Vientiane Throne of Civilization

Chapter 2078 Morton's Question (Part Two)
Upon receiving the order and learning that the Emperor had summoned him, Morton was visibly taken aback.

However, he was a smart man, and after a year, he had a pretty good understanding of the system in the Great Zhou.

The next step up in the secretarial office is either being directly appointed as a district head or being promoted to an assistant officer.

Morton himself was well aware that Zhou Xu most likely wanted to groom him to be his assistant, and he had already implicitly accepted this in his heart.

Am I about to get a promotion?

A year has passed, and he has adapted to life in the workplace of Da Zhou. He has long since lost the initial anxiety and resistance.

In this context, Morton saw the promotion as also meaning a pay rise, which was undoubtedly a good thing.

However, the result was completely unexpected.

“Morton, you’ve been working here for a year now and have accumulated a lot of work experience. I reckon it’s about time to transfer you back to the Elf Forest.”

"what?!"

Morton couldn't keep his composure and lost his composure on the spot.

"Your Majesty, has I done anything wrong?"

In a single sentence, Morton revealed his true intentions: he had no intention of going back.

Zhou Xu listened and, without beating around the bush, directly pointed out the problem.

“You’ve actually done a good job at work this year, but you have some issues with your personal life. You’re always getting drunk outside, which doesn’t meet the requirements here.”

Zhou Xu was speaking the truth at this moment.

In Blackmoon City, given Morton's situation, if he cannot be promoted to the Hall of Diligent Governance, then sending him back to be the Elf King might allow him to play a greater role.

But Morton simply didn't want to go back.

From Morton's perspective, becoming the Elf King in the Elf Forest is no different from being banished to the mountains to be a village chief.

Going to be a village chief in the mountains means you won't have anything you need. It's not as comfortable as being a civil servant in the capital!

Upon hearing Zhou Xu's words, Morton immediately realized what was happening and decisively expressed his opinion...

"I can abstain from alcohol!"

For Morton, drinking is just a small hobby; when he's in the mood, he'll down a couple of drinks.

But if he were to be sent back to be the village chief because of those two drinks, that would be such a humiliation.

He also quickly figured out why drinking had become a problem.

"Moreover, Your Majesty, please listen to my explanation. I may appear drunk, but my mind is actually clear."

"..."

Zhou Xu believed Morton's words.

Because, like Morton, he was an extraordinary being.

The metabolic capacity of extraordinary beings is indeed stronger than that of mortals, and high-proof spirits are not popular in their Great Zhou Dynasty. They mainly drink beer, fruit wine, or rice wine.

With that in mind, Morton said that he can still maintain a certain level of clarity when he is drunk. He believes that under the influence of alcohol, his self-control and judgment will be impaired. What if he gets confused and is tricked into revealing information while drunk?

You can't gamble on this. If you walk by the river often enough, you're bound to get your shoes wet.
His bad habit is a hidden danger; just because it doesn't cause problems today doesn't mean it won't cause problems in the future.

Morton's statement that he wasn't drunk did not satisfy Zhou Xu.

However, the other party's statement that he wanted to quit drinking made Zhou Xu think that he could give him a chance.

“If you want to stay in the capital, that’s not impossible. You don’t need to quit drinking, but you need to control yourself. You should understand what I mean.”

Zhou Xu deeply understood the principle that it is better to guide than to block.

Although Morton himself suggested quitting drinking, he clearly had no prior experience with alcohol. It wasn't as simple as he thought; forcing him to completely abstain might create even bigger problems in the process. Conversely, a few drinks in moderation are harmless and can even satisfy Morton's cravings.

"I understand, and I promise I will not let you down!"

Hearing this, Zhou Xu nodded in satisfaction.

"Okay, then you can go and do your thing."

"My minister retire."

Morton, having left the Hall of Diligent Governance, couldn't help but wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.

I originally thought His Majesty summoned me to promote me and give me a raise, but who would have thought that I would almost be sent back to my hometown to be the village chief.

Morton felt a lingering fear at the thought.

Morton had originally planned to have drinks with his buddies after get off work, but now that this has happened, he's completely lost his appetite for drinking.

However, this state only lasted for two days. Just as Zhou Xu had initially predicted, this thing was indeed not something that could be quit so easily.

After two days without drinking, Morton's cravings resurfaced, and more importantly, he felt that his buddies were becoming distant from him.

"Hey, I don't really want to drink, I just want to maintain our brotherhood."

[Furthermore, His Majesty said there's no need to go to such extremes as abstaining; just drink less and don't get drunk.]

Morton ran to the Veterans' Tavern while thinking about it.

"Oh, isn't this Morton? I haven't seen you for the past couple of days."

"Come on, let's have a drink together?"

"I have a seat here, come over here!"

As a gathering place for veterans' fans, half of the people drinking here are members of the fraternity, and Morton knows most of them well, so it's a gathering of acquaintances as soon as he enters.

Morton casually found an empty seat and sat down, then habitually prepared to say, "The usual."

But as the words were about to come out, he quickly changed his mind, remembering his current situation...

"Hey, let's start with a beer, and maybe a couple of side dishes."

At first, he wasn't used to it, but gradually, he discovered that drinking slowly while eating snacks had its own unique charm. At least after changing his drinking habits, he found some new enjoyment for himself.

During this time, news that Morton couldn't resist turning around and going to drink again quickly reached Zhou Xu's ears.

Upon hearing this news, Zhou Xu remained remarkably calm, as if he had anticipated it.

"Hmm, are you drunk?"

"No, I just had a leisurely drink, and after that I sat there chatting with people. We talked about team-related topics, and I seemed very clear-headed. I chatted until 8 p.m. and then went home."

"okay, I get it."

He himself said before that he didn't need to quit drinking, as long as he controlled the amount.

Of course, he wasn't saying anything against his conscience. Their Great Zhou didn't have that kind of atmosphere. The main principle was to speak your mind and point out problems directly, instead of beating around the bush.

However, the observation of Morton will obviously not end there.

If Morton wants to be entrusted with important responsibilities, he will inevitably have to undergo a long period of testing.

If Morton's control was short-lived, he would soon be brought back to his original state.

Zhou Xu would not hesitate to throw him back into the Elf Forest to become the Elf King.

And so, time passed quietly. In the spring of the 109th year of the Imperial Calendar, at the very beginning of the year, a major event occurred within their Great Zhou Dynasty: their first destroyer was officially launched at a port in the northeast...

(End of this chapter)