Chapter 132: Chapter 132: Gaining a Foothold
South Town Garrison Command.
Fu Yuanming sat on a large chair, listening to a report from his trusted subordinate.
"Chen Ping’an took up his post yesterday and was given the cold shoulder. I heard there was a bit of a commotion, but nothing major happened. Following your orders, Zhu Qirong tolerated it on the surface."
"After Pang Miao from the Dispatch Room returned, he spread the word about what happened. Now, quite a few people in the South Town Garrison Command know about it."
"..."
Fu Yuanming lightly tapped his fingers on the desk, not even lifting an eyelid.
"Any reaction from Mu Wanjun?"
"Nothing so far."
"What about the Inner Qi Tributors?"
"Nothing from them either."
"Mm, I see. You may go."
"Yes, Lord Fu."
After his trusted subordinate left the office, Fu Yuanming’s fingers, which had been tapping the desk, slowly came to a halt.
’He’s quite an impressive young man. No wonder Mu Wanjun took a liking to him.’
In yesterday’s scene, the young man named Chen Ping’an had undoubtedly made the best possible choice.
His methods, patience, and disposition were all superior!
’Mu Wanjun played her hand well. She’s won this round.’
Fu Yuanming mused to himself, a faint smile appearing on his face.
’It’s a pity... This round she’s won will likely be short-lived. So what if his methods, patience, and disposition are excellent? His Cultivation is lacking! No matter how much he struggles, he’ll never reach the required heights.’
The South City Prison has always been overseen by someone at the Qi Blood Sixth Layer!
By appointing a young man at the Qi Blood Fifth Layer as the South City Prison Chief, Mu Wanjun has put herself under considerable pressure.
If everything goes smoothly during this process, then so be it. But if... if some trouble were to break out at the South City Prison...
How would things turn out then...?
Interesting.
Extremely interesting.
At this thought, the smile on Fu Yuanming’s face grew even wider.
...
After officially taking up his post as the South City Prison Chief, Chen Ping’an’s life fell into a routine once again. Compared to the alley, the prison had just as many intricate workings and unspoken rules.
However, he had people under him to worry about such things. His job was to coordinate all parties and manage the overall situation.
For the past few days, Zhu Qirong had been acting remarkably obedient. However, Chen Ping’an didn’t believe for a second that he would just give up so easily. Chen Ping’an remained vigilant against this unstable element.
’I need to deal with this sooner rather than later. Leaving him be isn’t a solution.’
Chen Ping’an made a mental note to remove the stumbling block that was Zhu Qirong.
Over the next few days, he would occasionally visit the South Town Garrison Command. Since they all worked under the same organization, it was natural to get acquainted with colleagues from all sides.
Chen Ping’an also became a familiar face to the supervisors and deputy supervisors of the nine great Task Rooms. While building these relationships, he also took care of one other matter.
To secure his position as Prison Chief, he knew he couldn’t do without trusted subordinates.
He applied to have Zeng Jihe, a temporary constable from the Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office, transferred to the South City Prison to serve as his personal clerk and aide.
At his level, something like this required just a word, and the matter was already going through the proper channels.
The South City Prison was located on the edge of South City Lane, but it was still considered within its territory.
Continuing to live in Nanquan Lane would make the daily commute to and from work too inconvenient. So, in addition to familiarizing himself with the prison environment and networking, Chen Ping’an also rented a two-courtyard residence in South City Lane to settle in.
The residence was not far from the South City Prison, and its overall layout and furnishings were much to Chen Ping’an’s liking.
Now that he had reached this level, trivial matters like renting a residence naturally didn’t require him to personally go to the trouble.
As the newly appointed Prison Chief, besides unstable elements like Zhu Qirong, the South City Prison also had no shortage of opportunistic sycophants.
It was these very people who had handled the matter of renting the residence for him.
These people had been around for years and were well-connected locals; handling such matters was second nature to them.
According to them, when the owner of the residence learned that the tenant was Lord Chen from the South City Prison, he was so moved by the Lord’s benevolence that he offered a rental price that was absurdly low.
As for what methods these men used in the process, Chen Ping’an didn’t know. He figured it could be considered a form of bribery in disguise.
As a superior, one must judge people comprehensively and utilize their strengths while avoiding their weaknesses. In certain situations, people like this could be useful.
After the residence was rented, his subordinates bustled about, adding many new furnishings. Once everything was ready, Chen Erya officially moved over from Nanquan Lane. Accompanying the little girl was her personal maid, Peony.
He also hired two servant women, and the newly rented residence became neat and orderly.
The servant women were strictly vetted and came from respectable backgrounds, so their security could be guaranteed.
Once the dust settled on everything, Zeng Jihe, or Xiaozeng, was officially transferred from the Nanquan Alley Town Patrol Office.
"Sir."
Inside the Prison Chief’s office at the South City Prison, Zeng Jihe clasped his fists in a salute, looking full of vigor.
"Xiaozeng, it’s been a while. You look much sturdier."
Chen Ping’an put down his brush, looked up at Zeng Jihe, and said with a smile.
"It’s all thanks to you, Sir. I’ve been eating and drinking well these days, and with my regular Martial Dao Cultivation, my body has naturally grown stronger."
Zeng Jihe said with a smile.
He understood that if he wanted to stay by his lord’s side, he had to make sure he didn’t fall behind.
Fortunately, he was still young, and his lord was willing to nurture his talent, so he was especially diligent in his Martial Dao training. He had made great progress these past few days.
"Mm."
Chen Ping’an sized up Zeng Jihe for a moment and noticed that the Qi Blood throughout the young man’s body was faintly showing signs of overflowing. It seemed he wasn’t far from the Martial Arts Introduction.
Previously, while by his side, Zeng Jihe had skimmed quite a few benefits for himself.
Unlike others, this young man was sharp and knew to invest in himself. He had bought many expensive Major Medicines to supply his own training, betting on his future prospects.
For Zeng Jihe to do this showed great foresight!
He was worth cultivating!
After offering a few words of encouragement to Zeng Jihe, Chen Ping’an got straight to the point.
"Xiaozeng, just like before, you’ll continue to stay by my side."
"Help me find out where the best school in South City Lane is. Erya is of age now, so we need to get this settled soon."
"Pay close attention to the security at the residence. If you need any support, let me know early."
"..."
Chen Ping’an assigned Zeng Jihe a number of tasks.
Hearing this, Zeng Jihe showed no impatience; instead, he was overjoyed. To him, the more tasks his lord assigned, the more it proved his value.
"Sir, Xiaozeng understands."
"Mm, first, get familiar with the environment. Besides the things I just mentioned, don’t neglect your Martial Dao training. I will keep your future prospects in mind."
Chen Ping’an casually dangled a carrot.
This time, Zeng Jihe wasn’t just overjoyed; he was thrilled.
"Yes! I am willing to die for you, Sir!"
"Alright, you may leave for now."
Chen Ping’an waved his hand, dismissing Zeng Jihe.
’If you want others to be loyal, the best way is to bind their interests tightly with your own.’
