The Archaeology Institute.
The director, who held the purse strings of all the archaeology experts, sat before the conference table, his face contorted with rage.
For a leisurely department like the Archaeology Institute, late-night meetings were a rarity, happening perhaps only once every few years. Such occurrences were usually prompted by the discovery of an unparalleled tomb.
Yet tonight, no tomb had been unearthed, but the staff of the Archaeology Institute had been summoned late at night and marched into the conference room in unison.
"Everyone has seen Elder Dong's statement, right?"
The director scanned the room, his expression unusually grim.
No one spoke.
It was as if everyone had gone deaf.
The reason was simple: although everyone had seen it, no one knew exactly what had transpired.
To express an opinion rashly at this juncture would only lead to saying the wrong thing.
The best course of action was to observe the situation.
"Heh, when it came to applying for funds, you were all so eager. Now you've all turned into mute statues?"
"Fine. Those who don't speak will have their funding halved from now on!"
The director couldn't help but slam the table.
At this, the crowd could no longer feign deafness.
"I believe Elder Dong might have other considerations... perhaps he's getting old and wants to enjoy his retirement? Why not have a proper discussion with Elder Dong? If he truly doesn't wish to continue at the Institute, then we can re-employ him as a consultant! In any case, there are always more solutions than difficulties. We can't lose Elder Dong's golden signboard."
Someone ventured tentatively.
However, all they received was a cold snort from the director.
Seeing the director's attitude, the others immediately understood.
Then, another person chimed in, "Elder Dong's actions are quite disrespectful to our Institute. I suggest we admonish one or two of Elder Dong's students to put pressure on him and make him retract that statement. Getting into the Archaeology Institute is an honor. If Elder Dong doesn't value honor, we can't just indulge him..."
Hearing this, the director's expression softened slightly.
"That's well said. The Archaeology Institute is not just a job; it's an honor! If someone throws away the honor they're given, why should we grovel before them?"
The director finally spoke, setting the tone for the day's meeting.
Everyone suddenly realized: so Elder Dong's departure from the Institute was due to some conflict with the director!
Tsk tsk, another instance of the ignorant forcing out the knowledgeable.
It was both laughable and tragic.
However, these thoughts remained unspoken, and no one dared to voice them.
In fact, they had to fall in line with the director's wishes and utter words that disparaged Elder Dong.
Their only hope was for the smooth approval of their funding.
It truly echoed the lyric: "People rush around frantically, all for a few pieces of silver. Yet, these few pieces of silver can resolve all the world's anxieties."
Just as everyone was professing their loyalty, a disheveled, unkempt middle-aged man stood up.
He wore a look of indifference, as if today's meeting had nothing to do with him.
"I have matters to attend to at home, so I'll be leaving now," the man said.
He turned to leave.
"Stop!" the director frowned displeasurably.
"Wang Zizai, do you think that by giving yourself such a name, you can truly be at ease? Do you have any sense of organizational discipline? Did I give you permission to leave? Sit down!"
The man named Wang Zizai looked back at the director and said, "I really have something to do. My wife is very ill, and I need to go back to take care of her."
"No! Don't even mention that your wife isn't dead yet. Even if she were, you have to finish today's meeting!" the director said sternly.
The moment these words were uttered, the room fell into a deathly silence.
Those who had just been insincerely appeasing the director fell silent.
Wang Zizai's expression changed, and he stood frozen for over a minute.
Just as everyone thought he would yield, Wang Zizai suddenly strode towards the door.
As he walked, he threw back a parting shot: "My wife will outlive you! If you have the guts, do to me what you did to Professor Li and Elder Dong – force me out too!"
With that, Wang Zizai left.
The director stared furiously at Wang Zizai's retreating back, his eyes practically spitting fire.
"Fire him! Fire Wang Zizai immediately!" the director ordered.
"Please calm down, Director. Wang Zizai is the top Han tomb expert in Dragon Country. If it weren't for Wang Zizai's expertise, the Han King Water Tomb couldn't have been excavated. Given his value, you shouldn't fire him so easily!"
"It's like an employee who brings benefits to the company. If the leader dislikes him, they should maximize his contributions to the company. Firing him directly would be too easy for him."
At this point, someone stood up to persuade.
The director paused, then nodded. "That makes sense. We'll settle this score for now and make him pay later!"
The persuader breathed a sigh of relief.
He was Wang Zizai's good friend and had intentionally said this to help Wang Zizai keep his livelihood.
Otherwise, Wang Zizai wouldn't even be able to afford his wife's monthly medical expenses!
"Alright, let's get back to the main topic. Regarding Elder Dong, do you have any other suggestions?" the director waved his hand, momentarily setting the issue aside.
However, after Wang Zizai's outburst, the crowd's eagerness to insincerely appease the director had considerably diminished.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Just as the director was about to express his disappointment, someone suddenly slammed the table and shouted, "No! That's not right!"
Everyone looked to see who it was. It was none other than Liu Bin, who had previously slandered Professor Li!
Liu Bin held Elder Dong's statement and shook his head repeatedly, "Director, Elder Dong's statement is suspicious!"
"Look, he keeps saying it's to prove himself, that even on his deathbed he looks forward. But between the lines, there's a distinct scent!"
"The scent of money!"
Everyone, including the director, was curious.
When had Liu Bin developed such a skill that he could smell money from written words?
Seeing their confusion, Liu Bin chuckled and handed his phone to the director. "Director, look. This is a screenshot my wife just sent me."
"Elder Dong's young wife just posted on her WeChat Moments. Although she didn't say it explicitly, the whole post implies that Elder Dong has found a new position and joined a well-funded archaeology laboratory!"
"In other words, Elder Dong's talk of looking forward is all nonsense! It's actually about looking towards money!"
Whoosh!
The crowd was instantly abuzz.
The director, after a moment of stunned silence, flew into a rage.
"I never expected the esteemed Elder Dong to be such a hypocrite!"
"Good, since you are unrighteous, don't blame me for being so! You withdraw from the Institute for money, and then you slander the Institute. I can only tear down the facade and expose your true colors to the public!"
"Liu Bin, contact several media outlets. I want to accept an exclusive interview on behalf of the Archaeology Institute! We will expose the erratic behavior of Professor Li and Elder Dong to the public!"
"Let those two become public enemies!"
"Let those two never be able to work in the archaeology circle again in their lives!"