Decision

"We're just going to let him go like that?!" The young policeman was Qi Ingestion.

The old policeman was still waving goodbye to the departing van when he turned back and patiently explained, "Boss Li comes from a poor background and has only been successful for a couple of years. He's at the age when he cares most about his reputation."

"If you insist on checking each one individually, aren't you just slapping him in the face in public?!"

"Besides, he's bringing people to the county town, not sending them out. Letting him go doesn't conflict with the bureau's orders."

The young police officer understood this principle, but he was still unhappy and insisted, "I still believe that we should uphold principles and strictly enforce the law."

"Upholding principles?!" The old policeman couldn't help but laugh, brushing the dust off his clothes. "I only have one principle: to return home safely every day and retire peacefully when I reach the legal age!"

"As for solving cases, catching murderers, and receiving awards, I don't care about any of that."

The young policeman felt even worse after hearing this. He felt like a passionate, righteous protagonist in a novel, who had encountered a corrupt, unscrupulous old cop. He truly felt powerless to speak his mind and unable to fulfill his aspirations.

"Still not Qi Ingestion?!" The veteran policeman, experienced and shrewd, knew what the young man was thinking at a glance. Since there was nothing urgent, he decided to have a serious talk. "Then let me ask you, if it had been Ma the Richest Man's car just now, would you still have stuck to your principles?!"

The young policeman, of course, knew who Ma was. After thinking seriously for a moment, he stiffened his neck and said, "If I could make the decision, I would still uphold my principles and strictly enforce the law!"

"Wow! Quite a capable officer!" The old policeman, intrigued, praised him before asking, "What if it had been the county magistrate's car?!"

Although the young policeman had only been on the job for a short time, he understood the basic rules of officialdom and stammered, "The county magistrate... wouldn't harbor a fugitive, there's nothing to investigate."

The veteran policeman wouldn't let it go, continuing to ask, "What if it were the mayor, the governor?! Or even someone else... would you still uphold principles and strictly enforce the law?!"

The young policeman's face turned pale.

Any one of the people mentioned earlier could ruin their life with just a casual remark.

Especially the last one, which often appears as the first sentence in the news. If you actually encounter one, you can only pretend to be a telephone pole on the roadside; how could you dare to go and check your car?!

"Heh, it seems your principles aren't always upheld. You're essentially a bully who picks on the weak and fears the strong." The old policeman, unconcerned, chuckled and said, "You wanted to investigate Boss Li, and you even dared to investigate Richest Man Ma? You think they're businessmen who should be afraid of and respect you!"

"After all, a few hundred years ago, you were a proper scholar who had passed the imperial examinations. No matter how rich they were, they would still have to kowtow to you!"

The young policeman blushed and said, "I didn't..."

"Don't deny it, it's not a bad thing." The older policeman patted the younger officer on the shoulder, encouraging him, "To have such awareness right after joining the company shows you're good material for being an officer, you'll definitely have a bright future!"

"What a pity, I'm about to retire, so I'm afraid I won't be able to benefit from your kindness."

Supreme Mystery Sub-Courtyard.

Li Jiabao assigned tasks to everyone according to age, first telling the older ones, "You guys, go and clean up the area in front of the door."

He then instructed a few middle-aged men, "Pulle the weeds in that flower bed over there, and loosen the soil."

All that's left are energetic young people.

Li Jiabao glanced around and easily found something to do. "There are too many fallen leaves and aquatic plants by the lake. It's unsightly and affects the water quality. Go and clean them up and transport them away."

After thinking for a moment, he added, "There's a broken toilet in the back; could someone else come with me to fix it?"

The young people scattered immediately, rushing to gather fallen leaves and water plants.

Only a silent, unlucky fellow remained, standing there with his head down.

Li Jiabao breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "What's your name?!"

The unlucky fellow replied, "My name is Fang Qi. Fang means upright, and Qi means strange."

Li Jiabao nodded slightly, without asking any further questions, and led Fang Qi forward to an ancient-style hall.

This is the core area of Supreme Mystery Sub-Courtyard, which is not open to tourists.

Li Jiabao stopped and turned around, saying, "Wait here for a moment; someone will come to talk to you soon."

Fang Qi was somewhat confused about Li Jiabao's intentions and couldn't help but say, "Actually, I..."

"You don't need to say anything more, and I don't want to hear it either," Li Jiabao interrupted, sighing as he said, "If you pass the interview, everything will be fine. If you don't, you'll only get two hundred yuan in wages, and you can go wherever you want, understand?!"

Fang Qi was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "I understand."

Fang Qi had already prepared for the worst, so he suppressed his doubts and waited patiently.

Not long after, Liu Zhijian walked in carrying a fishing rod, and was somewhat surprised to see Fang Qi.

Fang Qi took the initiative to explain his background.

"An interview?!" Liu Zhijian was even more surprised. He looked Fang Qi up and down thoughtfully and asked, "Do you know how to fish?!"

"Huh?!" Fang Qi was stunned for a moment, his eyes looking somewhat confused. He honestly shook his head and said, "I don't know how."

Liu Zhijian sighed deeply, complaining angrily, "This [Sha Qi] is outrageous! Why does this ominous imagery have to affect fishing?!"

"I've been out of the loop for half a month straight, not even a single whitebait! It's absolutely outrageous!"

"I'd rather trip and fall while walking or choke on my water!"

Fang Qi was completely confused and became increasingly bewildered.

Liu Zhijian didn't say much. He put his fishing rod in the corner, bowed to the blank portrait in the hall, and then fell silent.

Just as Fang Qi his interview results and preparing to leave, another person walked in from outside the hall—a young woman in ancient costume carrying a sword.

"Senior Brother!" Hu Yueqiu bowed to Liu Zhijian first, then looked at the unfamiliar Fang Qi and asked the reason, "Do you know swordsmanship?"

"Swordsmanship?!" Fang Qi was quite skilled with a gun, but he only knew how to use daggers and bayonets with cold weapons and knew nothing about swordsmanship. He honestly shook his head and said, "I don't know how."

"What a pity." Hu Yueqiu said with some regret, but gently comforted her, "Don't worry, the sect leader will be here shortly."

Fang Qi was even more puzzled after hearing this.

This guy's a senior disciple and a sect leader—is he getting too caught up in playing an ancient NPC?!

Is this supposed to be an interview? Are you suggesting I play a villainous NPC in this resort?!

You know what, with a little makeup, there's a real chance of getting away with it.

Just as Fang Qi was filled with strange thoughts, a figure dressed in black suddenly appeared in the hall, startling Fang Qi. He secretly admired the professionalism of the NPCs in the park, who could even use magic tricks to bring people to life.

Liu Zhijian and Hu Yueqiu bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Master."

"Get up." Li Chengxuan nodded slightly. He had already been informed by Duanmu Ren, who pointed to a spot in front of him and used [Qi Observation Technique] to examine Fang Qi's Manifestation. After a moment, he suddenly realized and said:

"The defense of the western frontier carries a sense of solemnity and severity."

"To avenge wrongs, one must wield a sturdy and sharp blade."

"Killing and releasing animals is the way to achieve a balanced decision."

"A heart disheartened and disillusioned aligns with the virtue of tranquility."

"Your Manifestation perfectly embodies the essence of Metal Virtue!"