A farce!
This was absolutely an absurd farce!
The applause from below the stage seemed to turn into a competition. The Dongren Faction and the Xiren Faction refused to yield to each other, and neither side was willing to stop first.
Uncle Dong stood frozen onstage, utterly dumbfounded. The members of the Winter Squad behind the stage, along with all the retired veteran Warriors who had come to teach, were equally bewildered, frozen in place.
W-what had happened?
No one knew what had happened.
Even Cheng Ye, the one who had started it all, was somewhat taken aback. But he kept his surprise completely hidden, showing nothing unusual that might give him away.
After a long while,
Uncle Dong bowed repeatedly, then hurried backstage in a panic. Only then did the applause gradually die down, bringing the farce to an end.
"Cheng Ye, do you already have some special connection with the Xiren?"
Li Maitai's face darkened as he gestured with his eyes toward Dario Haven.
He didn't believe for a second that Dario Haven was supporting an obscure Dongren Warrior just to liven up the Study Session.
"No. Don't make things up."
After sitting down, Cheng Ye immediately shook his head.
He didn't want people to misunderstand and think that he had joined the Xiren faction when he went to serve at North Station.
Besides, Dario Haven had seemed a little off when he came in. The look in his eyes had been unusually intense.
"Good. I don't want anything to do with people who've picked a side."
Li Maitai shrank his neck. He said that, but his body moved involuntarily farther away.
Huxue told him that he needed to keep his distance from Cheng Ye right now, lest he get caught in some unknown AOE.
Reality soon confirmed his premonition.
The Study Session had just ended, and they hadn't even announced that everyone could leave when a staff member walked straight over. "Inspector Cheng, Inspector Haven would like to speak with you about how to deal with Hydrophilic Infected. Do you have time?"
"Take me to him."
Cheng Ye gave a quiet acknowledgment, deciding to deal with whatever came his way.
Even now, he still didn't understand why the Xiren's attitude had changed. But instinct told him it wasn't a bad thing, and it didn't conflict with his original plan.
If he wanted to survive the struggle between the East and West Factions, the first thing he needed was enough strength to establish himself.
And he already had that strength.
He might not be at the very top, but he was certainly strong enough to protect himself. He was no longer a green Trainee Inspector.
With that strength, he could carry out his next plan.
Pick a side.
Li Maitai's Huxue might work for the others at the Checkpoint, but it definitely wouldn't work for him.
Before he knew what the two factions were fighting over, Cheng Ye had considered keeping out of it.
But once he realized they were fighting over a Transcendent Opportunity, he knew there was no way out. The East and West Factions were locked in a fight to the death.
Unless Halin was willing to give up this chance at Transcendent Baptism, which only came once every six years, and wait for another six years,
while risking Ding Yishan failing to awaken again, forcing the two of them to fight another round,
the East and West Factions would inevitably have to settle things this time.
"Taking the Dongren's side is the best choice, and it was my plan from the beginning."
"Taking the Xiren's side is too risky, so it's out of the question. But meeting with them will let Ding Yishan see how I've changed."
It was a risky move.
Cheng Ye might have hesitated earlier, but now he was eager to give it a try.
His strength had improved, and his courage had grown along with it.
He hadn't even gone to South Station yet, but he was already itching to put some pressure on Director Ding.
"But strength alone isn't enough to establish myself now. I'm missing an achievement weighty enough to matter."
"I need a Pledge of Allegiance to earn the faction's protection!"
Cheng Ye mulled it over as he continued walking.
He followed the staff member to the room next to the venue. To his surprise, the entire floor had been renovated overnight, inside and out.
A room originally used by performers to rest had been cleared out and turned into a reception room for the meeting.
He pushed the door open.
In the corner where costume racks had once stood, a silver-gray floor-standing air conditioner now hummed quietly. Cool air drifted from its white vent, keeping the summer heat outside.
Two dark gray fabric sofas were arranged in an L shape. The corners of the walnut coffee table between them had been sanded smooth and rounded.
Three White Porcelain Cups sat in a row on the tabletop, beside a Zisha Pot that sent up wisps of steam.
"Inspector Cheng, please sit."
Dario Haven gestured toward a seat, a perfectly measured smile on his face.
If you ignored the factional struggle, his manner would easily have won him anyone's favor.
Cheng Ye sat down on the sofa opposite him. Before he could speak, Dario lifted his hand and began pouring tea.
"I'm very fond of Dongren culture, especially its tea culture."
"You probably know that all the plants in Shi Province are constantly losing their qualities. These tea cakes were brought here through a series of trades from the Outer Province, so they count as luxury goods."
They really were luxurious.
The tea's delicate fragrance might not have stood out in the modern world.
But Cheng Ye had spent two months drinking bland Nutrient Paste. Now, with the crisp fragrance lingering around his nose, he felt as if his whole body had been soothed.
For a moment, he seemed to fall into a verdant tea field, greedily breathing in the fresh vitality of nature.
Amazing.
But the next second, Cheng Ye suddenly snapped back to himself. "This isn't ordinary tea, is it?"
"You guessed right. These tea leaves have been touched by Transcendent Aura."
Dario gave him an appreciative look, as if to say he knew his stuff, then explained, "Our Shi Province has a Transcendent Curse, and the other provinces aren't exempt either. But if some curses are put to good use, like 'Stones Falling Ill,' they can turn waste into treasure."
"Here, try some. It's a specialty of Sha Province: Cloud Mist Tea."
"Thank you."
Cheng Ye nodded and didn't stand on ceremony. He picked up a White Porcelain Cup and took a sip.
Hiss.
So crisp and refreshing. Was this how the upper class lived?
An indescribable coolness burst across his tongue, then spread through his taste buds.
It felt like he had eaten ten times the usual amount of Golden Throat Lozenge. Some of the chill rushed down his throat, while the rest seemed to escape through his seven apertures and spread into the air.
"Refreshing!"
The coolness that had seemed to pierce his lungs faded away.
Cheng Ye breathed out a puff of white vapor, like the cold mist that formed from the temperature difference in winter.
That was where the name Cloud Mist came from.
"Since you like it, I have another tea cake here that hasn't been brewed. Inspector Cheng, take it with you when you leave."
Dario reached beneath the table and pulled out a palm-sized Aluminum Foil Packet.
He unfolded one corner, revealing a pressed cake of vivid green tea.
"I invited you here today mainly so we could get acquainted. Station Chief Halin is very impressed by talented young people like you. He hopes you'll make more contributions at North Station, and he also hopes you'll do your part for Xingfu City."
Dario tapped the rim of his teacup with a fingertip, his smile carrying a hint of meaning. "My Defense Communicator identification code is 2217. If you run into trouble in the future, Inspector Cheng, I've never been stingy about helping people with talent like yours."
"Thank you."
The other man was signaling that the meeting was over. Cheng Ye thanked him once more, picked up the tea packet, and nodded before leaving.
This was bad. The man was a master at winning people over. His skill didn't seem much lower than Ding Yishan's.
After leaving the room, Cheng Ye was secretly alarmed.
If Dario had stated his purpose outright and forced him to pick a side, Cheng Ye could easily have asked to go back and think it over.
But Dario had deliberately adopted that unhurried manner, making it hard to refuse him. Cheng Ye hadn't even had a chance to say no.
Still, that was fine.
Cheng Ye rubbed the folds in the Aluminum Foil Packet with his fingertips. Since you weren't in a hurry, neither was he. They could see who lost patience first.
He didn't believe Ding Yishan would turn a blind eye to the commotion at the venue, followed by his meeting with Dario.
The door closed.
Dario drained the Cloud Mist Tea from his cup in one gulp, then quickly picked up the teapot and poured himself another cup.
He gulped it down like a cow chewing peonies. Only after the teapot was empty did he let out a long breath of tea-scented white vapor and slump back against the sofa.
But a closer look would have revealed a touch of pain on his face.
Cloud Mist Tea wasn't common at all. The cake Cheng Ye had taken was worth at least 50 Contribution Points.
Most importantly, Sha Province and Shi Province were far apart, and trading caravans weren't necessarily willing to make the trip even once a year.
Once a packet was gone, that was one less packet to drink!
"Station Chief."
Dario picked up his Defense Communicator and made a call.
"Have you met with him?"
"He's capable, and he can keep his composure. I don't know which idiot put together that earlier report, but it didn't match him at all."
"That's normal." Halin's soft laugh came through the communicator. "Neither Cheng Wu nor Cheng Long had Transcendent Genes, so neither of them could ever awaken an ability. But both were ruthless operators. They made enough enemies to circle Xingfu City. If their precious son hadn't been a 'good-for-nothing,' someone would have killed him already. How else would he have gotten the chance to come out and inherit the Inspector position?"
"Is there a chance he might not be able to awaken either?"
"Hard to say." Halin paused in thought. "Can we bring him over?"
"It'll be difficult!"
Dario spoke rapidly as he recounted their conversation.
The other end of the line fell silent for a long while before a voice finally came through. "Then keep an eye on him. Cheng Wu and Cheng Long still have people who feel indebted to them. It'll be a hassle if we make a move, so don't let him die at North Station. Wait until he's sent to South Station. Besides, the Inner City won't be easy to deal with, unless Ding Yishan is willing to protect him at all costs."
"All right."
The call ended.
A short while later,
The door opened, and a Xiren Inspector walked in and sat in the spot where Cheng Ye had been.
"My lord, I've made sure the Dongren know we met with Cheng Ye. Director Ding should find out soon too."
"Mm." Dario nodded slightly. "What's the deal between Li Maitai, that good-for-nothing, and Cheng Ye? Why are they so close?"
"He probably knows he can't keep coasting anymore. He'll have to pick a side after autumn, so he found a Dongren to latch onto early and put pressure on us, hoping we'll let him keep sitting on the fence. But he doesn't dare go too far, in case we overreact, so he could only pick a Trainee Inspector."
"Him, putting pressure on us?"
Dario scoffed, full of disdain. "Then leave him alone. For the next five days, I'll arrange for you to work with Cheng Ye. Keep a close eye on him. Don't let the Dongren get desperate and force us into a passive position."
"Understood, my lord."
The Xiren Inspector nodded, then hesitated before speaking. "But he's only a Trainee Inspector. Is he really worth—"
"He is. Of course he is."
Dario cut him off sharply. "Cheng Long left a lot of people indebted to him. His son can die anywhere, but he cannot die at our Xiren North Station and let Cloud Leopard Changyuan join forces to deal with me and take my Duty Station Chief position. Understood?!"
"Station Chief!"
"Mm."
"I've spoken with Liu Bi. The situation is pretty clear."
"Mm?"
"Cheng Long really was hiding his strength, and he hid it so well that he fooled everyone."
"Cheng Ye is completely different from what we know. He's ruthless, steady-minded, and someone who strives to push his individual limits. He has little interest in factional struggles. He knows nothing about the old grudges at the station, especially those from Cheng Wu's generation, and he isn't curious about them either."
"Are you sure?"
"Sure. Otherwise, why would the Inner City dump him on us to deal with?"
"Good. What about the benefits of choosing a side? Did you tell him?"
"I did. He doesn't object to taking sides. I think we can give it a try. Maybe he can carry the banner for the Checkpoint's younger generation, just like Cheng Long did back then. But the pressure from the Inner City—"
"Mm, I know. You don't need to worry about what happens next."
"What about the old debt from before?"
"Consider it settled. Also... I'm glad there are still people like you at the station who haven't forgotten their Chuxin Faction principles."
"Don't joke, Station Chief. I'm just an old slacker. What principles do I have? I just think that becoming someone's dog for the sake of becoming Transcendent would be a betrayal of everything our predecessors worked for."
On the theater's third floor, which hadn't yet been cleaned, Li Maitai ended the call. His gaze passed casually through a hole in the wall and landed on Cheng Ye as he walked out.
A flash of keen interest crossed his eyes, as if he had come across a rare treasure.
But the glint vanished in an instant, and his usual lazy, murky indifference returned.
Before you continue