Earning Merit and Promotion (Second Update)

"...So, you're saying that using the Ring I gave you, you ambushed the Villain who was about to attack Teacher Yuan and defeated him?"

Carrying a silver-white metal briefcase in one hand, on which faint traces of blood could still be seen, and carefully examining a letter covered in Scarlet Blood Script with the other, Section Chief Liu's expression was full of bewilderment.

"Yes, that's right."

Bai Zhou nodded, "I had a stomachache, so I asked for directions to the infirmary to see the Doctor."

"I didn't expect..."

He described the tense scene at the time:

"I only had enough time to break through the window and shout at him to draw his attention, and while doing so, I fired this poison needle."

"It's all thanks to this Ring! Section Chief, I was terrified at the time."

As he spoke, Bai Zhou waved the rusty, broken Bench Leg in his hand, showing lingering fear.

"If I didn't have that super Ring, I would have had to use this to deal with him!"

"..."

Section Chief Liu glanced at the iron Bench Leg in Bai Zhou's hand and fell into an unusually long silence.

By relying on a Ring and a sneak attack, he killed a member of the Blood Worship Cult, saved his colleagues and two civilians, and obtained vital intelligence to perform a great service?

He wouldn't even dare to dream of such a thing.

But the facts were right before his eyes, and he had no choice but to believe them.

"...You've worked hard!"

Section Chief Liu took a deep breath, his tone gradually rising, "--Bai Zhou, you saved us all!"

"If you calculate the time, it was exactly when you killed this Villain that the 'Envoy' he created vanished."

"Otherwise, we wouldn't all be standing here safe and sound..."

Recalling how difficult the Schoolbag Monster had been to deal with, he felt a wave of lingering fear, looking at the wretched corpse on the ground with wariness and hatred, "Without a doubt, he was a very powerful and exceptionally sinister member of the Blood Worship Cult!"

Fortunately, a novice can overcome a Master.

A righteous and reckless Youth is often the one most capable of catching such a sinister old dog lurking in the shadows off guard.

Section Chief Liu had completely understood everything.

"You are a Hero!"

"And you have brought vital intelligence to our base."

"--In a sense, you have even saved our entire base!"

Raising the Blood Worship Cult letter in his hand, Section Chief Liu breathed heavily, unable to contain his excitement.

"This is extremely important information; we must return immediately to report it to the Major and Deputy Han!"

"You have performed such a great service that the Major will surely reward you handsomely!"

"A promotion is certain."

"Perhaps I am about to witness a new branch record for the fastest promotion to P2!"

His voice paused there, and Section Chief Liu looked at Bai Zhou, his gaze complex yet earnest as he said:

"But this is what you deserve."

"Bai Zhou, you were born to be part of the Special Management Department; the heights you will reach in the future... are perhaps beyond my imagination."

This was actually a bit of an exaggeration.

But apart from Bai Zhou waving his hands and shaking his head, no other Commissioner raised any objections.

Because having seen so many mysterious things within the Special Management Department, they all believed, to some extent, in the existence of "fate."

For the vast majority of people, equality is not just empty talk.

But a small portion of people are simply not like that.

Some individuals are born with unique talents in the Mystic World, possess experiences from the very beginning that others cannot imagine, and are always able to create "miracles" that seem impossible.

Just like the test at the High Platform back then; in front of the Legacy of Blood Thirst, out of so many people in Evening City, only Bai Zhou passed the selection.

It is the same now; behind the various coincidences that one cannot help but believe in, Perhaps it is the meticulous arrangement of "fate."

The debut of someone extraordinary, of course, cannot be set off by ordinary roles.

Unintentionally, they had all become the audience and Supporting Roles in a stage play.

Therefore, people like him are destined to be different, born to trample fate beneath their feet.

Even if they stand with the crowd for a time, appearing no different, one can still see their brilliance shining through.

The idol of the entire Branch 36, that Major, was exactly such an existence.

And now—

Section Chief Liu felt that, perhaps, just maybe...

Was Bai Zhou also that kind of person?

With matters having developed to this point, the vacation was impossible to continue.

The school received an immediate notice to close, citing a severe Gas Leak as the reason.

A crowd of Parents rushed over in a panic to pick up their Children, while only the students were overjoyed.

In a place where no one was paying attention, an ambulance carrying Teacher Xiao Yuan and Liu Huahua drove out of the school.

Specialists took over the scene, and once the news was relayed back, even the Major was alarmed.

He immediately ordered Section Chief Liu and the others to maintain strict confidentiality and commanded him to return to the Special Management Department at once to report the specific situation.

On the drive back, Bai Zhou was still sitting in the passenger seat of that Maserati MC20, but Section Chief Liu was uncharacteristically silent.

It was a pity; there was definitely no hope of obtaining the Dead Sea Scrolls now.

Not to mention that he hadn't even figured out where Dongxing Road was, Bai Zhou simply hadn't had the chance to slip out of Section Chief Liu's sight.

Perhaps he would just have to wait until the next time he got out.

Once he successfully received a promotion and no one was watching him anymore, the opportunities to acquire the Dead Sea Scrolls would naturally increase significantly.

...However, come to think of it, This piece of vital intelligence concerned the entire base; it was undoubtedly a great merit.

A promotion to P2 was certainly no problem, but was there a chance to touch P3?

If he could reach P3, he would have the opportunity to study the special new Last Will on the Crown...

"Bai Zhou."

The sports car's engine hummed in a low drone.

After a long while, just as they were about to turn onto the street leading to the base entrance, the long-silent Section Chief Liu suddenly spoke.

"Thanks."

"If it weren't for you, my daughter..."

As he spoke, he wore an expression of extreme self-reproach.

If he had been able to discover the problems Liu Huahua was facing sooner, how could things have reached this point?

Furthermore, if it weren't for the fact that he had no time to pick up or drop off his child, and had sent her to the best boarding school in Tinghai, how could such a thing have happened?

Was it not a lack of care on his part?

But what else could he do...

Commissioners of the Special Management Department were just like this; they dealt with mysterious objects, lived under militarized management, and couldn't leave the base at all.

Only during holidays could a family happily gather together.

—Just like the life others lived every day, a life they had grown tired of.

The child could not be exposed to these things; if he wanted to give her the life of a normal person, this was the only way...

But was a child growing up in an environment lacking the love of a father and mother truly the "normal person" he wanted to see?

As a Commissioner, as a superior, he was qualified.

But as a Parent, he was far from enough.

This time, if not for Bai Zhou, he would have regretted it for the rest of his life.

But it would have been a futile regret...

"I owe you a favor."

Section Chief Liu did not intend to dwell on his own topic for too long.

He proactively ended the conversation, turning instead to matters after their return:

"This time, saving our entire team alone is enough for me to request a commendation for you and an early promotion to P2."

"But with this important intelligence added, a mere promotion to P2 is certainly not enough."

"When I report the situation, I will definitely fight to get you more..."

As he spoke, Section Chief Liu's eyes became firm, as if he had made up his mind.

"No matter what, I will secure enough benefits for you; even if I have to take it up with the Major, I have my arguments!"

"Our Major has never been stingy with those who have rendered meritorious service; the resistance should only come from below."

"But... it's not like I don't have backing of my own!"

Bai Zhou's heart skipped a beat, and then he heard Section Chief Liu continue his earnest analysis—

"I'll go pull some strings for you over the next two days."

"There's a chance you could be promoted directly to a P3 Sector Supervisor and gain the qualifications to apply for a potion!"

The entrance to the base, the Oddities General Store, was right before their eyes.

Looking up, one could see the massive neon sign that read, "Tinghai Welcome You."

The car slowed down gradually.

"Last time, I said I'd teach you how to use a gun once you promoted to P2."

"Who would have thought? In the blink of an eye..."

"Heh!"

Slowly turning the steering wheel, Section Chief Liu clicked his tongue, feeling a sense of sentimentality.

"I'll be waiting to witness the day you promote to an Extraordinary and the entire upper management throws a celebration for you!"

The Maserati pulled into the garage opposite the general store.

Watching him change into his Commissioner uniform inside the garage, Bai Zhou finally understood how he managed to transform into a completely different person in the blink of an eye during the day...

Adjusting his collar and picking up his thermos again, the familiar Section Chief Liu was back.

Upon returning to the base, Bai Zhou headed straight for the dormitory, while Section Chief Liu hurried off to report to the Major without a moment's rest.

Bai Zhou had brought back a poster on his way home.

By now, the walls of his dormitory were covered in colorful posters.

Movies, anime, celebrities—he had it all, all brought back one or two at a time every day.

It wasn't that he liked these things; he didn't even recognize who they were...

It was just that the slash and burn marks left on the wall while practicing his blade were too obvious.

If someone saw them, they might think he was a violent psychopath who stayed up all night dismantling bench legs to hack at the walls.

If that happened, forget about a promotion...

He'd likely be dragged off to the hospital by a group of burly men the next day to be treated, joining his fellow Evening City townsfolk.

The next day.

Bai Zhou met with the hurried Section Chief Liu.

He learned from him that his promotion was already being processed, and he would know the specifics in a day or two.

Section Chief Liu had a mysterious expression and wouldn't explain clearly, only saying he wanted to give him a surprise.

At the same time, the entire base had become busy.

Because at this very moment, the time remaining until the "catastrophic invasion" by the Blood Worship Cult...

was three days.

The value of that intelligence was beyond doubt.

According to Section Chief Liu, the Major had decided to play along and lure the Blood Worship Cult into a trap.

--Without a doubt, it would be a bloody battle that concerned everyone.

Some would distinguish themselves and earn merit, but many more would die.

To prepare for the coming war, everyone was making their own arrangements.

Many were secretly writing their last wills, and the atmosphere throughout the base was exceptionally oppressive.

Only that group of White Coat researchers, who didn't seem quite right in the head, continued their morning and evening calisthenics.

Naturally, Bai Zhou was also preparing for the massive crisis arriving in three days.

Or rather, he had actually been preparing for this day all along; now that the news was truly confirmed, he felt a subtle sense of relief.

It was like a shoe that had been dangling precariously, finally hitting the floor.

It was just that he hadn't expected this day to arrive so quickly.

For this reason, Ya had specifically shortened the special training sessions.

Today was the final day of training.

All the sweat and hard work would bear fruit today.

...That night, after finishing his day's work as a maintenance worker, Bai Zhou prepared to return to his dormitory to welcome his final lesson.

Specifically, it was to achieve the sublimation of the "Body" and complete the ultimate leap toward extraordinary evolution.

--To completely finish the promotion along the "Adventurer" path.