Abandoned the Immortal Cultivator, returned to his hometown to farm and sing

Chapter 1355, Section 1342: A Slap in the Face
Luo Yihang smiled.

He also introduced himself, saying, "Luo Yihang, my ancestor from the Luo family can be traced back to the Third Front construction and to the founding of New China."

Luo Yihang genuinely had no idea where his family came from; even his grandfather didn't know.

Back then, when people fled to Ping'an Gully, who still carried their family genealogy records? Besides, they didn't have any.

They went back several generations and still couldn't read.

Perhaps the landlord family had a family genealogy...

"If you're talking about family, we don't have one. Our Luo family has been poor farmers for generations, with impeccable revolutionary credentials."

"The original landlord family, which is the same family as the nobles in your area, is a clan that, according to them, has been passed down for hundreds of years."

"Thank goodness, they were all dead. I don't know if they were wiped out by warlords, bandits, or the county magistrate sent by the Nationalist government during the Republic of China era. My grandfather said that the whole family's heads were chopped off and hung on their gate tower."

"The weather was similar to now back then. After hanging there for three days, it would smell bad and start to ooze liquid..."

"It's a pity that the Red Army's base was in Foping, not here, otherwise he might have lived to see the new China."

"Land reform is better than hanging the whole family's heads on the gate tower."

"By the way, do you know about the land reform? Our family received land after the founding of the People's Republic of China. It was the first time in generations that we had our own land."

"Or should I explain the concept of joint public-private ownership to you?"

"Want to hear about socialist transformation...?"

Luo Yihang was in high spirits.

He then engaged John Carver in a long, drawn-out conversation.

John Carver's face changed color for the first time, his eyes twitching uncontrollably.

It seems they don't really want to hear it.

Honestly, you're quite a grown-up, yet you don't like studying at all.

He even interrupted, saying, "The glory of the family is best kept in the heart, not spoken aloud."

At this point, no one cares about nobility anymore?

Things are changing really fast.

Luo Yihang was about to retort.

The old man wasn't finished speaking; he was incredibly enthusiastic.

Both his tone and expression conveyed a reserved yet genuine enthusiasm.

It's the kind of thing that makes you want to bow down and worship.

It must take years of practice in front of a mirror to get that perfect form.

The details are impeccable, and upon closer inspection, one can feel the craftsmanship...

“Luo, dear Luo, we admire you and believe you can be our friend and show you a wider world.”

Luo Yihang chuckled lightly, feigning surprise as he asked, "Wait, you? Who are you?"

John Carver shrugged and spread his arms. “Mortals are foolish, God loves the world, all mortals are God’s lambs, and we are God’s shepherds, leading the flock through God’s pasture.”

I feel so sophisticated and high-class.

Luo Yihang scratched his head, wondering what the heck it was.

This old man wasn't one of Bayer's men; he came from Bayer's, Cargill's, and a whole bunch of other superiors.

Where exactly is it?
Can't you guess where he came from? America, the East Coast, New York... This guy is from Wall Street.

But which firm specifically? Is it Blackstone, Vanguard, State Street, or Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, or Citigroup?
do not know.

It's unclear whether they are actually employed or not.

We don't know exactly what they do yet.

All that Uncle Li could find were titles like social activist, art collector, and head of a family office, making him seem like a rich, spoiled old man living off his inheritance.

After actually getting to know him, he seemed like a charlatan.

Luo Yihang snorted and casually said, "Is your God a shepherd? Why doesn't he herd pigs? Is it because there were no pigs in your ancient times?"

That was a very impolite remark.

Luo Yihang didn't care.

He cultivates immortality, which is different from God's system.

After listening to Luo Yihang's words, John Carver was not angry at all. His expression remained unchanged, still so "sincere," and even carried a hint of "nobility."

"God loves the world, and it is our inherent responsibility to shepherd the lost sheep for God. It is an eternal covenant passed down through generations in our blood."

That sounds so nice.

Nobody has ever seen God.

Ordinary people are lambs.

These shepherds are in charge of the lambs, letting them go wherever they want. They slaughter a few for meat and shear their wool whenever they feel like it, which is perfectly normal.

The bloodline will be passed down, forever unchanged.

What, you're still thinking about hereditary succession?
These guys think they're pretty good, they've even changed species.

Give me back what I have with you.

They're planning to bring Luo Yihang over too.

Unfortunately, Luo Yihang didn't have the inclination to be a sheepdog.

"You say you're shepherds, tending sheep for God, so you're just tenant farmers, aren't you?" Luo Yihang joked.

After saying that, he shook his head and continued to joke, "Didn't I just say that my family were tenant farmers before Liberation? We were only allocated land after the land reform following the founding of the People's Republic of China. What? Now that my generation is a tenant farmer again, am I going back to the old ways?"

This is a direct slap in the face.

John Carver's expression immediately hardened.

They stopped pretending and stopped being cryptic.

After a moment's hesitation, he spoke again: "We've noticed your potential. You're different from most people who just go with the flow, but you, we believe, see the inefficiencies and absurdities in how this world works. You crave real change, not just complaining, right?"

What the hell? What, you think you're some kind of angry young man? My side isn't inefficient or absurd. Don't you guys update your rhetoric?
Do you do this to everyone?
Luo Yihang mentally scoffed, then snorted coldly, changing the subject, "You guys? What, are you an organization?"

John Carver smiled and shook his head. “My dear Luo, you don’t understand how the world works, nor do you understand our power. This world needs guidance. That is our duty, not to enjoy glory in the spotlight, but to work behind the scenes, using our wisdom and resources to ensure that the great ship of humanity can sail steadily even in the storm.”

"You can become one of us, and that is my greatest sincerity."

The truth has come out: this old man didn't come to negotiate; he came to offer amnesty.

He was even thinking of recruiting Luo Yihang.

Luo Yihang feigned surprise, "Holy crap, you guys are really an organization! Do you have an official website? A WeChat official account would be fine too, let me take a look."

John Carver frowned, seemingly unaccustomed to Luo Yihang's unconventional personality.

He shook his head and said, "No."

"What's its name? Can I find it online?" Luo Yihang persisted.

John Carver continued to shake his head. "No need to know."

"Tch!" Luo Yihang scoffed. "You have nothing, how can I believe you? Even the car repairmen in our town have a public WeChat account, they post short videos from time to time."

"You don't even dare to hide your true feelings or make them public, so how can I trust you?"

"Even if you're trying to scam me, I've already downloaded an anti-fraud app..."

Luo Yihang's words were nothing short of sophistry.

They wouldn't listen to reason, so I didn't even think about having a proper talk.

The meaning was very clear, blatantly telling John Carver that they were not on the same page.

John Carver wasn't angry; he just frowned again. He then became more blunt, saying, "Join us, and you'll gain unimaginable power and benefits."

Upon hearing this, Luo Yihang clapped his hands and laughed, seemingly very pleased. "Hey, that's right! Tell me, what are the benefits of joining you?"

John Carver's brow relaxed, and he smiled, "Let's not talk about money and worldly things..."

Before he could finish speaking, Luo Yihang interrupted him, "Wait, let's talk, we have to talk. I only care about mundane things."

John Carver shook his head. "Money is just a tool. Is money what you're after?"

"Don't you pursue money?" Luo Yihang asked rhetorically.

John Carver answered very sincerely and solemnly: "To reduce our work to the pursuit of money is the deepest misunderstanding of our mission. Money is not the end, it is merely a tool, a yardstick used to measure the flow of resources and guide social energy. The real power lies in defining value itself, and we have long since transcended the stage of being defined by value."

Luo Yihang smiled, his words hitting the nail on the head.

"Stop with the pleasantries, let's get down to business. Why don't you ask Bayer and the others to release all their seed patents, so that everyone in the world who wants to farm can do it, and there will be no hunger, only plenty of food and clothing? Would you agree to that?"

John Carver paused for a moment, then frowned.

After a moment of contemplation, he spread his hands and said, "The world is foolish and arrogant. Pain and hunger are the original sins of birth, and they deserve our reverence."

So you start acting like a charlatan when it comes to serious matters, huh?

Luo Yihang felt there was nothing more to discuss.

He snorted coldly, "That's you. China's 1.4 billion people have eradicated hunger, so you have no original sin."

John Carver stood up and uttered, "Arrogant!"

Turn around and leave.

Luo Yihang waved goodbye from behind him, "Idiot!"

Tch, so you're already giving me attitude?

They still value money.

God's shepherd didn't see things clearly.

No wonder he was happy to be a tenant farmer...
-
The first meeting ended unhappily.

It took less than half an hour in total.

John Carver didn't even eat, what a pity, they even prepared a free-range chicken and a fish for him.

Back in Ping'angou, Luo Yihang recounted his meeting with John Carver to everyone in the operations room.

Everyone was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.

Uncle Li pointed at Luo Yihang, laughing and scolding at the same time, "You little brat, I told you to be tougher on our first meeting. You talked to him about land reform and even called him a tenant farmer. Do you think this old nobleman would listen to that? You were just one step away from slapping him across the face."

Luo Yihang picked up a bottle of water and took a sip, using the act of drinking water to cover up his embarrassment. He himself felt that his performance was a bit over the top and too forceful. If he were to appear in a movie, he would be criticized as a pretty boy.

He has a handsome face but no acting skills.

But it felt so good.

Putting down the water bottle, Luo Yihang said curiously, "What era are we living in? The Americans are still playing the aristocratic game. Is this old man a swindler? He talks like a charlatan."

“He’s not a fraud.” An international relations think tank expert waved his hand. “John Carver is a legitimate American citizen, his ancestors followed Adams into the Central Plains, and there was indeed a Carver family ship on the Mayflower.”

This guy is quite trendy, a long-time resident of Tongliao.

"Actually, they're not exactly nobles, but rather families. You can think of them roughly like the aristocratic clans of the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties. There are even more of these families in America than in Europe, spanning both politics and business. For example, the Rockefeller family, the DuPont family, the Kennedy family, and the Bush family—you've probably all heard of them. This Carver is also from a family, but he's never been very well-known, and there's very little information about him. We initially thought we brought him here as a middleman, but now it seems he has another identity. What exactly is the background of their organization?"

The other expert was much more down-to-earth, giving Luo Yihang a basic introduction and asking him a question.

"What else could it be? Secret societies, of course. They love doing this kind of thing. The Illuminati, the Skull and Bones Society, and that Bohemian Woods Camping Club that Eisenhower, Nixon, Reagan, and Bush Sr. all set up in the last century—it's all the same thing. Birds of a feather flock together, you know. Fishing enthusiasts even form fishing clubs. Those big capitalists, when they're discussing things that will wreak havoc on the world, they'll form a group too."

"Our young boss Luo is really something, he personally came to recruit you."

The first expert spoke in such a simple, easy-to-understand, and humorous way.

They portrayed this powerful, secretive group as if they were mountain bandits.

Luo Yihang curled his lip, "What do you mean by joining? This is called inviting someone to a feast, beheading them, and then taking them in as dogs. I didn't even step into the first Hongmen Banquet, and I overturned the table at the second plum wine feast. Just wait, the next step is beheading..."
-
as predicted.

The next day, someone delivered a letter to Luo Yihang.

A beautifully printed envelope, sealed with wax and bearing the Carver family crest.

Peel off the sealing wax, and inside lies a neatly folded ivory-white letter, still sprayed with perfume.

Luo Yihang unfolded the letter. Wow, beautiful cursive handwriting, written with a fountain pen.

A handwritten letter—I haven't seen one in years.

The old aristocracy really cares about style; a simple phone call would have sufficed, why bother writing a letter?

Mr. Luo Yihang, please allow me to get straight to the point.

We've been watching you for a long time. Your... well, in your words, 'disruption' was brilliant. You proved yourself, forcing those arrogant old men in our room to put down their glasses and call you by name. This is the first time in the last thirty years.

The opening remarks were quite good, and the praise from the opponent made Luo Yihang secretly pleased.

But the taste went wrong later on.

Let's be frank. You think you're competing with Bayer, Cargill, or anything else? No. You're fighting a system woven from capital, patent law, lobbying groups, international standards organizations, and government regulations.

You can win a battle—like a patent lawsuit. That's good, we even appreciate it; it proves the system is healthy. But have you ever thought about why you can't win the war? Because for every barrier you break through, you find ten more behind it. Your opponent isn't a particular company, but the 'system itself.' And we are the… maintainers of this system.

The strategy of first praising and then criticizing is a way of flexing one's muscles.
The system is so scary.

It seems like everyone has one.

Therefore, I'm not here to beg you to stop. I'm here to offer you a wiser, stronger choice.

From the outside, you can only challenge the system. But from the inside, you can shape it.

Join us and you'll get a seat. You can participate in setting the next generation of technology standards; you can see the blueprint for global policy over the next twenty years; you can realize all your dreams—and I mean all—within those seemingly unrelated financial and trade rules.

Simply put, we can transform you from a courageous challenger into a true architect. Your ideals and ambitions will gain a platform you could never have imagined.

Is this... an offer being made?

It has to be said that it was quite attractive. John Carver once said, "See the wider world."

The last paragraph is a warning.

Of course, you have the right to refuse. And to continue your...tragic and costly expedition.

[But please understand, if you refuse this invitation, your role in our lives will change. You will no longer be a potential partner worth absorbing, but a virus that needs to be systematically eliminated. At that point, you will no longer face business competition, but the system's own immune response—which will far exceed your current imagination.]

Is it better to continue blindly struggling within the confines of the rules, or to sit at the table and become one of the rule-makers? This is a choice about efficiency and wisdom, not simply a matter of right or wrong.

We look forward to your wise choice.

Still looking forward to it?
There's another point, rather than simply right or wrong?
Hehe, Little Blackie's showing his true colors now.

They know they're wrong.

There's no need for the side in the right to add that sentence.

The letter was short, only one page long, and Luo Yihang read it quickly.

Share this with everyone.

After reading it, Uncle Li flicked the letter and teased Luo Yihang, "How about it? Are you wise now? Are you planning to be a challenger or an architect? I must say, despite your literary style, you're quite frank. Ideals, ambitions, rule-making—how alluring, how noble!"

Luo Yihang chuckled, "When it comes to being granted amnesty, of course it has to be grand and impressive. Even Song Jiang had to raise the banner of 'Acting on behalf of Heaven' to recruit heroes to the mountain. But once they're actually on the mountain, they can release Gao Qiu if they catch him. Then you won't have a say in the matter."

Luo Yihang understood perfectly: the plan was to invite them to a feast, then behead them and take them as dogs; the key point was that they were dogs.

As he spoke, he casually squeezed the envelope, but felt there was something inside.

Shake it, and a leaf falls out.

A very thin, light, and wrinkled golden leaf.

What is this?
(End of this chapter)