Country Magnates

In the dressing room, Si Ming was removing his makeup. His clothes had many small ornaments that were tangled together, and if he didn't remove them in the correct order, the clothes would be "ruined".

At that moment, he finally understood why superheroes in American comics like to wear tight-fitting suits. It's easy to put them on; you just slip them on. They're also easy to wash; if they get dirty, you can just throw them in the washing machine or rinse them with water. Unlike his current suit, which, once thrown into the washing machine, would probably be unwearable.

Compared to the boys' complaints, the girls were more tolerant in this regard, discussing their experiences while undressing.

"I think it's quite interesting. After putting on the clothes and mask, I can play a different person, and I can decide what kind of personality the character I play. Once I get into it, it feels like I've really become the character I created," Hongdou said with a grin, looking at the iron mask in her hand. "Maybe I have a talent for acting?"

Aloof and pure, composed and calm, strong and confident—this is the perfect image in Hongdou's mind. She feels she is far from being like that, so she wants to pretend to be such a character when she acts.

"Because I wear a mask, no one will recognize my identity, and I can say whatever I want. Since there's no connection between the character I'm playing and my real self, I don't have to worry about being ridiculed. Therefore, I can actually be more immersed in the act. Unfortunately, I'm the one whose identity is exposed, so I can't act recklessly like you guys. I can only play myself."

Yu Shuying sighed with slight regret, then reminded everyone, "Try to have as little contact with me as possible in the future, and don't greet me when you see me. Otherwise, if others find out that we know each other, even if they are blind, they will be able to figure out who you are."

People in the real world aren't like the blind characters in comics. Even when they have ample evidence to deduce someone's true identity, they seem to have a mental block and will never think from that perspective unless the other person voluntarily takes off their mask.

Take Batman for example. He reveals so much information. First, he's white. Second, we can estimate his height from his appearance and infer his build from his physical attributes. Then, looking at the equipment he usually uses, it's easy to tell that he's wealthy. This immediately narrows down the search. Then, by applying these search keywords to the area of Gotham City, frankly, anyone with a little initiative could discover his true identity.

Two people did not conceal their appearance during last night's operation: Yu Shuying and Liu Qingqing. The latter was naturally not a concern, but the former, as the renowned leader of the Azure Flood Dragon Gang, would attract a lot of attention. If the other party gathered a little intelligence and knew who her friends were, it would be easy to deduce who the other members of the Five-Color Team were.

Hongdou pouted and said, "I don't like this. It makes it seem like we're deliberately excluding someone. Since we all live under the same roof, we should love and care for each other."

Yu Shuying said, "Friendship isn't determined by greetings. Some people greet each other politely but secretly wish they could strangle each other, while others, though separated by thousands of miles, still care about each other. Of course, it's no problem if you need to contact me, but there's no need to greet each other when we meet on ordinary days. I also have to take care of the gang's affairs and can't find the time to act with you."

In fact, even if they don't communicate on a daily basis and pretend to be strangers to each other, as long as others collect information and follow the clues, they can still easily deduce the identities of Murong Qing and the others by discovering that they all came from the same orphanage.

However, Murong Qing and her group's purpose was merely to prevent ordinary people from spying on them and to avoid a situation where everyone knew about it. But for those who were truly interested, even the most exquisite disguise would be seen through.

Yu Shuying continued, "Don't forget, my signature color is black. In terms of character design, my role should be behind the scenes, responsible for logistics and intelligence gathering, providing you with assistance. Fortunately, I have a gang under my command, with enough manpower and resources to back you up. As for various rumors, even the Mohist Knight Guard might not be as fast as us at gathering intelligence."

"I want to apply to establish a club," Murong Qing suddenly said. "Without rules, there can be no order. Since we are a team, we need to have proper rules. Even if you never participate in club activities, there will still be a place for you."

Yu Shuying clicked her tongue, still not quite used to Murong Qing's direct and confrontational speaking style, especially when the other party was expressing goodwill. She could only change the subject with her tone. "Whatever you want. So, what kind of club do you plan to start?"

"An organization that helps others without expecting anything in return; whatever the request, we'll help if we can."

Hongdou asked doubtfully, "Isn't this the Mohist Knight Guard?"

"Unlike the Mohist Knight Guard, who are paid, they don't actually take on many requests. For example, if someone loses a cat, and it's just an ordinary stray cat, and the owner isn't willing to offer a large reward, at most a hundred yuan, no Mohist Knight Guard would be willing to expend the effort to find the cat. But we can."

Yu Shuying sneered, "A sage has no fixed mind; he takes the people's mind as his own. Do you want to be a sage who bestows blessings upon the world and finds joy in helping others? History is full of examples of the fates of such people; you should know that."

"Historically, such people often met their end because they were overwhelmed by responsibilities beyond their capabilities. The word 'saint' requires not only virtue but also ability, which is why I added the premise 'as long as we can do it.' Furthermore, I won't accept long-term commissions, such as reforming an unsociable student or making a timid student brave. I refuse work that requires long-term influence to be effective, which cannot be achieved overnight. Although this may sound harsh, my goal is to help as many people as possible. No one is more noble than anyone else, so I treat everyone equally and expend the same amount of effort."

"Oh, so you do have self-awareness and haven't set your sights too high. Is this a compromise between idealists and reality?"

"Wrong, it's a transformation of reality."

Just then, there was a knock on the door. It was Si Ming: "Have you changed your clothes yet? It's been almost an hour. May I come in?"

"Come in, I have something I want to tell you."

After Si Ming entered the room, Murong Qing told him about her idea of creating a club.

"Isn't it great? Helping others is a very meaningful thing. Except for those with twisted personalities, most people can find happiness in helping others. When you're poor, you should cultivate your own virtue; when you're successful, you should help others. Compared to ordinary people, we are undoubtedly 'successful' now. Helping our classmates is not a bad thing, and we can even learn from it."

Si Ming agreed after listening, but then added, "I don't recommend helping others for free. On the contrary, I think we should charge a fee. This isn't for ourselves, but for everyone. People won't cherish things that are free."

Murong Qing, "Of course I know the stories of Zilu receiving the ox and Zigong redeeming people, but wouldn't doing this be the same as the Mohist Knight Guard?"

The Zilu receiving an ox tells of one of Kongzi's students, Zilu, who saved a drowning man. The man, in gratitude, offered him an ox. Zilu gladly accepted and told his teacher and classmates. His classmates felt that Zilu shouldn't accept a reward for his good deed. However, Master Kong was delighted, praising Zilu for his actions and remarking that from then on, more and more people would save drowning people.

In contrast, Zigong redeemed a person, saying that there was a law in Lu State that if Lu State citizen was enslaved abroad, someone who could redeem them could claim reimbursement from the state treasury upon their return. Zigong (Duanmu Ci), a disciple of Kongzi, redeemed a Lu State citizen abroad but did not seek reimbursement from the state upon returning home. Upon hearing this, Kongzi criticized him for his mistake and lamented that from then on, the people of Lu State would no longer be willing to redeem their compatriots abroad.

Si Ming, "It's different. The Mohist Knight Guard believe in equal compensation when it comes to missions, meaning the difficulty of the mission is commensurate with the reward. So they won't spend a whole day searching for cats for a hundred dollars, because it's not worth it. But we don't care about that. We can charge only one dollar, as long as the other party really needs help. Conversely, if the other party doesn't really care about something and is just asking us for convenience, then we can open the door to make them back down."

Murong Qing was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "What you say makes sense. The reward isn't about making money, but about symbolic meaning."

Si Ming, "The next question is the last one."

What's the problem?

What should this club be called?

Chapter 427 Rural Wealthy Family

Setting up a club at Su State University isn't like in Japanese anime, where you just submit an application to your class teacher, get their approval, illegally occupy an empty classroom, claim you've "contracted" the "fishpond," and then officially open for business.

In universities, creating a club requires an application to the Student Union, as well as the approval and seal of the class advisor and the college leadership. It must be initiated by at least five students, and the initiators must possess the basic qualities necessary to carry out the club's activities and must not have been subject to disciplinary action by the school.

Completing the above procedures does not mean that the club is officially established. At this point, it is only a preparatory club, equivalent to a temporary worker or intern. After a one-year preparatory period, the current president can submit a written application, which will be reviewed and approved by the Human Resources Department of the Student Union. Then, it will be submitted to the Executive Committee of the Student Union for evaluation. If it meets the requirements, it will be reported by the Executive Committee of the Student Union to the Youth League Committee for approval before it can be promoted to a formal and legal student club.

During the preparatory period, student organizations face many restrictions, such as a lack of funding, the inability to publicly recruit members, and the need for approval from higher authorities to organize activities. The year-long preparatory period is also intended to assess whether the activities of the student organization are healthy and positive. If any illegal or disorderly conduct is found, the school will claim that the student organization has not received official recognition and that it is the student's personal behavior, unrelated to the school, somewhat like a temporary worker taking the blame.

Furthermore, if no tangible and reliable results are achieved within the one-year preparation period, the application for a formal club will not be approved and will only be extended again.

Of course, none of this mattered to Si Ming and the others. They didn't care about club funding, didn't plan to recruit anyone, and had no intention of holding any activities. They just needed a name. Whether they could become a formal club or not didn't matter. With Murong Qing's extraordinary efficiency, they quickly completed the application and were assigned a classroom to use when no one was teaching.

Si Ming looked at the three words "Mutual Aid Society" hanging on the classroom door and his lips twitched. "It was clearly a name suggested out of a twisted sense of humor, and it actually got approved."

Murong Qing, standing beside him, was quite satisfied. "Mutual assistance and support, that's a good name. It doesn't adopt a superior savior attitude, but rather helps on an equal footing. This concept is closer to my own ideas, and it also has the shadow of the Mohist School 'universal love'."

"Just by the name, you can tell it's a very mysterious organization that's capable of causing trouble," Si Ming commented.

Liu Qingqing asked, "The club activity room is in such a remote corner, I'm afraid no one will come to discuss this. Should we go out and hand out flyers?"

To be honest, under normal circumstances, students handle their own minor troubles. If they encounter a problem they can't solve, they usually turn to their parents or teachers, rather than a classmate they have no connection with, unless the other person has a very good reputation.

Si Ming, "Distributing flyers is too deliberate, making it seem like we're begging people to come to us. It's certainly wrong to adopt a superior attitude, but there's no need to act inferior. Initially, no one will pay attention, but once we build a reputation, word of mouth will spread, and the effect will be even better. This is because people tend to trust information they actively seek out, and are hesitant about information that's forced upon them. Besides, our first-year courses are very demanding, and everyone has their own things to do. If customers keep coming to our door, it's actually not a good thing."