After finishing his first account, Pan Long paused to let Cang Yuan enjoy the good news for a while. Only then did he ask, "Now that I've told you about the first 'common folk,' do you still want to hear about the other kind?"
Cang Yuan smiled wryly. "I already have some idea what you'll say, but since you've started, please finish."
Pan Long smiled. "The other kind have no worries about food or clothing and live comfortably. They can train in martial arts and seek fame and fortune, or study literature and hope to make a name for themselves in one stroke... Strictly speaking, I'm one of them. On the whole, they support the Reform. They aren't fools; they know a strong country benefits everyone. But the Reform has harmed quite a few of their interests, and that leaves them dissatisfied. So they waver. To put it bluntly, they're rats peering from two holes: they want the benefits but fear the harm. They're terribly conflicted."
"Then in your view, Brother Pan, what do they think of the inspectors searching wealthy households' property under the pretext of hunting down remnants of the Hundred Schools of Thought?"
Pan Long laughed. "Brother Cang, why ask me when you've already worked it out?"
Cang Yuan laughed too. "Now that you've put it that way, I understand almost everything!"
Resolve showed on his face. "If breaking down doors and conducting searches helps with disaster relief, then the other problems aren't worth mentioning! The world doesn't give us endless chances to hesitate and ponder. Wanting everything to work out perfectly is nothing but a daydream! What we're doing will help both the future and the present. If we offend some people along the way, it'll be well worth it!"
Pan Long said nothing and remained