The Public Security Office was no different from before. The same people still came and went, yet when Yang Wenqing stepped inside today, he felt something different. It was the innate pride buried within human nature stirring up trouble.
Fortunately, Yang Wenqing retained the memories of his past life, allowing him to easily rein in those unnecessary emotions. The moment he entered the rear courtyard, he saw the station chief's secretary, dressed in an advanced security uniform, walking toward him from outside the station chief's office at the center.
"Yang Wenqing!"
The secretary spoke to Yang Wenqing politely. "The station chief's attendant specifically came to my house last night to tell me to come to the office early and wait for you. He said the station chief had something to discuss with you."
As he spoke, he made an inviting gesture.
Yang Wenqing nodded silently. He had only entered the station chief's office once before, when he had first been assigned to the East City Public Security Station. It was just as he remembered: the reception room was immediately inside the entrance, with a pair of wooden double doors at the far end. The secretary's office was on the left, the meeting room on the right, and the meeting room connected to the station chief's office. Back when he had reported for duty, the station chief had met him in that very meeting room.
This time, the secretary once again led Yang Wenqing into the meeting room. The instant he entered, Yang Wenqing felt a wave of warmth—comforting, yet not dry.
"The station chief may need a little while longer. Wait here for now."
The secretary casually pointed at a single-seat sofa, then backed toward the door. Upon reaching it, he turned around again and pointed to the water dispenser by the entrance. "If you want some water, there are paper cups underneath."
Yang Wenqing nodded silently again.
Perhaps noticing Yang Wenqing's composure, the secretary could not help giving him a couple more appraising looks, though that was all.
Less than five minutes later, a burst of footsteps sounded outside, followed by Wang Ren's sharp rebuke. Then the meeting room door was pushed open.
Wang Ren entered in a white uniform, with a security officer bearing the rank of Veteran Police Sergeant following at his side.
Yang Wenqing hurriedly rose to his feet, only to hear Wang Ren say with a genial smile, "My fault—I didn't explain things clearly last night. Let's talk in my office. Some green tea a classmate of mine brought back from a business trip to Xiajiang Province arrived yesterday."
As he spoke, he pushed open the door leading from the meeting room to his office and warmly invited Yang Wenqing inside. The secretary at the door watched with twitching eyelids, his gaze involuntarily shifting to the Veteran Police Sergeant beside the station chief, as though he had caught a whiff of something.
Yang Wenqing followed him into the office. The first thing that met his eyes was a broad, weighty solid-wood desk. Besides the usual document rack and pen holder, the desktop held a jade paperweight carved with an auspicious beast that warded off evil, as well as a purple-bronze incense burner emitting curling wisps of green smoke.
Behind the desk stood a massive water-curtain wall. Within it, spiritual light resembling koi could faintly be seen swimming about, making the spiritual energy in the office noticeably denser than outside without bringing excessive humidity.
Along the wall on the left stood a row of bookshelves, neatly packed with all kinds of case files and volumes, along with several leather-bound books. On the right was a set of sofas and a tea table for receiving guests, upon which a rustic set of purple-clay tea ware had already been arranged.
Wang Ren went straight to the tea table. After inviting Yang Wenqing and the Veteran Police Sergeant to sit, he looked at Yang Wenqing and pointed to the sergeant as he introduced him. "Wen Qing, this is Qin Feng, deputy chief of the Archives Division at the county bureau. He came specifically because of your matter."
Yang Wenqing hurriedly rose and greeted him. "Hello, Chief Qin."
Qin Feng corrected him with a smiling squint. "Deputy chief." Then he directly brought up the purpose of his visit. "I came to verify your personnel file."
As he spoke, he opened the folder he was carrying, glanced through its contents, and asked, "You're from Yang Family Village in Three Rivers Town, correct?"
Yang Wenqing nodded and said, "Yes."
Qin Feng then began digging to the roots and probing to the bottom, questioning him all the way back through three generations of the Yang Family. Unfortunately, Yang Wenqing himself did not know the exact circumstances of his ancestors over the past three generations, so he could only introduce Yang Family Village.
By then, Wang Ren had brewed the green tea. After all three men each took a sip, Qin Feng said with a genial smile, "The Archives Office will send someone to Yang Family Village to verify these matters. It should be settled in about half a month."
He said this with a solemn expression, then smiled again and abruptly changed the subject. "According to the City Defense Bureau's internal regulations, when security personnel advance to the Qi Refining Stage, they may receive the rank of Veteran Police Sergeant, along with equivalent allowances and housing benefits."
Yang Wenqing nodded. He knew that a Veteran Police Sergeant's base allowance was five thousand, though the actual salary issued also depended on accumulated seniority. Unfortunately, he currently had almost no seniority at all. The housing benefit was a one-bedroom unit with a living room.
"The housing is ready. It's in Room 305, Building Three, Dongning Community. The allowance will begin next month. As for the rank insignia..." Qin Feng looked toward Wang Ren.
Wang Ren hurriedly rose and went to his desk. He picked up a blue box and opened it, revealing a pair of Veteran Police Sergeant insignia. Then he called to Yang Wenqing, "Come!" Seeing how formally Yang Wenqing was behaving, he smiled again. "No need to be so serious. There are no outsiders here. I'll confer your rank first. Chief Qin will take your file back to the county bureau, and it'll be updated in the City Defense System within two days."
Yang Wenqing still stood ramrod straight. After changing into the new shoulder insignia, he promptly said politely, "Thank you for the trouble, Station Chief and Chief Qin."
"Keep drinking tea!"
Wang Ren invited Yang Wenqing to sit with a hearty smile.
Qin Feng lifted his teacup and took another sip before continuing his instructions to Yang Wenqing. "Once your file has been verified, you can systematically study all spell techniques of the Qi Refining Stage. At the same time, the secret arts of the Qi Refining Stage will be passed on to you. During that period, you'll be transferred to the Branch Operations Division for short-term tactical training."
As Qin Feng spoke, Yang Wenqing kept nodding. Once he finished, Qin Feng asked, "You have no objections, right?"
"No problem. I'll follow the bureau's arrangements in all things!"
Yang Wenqing's tone was resolute.
Qin Feng then took out a key and said to Yang Wenqing, "This is the key to your housing. You can move in today. Tomorrow morning, you must report to the operations team. After that, I'm afraid you won't have much time."
Wang Ren also said with a genial smile, "Stay busy for a while. Once you've settled in, we'll get together again."
At that, Yang Wenqing's gaze swiftly swept over the two men before him. He immediately set down his teacup and took his leave.
Wang Ren stood and saw him to the door. Then he returned to the tea table and sighed. "So young. It's been a long time since the branch had such a young Qi Refinement Practitioner, hasn't it? Once he finishes his tactical training, how about assigning him to our station?"
Qin Feng said with a smile, "My words carry little weight. You'll have to ask the bureau about that." He paused, then continued, "He'll most likely be transferred to the Major Crimes Unit."
Wang Ren frowned. "The Major Crimes Unit?"
Qin Feng raised his teacup with a smile. "Only when someone has served in the Major Crimes Unit at the security level will his file be perfect. For such a young Qi Refinement Practitioner, the bureau will consider the whole board. If he fails to amount to anything, then we can talk about it later."
Wang Ren laughed as well. "Do you think someone like me still has a chance to enter the Major Crimes Unit?"
"Your best path is to first enter the Branch General Affairs Division, then find an opportunity to become deputy bureau chief!"
"Me, entering General Affairs Division? Do you think that's possible?"
"Where there's a will, there's a way!"
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