Xuanqing Guard

Chapter 288: Chapter 288: Arrangements

Flying Dragon and the others were all stunned.

What does Lord Shen mean by this? How could Ma San and his men possibly have the ability to transport such large quantities of goods? Wouldn’t forcing them like this just drive Ma San away?

In the end, Wang Jian spoke up first, probing, "My lord, are you trying to force Ma San to expose his backers?"

Wang Jian had read the confessions of the three Snake Race members and the captured Pseudo-Evil Cultivators, and knew that there were Evil Cultivators supporting Ma San, as well as a group of mysterious figures who had long hidden themselves between the Evil Cultivators and the Barbarian Race. So he guessed Shen Hao’s move was probably meant to "draw the snake out of its hole"?

As soon as Wang Jian spoke, Zhang Lie next to him also immediately realized, nodding unconsciously. Only Flying Dragon seemed lost in the fog, not knowing about the undercurrent behind Ma San; he only knew what he was supposed to know, so he didn’t really understand either Shen Hao’s words just now or Wang Jian’s follow-up.

But Flying Dragon just grinned cheerfully, not minding one bit that he didn’t understand. He was happy to stay clueless—what’s wrong with drifting through the days? Knowing too much is rarely a good thing.

Shen Hao raised his wine cup, not denying Wang Jian’s guess, and continued, "When it comes to the grain, Wang Jian will take care of the arrangements for you. The total will be no less than fifty carts, but it can only be old grain. You can make that clear to Ma San—he can take it or leave it. You may press him for his attitude, and inflate the price as much as you like. In any case, just remember one thing: you can push him, but you must grasp the measure and observe his reaction at all times."

Shen Hao then looked at Zhang Lie and said, "In the meantime, arrange for some trusted people to strengthen protection for Flying Dragon and his family, just in case."

Zhang Lie got up and cupped his fists in acknowledgment. This actually made Flying Dragon a bit nervous. He knew Ma San must be involved in something serious, but didn’t expect so many precautions would be needed.

"So, my lord, should I send my wife and kids back to my hometown to lay low?" Hometown was Flying Dragon’s fallback. Whenever he was unsure what might happen, he liked to send his wife and children away to weather the storm.

But Shen Hao shook his head, "You can’t really avoid those people. If something really happens, even hiding in the cellar won’t help. Only with Zhang Lie increasing your security detail will you be safest." fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

"Yes, yes, I’ll follow your arrangements, my lord."

"Also, Wang Jian, your Four Divisions need to get moving as well. Send Little Ghost and Ghost Gate in first; Judge and Impermanence can wait a bit, but don’t drag it out too long. For manpower, you’ll need to find your own ways—I can only support you with funds and resources."

Wang Jian didn’t dare expect Shen Hao to handle every detail for him. With funds and resources, he could recruit or train people himself—it would just be a bit more trouble.

"Please rest assured, my lord, I won’t let you down."

Shen Hao lifted his cup, saluting everyone present, then smiled and said, "Wang Jian, I’ve already submitted the paperwork for your promotion. Vice Thousand Households Tang, who is temporarily acting as Chief Officer, has already given approval. I expect your new appointment will come down within a few days. But your position won’t change, only your official rank will be raised."

Wang Jian hadn’t expected the topic to suddenly shift to himself, especially such good news he’d been anticipating. He immediately leaped to his feet, so flustered he even knocked over his chopsticks.

"Thank you very much for your support, my lord!"

The usually eloquent Wang Jian could only get out that line—he was simply too excited. He had been a Junior Seventh Grade, but once the appointment came through, he’d be a Senior Seventh Grade, the same as a Flag Officer. And he was still so young—even younger than Shen Hao. This kind of starting point would make countless others envious.

Flying Dragon was the best at enlivening the atmosphere. After all, whether Wang Jian was promoted or not made no difference to him, so flattering congratulations cost him nothing; he poured wine and toasted Wang Jian, freely throwing out compliments.

Zhang Lie, however, looked a little complicated. On one hand, he thought well of Wang Jian, knowing that while young, he was hardly lacking in ability, and with a boss like Shen Hao supporting him, promotion was basically inevitable after accomplishing something. But looking at himself, ever since becoming a Secret Agent, even though he was with Xuanqing Guard, he couldn’t enjoy this sense of accomplishment like Wang Jian could.

Shen Hao, sitting by, naturally noticed Zhang Lie’s mood, and smiled, "Brother Zhang Lie, why so conflicted? Wang Jian’s merit is equal to yours. He stands out because of his status, but there’s no need to worry—Xuanqing Guard is strict about rewarding merit. What’s due to you will not be forgotten."

He gestured, "Here, take a look at this."

Speaking, Shen Hao took a document from his Storage Bag and placed it in front of Zhang Lie, signaling him to read it first. fгeewebnovёl.com

Zhang Lie was curious, not understanding what Shen Hao meant. Even if Xuanqing Guard was strict in rewards and punishments, so what? Now that he was a Secret Agent, it was for life—he’d never be able to come into the open again; "glory" was no longer with him. Was there really any remedy for that?

But after reading just a few lines, Zhang Lie’s eyes widened, and he jerked his head up to look at Shen Hao at the head of the table, clearly questioning him.

"No need to doubt, this is already going through procedures—it will be finalized in a month at most. You can go ahead and tell your brothers privately and set their minds at ease."

Noting Shen Hao’s assurance, Zhang Lie was convinced. With a bang, he dropped to one knee and loudly expressed his gratitude.

Zhang Lie’s serious reaction aroused the curiosity of Wang Jian and Flying Dragon. What could possibly make someone as stoic as Zhang Lie so emotional? But since Shen Hao didn’t say, the two dared not ask.

Only Zhang Lie knew the true weight of the document in his hands. He carefully folded it up and prepared to explain it well to the Xuanqing Guard brothers he’d brought with him.

It was simple: this document was a pilot plan for merit transfer.

Secret Agents were nothing new in the Jingjiu Dynasty. Not only had the Xuanqing Guard always had Secret Agents—even the Military had them from early on, and there were similar covert agents in the Government Office as well.

But very few people paid attention to Secret Agents’ psychological well-being or their welfare. Once made a Secret Agent, the original organization often "froze" them; even if tremendous merit was accomplished, only monetary or material rewards were given, leaving psychological needs completely ignored.

It’s never easy to live a double life—especially for Secret Agents walking the grey areas for years; they need strong mental support to endure, or they’ll drive themselves crazy sooner or later.

This merit transfer plan was Shen Hao’s doing—a project he’d been pushing for some time, revised several times before gaining Jiang Cheng’s approval. At the moment, it was being trialed only within Black Water Plan.

Simply put, the plan’s core is that after a Secret Agent accomplishes something, the merit and reward due to them can be transferred to their family—be that children or siblings—as long as the agent agrees and Xuanqing Guard approves. The process of merit transfer wouldn’t be direct but handled covertly and indirectly.

Specific details would be further adjusted during implementation. But whatever the case, for undercover Xuanqing Guard Secret Agents like Zhang Lie, it was fantastic news, and a real warmth: someone still cared about their welfare.