Era of Mist

Chapter 168: Chapter 167: First-Class Gang

The other possibility, well, it was a bit more out there.

’Perhaps... in this worldline, with its population of one hundred billion all needing the Celestial Golden Light, it’s handed out day in and day out. Is the Celestial Golden Light an infinite resource? Maybe the Celestial Dao itself got tired and just didn’t want to give it out anymore!’

’But in that other worldline, I was the only one who could receive the Celestial Golden Light, no matter what. That’s why the portion I got was so generous.’

’In that case, my greatest resource is actually going to the other worldline to farm for Celestial Golden Light!’

’If I had an abundant supply of Celestial Golden Light...’ Shi Tiexin could already picture the days when he could learn any martial art he pleased and achieve perfection with ease.

It was enough to make him drool!

BWAHAHA—*hic*~

As his thoughts ran wild, the sky-rail pulled into the station, and he arrived smoothly in the Upper City District. Shi Tiexin wasn’t carrying any luggage; he was just here to scout the route for the day. He made a phone call according to the letter of introduction. He wasn’t sure if the director of the Culture Department had called ahead, but the person who answered was very enthusiastic and gave him the location of the gang’s headquarters.

The location was easy to find, situated right on a major thoroughfare. It wasn’t at all like those small-time outfits that set up shop in back alleys. A single glance told you it was impressive and high-class.

And the sign above the entrance was extremely, incredibly, unbelievably conspicuous.

”Jing?”

That’s right. From a long way off, Shi Tiexin spotted a lavish billboard. It was a simple square, lacking any real design sense, but it was incredibly conspicuous. Blue background, yellow text. Nothing else was written on it, just a single, massive, glittering character: ”Jing.”

’This sign is really something else...’

’What kind of gang is this, anyway?’

’Jing? Don’t tell me it’s another one of those shady gangs!’

But Shi Tiexin looked left and right. The area was open and well-trafficked, not some hidden corner. Plenty of pedestrians were coming and going, and none of them paid the sign any special attention. They all had the air of people who’d seen it a million times.

’Could it be that I’m just a country bumpkin who doesn’t know any better?’

Very likely. The pedestrians nearby seemed familiar with this gang, and plenty of people were going in and out of the main entrance, looking like they were busy with work.

Aside from the unconventional sign, the gang looked quite powerful, befitting its reputation as one of Tumu Castle’s first-rate gangs.

Shi Tiexin composed himself and stepped into the main hall. The interior was luxurious and spacious, with none of the furtive atmosphere he’d expected, which put him more at ease. The receptionist was a smiling young woman who sweetly offered him a glass of water.

”You don’t have to go to the trouble.” Not wanting to waste her pleasant expression, Shi Tiexin quickly told her the truth. ”I’m not a client. I’m here to join the gang.”

But in the next instant, Shi Tiexin felt the difference between a so-called first-rate gang and a company like Xiongan Security.

It was the receptionist. She smiled with poise and ease, completely unlike the girl at Xiongan Security, who had seemed tense and stingy, as if every extra expression was a waste of energy and she might fall asleep on her feet from exhaustion at any moment.

The young woman’s smile never wavered, and her voice remained just as sweet. ”You’re too kind, sir. It’s only a glass of water. It is our gang’s honor that you’ve chosen to join us. I will notify the head of our Human Resources department to meet with you shortly. After all, joining the gang does require a few assessments and approvals. I hope you’ll successfully join our big family. Let us work together to build a better family for all of us, and a better life for yourself.”

The young woman left, and Shi Tiexin was stunned.

’Good lord, that’s incredible. That sweet girl’s rhetoric skills must be at the fourth level of the Foundation stage, at least! Look at this lineup of pretty girls at the front desk—they’re probably all at her level. It’s making a minor Champion Scholar like me feel pretty flustered. Now *this* is the kind of prestige a first-rate gang should have!’

’Everyone here is so talented, and they speak so pleasantly. I’m really starting to like this place!’

All in all, his first impression was excellent.

When the head of Human Resources showed up, his second impression was even better.

There were no difficult questions, not even an assessment. The HR manager’s attitude was incredibly enthusiastic. He grabbed Shi Tiexin’s arm and led him toward the back. ”Brother, you’re here with a special invitation! Why would you need an assessment? We still have to go through the motions, though. Come on, let me give you an introduction to our gang.”

’Yes, yes, yes! This is exactly what I need!’

Soon, the two of them entered an area that resembled an art gallery, its walls lined with photographs and descriptions.

”Brother, you made the right choice coming to our gang. We’ve got a long and storied history, a truly impressive origin. Look, you see this photograph?”

’Uh-huh, I see it. An old black-and-white photo. Looks like it’s from a long time ago.’

”This is our gang’s founder, the venerable Mr. Wang Hongliang. You know the Qing Court’s Forbidden City? That’s right, the one on Central Star. Elder Gang Leader Wang came from the Forbidden City. And he wasn’t a eunuch, mind you, but a true-blue Imperial Palace Expert! Elder Gang Leader Wang was active back in the Old Era, by which time he was already a renowned Dragon Court Guard.”

”When he was twenty-three, it just so happened to be the first year of the Mist Era—the same year the Origin Saint gave his sermon. That’s right, you’d better believe it: our old gang leader is someone who heard the Origin Saint preach with his own two ears!”

HO~~~~LY~~~~SHIT~~~~!

A massive ”Holy shit!” erupted in Shi Tiexin’s mind. He was suddenly filled with profound respect for the somewhat dopey-looking young man in the blurry old photograph.

’To have been able to listen to the Origin Saint’s sermon in person... what an incredible stroke of fortune! What kind of standing in the martial world would that give you?’

”Later, Elder Gang Leader Wang founded our gang in Old Shanghai. Back then, out of all the gangs in Old Shanghai, only our Elder Gang Leader possessed a Yellow Mandarin Jacket, personally bestowed by the Old Qing Emperor himself. How badass is that! Afterward, all disciples who joined wore yellow clothes to match the Elder Gang Leader, and yellow became our gang’s official color.”

Hmm. Shi Tiexin saw it. In another old photograph, Wang Hongliang looked a bit older. On his yellow mandarin jacket was a large character: ”Jing.” In that era, that must have been considered quite unconventional.

’Is it true that eccentric masters have eccentric habits? Is it precisely because they’re on a higher level that they can just shamelessly write... such an embarrassing word on their clothes?’

”Photo after photo after photo, we’ll just skip past these. Long story short, a century into the Mist Era, our gang now enjoys widespread influence and universal acclaim throughout the entire solar system. Especially around the Saturn system, you can see our members in yellow working hard everywhere!”

Uh... Now that he mentioned it, Shi Tiexin suddenly felt that the yellow ”Jing” character *did* look a little familiar. It seemed this really was a famous and powerful gang, well-known to the public.

The HR manager was really getting into his role now, his voice brimming with passion. ”As the saying goes, where there’s a road, there’s a way, and where there’s a way, there’s a Jing Bang member! The entire city is our stage! All roads are our battlefield! Faster, steadier, more thoughtful! Jing Bang members complete their missions like an Imperial Palace Guard protecting the Em~per~or, never a second late, ensuring the customer gets to eat their piping hot—”

”Wait, wait...” The more Shi Tiexin listened, the more familiar it sounded. He couldn’t help but interrupt. ”What exactly is our gang’s name?”

”Huh? Our gang is this famous and you don’t know?” The HR manager looked surprised, then gave him the answer. ”We’re called Jingtuan! Jingtuan Delivery, you’ve never heard of us?”