I Cultivate in a Government Office

Chapter 162: Chapter 106: Director Zhang’s Reprimand

Yang Wenqing didn’t immediately begin a second attempt. He didn’t want to re-experience the mental fog brought on by his previous grueling training. His body and mind needed sufficient time to recover and adapt.

He dispelled the Array and dragged his exhausted body out of the Quiet Chamber. Leaning against the courtyard doorframe, he gazed up at the moon. This successful attempt had eased a great deal of the pressure on him. ’If I can quickly break through to the Fifth Refinement and earn the rank of Police Specialist ahead of schedule,’ he thought, ’some of my problems might just solve themselves.’

After standing there for a long while, he returned to his study and brewed a pot of fine tea for himself.

After the intense pain and utter exhaustion, a simple cup of tea was more soothing to his turbulent mind than any panacea. He savored it quietly, thinking of nothing, allowing his overwrought nerves to finally unwind.

Cultivation was about transcendence and refinement, but the simple pleasures of the mortal world—a bowl of tea, a bowl of rice—were his foundation. They were his solace, the very humanity that reminded him why he strived to move forward.

Once he finished his tea, Yang Wenqing returned to the Quiet Chamber. He began circulating the gentlest of his Qi Nourishing Formulas to mend his mental fatigue and allow his body to recover naturally.

As dawn broke, he rose as usual and went to the training ground in his backyard.

In the morning light, his Cyan Blade dagger became a streak of crimson fire and a mighty earth dragon as he practiced the final two forms of the *Jingzhe* technique until his movements were fluid and masterful. He then went on to inscribe over a dozen Rejuvenation Seal rune papers, only stopping when he felt a slight strain on his internal organs.

He then went to the dining room to enjoy breakfast with his younger siblings, listening to their amusing stories about school before leaving for work, fully energized.

He had just sat down behind his desk when Liu Qin burst in, her face etched with a rare tension and anxiety.

"Group Leader Yang..."

She lowered her voice, speaking in a rapid-fire whisper. "Word just came through back channels from Lingshan Town. Director Zhang went there on inspection. He publicly reprimanded Wu Yan and Liu Rong on the grounds of ’interfering with the construction of a key project and affecting regional stability.’ And he ordered them on the spot to cease all investigations and pull back to the County Bureau today."

Yang Wenqing was slightly surprised. ’Director Zhang is getting involved personally? And so directly?’ Once the news sank in, his face showed no trace of worry. Instead, a faint smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.

Just as he was about to ask for more details, the Communication Array on his desk flared with a blinding light. He shot Liu Qin a meaningful glance. She took the hint and backed out of the room, gently closing the door behind her.

Yang Wenqing then accepted the call.

"Yang Wenqing!" Director Zhang’s voice boomed like thunder, dripping with undisguised fury and condescension. "What the hell do you think you’re doing?! Who gave you the authority to have your people loitering in Lingshan Town for so long, conducting some so-called ’in-depth investigation’?!"

"Do you have any idea what Lingshan Town is? It’s the absolute top priority for the entire county’s future development! It’s a strategic project recognized by both the city and the province, and we can’t afford to lose a single day on the construction schedule! And what do you do? You send a few people to poke their noses around, getting the construction crews all on edge, disrupting the project’s progress. Even the planning committee has come crying to me!"

"Don’t think I don’t know what you’re plotting. Have you no regard for the bigger picture? Do you have any sense of discipline at all?"

"I’m telling you, if I find your people getting in the way and interfering with the overall project again, you can forget about being a deputy group leader!"

It was a complete verbal onslaught, with one heavy accusation piled on top of another.

Yang Wenqing listened impassively, sitting ramrod straight. He offered no defense, betrayed no emotion. Inside, however, his mind was reeling.

’Director Zhang stepping in personally can only mean one thing,’ he thought. ’The disappearances have touched upon a core interest, something he absolutely cannot allow to be exposed. It’s even possible that Director Zhang himself, or the Zhang family behind him, is deeply and inextricably involved in this.’

This was the last thing Yang Wenqing wanted to face. ’But on second thought, that doesn’t seem right,’ he reconsidered. ’The Zhang family would have no reason to do something like this. They probably want stability more than anyone. The Zhang family has no powerful Cultivators; their prosperity is entirely the result of shrewd social and political maneuvering. And that kind of influence requires one thing above all else: stability.’

’So what in the world has gotten into Director Zhang?’

’Is he really just worried about the project being delayed?’

"...Am I clear?!" Director Zhang hung up without waiting for a reply.

Silence returned to the office, broken only by the soft, unconscious tapping of Yang Wenqing’s fingers on the desktop.

He then shot to his feet and strode toward the door, saying in a low voice to Liu Qin, who was waiting outside, "I’m going to Director Gao’s office. If anyone looks for me, tell them I’m not in."

With that, he headed straight for the stairs, his pace swift yet steady.