Inside the room.
Lei Xiong sat while Hong Ming stood with his hands at his sides.
The atmosphere was hushed. Only the sound of Lei Xiong leafing through the papers broke the silence, grating harshly on the ears.
The rustling stopped abruptly. Without raising his head, Lei Xiong asked coldly, "Didn't Qi Ruhai tell you about his situation?"
"No, but I know a little about it," Hong Ming replied, following the answer he had prepared.
Lei Xiong asked again, "Since you know, why did you still dare come to the River Office?"
"Because I wish to advance. As you surely know, sir, the River Bureau has no inherited methods for cultivating internal qi." Hong Ming already had an explanation ready.
This reason did not interest Lei Xiong. Every Water Soldier who wanted to come to the River Office felt the same.
Lei Xiong continued, "There's no issue with your identity or your strength. You've just entered transformation force and have also practiced an external martial art. It is indeed time for you to come to the River Office. If not for Qi Ruhai, that would be enough for you to stay here. But..."
After a pause, Lei Xiong said slowly, "There's a slight flaw in your entry quota."
"A flaw?" Hong Ming looked at Lei Xiong in confusion.
Lei Xiong asked meaningfully, "After all these years, do you think Qi Ruhai still has any entry quotas left?"
Hong Ming fell silent at once.
He understood what Lei Xiong meant. Qi Ruhai's quotas had probably long since been appropriated by other River Bureaus.
It was even possible that the River Office had canceled them outright!
They simply had not told Qi Ruhai, leaving him to believe he could still grant someone a place.
That meant the quota Hong Ming had received