Closer to Revealing My True Self
Chapter 609 - 398: Must Restrain_1

Chapter 609: Chapter 398: Must Restrain_1

Feng Yi didn’t know that Brother Bao was questioning their ancestors, who were full of martial virtue.

After carefully monitoring the online sentiment for a few days, Feng Yi gradually put his mind at ease.

Indeed, his gallery led some people to believe he adored snakes deeply, giving rise to certain fanciful ideas. As for whether these ideas were evil thoughts, that’s a matter of perspective.

But those didn’t matter, as long as his goal was achieved.

And those unforeseen developments could be seen as minor fluctuations in the execution of the plan.

No matter how many fluctuations there were or how much psychological pressure he endured, by now, he could finally relax considerably.

The awkwardness and embarrassment had passed, and so had the nervousness and anxiety.

Feng Yi’s life continued.

However, when walking or jogging in the neighborhood, and encountering other residents, he always felt their gazes were filled with strange speculations.

It’s not a big deal.

The most embarrassing times had passed, and this level of discomfort was hardly painful or itchy, having little impact!

The residential area where he lived had not suffered much disturbance, but the gallery, on the other hand, had temporarily become a hotspot on social media.

The gallery was not open to the public, which had been stated before, but that did not stop people’s curiosity about it.

There were also some whose curiosity overflowed, or those with other motives, who tried to sneak in to take photos... or perhaps, to steal?

As the live videos spread, most people focused on his "artistic styling," a minority were more concerned with the lifelike, extremely detailed animal models, and yet another minority studied the accessories on Feng Yi’s artistic styling, those that resembled real gemstones!

If it were anyone else, no one would suspect them of having real gemstones, but who is Feng Yi?

A shareholder of Ancestral Factory!

He’s rich!

What if the gemstones decorating the statues were real?

Even if not all of them were real, if just one was genuine, that would be enough to tempt some people into illicit thoughts.

In response, Yi’s team was well-prepared and had specialized personnel to handle such events.

Of course, most of those who went to the gallery did so deliberately just to check-in and take photos.

However, with too many construction sites near Xiao Feng Mountain, incidents were prone to occur, so Feng Yi asked the gallery staff to be more vigilant of the surroundings and to assist immediately if anything amiss was detected.

Besides that, Feng Yi also told people on social media not to head there, as the gallery was closed for the near future, and many plots around it were still under construction, making it chaotic, strongly suggesting that everyone wait until the completion before visiting.

Nevertheless, people continued to stake out outside the gallery.

According to the gallery staff, those observing the place might include gossip enthusiasts or entertainment reporters connected to social media, who were interested in the contents of the gallery and hoped to encounter Feng Yi there, as that would be a big scoop!

However, Feng Yi had no plans to visit any time soon.

Apart from keeping an eye on online developments, Feng Yi was also waiting for a response from the United Protection Bureau.

His actions this time were admittedly bolder and more unorthodox than usual, and it was possible that the Bureau’s personnel wouldn’t appreciate it.

On the day of the gallery’s opening ceremony, the people from the Bureau who were sent over had mixed emotional signals, and it was uncertain whether their response was good or bad, but they didn’t immediately offer any criticism. Based on Feng Yi’s understanding of the Public Relations department, they were probably still discussing and observing.

He waited a week.

From the dim light of dawn to the scorching midday sun, just when he thought it was going to be another peaceful day, Feng Yi received a call from the expert committee of the United Protection Bureau.

It wasn’t the Public Relations department but someone from the expert committee.

"Attend a conference?" Feng Yi expressed in surprise.

There was an ecological and climate seminar taking place in a tropical island nation.

Feng Yi had heard about it in some experts’ chat groups; it was an international conference with high-level participants due to the limited number of spots available. Feng Yi, being relatively less competitive, could apply to be part of the delegation, but he hadn’t considered it.

Unexpectedly, he received an official invitation to attend.

"Weren’t the spots already confirmed?" Feng Yi asked.

"Yes, but there have been some unforeseen circumstances that need to be addressed," the other side did not elaborate.

However, recalling what he had learned from other experts in recent days, Feng Yi had a hunch about the developments.

Due to the gallery incident, more people had been in touch with him, and during calls, they discussed matters not suitable for chat groups.

Lately, the Bureau had been strictly investigating bribery and other irregularities, with a few individuals using their positions to extort valuable items from others, including members of the expert groups.

Among those originally chosen to attend, two were implicated in some issues and temporarily unable to leave, so replacements had to be made hurriedly.

What Feng Yi hadn’t expected was that the Bureau would give one of these spots to him.

Most of this matched what Feng Yi had guessed, but there had been debate over who would take the vacant spots at the conference.

"After discussion, we’ve finally determined the replacement slots, and one of the conference slots is given to you," said the other party.

Upon hearing this, Feng Yi knew that the attitude of the Publicity Department towards him remained unchanged, and they had not terminated the cooperation due to the overly bold actions at the museum this time.

If the Publicity Department really wanted to end their cooperation with Feng Yi, for such events, even if it was a last-minute slot, the expert committee would not prioritize Feng Yi.

In fact, when discussing candidates, the Co-Defense Bureau hesitated at first whether to give this slot to Feng Yi.

The incident at the museum made them realize that this young man’s way of doing things was still too unpredictable, with too many uncontrollable factors.

However, over a few days, although there was quite a bit of negative commentary online related to Feng Yi, overall, it didn’t amount to much.

This kind of issue could be significant or minor; since the public didn’t have much objection, there was no need to handle it with a serious attitude.

Better to give young people more opportunities.

It was just the right time for him to be away for a while, to let the online heat cool down.

"Considering that the conference is approaching, we need to finalize the slots and prepare for participation. What do you think?" they asked.

"Sure, I’m available," Feng Yi, who had planned to vanish from the public eye for a while anyway, replied. If not for this call, he would have taken on a task in some remote area and disappeared.

"Alright, I’ll send you a link through the backend. Fill in the application, and after submission, the slot will be confirmed. Oh, and you have a few days before the conference, you can organize the themes and the report you’ll present there."

Just as Feng Yi opened the application page, he paused upon hearing this, "A report too?"

Doesn’t this mean he has to write one on the spot?

For an international conference like this, reports require attention to format and substance; for those skilled in this area, it’s certainly possible to handle it within the allocated time. However, for Feng Yi, it was a considerable challenge.

"Shouldn’t be too difficult for you guys?" said the other end uncertainly.

For the experts on the committee, indeed, this wasn’t difficult; it was also an excellent opportunity to share their ideas and research findings, enhancing their influence.

Generally, most experts are very proactive about doing this kind of work.

Feng Yi: "...Maybe it’s better to give the slot to another expert." Others deserve it more.

There was silence on the phone, possibly discussing with others, before replying after a while, "You don’t have to do the report. Replacing someone this time is indeed a bit rushed."

After the discussion, Feng Yi didn’t fill in a topic for the report when submitting the application, meaning he was not planning to present one.

"You don’t have to do the report. Just go and watch, listen, and interact more with the seniors. It might inspire new insights for your future career," said the other end.

The recent rigorous internal investigation at the Co-Defense Bureau involved quite a few people; not all of those people were necessarily involved in wrongdoing, but they needed to cooperate with the investigation. They wouldn’t be allowed to leave the country before the investigation concluded unless in special circumstances. Otherwise, the slot would not have remained available for Feng Yi, who had less seniority.

"We will send you an electronic document about the issues to be aware of and the itinerary. The relevant procedures will also be handled as soon as possible, and someone will deliver them to you. Just be ready," they said.

"Aside from these, are there any other requirements?" Feng Yi asked.

He knew that some requirements wouldn’t be overtly stated, so he needed to clarify any additional points of attention.

"Hmm, that should be it. Just act with a bit of restraint, no other requirements. You can check the electronic document first, and if you have any further questions, you can ask the officer delivering your documents. It will take two or three days to process the paperwork. After that, an officer will deliver the related documents to you," said the other end.

"Alrighty!"

It’s good that there aren’t too many requirements.

After the call, Feng Yi submitted the application and secured the final conference slot.

Although he didn’t have to prepare a report and the Co-Defense Bureau was handling the procedures, some things still required advance preparation.

To attend the conference, of course, he had to hire an interpreter.

For the universal language, besides his native tongue, he understood only one or two. The conference venue and its nature might necessitate translators for less common languages.

Apart from the interpreter, Feng Yi would also bring his own people.

This time, he planned to bring Jia and Ding.

Yi was fluent in several languages, but all of them were United Nations’ official languages.

Whereas the languages Ding knew were more oriented towards lesser-used ones. Not necessarily proficient, but he knew a bit.

After organizing his affairs at home, two days later, an officer from the Co-Defense Bureau delivered his documents.

Sitting face to face at the table in the living room,

the officer took the documents out of the file bag and handed them over.

As Feng Yi reached out to take them, the officer suddenly pressed down on them again.

Feng Yi looked up with a questioning gaze.

With a serious expression, the officer, remembering what the Publicity Department had said before coming, reminded him again, "This trip is not difficult, but please show restraint!"

Feng Yi responded earnestly, "Of course! I’ll cherish the opportunity and focus on listening, observing, and exchanging views. I understand."

Hearing this response, the officer’s expression eased. The people from the Publicity Department would probably be reassured now.