Mr.... Mr. Lu?
Chen Tianhua, Bald, and the youngster were all dumbfounded.
The youngster wasn't as affected, since he had never seen Lu Xuan before. But Chen Tianhua and Bald were completely stupefied.
'Mr. Lu??'
'That little kid???'
Bald let out a dry laugh as he came to his senses.
"Director Ji, you must have the wrong person, right? That kid is from the shantytown. You might not be familiar with the shantytowns, but calling them slums would be more accurate. They're basically filled with lowlifes..."
"Shut up!" Ji Bochang roared. He was incredibly anxious. 'Lu Xuan, Longque Technology...'
'Is he from Longque Technology?'
'Or perhaps a hidden pawn of Longque Technology?'
'Now that I've stumbled upon him, what will Longque Technology do?'
A chill ran down Ji Bochang's spine. He didn't know the methods of those Super Conglomerates, but he could guess. Not a single one of the six Super Conglomerates was any good!
At this point, both Bald and Chen Tianhua fell silent, realizing something was wrong. The youngster also stopped talking, just sitting there obediently, minding his own business.
Ji Bochang paced back and forth for a long while before gritting his teeth.
"To the interrogation room... you three are coming with me!"
"Huh?" The youngster was the first to speak, his face twisting into a bitter expression. "Director, this has nothing to do with me. Can I please sit this one out...?"
"Do I need to say it a second time?" Ji Bochang said coldly.
The youngster shut his mouth. Although he had a faint guess that this matter was far from simple, if he didn't go, he was afraid the Director would make trouble for him right then and there.
Immediately, the three men, full of doubt and unease, followed Director Ji, hurrying out of the office and toward the elevator.
......
"Young Miss, I've looked into it. It was just a small accident. I've already sent someone to handle it, so there won't be any trouble."
"Okay."
"Alright then, Young Miss. I'll let you get back to it. I won't disturb you any further."
"Okay."
After hanging up the phone, Yan Jiangxue let out a soft breath. Her mood finally settled, and she went back to earnestly flipping through her book.
After flipping through the pages for a while, she picked up a potato chip and put it in her mouth, subconsciously crunching down on it. Then, she froze.
Yan Jiangxue looked up at the empty seat across from her and silently switched from 'crunching' to 'crushing' the chip with her tongue, making no sound at all.
Lu Xuan wouldn't be disturbed by her, but others might be.
She read for a little while longer but found she couldn't quiet her mind. She closed the book and left without another thought.
She had often read alone, walked alone, eaten alone... been alone before.
If you've never seen brilliant sunshine, you don't long for it. But once you have, you can never go back.
'I want a roasted sweet potato,' Yan Jiangxue thought as she walked.
.......
「Inspectorate Building.」
Because of their connection to Sakata Heavy Industries, Lu Xuan and Wu Xiaoxu, who were temporarily cuffed in the interrogation room, received special treatment... a guard was posted inside the room with them.
It was Big Beard, the inspector who had brought the two of them in with Bald last night.
Big Beard was now full of resentment, cursing under his breath.
"Goddammit. You two little shits. This Old Master should be kicking back at the club right now, but you motherf—"
"Isn't it working hours right now?" Lu Xuan asked softly. "Even if we weren't here, shouldn't you still be on duty?"
Big Beard was stunned for a moment, then laughed in exasperation.
"What the hell do you know? Ever heard of the Inspectorate's combat division? Huh? When I don't have a mission, I do whatever I want. Who's gonna stop me?"
He paused, getting angrier the more he thought about it.
"Son of a bitch, no, this won't do. I'm gonna have to go to the shantytown later and stir up some trouble..."
"What does this have to do with the shantytown?" Lu Xuan continued to ask softly, his expression calm. "You are fulfilling your duties. Why are you angry?"
After a moment's thought, he added:
"If you're unwilling to do the work, why become an inspector?"
"You get paid, you get resources, and you get power. Why not do it? As for duties, do you even understand what the combat division is?"
He said lazily:
"Those rules are for the pencil-pushers. If they applied to me, what would be the difference between me and them? What would be the point of Cultivation?"
"I understand now." Lu Xuan's eyes sparkled. "So, some powerful people think the same way. If they are bound by the same etiquette and rules as ordinary people, what's the point of being in a high position? Is that right?"
Big Beard blinked, muttering to himself. 'Is this kid a simpleton?'
Recalling how the kid had casually claimed to know Director Ji last night, Big Beard felt it all made sense now.
'Yep, probably a real idiot.'
Thinking this, he curled his lip and grumbled:
"You might be right about that, but shut your damn mouth. Say another word, and I won't be able to stop myself from beating you."
Lu Xuan actually did stop talking, merely staring blankly into space, lost in thought.
He felt that this world was different from what he had imagined.
'But on second thought,' he mused, 'it seems perfectly normal. How could those who hold great power in themselves ever be willing to be shackled?'
'Even if the shackles are rules of the heart and laws put to paper.'
'Was I wrong?'
Just as Lu Xuan was pondering this, Big Beard, seemingly still annoyed, spoke again.
"Let me give you the simplest example. The Inspectorate has a rule against smoking in the interrogation rooms... But look, does anyone enforce it? And even if they did, would they dare enforce it on a Cultivator from the combat division?"
As he spoke, he smugly raised the half-smoked cigarette in his hand.
Suddenly, the door to the interrogation room was thrown open.
"Director?" Big Beard jumped, hastily pulling his feet off the table. He then shot up, bowing and scraping.
"Didn't I say there's no smoking in the interrogation rooms?" Ji Bochang said coldly.
Big Beard's expression froze. He quickly stubbed out the cigarette, his voice meek.
"My mistake."
Lu Xuan watched this unfold, a thoughtful look on his face.
Meanwhile, Big Beard, while feeling uneasy, was also bewildered. 'Why did the Director suddenly show up? And why does he seem so displeased with me?'
'He's even nagging me about smoking?'
After a moment, although he didn't know why, he decided to try and salvage the situation. He quickly said:
"Director, these are the two lowlifes I brought in late last night. I came to watch them first thing this morning and was getting a bit drowsy, that's why I was smoking..."
As he spoke, Big Beard noticed Chen Tianhua and the other two behind the Director blinking frantically at him. He grew even more confused. 'Are all three of them having an eyelid spasm?'
'And at the same damn time?'
He found it rather amusing, but he kept talking:
"These two lowlifes have been pretty well-behaved, at least..."
The next second.
CRACK!
Big Beard clutched his cheek, dizzy and staring in astonishment at his director.
Ji Bochang shook his hand, his expression terrifyingly dark. He shot a vicious glare at Big Beard before turning to Lu Xuan.
"Mr. Lu, this was my mistake. Please, forgive me!"
As soon as these words were spoken, Wu Xiaoxu, who had been cowering, stared with wide eyes. Chen Tianhua and the other two, however, wore expressions that said 'I knew it' while casting a pitying glance at Big Beard.
As for Big Beard, he clutched his swelling cheek, his mouth slowly, gradually falling open as he looked around in a daze.
"Huh???"