Though the He family ranked last among the Seven Great Families, it was far from weak.
In fact, nearly every prominent figure in space had graduated from the Space Federation University—He Shouchen's school. Even Xiaojingji and her sister Xiaomeigui were once his junior classmates.
By putting on this little performance, He Shouchen wasn't just shielding Wu Qiong—he was effectively appointing himself as Whale Fall City's spokesperson.
From now on, any decisions regarding the city would go through him.
And this power play was arguably more effective than claiming the game's operational rights outright.
Wu Qiong, ever eager to step back, seized the opportunity."Many thanks, President He, for taking up this heavy burden. I am deeply grateful."
He Shouchen responded with equal dramatics:"To relieve my teacher of worry is my honor and duty!"
In the corner, Huang Peiyu smirked and muttered:"This show just keeps getting better."