Chapter 68: Chapter 68: Leader
The two returned to the sub-bureau. Vice Director Gao didn’t go to the command center, but instead led Yang Wenqing directly back to his own office.
Once the heavy wooden door sealed off the hustle and bustle from outside, Vice Director Gao walked behind his desk and took an exquisite wooden box from a drawer. He opened it to reveal several neatly trimmed, dark-brown cigars.
He picked one up. A flash of Spiritual Light at his fingertip ignited it, and a rich smoke, carrying a peculiar, fresh fragrance, began to fill the air. It was a special Spirit Grass cigar. Smoking it could soothe one’s mind, but the trace toxins it contained had to be slowly neutralized through daily Qi Cultivation. For high-level Cultivators under immense pressure, it was a common way to unwind.
"Care for one?"
Vice Director Gao pushed the wooden box toward Yang Wenqing, who was sitting opposite him.
Yang Wenqing shook his head slightly, politely declining. "Thank you, Director Gao, but I prefer tea."
He had always been cautious about such external substances. Unless absolutely necessary, he was unwilling to let anything that might compromise the purity of his cultivation enter his body.
Vice Director Gao didn’t press the issue. He took a leisurely drag, letting the Spiritual Qi-infused smoke swirl in his lungs before slowly exhaling. The fatigue on his face seemed to lessen slightly.
He then walked over to the seating area, inviting Yang Wenqing to sit. "Wenqing," he began, as if making small talk, "you handled this incident well. And how is your cultivation coming along? I can see your aura is much more solid than before. You must be close to completing the Second Refinement, ’Skin Like a Drum,’ aren’t you?"
"It’s progressing smoothly, Director," Yang Wenqing answered cautiously. ’When a superior suddenly asks about the details of one’s cultivation,’ he thought, ’it usually means something more important is on their mind.’
"Good. You’re exceptionally talented, but you must remain diligent." Vice Director Gao nodded, then his tone shifted abruptly. "Your earlier analysis was spot-on. The port robbery and the sub-bureau theft—they weren’t the work of common evil cultivators or wandering bandits."
He leaned forward slightly, his voice low and heavy. "Before the county magistrate and I returned from Black Mountain, we received a notice from the City Bureau. It’s not just our Qianjiao County. During this assessment period, nearly ten percent of all counties and districts across the entire province have suffered similar attacks. Some succeeded, some failed."
Yang Wenqing’s pupils contracted. Although he had his suspicions, the sheer scope of it sent a jolt of alarm through him. ’Chaos in a single county is manageable, but a coordinated attack across the entire province? Just how vast must the power behind this be?’
Seeing the shock on his face, Vice Director Gao continued, "The attack patterns are all more or less the same. They create chaos to tie down our main forces, then move in to precisely plunder basic cultivation resources from local reserves—spirit ores, medicinal herbs, energy crystals, and the like."
He took a deep drag from his cigar, his eyes sharp as a blade through the swirling smoke. "The Provincial Hall has assessed this as an organized, premeditated, nationwide—and possibly even transnational—coordinated operation. Their ultimate goal isn’t simply to hoard resources or arm themselves."
He paused, then enunciated each word with gravity. "They intend to use these plundered resources to reinforce the evil cultivators entrenched in the Northern Border, in an attempt to disrupt the Northern Advance strategy planned by the Cabinet!"
"The Northern Advance strategy..." Yang Wenqing repeated the term under his breath. He had heard whispers of it during his time at the Police Academy. It was the Cabinet’s grand plan to open up the vast, unknown territories of the northern continent, purge the heretical factions entrenched within, and expand the Wanxuan domain and its resource lifelines.
"Exactly." Vice Director Gao’s voice was icy. "If these plundered supplies successfully reach the evil cultivators in the north, it would be enough to sustain them for years. It might even enable them to launch several large-scale counteroffensives. If that happens, our army’s northern advance will be severely hampered, and the blood of countless soldiers will have been shed in vain!"
Only then did Yang Wenqing truly understand that the chaos erupting around him was connected to matters of such grand national strategy.
Vice Director Gao stubbed out his cigar in an ashtray, his gaze fixed on Yang Wenqing. He saw a complex light flickering in the young man’s eyes and spoke with a tone of appreciation and expectation. "Wenqing, the contribution you’ve made this time is far greater than you imagine."
Then, his tone shifted once more, a smile mixing cold severity with absolute control spreading across his face. "However, don’t underestimate the Provincial Hall and the City Bureau. The Provincial Hall, for instance, has several seniors who have been fixtures in this region for hundreds of years. They’ve been fighting these rats in the gutters since the day they began their cultivation. Did you really think they’d let them get away with this so easily?"
He stood up as he spoke, gazing out the window at the city lights beginning to flicker on. His voice was steady and powerful. "We anticipated this province-wide disturbance. In fact, you could say that, to a certain extent, it was a sting operation."
Yang Wenqing nodded, though deep down, he had his own reservations about those old seniors who had held their positions for centuries.
"Although there were indeed some losses, we also used this as an opportunity to sever many of their encroaching tentacles and get a trace on leads that were previously impossible to track. The Provincial Hall has already identified several key resource-transfer hubs and sleeper agents who have been in place for years. The operation to close the net is just days away."
"In short," he concluded, "the storm has arrived, but the sky won’t fall. The Cabinet’s resolve for the Northern Advance strategy is unshakable. Any and all demonic obstructions will ultimately be crushed. Our job at the City Defense Bureau is to hold the rear line in this war of shadows and open battles, providing steadfast support for the soldiers on the front."
"Understood, sir," Yang Wenqing replied in a low, firm voice. "To protect our land and keep our people safe is our duty." ’Given the atmosphere, it felt right to voice the slogan,’ he thought. ’A man like Vice Director Gao would surely appreciate it.’
Vice Director Gao nodded in satisfaction. "Excellent!"
He paced back behind his desk, tapping his fingers twice on the smooth surface as if carefully choosing his words. He then looked at Yang Wenqing, his tone becoming formal and serious. "Wenqing, you turned the tide this time. You not only secured the sub-bureau’s critical supplies but also thwarted the enemy’s scheme in our Qianjiao County. The county leadership and I will submit a full report of your merits to the city."
He paused, not specifying what kind of reward or promotion that would entail, but the meaning in his deep-set eyes was clear enough: this contribution would not be overlooked.
"The city is just beginning to stabilize, and there’s a mountain of work to do. Follow-up investigations, maintaining order, endless reports... it’s a mess. What’s critical is that the assessment period doesn’t end for another two days. You need to stay vigilant for these two days. We can’t afford any more incidents."
Vice Director Gao then softened his tone. "Of course, you don’t need to be too on edge. Those evil cultivators likely won’t dare to try again."
Hearing this, Yang Wenqing immediately shot to his feet, stood at attention, and saluted Vice Director Gao. "Yes, sir! Thank you for your guidance, Director Gao. I’ll take my leave now."
"Go on."
Without another word, Yang Wenqing turned and gently closed the office door behind him.
Walking down the corridor, where the power had already been restored, Yang Wenqing could hear the distant sound of hurried footsteps and the faint hum of communicators. He took a deep breath, slowly pushing the immense implications of Vice Director Gao’s words and the future possibilities they suggested to the back of his mind.
He glanced at the time on his mechanical watch, then felt the confiscated Storage Bag at his waist as he looked toward the Third Squad’s office. Compared to the merits promised by Vice Director Gao, he was more interested in seeing what spoils of war were inside the Storage Bag.
So, instead of immediately returning to the command center, he headed back to the Third Squad’s office first.
Comments