Yes, Madam Prime Minister

Page 362

In a remarkable coincidence, the current Assistant Magistrate of Foshan Coastal Defense Sub-Prefecture is Yuan Fanghe, the person who was the last in line and had the least background in the Foshan leadership team in Luo Nan's timeline.

Perhaps the saying "heroes emerge in times of chaos" is indeed true. It is in times of chaos that truly capable outlaws rise to the top, even if there is no chaos yet, or even if it is just a period of officialdom.

In short, Yuan Fanghe, the only one in the Foshan team who had climbed up step by step from the bottom and had some real skills, but was forced by reality to act like a clown at the welcoming banquet for the newly appointed Liu Menglong, finally made his mark in this time and space.

However, for him it's a chance to get ahead, but for some people it's just a pretty good, somewhat sought-after gilded position.

Sometimes, when cattle and horses enter Rome, they discover that the difference between Romans and Romans can be greater than the difference between Rome and cattle and horses.

After Ronan explained his purpose,

"What can you give me?"

While eating the oyster and chicken hot pot, Yuan Fanghe asked.

As a politician who rose from the bottom, he would feel insecure if there was no exchange of benefits. It didn't matter whether he or others suffered losses, but there had to be an exchange.

Luo Nan didn't have many dealings with Yuan Fanghe, but as a veteran bureaucrat, a few encounters were enough to understand the character of another veteran bureaucrat.

"Old Yuan, I don't have time to explain to you, and I don't have time to make any deals with you. I'll just say one thing: work and you'll live; don't work and this will be your last meal." Ronan didn't want to waste any more words and threatened directly.

“Sure, I’m willing to risk my life.” Yuan Fanghe agreed. “I’ll call him over for you tomorrow.”

If you ask someone else, it will take a lot of effort, but if you ask Yang Huaien, it will be simple.

After he came to power, Yang Huaien became his best tool for doing the dirty work.

After the Great Cataclysm, although spiritual energy only flows out and does not flow in, the physical fitness of superhumans has not declined significantly. However, many superhumans who used to only "release energy waves" are now noticeably weaker than their peers. Moreover, their fighting spirit is also weak, and they are reluctant to expend spiritual energy on things that do not bring significant benefits, since spiritual energy is now less and less when used.

The following day, Ronan and Dinia met Yang Huaien.

Dinia first went up and shook hands with the other person.

Yang Huaien was completely dumbfounded when he saw the two foreigners, a man and a woman.

In fact, Yuan Fanghe was still confused. From the beginning, he couldn't understand why Ronan, this foreigner, knew him, knew Yang Huaien, and didn't understand what value Yang Huaien had. But these things didn't matter. He only knew that if he didn't do as Ronan said, he would lose his life.

“Our purpose is not you. We just want to ask Miss Yang Nian to come with us for a small favor. If you are worried, you can come along.”

Ronan said.

"How can I believe you have no ill intentions when you talk like that?" Yang Huaien said rather tactfully, but what she really meant was that she seriously suspected Ronan and his companion of having ill intentions.

“It’s hard to explain in a short time. How about this, tonight, I’ll find a place to explain it to you properly. As for the location, you can choose it.” Ronan’s tone was very sincere.

Seeing Luo Nan's reaction, Yang Huaien's suspicions lessened slightly, and he agreed, "Alright, let's meet at Chenmei Restaurant, at Chenshizhong." Chenshizhong is eight o'clock in the evening.

Yang Huaien then left.

Ronan and Dinia also took their leave.

Two hours after Yang Huaien left, Ronan and Dinia had just finished a simple morning tea at a food stall. "Let's go."

At this moment, Yang Huaien was running away with Yang Nian. It wasn't that she didn't trust Ronan at all, but she couldn't take the risk. So, after leaving, she found Yang Nian as soon as possible, said a few words to her, and then ran away with her.

In any case, running away won't do any harm to her or Yang Nian.

However, she didn't know that the moment she shook hands with Dinia, it was destined that she would never be able to escape.

“That way, she will completely stop trusting us,” Dinia said.

"It would take too much time to gain the trust of someone like her who makes a living in the martial world. Besides, even if we told her the truth, would someone of her level accept it immediately? Even if she did, would she believe that having Yang Nian temporarily act as the array's core was harmless? She's a vigilant yet loyal martial artist. When we don't have much time, the best solution is to just arrest her." Ronan said as they walked.

From the very beginning, Ronan never expected to persuade the other party. From the very beginning, Ronan intended to forcibly take the person away. He said those words deliberately to get Yang Huaien to take Yang Nian away and run away.

“Let’s go into the mountains. Even if they’re incredibly skilled, they won’t be able to find us then,” Yang Huaien said to Yang Nian.

At this moment, Yang Nian still didn't know what had happened, so she could only follow along silently, saying, "Okay."

Before the word "good" was even finished, the two of them collapsed.

Dinia's paralyzing mushrooms generated and took effect directly inside their bodies, paralyzing both of them.

Those below the fifth rank cannot stand against Dinia; they cannot withstand this single attack.

Dinia raised her hand, and a thick rope made of twisted red mycelium wrapped the two of them up like dumplings, one for each of them, and carried them away.

Next, we'll go to Chang'an and return to the Heavenly Realm.

However, at that moment, ten powerful auras suddenly appeared, and Ronan instantly merged into Dinia's body, completing the fusion. Dinia then transformed the two rice dumplings into mushrooms and swallowed them.

The ten people were all different in appearance, age, temperament and demeanor. They had only two things in common: they were all Seris people and all seventh-order beings.

"Gentlemen, we have no hostility towards you."

“We originally thought this gentleman was the one connected to Wu Jiuxiao, but he is not.”

"But there are no two people in the world who are so similar."

“Miss Yi’s aura is also quite different from the other Miss Yi.”

"We don't mean anything by this, we just want you to explain who you are and what you're doing here."

Dinia realized that she and Ronan had been too complacent; they had already been discovered, and it was very likely that another "Ronan" had left someone here, just waiting for them.

The other side didn't appear immediately because they needed time to gather manpower and also to complete their objective. Now that everyone is tied up, there's no need to hide anymore.

Dinia took a deep breath, and the warhammer appeared in her hand. "If I knew your background, I would explain, but I know nothing about you, so I cannot."

The atmosphere was about to reach freezing point, and a battle was imminent.

Chapter 839 Demonic Transformation: Timely Damage Control Requires Ronan's Help

There's a saying that the battle between extraordinary beings begins before their extraordinary powers even collide.

Each of these ten people possesses unique and uncanny magical abilities, and some of them even practice the Six Harmonies Technique, which is extremely comprehensive.

Some were responsible for concealing the presence of others, some for silently locking onto Ronan and Dinia, some for completing instant teleportation, and some could even preserve spells that others needed a long time to prepare before releasing them all at once.

At this moment, according to their pre-planned scenario, Dinia and Ronan should be in a state where their defensive membrane has disappeared, their magic has been sealed, their magical power has been rapidly drained, their consciousness has gradually blurred, and their physical functions have rapidly weakened. They will lose their ability to resist in a very short time.

However, the merged Roddy was only unable to move; his consciousness was clear, and his magic surged. Starting from his jaw, white, bone-like tissue continuously grew, gradually covering his face like a mask.

This was a power they had never seen before.

This is demonic transformation.

For top-tier superhumans, the enhancement it brings is negligible; it only temporarily alters the form of their demonic body, or soul, enabling them to dispel strange spells or divine magic targeting them.

This is another source of "Ronan's" confidence in dealing with Seris's group of top superhumans.

Dinia hasn't learned this power yet, but that doesn't matter. Ronan has been studying it constantly during his two weeks of travel and mastered it before leaving the Celestial Realm. Now he can activate it without needing the auxiliary items Wen Jin gave him.

The bone mask had already covered the lower half of her face. Dinia scanned the crowd. "Is this the etiquette of the Seres?"

No one answered, not because anyone was ashamed of their behavior and unable to respond.

The cultivation method of Seris requires studying the scriptures and believing in them. Even though its backlash is weaker than that of those in the West who purely study the divine oaths, it still has backlash. Therefore, those who can cultivate the Seris method to the seventh level have already reached the state of "not being attached to things, not being trapped by the mind, and not being disturbed by people". To put it bluntly, they are at the level of "I am the only one who is right" and have no inner constraints.

They remained silent, for the unprecedented power Rondinia displayed was beyond their comprehension.

"how?"

"Walk."

"agree."

"Then let's go."

The ten people quickly made a decision.

If it were before the cataclysm, it would have merely neutralized their initial means of control, not been enough to force them to retreat.

But now the world has changed drastically. Even though they are at the seventh level, and to some extent they can be said to be in harmony with the heavens and man, and their spiritual power decays at a very low rate, their rank will not drop. However, spiritual power is still precious. Every bit used will be less. Facing unknown opponents like Dinia and Ronan, if they fail to hit their target, they will have to cut their losses. Otherwise, once the sunk costs accumulate, even people like them will find themselves in a dilemma.

In the blink of an eye, the ten people had vanished without a trace.

"What a pity," Dinia sighed regretfully.

She really wanted to fight, not because she had developed an addiction to fighting, but because in another time and space, another "Ronan" would inevitably face a group of the most powerful superhumans in Seris, most of whom would be the same person as some of the ten people she had just met.

Fighting them will help you understand them, and also understand yourself.

Unfortunately, the other party did not give them that chance, and she and Ronan had not completely dispelled the negative effects on them, so they were frozen in place and unable to move or stay.

Ronan and Dinia simply remained in their combined state, with Ronan using a concealment technique to travel to Chang'an.

Not wanting to resort to any further tricks, the two chose to fly at high speed in the sky. An hour later, they arrived in Chang'an City from between Foshan and Guangzhou.

They entered the alternate dimension with ease. Everyone else hadn't arrived yet; only Wen Jin was there.

Dinia pulled the two mushrooms out of her body, then returned to normal and released the restraints.

Yang Huaien was already conscious, while Yang Nian was far weaker and was still unconscious.

Being in an unknown place with no power to resist, Yang Huaien was much calmer than before.

"I'm feeling a bit airsick, Didi, could you tell her that? I'm going to rest for a bit."

After Ronan finished speaking, he walked to the side.

It wasn't actually airsickness, but rather that Ronan was quite exhausted from activating his demonic transformation at maximum power and continuously applying concealment techniques while flying at high speed in this world where the supernatural power system was malfunctioning.

Dinya went over and woke Yang Nian. Yang Nian's first reaction upon waking was to call for help and run away. Her consciousness was still stuck in the moment before she lost consciousness. It was only after Yang Huaien held her down that she stopped.

"It's a long story. First of all, we come from another time and space..."

Before she could finish her first sentence, the confusion on Yang Huaien and Yang Nian's faces deepened.

“How do I say this, um…” Dinia struggled for a while but couldn’t come up with a solution. She understood, but explaining it to someone who had no idea about it and expecting them to understand was a challenge. After thinking it over, Dinia kicked Ronan, who had just closed his eyes, awake. “Ronan, you explain it.”

"Well... alright, I'll do it." Ronan had no choice but to agree.

Ronan didn't really intend for Yang Huaien and Yang Nian in this world to understand terms like parallel universes, otherworldly beings, artificial intelligence, the celestial realm, extraordinary systems, or even his own special existence. He just wanted to use some inaccurate or even erroneous concepts to fool them and be done with it.

The core point is that Yang Nian is going to temporarily act as the array's core, and this core is the key to saving the world.

That's all you need to understand.

“Ronan, you’re wrong.” After listening, Dinia felt that there were many things that could lead to misunderstandings.

“That’s not important, Didi,” Ronan said.

A day later, a monk and a Taoist priest arrived, bringing with them a man who looked to be in his mid-twenties. He was an extraordinary being, but his cultivation was not very high. He was probably older than that, but not by much.

"This is the current emperor," the short, dark-skinned monk introduced.

Upon hearing this, Yang Huaien and Yang Nian showed some respect, while Ronan and Dinia were only slightly surprised.

In this world, Emperor Zhao Disheng, who was already thirty-five years old, did not care at all about Ronan and Dinia's reactions. It wasn't that he was magnanimous; how could someone like him, who cursed the court officials as traitors in his heart every day, be magnanimous? He was just numb.

In another timeline, Zhao Disheng, though lacking power and authority, had no voice and no imperial authority, but still wielded considerable power. He jokingly called himself a puppet, but that wasn't entirely true. As emperor, he was the key to preventing the various factions from breaking apart.

However, in this world where the extraordinary system has suffered major damage, neither the local governments nor the central government can maintain stability anymore, and as a result, he, the emperor, has completely lost his power.

"No need for such formalities," Zhao Disheng said. Although no one intended to bow to him, he still had to say the polite words. "It is a matter of great importance concerning the safety of the world, and I will do my best to help."

Chapter 840 Everyone Wants to Ride the Wave; The Essence of Humanity, at its Core, is a Room

Of course, he should do his best, but the key point is not the safety of the world, but that participating in this matter is an excellent opportunity for him to gain power, support, and ultimately reclaim power. If he misses it, he may never have another chance in his life.

If Zhao Disheng, at thirty years old in another timeline, still had some ambition and wanted to achieve something great, then in this world, having only ascended to the throne after the great cataclysm, he was merely a figurehead from the start. Now, at thirty-five, Zhao Disheng has no ambition whatsoever; he only wants power and authority, a complete and utter utilitarian.

Ronan smiled and looked at Emperor Seris. "Your Majesty, it's not necessarily necessary for you to exert your utmost. If this Miss Yang here proves ineffective, then Your Majesty will be needed to do your utmost for the safety of the world."

"Uh." Zhao Disheng's expression froze.

He could only comfort himself in his heart that even if he couldn't participate, he already knew many secrets of the world and might have a chance to improve his cultivation. As long as his cultivation improved and he lived a long and healthy life, he would always find a way to regain some of his power. At the very least, he had already received some promises from the monk and the Taoist, which would definitely be better than before.

Ronan said no more.

Now, all that's left is for another "Dinia" to arrive; her goal is to bring along a backup plan, a Mariana.

Then, Ronan and a monk inquired about Wu Jiuxiao. There were only about twenty or thirty people at the very top of Seris, and they all knew each other.

The monk and the Taoist priest both knew something about Wu Jiuxiao. In the process of learning about Wu Jiuxiao, Ronan indirectly learned a great deal about the other "Ronan."

Two days later, another "Dinia" arrived, bringing with him a young man.

When Ronan first looked at her, he thought this guy didn't look like Ambrina at all.

“He is Henry,” another “Dinya” introduced.

Who the hell knows who this is? The Kingdom of Fass could just throw a shot and hit Henry.

Another "Dinia" added, "Sartre's grandson, Count Louis's son."

Now, Ronan remembered.