I Cultivate in a Government Office

The three men exchanged pleasantries and took their seats.

Zhao Guang and Qian Feng were clearly keen on building a relationship with their newly promoted colleague, Yang Wenqing. The conversation drifted from last night’s case to the unique characteristics and public security challenges of their respective jurisdictions, and the atmosphere was quite amicable.

Just as the conversation was flowing smoothly, a small door on the side of the conference room slid open without a sound.

Deputy Director Qi Yue, Director Qin Huaiming, and a middle-aged man with the rank of ’Police Marshal’ on his epaulets walked in together. The cheerful chatter in the conference room came to an abrupt halt. Yang Wenqing, Zhao Guang, and Qian Feng immediately stood up, straightened their posture, and greeted them.

"Director Qi! Director Qin! Director Song!"

The stern-faced middle-aged man was none other than Song Yuan, the Director of the city’s Public Security Division.

Qi Yue smiled and gestured with his hand. "Please, be seated."

Everyone sat down again, the atmosphere now a few degrees more formal and solemn than before.

Qi Yue’s gaze swept over the three men before finally resting on Yang Wenqing. He got straight to the point. "I’ve called the three of you here today for two main reasons."

"First, is the matter of coordinated security following the reallocation of energy shares for the Lingshan New District."

Qi Yue looked at Zhao Guang and Qian Feng. "The transport of Five Elements Colored Stones from Wancai County and the transfer of Spiritual Pearls from Xuanji County will, in the future, rely heavily on the expanded port in the Lingshan New District. Ensuring the security of the Port District and the smooth flow of transport channels will require close collaboration between the City Defense Bureaus of all three locations."

Zhao Guang and Qian Feng immediately adopted a serious expression and replied, "Rest assured, Director Qi. We will give our full support to Director Yang’s work and formulate a detailed joint transport security plan as soon as possible!"

Qi Yue nodded, then turned to Yang Wenqing. "Wenqing, the port is your jurisdiction. The responsibility for coordination falls on you. The two new security stations must be brought into operation quickly."

"Yes, Director Qi," Yang Wenqing replied in a deep voice. ’This isn’t just a mission,’ he realized. ’It’s a subtle extension of my authority. By coordinating the transport security for the special products of two counties, my influence in regional City Defense affairs will quietly grow.’

Qi Yue continued, "The second matter concerns the recent serial bombing case and the subsequent cleanup operations. The city’s Major Crimes Division, in conjunction with the Special Cases Office, has uncovered a sizable infiltration network spanning the city’s districts and counties. We have also seized a number of their strongholds."

His gaze lingered on the faces of Yang Wenqing, Zhao Guang, and Qian Feng one by one, and his tone grew stern. "Although the Lingshan New District, Wancai County, and Xuanji County have different industries, they are all coastal areas with frequent trade. In the future, similar infiltrations will likely be interconnected or occur one after another. We cannot afford to fight our own battles."

"Therefore, starting today, the City Defense Bureaus of your three districts and counties must establish a regular mechanism for intelligence sharing, joint investigations, and coordinated emergency response. You can discuss the specific operational details yourselves, but it must yield tangible results."

He looked at Song Yuan, the Director of the city’s Public Security Division. "Director Song, your division will be responsible for the framework and coordination support for this mechanism."

"Yes, Director Qi," Song Yuan replied in a low voice.

Zhao Guang immediately declared his position. "Director Qi, Director Song, we in Wancai County will certainly respond proactively!"

Qian Feng also nodded. "With Director Wen Qing overseeing things at the port, we’ll feel much more at ease about our export transport."

Yang Wenqing, not to be outdone, quickly stated, "It is my honor to be able to work closely with Director Zhao and Director Qian."

Qi Yue nodded in satisfaction. "Good. You can discuss the specific details of your collaboration in-depth amongst yourselves later."

As he spoke, he glanced at Qin Huaiming.

Qin Huaiming understood the cue and gave a light cough. A relaxed smile on his face, he said, "Although this storm was perilous, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. We’ve managed to leverage the momentum from our superiors to create new opportunities."

He looked at Yang Wenqing. "The Energy Stone share for the Lingshan New District has been basically decided. You’ll have direct management rights over about ten percent of it."

Qin Huaiming then turned to Zhao Guang and Qian Feng. "Wancai County’s export quota for Five Elements Colored Stones can be increased by five percent next year. Xuanji County’s pearl quality ratings and acquisition prices will also be raised accordingly. Furthermore, some project approvals and resource allocations that were previously stuck at the provincial level will face much less resistance."

Unsuppressible looks of joy appeared on the faces of Zhao Guang and Qian Feng.

"Thank you, Director Qi! Thank you, Director Qin!" the two men said hurriedly.

"We’re all on the same team, no need to be so formal." Qi Yue waved his hand. "We’re all eating from the same pot. Only when there’s more meat in the pot can everyone eat their fill. We managed to get these benefits this time through our united efforts, but how we use them—how we make them generate even more benefits—is up to us."

’The meaning behind his words couldn’t be clearer. He wants to establish a deeper bond of mutual interest and resource exchange.’

Director Song Yuan added at the perfect moment, "The interests of the local districts and counties are tied to the interests of the city bureau. Only with sufficient resources can we trade for high-quality Five Elements Spirit Bodies and Entry-level Magic. And only then can we have more Entry-level Cultivators."

Cultivators using Secret Techniques outside of the seven main paths—Taiyin, Yuqing, Jingang, Taiyan, Baishui, Zhenyang, and Dadi—cannot achieve Entry on their own. To cultivate the Five Elements, they must rely on fused, refined Five Elements Spirit Bodies, while cultivating the Yin and Yang lineages requires a systematic set of Entry-level Magic.

These Cultivators are collectively referred to as practitioners of "side paths." Although they cannot compare to the orthodox Cultivators of the seven main paths, the advantage of their Entry methods is a high success rate. Some geniuses with superior innate talent even choose these side paths. For the Cultivators of Wanxuan, living in an era of internal peace, the goal of cultivation is no longer about power, but about attaining greater longevity.

Director Song’s words were aimed more at the other two directors, telling them that if they performed well, they might also have a chance at Entry in the future.

But Yang Wenqing, who cultivated the orthodox path of Yuqing, had no need to worry about such things.