INHA Chapter 36

During the training of Xu Dongyou and Tian Ze, not only the personnel from Fengnian Street Handling Bureau but also the handlers from other bureaus were highly dissatisfied with the upper management’s decision to entrust such an important task to a newcomer.

After all, the person was new. What if they didn’t handle the task well and tarnished the bureau’s reputation, affecting the public’s trust?

The most crucial point was that they learned the newcomer wouldn’t be seen during the live broadcast. If that were the case, couldn’t anyone handle it?

However, some veteran team leaders had no complaints about the arrangement from above. They saw a deeper aspect of the situation.

The newcomers were disgruntled, prompting the main bureau to quickly issue a statement saying that the matter had been jointly agreed upon by the demon clan and the bureau and was not subject to change.

Was this an endorsement for the newcomer from both the official side and the demon tribe?

The veteran team leaders were astonished and then realized something: could it be that this newcomer accomplished something that no one had managed to do for thousands of years, which made the demon clan regard them differently?

Even if the bureau wanted to replace them, it might not be possible. Another possibility was that the bureau was also highly satisfied with this newcomer. After all, being able to appease Zhulong was an extraordinary achievement for the human race.

It’s just a pity that the newcomer had too little experience with the bureau; otherwise, this alone would have been enough to make them a team leader.

Moreover, this newcomer was not simple.

So far, no newcomer had managed to handle their first solo task so well, and this person had only been with the bureau for less than half a month.

The veteran team leaders felt a mix of admiration and helplessness, admiring the newcomer’s strong abilities, which elevated the entire team’s status.

Even though the handlers’ faces couldn’t be seen in the live broadcast, this was part of a broader plan to gradually reveal the existence of the bureau to the public and help ordinary people accept this extraordinary world. The live broadcast was the first step in this plan.

It was of utmost importance.

If done well, there would be promotions, salary increases, and special recognition from the main bureau, not to mention possibly gaining the favor of the demon clan.

But wait, the newcomer had already received these benefits.

The veteran team leaders felt even more disheartened, though they tried to remain optimistic. It was uncertain whether the other excellent newcomers from different bureaus could do the same.

In reality, they were, of course, struggling with it.

Feng Chen, also a handler from the Fengnian Street Handling Bureau, felt extremely unsettled at this moment.

How long had the newcomer with the codename “Li Dong” been with the bureau? And they were already entrusted with such an important task?

This was no ordinary task; it concerned the bureau’s reputation. What would happen if the task wasn’t completed successfully? Would the public lose trust in the bureau?

The most important point was that when Feng Chen first joined the Management Bureau and underwent the spiritual energy test, he had scored the highest among the newcomers. Even compared to those in the main bureau, his score was among the top.

In less than a year and a half, he had progressed from being a newcomer to becoming the captain of a small team. Given his hard work and accomplishments, he was the most qualified person to take on this task.

The members of his small team were silent and didn’t dare to breathe loudly, fearing that Feng Chen might take out his anger on them. It was well-known that when the captain was angry, he was terrifying.

Feng Chen suddenly stood up and said to the other team members, “I’m going to the chief’s office.”

After waiting for an hour without seeing Tian Ze and the others come down, Feng Chen could no longer sit still.

None of the team members dared to stop him, so they could only watch as he left.

One of them said, “Shouldn’t we try to stop him? The captain is so angry right now; what if something happens?”

A young man with dreadlocks, around twenty years old, replied, “Would you dare to speak up and stop him?”

The person immediately fell silent.

The young man with dreadlocks continued, “The chief is there; no matter how angry our captain gets, nothing big will happen.”

Over the past six months, the deputy director had already started handing over important matters to the chief. There were rumors that the branch director might be transferred and promoted soon, and the chief would then become the director of the Fengnian Street Handling Bureau.

But these were just rumors, and their authenticity was still uncertain.

“I don’t quite understand,” a newcomer who had recently joined the small team said, scratching his head. “Why does it feel like we’re always at odds with 8th Squad?”

Or rather, why did it seem like the 8th Squad’s captain, Tian Ze, always looked down on them, mocking them whenever they met, while Feng Chen would retaliate without hesitation?

Although Feng Chen wasn’t particularly popular in the bureau, he had never encountered someone like Tian Ze, who constantly mocked him.

An experienced handler in the team whispered, “It’s a long story. Our captain almost joined the 8th Squad in the past but was poached by our team’s former captain.”

The veteran members all knew this story. At that time, Tian Ze had made a fuss, accusing the former captain of being shameless and Feng Chen of being ungrateful.

This was because Tian Ze had discovered Feng Chen’s spiritual energy potential during a mission and was delighted, immediately bringing him to the bureau. Back then, the bureau wasn’t as open as it is now, and not just anyone could join. It was only because Tian Ze vouched for Feng Chen that he was allowed to take the spiritual energy test. However, unexpectedly, the promising talent was snatched away by the former captain of the small team.

This created a grudge between them.

Over time, the situation worsened and they couldn’t stand each other. The newcomer was starting to understand why Captain Feng Chen was so angry.

After all, not choosing the 8th Squad and seeing them rise rapidly afterward would be hard for anyone to bear.

Especially since the newcomer, besides having high spiritual energy, also had the unique ability to calm Zhulong. In every other respect, Captain Feng Chen was more suitable for this task.

The newcomer scratched his head again, thinking that this matter had nothing to do with him, so he decided to stay out of it and not say anything.

Feng Chen knocked on the door of the chief’s office.

“Come in,” came the chief’s voice from inside.

Feng Chen took a deep breath, pushed the door open, and entered. He quickly glanced around but didn’t see Tian Ze and the others, which made him feel confused.

The chief, with a faint smile, didn’t call out Feng Chen’s small movements and directly asked him to sit down, stating the purpose, “This matter is beyond my control. You need to understand that this decision cannot be changed.”

The decision made by both the headquarters and the demon clan was final. No one could alter it unless they provided a better reason to convince both sides.

Feng Chen felt unwilling. “But that newcomer has only completed one mission. Can he really handle this task? If he fails—”

The chief knocked on the table, interrupting Feng Chen, and said calmly, “In such a situation, the members of the newcomer’s team will assist.”

As much as Feng Chen disliked Tian Ze, he had to admit that Tian Ze was one of the best marksmen in the bureau, never missing a target. However, dealing with resentful spirits didn’t rely on marksmanship; it required keen observation and attention to detail, which were Tian Ze’s weaknesses.

The chief glanced at Feng Chen and said, “You should understand that if the headquarters and the demon clan have chosen him, there must be a deeper reason. Do not interfere or disrupt this matter.”

Feng Chen felt a chill in his heart and lowered his head, not daring to speak further.

Even he couldn’t explain why, but he always felt particularly intimidated by this chief and dared not oppose him.

“Leave,” the chief said, lowering his gaze to continue working.

Feng Chen quickly stood up and left the office. Once outside, he couldn’t help but grit his teeth but eventually resigned himself and left.

On the other side, Xu Dongyou and Tian Ze were studying. After two hours, they had almost finished. This live broadcast was different from others; it didn’t require eloquence or talent.

Tian Ze and the others planned to go out for a meal, and Xu Dongyou joined them as he was also hungry.

After eating, Tian Ze asked Xu Dongyou, “What do you plan to do next? Are you going back to school?”

Xu Dongyou, feeling a bit embarrassed, softly replied, “I plan to focus on learning how to draw talismans.”

Zhang Wu, who was skilled in this area, immediately offered, “If you have any questions, come ask me. Also, after watching the video, you can buy a high-quality talisman to practice. It’s the best way to improve your drawing skills.”

Xu Dongyou nodded obediently.

Tian Ze and the others had been busy for the past few days and hadn’t had much rest, so they each went home to rest.

Xu Dongyou didn’t forget to hand over the talisman paper and other tools from his bag to the chief. He had already put the strength talisman he had exchanged from the bureau in there.

He had been forced to use one of these talismans on the boat before.

Before leaving, Xu Dongyou went to the hall and bought two more high-quality strength talismans and immobilizing talismans, all of which were of the first rank.

Oh, right.

Xu Dongyou patted his head and went back to the front desk, exchanging 1 point for 100,000 yuan. He bought about twenty blank talismans and various tools needed for drawing them, spending 30,000 yuan and leaving him with 70,000 yuan.

Xu Dongyou felt a bit pained. Initially, he didn’t think 1 point was that expensive, but realizing it could be exchanged for 100,000 yuan made it seem incredibly costly!

He then returned to the small hotel he had been staying at. While he could afford a better place now, he had just spent a lot and was feeling the pinch.

Besides, the hotel was clean enough, so there was no need to move.

However, he decided to splurge a bit on food and ordered a sumptuous meal delivery.

After eating, Xu Dongyou recalled the video tutorials he had watched before. Curious, he took out a brush and dipped it into the bureau’s special talisman powder, which had a unique smell that seemed to clear his mind.

He wondered what it was made of.

Xu Dongyou was grateful he had practiced calligraphy before. While his writing wasn’t professional, it was passable.

He carefully examined the high-quality strength talisman again, even though he had already memorized every stroke. He still felt a bit uneasy.

After a few minutes, Xu Dongyou took a deep breath and activated his heightened senses, thinking he might be able to use his talent to cheat.

If he could sense answers during exams, could he also improve his success rate in drawing talismans?

Next, Xu Dongyou gathered his spiritual energy into his palm. The special brush from the bureau sensed the energy, activating the formation engraved on the handle and channeling the energy to the tip.

It was time to begin.

Xu Dongyou started drawing with utmost seriousness, aiming to make every stroke identical to the strength talisman beside him.

He could keenly sense that with each stroke, his spiritual energy decreased rapidly.

Xu Dongyou resisted the urge to speed up and forced himself to draw the talisman carefully, stroke by stroke. As he continued, he began to feel very at ease, as if he instinctively knew how to draw each stroke correctly.

When he finished the last stroke, the talisman on the paper flashed briefly before calming down.

Did that mean it worked?

Xu Dongyou deactivated his heightened senses and thought for a moment. Then, he contacted Zhang Wu to ask if the brief flash meant success or failure.

Zhang Wu was watching TV after dinner when his spiritual energy watch buzzed. Curious about who might be contacting him at this hour, he checked and saw it was Xu Dongyou.

Zhang Wu smirked, thinking, “He must have failed and is seeking my help.”

But after reading the message, Zhang Wu froze for a few seconds, then rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn’t mistaken. Trembling, he quickly messaged Xu Dongyou back.

【Zhang Wu (8th Squad)】: !!!!!!

Xu Dongyou hesitated, wondering if this meant he had succeeded or failed.

It seemed to suggest the former.

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