The weather was fine, and the sun shone brightly.
At the suburban Grand Canal wharf outside the Upper East Gate of Divine Capital Luoyang, hundreds of Western Factory agents stood ramrod straight, holding dragon banners aloft with their hands on their sabers, sealing off the entire wharf.
Cao Ying, the Western Factory's Second Chief Agent, paced anxiously through the wharf, constantly berating the agents standing guard.
"What are you doing? You there! Straighten those backs! If anyone makes a disgrace of himself in public, he'd better watch his hide!"
"You, you, you... yes, you! Why are your legs shaking? Are you that tired? Want me to carry it for you?"
"Are you hot? Want me to invite you into the river to cool off?"
The Western Factory agents were already terribly nervous. After his indiscriminate barrage of abuse, they grew even more tense. Their hands gripping banners and sabers were slick with sweat, yet none dared move...
Wei Heng stood with his hands behind his back at the very front of the gangway. He remained fairly composed, though he kept looking up to gauge the sun.
"Director!"
After making a large circuit, Cao Ying bowed and returned to stand just behind Wei Heng. Wiping sweat from his forehead, he complained quietly, "Why don't we pay another visit to the Northern Pacification Office? Even if we can't drag that bastard Shen Fa out, we could at least find a few deputy commissioners and assistant commissioners to take the beating with us. It's the Embroidered Uniform Guard's mess. Why should we take the thunderbolt for them...?"
Listening to this idiot mutter, Wei Heng's fists were already itching.
A beating?
Do you think just anyone is qualified to take a beating from that little bastard?
*If that little brat Shen Fa came, he'd