Chapter 98: Chapter 80: Black Lotus Counterattack
The rear courtyard of the Ruyi Square Sub-Departnt.
Li Sheng stood in the corridor leading to the Governnt Office Hall, craning his neck to peer toward the garden with an anxious look on his face.
Having offended Chen Cheng twice before, he had been on edge, terrified that Chen Cheng would co looking for trouble.
When Chen Cheng was just an official constable, Li Sheng could still adopt an attitude of avoidance, pretending nothing had happened and simply getting by.
But now that Chen Cheng had been promoted to Chief Constable, he was an important figure. Li Sheng, fearing he would be suppressed and targeted, was waiting here to make a good impression and nd their relationship.
When he saw Chen Cheng erge from the Chief Constable’s courtyard and walk down the garden path, Li Sheng quickly straightened his gray Preparatory Constable uniform to look more formal and composed. He then hurried forward, bowed, and said, "Greetings, Mr. Chen."
"Is there sothing you need?" Chen Cheng was a little surprised to see him approach so proactively and with such a respectful attitude.
Ever since Chen Cheng had gravely injured him with a single punch during the last assessnt for official constables, the man had scurried away like a mouse from a cat whenever he saw him.
"N-nothing... Oh, wait, it’s a small matter!" Li Sheng had prepared a speech, but for so reason, the mont he t Chen Cheng’s profound gaze, his heart pounded with fear and he began to stamr.
"I’ve booked a table at the Drunken Immortal Tower to celebrate your promotion, Mr. Chen. I’d be honored if you could join
for dinner this evening."
It was still morning, a long ti before dinner. Chen Cheng couldn’t help but chuckle. "Isn’t it a little early to be booking a banquet?"
Li Sheng quickly plastered on a smile. "Not at all, not at all! A top-tier restaurant like the Drunken Immortal Tower has to be booked in advance to get a table."
The Drunken Immortal Tower was arguably the most lavish restaurant in the Ruyi District. Its dishes were all exotic delicacies like bear paws and tiger penis. It even occasionally served precious ats like Spirit Fish, which were incredibly nourishing for a Martial Artist’s vitality. The wine was also of a rare vintage, difficult to find on the market. A single banquet there could easily cost ten to twenty taels of silver.
It wasn’t quite the exaggeration Li Sheng made it out to be, however. You didn’t really need to book that far in advance. His claim was rely to emphasize the importance and sincerity of his invitation.
Another reason was that Chen Cheng was extrely well-liked at the Ruyi Square Sub-Departnt. With his promotion to Chief Constable, many constables were already discussing throwing a celebratory banquet for him.
Since Li Sheng wanted to make a statent, he couldn’t afford to be outdone. That’s why he had been waiting here since early morning—to show Chen Cheng just how sincere his remorse was.
Chen Cheng had always preferred peace and quiet, avoiding social drinking and banquets whenever he could. After a mont’s thought, he politely declined. "The Drunken Immortal Tower is too extravagant. Let’s skip the banquet. That much silver is enough to treat the brothers at the City Guard Departnt to drinks several tis over."
Li Sheng’s smile froze. ’He won’t accept my invitation. Is he still holding a grudge?’
Recalling Chen Cheng’s ruthlessness—how he would behead a man at the drop of a hat—Li Sheng’s heart pounded in his chest, and a cold sweat broke out on his back.
"I sincerely admit my mistakes! Please, give
a chance, Mr. Chen!" Li Sheng dropped to his knees with a THUD, his voice choked with emotion.
"Hey... what are you doing?" Chen Cheng quickly pulled him to his feet.
’If the other constables saw this, they’d assu I started bullying a Preparatory Constable the mont I got promoted.’
"Does that an you’ve agreed, Mr. Chen?" Li Sheng asked, his face full of hope.
Chen Cheng shook his head and said flatly, "Forget the Drunken Immortal Tower. If you’re sincere, then use the money to treat the constable brothers from the City Guard Departnt to a few rounds of drinks."
Li Sheng was overjoyed. "Yes! I’ll arrange it at once," he said hurriedly. "I’ll tell everyone the drinks are to celebrate Mr. Chen’s promotion."
Li Sheng was well aware that Chen Cheng had received a bounty for killing the South City Thirteen Thieves and had spent a good portion of it treating his colleagues to drinks.
’Knowing Chen Cheng’s style, he probably planned to do the sa for his promotion to Preparatory Chief Constable.’
"Then I appreciate it," Chen Cheng said with a smile. ’It’s not bad, saving a bit of money.’
Li Sheng smiled. "It’s what I ought to do, of course."
"Of course, you don’t have to invite everyone," Chen Cheng added. "Chief Zhao is always busy with his duties and dislikes socializing, so you can leave him out."
Li Sheng took the hint and nodded. "I understand. I’ll just invite the sa people you treated last ti, Mr. Chen."
"Alright," Chen Cheng said before heading to the Governnt Office Hall. After registering at the Deacon’s Room, he collected his black, cloud-patterned Chief Constable uniform and waist token. His old Constable’s Saber was also replaced with the standard-issue Hundred-Forged Refined Steel saber used by Chief Constables.
As a Preparatory Chief Constable, he was also assigned a private office. It was located right beside the garden in the rear courtyard, not far from Shen Qingshuang’s own Chief Constable’s quarters. ’It seems she arranged this intentionally,’ he thought.
Chen Cheng’s new office was about the sa size as those of the other Chief Constables, like Liu Yunfeng, and also consisted of two rooms.
The outer room contained simple furnishings like a desk, chairs, a tea set, a bookshelf, and a cabinet. The inner room had a bed for resting.
No longer having to endure the daily grind of street patrols, Chen Cheng was in high spirits. He changed into his new Chief Constable uniform, brewed a pot of tea in his office, and began to sip it leisurely.
Preparatory Chief Constables were not required to be on duty at the City Guard Departnt, but they couldn’t stray too far from it. As it happened, his own ho was very close to the Ruyi Square Sub-Departnt.
This ant that after the morning roll call, it was perfectly legitimate for him to go straight ho to focus on Cultivating his Martial Dao.
The next matter to consider was finding a Preparatory Constable to serve as his subordinate. Chen Cheng already had a few candidates in mind. They all ca from clean backgrounds and held him in high regard, so working with them shouldn’t pose any major problems.
The only drawback was their lacking Martial Arts Power. They were, after all, only Preparatory Constables, and their Saber Technique had not yet reached the stage of Great Success.
As he was mulling this over, a knock sounded at the door. It was Li Sheng, an obsequious smile on his face.
"Mr. Chen, I’ve already distributed the silver taels to the n on each shift. I told them you were treating everyone to drinks."
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