novelraw Chapter 535: The Assistant Officer in an Admin Jacket, the Chief Officer in Civil-Military Sleeves
Chapter 535: The Assistant Officer in an Admin Jacket, the Chief Officer in Civil-Military Sleeves
He was already poised and ready to strike at any moment!!!
Although he and Chen Feichen were both at the first stage of the Five Decays of Heaven-Man cultivation realm.
When it came to combat ability... one was in the heavens, the other on the earth!
Secretary Qiu, seeing that Lu Ding hadn't flipped to the last page yet.
He could already sense Lu Ding's burning enthusiasm.
But since they were on the same side, he couldn't help but offer a reminder.
"Lu Ding, don't you want to look at the reward?"
"And please don't take this the wrong way, but our place here is different from down below in the Third Circle."
"Especially in that new city—everyone who managed to build their fortune and establish themselves there is anything but a pushover."
"I know you were a genius among geniuses in the Third Circle, but... this place isn't as simple as you might think."He said these things not to belittle Lu Ding or with any ill intentions.
But purely to make Lu Ding more cautious.
Secretary Qiu had seen all of Lu Ding's records and achievements with his own eyes.
Anyway, he felt that.
If Lu Ding continued to act according to his original personality after coming to the Second Circle, it would be unsafe and risky.
Steady and methodical progress was the safest approach.
Lu Ding flipped to the last page.
[Upon task completion, receive 10,000 contribution points]
Although from a cost-performance perspective, these 10,000 contribution points seemed somewhat low.
But contribution points in the Second Circle were more valuable.
The same 10,000 contribution points could buy things in the Second Circle that would cost several tens of thousands in the Third Circle.
This place had a larger market, better environment, more varieties of natural treasures, pills, and cultivation techniques, with stronger medicinal effects—so overall, Lu Ding was actually getting a good deal!
He nodded: "I understand."
Seeing that Lu Ding showed no curiosity about the judgment criteria implied by the phrase "task completion,"
Secretary Qiu became curious instead.
"Aren't you curious about how 'task completion' is defined?"
Lu Ding closed the documents again: "If it's not explicitly written, then there are no standards—kill if you can kill, capture alive if you can capture."
"A general in the field is not bound by orders from the court—free rein, advance or retreat as I decide."
Clap, clap, clap...
Secretary Qiu applauded, his eyes full of admiration: "Well said, 'a general in the field is not bound by orders from the court.'"
"Let me just add one thing: while maintaining basic principles, you can use any means necessary. Call if anything happens."
Lu Ding stood up straight.
"Am I going alone?"
According to attendance standards, two people needed to wear bodycams together.
To prevent investigators from 'crossing the bottom line.'
"Of course not. Once my nephew arrives, you can set off immediately."
When Secretary Qiu said this, his eyes were full of pride.
As he finished speaking.
A knock sounded at the door.
Secretary Qiu called out: "Enter."
They saw a young man walk in from outside, wearing an administrative jacket, gold-rimmed glasses, carrying a briefcase, with a personal second class merit medal on his chest, his hair neatly combed.
His features were at least seventy to eighty percent similar to Secretary Qiu's.
But he was younger and more unconventional, though his eyes showed full determination!
Secretary Qiu nodded at the young man, his proud expression instantly fading as the young man entered, replaced by an ordinary, even slightly cold demeanor.
"Let me introduce you. This is my nephew, Fu Xinghe, twenty years old, first stage of the Five Decays of Heaven-Man, just dropped out from the 749 Reserve University."
"Picked up a bunch of bureaucratic habits, wearing an administrative jacket at such a young age, acting like a self-important student council president who doesn't know his place."
"If it weren't for these bad habits being somewhat helpful for your intimidation phase when entering the new city, and that he can handle miscellaneous tasks, he wouldn't even qualify to stand here!"
"Just treat him as an intern, outside the formal roster—anyway, only after completing this task will he qualify to become official. If you encounter danger, you can abandon him without worrying about me—this is not just polite talk!"
When Secretary Qiu said this, his tone was serious and his expression earnest.
Lu Ding understood the situation clearly.
His eyes swept over Fu Xinghe, but he saw no change in the young man's expression.
Only after Secretary Qiu showed no intention of speaking further did Fu Xinghe step forward, bow slightly, and extend his hand with a gentle smile: "Hello, Investigator Lu. From now on, I'll be your assistant investigator. You can assign me any task."
Lu Ding reached out and shook his hand: "Hello."
After the two became acquainted.
Secretary Qiu picked up the documents and placed them in Fu Xinghe's hands: "Alright, you can go out and get ready now."
Hearing this, Fu Xinghe moved aside to let Lu Ding pass first.
After Lu Ding walked past.
Fu Xinghe followed.
Walking backward to close the door, he said: "Uncle, I'm leaving."
Bang!
The door closed.
Secretary Qiu stood still and sighed: "Ah..."
...
In the corridor, Lu Ding walked in front, Fu Xinghe behind.
Then they heard him say: "Grand Duke Lu, do you have any time preferences? The best available departure is in one hour."
"No, whatever you arrange is fine."
After responding, Lu Ding initiated his ice-breaking, shame-threshold-breaking conversation technique.
And from the term "Grand Duke Lu," he could tell that Fu Xinghe was prepared to fully submit.
"Why did you drop out?"
Fu Xinghe followed closely behind with small steps: "Not smart enough, not experienced enough."
"Where there are people, there is conflict;
where there are people, there are classes. 749 Reserve University enrolls students fairly, but amniotic fluid is the dividing line—that's where the unfairness lies."
"749 Reserve University has financial aid. For wealthy, well-connected students, it might just mean an extra pair of shoes or one meal."
"But for ordinary students, it might be buffer money for a tight semester."
"Yet shame prevents many truly impoverished students from applying directly."
"And unexpected windfalls allow many relatively wealthy students to buy one more pair of shoes."
"First semester, I familiarized myself with the environment. Second semester, I became student council president, and during that same semester, I arranged financial aid for students who didn't apply."
"Because I needed to understand the situation, I often walked and talked with them. After the aid was distributed, someone reported me."
"Saying I gave the financial aid to people I was close with. Fortunately, the school administration investigated and verified the true situation, so I wasn't removed as student council president."
"But later that administrator was transferred to another institution as vice president."
Hearing this, Lu Ding felt that Fu Xinghe's outcome was inevitable.
He continued listening.
"Third semester, I changed my approach. For students who didn't apply, I didn't arrange any financial aid—only for those who applied."
"Then, using what my uncle calls bureaucratic habits, I retrieved a large portion from them, using the reason that they weren't actually poor."
"Afterward, I redistributed this money to truly impoverished students through a sponsorship program."
"This solved both the problem of applicants not being rejected and the problem of truly needy students being too embarrassed to apply and thus not receiving funds."