Chapter 478: Demanding Payment

Following that composed middle-aged man, Lin Chao entered the room inside.

The furnishings in the room were very simple: one table and three chairs.

Two landscape paintings were hung on the wall, and there was a sculpture of a galloping horse on the table.

"Sit."

After the middle-aged man said this, he sat down with Lin Chao.

"I am Qin Cang; may I ask your name, sir?"

"My surname is Lin."

"Mr. Lin, there is some trouble regarding your collection of the pension this time." Qin Cang looked at Lin Chao and went straight to the point.

"Oh?" Lin Chao responded appropriately.

"You should also know that ever since the great war nine years ago, our Snake Letter World has been half-abandoned by the Yuan Palace.

Not only have no new garrison troops been dispatched here, but the supplies transported over have also shrunk significantly," the middle-aged man said unhurriedly.

"Get to the point." Lin Chao's voice was very calm.

The middle-aged man sized Lin Chao up once more before finally speaking: "Yan Feng's pension has been misappropriated by someone."

"Who is it?" A sharp glint flashed through Lin Chao's eyes before he returned to calm.

"Don't be impulsive." The middle-aged man stood up and continued, "Yan Feng's pension is a significant sum of money.

If this money is used where it is most needed, it can improve the strength of certain people.

When the fierce beasts invade, they can also Slay more of them.

This is actually a good thing; if Yan Feng were still alive, he would likely also hope his pension was used where it should be."

Lin Chao's gaze was very calm as he looked at Qin Cang: "Yan Feng is dead.

The beneficiary listed for the pension is my name.

I want to receive this money."

His tone was like a lake of autumn water, without autumn wind or ripples, as if he were simply stating a fact.

Qin Cang wore a troubled expression, and finally, he let out a long sigh: "Mr. Lin... in this world, there are many things we are powerless to change.

Even though the Yuan Palace has effectively abandoned us, our army and our Li Tian Army Master still hold their ground in the Snake Letter World.

We know that perhaps one day, the army of fierce beasts will descend, and we will all die.

Yet, we can only sit and wait for death; the only gain is to Slay a few more fierce beasts..."

"You don't need to lecture me with such grand principles; you only need to tell me who took Yan Feng's pension." Lin Chao interrupted Qin Cang.

Qin Cang paused and said: "The matters involved here are quite complex.

You... are a Cultivator, different from a Beast Master.

If you get involved, you are very likely to be crushed to pieces."

"I don't care."

"... Very well." Seeing that he could not persuade him, Qin Cang took a deep breath: "This matter is our fault for failing to protect Yan Feng's pension.

Mr. Lin, trust me; give me a few days, and I will help you get the pension back.

Otherwise, if you interfere in this matter as a Cultivator, I fear there will be disaster."

Qin Cang's worry was not without reason.

After all, the Lone Walker and the Three Palaces are still enemies on the surface.

Although both have the goal of driving out the Red Pupil and protecting their homeland, there are many disputes due to differing ideologies.

If a lone Cultivator were encountered by a Beast Master, they might be treated with courtesy, but some Beast Masters could also report to the Yuan Palace that the Cultivator is a Lone Walker.

This is very troublesome and difficult to explain.

Therefore, Qin Cang decided to take action himself.

After all, he was the manager here.

He bore some responsibility for the loss of the pension, and he needed to take it on.

"I will believe you for now, but you must give me a specific date.

Otherwise, dragging it on indefinitely is not a solution." Lin Chao's voice was gentle, like that of a magnanimous person.

"Rest assured, there will be a result within seven days!" Qin Cang's gaze became firm.

In truth, he was also harboring a sense of indignation.

He was also extremely disgusted by the person who had misappropriated the pension.

"Good." Lin Chao glanced at Qin Cang and left the room calmly.

Qin Cang sat in the room and made himself a cup of coffee.

At this moment, the female clerk walked in, her face full of worry: "Boss, why did you agree to this?

For this kind of thing, we only need to stall with some paperwork, making that person provide proof of their relationship with the deceased Yan Feng, and we could drag it out forever.

Why must we offend that person because of him?"

The female clerk was also an old hand; she knew the waters here ran deep.

"Since it was our oversight, we should be the ones to resolve it; we cannot keep making things difficult for... the vulnerable," Qin Cang sighed.

Upon hearing this, the female clerk stopped trying to persuade him: "Team Leader Qin, then be careful; that person has a perverse personality and is extremely cruel."

"In this world, apart from death, everything else is a small matter," Qin Cang laughed. "Could it be that he would dare to kill me?"

He was quite open-minded about worldly affairs.

After leaving the room, Qin Cang prepared to handle the matter.

First, he used his bracelet to send an official letter to the person who had collected the pension.

In the letter, Qin Cang's wording was extremely respectful.

First, he spoke at length about their own mistake that led to the pension being issued incorrectly, requesting their cooperation to return the pension to the public account.

The entire official letter used very respectful language, but it did not diminish the prestige of their office, and it also listed various rules and regulations.

However, once this official letter was sent out, it was like a stone sinking into the sea, leaving no trace.

After waiting for two days, Qin Cang did not receive a reply.

Qin Cang could not help but feel a bit anxious, and he was even somewhat absent-minded while working.

He had no choice but to send another official letter, the language becoming a bit sharper, stating the rules and the inner palace.

After sending the official letter, Qin Cang became restless again, staring at his bracelet from time to time, hoping to get a reply.

However, he drank five cups of coffee, and by the time he got off work, he still had not received a reply from the other party.

"It seems that just sending official letters won't work; if I want to get the pension, I have to go see... him."

Thinking of that person, Qin Cang felt a bit of dread in his heart.

That person was also a Beast Master in the military and had always been known for his achievements.

That person was not weak in strength and was also the son of the Department Head.

Although the Department Head left during the last great war, the logistics here were actually still under the overall planning of that Department Head.

Although he was not in the Snake Letter World, it was just like this, which was somewhat outrageous.

Qin Cang thought about it and used his bracelet to contact a good friend of his in the military.

"Gangzi, I want to go see your team leader, Shangguan Sheng."

"Ah? He is holding a party for his girlfriend's birthday the day after tomorrow; you take me with you, thank you, Gangzi!"

Hearing this, Qin Cang breathed a sigh of relief.

At least he would get to see Shangguan Sheng, right?

On the third day, Qin Cang was already prepared, changed into his usual clothes, and got into a sedan.

"Old Qin, over here!" Just after getting out of the car, Qin Cang saw Gangzi waving at him enthusiastically.

Qin Cang walked over and hugged Gangzi tightly.

"It's been a few years," Qin Cang sighed.

Once, he was also a member of the Beast Master legion.

However, after successive great battles, all his Pet Beasts were killed in action and could not be revived.

His mental power also suffered a huge trauma, making him unable to re-contract any Pet Beasts.

Thus, he was transferred to another department.

Gangzi was his teammate in the past.

"Old Qin, you're doing well, looking quite dapper." Gangzi patted Qin Cang on the shoulder; clearly, he was very happy to see Qin Cang.

Qin Cang revealed a smile: "Are you mocking me?

With me like this now, I still get nagged by the woman at home every day when I go back; how can this be considered doing well?"

"It's normal for husbands and wives to bicker; arguments at the head of the bed are resolved by the foot of the bed." Gangzi led Qin Cang, walking through several intersections, the two talking as they walked.

"Old Qin, you're looking for my team leader, is it about the pension?" Gangzi asked.

"Yes, that's right, it's not much, just 360,000." Qin Cang did not hide this matter from Gangzi.

"That's not a small amount; it seems the fallen comrade also had quite a few merits. My pension after I die might not even be 360,000," Gangzi couldn't help but say. "However, 360,000 contribution points are nothing to a figure like the team leader.

When the time comes, I will introduce you to the team leader; you should have a better attitude, say some nice things, and with a better attitude, the team leader won't deliberately hold onto those 360,000 contribution points."

"Thanks, Gangzi." Qin Cang was grateful to Gangzi from the bottom of his heart.

After all, this was his brother.

"Why say such things between brothers like us?" Gangzi didn't mind.

Under Gangzi's lead, the two arrived at a large building.

The building towered into the clouds, and the two took the elevator to the top floor, which was the 321st floor.

Above the top floor was an open-air tavern.

Qin Cang reached the rooftop, his pupils slightly constricted, feeling a sense of being out of place.

Green plants, lakes, and clouds blended together; waiters held drinks, weaving through the crowd, glasses clinking.

At the long tables, men had their arms around scantily clad women, wanton laughter on their faces, one hand wreaking havoc while the other held a wine glass.

There were even three bold girls who jumped onto the long table, wearing high heels, twisting their bodies, and dancing spicy dances. Their ultra-short skirts, snow-white thighs, and deep cleavage, with glimpses of spring, attracted everyone's attention.

Some men egged them on, even reaching out to touch the dancing women's thighs. Those women didn't mind either; instead, they kicked off their high heels and stepped their smooth feet onto the men's faces, which caused a burst of cheers.

Qin Cang felt a bit inexplicably lost.

To be honest, having been in the Snake Letter World for so many years, this was the first time he had seen such a... luxurious and stimulating scene.

His originally somewhat straight spine began to bend, and in an instant, he seemed to have aged a little.

He looked at those people, his emotions extremely complex.

"Brother Sheng, this is my buddy, Qin Cang, who was also a member of our military before." Gangzi brought Qin Cang to the center of the crowd.

Qin Cang felt a trace of discomfort.

Stimulating music, crazy laughter—he didn't really like this kind of environment.

At this moment, Qin Cang scrutinized Shangguan Sheng.

Shangguan Sheng's face looked relatively handsome, but his eyes were very narrow, carrying a trace of ruthlessness.

Shangguan Sheng glanced at Qin Cang and withdrew his gaze; at this time, a tall girl was standing next to Shangguan Sheng.

The girl was wearing a cheongsam with a very high slit, and one could vaguely see the color of her innermost garment.

Her slender thighs radiated the charm of youth.

The girl had delicate light makeup on her face and held a wine glass in her hand.

"May Brother Sheng and Sister Xia grow old together and have a son soon.

This glass of wine, I'll finish it."

As she spoke, she drank the wine in the glass in one gulp.

A smile appeared on Shangguan Sheng's face, and he said, "How is one glass enough? You must finish this whole bottle."

As he spoke, he pulled the girl into his arms.

The girl felt a brief moment of shock and resistance, but seeing she could not break free, she had to sit on Shangguan Sheng's lap like that, a hint of shyness on her face: "Brother Sheng, is this really okay? Sister-in-law is still here."

The fierce look on Shangguan Sheng's face intensified, and his hand reached into the girl's cheongsam.

"Drink it, consider it giving me face."

Shangguan Sheng was quite overbearing, and the young people present were used to seeing such things.

The girl felt intense fear; those wandering hands were, to her, like the scythe of the Grim Reaper, and she didn't know when they might tear her skin. Goosebumps rose all over her body: "Brother Sheng... I'll drink, I'll drink!"

She took the huge wine glass and poured it into her mouth.

Gulp, gulp, she finished the whole bottle directly.

"Good!"

"Mighty!"

After finishing, the girl looked drunk: "She... Brother Sheng, I've finished it."

Only then did Shangguan Sheng show a look of satisfaction, though the movements of his hand grew heavier, leaving a blue bruise on the girl's snow-white skin: "I just like people who are obedient."

The girl felt pain, but she dared not struggle, instead showing a happy expression.

Shangguan Sheng spoke at this moment, his eyes carrying a wanton smile: "Gangzi, don't you like Xiaoxue?

She happens to be drunk now, why don't you take her back? What a great opportunity."

The girl he was holding was none other than Xiaoxue.

A complex look appeared on Gangzi's face: "Alright Brother Sheng, I will take Xiaoxue away now."

After Gangzi finished speaking, he gave Qin Cang a few looks, seemingly telling Qin Cang not to mention the matter of the pension today.

Qin Cang stood beside Shangguan Sheng, his heart filled with resentment.

He knew that this was Shangguan Sheng showing off his power to him!

Showing off is one thing, but why involve innocent people, especially Gangzi who helped him.

Gangzi left with the drunk Xiaoxue, and Shangguan Sheng stood up and said loudly: "This is Qin Cang, Gangzi's former comrade-in-arms, who now works at the Pension Office.

You all must toast him, otherwise, if you offend him and die one day, your pension might be swallowed by him."

Qin Cang said sternly: "The distribution of pensions is determined by the Rules of the Yuan Palace; I have no authority to do such things."

"If you wanted to do it, would anyone dare to stop you?

We brothers wouldn't stop you either.

Besides, Brother Qin Cang looks like a righteous person; even if you were to misappropriate the pension, it would surely be for other purposes that would greatly benefit our Human Race."

"Those who achieve great things do not fuss over trifles," others echoed one after another.

Although they didn't know what Shangguan Sheng wanted to express, echoing him was definitely not wrong.

Qin Cang's expression remained unchanged: "Rules are rules; once a precedent is set, those who do not follow the rules will run rampant in the future."

Shangguan Sheng looked at Qin Cang, his eyes filled with appreciation: "Brother Qin is full of righteousness, acting for the race and the people; it is truly the fortune of our Human Race.

I have always admired such brave men.

Last year, in order to improve my strength, I lacked some contribution points and took some pension money.

This was my fault, and I reflect on it.

Tell me the total amount of pension I took, and I will make it up to you."

Hearing this, the others understood Qin Cang's intention, and their expressions turned unfriendly.

"Brother Sheng doesn't lack your petty change; do you know how many contribution points Brother Sheng spent to organize this gathering?

A full one million three hundred thousand!"

Shangguan Sheng's gaze was kind: "The brothers risk their lives for me, so they deserve such treatment."

Qin Cang did not know Shangguan Sheng's intention, so he answered truthfully: "Thirty-six thousand contribution points."

"Thirty-six thousand contribution points, a small matter; I will transfer it to you in a moment.

But Brother Qin Cang, shouldn't we settle the grievances between us?"

Shangguan Sheng's voice turned cold.

(End of this chapter)