Miss Wang Weina, even your cousin won't do!

You remember exactly what Joseph Pulitzer wrote, what the reports were about, and even the exact words he said. How can you say you only have a "slight knowledge" of this?

If I had some knowledge of this level when I was studying in my past life, I would have been admitted to Tsinghua or Peking University long ago.

Jingzhe blushed slightly, but stubbornly said:

"I only know a little about it."

Seeing Wayne's disbelieving look, Jingzhe pouted, finally giving up the pretense, and muttered an admission under her breath:

"Yes. I am a fan of Mr. Pulitzer, but so what? Mr. Pulitzer dares to expose the truth and is never afraid of power. From the most mysterious religions to the most mundane people, everything is in his eyes and in his heart. He is far more capable than those entrepreneurs who spout empty words of benevolence! My admiration for him is not the kind of awe one feels for His Majesty the Dragon, but a heartfelt worship. I have collected three volumes of every newspaper and every book of his—one for myself, one for my collection, and one to recommend to my colleagues. Every time I read it, I am encouraged by his work and feel that I have gained something! You schemers will never understand his greatness; you will only think of him as a nuisance. But I swear, one day, a just judgment will come upon you, and remember, I will be among those who wield the hammer of judgment!"

Wayne: "(⊙﹏⊙)?"

"Why are you staring at me?" Jingzhe frowned, stood up, and glared back. "Do with me as you please, I won't help you! I'm warning you, don't harm Mr. Pulitzer either, or..."

“Otherwise what?” Wayne asked with interest.

Jingzhe's words caught in her throat; she suddenly realized that she really didn't have anything that could threaten Wayne. She could only turn her head away resentfully, remaining silent.

Wayne shrugged at Theresa, who then looked at the silent Kal'tsit, raised her chin, and said, "You go."

Kal'tsit looked at Theresa with a bitter face for a while. "Your Highness, are you trying to trick me? I just became a scumbag, and now you want me to do it again?"

But Theresa shrugged. "Who told you, Kal'tsit, to be a third-generation Pulitzer journalist?"

According to the "Joseph Pulitzer Identity Management Regulations" that Prince Bruce and I officially finalized in our minds a few seconds ago, until you find another sucker, this identity and the article you're about to write are your job. You can't get rid of it, Kal'tsit.

Kal'tsit could only sigh helplessly, stand up, and pull Wayne into the restroom. A few minutes later, she composed herself and emerged with a confident smile. A fine, durable fountain pen (Wayne's) was in her breast pocket, and a small notebook was in her hand. Her slightly ill-fitting suit (Wayne's) made her appear a little more youthful and vibrant than a mature beauty. Holding the notebook, she walked towards Jingzhe and said softly:

"Miss Jingzhe, may I tell you a secret that belongs to us?"

Jingzhe couldn't help but glance back at Kal'tsit, but quickly turned back, seemingly still angry with her.

Kal'tsit knew how to handle these kinds of girlish emotions. All she had to do was give them an even stronger emotion, so their brains couldn't process it and crash.

In this situation, the scene would normally be the male protagonist kissing the female protagonist who is emotionally out of control. However, there are a lot of people here, especially Theresa and Wayne. Even with her millennia-old thick skin, she is still a little hesitant. Fortunately, she got permission from Wayne to do something even more exciting.

Ignoring Jingzhe's slightly upset silence, Kal'tsit quietly approached Jingzhe's ear and whispered in a smiling tone, while blowing on the wind:

"Actually, everyone here, except for you and your two bodyguards, is Joseph Pulitzer."

The sound, accompanied by a blush-inducing breeze, entered Jingzhe's ears, and like celestial music lingering in her mind for three days, it swirled endlessly.

The silence lasted for one second, two seconds, three seconds... ten seconds.

Jingzhe's neck, like a stuck gear, mechanically turned around to look at Kal'tsit. Her face, flushed and pale by turns, wore a pitiful expression of bewilderment and helplessness. She forced a dry laugh:

"Hahaha, you must be joking, Ms. Kal'tsit?"

Kal'tsit smiled and looked at her without saying a word.

"You must be joking, Lady Kal'tsit!" Jingzhe's voice suddenly rose several decibels. Her eyes darted back and forth anxiously, wanting to hear a negative answer from Kal'tsit or anyone else.

But Wayne, Theresa, Kelsey, and even Vina, who knew Pulitzer's true identity, all smiled silently, their hands behind their backs, watching her.

"Hey... but I just said so much... why aren't you guys saying anything...?"

Jingzhe murmured listlessly, her eyes vacant.

In that instant, she couldn't think of anything except death.

Chapter 123 An Invitation to Become a Pulitzer Prize

Why didn't you say so just now?

Of course, I'll speak after you've finished.

Wayne suppressed a laugh as he thought to himself. A person's social death often happens in an instant, and this time, Wayne witnessed the birth of a legend.

Perfect! Now Miss Jingzhe is also a member of our social group.

"You, you..."

It took Jingzhe a long time to finally recover, and she pointed at Kal'tsit, cursing breathlessly:

"I can not accept!"

Jingzhe had considered the possibility that Joseph Pulitzer was some kind of organization before. After all, Pulitzer's reporters were incredibly fast-paced, and his exposés were always sensational. If he were just one person, it would indeed be difficult for him to conduct such investigations, gather evidence, and accomplish all of the aforementioned tasks in such a short time. Jingzhe, as an inspector of the Dali Temple, knew very well the immense effort and time required to investigate a tightly organized religion, a powerful duke, or even a perfectly functioning corporation and state. This was indeed very difficult to do without a professional organization.

But the fact that Joseph Pulitzer was a leader in a country was something she really hadn't expected and found hard to accept.

She had assumed that Pulitzer journalists, who spoke out for justice and advocated for the people, must be of humble origins, and even if they came from wealthy families, they certainly weren't from the aristocracy. Because the aristocracy were the beneficiaries of the current system, they had no reason to do something that would harm their own interests.

But in fact, Pulitzer was not only a nobleman, but also the head of the noble family, a member of the royal family, and even an emperor himself.

But Wayne smiled gently and refuted Jingzhe's idea:

“Your thinking is limited, Miss Jingzhe. Why must those who serve the people and the prosperity of the country be of humble origin? Did you and your companions, as officials of the Dali Temple, intend to seize on Wei Yanwu's weaknesses and then extort money and power from him when you were investigating him?”

Jingzhe decisively shook her head, urgently denying it:

"Of course not!"

“That makes sense, doesn’t it?” Wayne nodded. “Class doesn’t betray people, but people can betray their class. Birth only determines the kind of education you receive, the environment you live in, and the resources you have. These will largely determine our values, but what kind of person we ultimately become depends on ourselves.”

Wayne's eyes were deep and mysterious, as if he were recalling a distant and unattainable past, and he spoke slowly in a chanting tone:

"Some people receive a good education in order to better manage the slaves in the fields, while others do so for the rise of the nation. Some people live in an environment where they have no worries about food and clothing and are respected by others, and develop eccentricities throughout their lives, while others use their families to provide shelter and help to the poor, giving them not only fish but also teaching them how to fish. Some people possess vast resources but only think about how to exploit them better, while others share their resources and strive for a common and noble ideal."

Wayne paused, and the classic line of modern poetry naturally came to mind:

"Therefore, some people are alive, yet they are already dead; some people are dead, yet they are still alive..."

Wayne calmly recited the entire poem, using the Yan language he hadn't spoken in a long time. After his voice faded, he glanced around at everyone present.

Vina listened intently. Her Yan language wasn't very good, but her long-term study and exposure to Wayne had allowed her to understand the words, albeit with some difficulty. Theresa seemed to recall everything she had seen and heard in Wayne's consciousness empire. When Wayne turned around, her eyes shone with excitement, and she returned his smile with barely concealed emotion. Nine frowned slightly. She understood every word, but didn't quite agree with some of them. Kal'tsit's expression remained calm; no one could read anything from her poker face, but her unresponsive calm was precisely an indication of her surprise. Jingzhe, on the other hand, stood there, lost in thought.

Surtr and Mudrock were two oddballs; they didn't speak the Yan language, but they thought Wayne's chanting was very pleasant to listen to, while the rest of them were completely bewildered.

This profoundly demonstrates the necessity of the national literacy campaign!

After a brief pause, allowing everyone to slowly recover their senses, Wayne continued:

"So, Miss Jingzhe, do you still think I'm lying?"

Jingzhe blinked and nodded somewhat reluctantly: "What you said makes sense."

Just as one cannot judge a book by its cover, judging a person solely by their background is an arbitrary act. While the saying "birds of a feather flock together" exists, this rule clearly does not apply to Wayne.

Or rather, none of the people present here are subject to this rule.

Vayne is a soul not of this world, possessing advanced thoughts and consciousness; Theresa is a wise woman of this era, with a truly compassionate heart and great love; Vina is an empress who rose from the slums, her unusual birth destined her to be different from any previous Victorian emperor; Kal'tsit is a healer always on the move, upholding her belief in salvation and fighting against the earth's chronic diseases. Surtr and Mudrock are the epitome of the Sarkaz: one is full of vitality and always exploring, the other is naturally dull and averse to fighting.

Even Jiuhe and Jingzhe are like snakes in the thick of the grass, unwilling to embrace the darkness. They are merely struggling on the edge of gray, and officials in the Dali Temple who care more about their country than the imperial court, trying their best to avoid becoming bureaucrats.

Everyone here is different. That's why they're able to come together here.

Wayne extended his hand, extending an invitation to Jingzhe:

"So, like I said, Miss Jingzhe, I can give you what you want."

“Mr. Wei Yanwu is a member of the royal family. Without any evidence, even if you report the Longmen incident to the court, it is uncertain whether His Majesty will take it seriously. The most likely scenario is that he will take it seriously, but in order to maintain the dignity of the royal family, he will suppress it for the time being and handle it in secret. In that case, you and your companions will inevitably be punished for sowing discord among the royal family and damaging its reputation.”

"I remember this crime is serious. Even if His Majesty spares the death penalty to avoid suspicion, he will still be punished. But I can give you a chance."

Wayne's hand hovered in front of Jingzhe.

“You can become the next Pulitzer. I give you that power, the power to become your idol. I will give you the information I have on Wei Yanwu. It is up to you to decide whether to use the renowned name of Joseph Pulitzer in Terra. Before things reach a stalemate and everything becomes irreversible, use Pulitzer’s influence to bring this matter to a satisfactory conclusion.”

"However, naming rights will be charged."

Wayne smiled and shut his mouth. That was all he wanted to say. He quietly awaited Jingzhe's choice.

If she refuses, Wayne won't do anything; he'll have Theresa erase Pulitzer's relevant memories, and then they can part ways amicably.

Jingzhe stared blankly at Wayne's outstretched hand.

Exposing conspiracies, upholding justice, distinguishing right from wrong, and advocating for righteousness.

If the imperial court truly turns a blind eye to this, and His Majesty the Dragon truly suppresses the matter, she still has one last resort.

Accusing Wei Yanwu would damage the emperor's reputation, but not accusing him could very well lead to a rebellion, a civil war, or a split in the future.

Should she take this hand? Should she accept this invitation that could change her destiny?

Jingzhe pondered for a long time, until the bright moonlight shone through the window onto her face, until the night lights came on and the bustling Longmen was noisy again, until Wayne's hand ached and her smile twitched stiffly. She finally took a deep breath, stood up, and grasped his hand.

I promise you.

“Send her out of Longmen in the name of the Censorate in exchange for her future. If things are really as you say, and the court is truly indifferent to this, I can get Joseph Pulitzer’s help.”

Wayne shook his head:

"It's not about helping. Jingzhe, understand a little more."

Jingzhe gritted her teeth:

"Get the chance to turn things around at a critical moment, the chance to join you and become a Pulitzer!"

Wayne smiled, squeezed her hand, and shook it.

"Welcome, number four."

Chapter 124 Farewell to Dragon Gate (Part 1)

The holiday is almost over.

Ernest had been getting increasingly overwhelmed by a mountain of incomprehensible official business lately. Ever since Wayne's accident in Lungmen, he'd been calling every few days, ostensibly out of concern for Wayne and fear for his safety, but actually subtly implying to Wayne and Vina: "You two better come back soon, I can't handle this anymore."

Wayne declined once, twice, and after declining three times, he should have accepted. That's the principle behind the saying "three times of courtesy and three times of refusal."

However, before leaving, he still had to say goodbye to each of his good friends in Longmen.

First, there's Chen Huijie. Superintendent Chen is a master of slacking off. She accepted the mission to show Wayne and the others around Lungmen, but hasn't shown up since the first day. Wayne occasionally passes by the Guard Bureau and tries to find Chen, but he heard from Hoshiguma that she doesn't stay there and spends her time in the slums. It took Wayne quite a while to finally find her.

When they found her, Inspector Chen had just apprehended An Sue. Little Rabbit had inexplicably become a celebrity in the slums, recognized wherever she went. Wayne felt somewhat guilty; he hadn't expected that his small act of turning off the lights in An Sue's room would cause such a huge butterfly effect.

The slums were like small villages, rife with personal connections and self-interest. Information spread by word of mouth, even faster than in the nearby city of Lungmen. Now, wherever An Suo went, people greeted her and bowed, treating her with the utmost respect, as if she were the Rat King. An Suo found this life very difficult to adjust to. Those shop owners who faithfully placed steamed buns, fried dough sticks, and soy milk in front of her door every morning seemed more terrifying to her than when they chased her with rolling pins after she'd stolen a bun.

Wayne felt deeply ashamed about this.

"Chen, shall I take care of this child from now on?"

He pinched the bridge of his nose, stopping Chen from handcuffing An Suo again. For some reason, An Suo looked at the familiar handcuffs and seemed somewhat relaxed and relieved.