Chapter 36: Chapter 36: Dividing the Spoils
Yang Wenqing straightened his uniform and pushed open the door to Vice Director Gao’s office.
The office was filled with smoke. Vice Director Gao was leaning back in his chair, puffing away, while Wang Jianchao and Liu Xin sat on the sofas on either side.
"You’re here?" Vice Director Gao lifted his eyelids slightly, casually tossing an unopened pack of cigarettes onto an empty corner of his desk. "Help yourself."
Wang Jianchao lazily pointed to the empty seat beside him. "What are you doing just standing there in the doorway? Waiting for me to salute you?"
Although Liu Xin didn’t speak, she also scooted over, making more room for him.
Yang Wenqing immediately understood. He stepped forward, naturally picked up the pack of cigarettes, and after opening it, offered one to Vice Director Gao first, then one each to Wang Jianchao and Liu Xin, before finally lighting one for himself.
The acrid smoke filled his lungs, and he coughed lightly a couple of times. This unpracticed reaction actually caused the atmosphere in the office to relax.
Vice Director Gao blew a smoke ring. "Let’s take a look at today’s haul."
His gaze fell on Yang Wenqing.
Yang Wenqing immediately took out three Storage Bags.
Vice Director Gao stood up, walked over to the side of his desk, and picked up several wooden boxes engraved with preservation Arrays that he had prepared earlier. Returning to his seat, he took the Storage Bags and emptied out the Spirit Grass and the glass vials containing Spiritual Liquid, placing them on the desk.
"The remaining Demon Beast flesh and bones in the Storage Bags are worth about a hundred thousand or so. Let’s just call it one hundred fifty thousand," Vice Director Gao said as he arranged the spoils on the desk.
"Then let’s stick to the old rules. You take fifty percent, Director, and the three of us will split the rest evenly," Wang Jianchao said, following his lead.
"I’ll have the money wired to you tomorrow." Vice Director Gao glanced at Wang Jianchao and put the Storage Bags away.
Yang Wenqing’s gaze merely swept over the Storage Bags. ’I always thought that someone in Vice Director Gao’s position probably wouldn’t have to worry about cultivation materials. But from the look of him now, he seems to care about them even more than I do.’
’Then again,’ he thought, ’the further one progresses in cultivation, the more one’s Qi Sea and Spiritual Veins must expand. The required materials would naturally increase exponentially. At the same time, they also have to face the issue of their lifespan, so they must invest more to try and achieve a breakthrough before their time is up.’
"The Spirit Grass is all Soul Reviving Grass. It seems to be related to the attribute of the Spiritual Qi this time. This grass can enhance one’s Divine Sense and is very useful after the Qi Cultivation Sixth Refinement. However, since it can be artificially cultivated in recent years, its value is about fifteen thousand per stalk. Wild ones are more expensive, though, closer to thirty thousand a stalk. There are six stalks here. Do you want to exchange them for cash, or something else?"
As he spoke, Vice Director Gao placed the six stalks of Soul Reviving Grass into the wooden boxes he had taken out earlier.
Wang Jianchao immediately replied, "Same old rules, Director. You take fifty percent, and we three get one stalk each." As he spoke, he looked at Yang Wenqing and said, "I happen to have a twenty-year-old Dragon-Tendon Tiger-Bone Grass of decent quality. Its value is about the same. How about I trade you for your stalk of Soul Reviving Grass?"
Yang Wenqing was stunned for a moment, then quickly nodded. "Okay!"
The Soul Reviving Grass was of no use to him right now, but a twenty-year-old Dragon-Tendon Tiger-Bone Grass was different. Its medicinal power was several times that of the ordinary Dragon-Tendon Tiger-Bone Grass in the City Defense Bureau’s warehouse. Its value wasn’t fixed, but it wouldn’t be less than thirty thousand. It was just that no one usually bought it, as it was considered a bit of a white elephant.
And Yang Wenqing was at a critical point in his First Refinement and needed a potent Dragon-Tendon Tiger-Bone Grass. Perhaps after absorbing its medicinal power, he could achieve a breakthrough in one go.
Seeing Yang Wenqing agree, Wang Jianchao immediately took a square wooden box from his Storage Bag and handed it to him. Yang Wenqing didn’t stand on ceremony, taking it and quickly deactivating the preservation Array. He glanced inside before quickly putting it away.
Vice Director Gao continued, "Next is this Spiritual Liquid. I’ve probed it with my Divine Sense, and it’s about one kilogram. So we’ll calculate it as one kilogram. Its current value is one hundred yuan per gram, which comes to one hundred thousand yuan."
He paused for a moment, looked at the three of them, and said, "Although I’ve reached the Marrow Cleansing Fourth Transformation, I still need this to stabilize my Cultivation at the Marrow Cleansing Second Transformation. The branch’s annual quota is too small. How about I buy your shares of the Spiritual Liquid for one hundred fifty yuan per gram?"
What could Wang Jianchao, Liu Xin, and Yang Wenqing say? They could only nod in agreement.
Yang Wenqing did a quick mental calculation. ’I’ll get fifty thousand yuan in cash from this. I can use this money to prepare for the upcoming Second Refinement.’
"I’ll have the money transferred to your accounts before noon tomorrow," Vice Director Gao promised again. Their bank account numbers were on file.
The three of them all responded with polite remarks upon hearing this.
Then, Vice Director Gao’s gaze fell on Yang Wenqing. "We owe you for what happened in the center of the forest. I don’t have much to offer as thanks, but your Cultivation is on the verge of breaking through the First Refinement, and Ah Chao just traded you that Dragon-Tendon Tiger-Bone Grass." As he spoke, he took out a glass vial and said, "This is five hundred grams of hundred-year-old Stone Marrow Liquid. It can help you with your Second Refinement."
Yang Wenqing subconsciously started to refuse, but Vice Director Gao cut him off. "Take it. Some things need to be crystal clear. We might face even more dangerous battles in the future."
"Yes, sir!"
Hearing this, Yang Wenqing found it hard to refuse. Stone Marrow Liquid was a common Spiritual Object, but a hundred-year-old vintage was exceptionally rare. It was valued at fifty yuan a gram, more expensive than silver. Like the Dragon-Tendon Tiger-Bone Grass, it was an auxiliary Spiritual Object for the Second Refinement of the Qi Cultivation Stage.
As he accepted the glass vial, Wang Jianchao, who was sitting beside him, took out a brand-new Storage Bag and said to Yang Wenqing, "This is a thank-you from Xiaoxin and me."
Yang Wenqing was taken aback for a moment, then said, "Thank you!"
Liu Xin smiled. "We should be the ones thanking you. Did you know? When they tallied the casualties later, a Qi Cultivator from the South City Public Security Office actually died."
Yang Wenqing’s brow furrowed slightly. "That’s..."
Wang Jianchao explained, "The South City Public Security Office was too close to the central area. They thought there was some good stuff inside and wanted to rush in to grab it before anyone else."
"Let’s not talk about that..."
Vice Director Gao interrupted the three of them. Looking at Wang Jianchao, he said, "The chief of the Xiaoqiao Town Public Security Office is nearing the end of his lifespan and has been unable to achieve a breakthrough for a long time. It’s likely he’ll retire this year. Your chance is here. Don’t hold back this year. Just pass the exam, and you’ll most likely be posted to Xiaoqiao Town."
A look of joy appeared on Wang Jianchao’s face, but he quickly glanced at Liu Xin and said worriedly, "After I leave, the Director will probably take the opportunity to plant someone new in the team. Will Xiaoxin be able to smoothly take over as deputy team leader?"
Vice Director Gao, however, smiled. "He wants to transfer that useless chief from the West City Public Security Office over to be the overqualified deputy team leader. If he isn’t afraid of the embarrassment, I can agree to it." He laughed out loud after saying this. "But the deputy team leader doesn’t necessarily have to concurrently serve as the captain of Team One. When the time comes, I’ll clear out the storage room across from my office for him to use. It just so happens I don’t have a secretary, and the team has some miscellaneous tasks he can handle."
Wang Jianchao pondered for two seconds, then asked, "Will Xiaoxin take over Team One?"
Vice Director Gao nodded. "Yes. And Wenqing will take over Team Two. As for Team Three..." He met Wang Jianchao’s gaze. "I’ll arrange for a senior sergeant to take it. If the Director has any objections, well, we can just settle it the traditional way—in the ring."
