After the New Year's Eve dinner ended, everyone went their separate ways.
On the first day of the new year, they all set out, determined to switch from the Path of the Believer to the Path of Self-Verification as quickly as possible.
Throughout the holiday, the Legion remained on standby, the Merchants' Association reorganized and rested, and the Church closed its doors for fasting. Even Qin Siyang's shop in the Underground City had to suspend business because Shi Tao, Ban Dingyuan, and Duan Chongfang had left the Safe Zone together.
All at once, the Safe Zone became ten times quieter than before.
Someone asked Qin Siyang whether so many powerful people leaving the Safe Zone at once and entering a weakened state would give Zone 1 an opening.
Qin Siyang was unconcerned. "When Zhuge used the empty fort strategy, Sima Yi didn't dare advance even with the advantage. Now we hold the initiative. The more vulnerable we appear, the more cautious Zone 1 will be."
Sure enough, things went just as Qin Siyang had predicted.
In the days that followed, Zone 1 was so quiet it might as well not have existed.
All the hands that had once tried to seize power withdrew. Even An Youlu, the Information Security Department minister whom Qian Wendao had treated as his chief steward in managing the United Government, went completely silent.
He hid in Zone 1 all day, turning a blind eye to the changes outside.
Nobody was a fool. Everyone understood that the tide had turned.
In the past, Ander could afford to disregard Qian Wendao because Qian Wendao was a tiger whose teeth he could see. He knew how to fight him and how to defend himself.
But Qin Siyang was now a cloud of unknown mist.
There was one fact