Chapter 195: House Dogs and Stray Dogs

No one slept well last night.

It wasn't just Lu Feng; it's likely that no one in the entire outpost managed to get a good night's sleep. Well, except for Master Tao, who presided over the center; it is said he slept peacefully and even ate an extra pancake and drank an extra bowl of porridge the next morning.

His appetite was wide open.

It's just that the side dishes were a bit frightening.

On the playground outside the office windows, over a dozen corpses covered in white sheets lay—all the fruits of the Security Bureau's thunderous sweep overnight.

Yesterday at 6:00 PM, after Tong Shan returned to his room, the report he submitted at 6:30 PM reached the hands of Lu Yingyue, the Director of the Yacheng Security Bureau.

Faced with the suggestions in Tong Shan's report regarding the serious discipline and management issues following the incident at the Recycling Management Department, and the call to root out the black sheep, Lu Yingyue made a note after reading it: "Small-time squabbling, scratching the surface."

Then, at 7:30 PM, the Security Bureau directors of the three major cities and four small towns in Haizhou were already sitting in the same conference room. By 8:00 PM, the military's airship was already hovering above the outpost.

The outpost, which had been chaotic for days with people coming and going, instantly turned into an iron bucket; not even a fly could get out. Then, three specialized action teams led by Heaven-Chosen from the Heart Pivot went through everyone from top to bottom, coordinating with the Heaven Eye Encircled Realm, and didn't let a single person slip through.

Gunfire rang out like popping beans for half the night.

They successfully weeded out a whole bunch of Heaven-Chosen of unknown origin, including two wanted criminals who had changed their appearances to infiltrate the outsourced patrol teams, three imperial spies, a group of wretches impersonating others to try and scrape some benefits from Quancheng, and nine believers of the Evil-Transforming Sect...

By the time they were discovered, one had already infiltrated the Logistics Department and was about to take over the management of the cafeteria; the plastic packaging in their room was assumed to contain something not as peaceful as rat poison.

The next day, Ji Jue yawned, looking at the rich battle results delivered before his eyes and a collective First-Class Merit medal that had just been approved, and couldn't help but be shocked:

"Holy crap, there really is an Evil-Transforming Sect?"

"Otherwise?"

Tong Shan asked back, puzzled.

"I thought..."

Ji Jue coughed awkwardly a few times.

*I thought you bunch of corrupt officials were just spouting nonsense and forcing honest people into vice, but I didn't expect that whatever you said would actually appear. Turns out, among such a bunch of monsters and demons, the Security Bureau's bottom line is actually the highest? *

"Alright, stop mulling over it in your head."

Tong Shan waved his hand; for the sake of his own blood pressure, he really didn't want this topic to continue. He continued, "The results of last night's operation did uncover quite a few clues, and this operation has added quite a bit more work."

"How are you prepared?"

"My entire fortune is right here."

Ji Jue reached out and pointed to the Little Niu Ma behind him: "I also went to borrow a lot of materials from my teacher. If I fail this time, I might just go bankrupt."

"Don't worry, even if something goes wrong, the squad will prioritize protecting your evacuation."

Tong Shan took the initiative to reach out toward Lu Feng, who was slumped and looking worried: "We will also have to rely on Mr. Lu's support from here on."

"It's my duty."

Lu Feng smiled reluctantly. After seeing Ji Jue's gaze from the side, his face immediately slumped again, and he didn't want to pay him any mind.

Ji Jue wasn't so oblivious as to ask directly, "Didn't you say you weren't coming?" Since he was already here, there was naturally no need to bring up topics that would only invite conflict.

"It's good that you're here."

He patted Young Master Lu's shoulder and sighed, "At least there's company, right?"

Lu Feng snorted, shook his shoulder to shrug off that not-very-clean little hand, and was the first to get into the car.

He was noble and cold, as always.

Holding a belly full of anger, ready to compete with someone at any time.

Ji Jue's smile became increasingly amiable.

*Tsunderes are just too easy to understand. *

*You don't even have to worry about him not being attentive; just provoke him a little and he'll give it his all. A simple "Aren't you not good enough anymore?" and he'll be able to turn the millstone until it sparks. *

*Now that there's an extra person to help out, even scavenging for materials will be much easier. *

*He's even a quasi-artisan who inherited the Good Work Matrix, with unique advantages in the pre-processing and preservation of various materials; he can not only keep things cold, fresh, and high-quality, but also maintain quantity. *

*He didn't even need Ji Jue to bring it up; Lu Feng brought the Blessed Cage himself! *

*Definitely a high-end model. *

*With this capacity, it can hold at least five, right? *

Looking at the lantern-like alchemical creation hanging from Young Master Lu's waist, Ji Jue's eyes were practically stringing out; he was envious in name.

No way around it.

It's expensive, really expensive, too damn expensive.

The Blessed Cages currently publicly sold in the Society, even the lowest-grade ones that can barely manage to hold one and have time limits, are more expensive than ordinary blessings, let alone this kind of complex, custom-made high-end goods.

Can't afford to buy, don't have the skill or level to make, can only rely on freeloading.

Remembering the beautiful life of being intimate with Brother Kunpeng during his first dungeon run, he could only silently wipe away two tears; some things, once missed, are missed forever.

The three-month period hadn't even passed, and Brother Kunpeng had already returned to his throne; Ji Jue could no longer climb high enough to reach him.

He could only reminisce about the good old days.

Just like that, after going through preparation, application and approval, and customs clearance, the two cars drove one after the other out of the outpost, heading toward the distant Quancheng.

In the deepest part of the desolate white mist, everything became distant and hazy.

Under the overlooking gaze of the Heaven Eye, they gradually disappeared.

Last night, Master Kong's lounge.

After returning from his toil, Lu Feng reported his experiences and discoveries of the day one by one, including Ji Jue's invitation.

"Not going?"

Master Kong, who was looking down at the blueprints, raised her head, expressionless, "Why not go?"

Lu Feng was slightly stunned.

Blank.

He didn't understand what was wrong with his natural refusal, and likewise, he didn't understand why his teacher would be so serious.

Www? ttkΛn? CO

"Just felt, no need, right?"

"..."

Master Kong didn't speak.

After silently finishing the blueprints in her hand and marking the key points and opinions for construction, she put down her pen and finally looked at the restless student beside her.

A light sigh.

"Finally understand why I always feel you're a little lacking."

She said knowingly: "You've still had it too good."

"Ah?"

Lu Feng was sluggish.

"I don't want to say anything about you not knowing your grains or not knowing the hardships of labor; for a high-ranking family like the Lu family, researching those things might actually invite ridicule."

Master Kong said slowly: "These past two days, you've at least received a little bit of the suffering and hardship you should have. I'll only ask you one question—if you were anyone in the Recycling and Processing Department, what would you choose when encountering such a thing?"

Lu Feng fell silent immediately.

For some reason, it was hard to answer.

While pondering, if he put himself in their shoes, he would definitely feel there was no need to wade into these muddy waters, but imagining the situation of others, he actually hesitated for a moment.

No answer.

And it was precisely this hesitation that made Kong Qingyan unable to hide her disappointment.

The hard labor of these days had only been a formality for Lu Feng; none of it had reached his heart. Looking at the incident this afternoon, there was still some spirit and decisiveness in his bones, but after so many days, he hadn't even understood his colleagues around him...

Faced with this question, some would definitely nod without hesitation, and some would definitely refuse; this simply wasn't a question with a standard answer.

Whatever Lu Feng answered wouldn't be wrong; the only thing wrong was not answering.

Because he didn't know.

Kong Qingyan could understand the reason for Lu Feng's refusal.

Being able to stay in the workshop, peacefully and wholeheartedly devoted to honing and research, wasn't that better than risking life and limb for a tiny bit of sweet gain?

After all, he is the Young Master of the Lu family, with the conditions, the financial resources, and the qualifications; he could very well follow the steps, accumulate slowly, and then become a mediocre artisan.

Neither losing nor gaining.

Absolutely no mistakes, absolutely no danger, and at the same time, in an absolutely ideal state, the future would be stable while becoming increasingly unremarkable.

Admittedly, this is an opportunity and treatment that others can't even ask for, but at the same time, it is also a cage that Lu Feng is destined never to break out of.

As a teacher, she could only look on and sigh silently.

From the long silence, Lu Feng finally gathered the courage to ask: "Teacher, I just don't understand what I did wrong."

"You didn't do anything wrong."

Kong Qingyan shook her head slowly, "Many times, when we talk about right and wrong, it's meaningless, because human vision is hard to be long-term, and the future is hard to measure.

At most, it's just different choices."

If she had encountered such a dream-like good thing during her apprenticeship, let alone hesitating, even if she had to take out a loan to pay to join the team, she wouldn't even frown.

With a rising star of the Tong family leading, the Security Bureau forming the team, numerous strong figures of the Tian Tian Yuan lineage as support, and even a Heavenly Human presiding.

There's someone else to go tread the mines, someone to call you to split the profits, guaranteed income regardless of drought or flood, stable gold-bursting.

No one will be blinded by money and stab you in the back, no one will group up to exclude you and make you tread the mines, and there won't be infighting and slaughter due to uneven distribution of spoils...

If this happened to any other apprentice, they would suspect that you were trying to run a scam by saying it was so beautiful.

"What do you think of me as a teacher?"

Kong Qingyan asked suddenly, and without waiting for his answer, she waved her hand and asked again, "What do you think of Ye Xian?"

Lu Feng was dumbfounded, not knowing how to speak.

"It doesn't matter, I know, you don't understand, and I can't even say I'm deep enough."

Kong Qingyan rubbed the bridge of her nose and smiled self-deprecatingly under the light: "That guy, became an apprentice at seventeen, got an artisan license at nineteen, and at twenty, rebelled against her master. Everyone thought she didn't know the height of the sky or the depth of the earth; no one expected that at twenty-four, she would achieve the status of a Master.

At that time, what was I doing?

I was still taking care of children for my teacher."

Her eyes drooped, sighing silently: "At that time, I remember the child crying for firewood porridge, so I went to light the stove.

I forgot everything else, only remembering that there was smoke everywhere. I held half a newspaper in my hand, looking at her photo and news on it, and I didn't know if the tears falling were because of the fire or something else.

I only felt, for the first time, I experienced what it meant to be jealous and hateful to the point of madness—"

"At that time, I just wanted to know, on what basis?"

Kong Qingyan looked up, "What do you think she relied on?"

"... Natural talent?"

Lu Feng was unsure: "Hard work?"

Kong Qingyan smiled, so mockingly.

Everyone has talent, and everyone can work hard.

There are plenty of people with natural talent, but among those who can become masters, whose talent is worse? Whose hard work is less?

Is it just because your talent is good that other artisans' bottom-of-the-box coffin money, secret techniques, and theories and data that could never be publicly shared were handed to you like candy?

There is only one answer.

Fight, grab, and use every possible means to scrape and plunder.

If there is no investment, look for investment, beg for aid, or promise lies; if there is no help, look for help, or use coercion and inducement. If there is no secret transmission, then go find those useless waste who hold the secret transmission but are incompetent...

That is a bloody storm!

Seventy years ago, and ever since.

There has never been such an exaggerated example.

On every long road she has walked, every step was paved with opponents—either stepping on cold corpses or sacrificing a lifetime of reputation and achievement, without exception.

Why does she dare to look down on everyone when the Society holds meetings?

Because her theory is high? Her achievements are rich? Or her status is lofty?

None of them.

There is only one reason, because all the people present combined haven't had as many artisans die under her hands...

Now Ye Xian likes to reason, not because she is old, but because those who didn't reason with her are already dead.

"She is already walking on her own path, moving forward steadily, with many others, not worth worrying about; even if there are more other unique secret transmissions in front of her, she is too lazy to take another look."

Kong Qingyan said slowly: "Because as long as you can find that path that belongs to you, you are already standing in front of the Grandmaster."

All those who lost to her dare not care anymore, either bowing their heads or gritting their teeth and enduring.

Even more, they take it as an honor.

Lu Feng was sluggish, and after a long time, he blurted out: "This is too..."

"Too crazy, right?"

Kong Qingyan smiled, "She walked out of such a path of ten deaths and no life. She never looks at mediocre people, and her students are the same; they look humble and peaceful, kind to others, but in reality, they are printed from the same mold as her, even more lawless than her."

She turned back and looked at her student: "Competing on the same stage with such an opponent, do you dare to fight?"

Lu Feng was silent, not answering.

There was no need to answer.

They both knew the answer. It had happened once, and even more than once.

A life-and-death struggle at a critical moment, how could a pampered young master and a mad dog who hangs his life on his belt and frolics everywhere possibly be the same?

"I..."

Lu Feng opened his mouth subconsciously, but couldn't make a sound: "I..."

Kong Qingyan looked over.

This time, he finally didn't escape his teacher's gaze, his face flushed red, clutching his knees tightly, wanting to speak. But in the end, he saw his teacher's smile.

So pleasant.

"Whether you are jealous or angry, it doesn't matter; not being willing to be under others is the true essence of the embers. When you can accept reality calmly, then as an artisan, you are truly dead."

She nodded with satisfaction, and then, the smile disappeared, with no temperature left: "From now on, except for theoretical courses, all your material supplies are stopped.

I will go talk to the Lu family.

If you still want to continue to improve, go grab it yourself!"

She smiled one last time, ignoring the student's shock and confusion, and told him: "If you are not willing to accept the stability of a house dog, then go try the life of a stray dog.

Let me, as a teacher, see what kind of future you can grab."

Lu Feng, sleepless all night.

Even now, sitting in the car, he couldn't tell how much of his coming to the appointment was out of breaking the jar and how much was because he still wanted to compete with that dog Ji Jue.

At this moment, in the gradually thickening unease and confusion, he subconsciously looked at Ji Jue beside him, wanting to find an answer. But the seat beside him was long empty.

In the familiar energetic DJ music, he realized that in the short while he had been distracted and dozing off, Ji Jue had already mixed into the team and was getting along well.

In the lively and noisy atmosphere, Ji Xue was patting his shoulder carelessly, without any formality: "... We're so familiar now, so I'll call you Little Ji from now on!"

Ji Jue laughed, without the slightest displeasure, but instead looked at her curiously, "Will it get mixed up?"

Ji Xue was stunned for a moment, and from the laughter of the crowd, she glared and elbowed him.

Ji Liu, sitting next to Tong Shan in the front row, laughed especially loudly, "Hahahaha, you can call her Little Ji; I'm her brother, so you can just call me Big Ji!"

The laughter became even louder, and even Tong Shan let out a chuckle.

Only Lu Feng was dumbfounded.

*The ideal is cruel, but reality seems even more damn cruel, and it's a bit lewd... Can you guys stop being so dirty! *

Lu Feng sighed silently to the sky, missing the workshop and his teacher as never before.

Life away from home is so helpless.

Sorry for being late; it's been too hot these past two days, and the unit elevator is broken, so I've been climbing stairs every day, and my old illness has recurred. My hip bone is in splitting pain, and my condition is really bad.

I'll dare to ask for a leave tomorrow to lie down; I really didn't play Black Myth: Wukong, Big Head has already shattered my Great Sage dream with three slaps. ===== CHAPTER 196 =====