Meat Rotting in the Pot

The soldier at the forefront saluted Li Ye before speaking.

"Hello, I'm Fan Tie, a special envoy from the Training Point's supervisory barracks. Thank you very much for your assistance; this was an error caused by our lack of preparedness. We'll take over from here and conduct a thorough investigation, so don't worry about the trial."

Fan Tie showed a helpless expression as he spoke.

Indeed, there was no need to worry.

The person in front of them had already finished the fight; worrying was useless now.

Li Ye glanced at them. There were only four people, and their Lightness Skill was good, but even better were the three behind them, all with rifles slung across their chests. In this Training Point, firearms were definitely more useful than martial arts.

It gave him a sense of security.

He pointed at the corpse of the Chameleon Lizard Demon. "Does killing this Chameleon Lizard Demon count towards my score?"

Fan Tie paused, then grabbed the collar of his shirt and spoke into the tiny camera on it. "Check on that."

Then, he said to Li Ye, "Student, rest assured, we have highly professional organizations. We will confirm what kind of demon you're referring to. As a student, what you need to do is..."

Before he could finish, Li Ye's phone rang. It was Section Chief Sun.

"Hello, Section Chief."

"Li Ye, there's information about a demon near your software's location. It's on Dragon Mountain. Can you confirm the situation? I'll give you contact information for the military. After you contact them..."

Without waiting for Sun Shun to finish, Li Ye chuckled. "Section Chief, the demon's corpse is right next to me. It's a Chameleon Lizard Demon. I suspect it came from the Dragon Mountain quarry. This will require further investigation."

Sun Shun clearly paused. "Dragon Mountain... Are you on a trial?"

"Yes, I'm on a trial, and the area is near the quarry. I can track it from my current position. The military personnel you mentioned are also here with me."

"Alright, then I know what to do. Thank you for your hard work."

Sun Shun hung up. Li Ye opened his internal software and looked at the latest message, which showed a drone's footage of the Chameleon Lizard Demon's corpse. He then said to Fan Tie, "So, as a trial student, does killing a demon outside the trial specifications count towards my score? Or is there an additional reward?"

Fan Tie stared blankly at Li Ye, seeming a bit slow to react. After a moment, he asked uncertainly, "Pest control?"

Li Ye saluted. "Li Ye, Level 3 Data Clerk."

"Good heavens!"

Fan Tie looked Li Ye up and down, shocked. "You? A student?"

A high school student at that.

How did he get into the Pest Control Bureau?

But then he looked at the Chameleon Lizard Demon, torn in half, and it made sense.

Being able to identify the demon at a glance meant his General Knowledge was definitely good, better than university graduates.

Coupled with this combat power, which was at least at the Break Through Realm stage...

It wasn't strange that he could get in, and he was only a Data Clerk.

"Oh my!"

Thinking of this, he slapped his thigh regretfully. "I thought it was a wild one, but I didn't expect it to be claimed already. What a shame, what a shame..."

Only then did he say, "Student Li Ye, demons of this out-of-spec nature do not fall within the scope of the trial. Points are determined by your school; we merely assist in calculation, so this definitely won't count. However, we will provide an additional reward, and it won't be too shabby."

"Can it be converted into points? I want Nutrient Solution," Li Ye asked.

Fan Tie blinked. "We can arrange for your school to transfer it to you; that shouldn't be a problem."

He glanced at the Chameleon Lizard Demon torn in half again, walked over, and kicked it a couple of times. "Still quite tough. You've got quite some strength. Which Gate did you go through?"

Li Ye replied, "Adamantine Gate."

"Ah!"

Fan Tie sighed again, looking at Li Ye for a moment. His eyes darted around, and he said, not giving up, "Um, you haven't signed a directional contract yet, have you? Would you like to sign one with us?"

"Directional contract?"

"Yes, we'll create a cultivation plan for you, including supplying your martial arts and cultivation resources. However, after graduation, you'll have to work for the military. Although you're in pest control, you're still a Data Clerk, right? Our military is a co-equal unit. The meat is still in the pot, it's all the same wherever it goes."

Li Ye shook his head. "I promised the Director of the Pest Control Bureau that I would go to the bureau after graduation. As you said, the meat is still in the pot; it's all the same."

Although he hadn't signed any contract, he was deeply indebted to Director Pan. The director was eagerly awaiting his graduation, and he couldn't disappoint him.

Fan Tie smiled, not surprised.

The Pest Control Bureau didn't have directional contracts, but that didn't stop individuals from finding suitable opportunities and cultivating talent.

Vroom.

The distinctive sound of an engine approached. Several all-terrain vehicles equipped with machine guns and rocket launchers appeared, escorted by a swarm of drones that seemed to be carrying ammunition.

As the vehicles stopped, several soldiers disembarked. One of them whispered something to Fan Tie. Fan Tie nodded and said to Li Ye, "Alright, we've received our orders. We've also received the information on the Chameleon Lizard Demon. Your bureau's opinion is for us to take over, so we'll handle it from here. We've also notified your team leader and will send you back now."

"Are there still demons at the quarry?" Li Ye asked.

If there were still demons around, he'd have to go take a look.

What if he encountered some kind of 'mountain god'? If it was truly a god, perhaps he'd have a chance to slay gods.

Authority was his fundamental skill.

"There should only be one case. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been discovered only now. But we still need to investigate further. As for the cause of these demons, we will thoroughly investigate. You two can go back and rest. How about this, let's exchange contact information. If you change your mind, you're welcome here anytime."

"Alright."

After Li Ye and Fan Tie exchanged contact information, a mountain bike took them away.

A soldier walked over and asked, "Battalion Commander, are you interested in him? Is this kid very strong?"

They hadn't seen Li Ye's performance on the surveillance footage earlier.

"I wouldn't say strong. I'd say remarkably strong."

Fan Tie kicked the demon corpse again. "He recognized it as a demon at a glance. His knowledge level is very high."

For this kind of demon, whose origin was unknown and uncommon, let alone a high school student, even a data clerk with excellent professional skills would need to verify it.

"And look at this hardness..."

He took out his handgun and shot the lizard's corpse. The bullet sparked as it hit the scales, only managing to chip the scales.

"Such a tough demon, and he tore it apart with his bare hands. His combat power is even higher. But fortunately, he wasn't signed by some company. He'll be one of us in the future."

The Pest Control Bureau also had positions within their ranks. If necessary, they could be directly transferred to become soldiers.

But there was nothing quite like nurturing someone yourself.

However, the current outcome was also acceptable. Usually, individuals with such potential would have been discovered and signed by those companies long ago.

But now that the Pest Control Bureau had taken notice, it saved them some trouble. From the conversation, it seemed the Director of the Pest Control Bureau himself had personally ordered this.

He knew the Director of the Ningjiang City Pest Control Bureau, Pan Zhengyang, who was known for his unconventional methods.

And for massacring entire families.