Free Web NovelChapter 150: Chapter 111: Me, Avoid His Spearhead?
"Old Li, Old Xu, you two are the smart ones. Give us your analysis. Where is the Captain’s confidence coming from this time? I’ve never heard about him having any powerful connections in the Jingwu Bureau."
Li Huai Sheng shook his head, indicating he didn’t know.
Xu Shenzhi, however, suddenly raised a hand, silencing their conversation.
Yan Ming and Li Huai Sheng immediately fell silent. Following his gaze, they saw Zhao Changqiu, dressed in the official robes of a seventh-rank Peacekeeper Envoy, hurrying toward the barracks with an obvious look of urgency on his face.
"Greetings, Peacekeeper Envoy Zhao." Xu Shenzhi stepped forward and clasped his hands in salute.
Yan Ming and Li Huai Sheng followed suit.
Zhao Changqiu gave a dismissive wave, his tone urgent.
"Is Peacekeeper Envoy Chen here? I have urgent business with him."
"The Captain is inside the hall. Please wait a moment, Peacekeeper Envoy Zhao. I will go inform him."
Not daring to delay, Yan Ming immediately turned and went inside.
A moment later, Yan Ming returned, stepping aside and gesturing.
"Peacekeeper Envoy Zhao, the Captain will see you now."
Zhao Changqiu nodded, straightened his robes, and strode into the barracks’ inner hall.
...
"Chen, how can you be so calm and composed, just sitting here drinking tea?"
The moment he entered the hall, Zhao Changqiu saw Chen Sheng calmly sipping tea, his face betraying no anxiety whatsoever. He couldn’t help but exclaim in exasperation.
For the past two weeks, the rumors about Chen Sheng had been flying nonstop in G Camp. The most prevalent one was that he was just some lucky transfer from a county post, the implication being that he had no connections or backing whatsoever.
Zhao Changqiu knew these were Zhan Fusheng’s tactics. He had expected Chen Sheng to buckle under the pressure and go to Zhan Fusheng to try and smooth things over.
But to his surprise, Chen Sheng acted as if nothing was amiss, playing the long game, as if the turmoil outside had nothing to do with him.
This unnatural calm made Zhao Changqiu’s heart race. ’Have I misjudged him? Does Chen Sheng really have powerful backing? Or is he just putting on a brave face?’
It was precisely this uncertainty that had kept Zhao Changqiu neutral for the past two weeks.
But now, he couldn’t sit still any longer.
Because word on the street was that the appointment letter from the Jingwu Bureau Headquarters in the State City for G Camp’s Deputy Captain had already arrived in Ning’an Prefecture.
Barring any surprises, Zhan Fusheng was about to officially take command of G Camp.
It was only after hearing this news that he had rushed over in a panic, hoping to make one last attempt at reconciliation.
Once Zhan Fusheng was formally appointed, the die would be cast, and it would be too late.
"Oh?"
Chen Sheng looked up, a slight smile on his face, and poured a cup of hot tea for Zhao Changqiu. "Then in your opinion, Zhao, what should I be doing right now? Living in a constant state of panic?"
"You... You haven’t heard? The appointment letter from the State City has arrived."
Zhao Changqiu was in no mood for tea. He leaned closer and whispered a reminder.
"So, the appointment has been made."
Chen Sheng raised an eyebrow, then asked with a flicker of interest,
"So? Is it confirmed to be Zhan Fusheng?"
Zhao Changqiu first shook his head, then gave a helpless nod.
"It hasn’t been officially announced, but within G Camp, who can compete with him in terms of seniority, accomplishments, strength, and connections? Barring any surprises, the position is his, nine times out of ten."
"’Barring any surprises...’" ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
A meaningful smile played on Chen Sheng’s lips.
Seeing Chen Sheng’s expression, a thought struck Zhao Changqiu.
"Could there be a surprise?"
Chen Sheng narrowed his eyes but didn’t answer, asking instead,
"Zhao, what brings you here today?"
Zhao Changqiu sighed and said in a low, earnest voice,
"Chen, I know you’re young and proud and don’t want to bow your head. But at the end of the day, a higher rank is a crushing weight. I climbed my way up from the bottom too, so I know just how hard it is.
We both come from Humble Families; we should support each other. My point is simple: while the appointment isn’t official yet, we should... bow our heads for now. Avoid his opening gambit.
If Zhan Fusheng truly becomes a tyrant later on, it won’t be too late for us to team up. By then, you’ll have a foothold, and we might be able to contend with him. But if you stand up to him now, you know what they say: a new official lights three fires to make his mark. I’m afraid the first one will be aimed right at your head."
His words were tactful, but his core message was clear: a wise man knows when to yield. Backing down now might be their only chance.
Chen Sheng lifted his teacup and took a light sip. He then set it down firmly on the table with a crisp CLINK, looked up at Zhao Changqiu, his smile unwavering, and asked in return,
"Me? Avoid his opening gambit?"
"Yes, the circumstances are bigger than any one of us..." Zhao Changqiu didn’t get to finish before Xu Shenzhi’s voice cut him off from outside the door.
"Captain, an urgent order has arrived from the Jingwu Bureau. You and Peacekeeper Envoy Zhao are to proceed to the G Camp Government Office Hall for a meeting at once."
"Understood," Chen Sheng replied calmly.
Zhao Changqiu’s expression, however, changed instantly.
"This is bad. They must be announcing the appointment. Chen, even if you wanted to bow your head now, it’s probably too late. I suppose the only thing left to do is prepare a hefty gift to congratulate Zhan on his promotion."
Chen Sheng slowly rose to his feet. He walked calmly to Zhao Changqiu’s side, clapped him on the shoulder, and chuckled.
"Old Zhao, based on that sincere, heart-to-heart advice you just gave me... if you run into any trouble in G Camp in the future, don’t hesitate to come find me."
Zhao Changqiu was taken aback by these words and stared at Chen Sheng in astonishment.
"Chen... what do you mean by that?"
These were the exact same pleasantries he had offered Chen Sheng two weeks ago, now being served right back at him, but the flavor was distinctly different. ƒreewebɳovel.com
"It’s nothing. Let’s go."
Chen Sheng straightened his Peacekeeper Envoy robes, his tone casual.
"We shouldn’t keep our superiors waiting."
With that, he took the lead and strode out.
Zhao Changqiu watched his back—as steady as a mountain, as if he had everything under control. The feeling that something wasn’t quite right grew stronger in his heart. Filled with a sense of bewilderment, he quickly hurried to catch up.
...
「Inside the G Camp Government Office Hall.」
The atmosphere today was different from the norm, tinged with an unseen solemnity and anticipation.
When Lu Cheng arrived, his gaze quickly fell upon Zhan Fusheng, who sat in the seat of honor to the right, looking utterly self-satisfied. After a moment’s pause, Lu Cheng put on a smile, stepped forward, and clasped his hands in greeting.
"Zhan, it seems the dust will finally settle today. Allow me to be the first to offer my congratulations."
"Haha, Lu, you’re too kind."
Zhan Fusheng’s face was alight with a joy he couldn’t suppress. With a grand, high-spirited wave of his hand, he said, "I’ve already booked a private room at Fuyuan Pavilion for tonight. Lu, you must do me the honor of attending. We won’t go home until we’re drunk!"
"Of course, of course."
Lu Cheng agreed with a smile and took a seat just below Zhan Fusheng.
After a few more pleasantries, Lu Cheng changed the subject, asking casually,
"Zhan, I was wondering... are you planning to invite Peacekeeper Envoy Chen tonight?"
"Hm?"
Zhan Fusheng raised an eyebrow and shot Lu Cheng a sidelong glance. "What? Did that Chen fellow finally lose his nerve and send you to plead his case?"
"Not at all."
Lu Cheng quickly shook his head in denial. "It’s just that I feel we all serve in the same camp. If relations get too tense, it could hinder our official duties down the line. After all, we need to work together when we’re on a mission."
He said this mostly out of consideration for the overall interests of G Camp; excessive internal conflict wouldn’t benefit anyone.
Hearing this, Zhan Fusheng snorted, his tone dripping with undisguised arrogance.
"That will depend on whether he... knows what’s good for him and understands how things work!"
He had already made up his mind: if Chen Sheng was smart and presented a "congratulatory gift" sufficient to satisfy him, he might consider showing some leniency.
But if the man remained stubborn, then Zhan couldn’t be blamed for making an example of this "nail that sticks up" to establish his authority as the new man in charge.
Seeing this, Lu Cheng didn’t press the matter, sighing to himself.
’Peacekeeper Envoy Chen is, after all, a bit too young and proud.’
’He still doesn’t quite understand the unspoken rules of bureaucracy.’
Shortly after their conversation ended, the sound of salutes came from outside the door.
Chen Sheng and Zhao Changqiu had arrived.
At that thought, Lu Cheng’s gaze immediately shifted to Zhan Fusheng, but he saw that Zhan Fusheng’s eyes were slightly narrowed, his face impassive, clearly exuding an air of immense confidence.
He was seemingly waiting for Chen Sheng to bow his head in apology.
