Wang Baole didn’t have to wait long for his lesson. After ending the transmission with Lin Tianhao, Lin You made himself a cup of tea. He took a sip, waited for a moment, and after he drank half a cup of tea, he took out his voice transmission ring and called Wang Baole.
The timing wasn’t too hurried or too delayed; it was just right. The other party would be able to sense his sincerity as well as his composure. This was a life lesson that Lin You had distilled from his long life. It was something that those who hadn’t experienced it personally wouldn’t be able to understand.
Wang Baole had been expecting Lin You to call and thank him when his voice transmission ring vibrated. He saw Lin You’s name on the device and was about to pick it up. Then, he thought for a bit. He waited for a few moments before putting the call through.
Wang Baole’s interactions with Lin You were limited. Lin Tianhao acted as their intermediary most of the time. The last time Wang Baole had contacted Lin You was because of Lin Tianhao’s disappearance, and he had made the call while feeling extremely guilty for what had happened.
Despite their limited interactions, they were able to converse with ease. Lin You was an extremely charming person. His charm wasn’t limited to his physical appearance but came from the way he treated others and his attitude towards other people. He congratulated Wang Baole and thanked him for giving Lin Tianhao such an important task.
Lin You then paused, seeming to be taking a sip of tea before he spoke again, softly.
“Baole, you and Tianhao are of the same age. That’s why I’m going to treat you like a nephew. Have you ever thought about your future progression in the Federation?”
“I’ve heard about your ambition. You want to become the Federation President. That is a good ideal to strive towards. I envy your father. If Tianhao could be as ambitious as you, I would be able to put my mind at ease as well.” Lin You sighed. He had said that from his heart. He had lacked for nothing in this life. He was gifted with above-average talents and was confident that with time, he would be able to reach the Nascent Soul based on his talents and resources!
His greatest regret was Lin Tianhao… that was why he was so grateful towards Wang Baole.
Wang Baole coughed after hearing what Lin You said.
“Uncle Lin, you are right. I thought the same since I was a little boy. I envy my father for having such a good looking, talented, and ambitious son as well.”
Lin You fell into momentary silence. He seemed to have come to his senses after hearing what Wang Baole said. He had an odd expression on his face, and he hastily changed the topic and spoke immediately.
“Baole, you have now reached an important point in your career. The times have changed. It’s no longer what it was before when I was young. When I was young, as long as your cultivation was sufficient, as long as you possessed certain maturity and will, and were willing to showcase yourself, you would either fall from grace or rise up the ranks to stand above the rest!
“Now, the climate has stabilized. Every political force desires a prolonged period of stability and security. Even if Duan Muque has grand visions and ambitions for the future, he finds great difficulty in each progressive step he’s taking.
“That is why… what I mean is, in such times, a Primary Rank Four Noble is the highest rank a person without power and authority can hope to achieve. If nothing unexpected occurs… you have now reached the pinnacle of your life. Nothing will change unless you are like our Fellow Daoist Osmanthus, who reached the perfected Core Formation realm and broke through the glass ceiling.
“However, you must pray that when that happens, the Federation President and people like us haven’t advanced to the Nascent Soul realm…
“Baole, do you understand what I’m getting at? If you wish to progress, it’d remain difficult to do so even if your cultivation reaches the Core Formation realm. After all, currently, the four Dao Colleges aren’t headed by the Ethereal Dao College…”
Lin You’s words were straightforward and honest. He was analyzing Wang Baole’s future based on his vast experience. That was why Wang Baole grew more serious as he listened to Lin You. He pondered over what Lin You said and couldn’t deny that most of what Lin You said was true.
He became slightly depressed. He wondered if there might be any major contributions that he could make in order to advance from a Primary Rank Four Noble to a Secondary Rank Three or even Primary Rank Three Noble.
“However, you have become the mayor of the new Martian city zone. You have made a correct move. In fact, this could be an opportunity for you…
“You must know that you have just made something out of nothing. You’ve created a new path for yourself where none existed and risen to become a Primary Rank Four Noble. There hadn’t been a New Mars Region prior to this…
“Setting up a new city zone might not be the same as founding a new land, but it’s still an impressive achievement. That is why the various political forces have fought so hard for this opportunity. On the one hand, they were doing it for the Divine Armament. On the other, they were also fighting for a future accolade for their own heirs!
“As the world stabilizes and peace reigns, the opportunity to make such impressive and extraordinary contributions to the Federation can no longer be found. Such achievements could only be made during the past fearsome war with monsters and when the seventeen strongholds were built.
“This is an opportunity given by the gods. That is why you must remember to treasure it dearly. You must be cautious of others taking credit for your work after the new city zone is built. You must ensure that your name is remembered for all the effort you put in and not the names of others!”
It was clear that Lin You was baring his soul to Wang Baole. Wang Baole was instantly moved when he heard those words. His breath quickened. He had read about such incidents in the high officials’ autobiographies. He knew clearly that if others successfully took credit for what he had done, then his efforts would be wasted. He would become an accessory to someone else’s success.
“You must know clearly who your friends and enemies are. You must identify them clearly. Li Yi, for example. I believe the four Dao Colleges have not given up hope on her. That’s because she has the support of our Fellow Daoist Osmanthus. She will become your greatest enemy!
“That is because… the both of you have the mark of the four Dao Colleges on you. She is the official representative while you are the unexpected challenger. Most importantly, she hails from White Deer Dao College while you are from the Ethereal Dao College.
“This is no longer a conflict between you and Li Yi. It has become a problem of which college between the White Deer Dao College and the Ethereal Dao College has the final authority. The White Deer Dao College will never allow you to have authority over Li Yi! Even if the Ethereal Dao College wants to help you, they won’t do so too openly because they need to consider the overall pros and cons of the four great Dao Colleges as an entity as well as the Dao College traditions.
“To them, the political stability of the Dao Colleges comes above everything else. The current Sect Lord of the Ethereal Dao College isn’t extremely assertive either. These factors are to your disadvantage.”
Wang Baole listened to everything carefully. He didn’t say a word and took every word Lin You said to heart, ingesting them and mulling them over carefully. He felt that he had a greater understanding of his future.
“Since the four Dao Colleges support Li Yi, your top priority then is to single out Li Yi’s flaws and mistakes. You have to do your best to force her out of the competition in an open and legitimate manner!
“You will then become the four Dao Colleges’ only representative in the New Mars Region. When that happens, they will have to support you regardless of whether they’re willing to do so. No matter how displeased they are, they will need to give you their full support!
“When that time comes, even if the Ethereal Dao College’s Sect Lord isn’t an assertive man, he will be smart enough to seize the opportunity and seize the control the four Dao Colleges have within the New Mars Region!”
“That is when you will be able to reap the rewards of your labor.” Lin You finished what he had to say and took a sip of his tea. He heard Wang Baole’s fast breathing over the voice transmission ring and smiled lightly.
Wang Baole’s breathing quickened. Lin You’s analysis and assessment, and his final solution to Wang Baole’s troubles, had cleared Wang Baole’s mind and lifted his spirits. He couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Lin You… was indeed a man with a clear mind and whose thoughts were thorough. He had an extraordinary way of weighing and deliberating his options, isolating the best option available!
“Now that we’re done talking about enemies, let’s talk about your friends. Baole, when one is surrounded by enemies, he will find it hard to accomplish great deeds. What you need to learn is to differentiate those enemies whom you can befriend and those you will never be able to become friends with. Those whose hostility towards you cannot be resolved must be swiftly brought down in the shortest time possible.
“Kong Dao, for example. He is the foster son of the Federation President and a member of the native Martian military. You cannot afford to isolate him. That is because you aren’t the four Dao Colleges’ only option. You still need the support of the Martian natives! Your relationship with the military allows them to naturally give you their support!
“Kong Dao will serve to provide you with this support in the background. You have to analyze the various political forces in the Federation. Are they willing to join forces with the Martian administration and share control over the new city zone? The answer determines that Kong Dao will only ever be a vice mayor. Do you believe that if Kong Dao had gotten first place in the final trial, the positions for vice mayorship wouldn’t be four but five? In addition, Kong Dao will never reside inside the new city zone!
“That is why you only need to ensure that he appears to listen to your orders. Don’t worry, he will never try to seize power independently!”
Wang Baole’s eyes widened. Lin You’s analysis and explanations seemed to have opened a door. He seemed to suddenly grasp the lessons that he had read in the high officials’ autobiographies and had been slightly confused over!
