Chapter 449: Want a pie? A drawn pie, it can be as big and round as you like

"You are too impulsive."

"It doesn't count as impulsive. I have actually considered this matter for a long time."

Seeing Qi Wuxiu did not hide anything, choosing instead to speak his mind directly.

He was a sincere young man, an excellent executor, with dreams and aspirations in his heart. In his mind, the job of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was righteous and correct.

But when he truly joined this group, he discovered that things were far more complex than he had imagined. The Embroidered Uniform Guard was not just about justice; it was about personal grudges, it was a tool, it was a hired thug, it was a machine of violence. In a word, the outside world's evaluation of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was not excessive; they were not being wronged.

Time and time again, he convinced himself.

Until this time, when the Embroidered Uniform Guard stood up for Jiang Tu.

The matter was not big, but it was the final straw that broke the camel's back.

What kind of thing was Jiang Tu? He was just a sycophantic villain who would surely be nailed to the pillar of shame. Yet, as a law enforcement agency of the imperial court, the Embroidered Uniform Guard extended a helping hand to Jiang Tu.

There was no justice, no right or wrong, only stances and tools.

As a part of the tool, he had no choice but to accept it. And this would not be the last time; there would be countless similar situations in the future.

"I have discovered that it is easy to convince others, but very difficult to convince myself."

Seeing Qi Wuxiu gave a bitter laugh.

He had convinced himself countless times: just keep working, don't worry about the rights and wrongs inside. He was just a thug, after all.

Chen Guanlou poured him some wine. "If I told you that all government offices are birds of a feather, and that wherever there is profit, there is darkness, would you still want to leave the Embroidered Uniform Guard? If you stay in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, you can at least occasionally use the power in your hands to do things that make your conscience feel better, and help people you are willing to help. If you leave, it is equivalent to giving up such an opportunity."

Seeing Qi Wuxiu was somewhat surprised. "You are actually opposing my departure. I thought you would support me."

Chen Guanlou smiled. "I don't want you to regret it. The Embroidered Uniform Guard is rotten enough, but it is not as rotten as the officialdom, not as rotten as the government offices. You can be considered well-informed; you know very clearly how the government offices below conduct trials. Are all the people locked up in the prison guilty? Not necessarily.

If you leave the Embroidered Uniform Guard, will you not have to face the dark side in the future? I am afraid reality will not be as you wish; there will only be more darkness, not less. At least now you are wearing a layer of skin, and you can do some things within a small scope to make your conscience feel better, and protect some people you want to protect.

Without this layer of skin, have you thought about what those people you protected in the past will encounter? If your current level of torment is five, once you shed this layer of skin, your level of torment will rise to ten. I am not fear-mongering.

In this day and age, in this world, a person must wear a layer of skin. Even if this skin is a bit prickly, you still have to wear it. Because this skin is both a shackle and armor. It all depends on how you use it."

Seeing Qi Wuxiu was dumbfounded, seemingly stunned by Chen Guanlou's simple, profound logic. Or perhaps, he had not expected that Chen Guanlou, who was usually a bit of a disgruntled youth, would have thoughts completely different from his own. He neither echoed him nor cooperated with him in cursing the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Instead, he patiently analyzed the pros and cons for him.

"So, you can accept it, right?" he asked, not very certain.

Chen Guanlou nodded. "Of course I can accept it. When it comes to darkness, the Heavenly Prison is no less so. But I don't despise it; within my authority, within the rules, I am gradually improving the situation in the Jia-sized prison. At present, the progress looks quite good. You see, as long as you are good at seizing opportunities, you can grasp a glimmer of light in the darkness. Things are not entirely bad; they are usually a mix of good and bad."

Seeing Qi Wuxiu shook his head repeatedly. "I am not as capable as you; I can't do it."

"Don't be in such a hurry to deny yourself. If you haven't tried, how do you know you can't? Don't just listen to the elders in your family; the elders suppress you mostly to control you, not purely for your own good. Occasionally, you must also learn to believe in yourself and affirm yourself."

Chen Guanlou drank his wine, like someone who had been through it all, softly persuading the lamb that had strayed into the maze.

Being so young, after experiencing the toxic beatings of society, it is too normal to develop cynical thoughts and deny oneself. Back then, he had also gone through it this way, complaining while continuing to crawl forward.

There is no such thing as a perfect thing in the world; if it's not imperfect here, there is a problem there.

What to do?

If you don't have the ability to flip the table and re-establish the rules, you can only try to be open-minded and try to grasp the loopholes in the rules.

"Anyway, you don't support me leaving the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"Hmm, if you must leave, it's not impossible. If you have no way out, you can come to the Heavenly Prison."

"As a prison guard?"

"Being a prison guard is too much of a waste of your talent. You can be an instructor and discipline that bunch of prison guards for me. The prison guards in the Heavenly Prison are truly too rotten and absurd, and I, actually, don't really want to do these trivial things."

"Does the Heavenly Prison have the position of instructor?"

"It didn't before, but it will once you come." Chen Guanlou smiled at him, signaling him to rest assured.

Seeing Qi Wuxiu opened his mouth. "Without realizing it, you can already arrange people in the Heavenly Prison at will; you are truly amazing."

Chen Guanlou laughed. "This little thing is nothing. If you are willing, you can achieve this level in the Embroidered Uniform Guard as well."

"That won't work. The Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Heavenly Prison are two completely different government offices. To climb up, besides background, the most important thing is to obtain the Emperor's trust and execute the Emperor's orders without any discount. I clearly cannot do that."

"You don't necessarily have to be the Commander." Chen Guanlou persuaded him. "Being a Company Commander or a Thousand-Household Official is also not bad. If you can be transferred to a local area to serve as a Thousand-Household Official, that would be truly carefree."

Seeing Qi Wuxiu fell silent for a moment.

Chen Guanlou seemed to have no ambition, but his ideas were very big and very upright; he didn't care about empty fame, only real power. In essence, he was actually a person with ambition.

Seeing Qi Wuxiu seemed to be a person who was positive and climbing upwards, but in fact, his ambition was not that big. Many times, he cared more about empty fame than real power.

The difference in concepts resulted in two completely different styles of doing things.

Chen Guanlou only wanted real, visible benefits; fame or no fame didn't matter. Therefore, those who drew pies and made promises all returned in defeat before him.

If you want to rely on drawing pies to get something for free, get as far away as possible.

Conversely, Seeing Qi Wuxiu was the type to eat the drawn pies and promises. He could give up immediate benefits, seeking only a future in his imagination.

One is the cold, hard heart of someone who spent ten years killing fish at a supermarket, and the other is still a hot-blooded youth who can be swindled by a single empty promise.

Seeing Qi Wuxiu poured a mouthful of wine down his throat, his throat burning.

He frowned slightly. "After being told this by you, for a moment, I don't know whether I should leave the Embroidered Uniform Guard or not."

Chen Guanlou took the opportunity to persuade him: "Since you haven't thought it through, then keep thinking. Just keep working for now; it's the end of the year, and there's not much time left before the New Year. At least get the year-end bonus in your hands so you won't be strapped for cash during the New Year and be laughed at by others." ===== CHAPTER 450 =====