I Cultivate in a Government Office

Chapter 76: Chapter 76: Vice Director Sun’s Banquet

Yang Wenqing left Vice Director Gao’s office and walked down the corridor. Only then did the immense surprise wash over him like a delayed tide, lapping at his senses.

His file transferred to the city bureau, special commissioner status...

It had all happened so fast, so suddenly, that his steps felt unsteady, as if he were walking on clouds.

He returned to the Third Squad office almost on autopilot. He sat at his desk in a daze for a long while before his turbulent emotions finally began to settle. Then, he took a few deep breaths and started working through the stack of case files on his desk, trying to use the tedious work to distract himself and ground the surreal feeling.

Around two in the afternoon, Zhao Qin came back from outside. He walked cautiously to Yang Wenqing’s desk and reported in a hushed voice, ”Captain, I was just outside and heard a lot of people talking about Captain Xiao. They’re saying he only got the position at the East City Public Security Office through a fluke, that he relied on...”

He glanced up, checking Yang Wenqing’s expression before continuing, ”They’re saying he only did well on the assessment because of Captain Wang’s Dharma Seal and Rune paper, and that he has no real skill himself. They’re also saying he’s even worse than Li Gui from West City. Some are even secretly saying that Vice Director Gao’s arrangement... was a bit unfair.”

This gossip was clearly aimed at the morning’s promotion ceremony, just as Xiao Liang had initially suspected. But these rumors couldn’t stop the fact of his promotion, and they didn’t have much bite. As long as Xiao Liang was thick-skinned enough, it would all blow over in a few years.

Yang Wenqing’s pen paused. He couldn’t really comment on the matter. After all, his current position was sensitive; the announcement that he was competing for the deputy head position of the Major Case Team was imminent. He absolutely could not get entangled in this kind of gossip.

So he pondered for a moment, then said calmly to Zhao Qin—and also to Liu Qin and Qian You, who were listening with pricked ears—”Just focus on your own work. Don’t pay any mind to this idle talk. Captain Xiao was promoted through a formal assessment. His abilities will be judged by the public in due time.”

”Yes, Captain!” Zhao Qin quickly agreed, and the others nodded as well.

The interruption helped calm Yang Wenqing down quite a bit. He then returned to processing the case files in his hands.

About ten minutes later, Zhao Qin and Qian You left again. Then, a stranger in a formal suit appeared at the office door. Just as Liu Qin was about to greet him, he asked politely, ”Excuse me, is Captain Yang Wenqing here?”

Liu Qin instinctively glanced toward Yang Wenqing’s desk.

Yang Wenqing looked up at the man. He knew that anyone who could get past the precinct’s main gate and walk all the way to the Major Case Team office couldn’t be an ordinary person. He replied, ”I am.”

Hearing this, the man immediately walked forward, bowed slightly, and handed over an exquisitely made invitation. He said in a low voice, ”Captain Yang, hello. I am the secretary for Vice Director Sun Ming of the County Civil Affairs Bureau’s General Affairs Department. Vice Director Sun would like to invite you to a small gathering at Tingchao Pavilion this evening to thank you for your impartial enforcement of the law in the Liu Sheng case. I was wondering if you would be available?”

’Sun Ming? The father of Sun Yi, the victim in the Liu Sheng case?’

Yang Wenqing’s interest was piqued. This Vice Director Sun held a significant position in the General Affairs Department of the Civil Affairs Bureau. Some time had passed since his son’s case, so for him to be extending his gratitude now... the timing was a bit delicate.

But regardless, an invitation from a Vice Director with real power couldn’t be easily refused. Besides, it seemed to be a private dinner of thanks, and perhaps an opportunity to make connections within the Civil Affairs Bureau system.

He took the invitation, considered it for a moment, and nodded. ”Please reply to Vice Director Sun that I will be there on time tonight.”

”Excellent. We will be awaiting your arrival, Captain Yang.”

His task completed, the secretary politely took his leave.

Yang Wenqing held the exquisite invitation, rubbing the smooth paper with his thumb. An ordinary young man would have been ecstatic, but the accumulated memories of two lifetimes gave him a composure beyond his years. He quickly calmed down completely and went back to burying his head in his case files.

Around four in the afternoon, the medical examiner’s office sent an assistant over to ask Yang Wenqing to come by.

Yang Wenqing immediately got up and went. When he entered the medical examiner’s office, Ding Lang was frowning in thought at a newly completed analysis report. Seeing him arrive, Ding Lang handed the report directly to him.

”It’s the preliminary examination results for the charred corpse from Zhenyuan Mining.”

Ding Lang pointed to several lines of data circled in red on the report, his tone grave. ”From the victim’s residual consciousness fragments, we extracted extreme fear, despair, and a kind of... unimaginable terror. It’s as if, before death, they saw something incomprehensible and unbearable—a great horror.”

He paused and looked at Yang Wenqing, his gaze sharp. ”I can now basically confirm that the killer’s primary objective probably isn’t just to steal lifespan. Their real goal is most likely to collect this extreme negative emotion at the very last moment of the victim’s life!”

A chill went down Yang Wenqing’s spine. He had studied this subject at the Police Academy. Many evil cultivators specifically held various sacrificial rituals to collect all sorts of negative emotions, with the goal of creating various Magical Artifacts to nourish demonic cultivators.

He couldn’t help but think of the Demonic Qi that had dispersed outside the city earlier. If this was true, then this case was anything but ordinary.

”You still suspect the ’Yellow Springs Guide’ organization?” he asked uncertainly.

”That’s right.” Ding Lang nodded affirmatively, his voice dropping even lower. ”This methodical, premeditated collection of extreme negative emotions is highly characteristic of that organization.”

”Yellow Springs Guide...” Yang Wenqing repeated the taboo name, the report in his hand feeling heavy.

”This is the preliminary forensic report. Take it. I hope it helps with your investigation.” Ding Lang handed a copy of the report to Yang Wenqing.

After leaving the medical examiner’s office, Yang Wenqing initially planned to report to Vice Director Gao’s office. But on second thought, he hadn’t uncovered anything concrete yet, so he first contacted Wu Yan and Liu Rong, telling them to meet in the small conference room next to the Third Squad office.

Half an hour later, the two of them arrived.

Yang Wenqing didn’t mention the forensic report. Instead, he asked, ”What have you found in your investigation into the Wang family father and son, and Zhenyuan Mining?”

Wu Yan immediately reported, ”Captain, we looked into Li Mo’s social connections and recent contacts. Besides his work colleagues, he only had a few secret meetings with a dock broker named ’Hu San.’ This Hu San’s movements are secretive, and we’re trying to locate him now.”

Liu Rong added, ”Regarding that mirror, we questioned a few veteran employees at Zhenyuan Mining. Someone vaguely remembers a shipment of special decorative lumber arriving at the company about a month ago. Wang Lei signed for it personally. It’s very likely the raw material for that mirror. Also, while going through the company’s books, we found several large, unexplained cash outflows over the last three months. The recipient was a shell company. We’re... currently tracing the final destination of the funds.”

Yang Wenqing tapped his fingers on the desk, thinking for a moment before giving his orders. ”Pursue both leads simultaneously. Old Wu, focus your efforts on finding that Hu San as quickly as possible. He’s a key figure. Ah Rong, you keep digging into the fund transfers and the source of that lumber. Find a way to get more concrete evidence.”

”Understood!” the two replied in unison.

”Also, find out this company’s connections to the Civil Affairs Bureau as soon as possible. Find out who their backers are!” Yang Wenqing’s voice was quiet as he said this.

Wu Yan froze at his words. He exchanged a glance with Liu Rong beside him and answered in an even lower voice, ”Actually... we already have an answer for that.”