I Cultivate in a Government Office

Chapter 240: Chapter 137: Inspection and Clan Affairs

"When was the last live-fire training session?"

"Last Wednesday!" Du Hong replied. "All of our patrol officers participated in batches. Here are the training records and assessment results." As he spoke, his secretary handed over a file.

Yang Wenqing nodded, placed the handgun back where it was, then walked over to the communications console to check if the emergency channel was clear.

The entire inspection lasted about twenty minutes. Yang Wenqing’s questions were detailed and his examination was rigorous, but his expression remained calm throughout, completely unreadable.

Finally, he returned to the main hall on the first floor and looked at Du Hong. "Let’s go to the mining district and inspect the Array Runes on-site."

"Of course."

Du Hong immediately arranged for a patrol Flying Shuttle.

Ten minutes later, the Flying Shuttle took to the sky, cruising at a low altitude along the edge of the sea. Yang Wenqing sat by a porthole, his gaze sweeping over the calm water.

"Let’s start with Monitoring Point One,"

he instructed.

The Flying Shuttle deftly changed course, hovering over a patch of sea far from the main shipping lanes. Du Hong walked to the shuttle’s hatch, formed a spell sign with his hands to activate the monitoring Array hidden beneath the surface, and a streak of light instantly shot across the water.

Yang Wenqing observed the maintenance status of the Array Runes at the various locations. He nodded only after confirming there were no issues.

The Flying Shuttle continued on, sequentially inspecting seven hidden monitoring points and four main maritime patrol check-in points. Yang Wenqing conducted a meticulous inspection at every stop.

After inspecting the final hidden monitoring tower at the northeast corner of the mining district, the Flying Shuttle started its journey back. Gazing out the window at the receding offshore platform, Yang Wenqing said:

"Chief Du, you should be aware of the general situation up north. Your station’s alert level will be raised by two tiers for the next month. If you’re short on personnel, file a report. If your equipment is outdated, file a report. But there can be no gaps in our defensive line."

Du Hong’s expression turned grave. "Rest assured, Director Yang," he pledged.

Yang Wenqing said nothing more.

A few minutes later, the Flying Shuttle touched down on the security station’s landing pad. Without another word, Yang Wenqing boarded his personal vehicle, ready to depart.

The hatch closed, and the deep-blue Flying Shuttle ascended gracefully into the sky.

In the rear cabin, Yang Wenqing pinched the bridge of his nose and instructed Yang Zhong in the driver’s seat, "Notify the head of each branch. We’re holding a meeting in the ancestral hall at eight o’clock tonight."

"Yes, Patriarch."

...

The rest of the inspection tour proceeded as planned. Every place he visited was in perfect order. The heads of each department were well-prepared, their reports concise, and for the few minor issues that came up, they immediately provided a deadline for resolution.

By the time he completed his rounds, it was already six in the evening. The Communication Array on his badge had lit up several times with invitations to various dinners, but Yang Wenqing refused them all, his tone polite yet firm.

The Flying Shuttle finally touched down on the private landing pad within the inner courtyard of the Yang’s Residence. At home, Aunt Zhou had already prepared a simple dinner: a bowl of millet porridge and two light side dishes. His younger brother was already home, once again practicing his cultivation in the backyard.

Yang Wenqing didn’t disturb his brother’s cultivation. He had a simple dinner, changed into a set of dark-gray casual clothes, and read some classic texts. As eight o’clock approached, he headed for the family’s ancestral hall behind the main mansion.

The ancestral hall was one of the first structures built within the Yang’s Residence. It was not large, but it was solemn and dignified.

Inside, the hall was already brightly lit. The seven summoned branch heads and the managers of the family’s various enterprises, sixteen people in total, had all arrived early and were conversing in hushed tones.

When Yang Wenqing stepped into the ancestral hall, all conversation came to an abrupt halt, and everyone rose to their feet.

"Sit." Yang Wenqing walked to the head seat, forgoing any pleasantries. His gaze swept over every face in the room, pausing for a moment on Yang Wenyuan, who had already reached the Qi Cultivation stage.

"I’ve called you all here this late to discuss an important matter." He cut straight to the chase, his voice ringing with exceptional clarity in the silent ancestral hall. "There’s been a development on the border of Mingbei City, and the situation may become volatile. The Yang family is now established in the New District, and our many enterprises make us a conspicuous target."

He paused, giving everyone a moment to digest the news before continuing. "Starting tomorrow, every branch will keep its younger members in check. They are to avoid causing trouble outside. All our enterprises, especially those related to the mining district and Energy Stones, must tighten their internal reviews. Be extra vigilant when dealing with outsiders. Stay far away from anything you shouldn’t touch and anything you shouldn’t accept."

His tone was calm, yet it carried an undeniable weight. "In extraordinary times, the entire family must be united and, more importantly, cautious. I will not have anyone, for the sake of some petty profit or out of a moment of foolishness, drag our whole family down into the mire. Do you understand?"

A solemn silence fell over the ancestral hall. Several of the older branch heads exchanged glances, each seeing the gravity in the others’ eyes. Yang Wenyuan was the first to respond, "Rest assured, Patriarch. We understand the gravity of the situation."

The others quickly voiced their assent.

Yang Wenqing nodded. "The three clan elders will stay. The rest of you are dismissed."

The three elders who remained were from Yang Wenqing’s grandfather’s generation: Yang Debai, Yang Desong, and Yang Dayan. All were over seventy years old. Though their Cultivation levels were unremarkable, they were seasoned veterans in managing the clan’s properties and mediating internal affairs, making them vital supporters of Yang Wenqing’s leadership.

As the doors of the ancestral hall closed, the great hall grew quiet.

The gentle expression on Yang Wenqing’s face vanished, replaced by a grave one. He then stood up, personally refilled the three elders’ cups with hot tea, and said:

"Grand-Uncles, with so many ears present just now, it was not the time to speak plainly. The situation in Mingbei City is no small matter. The border conflict is in danger of escalating. The higher-ups have already issued an internal alert, ordering all coastal and newly-developed territories to enter a state of heightened readiness."

The three elders’ expressions changed drastically upon hearing this.

"Wenqing, are you saying..." Yang Debai set down his teacup. "This storm will reach us all the way here in Lingshan?"

"It never hurts to be prepared." Yang Wenqing’s gaze was sharp. "The Yang family’s foundations are too shallow; we owe our current success entirely to the New District’s development. The last thing we can afford at a time like this is internal instability. What I said to the group was to set the rules, but rules are useless if they aren’t followed, and our own family must lead by example."

His tone turned chillingly severe. "For the foreseeable future, I’m having Wenyuan coordinate with Internal Affairs Inspection to increase covert surveillance of the clan’s younger generation, as well as anyone with close ties to our family businesses. If anyone dares to feign compliance while acting otherwise, can’t control their greed, or even colludes with unknown factions..."

Yang Wenqing didn’t finish, but the chill in his words sent a shiver down the three elders’ spines.

"Arrest who needs to be arrested, and lock up who needs to be locked up. There will be absolutely no mercy," he finally declared, his words resolute. "When that time comes, I must ask you three Grand-Uncles to understand, and not to come pleading on anyone’s behalf out of personal sentiment."

Yang Desong said solemnly, "Patriarch, rest assured. We old-timers aren’t that senile yet. If anyone dares to cause the family trouble at a time like this, you won’t have to lift a finger. We’ll break his legs first!"

Yang Wenqing nodded, his expression softening slightly as he shifted the topic to the clan’s assets. "This is also what I meant earlier when I mentioned internal audits for our enterprises. The books, the personnel, the business dealings—everything must be pristine. How much liquid cash do we have available in the family’s public accounts right now?"

Yang Dayan, who was in charge of finances, answered immediately, "After deducting next month’s payroll, procurement funds, and the reserved emergency fund, we have a surplus of about one million. The main issue is that the cultivation expenses for the clan’s younger members have been rising daily for the past two years. The monthly cost for Spiritual Medicine alone is a considerable expense."

Yang Wenqing’s expression remained neutral. He wasn’t asking because he was short on funds; he was doing it to maintain firm control over the flow of the family’s finances. He needed to prevent anyone from embezzling funds under the guise of business operations or becoming so powerful they could no longer be controlled. His own personal funds were in a separate account.

"Spend what is necessary on cultivation resources, but do not be wasteful." Yang Wenqing tapped the tabletop. "Resources must be distributed strictly according to our evaluation system. We can’t have everyone eating from the same pot. You three Grand-Uncles will need to review these expenditures regularly."

"Yes," the three elders replied in unison.

At this point, Yang Debai remembered something. "There is one other matter," he began. "That boy, Wenqi, has been at a junior level in the Civil Affairs Bureau for nearly seven years. His seniority and performance reviews are good enough for him to be considered for a deputy position in a town. Do you think the family should give him a push?"

Yang Wenqing pondered for a moment, then responded:

"We can arrange it, but on several conditions. First, have him write a formal statement of his intentions himself. Second, pulling strings is acceptable, but it must be done by the book so we don’t give anyone any leverage against us. Third, tell him this: the family can open the door for him, but he has to walk the path on his own. If he can’t produce results, he shouldn’t bother asking for anything next time."

"We will make that perfectly clear to him," Yang Debai hastily agreed.

They then discussed several other minor clan affairs, such as the arrangements for the ancestor veneration rites next month and the proper etiquette for interacting with allied families in the city. They finally concluded their meeting as the night deepened and the faint beat of the watchman’s drum echoed from outside the ancestral hall.

After seeing the three elders out, Yang Wenqing stood alone in the ancestral hall for a quiet moment. He gave a slight bow to the ancestral tablets before turning to leave.

Upon returning to his private courtyard, he saw that the Gathering Spirit Array in his brother Yang Wenjian’s room was still emitting a faint glow, a clear sign that he was still training hard. Yang Wenqing didn’t disturb him, heading straight for the Quiet Chamber in the rear courtyard—a space for his exclusive use—to prepare for his own cultivation.