Chapter 158: Are You Actually Going to Manage This or Not!

Because he had some other thoughts regarding the Patrol Guard Division, Wen Gu went to find Lao Zhao again.

Lao Zhao had been in a good mood lately; talking business with him at such times would be exceptionally smooth.

Zhao Fu.

Lao Zhao was indeed in a good mood. Having just raided a large warehouse, not only had military supplies and grain been replenished, but morale had also been greatly boosted, and some of the previous street rumors had vanished.

He had originally planned to go to the backyard later to relax, have a meal with his favorite concubine, and tease his newly born son.

Hearing that Wen Gu had come over, Lao Zhao thought he would finish chatting before heading to the backyard.

He was a man who prioritized his career, so naturally, he handled official business first.

After Wen Gu arrived, he didn't waste a single word; matters were handled one after another.

Within an hour, all matters were discussed, and Wen Gu took his leave. He did not drag things out at all.

Inside the room, Lao Zhao rubbed his temples.

After high-efficiency mental labor, relaxing brought on exhaustion.

At this moment, he had no other thoughts; he only wanted to rest quietly. As for the concubines and young son in the backyard, he would set them aside for now and go another day.

Seeing the documents Wen Gu had left on the desk, Lao Zhao felt both gratified and very tired.

Although there was clearly a smile on his face, he felt it wasn't exactly pure happiness.

How strange.

On the other side, Wen Gu emerged from Lao Zhao's place and, before leaving Zhao Fu, encountered an acquaintance.

"Commander Mu, what a coincidence." He looked not far away, where that person seemed to have been waiting for some time.

"Deputy Envoy Wen!"

Commander Mu walked over quickly.

He thought to himself that it wasn't a coincidence at all; he had been waiting here for nearly an hour!

Yet, his face still wore a look of "what a coincidence," and he was very polite.

Commander Mu had timed his arrival, but he hadn't expected Wen Gu to keep Lao Zhao working overtime for an hour, only coming out now.

Commander Mu wore a smile on his face, very enthusiastically: "Many thanks to Deputy Envoy Wen for your help the other day. Now that things at home have been settled, to express my gratitude, I have prepared a modest meal at home—"

Previously, the Mu Family's group had fled to Xinzhou and encountered some trouble on the road; it was Wen Gu and the people from their Patrol Guard Division who had helped.

His family wanted to host a banquet to thank Wen Gu, and of course, they had some other small intentions as well.

"It was just a matter of convenience, no need to be so polite," Wen Gu said.

Commander Mu sighed in his heart: It still won't work.

Seeing the obvious disappointment on the other's face, Wen Gu smiled, his tone becoming a bit more familiar and casual.

"I appreciate Commander Mu's kindness." He lifted the official documents in his hand, "There are indeed many things to attend to."

Commander Mu looked at the thick stack in Wen Gu's hand, his eyelid twitched, and he sighed again in his heart: Being a Patrol Guard Division Deputy Envoy is not easy either!

Deputy Envoy Wen had just performed a great service, yet Lao Zhao wouldn't even give him a moment to breathe, assigning him so many more tasks!

Just as he was complaining about Lao Zhao in his heart, he heard Wen Gu say: "There is another matter, however. Since I have run into Commander Mu here, I might as well speak to you about it first—"

When Commander Mu returned home, his expression was serious, as if he were pondering some important matter.

Seeing Commander Mu's expression, the members of the Mu Family were all regretful.

"It seems the invitation failed."

Commander Mu came back to his senses: "Set other things aside for now. Is everyone home? Come over, there is something to discuss!"

He called the members of the family to hold a family meeting.

Those of the side branches were temporarily excluded; they first discussed important matters related to their own future.

There was no help for it; the spots were limited. If they could get in, naturally they would go first, and when there was an opportunity later, they would pull the others up.

"The monthly salary for a servant in the Patrol Guard Division is not low, and there are rewards for meritorious service! The important thing is, once you perform meritorious service, you can become a regular and continue to rise!"

"Servants don't have Iron Armor, but they are issued Leather Armor! It's estimated that a new batch of military equipment can be exchanged for now!"

"Father/Uncle/Big Brother, I want to go!"

"Deputy Envoy Wen is truly a kind person!"

The atmosphere in the Patrol Guard Division had been a bit subtle lately.

To be precise, it was the East Office of the Patrol Guard Division.

On the surface, the overall atmosphere still looked festive; after all, they had just performed a great service and received rewards.

But the joy here in the East Office was not pure.

Especially in the clerical office.

In the Patrol Guard Division's clerical offices, whether it was the East Courtyard, West Courtyard, or Main Courtyard, the atmosphere there was usually quite relaxed.

Each courtyard had two clerks.

When the Patrol Guard Division was first established, most of the people inside had little education, let alone the ability to write. Therefore, it was necessary to arrange clerical personnel to handle document and file-related work.

Clerks were the officials who performed these duties.

Cheng Zhi was a special addition; he didn't take anyone else's spot, but rather an extra spot was added.

That is to say, among the three offices of the Patrol Guard Division, only the East Office had three clerks.

And they had official appointments!

Cheng Zhi was bubbling with happiness.

Although he was only a minor official in Xinzhou, he was in the Patrol Guard Division!

He was an official staff member with an appointment! Recognized by the Zhao Family!

When he went out, everyone treated him with courtesy.

His mother and sister-in-law no longer had to worry about being bullied. Those street ruffians in the neighborhood might be reckless, but they weren't stupid.

What is the Patrol Guard Division most famous for?

Elimination games!

And it's "elimination games for the whole family" at that!

Anyone who has nothing better to do than provoke people from the Patrol Guard Division—even if it's just a menial servant—has to be a bit polite, let alone a clerk in the East Office's writing room.

The Cheng family has a lot of face!

Having tasted the sweetness, Cheng Zhi still wants to continue making progress.

However, at this stage, it is better to honestly do some clerical work.

Listen to Deputy Envoy Wen Gu. Right now, he is still in an observation period; he doesn't need to have too much curiosity, just bury his head and work.

It is another bright workday.

Cheng Zhi arrived at the East Office early; with nothing else to do, he just did some odd jobs and organized documents.

During this time, the other two clerks arrived one after another.

"Brother Fang! Brother Lu! Good morning!"

Cheng Zhi greeted them full of energy.

The older one had a slightly mean-looking face and looked like he wasn't easy to talk to. At this moment, he looked as if he hadn't woken up yet; he glanced at Cheng Zhi, didn't respond, and walked straight to his workstation.

Cheng Zhi was already used to Clerk Fang's attitude.

It is said that at the beginning of the chaotic times, Clerk Fang's family suffered heavy losses; out of a whole large family, those who survived could be counted on one's fingers. After coming to Xinzhou, Clerk Fang relied on connections to enter the Patrol Guard Division.

Usually, Clerk Fang didn't give anyone a good look; only when he was in the mood would he occasionally discuss Xinzhou current events with Clerk Lu.

As for Cheng Zhi, the new young man, Clerk Fang had always maintained an indifferent attitude.

The other clerk, surnamed Lu, was much more amiable.

"Clerk Cheng, you're so early again today!"

Amidst the pleasantries, the three clerks sat back at their workstations. Soon, a Clerk brought over some case files and books, and the writing room became busy.

In his spare time, Clerk Lu got up and poured a pot of tea.

He couldn't help but miss the relaxed days of before.

In fact, for the past two years, the work in the Patrol Guard Division's writing room had been relatively relaxed.

No need for fieldwork, no need to take risks.

With just that bit of clerical work, once finished, one could drink tea, read the paper, and chat and laugh.

Because of the special nature of the Patrol Guard Division, it was impossible to let outsiders in. Therefore, the initial batch of Patrol Guard Division clerks were all people with connections—all relatives of Lao Zhao's core team.

With backers and confidence, as long as they didn't commit serious mistakes, they weren't afraid of being kicked out.

Especially during the time when Cheng Xu left and the position of Deputy Envoy of the East Office was vacant, they were even more idle.

Previously, there were only him and Clerk Fang; every day on duty meant drinking tea, reading the paper, and commenting on certain content in past issues of the *Xinzhou Times*.

Until Wen Gu came to the East Office.

The writing room became increasingly busy!

Everything from top to bottom was like a tightened spring; every day was packed with various arrangements, and the three of them, the clerks, were like spinning tops during their shifts.

But now, Wen Gu of the Patrol Guard Division has such great prestige that even someone as temperamental as Fu Ju from the West Office smiles like a blooming flower when he sees Wen Gu.

Pei Jun is also not here.

So, even if they have opinions now, they don't dare to directly clash with Wen Gu. At most, they just grumble a few words in private.

People used to say Pei Jun was harsh; by comparison, they actually missed Pei Jun's cold face a little.

When Cheng Xu was away, Pei Jun was in charge of the East Office; as long as one wasn't caught making mistakes, one could lie down however one wanted.

But this one now, seemingly gentle—

Clerk Lu shook his head, took two sips of tea to savor the aftertaste, and continued working.

Just after finishing a stack of documents, Wen Gu walked in and brought another stack of new document booklets.

Clerk Lu looked at Cheng Zhi. The newcomer was still full of fighting spirit, writing furiously.

After taking a sip of tea, Clerk Lu turned to look the other way.

Old Fang looked like he was exuding black energy, his face turning green.

Accustomed to idle days, it was indeed uncomfortable to be busy; he didn't know how much longer Old Fang could endure it.

That was not a person who could endure.

Clerk Fang was indeed full of resentment.

By the end of the day, it was that familiar feeling of exhaustion again, as if his brain was about to explode.

Looking at the stack of document booklets Wen Gu had just brought over, they were even thicker than yesterday's.

Clerk Fang's face was even more gloomy, as if a storm were about to break.

This damn thing is—increasing the intensity!

Some matters Cheng Zhi couldn't handle yet, so they were all processed by the two clerks, Fang and Lu.

Clerk Lu was fine; he had already adapted.

Clerk Fang, however, was visibly haggard.

His eyes were gloomy, and that face, which was already a bit mean, looked even sharper. Whoever came near would get pricked!

Clerk Fang felt that Wen Gu was deliberately torturing him!

When it was time to go off duty, Cheng Zhi politely said goodbye to the two seniors and left with light steps.

Only Fang and Lu remained in the writing room.

Clerk Fang didn't bother pretending anymore.

He flung his sleeves in anger.

Slap!

The writing brush slammed onto the desk, ink splattering everywhere.

The important documents had already been packed away, but the unimportant items were stained with a few spots of ink.

Not bothering to wipe away the ink stains, Clerk Fang was currently consumed by rage.

"That Wen Gu is targeting me!"

Clerk Lu nervously glanced outside the window and came over to advise, "Keep your voice down! Don't speak out of turn!"

He did not have Clerk Fang's explosive temper to dare speak directly about Wen Gu, let alone call him by his name.

Although there was no one else here, it was possible someone could eavesdrop, and it would be bad if it reached Wen Gu's ears.

He could only continue to advise: "Brother Fang—"

However, Clerk Fang did not want to listen at all.

"I am unwell! I fear I won't be able to report for duty tomorrow either!"

Clerk Lu only felt a headache coming on.

Unwell, my foot!

Do you think I don't know that you look half-dead every day when you report for duty, as if you only have one breath left, yet after work you can still go to gatherings and listen to music!

If you just throw your hands up and quit now, what am I supposed to do? Dump it all on me?

In truth, this workload really didn't compare to when they were studying for exams in the past. That was when they truly wished they could hollow themselves out.

After entering the Patrol Guard Division, he actually felt the work was quite easy, with very little to do.

In reality, it was just that they had been idle for so long that they weren't used to it. As long as one got used to this office rhythm, it would be fine after a while.

Clerk Lu had advised him the same way, but Clerk Fang insisted that he was being made things difficult for.

"Think about it, why was Cheng Zhi able to come over? Wen Gu brought him!"

"The Main Courtyard and the Xiyuan both have two clerks, so why is it that only our East Office has three? Sooner or later it will be cut down to two! I reckon that Wen Gu is just plotting when to squeeze one of us two out!"

Swallowing his pride and bearing it for so many days, he finally couldn't take it anymore.

If he kept enduring, once Cheng Zhi passed the observation period and officially handled more core affairs, there was no telling when he himself might be squeezed out.

Clerk Fang had been thinking all these days: when it came to office work, he couldn't compare to Clerk Lu, so the one most likely to be squeezed out was still himself!

Listening to these speculations from the other party, Clerk Lu really wanted to say: Are you overthinking this?

Wen Gu doesn't seem like that kind of person. Actually, it's not that excessive; just endure it a bit longer. It's just this little matter, look at how anxious you are.

Besides, it wouldn't be easy for him to kick us out; we don't just represent ourselves.

And, your dark circles are likely because your internal heat is too high and you are overthinking, worrying about this and that, which has affected your rest.

But it wasn't a good time to point it out now. Otherwise, Clerk Fang would surely be shamed into anger.

Clerk Lu could only continue to advise in a soft voice.

However, the effect was limited.

Clerk Fang flicked his sleeves: "I can't endure it anymore!"

"What a piece of trash!"

"I'm not doing this anymore!"

Clerk Fang left the East Office of the Patrol Guard Division in a fit of rage.

Yet he didn't go straight home, but instead took a detour and snuck over to—Zhao Fu.

With a gloomy face, he walked over, familiar with the path.

Who doesn't have a backer?!

Lao Zhao was preparing to go to the backyard today to see his concubines and young children to relax.

Hearing that Clerk Fang had come over, he had no choice but to wait a while longer. They hadn't seen each other for some time, and for the other party to come over in such a rush, there must be an important matter.

As soon as Clerk Fang entered the door, he began to wail: "Cousin! Are you going to manage this or not? That brat Wen Gu is torturing me all day long!"

As he spoke, he pointed to his dark circles and used his fingers to gesture the thickness of the documents.

"Dumping so much work on me, is that something a normal person could do? It's just targeting me!"

"If you keep letting him be this reckless, he's practically going to turn the world upside down!"

Clerk Fang was full of resentment.

Look at how Zhao Yao acts as a cousin, and then look at how you act as a cousin?!

Your cousin is about to be kicked out!

"Are you going to manage it or not! Manage, or, not!!"

>