The Ministry of Personnel supervisor left. The New Method bigwigs exchanged glances and fell silent.
No one knew how long had passed before someone finally could not help muttering, "What do we do?"
"How do we answer the master's question?"
The New Method bigwigs looked at the New Method's unlucky fellow.
The unlucky fellow puffed out his chest. "Why are you all looking at me?"
"Is there something written on my face?"
"Can I solve the problem?"
The New Method bigwigs all nodded in unison. "You brought the thing back. Naturally, you can solve the problem."
The unlucky New Method fellow growled, "Shut up!"
"Do you want me to tell the supervisor that his warehouse keepers and accountants swapped out the treasure, and that's what caused the problem?"
"And make His Lordship realize he can't keep his subordinates in line?"
"Let outsiders laugh at him?"
"Heh, and then, in his fury, he'll kill me, the unlucky bastard, first?"
"Heh, you're all fucking vicious."
The New Method bigwigs murmured, "We're not as bad as you think. We're only asking you to state the facts."
The unlucky New Method fellow sneered. "Heh, each of you is worse than the last."
"The fact is that the treasure caused the problem, but I absolutely won't say it."
At that moment, the Ministry of Personnel supervisor came in holding a black box. He gave the unlucky New Method fellow a long look and said calmly, "Where was I?"
The New Method bigwigs lowered their heads without a word, doing nothing but sweating.
The unlucky New Method fellow's legs went weak, and he dropped to his knees with a thud. Inspiration struck in his desperation. "My lord, you said you had a way for us to clean up those Old Cultivation Method bumpkins."
The Ministry of