A Good-for-Nothing

73. A Perilous Construction Site (1)

Translator: Dragon Rider

The Sui City was on the coast. Therefore, marine products accounted for a considerable proportion of local people’s food supply. He Zheng and Zu Zhichong’s dinner was a tableful of high-grade seafood. After slaving for a whole day, He Zheng was really hungry, so he ate quite a lot.

After dinner, Zu Zhichong went to contact his helper, while He Zheng leaned against the balustrade of the balcony of the private room. The urban scenery at night out there was pretty good. Gentle night breezes dissolved his restlessness. The dark night sky reminded him of someone’s eyes.

He Zheng curled his lip when he found that he had, unconsciously, opened his WeChat. Then his eye fell on the name which he had previously fixed at the top of the contact list.

He Zheng recalled Li Zong’s kiss once again and suddenly felt it funny that a man who always had a hot foot bath and then went to sleep at 10:30 p.m. was such a good kisser. Thinking of this, He Zheng couldn’t help but lick his lips.

‘Ur…It’s a little hot.’

He poked the “video call” icon on his cellphone. The cellphone on the other side rang for about half a minute. He Zheng was just about to hang up when Li Zong picked up the call.

He Zheng noticed that they were in a train compartment. Since the train was still running, the signal was not very stable, which was why the images of Li Zong’s handsome face displayed on the phone screen were changing choppily like filmstrips of his facial expressions. As a result, He Zheng failed to notice the paleness of Li Zong’s face.

He Zheng couldn’t help but frown. “You still haven’t reached the Coastal City?”

“Almost there.”

He Zheng was puzzled. ‘Is the budget of the Supernaturalism Management Bureau (SMB) really so tight that staff members have to travel by train? Wouldn’t it be a lot faster if they take a flight?’

“Can you apply to your boss and travel by air at your own expense? Train travel is so lengthy and tiring,” He Zheng mumbled. ‘It’s not like he’s in short of money. Even if he were, I have more than enough!’ he thought.

“It’s not about the budget. We’re doing this for another reason.” Li Zong gave a smile. However, he believed that it was already rare enough for Childe He to make such considerate remarks. “Have you met Director Tan?”

“Yes. She held my hand and said it was a pity she couldn’t take me as her disciple.” While He Zheng was saying this, there was manifest pride in his eyes. “Li Zong, you are such a wily old fox. Did you find out about my extraordinary endowments at the very beginning so you made the first move?”

Li Zong gave a throaty smile, looking amused. However, Tun Shanhai holding a bag of potato chips worriedly watched his Chief. ‘The smile Chief just gave was a little too big. It must have slightly reopened his wound. Alas, love can be so painful.’

However, Li Zong appeared as if he weren’t having any uncomfortable feelings.

After boasting about it for a while, He Zheng recalled what Director Tan had told him and queried, “Director Tan said that you’ve asked her to do you a favor. Did it have anything to do with me?”

“Director Tan has the Back Massage Chart.”

Holding the cellphone, He Zheng was briefly stunned. “Even the Counter-demon Committee has to moonlight? You guys also moonlight as massage technicians? But I don’t think I’ll need any massage or SPA any time soon.”

There was a fit of distinct snicker in the compartment. Even Li Zong had a somewhat speechless look in his eyes after hearing this. He gazed at the man in the screen and said in a doting tone of voice, “I told you to work hard but you never listened. The Back Massage Chart has nothing to do with massage or SPAs. If Director Tan hears about this, she might be angered to death.”

Then he gave a sketchy explanation of the origin of the Back Massage Chart. He Zheng listened in astonishment, secretly reconsidering the importance of knowledge. ‘It seems that I’ve got to read more in the future. My reaction just now was really embarrassing.’

“Speaking of it, there’s probably some kind of connection between the Back Massage Chart and your maternal grandfather’s family. Your maternal grandfather has finished decrypting most of those divinatory symbols on the remaining half of the fortune-telling result. Director Tan will handle the rest of them.”

So this was what it was about. He Zheng nodded, suggesting that he understood.

“Oh, by the way, tonight I want to go to the People’s Garden with Zu Zhichong to take a look. Don’t call me, because things might get hot and I’m afraid I won’t be able to find the time to answer your call.”

“Um?”

He Zheng told him about the story concerning Zu family, but the cellphone signal on the train was too weak, and the voice coming out of the speaker was choppy, so He Zheng couldn’t distinguish Li Zong’s words. In fidgets, He Zheng directly hung up the video call and texted him, saying that they should wait until the signal was stable to resume the talk.

In the whole compartment of a running train sat only three people, Li Zong, Han Zhuo and Tun Shanhai. Since there were restricted articles in their baggage, they couldn’t travel by air, which was why they had to take a train together.

Seeing Li Zong hang up, Tun Shanhai burst into laugh, rolling on his bed. “Ha ha… Chief, you really found yourself a rare wife! Back massage… Oh, my goodness… I guess you’ll tell him it’s foot massage next time!”

However, Li Zong was not at all annoyed, feeling it understandable that He Zheng, who was pretty young, had little knowledge about this. He was just about to pocket his cellphone when a text message came in. It was from Director Tan.

“That day when Zu Zhichong asked for a leave, did he say that there was something he had to attend to at home?” Li Zong muttered, as if to himself, after reading the text.

“He did.” On hearing this, Han Zhuo, who had been sitting in repose with his eyes closed, gave a bob of his head and looked at Li Zong. “Is there a problem?”

“Just now Director Tan sent me a message, saying that Zu Zhichong borrowed someone from her.”

“Is the matter of Zu family really so tricky?” Han Zhuo was surprised. Zu Zhichong could be counted as a rather powerful exorcist. Things must be complicated or he wouldn’t need a helper.

“Incidentally, Chief, not long ago Mr. Zhen said that since some exorcism circles were found, those Demon’s Attendants would probably start making trouble again. In fact, they have already assaulted civilians in several cities.” Tun Shanhai had also never expected that things would come to such complexity. As if the sabotage of the exorcism circle in the north-west had served as a bugle call for demons’ advancing, after that, various city-level SMB had reported Demon’s Attendants’ making trouble.

Nobody would believe that this had not been premeditated.

“Mr. Zhen and Director General Zong had anticipated this kind of situation long ago. Xiang Hailou has led his team to various sub-bureaus to help them handle those Demon’s Attendants. Everything is under control for the moment.”

Li Zong looked at the front. In his eyes was calmness and composure, but he also seemed to be gazing through the window into the distance. “It’s the meaning of those divinatory symbols that concerns me.”