Chapter 175: Older Cousin's Promotion Worries

Chapter 175: The Cousin's Promotional Sorrows

The Zoo.

A white lion paced with elegant and majestic strides, its head tilted as it scrutinized the humans confined within the iron bars.

Inside the cage lay a dungeon, wherein grew a camphor tree with a gnarled, twisting trunk and lush foliage, from which hung vines as thick as a man's arm.

These vines bound a youth whose forehead was wrapped in a sports headband; half his body had merged into the tree, leaving only his chest and head exposed.

A curly-haired toy poodle squatted before the tree, its button eyes solemn as it spoke in a deep voice:

"Where is the headquarters of the Congregation of the God of War?"

The Heavenly King Demon Eye, wearing the sports headband, stared blankly into space, entirely indifferent to the Elder Dog's interrogation.

After a long while, Demon Eye returned to his senses; though the Heavenly King appeared listless and his aura weak, the smile never left his face as he said:

"If I tell you where the headquarters of the Congregation is, would your Five Elements Alliance even dare to go? Ah, this is a bit uncomfortable—this lack of freedom is a terrible feeling. If that fellow Fear were trapped here, he would probably commit suicide on the spot; he is always clamoring for freedom.

"Well, it seems committing suicide isn't quite possible..."

Elder Dog said indifferently, "Arrogant. Do you truly believe Asura can fight the five Alliance Leaders alone?"

"If the Leaders of your Five Elements Alliance could kill Asura, they would have done so long ago. However..." Demon Eye remarked carelessly:

"It does not matter either way, who cares about that? That old relic Asura won't even help me cleanse the world. I can tell you where the Congregation's headquarters is, but you must do something for me in return."

Elder Dog nodded slightly. "What is it?"

"I have a list containing all the dignitaries and powerful figures involved in the Bronze Sparrow Pavilion case. Help me slaughter every single one of them. Until this matter is settled, I shall always feel quite uncomfortable."

"Impossible!" Elder Dog said in a heavy voice. "There are laws to punish them."

"Then there is nothing to be done." Demon Eye wished to shrug, only to find himself unable to manage it.

Elder Dog did not dwell on the matter of the Congregation's headquarters, but continued to ask:

"Why did the Congregation wipe out the Chu family all those years ago? Do not tell me it was for a rule-based item. I have thoroughly investigated the details of the case from back then; the Congregation deployed at least two Heavenly Kings, four Guardians, and dozens of cultists.

"The Chu family alone was hardly worth such a massive mobilization on your part. That rule-based item had been in the possession of the Chu family for decades; if you had wanted to seize it, you would have done so long ago."

His aura faint, the Heavenly King Demon Eye smiled and said:

"I also have another list here, a list detailing the collusion between officials and the underworld in Gotham City. My trip to Songhai was rather rushed this time; I had intended to deal with the Palace Master of the Demonic Sect before cleansing the list, but it seems I cannot return now. Help me take care of them."

Elder Dog simply ignored him.

Demon Eye pondered for a moment, then said, "Let us change the condition, then. Have Yuanshi Tianzun come see me, and I will tell you the truth."

"Impossible!" Elder Dog refused outright.

"Do not be so quick to refuse. Let me tell you something first, and you can consider it afterward." Demon Eye said:

"Before the Chu family was exterminated, the Night Rose had no leader."

Before the Chu family was exterminated, the Night Rose had no leader... A strange light gleamed within Elder Dog's button eyes, his breathing quickening slightly as he pressed:

"What do you mean?"

Demon Eye laughed. "Bring Yuanshi Tianzun to see me."

Elder Dog took a deep breath, his stance softening as he said, "I will consider it."

...

"Knock, knock!"

In the early morning, the bedroom door was knocked upon, followed by his maternal aunt's sweet voice:

"Smelly pig, get up and eat breakfast."

"Not getting up! Go away!" Zhang Yuanqing clung to the comfort of his warm blankets, indulging in his lazy slumber as he rolled over, ignoring her.

"I'm coming in!" His aunt turned the doorknob and entered the room, clamoring, "The sun is already burning your backside and you're still not out of bed?"

Zhang Yuanqing shrank beneath the covers, saying rather crossly:

"I was a bit tired last night and didn't rest well. Let me sleep a little longer."

After several days of being on tenterhooks, he had finally eliminated the grave threat to his peace of mind; he intended to sleep in late to let his body and soul thoroughly unwind.

Hardly had he finished speaking when he heard Jiang Yuer's haunting voice:

"So you used my underwear to do bad things again last night, didn't you."

The air suddenly fell silent. Zhang Yuanqing, wrapped in his quilt, remained motionless, and Jiang Yuer, standing at the bedside, remained equally still.

It was as though time had been paused.

Zhang Yuanqing leaped violently from the bed, explaining:

"No, I absolutely did not use your underwear to do bad things. If you don't believe me, smell it yourself..."

As he spoke, he suddenly lowered his head with a sigh, scratching his hair as he said:

"Alright, I was wrong."

It had suddenly occurred to him that he had no way of explaining to his aunt that the underwear had been stolen by an infant; this blame was his to bear, whether he liked it or not.

Jiang Yuer cast several complex glances at him, sighing with a look of deep disappointment:

"It is time you got a girlfriend. A perfectly fine young man, turned into a pervert. What did I say last time? If you steal my underwear again, I will tell your grandmother."

Zhang Yuanqing bowed his head in immediate submission. "Aunt, I was wrong. Name any condition you like, but please show mercy."

His aunt smiled and patted her nephew's head, asking, "How much money have you saved up?"

"About fifty or sixty thousand."

"Didn't you say last time that you made five million this year?"

"That was just boasting."

"Mom, your grandson stole my under— mmm, mmm..."

"Six or seven million, six or seven million... I am willing to offer fifty thousand to show my filial respect to your venerable self."

"Good boy!"

...

Zhang Yuanqing walked into the living room wearing his cotton slippers. The family of five was gathered around the dining table enjoying breakfast.

His cousin Chen Yuanjun had his brows tightly furrowed, eating his meat buns in silence, looking thoroughly weighed down by worries.

Zhang Yuanqing grabbed a deep-fried dough stick, dangling it from his mouth as he sat down beside Jiang Yuer. Before him sat a bowl of white rice porridge that his grandmother had already ladled out.

"Share a bit of that salted duck egg with me." He nudged his aunt's shoulder with his elbow.

"Here!" Jiang Yuer handed the egg over.

Zhang Yuanqing took it, and upon looking closer, he said furiously:

"You rascal, you've completely hollowed out the yolk! Can this salted duck egg even be eaten anymore?!"

As he spoke, he reached out with his chopsticks to scoop the whole yolk from Jiang Yuer's porridge.

His aunt was quick of eye and deft of hand; with a swift gulp, she swallowed the yolk into her mouth, her cheeks puffing round as she looked at him with triumphant pride.

Zhang Yuanqing flew into a rage, his hands clapping onto Jiang Yu'er's cheeks with a smack, and the egg yolk spurted out from her rosy little mouth with a "pfft".

Jiang Yu'er cried with anger, "Mom, he's bullying me, hit him for me."

Grandpa put down his chopsticks heavily and said sternly:

"Enough eating! Elders not acting like elders, youngsters not acting like youngsters, fooling around all day, a bunch of good-for-nothings!"

Zhang Yuanqing and Jiang Yu'er froze, silently shrinking their heads, and lowered their heads to eat.

But Grandpa had no mood to eat anymore, stood up from the table, and went out for a walk.

When the security door was closed, Zhang Yuanqing immediately looked at Grandma:

"What's up? Is Grandpa going through menopause too?"

Grandma backhandedly cuffed her grandson on the head.

Cousin Chen Yuanjun, chewing a meat bun, spoke in a calm tone:

"Nothing much, just the promotion thing fell through. The person Grandpa approached said that Songhai is going to strictly enforce discipline soon, the situation is tense, and it's not easy to maneuver. Nobody wants to stir up trouble for a bit of profit at this critical juncture, afraid of running into trouble."

He paused, then said:

"It's also because the person we asked doesn't have a high enough position. To maneuver, you have to send gifts. If he were a higher-up willing to promote me, it would really be just a word."

His tone was calm, his expression as steady as ever, but the furrow between his brows was habitually locked.

Cousin was ambitious and idealistic, naturally hoping to climb higher, but there was no need to show his disappointment and helplessness in front of his aunt and younger cousin, only to add to their worries.

Zhang Yuanqing suddenly understood.

No wonder Grandpa was in a bad mood. As his uncle said, "My son is my father's successor, my nephew is my successor, and my nephew will surely be more successful than my son."

Because of his unbending stubborn nature, Grandpa's official career was limited; he reached the position of police chief and stopped, unable to advance an inch for decades. Thus, he placed his hopes on his grandson Chen Yuanjun, regarding him as his heir.

Now that cousin had missed a perfect opportunity for promotion, the next time would be about five years later, or even longer.

According to Grandpa's experience, failing to become a police chief before 30 means basically no chance for the position of commissioner. Failing to become a commissioner before 40 means entering the headquarters of the Songhai Public Security Bureau is impossible.

Zhang Yuanqing thought for a moment and said:

"I know a friend, and my friend's friend works at the Public Security Bureau headquarters. How about I try to pull some strings?"

Chen Yuanjun laughed helplessly:

"Yuanzi, this isn't like inviting someone to dinner, something that can be done with just a few words."

A college student's connections often don't involve interests. Without interests, it means 'shallow acquaintance' that can't handle such major issues.

Grandma raised her chopsticks and tapped on her nephew's bowl, saying impatiently:

"Eat your meal, don't meddle.

"Go see your aunt when you have time; she's in a bad mood. You'll cheer her up if you go."

Grandma still believed in Yuanzi's ability to cheer people up.

Zhang Yuanqing said nothing, finished his breakfast, and took a taxi to the Kangyang District Public Security Bureau.

By the window, while flirting with Guan Ya, he also exchanged messages unceasingly with Xiaoyuan.

Yuanshi Tianzun: "Auntie Xiaoyuan, the arena competition is about to start. I want to hunt a level-3 alluring demon."

Yuanshi Tianzun: "You've heard, right? The Demon Eye King has been locked up by the elders. Now I can finally go out openly. Sister Guan Ya, want to have dinner together tonight?"

Magic Auntie Xiaoyuan: "No to the shaman and illusionist?"

Yuanshi Tianzun: "You're the one with big tits, so whatever you say goes. Tonight our second team will have a dinner together; I'll treat. Want to book a room and learn from each other's techniques in the evening, hehe."

Magic Auntie Xiaoyuan: "???"

#Yuanshi Tianzun recalled a message#

Yuanshi Tianzun: "Sorry, sorry, sent it wrong. Auntie Xiaoyuan, I've asked around. Among the three evil professions, the alluring demon is the best for making zombies, the illusionist is best for making spirit servants, the shaman is average, can do both but excels at neither."

Magic Auntie Xiaoyuan: "Who were you chatting with? Some older woman?"

Yuanshi Tianzun: "No no, just joking with colleagues [facepalm]"

Magic Auntie Xiaoyuan: "Level-3 alluring demon, right? Come to Wuhen Hotel in three days to collect the corpse. Don't disturb me if nothing important [hehe]"

Zhang Yuanqing was about to say something to salvage his dignity when he suddenly saw a message in the "White Tiger Guard" group from Fu Qingyang:

"@Ling Jun, I've borrowed an item from the Knight profession. You can try to contact Annie soon."

Ling Jun: "As expected of you, fast efficiency. But how can I get Annie to sign such a contract? She would never sign a contract with me."

Fu Qingyang: "I've considered that, so I picked an item with a hidden use. You only need to hold the item and coax her into making an oral promise with sweet words; the item will witness it all. The downside is that the binding force is weaker than a contract made with both parties knowing."

Qicilang: "Tsk tsk, Ling Jun, are you getting impatient?"

Ling Jun: "I'm sacrificing myself for the organization. You shouldn't mock me, but pity me. Send a red envelope."

While the two were joking, Zhang Yuanqing sent a message:

"@Fu Qingyang, Centurion, why do you care so much about the motivation behind the Beauty Goddess Association's arrival on the mainland? The Demon Lord is dead and has little to do with us. In comparison, shouldn't we investigate that mysterious president instead?"

Fu Qingyang: "There's no need to investigate high-level Void practitioners; it's bound to yield nothing. As for the Demon Lord, the Beauty Goddess Association sent people across the ocean to investigate even knowing he had fallen. I suspect there's more to it. Our White Tiger Guard must keep an eye on all directions and understand the world's affairs, even if we don't get involved."

That was an essential element of an elite organization.

It made sense. Why would the Beauty Goddess Association send people to investigate the Demon Lord's fall?

Ling Jun: "Speaking of which, the Demon Lord and the president of the Beauty Goddess Association were lovers. Not only that, according to what I've found out in the Taiyi Sect, the Demon Lord had two great sins: killing and lust. His lovers were all over the world. I suspected Yuanshi was the Demon Lord's heir back then because Yuanshi is also very lecherous."

Yuanshi Tianzun: "Just because the Taiyi Sect leader's son can slander others at will? The fact is, I'm still single, have kept myself pure for 20 years, while you have ex-girlfriends everywhere."

Youfeng Laiyi: "Hmph, Ling Jun and the Demon Lord are both scumbags. Yuanshi Tianzun is still a virgin? Unbelievable..."

Ling Jun: "The Demon Lord is lecherous; I appreciate beauty. They are not the same."

Hengsaotianxia: "Alas, my wife is gaslighting me again."

The topic gradually strayed off track. Seeing no serious business, Zhang Yuanqing exited the chat app, leaned against the car window, and closed his eyes to rest.

...

Behind the main building of the Kangyang District Public Security Bureau, there was a glass building.

Zhang Yuanqing arrived at the second floor, walked straight to the rest area, and leaned lazily against Guan Ya's desk.

"I want to ask about something!"

Guan Ya was scanning a thick list; the screen's glow reflected on her charming and delicate face. She said succinctly:

"Speak!"

"Recently, isn't the Songhai public security system in a big shake-up? A lot of positions will open up. Does my cousin have any hope of getting promoted to police chief?"

Guan Ya looked up at him and said:

"Your cousin... let me take a look."

She switched pages, logged into the Public Security Bureau system, and searched for the name "Chen Yuanjun".

After carefully reading through his resume, the old driver propped up her sharp chin and said:

"Not bad resume. With this performance, becoming a police chief is more than enough, but his seniority is lacking. As you know, promotion isn't all about performance; seniority is also important, unless he has performed a major feat."

"So I want to help him," Zhang Yuanqing said.

Guan Ya made an "Oh" sound. "I'll handle it for you. It's no big deal."

Zhang Yuanqing looked skeptical. "You?"

He thought to himself, you're a cast-off daughter of the Fu family, where do you get the confidence to say that? Shouldn't it be, "Let me ask Fu Qingyang"?

Guan Ya gave a coquettish snort. "I spoke to the family council recently. I said I'd take part in the mid-year large-scale killing instance. The old men were so happy they nearly set off firecrackers to celebrate."

So she can mobilize the Fu family's resources now? Zhang Yuanqing changed his tune. "Sister Guan Ya is the best! I knew you'd go far! I'll treat you to an extra meal tonight."

Guan Ya's eyes sparkled, and she said with a smile:

"What are you adding? Two eggs and a sausage?"

Zhang Yuanqing was in high spirits when he was unexpectedly run over by that truck of a joke, leaving him unable to regain his train of thought. All he could do was raise his hands in surrender.

At that moment, he saw Wang Tai lift his head and look over, so he immediately said:

"Brother Wang Tai, join us tonight. I'll call Jingwei and Tengyuan, our squad's having a dinner gathering."

"No need!" Wang Tai refused coldly and mercilessly.

"Then why did you look up?"

"I'm working overtime tonight and will be at the office very late. If it's convenient, please pack me a big meal," Wang Tai said.

"..."

Zhang Yuanqing again raised his hands in surrender.

"By the way, should I let your family know? Or should I handle it quietly?" Guan Ya asked with a smile.

"No need to hide it. I just said I would ask a friend for help."

This wasn't a big deal. Letting his family know he knew a few well-connected people would make it easier to find excuses for similar situations in the future, or if he needed to take leave from school.

If their grandson knew so many savvy friends, what's wrong with starting a business?

...

Dusk!

The deputy director called Chen Yuanjun into his office.

"Sit, sit, sit..."

The middle-aged, heavyset deputy director greeted Chen Yuanjun warmly.

Chen Yuanjun couldn't help but be suspicious. The deputy director was in charge of internal affairs like personnel changes, and usually had little to do with him, a public security captain. What was with all this enthusiasm?

He sat down impassively and asked steadily:

"Director Qiao, what is the matter?"

Director Qiao laughed. "It's like this. I just received a document from above. The headquarters wants to promote you to police inspector. As you know, the original Inspector Yang was removed and investigated because of Director Zhou's issues."

Chen Yuanjun was stunned and said in astonishment:

"But I heard that the higher-ups would be sending an inspector from outside."

He had originally planned to transfer from the Kangyang District Public Security Bureau to Shakou District, because there were more openings and less competition there.

"He went to Shakou District." Director Qiao motioned for him to take a sip of tea together, and then said:

"Xiao Chen, do you know someone from the Special Department?"

Chen Yuanjun shook his head. "Not really, just work-related interactions. Why do you ask, Director Qiao?"

Director Qiao was also taken aback. "But I heard from a friend at headquarters that this matter was handled by someone from the Special Department."

As he said this, he jerked his chin toward the back of the building. "That girl who drives a sports car, the one you young people call a goddess."

"..."

Chen Yuanjun walked out of the director's office looking bewildered. Amidst the surprise and excitement, he couldn't help but wonder why that beautiful female colleague from the Special Department would help him.

This was no small matter; it was an immense favor.

Regardless, a windfall was still a windfall. He would find her tomorrow and ask clearly, and at least express his gratitude... Chen Yuanjun glanced at his watch, planning to go home after work and share this unexpected joy with his family.

Chen Yuanjun walked out of the public security bureau building, and a blue sports car came into view, slowly driving toward the gate.

It's her? Chen Yuanjun subconsciously strode over.