Chapter 516: He Said He Came with Goodwill

Inside Suishen Ju, Li Banfeng carefully reviewed the documents, studying the principles of the magnetic-vibration cannon.

According to Shen Jingye's description, Xiao Zhenggong was captured by Liao Zihui because he had designs on the boundary lines. Li Banfeng didn't know how Xiao Zhenggong had come back to life, but he knew how Xiao Zhenggong was captured. Newspapers of all sizes in Puro Province had the news, some even including photographs. Upon learning Xiao Zhenggong was still alive, Luo Zhengnan was terrified and immediately called Li Qi.

According to Old Luo's description, Xiao Zhenggong's experience was similar to Li Banfeng's previous one, except that the aura of the dwelling cultivators had turned into boundary lines between territories. Xiao Zhenggong was surrounded by the boundary lines, which then lit up, and he became the brightest man in Puro Province that night.

The magnetic-vibration cannon was not for closing boundary lines, nor did it have the function to strengthen them. Its only function was to alter the trajectory and brightness of the boundaries. This led to one result: whoever used the magnetic-vibration cannon would be captured.

After so much effort and material, to produce such a device, Li Banfeng felt it was a bit regrettable.

Suishen Ju felt no regret at all: "A Qi, since this thing is useless, quickly dismantle it. Destroy all these parts. Don't invite more trouble."

Li Banfeng shook his head. "It's not entirely useless," he said. Setting other things aside, this device could change boundary lines and also alter the auras created by dwelling cultivation techniques. This proved that the essence of the boundary lines was very similar to the auras of dwelling cultivation, perhaps even identical originally.

Could the boundary lines in Puro Province have originated from a group of powerful dwelling cultivators? Did a great war among dwelling cultivators break out back then, where many high-level dwelling cultivators, after a fierce battle, established their respective territories, which became today's boundary lines? If there truly was such a war among dwelling cultivators, Madam should have mentioned it. Even if Madam didn't want to mention it, other magic treasures should have. Perhaps because the era was too ancient, Madam had forgotten, and so had the people of Puro Province.

But if all the main territories were claimed by dwelling cultivators through combat, why are the local deities in each place cultivators from other Daoist sects? How did they seize the territories from the dwelling cultivators? Historical matters were difficult to investigate, but this magnetic-vibration cannon was definitely useful. At the very least, it caused a substantial change to the boundary lines. Could the method of alteration be changed? This would require in-depth research.

Li Banfeng was still carefully reviewing the documents when Suishen Ju reminded him, "No need to look further. What's written there is about techniques, not principles."

That was true. This was purely an engineering manual introducing operational methods, with very little explanation of the underlying principles. Without finding the principles, he would have to figure them out himself. But academic problems concerning dark matter were not something an undergraduate could comprehend on their own.

Who would possess knowledge in this area?

Li Banfeng stepped out of Suishen Ju, stood on his residence's balcony, and watched the beautiful morning sun on the horizon.

The beautiful morning sun...

He remembered someone: Teacher Song, beautiful like the morning sun. Teacher Song taught mathematics, but perhaps she could introduce an expert in dark matter.

Liao Zihui personally went to the train station and picked up Special Commissioner Xu Shouming, bringing him to the Defense Bureau. In the next phase, cases related to private detective Spider Bin, the inner-province entrance of Soda Kiln, and the famous general Zhao Xiaowan would all be handled by Special Commissioner Xu. Liao Zihui's task was to fully cooperate with Special Commissioner Xu in carrying out the relevant work.

Xu Shouming had some understanding of Puro Province. Years ago, both he and Liao Zihui had worked there for many years, both striving for the position of Chief Commissioner of the Defense Bureau. It was just that Liao Zihui succeeded, while Xu Shouming was transferred back to the outer province.

Tang Huanjie knew about their special relationship and was concerned there might be lingering grievances. There were indeed past grievances, but Liao Zihui remained relatively calm. "Past matters are in the past," he said. "Xu Shouming is not that kind of person."

Upon arriving at the Defense Bureau, Xu Shouming also made things clear. "We must work together with one heart and fully cooperate with each other to complete this arduous task."

Liao Zihui publicly stated, "Manpower, material resources, financial resources – Special Commissioner Xu, just name it, and the Defense Bureau will go all out!"

Xu Shouming smiled. "For this operation, there are special funds allocated. The Defense Bureau's funds are also very tight. How could I possibly ask Chief Commissioner Liao for more?" This was clearly telling Liao Zihui that he wouldn't be spending his money. Liao Zihui's expression was natural, and he nodded repeatedly.

Xu Shouming continued. "The Defense Bureau is busy with official duties, and manpower is already stretched thin. Regarding manpower, I wouldn't want to trouble Chief Commissioner Liao." His meaning was also very clear: he didn't need his support in terms of manpower either. Xu Shouming brought a considerable number of people this time, a total of 126 individuals, with various professions and ample personnel. Liao Zihui smiled and nodded frequently.

Xu Shouming continued, "The superiors attach great importance to this special operation and have provided us with a lot of new equipment. These devices need to be specially stored. I don't see any spare space in our Defense Bureau. Chief Commissioner Liao will have to put in more effort on this matter." This sentence conveyed two meanings. One meaning was that he didn't need Liao Zihui's support in terms of material resources either. The other meaning was that Xu Shouming needed a dedicated office location; he wanted the special investigation team to have its own plaque and territory and did not want to work within the Defense Bureau.

Liao Zihui readily agreed and contacted Ma Wu for help to rent a large residence for Xu Shouming in Greenwater City. Ma Wu was troubled. He should help with this matter; after so many twists and turns, Liao Zihui had formed some connection with him. Moreover, Liao Zihui had clearly stated that the rent would be paid in full, not a single penny less, and would never take advantage of Ma Wu. But Ma Wu didn't know much about Xu Shouming's background, and it was hard for Ma Wu to determine what kind of place would be suitable to rent.

Luo Zhengnan offered an idea: "Fifth Master, offer up the headquarters of the Jiangxiang Gang and see Chief Commissioner Liao's reaction."

Ma Wu was startled. "Old Luo," he said, "isn't the Jiangxiang Gang headquarters your territory? How can you give it to them?"

Old Luo waved his hands repeatedly. "If Chief Commissioner Liao likes it, I'll give it to him," he said. "I don't want to stay there for another day." This was the truth for Luo Zhengnan. Ever since he heard Xiao Zhenggong was alive again, he felt terrified whenever he saw the Jiangxiang Gang headquarters. But was it appropriate for a special commissioner of a special investigation team sent from outside the province to live in the old site of the Jiangxiang Gang?

Ma Wu told Liao Zihui about the situation. He had expected Liao Zihui to refuse, but unexpectedly, Liao Zihui was very pleased. "Junyang," he said, "it's settled then, the Jiangxiang Garden it is!"

Ma Wu reminded him, "Chief Commissioner Liao, you said it. If Special Commissioner Xu blames anyone, you'll have to take responsibility for me."

"Who would he blame?" Liao Zihui sneered. "He came to Puro Province on official business, brought over a hundred people, wanted his own territory and plaque, and we gave him all of it. It's already difficult to accommodate so many people. We helped him find such a suitable place. What's there for him to blame us for? This matter originated from Xiao Zhenggong. Xiao Zhenggong was the leader of the Jiangxiang Gang. Isn't it perfectly fitting for him to work at the original site of the Jiangxiang Gang? Junyang, you must ask him for the rent, not a single penny less. Don't be polite with him. If you're embarrassed to ask, I'll ask for you!"

From Liao Zihui's reaction, their relationship could be discerned, and Ma Wu also knew how to interact with Special Commissioner Xu.

Xu Shouming indeed didn't pick a place and expressed gratitude to Ma Wu. Once his personnel settled in, Xu Shouming didn't rush to start the investigation. Instead, he invited several old friends to drink and reminisce together. He indeed had many friends in Puro Province: Shen Jinzhong, the Great Golden Seal of Sanying Sect; Han Yaomen, the chief of Qingyun Association; and Bai Wuchuan, the leader of the White Crane Gang. These individuals all had good relationships with Xu Shouming.

At the banquet, Xu Shouming politely said, "I, Xu, have returned to Puro Province with an assignment this time. Whether I can succeed depends entirely on your assistance. I want to apprehend private detective Spider Bin. This whole series of incidents revolves around him. If any of you see Spider Bin or know his whereabouts, please inform me."

Everyone immediately agreed. "Special Commissioner Xu, rest assured," they said. "As soon as we have any news of that fake foreigner, we'll let you know immediately." This was a baseless statement, as baseless as "I'll treat you to a meal another day."

Xu Shouming didn't gather these old friends for empty talk. He took out an agreement. "Whoever can find a lead on Spider Bin—just a lead, no need to apprehend him—this contract will be theirs. With this contract, shipping fees for business in Puro Province will be cut by half!" At these words, everyone became restless. In Puro Province, only Li Qi's and Ma Wu's businesses offered half-price shipping. Others who wanted to save on transportation costs had to ship through them. Not only did they have to pay a price difference, but they also needed to have a good enough relationship for them to be willing to help. Now that such an opportunity had presented itself, they all wanted to do something substantial.

Especially the White Crane Gang: they were a sect of body cultivators. Spider Bin was once a disciple of their sect, and some of his connections also came from the White Crane Gang. But Bai Wuchuan was a bit worried. Was this contract genuine? He knew that Xu Shouming and Liao Zihui didn't have a very good relationship, and after all, the matter of shipping fees was controlled by Liao Zihui.

This matter was indeed true. Although shipping fees were controlled by Liao Zihui, at this critical juncture, as long as Xu Shouming spoke, Liao Zihui would certainly agree. He couldn't make things difficult for Xu Shouming regarding shipping fees, otherwise it would give others a handle against him.

Driven by this incentive, in less than three days, Bai Wuchuan, the leader of the White Crane Gang, sent news first: someone had seen Spider Bin at Yesong Bridge. Yesong Bridge was Li Qi's and Ma Wu's territory. Xu Shouming was not in a hurry to act. He first greeted Ma Wu: "Junyang, I want to apprehend someone at Yesong Bridge, and traffic will need to be halted for two days. Can you facilitate this?" Xu Shouming had put it this way, so Ma Wu naturally couldn't refuse and agreed to the request.

Xu Shouming sealed off Yesong Bridge without searching or making arrests. He then released a message through the White Crane Gang. The message he released was that Spider Bin might not need to be apprehended, but the items in his hand and in his pocket must be retrieved. What did this mean? Spider Bin knew himself.

He was indeed at Yesong Bridge. From the day traffic was sealed until now, he had been hiding in the city, afraid to show himself. Was he afraid to run? Wouldn't forcibly entering a new territory offer an opportunity? Yes, but Spider Bin dared not gamble. If he failed and fell into the hands of the Defense Bureau, he was sure he would lose his life.

He wanted to continue to resist the Defense Bureau. Blocking traffic would put great pressure on the Defense Bureau, and once the Defense Bureau lost control of the situation, the matter would certainly be dropped. But the special investigation team was not the Defense Bureau. They wouldn't leave until the case was closed. This matter couldn't be ignored. Since Xu Shouming had come, he would certainly have to provide an explanation to the outer province. Would telling them about General Zhao Xiaowan and the location of the inner-province entrance be considered providing them with an explanation?

After much deliberation, Spider Bin made an attempt. This attempt was extremely risky, but Spider Bin still tried. Taking advantage of the quiet of the night, he placed General Zhao Xiaowan (the spear) at the entrance of the Defense Bureau.

The Tiger-Slaying Spear had immense power. As soon as Spider Bin arrived at the Defense Bureau, Zheng Siyi, the Defense Commissioner of Yesong Bridge, had already sensed it and quickly led people out to investigate. The spear was stuck in front of the Defense Bureau entrance, with spider silk wrapped around its shaft. Zheng Siyi quickly reported the news to Liao Zihui. Liao Zihui complained, "Why tell me? This isn't your mission. Go tell Special Commissioner Xu immediately!"

Xu Shouming was very pleased to hear the news. His subordinate, Deputy Special Commissioner Hou Haitao, suggested, "General Zhao Xiaowan is a spiritual totem of Puro Province. This spear sealed her soul. It should be immediately sent to Yue Province for comprehensive research."

Xu Shouming sighed. "Xia Shumin died in Puro Province. What lessons have you learned from that incident?"

Hou Haitao thought for a moment. "The biggest lesson I learned is not to overreach oneself in anything. With his shallow foundation, he shouldn't have provoked Li Qi."

Xu Shouming nodded. "You're right. Anything else?"

Hou Haitao thought again and said, "In Puro Province, when directing operations, don't rush too far ahead. It won't achieve much and will only cause trouble for your subordinates, and you might even lose your life."

Xu Shouming smiled. "Given Xia Shumin's limited abilities, rushing forward was indeed courting death. You're right about that too. Anything else?" Hou Haitao shook his head. He couldn't think of anything else.

Xu Shouming said, "There's one more crucial lesson: don't rush to do what Liao Zihui is avoiding. Obtaining the Profound Scarlet Lotus was entirely by luck, but sending it away required skill, and not just ordinary skill. Liao Zihui determined he didn't possess this skill, so he suddenly fell ill and avoided this assignment. Xia Shumin insisted on doing something even Liao Zihui didn't dare to do. Do you think he could have succeeded?"

Hou Haitao thought for a moment. "Special Commissioner," he said, "are you going to hand Zhao Xiaowan over to Liao Zihui?"

Xu Shouming said with a serious expression, "Don't be so hasty when speaking. Take your time. That might not even be Zhao Xiaowan."

Hou Haitao said, "That spear has such immense power..."

"Does power necessarily mean it's Zhao Xiaowan?" Xu Shouming retorted. "Did you hear it speak, or see it kill anyone?"

Hou Haitao thought for a moment and said, "Our equipment here is limited. It still needs to be sent to the outer province for identification to get results."

Xu Shouming sighed. "The premise is whether you truly have the ability to send it to Yue Province. This spear might not be very useful, but it has quite a reputation. If it gets lost in our hands, then it truly will be considered Zhao Xiaowan, and our transgression would be enormous. If Liao Zihui can send it to Yue Province, the credit will still be ours. At most, we'll share a portion of it with Liao Zihui. Why not?"

Hou Haitao suddenly realized. He knew what to do next.

The spear was still at the Defense Bureau. Zheng Siyi used his old trick, preparing handover documents and even video recording equipment, just waiting for Xu Shouming to take the item. But Xu Shouming simply wouldn't take it. Each time, he sent Hou Haitao to deal with Zheng Siyi. Zheng Siyi had no choice and could only contact Liao Zihui. Liao Zihui was also at his wit's end and could only instruct Zheng Siyi to guard it carefully for now.

"Zhao Xiaowan" had been acquired. One out of three tasks was completed.

Special Commissioner Xu Shouming of the special investigation team ordered to restore traffic at Yesong Bridge, but to strictly inspect passing pedestrians. Deputy Special Commissioner Hou Haitao felt this was too rushed. "Restoring traffic so quickly," he said, "isn't that clearly letting Spider Bin go?"

Xu Shouming smiled. "We are indeed letting him go, but not so obviously. Yesong Bridge is Li Qi's territory. Li Qi is a balancer and also a notoriously formidable person in Puro Province. When operating in this place, being cautious is definitely the right approach. We have already acquired Zhao Xiaowan. This counts as a gain. Restoring traffic as soon as possible tells Li Qi that we don't intend to offend him. If Spider Bin is sensible, he will certainly send over the inner-province entrance. Once we find the inner-province entrance, we won't conduct further checks; we'll simply let people pass. And the matter of Yesong Bridge will be over."

Hou Haitao blinked and said, "Special Commissioner, aren't we apprehending Spider Bin anymore?"

"Why arrest him? Is he that important?" Xu Shouming asked. "We've got what we needed, so why force him to resort to desperate measures? Do you know what consequences it could bring if you corner a person from Puro Province? The superiors gave us three tasks. If we completed all of them, it wouldn't reflect the difficulty of the mission. By completing two key tasks and foregoing one, this demonstrates that we conducted repeated research and made difficult choices. Only then can the true significance of this mission be reflected!"

Hou Haitao looked at Xu Shouming and felt a bit unfamiliar. He had worked with Xu Shouming in the outer province for over a decade and had never seen Xu Shouming put so much thought into things. Puro Province was different. Only here did Xu Shouming dare to show his true capabilities.

Xu Shouming's prediction was entirely accurate. On the first day traffic at Yesong Bridge was restored, the next day, the Yesong Bridge Defense Bureau received an anonymous letter. The letter contained a map of Soda Kiln, with a factory's location marked on it. Xu Shouming immediately ordered to lift the strict inspections of passing pedestrians, and Yesong Bridge returned to its original order. He gave the contract for reduced shipping fees to Bai Wuchuan as a token of gratitude and also invited Ma Wu for a meal. He expressed apologies for the inconvenience caused at Yesong Bridge and was even willing to compensate for business losses.

Ma Wu naturally wouldn't bother with these trivialities. Xu Shouming handled everything appropriately and thus peacefully left Yesong Bridge, leading his people to Soda Kiln. He didn't cause much stir and left a spear behind for the Defense Bureau.

Inside the Defense Bureau, Liao Zihui tapped on the table and hummed a little tune. This time, he had truly met his match.

Outside the Defense Bureau, Greenwater Beggar picked up a newspaper, read it twice, front and back, and seemed to know where his opponent was.

Arriving at Boundless Hospital, Greenwater Beggar asked Cui Tike, "Have you been to Black Stone Slope?"

Cui Tike thought for a moment. "Yes, I have," he said. "The most recent time was three months ago when I opened a clinic there."

"Do you know the 'Night Bloom' newspaper office?"

"Yes, I do. Their newspapers and magazines are very interesting; I buy every issue."

Greenwater Beggar asked again, "Do you know who owns the 'Night Bloom' newspaper office?"

Cui Tike answered truthfully. "Their boss's surname is Ye, which isn't a very common surname."

Greenwater Beggar took a handful of cold, stale rice from his begging bowl and chewed it in his mouth. "I found He Jiaqing at Black Stone Slope," he said. "He Jiaqing ran into the 'Night Bloom' newspaper office. I could have caught him, but the local deity of Black Stone Slope appeared. Do you recognize the local deity of Black Stone Slope?"

Cui Tike shook his head.

Greenwater Beggar then took out half a fish from his bowl and gnawed on its flesh. "The local deity of Black Stone Slope is Tang Shijiang," he said. "In Puro Province, including all the local deities, he's the only one who truly impresses me."

Cui Tike said, "Such a powerful local deity actively protecting He Jiaqing. That proves they have formed an alliance."

Greenwater Beggar shook his head. "I don't think Tang Shijiang was protecting He Jiaqing," he said. "He was protecting the 'Night Bloom' newspaper office."

Cui Tike didn't quite understand. "A local deity protecting a newspaper office?"

Greenwater Beggar spat out fish bones and smiled. "You can't figure it out, can you? I can't either. A Special Commissioner Xu came from the outer province, reportedly his equal to Liao Zihui. He actually invited Ma Junyang for a meal. Can you figure that out?"

Cui Tike pondered for a long time, then shook his head. "Is Ma Junyang's status that high?" he asked.

"Ma Junyang doesn't," Greenwater Beggar replied, "but another person does. This person is unfathomable. I myself have some grievances with this person. If he is secretly protecting He Jiaqing, then this matter will be difficult to handle."

Cui Tike knew who Greenwater Beggar was referring to. The person he spoke of was Li Qi.

Greenwater Beggar shook his bowl. The bowl, which had originally been full of food, became empty. "Find out the identity of Boss Ye," he ordered, "then inform me immediately."

Cui Tike didn't want to say Li Qi's name, but this matter couldn't be hidden.

Soda Kiln, abandoned factory.

Shi Gongxing didn't dare to stay in the workshop. He ran outside the factory and hid in a warehouse. He knew that the factory's pool not only contained the carp skeleton but also had another person in it.

Deputy Special Commissioner Hou Haitao of the special investigation team, with over fifty people, walked straight to the end of the workshop. He was here today to scout the way. If an inner-province entrance was indeed found in the workshop, he would immediately report to Xu Shouming, and their mission in Puro Province would be considered successfully completed.

Three subordinates put on diving suits and oxygen tanks and jumped into the pool. After submerging for a while, they saw the enormous carp skeleton. One diver was very surprised, taking two photos with a camera. Another diver took out a video camera and filmed around the skeleton. A third diver was trying to communicate with the skeleton. He carefully stroked the skeleton, much like stroking a shark in the ocean. This could calm some large marine creatures and was a common way to express goodwill. The carp skeleton was very well-behaved. It floated motionless in the water, like an obedient pet, allowing the divers to stroke it.

After gathering enough information, the three divers immediately surfaced and returned to shore. They reported on what they had observed, and Hou Haitao was very satisfied with the results. Just complete the task, don't do anything extra. Hou Haitao strictly followed Xu Shouming's orders, preparing to leave the workshop immediately.

The water surface churned. A woman's voice came from underwater: "Who are you people?" Everyone was very surprised, especially the three divers. They hadn't expected the carp skeleton to speak.

Hou Haitao was still quick-witted and responded promptly. "We are people from outside Puro Province," he said, "and we have come here with goodwill and friendship."

The surface of the pool churned again. The enormous carp skeleton slowly floated from the bottom to the surface. The divers had said they saw a moving fish skeleton, but Hou Haitao had never been able to imagine what such a scene would look like. Now he saw it. The clean fish skeleton had no flesh, yet it swayed back and forth on the water's surface. Hou Haitao didn't know how to describe it. To be honest, he was quite scared.

Xu Shouming had told him that the forms of inner-province people were very unique and not to offend them because of it. If he didn't want to offend, the best option should be praise. Hou Haitao thought of a word: "How magnificent!" Was this word appropriate? Hou Haitao could only think of this for now. The phrasing could be refined later. Today, he would at most exchange greetings; other matters would be handled by the special commissioner.

"You find it magnificent?" The woman's voice rang out again. "Is this how you express goodwill?" Even if the word choice was inappropriate, the other party didn't need to be so angry. Hou Haitao realized there was another misunderstanding. He looked at the three divers. One diver made a stroking gesture, meaning they had stroked the skeleton underwater. Hou Haitao quickly explained, "Our methods and your customs might be different, but we sincerely want to convey goodwill. Every physical contact is our way of conveying..."

*Plop!*

Hou Haitao's foot slipped, and he fell to the ground. The ground, which had been full of dust, inexplicably had a layer of slippery mucus. Two subordinates tried to help Hou Haitao up. They took one step and fell to the ground alongside him. All fifty-plus subordinates fell. They struggled strenuously but kept slipping. None could stand up.

Hou Haitao shouted towards the fish skeleton, "We have no ill intentions! Please believe us!"

The fish skeleton continued to sway its body, and waves churned on the pool's surface again. Two long snakes, swaying their bodies, slowly reappeared from the water. Were these really snakes? Why were there no scales or heads visible? No, these weren't long snakes. These were two tentacles. Behind the tentacles, Hou Haitao saw an enormous snail shell.

Hou Haitao turned around and said, "Quick, prepare the steam machine guns!" His response was correct, but his subordinates couldn't stand up. Even two fifth-tier wanderers (traveler cultivators) couldn't stand. His subordinates stumbled and crawled towards the machine guns. The heavy boilers, connected to the gun barrels, kept sliding around the workshop. They couldn't stabilize the machine guns, let alone ignite them to generate high-pressure steam.

The enormous snail crawled out of the pool, looked at the high-pressure machine guns in the distance, and asked Hou Haitao, "Is this also your way of showing goodwill?" Hou Haitao then realized that the woman who spoke earlier was not the carp skeleton, but this snail maiden. The snail moved towards Hou Haitao. "Today," she said, "I'll also show you my goodwill."

Hou Haitao struggled to crawl through the mucus. The snail maiden opened her enormous mouth, revealing layers of teeth.

The next morning, Xu Shouming arrived at the General Headquarters and met directly with Liao Zihui. Without pleasantries or probing, Xu Shouming said directly, "Old Liao, you have to help me."

Liao Zihui forced a smile. "Special Commissioner Xu, what makes you say that?" he asked. "You haven't by any chance captured the inner-province person and want me to help send them to Yue Province, have you?"

Xu Shouming took out a stack of photos and handed them to Liao Zihui. "I sent Hou Haitao to investigate the situation at the inner-province entrance," he said. "He took over fifty people, and they haven't returned for a day and a night. Then, when I sent more people to scout near the entrance, I saw this scene in that abandoned factory." On the workshop ceiling hung rows of skeletons. Each skeleton was meticulously cleaned, with not a trace of flesh or blood remaining.

Liao Zihui was stunned for a long time before saying, "Was this done by the inner-province people?"

Xu Shouming said, "I can't be sure. I've lost over fifty subordinates. I cannot make any more attempts. Old Liao, you have to help me."

Liao Zihui shook his head. "I can't help you," he said. "Report to the superiors as soon as possible and wait for them to deploy a balancer."

PS: How should a balancer solve this problem?