Translator: Dragon Rider

In a car.

In fact, Zu Zhichong was from a rather wealthy family, but he preferred to lead a "low-key" life, which was why he was driving a Lotus Erova.

He Zheng was sitting on the front pa.s.senger seat, a sulky look on his face, mad about Li Zong's scalding his forehead without telling him the reason in advance.

Zu Zhichong gave a dry cough. What his chief had done a while ago had brought him to a thorough realization of how much this guy sitting beside him meant to his Chief. 'That was a portion of Chief's primordial spirit! Chief is widely rumored among outsiders to be the most powerful one of this generation of staff members of our bureau! I can't believe he spared a portion of his primordial spirit to this guy just like that!'

And this person was also his future younger sect-brother, which meant that they were going to be brethren. Zu Zhichong had always been rather protective towards his brethren.

"Cutie, if there's anything you feel like having for lunch, do not hesitate to tell me. I'm well acquainted with all restaurants in this city."

He Zheng, who was starving, didn't mind Zu Zhichong's calling him that nickname. "I'm not bothered."

"All right. Let's get going. Buckle up." Zu Zhichong pressed down hard on the gas pedal and the Lotus Erova shot forward, leaving a blur of movement in its wake –well, that was impossible. Lotus Erova was not a sci-fi racing car. A blur of movement was way too dramatic.

As the car drove forward on the asphalt road, Zu Zhichong began to curry favor with He Zheng. Previously, he had thought that He Zheng was merely a good-for-nothing, but now, things were different. He Zheng had managed to invoke a thundercloud when performing the enchantment for the first time. 'Though his cultivation base is still rather weak, it doesn't change that fact that he's a genius!'

"Hey, Cutie. What's wrong? Is anything bothering you?"

"What did Li Zong mean by that remark? Have you made any particular arrangements?" He Zheng slid a sideways glance at Zu Zhichong. "And about the matter of He Jin, tell me all you are allowed to disclose. At least let me know what is going on."

Zu Zhichong involuntarily let out an unnatural cough. 'No wonder Chief has his eye on him. He's indeed not just a naive and ditzy plaything.'

"He Jin colluded with demons, and it'd probably been quite some time. A few days ago, when some Dream Eaters made trouble in the city, we followed the line of inquiry and it led us to He Jin. Just like what you have seen back there, we arrested He Jin, but it seemed that the one he served wanted to prevent him from disclosing anything he's not supposed to disclose, so they... 'boom'" Zu Zhichong made a gesticulation of slitting his throat.

In He Zheng's eyes, He Jin's death had been his just deserts, and he wouldn't even give a frown if it were to happen once again.

"Where's Li Zong?"

"It's been unpeaceful in our country all along, even before we met on the flight. Director Zhen –I mean, Zhen Ni's father, a highly respected director in the Supernaturalism Management Bureau (SMB), who is currently staying in the United Front Work Department to take care of things and could be counted as one of the top-ranking officials of SMB, has a.s.signed Chief and the leader of the second action group to perform a top-secret task during the next few days."

Zu Zhichong deliberately kept some information back. For the moment, he was not allowed to tell He Zheng what kind of task it was.

Zu Zhichong tossed a glance at He Zheng. "This time around, I won't be going with them. My sect-uncle is about to finish his closed-door cultivation, and there's something I have to consult him about. You've got to go to the Sui City with me. I'll take you to the Qingwei Sect to be inducted."

He Zheng's brow corrugated. "When did you make these arrangements?"

Zu Zhichong found that He Zheng was actually pretty smart, at least not as good-for-nothing as he was rumored to be.

"You're very talented. And, to be honest, given your current cultivation base, you won't be able to achieve much in anything. Since you were endowed with such an excellent apt.i.tude for Fu-craft (Fu is a piece of rectangular paper on which magical figures are drawn by Chinese Taoist priests to invoke or expel spirits and bring good or ill fortune), you might as well start with this skill. Qingwei Sect happens to need talents of your kind as well."

Zu Zhichong flicked him a resigned glance. "I just made a phone call to my master shifu and fixed a date. It was decided merely a moment ago, so Chief didn't inform you beforehand."

He Zheng inclined his head, lost in thought.

Would he go to the Qingwei Sect? Of course he would. The mental cultivation method of He family was no longer as helpful to him as it had been, and there wouldn't be anybody else coming to his a.s.sistance, so the Qingwei Sect was his best choice.

However, his goal was not to become a disciple of the Qingwei Sect.

"I want to join SMB."

Zu Zhichong, who happened to be stopping the car at a red light, didn't hear He Zheng's words.

"Um?"

"I want to join SMB!" He Zheng twisted his head aside, fixed Zu Zhichong with a stare and repeated the sentence, a rather expectant look in his eyes.

"Are you out of your mind?!" Zu Zhichong shook his head like crazy. "That's impossible, Cutie. Currently, you're not even qualified to be recruited to STTP–"

Zu Zhichong quickly held his mouth.

But it was too late.

He Zheng looked at Zu Zhichong with sparkling eyes and asked him in an amused tone of voice, "What's STTP?"

Zu Zhichong shook his head like a rattle, determined not to answer the question.

He Zheng's light-complexioned face instantly darkened. "Then I'll tell Li Zong that you try to starve me."

He Zheng didn't realize that he was trying to pressure Zu Zhichong with his relationship with Li Zong in a rather natural manner. Taking advantage of Li Zong's position had always been such a handy finesse that He Zheng just couldn't help it.

Zu Zhichong's eyes went plaintive.

"Fine. I'll tell you." He let out a sigh and began to explain.

"Every year, our bureau scouts the whole country for people endowed with apt.i.tude for cultivation, gathers them and trains them. These talented trainees are typically a main source of new recruits of SMB. Since they have received training in SMB before becoming employees, they will stay absolutely loyal to the bureau. And since they have to perform some tasks during their training in STTP, they usually adapt to their posts in SMB quicker than other new recruits.

This is a special talents training program, or STTP for short! It's top-secret!"

"What do I have to do to be recruited to STTP?" He Zheng was clearly very interested in it. He Yu was also going to apply to join SMB. If he got into SMB and He Yu failed, she would definitely be p.i.s.sed off. It would be a tactic of shooting two hawks with one arrow.

"You can't." Zu Zhichong replied in a positive and decisive tone of voice, looking at He Zheng, sympathy gleaming in his eyes. "The entrance requirement for STTP is very stringent. Though people don't have to be from aristocratic families to get in, they do have to be both powerful and talented to qualify. And they also have to pa.s.s a series of tests organized by various departments and Chief. You won't be able to get in, Cutie, unless through the back door."

"Through the back door?" He Zheng quickly seized upon the key words.

Zu Zhichong froze after making the last remark, barely able to forbear to slap himself across the face. 's.h.i.t! Why did I say that?! How could I forget that Cutie has Chief, a super powerful backer at his back?!'

Unsurprisingly, He Zheng's eyes instantly lit up.

"Good. I'm going to get in through the back door."