Chen Xia's Yijiang City was actually quite large, and there were five Patrol Inspection Offices. The South District Patrol Inspection Office where he worked also oversaw a fairly broad area, generally handling public security within the city and some minor cases.
This was an era with foreign races, Exotic Beasts, Mercenary Groups of all sorts, and evil organizations, so the city was hardly peaceful. But when it came to conflicts between various factions, they generally stayed out of it.
They would only act if they received explicit orders from above.
People at the Patrol Inspection Office generally didn't stay in the office for long. They had to go out on patrol every so often, which served as a deterrent.
After everyone clocked in, most of them had driven out on patrol before long.
When Chen Xia arrived at the Patrol Inspection Office today, he noticed a crowd gathered at the southern end of the sprawling Parking Lot.
Few people usually lingered there, but at that moment, several teams had gathered around a young man. They chatted and mingled, looking very familiar with one another.
Chen Xia spotted Deputy Captain Yang Hua among them at a glance. He seemed to be practicing martial arts.
Still, Chen Xia headed toward the office building, with no intention of joining the crowd.
Just then, Zhang Feng spotted Chen Xia in the distance and walked over with a smile. "Chen Xia, look over there..."
"What is it?"
"Yang Hua from our team is teaching everyone saber techniques today."
"Saber techniques?"
"Yeah, the Bagua Wind Saber. I hear it's a Superior Grade martial skill. His family bought it for him while he was still in school. Apparently, it cost more than two hundred thousand!" Zhang Feng said enviously.
Chen Xia nodded, thinking that Yang Hua's family must be quite well-off.
Spending more than two hundred thousand just to buy a martial skill was beyond anything he could imagine.
In less prosperous areas, that much money could buy an entire house.
On the market, lower-grade techniques generally cost tens of thousands, middle-grade ones hundreds of thousands, and Superior Grade ones over a million.
Just then, Chen Xia suddenly thought of the Seven Injuries Fist he was practicing.
The Seven Injuries Fist was far more powerful than an ordinary Superior Grade technique. It was one of the few good techniques he had.
"Everyone, watch closely..."
At that moment, Yang Hua basked in the attention as he demonstrated a few saber techniques for the crowd.
Ever since joining the Patrol Inspection Office, everywhere he went, he'd heard nothing but praise and flattery.
It made him feel immensely pleased, enjoying the sense of superiority that came with being a deputy captain, a graduate of a prestigious university, and someone from a well-off family.
Today, he'd brought out the martial skill that had cost hundreds of thousands to show off and offer pointers, earning an especially warm reception from a group of veteran inspectors.
Even as inspectors, they could hardly imagine owning a martial skill worth hundreds of thousands.
Some veteran inspectors who rarely spoke with him were taking the opportunity to smile at him more today.
Besides, there was certainly an element of showing off in his saber practice.
Hmm?
But as Yang Hua demonstrated the techniques, he caught sight of Chen Xia out of the corner of his eye. Chen Xia walked straight into the office building, seemingly not the least bit interested in Yang Hua's well-meant martial arts instruction. Yang Hua couldn't help feeling a little surprised.
By rights, someone like Chen Xia, a low-level worker from a poor family, should have come over to learn a good martial skill and improve his strength. Was he really that high and mighty?
"Forget it. He's a deadbeat who doesn't want to improve. Why bother? He doesn't even know how to seize an opportunity..."
Yang Hua shook his head and continued chatting with the others.
Once his Inner Method advanced further, and he practiced the saber techniques more, he'd surely rise rapidly with the help of medicine. Before long, he'd break through to Official Team Member, and maybe even reach a higher rank. He really had no need to care about someone like Chen Xia, a low-level nobody.
"These saber techniques are pretty good!"
"Impressive..."
"Captain Yang, I hear you've already reached the Eighth Stage of Ningyuan. How much force can you punch with?" an inspector asked.
"Not bad. About 923 kilograms."
Yang Hua answered casually.
Hearing this, everyone was inwardly astounded. That figure put him at the Eighth Stage of Ningyuan.
At Yang Hua's rate of progress, it was practically certain he'd become a martial artist in the near future.
Tsk, tsk. Quite a few veteran inspectors present couldn't help sighing.
Some of them were already in their forties, yet they'd only reached the Seventh or Sixth Stage of Ningyuan.
Yang Hua had reached the Eighth Stage of Ningyuan straight out of university. His potential was on an entirely different level from theirs. He might even become one of the Patrol Inspection Office's higher-ups someday, which made it all the more important to build a good relationship with him.
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