Chapter 168: Sudden Reinforcements

"This cannot be achieved through training in such a short period of time," Wang Chen said. "So I guessed that you would find a way to extract my memory and directly instill it into him."

Wang Chen chuckled, "Technologies related to the mind and soul are terribly expensive, and they also require rare and precious materials."

"I'm afraid the cost incurred will be far greater than five hundred, won't it?"

With Wang Chen's words, Jiang Sheng's expression grew increasingly ugly, and Qiao Jun turned around, gazing at Wang Chen with a complicated look.

"Oh ho? Does that mean my guess was pretty much spot on?" Wang Chen smiled.

"I also advise you not to bother putting on a bluff. Intimidating me is pointless."

The smile had vanished from the corners of Qiao Jun's mouth, and he shed his previous modest attitude.

He spoke in an ice-cold tone, "Has the Professionals Association penetrated the Public Security Bureau to this extent?"

"To be able to tell you such intelligence."

Wang Chen waved his hand. "Mr. Qiao, you're being too suspicious. I already said it was just a guess."

"Alright, let's cut the nonsense. How much money or what benefits do you want in order to help us with public relations?" Qiao Jun asked coldly.

Wang Chen crossed his legs. "So you guys really thought I was haggling with you just to bargain?"

Ignoring his question, Qiao Jun continued on his own, "I remember that the Professionals Association applied to the Provincial Committee for a trial grounds plot last month. There's no problem with that; I can help you sort it out."

"Or, however many high-level class-transfer materials Wu Zige wants, we can help you get them. I remember several Diamond-class professionals in your association have been stuck on their class-transfer quests for a long time because of materials, haven't they?"

Wu Zige was the president of the Luzhou Professionals Association.

"Perhaps we can also help you..."

Wang Chen looked at the chattering Qiao Jun and shook his head.

"I can see that your intelligence work is well done, and your competence makes you a talented person. But your vision is simply too narrow."

Wang Chen stood up from his chair. "Why do you assume everyone lives for those benefits you keep talking about?"

He finally understood. Before even speaking with him, Qiao Jun had already presupposed that Wang Chen was a pawn sent by the Professionals Association to blackmail the Public Security Bureau.

Qiao Jun was startled. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, from the moment I started doing this, I never thought of extorting the Public Security Bureau with it."

"If you ask what benefits I want," Wang Chen said, enunciating every word, "it is to thoroughly investigate the Luzhou Public Security Bureau and return a clear and honest sky to the people of Luzhou!"

Silence. A prolonged silence.

Qiao Jun suddenly burst into helpless laughter, almost laughing to the point of tears.

"Madman! You're simply a madman!" Qiao Jun pointed at Wang Chen and said, "If you're not a madman, you're an idiot!"

"Yet right now, you're the one looking more like a madman." Wang Chen spread his hands in a helpless gesture.

After laughing for a good long while, holding his aching stomach, Qiao Jun gave the order, "Jiang Sheng, finish him. There's no negotiating with this guy."

There seemed to be pity in his gaze. "Send this young man to heaven. Perhaps there he will find the ideals he seeks."

Hearing this, Jiang Sheng's eyes flashed with ferocity. Electric currents danced across his body as he prepared to strike Wang Chen.

"Are you really certain you can take me down all by yourself?" Wang Chen smiled. "What level are you to be so arrogant?"

"Anyway, killing me is enough!" Jiang Sheng grinned hideously. "Stop putting on a mysterious front; you're nothing more than a Life Shaman."

"What can you do? Release that fog of yours? Or summon your battle pet to cancel skills?"

With a flash between his fingers, Jiang Sheng produced a pair of alloy-framed glasses and put them on. "Feel free to try. If you manage to live past thirty seconds, I'll burn extra joss paper for you during every festival!"

Glancing at Jiang Sheng's equipment, Wang Chen realized this fellow was wearing alchemical gear.

It likely countered both his Five-Mile Mist and Dice of Replication.

Yet Wang Chen remained curious: did they really dare to make a move right here? Weren't they afraid of messing up?

On second thought, he understood. In any case, all tactics default to temporary workers; Jiang Sheng could easily be labeled a temporary worker.

And Qiao Jun could claim he was merely a lifestyle class professional and unable to stop Jiang Sheng from suddenly going berserk.

Hah, once you understood these fellows' logic, these public relations techniques didn't seem so high-end after all, Wang Chen thought to himself.

Seeing that he was about to face a battle while still letting his mind wander, it was clear he wasn't panicked in the slightest.

At some point, a piece of jade talisman had appeared tightly clenched in his palm.

As long as he activated this talisman, Wu Jié would crash through the wall from next room, where a team of student council security guards was also waiting to easily hold off Jiang Sheng.

Meanwhile, Wang Chen could use his unrevealed teleportation skill to escape.

Therefore, there was nothing to panic about—merely another battle well within his control.

...

Just as the battle was about to break out, someone knocked on the meeting room door.

"Quick, finish this!" Qiao Jun frowned.

"Understood!" With electric currents wrapping around his feet, Jiang Sheng lunged violently toward Wang Chen.

Black light flowed across Wang Chen's body as his teleportation skill was about to activate.

Yet at that exact instant, a figure materialized as if out of thin air, inserting himself directly between Wang Chen and Jiang Sheng.

Before Wang Chen could even react, he saw Jiang Sheng sent flying backward, his body crashing straight through the wall and vanishing into the next room.

The people in the next room looked in shock at Jiang Sheng, who had suddenly burst through the wall, completely at a loss.

Wu Jié hurriedly broke through the wall as well. "Wang Chen! Are you alright?"

Only then did Wang Chen shake his head as if waking from a dream, his gaze fixed entirely on the figure that had abruptly appeared before him.

By now, he could clearly see the man's true appearance.

He was a man with a well-proportioned build and a short, flat-top haircut.

After sending Jiang Sheng flying with a single hit, the man walked over to the door without a word and pulled it open.

Such a simple action exuded a sense of crisp decisiveness, reminiscent of a soldier.

Once the door was open, a vigorous-looking elderly man walked in.

Following the hole blasted open by Wu Jié, the Department Head—who had just arrived through the wall—spotted the old man and exclaimed, "Elder Yu!"

The newcomer was none other than Yu Jiamao.

Behind him followed Ou Yulan and Zhu Jingjun.

After walking into the room, the short-haired man silently and consciously stood guard behind Yu Jiamao.

Upon entering, both men cast cold, sweeping glances around the perimeter. Zhu Jingjun rested his gaze on Jiang Sheng.

Meanwhile, Ou Yulan broke into a smile upon seeing Wang Chen.

"And Teacher Ou, Teacher Zhu, why did you two come as well?" the Department Head asked. "Weren't the three of you in the lounge?"

"If we had arrived any later, Wang Chen probably would have met with foul play," Zhu Jingjun said coldly.

"Huh? Teacher Zhu, what do you mean by that?" The Department Head was utterly bewildered.

At a gesture from Elder Yu, the man behind him quickly recounted the whole incident.

Upon hearing the account, the Department Head pointed at Qiao Jun and cursed angrily, "What is wrong with you people? Didn't we agree this was just a private conversation?"

"What is the meaning of this now? Were you planning to commit murder?"

The Department Head slammed his hand on the table. "This is the behavior of thugs! There's not an ounce of civil servant left in you!"