272: Chapter 27: Strategic Maneuvering, Forming Alliances and Building Power

The night was thick, and the starlight appeared hazy outside the faint golden protective barrier unique to Xinghai University. Most areas of the campus had already quieted down, but in certain corners, invisible undercurrents were surging at an unprecedented speed.

Time: 64 hours before the final.

Act One: Networking Under the Cover of Night

Lin Zhou, Qin Qing, and Li Mo had just stepped out of the quaint and elegant courtyard villa of Gongsun Yan, the Dean of the College of History and Civilization, which seemed connected to the long river of time.

Professor Gongsun Yan was an old man with hair and beard as white as snow, yet his eyes were as clear and curious as a child's. He didn't directly state his support, but he accepted the detailed and persuasive "Civilization Concept Competition" proposal and promised to "study it carefully and chat with the other old fellows." More importantly, he revealed a key piece of information: at least two professors on the judging panel (Mo Heng and Xun Wenruo) were "already quite critical" of a final that was purely about overwhelming power, believing it "lost the original intent of university Education and exchange."

This was a positive signal.

"Next stop, College of Engineering, Dean Mo Heng." Lin Zhou glanced at the map marked on his personal terminal and didn't linger for a moment. Time was everything; they had to visit at least the four most accessible professors on the list tonight.

However, just as they were passing through a quiet garden, several figures silently emerged from the shadows of rockeries and ancient trees, blocking their path.

There were five newcomers in total. Their auras varied in strength, but their eyes all carried a sense of scrutiny, vigilance, and a trace of... suppressed excitement?

The leader was a tall girl with short silver hair and a cold temperament. Her divinity fluctuations carried a sharp sense of "keenness," like a drawn sword. Behind her were a burly man with knotted muscles, a thin man shrouded in faint shadows, and a pair of siblings whose divinity fluctuations resonated faintly.

"Lin Zhou?" the silver-haired girl spoke, her voice as cold and direct as her persona.

Lin Zhou stopped, his eyes calmly scanning the five people. His Godhead instantly completed a preliminary scan and risk assessment. The other party didn't emit obvious hostility, but they were very guarded. "I am. And you are?"

"Leng Feng, a senior, former president of the 'Sword Pavilion' club, now a freelancer." The silver-haired girl introduced herself briefly, then gestured to the people behind her. "They are former core members of 'Sword Pavilion,' or remnants of the 'Mountain Society' and 'Shadow Stream' after they were disbanded. We all have one thing in common—we have all been suppressed, defeated, or even forced to disband our clubs by Xuanyuan Hao or his 'Emperor's Alliance' in various competitions, resource scrambles, or even private conflicts, all under the guise of 'maintaining orthodoxy' or 'purging heresy.'"

Lin Zhou's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained impassive. "And so?"

"So, we saw the posts starting to pop up on the campus network, discussions about the ideological clash between 'The Way of the Hundred Schools' and the 'Imperial Way.'" Leng Feng's gaze was as sharp as a sword, as if trying to pierce through Lin Zhou's disguise. "We don't care if you truly have some 'Great Way of Civilization' or if you're just looking for an excuse to avoid being crushed. We just want to know—do you, or rather your 'Hundred Schools Society,' really intend to use some method in the final to challenge, or even just annoy, that pretentious and arrogant fellow Xuanyuan Hao?"

Her tone carried undisguised hostility, but this hostility was directed at Xuanyuan Hao.

Lin Zhou understood instantly. These were potential "allies," or rather, a "momentum" that could be borrowed. They were the "failures" crushed during the expansion of Xuanyuan Hao's "Imperial Way," with resentment and dissatisfaction accumulating in their hearts. His appearance, along with the budding public opinion of the confrontation between the "Hundred Schools" and the "Imperial Way," was like a spark falling into dry tinder.

Whether it could be ignited and whether the fire could be controlled for his own use depended on his next response.

Lin Zhou didn't immediately answer "yes" or "no," but instead asked in return, "What kind of challenge do you hope to see? Or rather, what kind of method do you think can truly affect Xuanyuan Hao? Purely defeating him with force seems like a slim hope at the moment."

Leng Feng and the people behind her exchanged glances. The burly man said in a low, muffled voice, "Even if we can't beat him, we have to bite off a piece of his flesh! Let him know that not everyone submits to his 'ruling the world' act!"

The man in the shadows spoke with a flickering voice, "Force is not our forte, but it might be more interesting if we can make him suffer a setback in the area he's most proud of... like making his 'Destined by Heaven' claim look a bit foolish."

The Elder brother of the siblings added, "We've studied the recording of your last battle. That kind of... erosion and transformation at the rule level is very special. If you can cause even a single crack in his 'Imperial Way' halo during the final, that would be a success."

Leng Feng summarized, staring intently at Lin Zhou. "We don't need you to guarantee a win; that's unrealistic. What we want to know is, is it possible for your 'The Way of the Hundred Schools' to make him uncomfortable on an ideological, rule-based, or 'Orthodoxy' level? Even just a little? If so, we might... provide a little 'help' in certain aspects. For example, making certain 'voices' louder, and making certain 'history' remembered by more people."

Lin Zhou understood. This was a trade. They would provide public opinion support and potential intelligence (regarding Xuanyuan Hao's past "dark history" or personality weaknesses), and he, in turn, would need to act as the arrow fired at the "Imperial Way" halo during the final. Whether it could pierce through or not, it at least had to make a sound.

"Ideological collision, rule-based debate, the struggle for Orthodoxy..." Lin Zhou said slowly, meeting Leng Feng's gaze honestly. "This is exactly what I'm going to work hard to promote next. I can't guarantee the result, but I can promise that as long as I stand on that stage, my 'The Way of the Hundred Schools' will do its utmost to articulate another possibility for civilization and to question the absoluteness of the 'sole orthodoxy.' This, in itself, is a challenge to the 'Imperial Way.'"

He paused, his voice growing heavier. "As for whether I can make him 'uncomfortable' or even cause 'cracks'... that depends on many factors, including the judges' inclinations, the audience's feedback, and whether we can secure a relatively fair competition environment where ideas can be fully expressed."

Leng Feng looked deeply at Lin Zhou, seemingly judging the sincerity in his words. A few seconds later, she nodded, and a very faint, almost imperceptible curve appeared on her cold face.

"Enough," she said curtly. "Though 'Sword Pavilion' is disbanded, the connections remain. The same goes for 'Mountain Society' and 'Shadow Stream.' We will make sure everyone who needs to hear these 'discussions' hears them. Some 'old news' about how Xuanyuan Hao excluded dissidents and suppressed emerging clubs in the name of 'orthodoxy' will also be brought back up at the right time. Of course, in the name of 'academic discussion' and 'historical review.'"

She handed over a small, sword-shaped silver data chip. "Inside are some 'objective records' of the 'Emperor's Alliance's' conduct and certain controversial incidents in recent years that aren't easily found through public channels; they might help with your 'theory building.' Additionally, Professor Wang Xuanlan of the College of Philosophy is my mentor. He is very interested in logic games and conceptual traps, and might resonate with your 'School of Names' methods. You can mention my name."

After speaking, Leng Feng said no more and led the other four to merge back into the shadows as silently as they had appeared, vanishing from sight.

Silence returned to the garden.

Qin Qing frowned slightly. "Are these people... trustworthy? Could it be a trap?"

Lin Zhou rubbed the cool chip and shook his head. "Their hatred is real. For Xuanyuan Hao's 'Imperial Way' to establish absolute authority, it must be accompanied by the suppression of 'dissidents.' These people are the 'price' of that suppression. They are a scattered but non-negligible 'resentment.' What we need to do now is give this 'resentment' an outlet and guide it in a direction favorable to us—namely, supporting the public opinion that 'the final should emphasize the clash of ideas.'"

Li Mo could hardly wait to plug the chip into his portable terminal and scan it quickly. "The data is very messy, but there are indeed some interesting things... for example, three years ago, when competing for control of the 'Starry Brilliance Secret Realm,' Xuanyuan Hao used the excuse of 'ideological incompatibility, fearing it would disrupt the Order of the Secret Realm' to collaborate with the judging panel to forcibly modify the rules and squeeze out an emerging club based on the concept of 'natural symbiosis,' causing that club to never recover. There's more than one instance of this."

"See," Lin Zhou tucked the chip away, "this is the 'Vertical Alliance'—uniting all forces that can be united, even if it's a temporary alliance based on hatred. Leng Feng and the others will become a spontaneous wave of voices from the 'victim's' perspective in our public relations offensive. This will make our advocacy for 'ideological inclusion' and 'plurality of paths' seem more authentic and persuasive."

"Next," he turned his gaze toward the College of Engineering, "is the 'Horizontal Alliance'—securing the support of strong individuals who are neutral but have their own ideological inclinations. Dean Mo Heng will be the key."}],

Time: 62 hours before the final.

Act Two: Consensus within the Tiangong Workshop

Mo Heng's "residence" was more like an external interface for a massive, perpetually operating super workshop, the Heavenly Mechanism City. They were received by a mechanical Puppet shimmering with spiritual light, which led them to a study filled with various strange parts, blueprints, and semi-finished mechanical creations.

Mo Heng himself looked like an unkempt craftsman with messy hair and an oil-stained beard, but his eyes sparkled with the fervor and wisdom of a creator. He had already heard of the performance of the "Tiangong Dwarves" brought by Lin Zhou in the Freshman Cup and previous battles, and he was deeply interested.

Lin Zhou didn't waste time on pleasantries, presenting the proposal directly. He focused on the section regarding "the practice and demonstration of Mohist Universal Love, Non-Aggression, and The Exploitation of the Works of Nature in civilization construction," as well as the idea of incorporating "technological R&D and application efficiency" and "resource conversion and creation capability" into the final's evaluation system.

Mo Heng listened while fiddling with a complex set of gears, occasionally muttering "mm" or "somewhat interesting." When Lin Zhou mentioned hoping the final would showcase not just destructive power but also "creativity" and "constructive power," the engineering giant finally looked up.

"Little fellow, do you know why I'm interested in your 'Tiangong Dwarves'?" Mo Heng's voice was slightly raspy but powerful. "It's not because of how well they fight, but because of the... spirituality they show in combining abstract concepts with concrete creations! Traditional Mechanical Divine Domains pursue absolute logic and efficiency—cold. When your dwarves build mechanisms according to blueprints, I can 'feel' them practicing a certain 'Dao,' not just completing instructions. This is interesting!"

He put down the gears and wiped the oil from his hands. "That kid from the Xuanyuan Family's 'Imperial Way' is good, but it's too 'hard.' Everything must fit into his framework of rule, lacking... well, the unexpectedness of growth. I don't hate Order, but I hate rigid Order. Your proposal, adding something 'soft' to the competition to see who can 'generate' more, sounds not bad to me."

Mo Heng was direct: "I will voice my support within the judging panel. However, the voice of one old man like me isn't loud enough. Xun Wenruo, that old stickler, is stubborn, but as long as the 'rules' and 'Order' you speak of are self-consistent and appear more 'advanced,' he might be moved. Wang Xuanlan likes games that twist the brain. Shennong Yu is soft-hearted and can't stand meaningless casualties. As for Dongfang Wen and Xing Jian... that depends on your own abilities."

He paused and smiled slyly. "Also, here's a bit of inside info. The old headmaster seems to have been particularly concerned with the word 'civilization' lately. If you can elevate 'The Way of the Hundred Schools' to the height of 'civilizational Legacy and development,' you might just hit his sweet spot."

Another key supporter! And he pointed out a higher-level possibility!

Upon leaving Heavenly Mechanism City, Li Mo excitedly recorded several "technical demonstration" scoring points Mo Heng had casually mentioned. Qin Qing began quickly organizing how to package the "Legalist Edict system" as a more "advanced" and "self-consistent" model of Order to cater to Professor Xun Wenruo's tastes.

Time: 58 hours before the final.

Act Three: The Quiet Activation of Family Networks

After successive visits to Xun Wenruo (who, after a rigorous and almost harsh interrogation, gave a cautious statement of "if the rules are reasonable, it can be considered") and Wang Xuanlan (who showed great interest in the "School of Names sophistry" and "dispute of concepts" parts and promised to "pay attention"), dawn was near.

The four were slightly tired, but their spirits were increasingly high. They had visited four of the seven target professors, and the gains exceeded expectations.

At this moment, Qin Qing suddenly stopped and said to Lin Zhou, "President, Li Mo and I will visit Professor Shennong Yu and Professor Dongfang Wen. You need to rest and take time to integrate the current information and adjust the subsequent strategy. And..."

She hesitated rarely before continuing, "I need to utilize some of my Family's relationship networks to influence the attitudes of the other three judging committee members. This process... might not be suitable for too many people to be present."

Lin Zhou understood instantly. Qin Qing came from the ancient god Family, the "Qin Family," which held extensive influence among the high-level Human Race in the Milky Way Galaxy. The energy of the "Family relationship network" she spoke of was by no means comparable to the connections at a student level. This might be the heaviest weight they could use to sway the judging panel.

"Are you sure?" Lin Zhou asked in a low voice. He knew Qin Qing's character; she wouldn't suggest it unless she was certain.

Qin Qing nodded, her eyes firm. "An uncle-ancestor in the Family once served as the vice-principal of Xinghai University and has old ties with several current senior judges. Additionally, the Qin Family is closely linked with the faction advocating for 'Legal Reform' in the Galactic Council. One of the core ideas of 'Legal Reform' is that 'rules should evolve with the development of civilization, rather than rigidly guarding old traditions.' This has an inherent connection with our concept of 'ideological collision promoting rule progress.' I will try to persuade the Family to send a signal of support to those judges in the name of 'observing emerging civilization governance models' and 'promoting the diversification of god Education'."

She paused and added, "Of course, the Family won't directly interfere with the competition, but appropriate 'expressions of academic inclination' and 'appreciation for the spirit of innovative exploration' are possible. I need to go back and communicate in person."

This was the first time Qin Qing clearly stated she would use Family power to intervene. This meant she truly viewed the "Hundred Schools Society" and even Lin Zhou's "Way of Civilization" as a cause worth betting part of her Family's reputation on. This trust and determination warmed Lin Zhou's heart.

"Thank you," Lin Zhou said solemnly. "Be careful, on the premise of not harming yourself or the Family's interests."

Qin Qing nodded slightly. "I know the limits." After saying that, she took Li Mo and walked toward the campus long-distance teleportation array area—the opposite direction of Professor Shennong Yu's residence.

Lin Zhou, Zhao Hao, and Wang Meng returned to the Hundred Schools Society headquarters.

Time: 52 hours before the final. Society headquarters.

Zhao Hao's public opinion offensive had already begun to show results. On the campus network and major forums, topics like "Hundred Schools of Thought vs. Imperial Way Governance," "A Feast of Civilizational Collision," and "We Need a Deep Final" continued to rise in popularity. The "historical review" posts pushed secretly by Leng Feng and others also began to appear; though the wording was subtle, it was enough to evoke memories or dissatisfaction regarding Xuanyuan Hao's forceful style in many people.

Among the new generation, many students dissatisfied with the monopoly of resources by traditional powerful divine realms, or those who simply liked novel things, also began to voice support for "giving the Hundred Schools a stage to perform." Even some originally neutral ordinary students were attracted by the romantic imagination of this "ideological duel."

For a time, the calls for adding a "civilization concept demonstration" segment to the final formed a significant momentum.

Wang Meng integrated the information collected from all parties and began to forcefully deduce survival and demonstration strategies for the Hundred Schools Squad under several possibly adjusted match formats.

Lin Zhou was alone in a room, a light screen floating before him. On it were complex power relationship maps, judge inclination analyses, public opinion heat curves, and a short encrypted message just sent back by Qin Qing: "Contact made. Uncle-ancestor promised to have 'tea and a chat' with old friends Gongsun, Mo, and Xun. Family opinion: Limited support can be given to the 'ideological competition' proposal, viewed as an 'observational investment' in emerging governance models."

It worked!

At least, the supporting forces within the judging panel had reached a considerable number. Combined with the headmaster's possible tacit approval and the surging public opinion... Lin Zhou walked to the window; the horizon was already turning pale. A new day was about to begin, and less than 52 hours remained until the final.

He looked toward the "Imperial Pole District," the area designated as a restricted zone where Xuanyuan Hao's Divine Kingdom was located, his gaze sharp as a blade.

The trend of public opinion had initially formed, internal divisions within the judging panel had appeared, potential allies (the resentful) had been awakened, and Qin Qing's Family power had begun to intervene... The School of Diplomacy's chessboard was set, and the momentum of Vertical and Horizontal Alliances had begun to take shape.

Next was waiting for the final official coordination meeting before the final, and... seeing how that high-and-mighty "Star Sea Crown Prince" would respond to this silent but surging pressure from the levels of rules, public opinion, and even orthodoxy.

"Xuanyuan Hao," Lin Zhou whispered to himself, "your 'Imperial Way' is indeed powerful, but I wonder if you are ready to face this... ideological storm regarding 'what is orthodox' and 'what is civilization'?"

The morning light pierced through the clouds, illuminating the Fire of Civilization in his eyes, which was becoming increasingly condensed and profound.