Love letters are not allowed in the exorcism notebook!-Chapter 483 - 61: It’s a Young Person’s World

The climate on the northern coast had always been mild but not humid, especially relative to the south.

Shen Jianzhen, with a pipe in his mouth and a newspaper in hand, was not focused on the newspaper itself.

There were only five minutes left until the scheduled appointment time.

He knew that Zhou Yaowen was never very punctual. That man had returned from studying abroad with a carefree and sloppy demeanor, and he lacked method in his actions, appearing irresponsible and indecent.

But those who dismissed him as insignificant were now buried under three feet high grass.

Only the old folk who had served alongside the President knew that among those sent abroad for formal education, aside from the current Prime Minister, he ranked second.

Zhou Yaowen returned to Tianmen but did not take the position of mayor, which might seem to outsiders as a sign of insanity, but to old-timers like Shen Jianzhen, it was akin to releasing a fierce tiger from its cage.

If he sat in that position, he had to abide by the rules.

If he did not, no one in all of Tianmen could limit his actions.

The real lunatic was the President – in a time when his talents were needed in all parts of the nation, you still gave him a holiday, allowing him to fool around, with no understanding of what you were thinking...

Allowing him to educate the youth, it’s unknown what kind of monsters he would breed in ten years’ time.

The sound of the doorbell instantly brought Shen Jianzhen back to his senses, and he looked toward the door as he set down the newspaper.

Zhou Yaowen entered wearing a green robe, holding an umbrella, politely nodding at the doorman, and handed over the umbrella to him.

He appeared to be a weak scholar with an unimpressive appearance.

Who would have thought that someone like him was, twenty years ago, most adept at making explosives?

Not only in the physical sense but on other levels as well.

"I don’t think I’m late, am I, Professor Shen?"

Zhou Yaowen sat down opposite Shen Jianzhen with a smile, looking around the environment: "A genuine American-style restaurant? You invite me all the way here, just to eat fries and drink cola?"

Shen Jianzhen set down his pipe and smiled: "The steaks here are good, recommended by a student of mine."

"All steaks are essentially the same; it’s just the quality of the meat that differs. The beef here and the beef from the Federation vary greatly."

"The meat here is selected from live cattle shipped over from the Federation."

"Really? Then I must seriously give it a taste."

At this, Zhou Yaowen excitedly rubbed his hands: "Honestly, during the years I spent abroad, I rarely had the chance to eat a proper, high-end steak."

"You’ve mentioned before, many times actually, that back then conditions were tough, the Imperial Court’s subsidy wasn’t enough, and everyone had to spend frugally."

"Did I say that? You see, I am getting old, my memory isn’t as good anymore. My apologies, truly."

Zhou Yaowen laughed heartily, picked up the menu, and summoned the waiter, looking at Shen Jianzhen: "You’re wealthy, so I won’t stand on ceremony with you, right?"

"Let’s have an oak-charcoal grilled ribeye medium rare, Caesar salad, fried onions, lobster soup... probably not available, so let’s go with mushroom soup instead, a bottle of California red wine, and a serving of ice cream..."

"California red wine? You’re trying to save me money?"

"No, no, no, just get the California one."

Zhou Yaowen smiled and said: "Back when our teacher took us to visit the World Fair, the Federal President was promoting California wine to those old folks from Europe, who mocked it as cowboy juice. I will never forget the look on the President’s face then."

"It is indeed quite different."

"Different tastes for different folks, I guess. For me, the slight difference makes it all the more interesting to drink."

Shen Jianzhen picked up the menu, ordered some simple dishes, and after the waiter had left, he lowered his voice and said with a reduced smile, "The people of France are barely holding on."

Zhou Yaowen smiled without saying a word.

"They can only withstand two more high tide periods at most, then the Rome Empire is going to disappear. That’s why they are acting crazy now, and if we don’t step back, no one knows what they might do."

"Isn’t that an exaggeration? Even if things are bad, they can still move to the New Continent."

"The New Continent only has land; it doesn’t even have a bit of temporal depth—they’re not fools."

"Whether they are fools or not, what does that have to do with us?"

Seeing the waiter deliver the pre-meal bread and vegetable salad, Zhou Yaowen calmly picked up the napkin from the table.

"After that war, the fleet of the people of France won’t dare to enter the Asian waters for at least ten years. Who cares if they’re happy? If they’re not, let them hang themselves; the farther away, the better."

Shen Jianzhen said helplessly, "What I mean is, there’s no need to drive them to a dead end. The nation is just being established, with so much reconstruction needed, where is the energy to deal with madmen? How long has it been since you last spoke with the President? Do you really think maintaining a tough stance now is beneficial for the country?"

"That’s a problem for the Foreign Ministry to consider. I’m not in that position, so why discuss it with me?"

Zhou Yaowen tasted a few bites of the vegetable salad, then set down his fork and knife, and quietly waited for the waiter to serve the steak.

Shen Jianzhen took a puff from his pipe and said in a deep voice, "The Joshua People are willing to pay."

"Oh?"

"A lot of money."

As the waiter approached, he placed the steak down, pulled the cork out of the wine bottle, and poured wine into their glasses.

Zhou Yaowen raised his glass to clink gently with Shen Jianzhen, and smiled, "What do they want to buy?"

"Buy citizenship."

"Permanent residency? That’s a good thing!"

"Not permanent residency, but national identity."

Zhou Yaowen sipped his wine, remained silent for a moment, and then asked, "So they want to naturalize? That’s not really a problem..."

"It’s not complete naturalization, as they also have a long history and it’s normal for them to have their own ideas."

Shen Jianzhen spread his hands and said, "I think we could consider letting them in first, then gradually assimilate them. It’s merely a matter of time. We’ve integrated so many ethnicities in the past, even the Fusang People and Sea People have been educated; there really is no need to make too much of the Joshua People."

"Currently, the country’s foreign policy is too xenophobic, lacking grace and decency. If the President really wants to revive the grandeur of the Heavenly Empire being congratulated from all around, he shouldn’t keep focusing on these minor issues."

Zhou Yaowen cut a piece of steak and put it into his mouth, carefully chewing it.

The thing about steak is that only the first bite is the most delicious, treasured just after being taken off the grill, soaked with the meaty and smoky flavors, providing a full pleasurable sensory experience.

From the second bite onward, it’s just plain "eating meat."

Of course, Zhou Yaowen didn’t care about these things; he certainly knew how to enjoy himself and wouldn’t waste the remaining meat on his plate.

"In principle, I think you are right."

After swallowing the beef and using a napkin to wipe his mouth, Zhou Yaowen raised his glass and smiled, "Saving face is indeed very important. I used to not care much about these things when I was younger. Now, having aged, I realize that those stubborn old men had their valid points."

Shen Jianzhen also smiled and said, "Just like that, decades have passed, and we have also aged. We no longer have the vigor of our youth, and it’s time to step aside and let the younger generation make their way."

The two exchanged glances, raised their glasses, and clinked them together.