Chapter 104 - 103: Concern leads to chaos, the tower name is Linglong

The processes of induction were pretty smooth and efficient.

In just about ten minutes, Li Jing had received his uniform, ID, and the epaulet of a second-level patrol officer from the Human Resources Department.

He was quite surprised to have received the epaulet of a second-level patrol officer without going through a boundary test.

However, since nobody said they were going to test him, he just accepted it.

He indeed had the cultivation level of the Three Realm now.

In fact, he had entered the middle phase of the Three Realm.

This phase was something he had tested with a small hindrance after he leveled up to 20.

When it came to choosing a department, Li Jing chose the Security Department without hesitation.

This surprised Mu Nianjun very much.

Li Jing had once been a temporary worker in the Major Crime Unit and had a cultivation level of the Three Realm, so why not go to the Major Crime Unit?

While thinking about this, Mu Nianjun began to stare at Li Jing with a surprised look.

Those who became patrol officers were all smart people.

Even the clerical staff had very flexible thinking.

Recently, the hot topic circulating in the North City Branch was the rumor that Chen Yuran, the beauty of the Security Department, had a boyfriend.

The identity of the male protagonist was a mystery.

Only the Major Crime Unit, which started the rumor, and a few people knew clearly; others didn’t even know whether the male protagonist was a patrol officer.

The Patrol System was not a vegetable market after all.

Some things could be spread, but naming names explicitly might lead to negative impacts.

In fact, Chen Yuran, as the female protagonist of the rumor, was not named explicitly either.

However, she was so well-connected that she was easily identified once the rumor started.

Would the news of an average female patrol officer having a boyfriend cause such a fuss?

People are free to fall in love, why should this be a topic for discussion?

Speaking honestly,

Without her father Chen Jing, even if Chen Yuran were to suddenly marry and have children, she might not be the subject of the patrol officers’ gossip.

Originally, Mu Nianjun had not thought about this.

But when she saw Li Jing choosing the Security Department, she just noticed the clues.

Some time ago, Chen Yuran, the daughter of the bureau director, had also served as a temporary worker in the Major Crime Unit, hadn’t she?

Didn’t the news from the Major Crime Unit come out later?

More importantly, even the file of Li Jing had the seal and signature of the Bureau Director Chen Jing himself.

With all these pieces of information, Mu Nianjun seemed to have "solved the case" immediately.

While in front of him, she didn’t reveal anything but instead gave various cordial smiles, which left Li Jing confused and suspicious about whether something was wrong.

Mu Nianjun, as his examiner, had been very friendly in her words and deeds, leaving a good impression on him.

However, the meaningful smile of Mu Nianjun after completing the formalities of induction was rather distressing to him.

After leaving the Human Resources Department, Mu Nianjun brought Li Jing straight to the Logistics Department.

Induction as a patrol officer was not as casual as that of an assistant patrol officer.

Patrol officers had a lot of daily provisions.

They included not only communicators and tablets connected to the patrol system, but also exclusive equipment such as the Boundary Stone that could create isolated spaces, and shackles that could temporarily seal off suspicious cultivation levels.

When they arrived at the Logistics Department, Mu Nianjun directly called Hao Lei, a girl he was familiar with, to service Li Jing.

Hao Lei happened to be free at her desk at the moment.

Seeing Mu Nianjun bringing a stranger over, Hao Lei got up and gave a warm smile.

"Yo! Isn’t this Patrol Officer Mu? It’s been a while since you’ve come to the Logistics Department. Do we finally have a newcomer passing the exam today?"

"Oh, don’t mention it!"

Mu Nianjun waved her hand, sighing.

"No one has been coming to the exam window recently, and those who did were screened out for various reasons. It’s been a while since I last had an applicant. Today I finally got a reliable one."

Then, she turned sideways and introduced Li Jing to Hao Lei.

"Lei Lei, let me introduce you. This is the newly-inducted Li Jing, Patrol Officer Li."

Having been introduced, Hao Lei looked at Li Jing and extended a friendly hand.

"Hao Lei, second-level patrol officer in the Logistics Department."

"Hello."

Li Jing nodded, reached out, and briefly shook her hand.

He would never refuse to make friends.

The Logistics Department was also a department that he would inevitably visit frequently in his future patrol work, and it would be much more convenient to know someone there.

After getting to know Li Jing, Hao Lei did not delay and sat down at her computer to retrieve his induction record.

Once confirming that everything was correct, she took out from the storage space items such as the communicator, tablet, Boundary Stone, shackles, and some things that would be used during patrol duties, saying,

"Patrol officer Li, these are the basic supplies for security patrol officers. Please keep them safe. If they are damaged or lost during work, you need to report to us in the Logistics Department and reapply."

Then, she added,

"As for the standard flying sword of the patrol officer, there are none in stock in the bureau. A few days ago, there was a significant loss of resources when the Management Bureau explored the Secret Realm, so we temporarily consulted the bureau director and drew a large portion of various resources from the bureau. If you need it, you can come and apply for it after a while."

"Alright, I got it."

Li Jing agreed, waving his hand to put away items such as the communicator.

He was a bit disappointed about not being able to get his hands on the free flying sword he had been looking forward to.

However, it didn’t matter. He could get it sooner or later, so he could apply for it later.

Even if he got a standard flying sword of the patrol officer, which at most would be a second- or third-level Precious Item, he probably wouldn’t be able to use it right away.

If he didn’t raise it to a high-quality level and casually pulled it out, he might accidentally break it.

Even though he should be able to reapply for one if it broke, starting from scratch would be too inefficient.

Seeing that Li Jing had received the necessary items, Mu Nianjun, who was standing by, opened her mouth with a smile.

"Xiaoli, you don’t start work until tomorrow. When you come tomorrow, you can report directly to the Security Department. Hao Lei and I have something to talk about. You should be alright to go out on your own?"

"Alright. You two keep talking. I’ll leave first."

Li Jing responded, turned around, and walked away.

Watching him walk away, Hao Lei turned her head in confusion.

"Nianjun, do you have something else?"

"I have a piece of shocking news. Do you want to know?"

Mu Nianjun gave a mysterious smile.

Before Hao Lei could answer, she glanced at the figure of Li Jing about to walk out of the office of the Logistics Department, and lowered her voice.

"This Li Jing, he has a big background."

"Background?"

Hao Lei frowned and said doubtfully,

"What kind of background could a newly-inducted person have?"

"In detail, it’s not convenient for me to say too much."

Mu Nianjun smirked and whispered,

"He is the mysterious boyfriend of our director’s daughter!"

Hao Lei was slightly stunned upon hearing this, and then her eyes widened.

"Are you sure?"

"If I wasn’t sure about this, how dare I randomly say it?"

Mu Nianjun looked unbearably mysterious.

...

Li Jing, who had left the Logistics Department, had no idea that he had become the object of gossip for at least two female patrol officers.

Even if he knew, he wouldn’t care.

He was aware of the rumor about him and Chen Yuran within the North City Patrol Branch.

It might be uncertain with the male patrol officers, but he would inevitably become a topic of conversation among the female patrol officers.

Patrol officers were also human beings.

Gossip was a natural behavior for women.

Having Chen Yuran and a father who had a daughter-complex, he wouldn’t be able to avoid these things even if he wanted to.

As for this, Li Jing didn’t think too much about it.

Rumors, like news, only stayed fresh for a certain period of time.

Eventually, they would die down.

All he had to do was persevere through this period and then everything would be over. It was not a big deal.

On his way out of the Patrol Branch, Li Jing casually took out his device and sent a message to Lu Yangcheng and Yi Xiuzhu, informing them that he had passed the examination.

The two of them should have just gotten off work.

This week, the Heavenly King Group was on the night shift.

They would probably be taking their exams in the afternoon.

As the first to pass, it would only be proper to inform his brothers, wouldn’t it?

Having delivered the good news, as soon as Li Jing stepped out of the Patrol Branch, he planned to Sky Control to the Chicken Shop to share the news with Liu Sisi.

Announcing this in person would mean getting a free meal. Why wouldn’t he?

Just as he was about to take off, the device in his hand buzzed.

?

Li Jing halted and saw a message from Chen Jing.

"Come to my office."

Looking at the message displayed on the screen, Li Jing wore a peculiar expression.

It wasn’t surprising that Chen Jing would summon him since he had passed the Patrol exam.

But the timing seemed rather sudden...

He had just completed the onboarding process and stepped out, and Chen Jing had already received the news?

How idle was this bureau chief?

Confused, Li Jing soon composed himself.

The Human Resources Department notified him of his successful enrollment as a second-level patroller without testing his cultivation level, which led him to suspect that Chen Jing had been notified in advance.

Knowing that Chen Jing had instructed them beforehand, the Human Resources Department would naturally pass on his joining news to him.

Having discerned this, Li Jing felt a bit helpless.

While Chen Jing didn’t go out of his way to give him special treatment, his meticulous care made him feel a bit guilty.

Furthermore, he didn’t have any special relationship with Chen Yuran to warrant such care from Chen Jing — at best, he was merely a shield.

What was even more troubling was this.

Chen Jing was obviously aware of the situation.

And he seemed to enjoy it.

This expectation truly put him in a quandary.

With a sigh, Li Jing turned and headed towards the bureau chief’s office.

...

Before long, Li Jing reached the office’s entrance and knocked.

"Come in."

The tone of Chen Jing echoed.

In response, Li Jing entered the office.

Chen Jing was not sitting at his desk but lounging on the sofa.

Chen Jing raised his eyes and shot Li Jing a benevolent smile that made his scalp tingle. He motioned towards the seat next to him.

"Come and sit."

Upon seeing this, Li Jing subconsciously responded affirmatively and sat down.

No sooner had he settled down than Chen Jing began to speak.

"The HR department just conveyed your enrollment information to me. I thought you would choose to join the Major Crime Unit, but you opted for the Security Department. Good, it seems I can look forward to something."

"..."

Li Jing was at a loss for words, forcing a smile in response.

"Uncle, I..."

Before he could even finish, Chen Jing waved him off.

"Don’t worry, I will not misunderstand or interfere."

Chen Jing then continued, speaking calmly.

"Your relationship with Yuran has been spreading like wildfire in the department, and I’ve found it quite amusing. Most people in the bureau don’t even know it’s you. However, now that you’ve officially joined, the news will inevitably spread."

After making his point, Chen Jing smirked at Li Jing.

"Lu Yuan, the head of the Security Department, is my confidant, having been with me for over thirty years. I can’t promise you that he won’t interfere. Usually, newcomers must spend some time learning and adjusting under the guidance of established patrollers."

Li Jing could not help but feel melancholic as he listened Chen Jing’s deliberate explanations.

So it was all about this?

Now that he was part of the Security Department, if the opportunity presented itself, he would certainly consider working with Yuran.

Wasn’t working with someone familiar more comfortable than with a stranger?

If it were up to Yuran, she would not refuse to work with him.

Let’s not even mention the other benefits; just the convenience of commuting and having meals at home could not be overlooked.

And speaking of meals, Li Jing was certain...

His culinary skills were deeply rooted in Yuran’s heart.

At the sight of Chen Jing’s rather self-satisfied countenance, Li Jing could not help but think, ’do you really need to take this its extreme, uncle?’

If he were to be frank, Li Jing found it hard to understand Chen Jing.

This man, with such high cultivation level and in a position of power, why was his intelligence so compromised when it came to his daughter?

Could this be what people referred to as ’the mind in chaos when the heart is concerned’?

Seeing the puzzled look on Li Jing’s face, Chen Jing somewhat realized that he had overreacted a bit.

Clearing his throat to lighten the atmosphere, he promptly changed the subject.

"Was your enrollment process smooth?"

"Yes, it went smoothly."

Li Jing nodded, then mentioned.

"Just that when I arrived at the Logistics Department, they said all the standard flying swords from the bureau were taken away by the Management Bureau some time ago, and I was unable to get one."

"Ah, yes. That did happen."

Chen Jing acknowledged Li Jing’s words.

"The Management Bureau’s exploration team encountered some problems in the Secret Realm and needed a large number of low-grade Precious Items for one-time consumption. They even bought some from the market."

He then continued.

"You already have a high-quality flying sword, and a low-grade standard sword would only be a decoration for you, there’s no need to insist on having one. You just received my bonus of 50 million, no need to nickel and dime."

"Uh, well..."

Li Jing coughed awkwardly.

Certainly, what Chen Jing said made sense.

But wasn’t it the free flying sword that he had his hopes on?

He was still hesitating whether to say something about it when Chen Jing addressed him again.

"Speaking of Precious Items, I happen to have one that I don’t need. Since you insist on calling me uncle like a nephew of mine, I ought to get you a gift for your enrollment in Patrol Branch. Consider this Precious Item as my gift."

As he spoke, Chen Jing produced a golden pagoda.

"This pagoda is named Linglong."

"..."

Li Jing.

If Chen Jing had produced something else, he might have believed him.

But he produced a pagoda named Linglong!

If this wasn’t specifically made for him, he would live-stream himself eating this pagoda!

Creases appeared around his mouth as Li Jing muttered quietly.

"Thank you for your kindness, Uncle, but I cannot receive such a valuable gift without earning it."

While Li Jing didn’t mind having Precious Items given to him, he had his principles.

Chen Jing took care of him and thought very highly of him due to Yuran. He couldn’t just take advantage of that.

Chen Jing seemed to have anticipated Li Jing’s refusal and smiled, saying.

"This pagoda is not just a gift for you, but mainly a token of my gratitude."

He explained.

"Thanks to you, Liu Yushan was located within a few hours, and the massive amount of Parasite Insects hidden underground were discovered. This allowed the Management Bureau to cut losses promptly and rebuild morale, enabling the previously halted exploration to resume. The higher-ups of the Management Bureau have decided that once the exploration team withdraws completely and the loot is counted, 10% of the takings will be directly allocated from the national treasury to replenish our North City Branch’s budget. To be honest, the reason why the old foxes from the Management Bureau high-level want to do this is that they do not wish to owe me. Since the matter cannot be accounted for as a merit, I cannot award you a bonus. Bonuses are not something I can decide."

Having said all that, he held the pagoda towards Li Jing, saying.

"This pagoda is my personal possession; there are no strings attached. Just accept it and don’t try to decline."