It’s a strange invasion, is it okay for me to fight back?

Chapter 678 Detour
For Pei Xianjue, the name Feng Ling was a special signal that could quickly dispel her tension and anxiety.

Of the four people in the cave, apart from a Mogu refugee who couldn't speak the language, the other three were all connected to Feng Ling. Even though Feng Ling herself wasn't there, Pei Xianjue felt extremely at ease.

She relaxed completely and no longer needed to maintain the airs of a general.

Huangfu Miaomiao also felt much more at ease. She was not good at acting to begin with, and it was very awkward for her to pretend that she did not know Ling Feiran. Now that they had recognized each other, she could speak more easily and freely.

"Once we get out, we'll tell Feng Ling what happened, and she'll be in for a big surprise! Haha!" Huangfu Miaomiao said cheerfully.

Pei Xianjue sighed, "I wonder if things are going smoothly for Feng Ling. I only knew she needed to find the statue, and I even secretly gave her the map of Lorias's maze. Who would have thought things would change so quickly? Now the mazes all over the world are open."

Ling Feiran was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, "Secretly?"

Pei Xianjue explained with a smile: "About two months ago, the location of the maze was top secret and could not be disclosed. At that time, the two maze spread areas that posed the greatest threat to our country were Lorias in the north and Mogu in the southwest. We were to establish isolation zones in these two places. They gave me two maps and asked me to choose one. I chose Mogu and also copied the map of Lorias. I thought it would be useful for Feng Ling."

Pei Xianjue had a plan in mind: although it was classified, he had already been entrusted with an important task at the time, and even if he leaked the map information, there would not be any serious consequences. However, if he could help Feng Ling, he would benefit immensely if he could repay this favor in the future.

Huangfu Miaomiao was very receptive to this and immediately said gratefully, "Xiaoyu, you're so kind! At that time, Fengling's pollution level almost went out of control. Fortunately, you reminded us, and we were able to find the maze statue in time!"

Pei Xianjue chuckled twice, "Ha, ha, we're all friends, of course I'll help if I can."

Huangfu Miaomiao was deeply moved. Without saying a word, she hugged Pei Xianjue, feeling warm inside. She thought Pei Xianjue was so good, a hundred times better than the Taoist priest!
Ling Feiran continued, "News is always time-sensitive. It may be worthless now, but two months ago, being able to clearly point out the location of the maze was of great help to Feng Ling."

Both of them were so sincere that Pei Xianjue felt a little embarrassed.

Pei Xianjue said, "Fortunately, the difficulties are over. Feng Ling is only one step away from advancing to the Abyss. As for the quarantine zone... as long as we get through this crisis, it should be completed smoothly."

“It definitely can be done.” Ling Feiran nodded.

She has a deep affection for the quarantine area. Although she hasn't been there long, she has already developed a strong bond with the volunteers and infected patients in the ward. It can be said that she has started the second phase of her life here.

“The quarantine zone is very good. Although it is not fully completed yet, in a sense, it has already become a beacon, influencing many people,” Ling Feiran said softly.

Not to flatter Pei Xianjue, Ling Feiran genuinely felt that the quarantine zone was a very, very good place.

“Yes!” Huangfu Miaomiao praised Pei Xianjue. “Feifei, you don’t know, Xiaoyu is busy until late every day for the construction of the quarantine zone. There are endless meetings and problems to solve. There’s always something wrong here or there. Sigh! She’s often so busy that she doesn’t even have time to eat. But there are always some people who don’t listen to her and like to go against her. Some people are only superficially obedient but do nothing behind her back, and they also like to spread rumors!”

As she spoke, Huangfu Miaomiao couldn't help but feel indignant on Pei Xianjue's behalf: "Human social relationships are too complicated, with so many twists and turns. Even though everyone is on the same side, there are always people who do things behind the scenes and cause trouble. It's really amazing that Xiaoyu has been able to persevere until now!"

Pei Xianjue was almost blushing from Huangfu Miaomiao's praise.

She coughed twice again and said modestly, "Actually, it's not too bad. After all, I lack grassroots experience, so it's normal for people to question my work ability. As for those subordinates who are not obedient, well, I've seen too many similar situations in the family business. There are only two ways to deal with them. To be more brutal, we fire them. To be more roundabout, we promote them first and then demote them."

Ling Feiran asked curiously, "What does 'promotion followed by demotion' mean?"

Pei Xianjue explained, “For example, imagine someone whose abilities are only suitable for a team leader. But if you promote them to a position beyond their capabilities, like department manager or even higher, then even if you do nothing, they will naturally be questioned. Former colleagues who become their subordinates will feel resentful, current colleagues will look down on them because they think they lack ability, and some will flatter and fawn over them, causing their ego to swell. In the end, this person only has one outcome.” Pei Xianjue sighed softly and continued, “Either they will recklessly make mistakes and be fired in order to prove their abilities are commensurate with the position, or they will be ostracized and sidelined by their colleagues, unable to bear it any longer, and resign voluntarily—either way, the outcome is the same: leaving.”

"Oh, I see," Huangfu Miaomiao said, relieved. "I hope those people get arrogant and make mistakes so they can all be fired! Otherwise, they're always talking badly about you behind your back, it's so annoying!"

"No rush, it'll happen sooner or later." Pei Xianjue smiled at Huangfu Miaomiao.

Ling Feiran felt she had benefited greatly from the explanation, "So that's what 'roundabout' means..."

If Pei Xianjue were to directly fire those who refused to be managed, she would certainly be criticized for being narrow-minded as a leader. However, by following this procedure, no one would question her anymore.

Chatting can both pass the time and relieve tension. Ling Feiran chatted with Pei Xianjue and Huangfu Miaomiao for a while, then switched back to her ghost form, passed through the rock strata, and went outside to check on Lin Pengpeng's excavation progress.

The night outside was still deep, with a few stars scattered across the sky.

The fog seemed to be thinning out.

Perhaps it's not that the fog is thinning, but rather that the mountain demons are consciously migrating towards areas without fog.

When Ling Feiran found Lin Pengpeng, she discovered that Lin Pengpeng was in a daze.

"Are you tired?" Ling Feiran asked.

Lin Pengpeng snapped back to reality, breaking out in a cold sweat. She turned and complained, "Feifei, your ghost form appeared out of nowhere, it was so scary!"

Ling Feiran chuckled softly.

The laughter echoed in the dark cave, growing ever more eerie.

Lin Pengpeng could only try her best to overcome the difficulty, burying her head in digging, saying, "The deeper we go, the harder it gets to dig; the mud and sand below are rock hard."

Ling Feiran said, "Keep going, we're almost through. I'll go in and tell them to get ready."

Lin Pengpeng hummed in agreement and continued digging silently.

After Ling Feiran's ghost disappeared from her side, Lin Pengpeng's hand holding the knife suddenly lost its strength, and she felt an indescribable sadness.

She blinked, trying to hold back her tears, and silently told herself: General Pei's actions were correct.

But why is she still so sad?
The towering figure she believed in and longed for, shrouded in radiant light, became blurred at this moment.

　Many thanks to my wonderful reader "Probability Fluff" for providing the illustrations for the merchandise for this event! They're so cute! The event runs until the end of January, so remember to participate!

　　(End of this chapter)