A Good-for-Nothing

135. A Violent Temper (1)

Translator: DragonRider

Because of He Zheng’s attractive appearance, some people in this room whose parents were staff members of the Supernaturalism Management Bureau (SMB) – Lin Zhuo, for one – tended to regard He Zheng as a friend. There were also some who didn’t know about He Zheng’s identity, but since he was handsome, they were also well disposed to him.

“Haha. He Zheng did seem to stay in that room for quite a long time. What were you talking about in there, He Zheng?”

The speaker was a man named Wu Fangshuo. He was a psychic.

“They just casually asked me some questions.”

All the others gave a laugh and then fell into discussion about the questions they’d been asked during their interview. At this moment, the waiter served their last course.

Right at the time when they were about to pick up their chopsticks, one of the disciples of the Tigers and Dragons Mountain who had been silent all along said, “Rumor has it that several hundred people attended this interview, and almost ninety percent of them were weeded out.”

“So many people failed?” All people in this room had passed the interview. Some of them – Chen Qianlin, for example – possessed the required qualifications.

Someone replied, “Yeah. Several of my companions got sifted out. Alas, didn’t they say that it was just a common interview? I wonder why the criteria were so strict. The pass rate this year is far lower than previous years.”

Lin Zhuo said, “Approximately forty to fifty people passed.”

“So few?” He Zheng had heard from Zu Zhichong that in the normal course of events, two thirds of the applicants would pass. “Was it because most of this year’s applicants were not competent enough?”

“That wasn’t the only reason,” observed Tao Wujiu mysteriously.

Someone beside him urged, “Wujiu, you know something about it, right? Tell us.”

Tao Wujiu lowered his voice. “This is just hearsay. A friend of my father’s disclosed to me that outstanding trainees of this year’s STTP would be exempted from the admission test typically held in September and allowed to directly join the first and the second action groups. That’s why even criteria of the interview were so strict this year.”

“The first and the second action groups?! My goodness. These two groups are the best in SMB. In previous years they mainly recruited new members through the admission test in September, didn’t they?”

Tao Wujiu gave a somewhat resigned shrug. “Well, I don’t know the reason. The source of this information is not very reliable, and he doesn’t have many details.”

At this moment, a dark look flitted across the eyes of that disciple of the Tigers and Dragons Mountain who had just spoken. Suddenly, he gave a smile and fixed He Zheng with a gaze. He Zheng didn’t notice this until Lin Zhuo, in a low voice, reminded him that there was something not quite right with the expression in that person’s eyes.

Unsurprisingly, that man said, “I think it might have something to do with one of us.”

“One of us? Which one?” queried Kang Ba.

Chen Qianlin also put down his teacup and silently observed everybody in this room.

That man named Luo Yan grinned, pointing at He Zheng. “After all, one of us is a family member of an official of SMB.”

Lin Zhuo’s heart jolted. He Zheng furrowed his brow.

Luo Yan chuckled at the one beside him, “I don’t think any of you know this – He Zheng is Supt. Li’s marriage partner.”

All others were shocked. Tao Wujiu even spilled his liquor, falling from grace.

“We–Well…”

Gay marriages were quite common nowadays, but Supt. Li was believed to be the most powerful cultivator of this generation of SMB staff!

“Oh! No wonder Supt. Li showed up on the day of the interview… And eventually he seemed to leave with He Zheng.”

Lan Bai paled visibly, believing that she had just misheard.

But no matter what it was that they were discussing, everybody’s eyes were fixed on He Zheng.

“He Zheng, you and Supt. Li are really a couple?!”

Luo Yan smiled, “Of course they are. You have to know that in this society, having a backer is very important. Don’t get me wrong – I’m not saying that He Zheng got in by the back door, but he should have made an effort to avoid arousing suspicion.”

Nobody had expected that Luo Yan would suddenly bring this up. Originally the others had been quite curious, but now all of them felt rather embarrassed.

Lin Zhuo loathed treacherous-looking Luo Yan. On top of this, he had also had someone pull strings for him before the interview, so he had a slightly guilty conscience. He was just about to say something when Chen Qianlin claimed blandly, “Supt. Li will never abuse his powers for anybody.”

His piercing eyes darted in the direction of He Zheng. “There’s no way Supt. Li would do anything like that, not even for his marriage partner.” Chen Qianlin flicked a glance at Luo Yan and added, “Luo Yan, these words of yours are too rash.”

Chen Qianlin was from the same sect as Luo Yan’s. It had never crossed Luo Yan’s mind that Chen Qianlin would come to Li Zong’s defence, but thinking about it from another perspective, he realized that what with Chen Qianlin’s deep reverence for Li Zong, it was a natural thing that he didn’t allow others to lay unfavorable comments on Li Zong.

Luo Yan kept silent for a while and then said, “Of course Supt. Li wouldn’t abuse his powers, but if some people exploit Supt. Li’s name–”

A silvery sound of a blade being unsheathed was heard and with that Luo Yan’s pupils abruptly dilated. Apart from everything else, he was a cultivator, and his reactions were quicker than most. The icy blade of a sword brushed past his face and then stuck straight into the solid wall like cutting through a piece of tofu.

He Zheng’s frosty eyes shot towards Luo Yan, as if looking at a dead man.

Nobody had anticipated that He Zheng would launch an attack without warning. All of them were taken aback.

“He–He Zheng, what are you doing?”

“Nothing special, but I have a bad temper, and I hate it the most when people gossip about me.” He Zheng’s lips flintily curved in a sneer typical of a hooligan. “He said that I went in by the back door. I suggest the two of us have a competition and find out who’s the one that did that.”