It wasn't until dinnertime that Jiang Yue finally emerged from work mode.
A thick stack of documents had accumulated on his desk.
Going to Yun City was just a decision, but the work behind it was immense. That afternoon, Jiang Yue had focused on studying the current state of Yun City, the layout of the city, and the terrain along the route from here to there.
Of course, he also had a great deal of information related to the Bizarre Tree to organize and study.
The Joint Command Group had plenty of intelligence of that kind, and it was far more comprehensive than the materials Director Liao had given him earlier.
They still had dinner at their usual place downstairs, and the Star City team still went together.
But this time, as they headed downstairs, Jiang Yue could tell things were different.
Every group they passed seemed to have warm smiles on their faces. Even the teams that had barely acknowledged them before, or had been on indifferent terms with them, were now doing their best to show goodwill, as if their previous coldness had all been a misunderstanding.
"Good evening, Director Jiang."
"Director Jiang, you're truly a remarkable young man. You're bound to have a bright future."
"To be one of the six directors at such a young age—you're the pride of the Central South Military Region, Director Jiang."
"That's right. During this operation, Director Jiang, you'll have to look out for your own people."
"Director Jiang, if you hear anything, please be sure to share it with us right away."
The crowd's excessive flattery wasn't surprising.
The Star City team enjoyed seeing everyone groveling. It was especially satisfying to watch the formerly arrogant ones put on ingratiating smiles whenever they saw them. The feeling was downright cathartic.
At