A Good-for-Nothing

89. An Ancestor Treated as Cannon Fodder (1)

Translator: Dragon Rider

The couple of people walked out of the elevator. Zhang Jingqiu, with an almost expressionless face, ignored Zu Zhichong who had just made a shameless boast, turned his head aside and whispered something in that middle-aged man’s ear. As the man heard it, a dismayed look flashed across the depths of his eyes and with that he cast an extremely deep appraising look at He Zheng. Originally He Zheng had been enjoying this amusing situation, but the middle-aged man’s gaze made him feel a little uncomfortable, so he slightly turned his face to the other side.

As if having sensed that He Zheng was feeling uneasy, Li Zong, who had been standing quietly all along, twisted his upper body aside and blocked the middle-aged man’s view, his countenance unchanged.

“Elder Chen.”

The middle-aged man who was addressed as ‘Elder Chen’, as if having just found something interesting, scrutinized Li Zong’s face for a while and then shook his head with a smile. “Rest assured, I’m not doing anything to your sweetheart. I was just trying to confirm one of my thoughts. You know, curiosity of old men like me is easily aroused by interesting things.”

He Zheng’s brow briefly corrugated in a frown. Li Zong gesticulated to him and with that He Zheng walked to Li Zong’s side and stood there.

Elder Chen flicked He Zheng another appraising look and his eyes rested on the middle of He Zheng’s forehead.

“Did you get the confirmation you want, Elder Chen?”

Elder Chen dissolved into chuckle shaking his head. Then he nodded and replied, “I did. I did…”

Li Zong’s countenance was unchanged but there was still a ghost of nervousness on his face, which was rather rare. Seeing this, Elder Chen couldn’t help but tease him, “Li Zong, it seems that you are quite protective of your deary. Anybody would’ve assumed you don’t have the heart to let him participate in STTP.”

Before Li Zong could make a reply, Zhang Jingqiu abruptly chipped in, “He Zheng is quite talented and might achieve just as much as, if not more than, others who started cultivating earlier than him. I think Supt. Li is probably doing this to toughen him.”

Zhang Jingqiu stepped up to He Zheng, gave an inexplicable smile and bantered with them. “If He Zheng manages to pass the final test of STTP, though given his current power, he won’t be able to get a place in the first or the second action group, I think he can manage to land a position in the third group. Do you agree, Li Zong?”

Though having never heard of the third group before, He Zheng could tell from his tone that it was definitely somewhere unpleasant. His brow furrowed. He didn’t care who this guy standing in front of him was. It had always been one of his principles that whoever messed with him should pay the price for it, that under no circumstances should he swallow anything without putting up a fight.

He Zheng was just about to rebut when Elder Chen spoke.

“Xiao Zhang, nothing is as it seems. People who achieved success late in life do exist. I, for instance, joined the Supernaturalism Management Bureau (SMB) at an age as late as thirty, did I not?” Elder Chen made a few remarks in support of He Zheng. Then he added humorously, “He Zheng’s a promising young man. I have no doubt that some day he’ll grow into somebody. And when that day comes, maybe you guys from the first and the second action groups would scramble for him.”

Zhang Jingqiu, having never expected that Elder Chen would come to He Zheng’s support, was briefly surprised, but he didn’t dig deep into Elder Chen’s words. As a worldly-wise and cunningly diplomatic old fox, he would never offend anybody for no good reason. As a result, he responded with a smile, “Since even Elder Chen holds such opinions, it seems that there’s indeed something special about He Zheng. I don’t know whether I lack discernment or he hides his talent too well.”

Elder Chen remarked in a quite amicable tone, “I think you’ll find out soon enough. Li Zong, you should put some serious efforts into fostering his powers. Maybe some day he’ll prove to be a competent helper.”

Li Zong, with a bland expression on his face, unnoticeably concealed his astonishment brought by such favorable comments on He Zheng made by Elder Chen. “I would expect nothing more if he’s willing to be part of it.”

“There’s no need for you guys to see an old man out. Just go and do whatever it is you’ve got to do.”

“I’ll go with you, Elder Chen,” said Zhen Daoyuan, who had been quiet all this time.

“All right. Thank you for being so kind as to keep a senile man company, Director Zhen.”

“It’s a pleasure.”

Zhang Jingqiu, Li Zong and Zu Zhichong followed the two of them with their eyes as they walked away.

There was a long silence at the elevator door.

Zhang Jingqiu’s eyes swept across He Zheng’s face in a seemingly unintentional fashion, and it was at this moment that he came to realize what Elder Chen had meant just now. He suddenly smiled, “Congratulations to you, Li Zong. It seems that we misjudged He Zheng. There’s got to be something special about a man on whom Elder Chen made such comments. I’ll wait and see what kind of pleasant surprise He Zheng is going to bring us.

Of course, if a pleasant surprise is what the future holds, I’m sure all of us will benefit from it. But this Special Talents Training Program (STTP) is not some kind of game. Since it hasn’t started yet, there’s still room for maneuver. If the training begins and you resort to every trick to get him out, things would be very awkward for everybody.”

Though both the first action group and the second action group were affiliated to SMB, their personnel composition and jurisdictions were totally different. The first action group seemed to be on better terms with Director Zhen, and most of its members were Yōkai in human form and tended to side with the Counter-demon Committee.

Zhang Jingqiu, the group leader of the second action group, used to be a disciple of the Tigers and Dragons Mountain in Jiangxi Province. Nobody knew whether it was because he had a prestigious sect complex or something, but most of his subordinates were from large sects like the Hezao Sect, the Mao Mountain, the Qingcheng Mountain, etc. And they gravitated to Director General Zong. Add to this the rapid development of the Tigers and Dragons Mountain during the past couple of years, many people had been given the impression that Zhang Jingqiu seemed to be preparing to contend for power.

Zong Xian was the Director General of SMB, and Zhen Daoyuan the Administrative Director. To put it in a blunt way, though SMB was a special operation department, it was affiliated to the Department of Homeland Security after all, and officials of SMB had to answer to persons higher in the hierarchy, which entailed division of powers and made the existence of factions inevitable.

The first and the second action groups had been working together for many years, and it was very normal that there had been some disagreements between them. On top of that, Zhang Jingqiu and Li Zong were both young and each of them was leading an action group, so naturally they regarded each other as a rival.

Zhang Jingqiu was thirty-five, about five or six years older than Li Zong. He was just as outstanding an exorcist as Li Zong was, but the latter had already been promoted to vice superintendent. Though he might not admit it, Zhang Jingqiu was somewhat bitter about this, and on occasions he would try to provoke Li Zong with the intention to find something he could turn to his advantage, which was why he had made these remarks on this day.

Li Zong’s countenance was just as bland as always, without any trances of annoyance whatsoever. Surprisingly, it was He Zheng, who in the ordinary course of events couldn’t be bothered to talk to him, that made a reply. “Then please wait and see.”

“That’s quite a haughty tone.” Zhang Jingqiu flipped his sleeve and looked at He Zheng with a half-smile, “I will wait and see whether this deary of you will become a staff member of SMB!”

With that he walked away, softly flicking Zu Zhichong a glance as he left.

Zu Zhichong was transfixed with fright by that glance, unable to speak.