I Cultivate in a Government Office

Chapter 105: Chapter 86: The Deputy Group Leader’s Authority

But on second thought, he understood. Vice Director Gao also supervised the Operations Section and the Public Security Section, so his actual office was on the top floor as well.

Just then, as if remembering something, Vice Director Gao’s tone relaxed. "Wang Ren officially starts as Section Chief of the General Affairs Section today, and Jianchao and Xiao Liang’s promotions are also finalized. They’ve booked a table for lunch at the Joy Pavilion in East City. It’s ostensibly a send-off for Wang Ren, but it’s also to celebrate your promotion and a chance for everyone to get together."

"I’ve still got things to do here, so I won’t be going. Congratulate them for me."

Yang Wenqing immediately replied, "Yes, Vice Director Gao. I’ll be there on time."

"Good. Let’s leave it at that for now. Familiarize yourself with your work, and contact me directly if you have any questions." Vice Director Gao stood up and walked out of the office with Yang Wenqing. He then strode quickly toward the stairwell, clearly more concerned with the Zhenyuan Mining case.

Watching Vice Director Gao’s figure disappear around the bend in the stairs, Yang Wenqing finally turned his gaze to his "new office" across the hall, which was bustling with activity.

Several civilian officers from the General Affairs Section were working swiftly. They had already cleared out all the old, stacked archive boxes and miscellaneous clutter. Now they were installing an octagonal metal plate on the wall. It had an archaic design, its surface covered in a dense network of flowing, silver-white runes. ’This is most likely the device that connects to the City Defense Bureau’s internal network!’

Yang Wenqing didn’t go in to disturb them right away. Instead, he turned and walked toward the Third Squad’s office at the other end of the hallway.

He pushed open the door. Liu Qin, Zhao Qin, and Qian You were all there.

The moment they saw Yang Wenqing walk in, the three of them shot up from their seats reflexively.

"Team Leader!"

The three of them spoke in unison, their voices louder than usual.

Yang Wenqing walked to his desk, his gaze sweeping over the three of them. A calm smile appeared on his face as he gestured downward with his hand. "Everyone, sit down. No need to be so tense."

After the three sat back down, looking a little awkward, Yang Wenqing spoke again. "The structure of the Third Squad will remain unchanged. I’ll continue to serve as its captain. You’ll all keep doing what you were doing before."

The three of them visibly breathed a sigh of relief. For them, being able to continue working steadily under a rising star like Yang Wenqing, who clearly had a boundless future, was undoubtedly the best possible outcome.

"However..."

Yang Wenqing’s tone shifted, becoming more serious. "I might not be able to personally oversee every single matter in the squad like I used to. You’ll need to be more proactive. Discuss cases you’re unsure about among yourselves, or you can report them directly to me."

"Yes, Team Leader! We’ll be sure to work hard!" the three replied hurriedly. This time, their voices held a new sense of steadfastness and drive.

After offering a few words of encouragement and assigning some routine tasks, Yang Wenqing left the Third Squad’s office. He didn’t return to his new office, which was still being set up, but instead headed for the archives.

The archives were also across from Vice Director Gao’s office, taking up most of the space between the stairwell and the Vice Director’s door.

An old officer stood guard inside the records room. His surname was Chen, and he was said to have guarded the archives for over forty years. As Yang Wenqing approached, his slightly cloudy eyes flickered upward.

Yang Wenqing presented his new badge. Old Chen took out a detection-type Magical Artifact that resembled a Compass and scanned it. After confirming Yang Wenqing’s access level was correct, he extended a bony finger and pressed a few times on a complex, recessed sequence of runes next to the metal door.

CLICK... CREAAAK...

The heavy metal door slid slowly inward, revealing a long corridor. Both sides of the corridor were lined with metal cabinets containing all sorts of files. The air was filled with a peculiar smell—a mixture of old paper and some kind of preservative incense. There was also an extremely faint yet ubiquitous fluctuation of Spiritual Qi, the sign of an active Array meant to protect the files and detect intruders.

Yang Wenqing wasn’t a complete stranger to this place; he had often come here to check out case files for study. Today, however, his new level of authority allowed him to venture deeper inside.

He walked down the corridor, passing row after row of giant shelves categorized by year and case type. They were piled high with records inscribed on special Rune Paper or jade slips.

The deeper he went, the more exquisite the materials of the shelves became, and the protective runes engraved on them grew increasingly complex.

Finally, he reached the end of the corridor.

There were no shelves here, only a wall of dark silver metal with no visible seams. Its surface was covered in extremely fine and precise grooved patterns, within which a liquid Spiritual Light seemed to flow slowly.

In the very center of the wall was a large circular area, about two meters in diameter. This area was an intricate, three-dimensional pattern formed by countless metal threads as fine as hair, interwoven and inlaid with thin sheets of Spirit Jade containing runes. The pattern was so complex it was dizzying to behold.

At first glance, the pattern looked like a profound, evolving Array of nested layers. On closer inspection, it resembled a cross-section of a precision machine. Faintly, it also exuded a non-human and cold sense of perception.

As Yang Wenqing came within three meters of the wall, all the metal threads and Spirit Jade sheets in the center of the circular area lit up simultaneously. Streams of dark gold and milky white Spiritual Light intertwined and surged, ultimately forming a face on the wall’s surface—a face made of light, shadow, and physical runes.

The face was an abstract fusion of tortoise shell patterns and the imagery of precision gears. It had no eyes, but two constantly rotating and shifting vortexes of runes at its center seemed capable of seeing through everything. It had no mouth, but the Spiritual Power fluctuations of the entire face formed a silent inquiry and scrutiny.

It was both a mechanical puppet guarding the final core of the archives and a super-device that fused ancient cultivation rune technology with modern mechanical principles.

Then, Yang Wenqing felt an invisible field of Spiritual Qi envelop him. At the same time, the Vice-Team Leader badge at his waist automatically began to emit a Spiritual Light that resonated with the field.

"Identity verified: Yang Wenqing, Vice-Team Leader, Major Case Team. Access Level: B-4, limited to the Qianjiao County City Defense Bureau. Please state the purpose of your visit."

A neutral, synthetic voice resounded directly in Yang Wenqing’s mind. It was the Array Spirit, communicating with him telepathically.

Yang Wenqing’s mind sharpened, but he did not immediately state the purpose of his visit.

’The joy of his promotion and the tangible feeling of power settled within him, replaced by a heavy sense of clarity. He now possessed a door to countless secrets, but opening it blindly before he knew what he truly needed—what his goals were—would not be a wise move.’

He had only come to confirm his new access level and to feel the weight of this new responsibility.

"No specific target for this visit. I am only confirming my access permissions," Yang Wenqing replied calmly through his consciousness.

"Access confirmation valid!"

The Array Spirit’s voice was as flat as before. The giant face of light and shadow slowly faded away, and the Spiritual Light and metallic flows on the wall subsided, returning it to its former state as a cold, mysterious metal wall.

Yang Wenqing stood in place, gazing silently at the wall for another moment before turning around. He then walked back down the corridor he had come from, his pace unhurried.

Stepping out from behind the heavy metal door of the archives and back into the somewhat empty corridor, Yang Wenqing had just straightened his collar when he saw a familiar figure standing at the entrance to his new, still-being-furnished office, peering inside.

It was Wang Ren.

"Wenqing! I was looking for you!"

Wang Ren, wearing his usual hearty smile, saw Yang Wenqing emerge from the archives and hurried over to greet him. He had changed into a set of dark gray casual clothes.

"Director Wang... oh, I should call you Section Chief Wang now," Yang Wenqing said with a smile. "Did you need me for something?"

"What’s this ’Section Chief’ nonsense? When we’re not on the clock, just call me Brother Wang, or Old Bro is fine too," Wang Ren said, waving his hand dismissively and patting Yang Wenqing’s shoulder warmly.

"Of course I’m here to celebrate with you! Jianchao and Xiao Liang are already waiting at the Joy Pavilion. Come on, come on, my Flying Shuttle is downstairs. We can head straight over."

Hearing this, Yang Wenqing didn’t refuse. He smiled and said, "Then I’ll have to trouble you, Brother Wang."

The two of them chatted and laughed as they walked downstairs side by side. The colleagues they passed along the way became even more respectful upon seeing these two newly promoted men of authority walking together.

Yang Wenqing could feel that as his status changed, the gazes and the atmosphere around him had indeed subtly shifted.

Arriving at the small Flying Shuttle landing pad in the sub-bureau’s rear courtyard, Wang Ren led Yang Wenqing to his personal vehicle. After boarding the shuttle, Yang Wenqing subconsciously sized it up. When he had first joined the East City Public Security Office, he had been captivated by this very Flying Shuttle in the courtyard.

’Back then, he’d wondered what the inside of this Flying Shuttle looked like. He never expected to see its true face like this. It felt rather surreal.’

It was an indescribable feeling. He leaned back into the soft leather seat, feeling the subtle vibrations beneath him and watching the scenery flash by outside the window. A smile unknowingly crept onto his face.

PS: There’s more to come tonight.