Calm and natural.
Fu Qian's answer had a certain dignified air to it, as if even with Ariel standing right there, he'd still give his real name and stand by it.
And this confidence wasn't entirely unfounded. As everyone knew, the truly great hid in plain sight.
Never mind why Brother Ariel was concealing his identity. What offered a higher level of security than keeping himself hidden while having a double out there to act as a decoy?
It was the perfect two-for-one: he could solve his own identity problem and help an old friend at the same time. Why wouldn't he?
Of course, one had to be realistic. There were still a few things to consider—
For example, this might draw the reactions originally meant for Brother Ariel onto himself, putting him in unnecessary danger.
And the person benefiting from it might not understand the gesture at all. They might even repay his kindness with betrayal once they found out. So what?
Doing good and building merit was the path I had chosen to follow. Why should I need gratitude?
"All right, Ariel. So how did you hear about this place?"
The two people who looked like interviewers, however, weren't the sort to fuss over details like that.
Faced with Fu Qian introducing himself, they showed no sign of doubting him. The middle-aged woman in front kept scribbling notes as she continued questioning him.
"I don't know. Someone recommended me."
Even though the situation was still unclear, that didn't stop Fu Qian from answering smoothly.
"Oh? Who was it? Would you mind telling us?"
The answer seemed to catch the woman interviewer's interest. She raised an eyebrow.
Her tone was inquisitive, but there was a clear hint that she expected him to answer.
"Sure. She's a rather low-profile person,