Lu Ding extended his hand. "Bureau 749 trainee investigator, Lu Ding. This is my partner, trainee investigator Yan Feifan."
When he heard the words "trainee investigator," Gao Zhengliang's sky came crashing down...
Although Ming Jun and Bei Heguang had made plenty of huge messes, at least they were full-fledged investigators.
And now they had sent two trainees...
Dear superiors!!!
I, Gao Zhengliang, have worked diligently for Baofan District, maintaining its law and order. How could you treat me like this!!!
Seeing the smile freeze on Gao Zhengliang's face, Yan Feifan immediately spoke up indignantly. "Director Gao, didn't full-fledged investigators start out as trainees too? What, are you planning to have eyes yet fail to recognize Mount Tai?"
The phrase "have eyes yet fail to recognize Mount Tai" came out of nowhere, but that was precisely the intended effect-to grate on the listener's ears.
Gao Zhengliang's expression instantly returned to normal.
"That was rash of me. I've lived to this age, yet I only grow more muddleheaded. My apologies, investigators. Allow me to apologize to you both. Shall we go inside and sit down to talk?"
"It's all right, Director Gao. We have plenty of time ahead of us. We can get to know each other gradually."
The crowd parted, making way for Lu Ding and Yan Feifan.
Ahead, by the Public Security Administration's glass entrance, Ming Jun watched what was happening outside and asked Bei Heguang a question.
"Well? Do you know them?"
"Never seen the one on the right. He looks unfamiliar. I have some impression of the one on the left. He's just an ordinary trainee."
"Then they really are ordinary trainee investigators. Come on, let's show them who's boss and make them back off."
The two emerged from either side of the entrance, blocking Lu Ding's group.
Gao Zhengliang sighed softly. "Patrol Officer Bei, Patrol Officer Ming, what are you doing?"
Neither paid Gao Zhengliang any attention.
"Hey! You two trainee investigators are here to take over from full-fledged investigators like us. Do you have what it takes?"
Lu Ding's figure flashed, and in the blink of an eye, he stood before Ming Jun, who had spoken, looking down at him from above.
An oppressive presence instantly bore down on him.
It felt as if the surrounding air had been sucked away, leaving him unable to breathe.
Ming Jun's face gradually reddened, and hallucinations appeared before his eyes. At that moment, he seemed to see a man-bear standing upright, its eyes red as it rubbed its fists and palms, picking out the best meat on his body and deciding which piece to bite into first.
Thud!
Unable to withstand the pressure, Ming Jun dropped to his knees.
Lu Ding's voice rang out.
"I'll give you one minute. Get out of my sight immediately. You only get this chance once."
The oppressive presence dissipated. Ming Jun's clothes were already soaked with sweat.
He looked as though he had been fished out of the water.
Standing beside them, Gao Zhengliang could not suppress the upward curl of his lips, no matter how he tried.
Although he was an ordinary person, he knew a little about Qi Refiners.
Lu Ding had frightened him into this state without even lifting a hand.
There was no room for doubt about Lu Ding's strength.
He hurried forward to smooth things over. "Patrol Officer Lu, the bureau has prepared a welcome banquet. Are there any dishes you particularly enjoy? I'll have the kitchen add them."
Ming Jun raised his head, the information linking together in his mind. Surnamed Lu, trainee investigator-wasn't that Lu Ding!
Fuck.
No wonder he looked unfamiliar. I don't know him!!!
For all his calculations, he had overlooked this.
Still visibly shaken, Ming Jun said, "You're Lu Ding, the Corpse-Dissecting Taisui?"
"Corpse-Dissecting Taisui?"
Yan Feifan stepped forward. "Brother Lu, that's the nickname people have been spreading around for you."
Lu Ding was instantly speechless.
That nickname hardly sounded like someone good.
I'm a proper Bureau 749 trainee investigator, holding an iron rice bowl and protecting the people of this area from spirits, monsters, and demons, and you give me a nickname like that.
Corpse-Dissecting Taisui.
It sounds like some sinister practitioner of the demonic path, or even a monster.
Lu Ding truly had no energy to complain. He simply walked past Ming Jun, who was still kneeling on the ground, and entered the Public Security Administration.
After he left.
Ming Jun looked toward Bei Heguang, who was hiding in a nearby corner.
"A Guang!!! Come give me a fucking hand! I can't stand up!"
Bei Heguang jogged over and helped him up. "Are you okay?"
"Okay? Why don't you try it and see if you're okay? He scared a few drops of piss out of me, and you're asking if I'm okay?"
He struggled to his feet, grumbling, "It really was Lu Ding who came. Just what kind of art does this guy cultivate? How is he so terrifying? Sure enough, a name might be wrong, but a nickname never is. Just my fucking luck to run into him. If I weren't in Bureau 749 just like him, I'd probably be one piece here and another piece there today."
Lu Ding had no such intention. If someone refused to show him a pleasant face, was he supposed to indulge them?
Yet to Ming Jun, he had nearly ended up one piece here and another piece there.
"Wasn't that all because of your nonsense analysis? Neither of us has ever met Lu Ding. Neither of us knows what he looks like."
"Hindsight genius. Why didn't you say so earlier?"
Bei Heguang laughed awkwardly. "I only just remembered."
"Fuck you. You sure hid fast, leaving me to take it all alone. Come on, let's find Lu Ding and have a proper talk with him."
"No, no, hold on. Have you gone mad? Didn't he just tell us to leave within a minute? If we go looking for him now, wouldn't we be making him lose face?"
"Then what about the ancient tomb?"
"We're modern people. Can you use your brain? Add him as a friend on your phone and talk to him there."
Ming Jun's eyes lit up. "You weren't a hindsight genius this time. But will he add us? I feel like people like him tend to be aloof and proud, hard to get along with."
"Then why not add the guy beside him? He looks honest and straightforward. Adding him and asking him to pass on a message should be fine. Come on, let's leave this place first, before he comes back out."
"We're not taking our stuff?"
"Forget it. It's not worth much. Let's leave first."
The two left as if fleeing.
Upstairs.
Lu Ding declined Director Gao's invitation to the welcome banquet.
He entered the office Ming Jun and Bei Heguang had left behind.
Lu Ding sat drinking tea while Yan Feifan cleaned up beside him, throwing away miscellaneous clutter.
Earlier, Director Gao had offered to find a few people to help Yan Feifan, but he had refused them all.
He knew his role very well: odd jobs, not fighting.
If someone replaced him even at odd jobs, wouldn't he be useless? What would they need him for then?
He carried out a bag of rubbish.
When Yan Feifan returned, he held his phone and said, "Brother Lu, those two full-fledged investigators just added me. There's something they want me to pass on to you."
"What needs to go through you? It's not like I eat people. Why not just tell me directly?"
Lu Ding did not understand either. Why go to all this trouble?
"They're probably afraid of you, so they came to me." Yan Feifan pinpointed the correct answer, then continued, "They say they know where there's treasure. They're hoping to work with you and plan things out together."
"Treasure again?"
Lu Ding sat up straight.
He had felt some regret over the Wind-Calming Pearl last time. What had originally been a perfectly good treasure had ended up as chicken ribs.
Now that there was another treasure, he naturally would not let it slip by.
"Ask them what treasure."