Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo'

Chapter 836 - 502: Dark Star Bureau (Part 2)

Li Banfeng’s speech lasted a whole hour, and Shen Jingye’s pen never stopped.

Only after Li Banfeng finished speaking did Shen Jingye let out a sigh of relief, covered in sweat, already soaking through his clothes.

"Little Shen, is it that tiring?" Li Banfeng sipped some tea, "I didn’t feel tired talking, yet listening to me seems to have exhausted you like this?"

Shen Jingye was indeed very tired, his back straightened, body leaning forward, only sitting on half a chair, listening to the speech for an hour, and he had filled a notebook with notes.

After wiping his sweat and resting for a moment, Shen Jingye cleared his mind a bit and asked the secretary to present a stack of forms to Li Qiyi; the forms detailed the responsibilities and benefits of various positions.

The purpose of today’s meeting was to choose a suitable position for Li Qi. If Shen Jingye could focus on getting the proper work done sooner and talk less nonsense, he wouldn’t have to suffer so much.

Li Qi took the forms and flipped through them casually; all the positions seemed the same to him. He didn’t need a salary, nor care about the benefits; any job would suffice.

Shen Jingye awaited Li Qi’s choice. Suddenly, Li Qi put down the forms and looked up at him, saying: "I’ve made my choice, the Director’s position seems quite nice."

Shen Jingye panicked, shaking his head repeatedly: "You can’t choose the Director; there’s no Director position on the forms, I’m the Director, you can’t take my..."

He stopped abruptly mid-sentence.

Shen Jingye realized he had lost his composure.

Li Qi couldn’t just take the Director’s position with a word.

It was a joke, how could it be taken seriously?

But now that he took it seriously, he was in an awkward position.

Li Qi sighed: "Little Shen, you sure hold official positions in high regard. I didn’t say I’d take your position; these jobs on the form aren’t quite suitable for me; I want to be a Deputy Director. Is that okay?"

Shen Jingye, with a confused look, said: "This isn’t something I can decide alone..."

"Then you all discuss it slowly. I’ll head back to Puluo State by car tomorrow; let me know the outcome." Li Qi left the meeting room.

Chen Changrui looked at Li Qi’s back, his eyelids twitching slightly.

He felt that the figure seemed familiar, but because of great changes, he couldn’t confirm.

Others looked at Shen Jingye.

Shen Jingye’s face turned livid. Since he didn’t declare the meeting adjourned, no one dared to leave.

...

In the master hall of the Ghost Hand Sect, in Xie Juncong’s bedroom, He Jiaqing was devouring a roast chicken ravenously.

Xie Juncong had prepared a large table of wine and dishes, cautiously serving by the side. After He Jiaqing had eaten enough, he asked: "Where is Big Head?"

"Are you talking about the friend from the Outside Provinces?" Xie Juncong said. "He came by last night, but you hadn’t woken up. He said he would come again to see you tonight."

He Jiaqing drank a pot of wine, caught his breath, and said: "If it weren’t for him, you wouldn’t even think of coming looking for me, would you?"

Xie Juncong didn’t dare to lie: "We truly didn’t know you were in trouble."

He Jiaqing, eyes glinting coldly, looked at Xie Juncong: "Do you think Big Head knew? You think if I were in trouble, I would specially tell you? Why was it only Big Head who knew to find me?"

Xie Juncong dared not say more, and He Jiaqing had the table cleared away, then lay down and went back to sleep.

By evening, Big Head arrived, and He Jiaqing was awake too.

Upon seeing Big Head, He Jiaqing wanted to give a great salute, but Big Head stopped him: "We are brothers; I should save you."

He Jiaqing sighed: "You truly are my brother; without you, I would undoubtedly be dead. How did you know I was trapped in the Jiang Xiang Gang master hall?"

Big Head explained the process of his investigation, and when mentioning Xiao Zhenggong’s death, He Jiaqing was greatly shocked: "Li Qi killed Xiao Zhenggong? Xiao Zhenggong was the Balancer, and Li Qi just killed him like that?"

Big Head nodded: "Now the Balancer is Li Qi."

He Jiaqing’s eyes widened: "Li Qi became the Balancer? Didn’t you say the Balancer must have connections with the Inner State?"

Big Head said: "According to the Defense Agency’s investigation, Li Qi indeed has connections with the Inner State. When Sage Peak was annihilated, Li Qi saved many people near Cheap Person Ridge."

"Sage Peak was annihilated?" He Jiaqing was even more surprised.

Big Head was also surprised: "I heard from the foreign doctor Cui Tiq that you were also involved in this event."

"I was involved?" He Jiaqing had a foreboding feeling.

Big Head said: "Someone suspects you stole the Sage’s Jade Seal, saying you were the biggest beneficiary of that event."

"I benefited..." He Jiaqing’s brow twitched, calming himself for a while, and asked, "What else have I been involved in during this time?"

Big Head shook his head: "This is all I know for now. For other matters, you might need to ask that foreign doctor."

He Jiaqing organized his thoughts, then asked: "Because Li Qi killed Xiao Zhenggong and had connections with the Inner State, he became the Balancer?"

"That’s not it; during this period, a new Balancer appeared, named Chen Weixin, but for some unknown reason, this Balancer disappeared. Li Qi became the Balancer mainly due to the Mysterious Red Life Lotus incident."

He Jiaqing was surprised: "The Mysterious Red Life Lotus was exposed?"

"Yes, the Mysterious Red Life Lotus was always hidden in the residence of the Local Deity of Bridge Yesong, discovered by Chief Envoy Liao."

"The Local Deity of Bridge Yesong?" He Jiaqing was puzzled again, "Are you talking about the Mysterious Red Life Lotus?"

Big Head recounted the Bridge Yesong incident, leaving He Jiaqing utterly confused.

Finding the Mysterious Red Life Lotus at the Local Deity’s residence could summon Heavenly Light and use human flesh and blood for alchemy.

Then what was the status of the Red Lotus I handed to Li Banfeng?

How did two Red Lotuses come about?

This world changes way too fast.