All I Want Now Is to Make Progress

The next day, at dawn, when the first rays of sunlight blanketed the earth, a figure stood in the courtyard, iron staff in hand, training beneath the rising sun.

The wind of his staff roared like thunder. His body moved like a flood dragon, and every move and stance carried the bearing of a great master—a style that no longer existed in this age.

[Thousand Jin Staff Technique proficiency +1]

The Law Examination had ended.

He'd devoted the time he would have spent studying the law to training with his staff.

Every time his proficiency increased,

his strength grew a little.

Who knew how long had passed when hurried footsteps came with an excited shout.

"I passed! I passed!"

Zhao Er rushed in, practically bursting with excitement. "Brother, the Security Bureau has posted the results! Your name's on the list, and you ranked first with a high score!"

Anyone else would have thrown their head back and laughed at the news. But Lin Fan's expression remained calm, unruffled. Only after he swept his staff across in a move that could wipe out a thousand troops, kicking up dust from the ground, did he slowly lower it and exhale a hot breath.

"What else?" Lin Fan asked.

"We all report to the Security Bureau this afternoon."

"Mm. Go find me a staff. Help me train."

First place!

Just as he'd expected.

Think of all the effort he'd put in lately—rising earlier than a chicken, sleeping later than a dog. At the private school, he'd shut out the world and focused on listening to the teacher talk big.

Three months. A full three months!

He just wanted to ask:

Who could stand in his way?

Watching his carefully planned goals come true, one step at a time, brought him the greatest joy. A person had to have a plan; without one, nothing would work. Back when he was a nobody in Loyalty Hall, even when he could barely afford to eat, he'd scrimped and saved to attend private school and study the law. All for this day.

Entering the Security Bureau meant stepping onto another rung of the ladder.

It meant he was one step closer to finding his way onto the Martial Way.

That afternoon.

When Lin Fan appeared at the entrance to the Security Bureau, several people were already waiting. They hurried over to greet him.

"Master Lin."

"Master Lin, we'll be colleagues from now on. We hope you'll look after us."

He'd claimed one of the Security Bureau's five coveted positions. People of various backgrounds had taken the other four, but whatever their backgrounds, they all knew plenty about Lin Fan.

He was a rising star among Yong'an City's gangs, with a reputation that had left people astounded.

Whatever his status might be, the fact that he could fight was enough to make many fear him.

After all, setting aside how impressive your family might be, if you ran into him on the road one day and he decided to beat you up, it wouldn't matter how many people you had with you. No one could stop him.

"We'll all be colleagues from now on. Just call me by my name. I'm not worthy of being called Master Lin," Lin Fan said with a modest smile.

"Don't say that. Your battles at Cui Jing Tower and in the shantytown made you famous. Who in Yong'an City hasn't heard of you, Master Lin?"

Anyone who could get into the Security Bureau was sharp.

If they'd truly believed Lin Fan's modest words and called him by his name, they wouldn't have been standing here now.

While they chatted, a constable came out and gestured for them to follow.

After passing through several covered walkways, they were led to a secluded courtyard.

Someone had been waiting there for quite some time.

Lin Fan immediately recognized Song Qing and Yang Ming, along with the middle-aged man who had proctored their exam. The man stood in the place of honor, clearly someone of considerable standing in the Security Bureau.

Another man stood beside him. His face was stern, his gaze sharp as a torch. The moment they entered, he scrutinized them, paying especially hostile attention to Lin Fan.

Lin Fan met Song Qing's eyes and gave him a slight nod.

Once everyone had taken their places, Song Qing stepped forward and said solemnly:

"All of you have passed the Security Bureau's Law Examination. As of today, you are members of the Security Bureau."

The middle-aged man took over, his voice steady. "The Security Bureau bears great responsibility. I hope you'll all remember the law and act impartially. Any negligence will be severely punished."

Then he introduced Song Qing and the stern-faced man beside him.

"These two are Captain Song, Song Qing, and Headman Chen, Chen Xingzhi. You may choose which of them you want to work under."

Those who had passed the Security Bureau's examination had already made inquiries about how things worked there.

They knew the two headmen were polar opposites.

There was no chance of making a penny under Song Qing. What's more, Song Qing had offended plenty of people and was ostracized in the Security Bureau. When he used to organize arrests, he couldn't even get anyone to show up. Those who did come would quietly slack off.

Headman Chen was different. He had connections everywhere and was expected to rise to the rank of clerk.

The others soon made their choices. All four decisively chose Chen Xingzhi, leaving only Lin Fan. When he learned the man's surname was Chen, he'd already guessed that this might be the uncle Chen Liang had mentioned, the one who worked at the government office.

He hadn't expected him to be a headman.

As for why Chen Liang hadn't taken the Law Examination this time—

It seemed the incident at Cui Jing Tower had left him with a deep psychological scar.

With that in mind,

Lin Fan walked over to Song Qing and took his place beside him. His choice was clear: Captain Song.

"Mm."

The middle-aged man nodded. The candidates had made their own choices. It might seem unfair, but that was how things were. He couldn't be bothered to say more. After giving Song Qing and Chen Xingzhi a few instructions, he turned and left.

"We respectfully see you off, Steward Li."

Song Qing and Chen Xingzhi bowed.

Lin Fan and the others bowed as well.

So this man was a steward after all. Lin Fan wasn't sure why, but something about him struck him as odd. He seemed not to care much about the conflicts within the Security Bureau.

After Steward Li left, Yang Ming ran over to Lin Fan with a broad smile. "Brother Lin, we're colleagues from now on. If there's anything you don't understand, just ask me."

Lin Fan smiled. "Don't call me Brother anymore. You're an official constable now, while I'm still a rookie officer."

"No, absolutely not! You'll always be Brother Lin. Official or not, you're still the best in my eyes." Yang Ming wouldn't dare put on airs in front of Lin Fan.

Lin Fan was the one who made him feel safe.

He hadn't even gotten a firm grip on this thigh yet.

Lin Fan smiled and said nothing more.

Chen Xingzhi led his men away, but after only a few steps, he stopped and turned to Lin Fan. He seemed to smile, but his words were a warning. "Lin Fan, Master Lin? The Security Bureau is the Security Bureau. It's not some chaotic place like Loyalty Hall. Here, you need to understand the hierarchy and follow the rules. But don't worry. If you don't understand, you can learn as you go. Someone will teach you."

With that, he left.

The four newly recruited rookie officers glanced at Lin Fan. They knew they'd better keep their distance from him from now on.

That kid was going to have a hard time in the Security Bureau.

After Headman Chen left, Yang Ming grumbled, "What's he so smug about? That Chen fellow's no good."

The office.

It was like a company department, the place where Song Qing and Yang Ming handled cases. With Lin Fan joining them, the office had grown.

There were three of them now.

No longer just two lonely souls.

At that moment,

Lin Fan reached out and gently stroked the neatly folded constable uniform, as if he were caressing a woman.

He'd done it.

He'd finally made it this far.

At that moment, only one thought filled his mind.

"All I want now is to make progress."