sbdcsierra Chapter 534 - 35: Bringing Ruin Upon Oneself
Chapter 534 - 35: Bringing Ruin Upon Oneself
May 16, 2018
Money is omnipotent.
This saying, placed in a time of peace, is truly a wise maxim. The more orderly the society and the more developed the civilization, the stronger the presence of money becomes. As a general equivalent for exchange, having money is almost synonymous with possessing everything in a civilized society.
And for Zhao Chenlu, who earns thirty thousand Spirit Stones a day, she is, in the eyes of everyone at the Cyan Lotus Academy, no different from a deity. As long as you worship her, you will gain ultimate bliss.
"City Lord Zhao, please have some tea."
Feng Xiaolu, the head of the Celestial Craft Group and the second-ranking Elder, very eagerly offered a cup of fine tea she had treasured for years, placing it by Zhao Chenlu’s hand.
"City Lord Zhao, please enjoy some tea snacks." The third Elder Shang Wuming was not to be outdone, bringing out rare desserts that he had worked tirelessly to reserve, placing them beside the teacup.
"City Lord Zhao, please, have another cup!" Tan Luo, who was a few steps too slow, could only face the situation with a smile and presented another cup of tea.
To this, the Chief Elder Shang Miaoyu merely shook her head, lamenting that her colleagues at the academy truly didn’t understand the ways of the world and therefore were unworthy opponents for her.
She then likewise brought a cup of fine tea, but she placed it beside Wang Jiu — this newly appointed head of the academy had been sitting in the Assembly Hall for quite a while without anyone serving him tea or water, revealing the academy’s cultivators as genuinely straightforward.
However, Shang Miaoyu clearly had higher emotional intelligence, understanding that rather than directly flattering Zhao Chenlu, it would be better to flatter Wang Jiu, whom Zhao Chenlu cared the most about.
But no sooner had the cup of tea been placed there than Zhao Chenlu let out a cold laugh.
"Flirting with my man right in front of me, you’ve got some nerve."
Shang Miaoyu was stunned at that moment: "I’m showing deference to you!?"
"If my man wants tea, do you think I can’t pour it myself, or need someone else to remind me what I should do?" Zhao Chenlu sneered at this so-called deference, "Amongst all of you, you are the most foolish!"
This one sentence hit hard, and Shang Miaoyu immediately felt her Qi Blood reverse flow, almost on the verge of exploding.
But Zhao Chenlu didn’t even give Shang Miaoyu the chance to build up for a self-destruction, saying, "I see the academy’s enthusiasm, but I also know there’s no free tea here. You all being so enthusiastic must mean you have requests for me. I won’t waste time on pleasantries; sponsorship is possible, but I have conditions. I need participation rights in your research projects."
Before she had finished speaking, the atmosphere in the Assembly Hall instantly turned cold, with all the elders showing languid indifference, having lost interest. Tan Luo even repeatedly glanced at the tea placed in front of Zhao Chenlu, showing a look of reluctance and regret, as if wanting to absorb the spilled tea back with a rag and wring it out again.
Zhao Chenlu suddenly realized she might have offended some taboo among these twisted scholars, but she never held the Cyan Lotus Academy in high regard before, nor had she investigated their temperaments, so she didn’t know what she had said wrong.
Unless it’s such a simple sponsorship condition, are they still dissatisfied? Do they insist on squandering sponsorship funds without any interference? How many idiots nowadays would agree to such sponsorship terms?
At this moment, Shang Miaoyu coughed and said, "City Lord Zhao, you’ve misunderstood our Cyan Lotus Academy. While we love money, we love it so we can conduct research freely. If research cannot be conducted freely, then no amount of money is meaningful. On the issue of free research, Cyan Lotus people have no room for compromise; we will never sell our principles for money!"
After saying this, the Assembly Hall filled with applause, and Shang Miaoyu seemed to become a hero of the Cyan Lotus.
Conversely, Zhao Chenlu naturally became the ugly face of the flaunting wealth villain, turning into a target of public criticism.
This kind of treatment had been rare in Zhao Chenlu’s decades-long life; she possessed the beauty unparalleled in the world, and no matter how she misbehaved, she was always forgiven. Those who suffered because of her typically only schemed and cursed behind her back, but when faced with Zhao Chenlu, all anger would diminish at least by seventy to eighty percent upon seeing her unrivaled beauty. Yet these Cyan Lotus scholars entirely lacked aesthetic appreciation, turning a blind eye to her beauty.
This sense of frustration gradually made the smile on Zhao Chenlu’s face fade.
The number of setbacks in a woman’s life is not few. Both in the past life as Zhao Yuming or in this life as Zhao Chenlu, she had experienced numerous failures, so she naturally was not unable to accept defeat. However, becoming a laughingstock in front of her beloved is another matter entirely.
But just as Zhao Chenlu was about to take action, Wang Jiu suddenly spoke.
"The academy’s free research system has significant flaws, and I will abolish it and establish a principal decision-making system."
Before the second half of the sentence was finished, the Assembly Hall was already filled with protests and objections.
At such times, it was, of course, Shang Miaoyu who took the lead, stepping forward on behalf of the academy elders: "The free research system is the spiritual core passed down through two thousand years of Cyan Lotus Academy, the foundation of the academy. Abolishing the free research system is like abolishing the entire Cyan Lotus Academy!"
Wang Jiu said, "Xiangzhou two thousand years ago and today’s Xiangzhou are practically two different worlds. On what grounds do you hold so steadfastly to the spiritual core of the past?"
"...Because it is precisely this spiritual core that has maintained the esteemed status of the Three Academies over two thousand years!"
Wang Jiu then asked, "So what matters more to you is the esteemed status, rather than whether the spiritual core itself is appropriate?"
The eloquent Shang Miaoyu would not be stumped by such a question. She shook her head and said, "The Academy’s status precisely illustrates that our spiritual core supports the Academy. It has made sufficient contributions to the development of the Xiangzhou Continent over two thousand years, gaining everyone’s respect!"
"So the core issue is not the spiritual core itself, but whether this spiritual core is effective and can serve the greater development of Xiangzhou?"
Shang Miaoyu pondered for a moment and decided to deny this viewpoint.
Although, in reality, emphasizing effectiveness isn’t wrong, the founding doctrine of Cyan Lotus Academy isn’t about squandering hard-earned resources on whims or studying bizarre evil techniques. It is about utilizing one’s talents to advance human civilization...but the way Wang Jiu put it made it seem too utilitarian.
"The Academy has never been such a utilitarian organization. If we were to emphasize so-called effectiveness blindly, why endure years of hard study? Like the cultivators of the Celestial Craft Institute, wouldn’t it be better to directly participate in the construction of Xiangzhou? What the Academy people seek is the pinnacle of wisdom, the truth of the Immortal Dao. The respect people of Xiangzhou have for the Academy is certainly because of our outstanding contributions, but more importantly, it’s due to the respect for wisdom itself."
After Shang Miaoyu finished speaking, she felt she had constructed a logically tight fortress, capable of easily deflecting any attack.
At our reputable Cyan Lotus Academy, we research freely without regard to cost or consequence, under the noble pursuit of wisdom. Opposing us is opposing wisdom, opposing civilization! The spiritual core of Cyan Lotus Academy is invincible!
However, just as Shang Miaoyu finished speaking, Wang Jiu immediately found a flaw.
"Then, given that my wisdom surpasses all of yours, you should naturally respect my decision."
This statement, in a place like the Cyan Lotus Academy that revered wisdom, was a blatant provocation. Without Shang Miaoyu needing to respond, someone jumped up, incredibly unconvinced.
Tan Luo slammed the table and stood up, "How dare you boast! On what grounds do you say your wisdom surpasses all of ours?!"
Wang Jiu said, "We can use any existing assessment procedure from your Academy to conduct a test."
"Test it is! Who’s afraid of you?!" Just as Tan Luo was about to agree, he felt an invisible force pulling him back. He was startled and then heard Shang Miaoyu’s secret message.
"Don’t fall for his provocation. If he dares to confidently challenge the Academy’s intelligence test, there must be some trickery. Moreover, a man who could win the heart of Zhao Chenlu and is designated as the successor by the Sect Leader of the Saint Sect might indeed have an unmatched advantage in terms of intelligence."
Tan Luo was unconvinced in his heart, but reason also told him that this judgment made sense, so he unwillingly closed his mouth.
Shang Miaoyu then said, "Being exceptional in a particular area does not mean much. Even excelling in all areas does not mean he can suppress others’ opinions. Because an individual’s intelligence is limited..."
Wang Jiu asked, "Then why is it that the research directions of the Academy’s five research groups are decided by the group leaders, rather than by a vote?"
Shang Miaoyu said, "That’s to ensure basic research efficiency..."
"Then, to improve efficiency, isn’t it better for me to decide the research direction instead of having five group leaders each decide?"
"Of course not," Shang Miaoyu bravely stated, "There must be a balance between free research and autocratic behavior, and that balance is the Academy’s rules. You may consider us sticklers, but the experience of the past two thousand years shows that following certain rules is the guarantee of maximizing human intellect effectively."
Wang Jiu said, "So you would strictly abide by the Academy rules?"
Shang Miaoyu said, "...Yes, I would abide by the Academy rules."
Wang Jiu said, "Very well, I have already contacted the Sect Leader of the Saint Sect, and he agrees to amend the Academy rules to abolish free research and replace it with a decision-making system by the Dean. Therefore, I hope you will cooperate with Zhao Chenlu on related research topics."
Zhao Chenlu was utterly moved, "My dear, you..."
Meanwhile, the people of the Cyan Lotus Academy were so furious they nearly exploded, "How dare you abuse public power for personal gain?!"
Wang Jiu said, "This is a rational decision. Zhao Chenlu’s Intelligence Index surpasses all of yours present, so considering efficiency maximization, it is the correct choice for you to collaborate with her on relevant research when she has an area of interest."
Tan Luo erupted, "Enough! Constantly saying ’higher intelligence this, higher intelligence that’ makes us Cyan Lotus Cultivators seem like idiots. I truly refuse to accept it. If your intelligence is indeed that high, let’s test it!"