Chapter 837: Locking the Level

After a good while, Baifeng felt it was about time, so he had someone call Chai in. In this bitter cold weather, both Chai and his companion already felt their backs were soaked with sweat. When they heard they were being summoned inside, their bodies, which had been standing straight, couldn't help but tremble.

Once the two reached Baifeng, Baifeng said calmly, "Here to report on your work? Come on, report what you've been doing at the Xuanyuan Tribe this past year."

Chai stammered, "We, we have already erected the general architectural structure of the Embassy at the Xuanyuan Tribe. According to this year's progress, it will be fully completed by the second half of next year."

"Also, also while at the Xuanyuan Tribe, we built houses for some of the Xuanyuan Tribe people and helped them improve their drainage and toilets..."

Chai's voice grew quieter and quieter until he had nothing left to say. Baifeng smiled without smiling, "Anything else? Is that all?"

Chai immediately lowered his head and said in a low voice, "King, we also committed a fault. Because I did not listen to the Changle Prince's orders and acted on my own authority, it caused the Changle Prince's work at the Xuanyuan Tribe to be obstructed and nearly damaged the relationship between our two tribes."

"Good, admitting your mistake is enough. Then how do you think a situation like yours should be punished? You come up with a proposal."

Chai was even more flustered and at a loss. The Deputy Team Leader beside him did not lift his head the entire time, silently praying in his heart, "Boss, you must hold on..."

"Everything is up to your punishment. I know I was wrong and accept the penalty. No matter how heavy it is, I will have no objections." Chai wisely handed the power back to Baifeng, and he himself did not have the authority to decide his own punishment anyway.

"Good, since you've said so, I will punish both of you together. Because the consequences caused by the mistake you two made this time are somewhat serious. Regardless of what your starting point was, what is certain is that acting without using your brains and not listening to your superiors is very serious."

"Furthermore, in order to eliminate the influence, our Huaxia also paid a great price. So, for you two, Chai, I will forfeit one hundred days of your wages. For one hundred days, don't even think about receiving a single grain of food. Anyway, your family has plenty of land, so you don't need my meager wages, right?"

Baifeng's words were very light, and his tone was not harsh, but Chai was sweating like rain, and the Deputy Team Leader was even more fearfully waiting for his own punishment.

"Bing, as the Deputy Team Leader, you also have an inescapable responsibility. Although Chai said he did everything, do you think you are blameless? Could you not have persuaded him, or did you think Chai was doing the right thing?"

Bing brought his legs together to show his fear and respect for Baifeng, hoping to alleviate Baifeng's anger; as for explaining, he dared not do so at all.

"You are the same, but considering you are an accomplice, I will forfeit sixty days of your wages. I know this won't starve you to death; if even one person in your family starves to death, I will compensate you!" Baifeng's tone was very heavy when he said this.

The two immediately bent their waists, "Yes, King, I accept the punishment."

Baifeng waved his hand, "Hey, don't be in such a hurry to be happy. Do you think that's all?"

The two, who had just let out a sigh of relief, became nervous again, waiting for Baifeng's next punishment.

"Chai, you even changed your name for this matter. I won't praise you for that; it just shows you still have some self-awareness."

"As for you two, your positions and duties will not change. Next year, you will still go to the Xuanyuan Tribe to oversee the construction; after all, you two built it from scratch, and no one is more suitable than you two. However, your professional titles are locked for one year. Within one year, you are not allowed to take exams or be promoted. We will talk about it after a year. Do you understand now?"

Baifeng thought for a long while and felt this was the greatest punishment for them. Just like in later generations when someone gets a DUI or something, their medical license gets revoked. Baifeng felt he could punish them this way now.

But he couldn't restrict them from doing the work. If a low-level title holder had their title revoked, it wouldn't have much impact. They were both Advanced, so if he really revoked them, would he still let them work? If he let them continue working, wouldn't it be the same as not revoking it? Demotion wouldn't work either; if he demoted them, they would just take the exam again, wouldn't that be useless? So, forbidding them from taking exams is the harshest punishment.

Chai's heart relaxed slightly. After all, he was already a Seventh-level Engineer, just one step away from the highest Eighth-level. This step would take a long time to cross. He hadn't thought about achieving it in a year. According to the original plan, once the Embassy at the Xuanyuan Tribe was built, his title should have had a chance, but now, if it's gone, it's gone.

The quota for professional titles is limited. Even if the spot is empty, if you don't meet the standards, you won't get it. But now it seems this spot will likely go to Che. His Xiao Town project is even more important than his own, and with his own mistake, the opportunity will go directly to someone else.

Bing was in great pain. There aren't many Fifth-level Engineers in Huaxia. He was preparing to rely on this project to reach the Sixth level directly. Sixth-level Engineers in Huaxia can be counted on one's fingers, and the treatment and status are vastly different from the Fifth level.

The Sixth level is the hope of reaching the lowest rank of Nobility. However, Chai didn't have it yet either, because his level was reached, but his merits were not enough; he still had to accumulate more. Being punished like this, the realization of their life goals would have to be pushed back by at least a year, or even more.

Seeing them both silent, Baifeng slammed the table heavily, "Did you hear clearly? Are you mutes? How about it, do you have any objections to my punishment? If you do, speak up. I didn't pinch your mouths shut to keep you from talking."

The two hurriedly replied, "We heard, we heard, we have no objections."

Baifeng snorted coldly, "Good, as long as you have no objections. Alright, go report to the Ministry of Works. Take your leave when you should, attend classes when you should, and just listen to Zhu's arrangements."

"Yes, sir." After saluting, the two immediately retreated. Once outside, ignoring the gazes of the guards, they wiped the cold sweat from their foreheads with trembling hands before looking at each other, "Let's go, let's go to the Ministry of Works."

They had no pressure in the Ministry of Works office. Although Zhu was their superior, he was also a good brother and friend. Except for having to show a superior-subordinate relationship in front of Baifeng, they were unreserved in private.

Chai looked around, returned to his workstation, immediately lay down on the chair, and then let out a long sigh.

Seeing Chai enter, Zhu teased, "Hey, Chai, you didn't report your work to me when you arrived, and lying on the chair like that, what kind of behavior is that? Do you still have me, your leader, in your eyes?"

Chai waved his sleeve indifferently, "Get lost, talk later. Let me catch my breath; I was scared to death just now."