Chapter 24: Chapter 23: Conclusion
“`
Inside the City Defense Division’s Hall Office.
The lower-ranked officers in the City Defense Division didn’t have separate places for conducting official business or resting, only a spacious yard at the back, along with several commonly used and quite dilapidated low buildings.
However, as a Head Constable, it was different; each of the five Head Constables had a separate room behind the Main Hall Office, usually used for handling official matters or resting. The one belonging to Zhao Zong had not been occupied for a long time.
After Zhao Zong’s old hidden injuries flared up, he hardly ever spent time in the Hall Office, but his room was still regularly cleaned and remained spotlessly tidy. Now, after many years, this room welcomed a new occupant.
Chen Mu stood at the doorway, examining the room.
The room wasn’t large, containing only a long table placed horizontally with some books stacked on it, as well as a set of clean teaware. Behind the table stood a yellow wooden chair, the armrest slightly damaged but still functional.
Both the table and the chair were dust-free, and the pavement made of bluestone was devoid of mud.
It wasn’t spacious, but it was clean.
Such an assessment should be fair enough.
Zhao Zong stood next to Chen Mu, hands clasped behind his back, and lamented, “Us martial artists, with the wear and tear on our Qi-Blood, even without fighting others, will always accumulate some old hidden injuries. When we get old and can’t suppress them anymore, they start to act up…”
While speaking, he slightly reluctantly touched the table, being the most senior person in the City Defense Division of Ninth District, including the Prefecture Chief Min Baoyi. Were it not for his deteriorating health making it near impossible to fight others, he wouldn’t willingly resign from the position of Head Constable. To temporarily retain the status of Head Constable and remain at the City Defense Division as an instructor was a satisfactory outcome for him.
He had intended to get to know the promising newcomer, Ren Yan, to curry favor in advance, so when he stepped down from his position in a few years, he could rely on goodwill to keep some of his influence. However, Chen Mu’s appearance had taken everyone by surprise.
Having heard from Wang Gong and the others that Chen Mu had been personally recommended by the Chief Constable Xu Hongyu from above, Zhao Zong immediately gave up all his schemes, and he also understood why Min Baoyi had suddenly become friendly with Chen Mu.
“Does this Skin Toughening Body Refinement Technique also harm the body?”
Listening to Zhao Zong’s words, Chen Mu asked thoughtfully.
Zhao Zong smiled and said, “Yes, whether it’s the Skin Toughening or Body Refinement Technique, both involve tempering the body in various ways, supplemented by Medicinal Powder, and naturally, they cause harm. Wanting to practice martial arts and wishing for longevity, there’s no such good thing in the world. Nowadays, I suffer from piercing back pains every day, a result of focusing too much on the effects when I was young, employing the Skin Toughening Method, which caused great internal damage. Sometimes, circumstances dictate choices, and having anything to practice is already good enough; how many want to learn martial arts but don’t have the opportunity.”
Hearing Zhao Zong’s words, Chen Mu thought of the Golden Jade Skin Toughening Technique given to him by Xu Hongyu.
Xu Hongyu had mentioned that this technique may not be the fastest but was more gentle and mild, causing less harm to the body. If Zhao Zong had learned this method in his youth, perhaps he wouldn’t have ended up in such a state.
“Alright, I’ve told you all that needs to be said, and it’s time for me to leave. If there’s anything else, go ask Wang Gong or Qin Bei and the others.” Zhao Zong slowly withdrew his hand, nodded at Chen Mu, and walked outside.
“Old Zhao, take care.”
Chen Mu watched Zhao Zong leave, then slowly walked over to the table, picked up a few of the books to have a look, and found them to be maps of the district distribution in Ninth District and some demographic documents, among other paperwork.
Putting down the booklet in his hand, Chen Mu walked to the window to look outside. The drizzling rain had stopped, and with the skies clearing after the rain, a ray of sunset light shone through the window into the room, revealing Zhao Zong’s receding figure in the afterglow, as well as the many officers gathered in groups of twos and threes, still discussing the recent events with visible shock in their eyes.
Being promoted to Head Constable was no surprise to Chen Mu, but he did not expect Min Baoyi to act so swiftly. It had been only a day since Xu Hongyu had sent word, and the transition of authority had already been finalized.
Even.
His blue uniform and Waist Token were still being made and were not yet ready.
But from this moment on, he was already the Head Constable of Ninth District, in charge of the division of men that Zhao Zong used to manage, totaling about thirty to forty people. Additionally, if he felt short-staffed, he could also freely recruit more from outside.
That’s how it was with lower-ranked officers, easy to enlist, easy to dismiss. Within a certain limit, the Head Constable could make the decisions.
He took another look around the room.
Chen Mu turned and walked out, and upon reaching the outside of the Hall Office, he ran into Qin Bei who was also coming out.
“Head Constable Chen.”
Qin Bei looked at Chen Mu with a complex expression and greeted him.
Chen Mu had previously been under his command, and suddenly, he had forged a connection with the Chief Constable, not only rising to the rank of Head Constable but also becoming Min Baoyi’s honored guest. This inevitably left Qin Bei feeling uncomfortable.
It was different with Ren Yan, who had already been rumored for a while and whom Qin Bei had been actively mentoring for over half a year. Even with his promotion to Head Constable, Ren Yan still had to address him as ‘Brother Qin,’ whereas Chen Mu silently leaped ahead, becoming someone on par or even superior to him, a fact that Qin Bei found hard to shake off in the short term.
“`
COMMENT
1 comment
Vote
3 left
SEND GIFT
1