Yang Xiao only remembered that his seat had changed. It was no longer in the furthest corner from the head seat, but right next to Chief Wu.
Although his rank hadn’t directly improved, the increase in status was not insignificant. With this title of Special Case Inspection Specialist stationed at the Provincial Bureau from the General Bureau, he was now under three people, above a thousand others.
Besides a full-time director and two deputy-level cadres within the Provincial Bureau, Yang Xiao was undeniably the fourth in Jiangbei Province Office.
Looking at the glances of kindness or hesitation cast by those present, Yang Xiao’s hand slowly clenched into a fist under the table. To hold someone’s life and death in one sentence, this is the advantage of power. It truly made his blood boil, and Yang Xiao wanted it too.
The affairs over the years made Yang Xiao understand many things. Fine horses are common, but Bosom friends are rare. Even if you are a piece of gold, without discovery, you are just a broken stone.
Gu Chongshan was willing to give Yang Xiao a ladder to the sky, so he would surely do things well and not let down the nurturing of his superior.
He could discern many things from Hong Anguo’s eyes. He wasn’t too concerned about his own position upgrading. After all, to put it plainly, he was just a second-level full-time, far from threatening Hong’s position. What Hong truly cared about was the resources behind him; he never expected Yang Xiao could climb up to a backer like Gu Chongshan.
Having someone in the court makes it easier to be an official. Gu Chongshan’s intervention completely helped Yang Xiao to open the situation in the Jiangbei Province Office. Now, Yang Xiao could finally breathe a little easier. He believed that at least internally at the Provincial Office, no one would openly oppose him anymore.
At least not on the surface, terms like Ming Emperor Ye Xiao, Sun and Moon Divine Sect Hierarch, Evil Cultivator Special Forces Commander would no longer be thrown around threateningly at him.
After all, no one wanted to oppose the high ranks of the General Bureau. To deal with Yang Xiao would be to slap Director Gu in the face, and if you slap Director Gu’s face, you’d better be prepared for the consequences.
At night, despite Yang Xiao’s reluctance, Hong Anguo insisted on hosting a welcome banquet for Yang Xiao at the hall inside the Patrol Defense Office. It was a night of enjoyment for host and guests, nearly drinking Yang Xiao to death.
And it was from this day onwards, Yang Xiao felt that the Provincial Bureau, once like a pit of tigers and dragons, seemed to have suddenly changed into a different world. Everyone greeted him with smiles, calling him a dragon among men, addressed him as Specialist, and so on. Everyone became his friend overnight.
After muddling through two days, Yang Xiao temporarily left the Provincial Office and went to the Provincial Bureau’s experimental base located outside the city.
Here was Professor Cui’s domain, and his uncle was someone he could trust.
"Hehe, what’s this? Our new Inspection Specialist has come here to find peace?" Professor Cui, clad in his lab coat, pushed open the office door and teased upon seeing Yang Xiao.
Yang Xiao immediately grimaced, "Uncle, it’s fine if they say it, but you’re teasing me too."
Professor Cui put down the protective helmet in his hand, sat opposite Yang Xiao, and, gazing at Yang Xiao’s young face, nodded, "Little Yang, you’ve done well, really well. I didn’t expect that this mission to Japan would grant you such a big opportunity."
"You are someone who knows how to seize opportunities. This Director Gu is your best backing. He holds a very important position in the Patrol General Bureau, and maybe you don’t know yet, but you and he... have an unusual connection." Professor Cui was evidently hinting at Yang Xiao.
Hearing the implication in Professor Cui’s words, Yang Xiao couldn’t help but be curious, "What connection?"
"You should know about Sword Lord," Professor Cui said.
"Of course I know. The saber I have is the relic of the Sword Lord." Yang Xiao activated his ability, and with a single thought, drew out the Ring-Headed Saber. The blade glittered coldly in the office’s lighting.
Professor Cui was someone Yang Xiao could fully rely on. The two of them broke through from the Esoteric Sect of Dharma Sect together, and Yang Xiao did not hide the origin of this Ring-Headed Saber from him.
"Do you know the position the Sword Lord once held in the Patrol Defense Office?" Professor Cui asked again.
"He was a Deputy Director of the Patrol General Bureau. I’m not clear on the specifics." Yang Xiao answered honestly.
The General Bureau Deputy is a level; there are a number of people at this level. The difference lies in the specific role, much like the comparison between Yang Xiao’s past and present.
At this point, Professor Cui stopped keeping him in suspense and said openly, "After the Sword Lord fell in battle, it was Director Gu who took over the Sword Lord’s position. He is the General Commander of the second action group in the Patrol General Bureau, which is a position of real power. In terms of his own strength and his say within the General Bureau, he steadily ranks in the top ten, and perhaps even the top five."
As he knew Yang Xiao didn’t have a detailed concept of the General Bureau’s power distribution, Professor Cui patiently helped analyze, "Little Yang, this world belongs to the Apostles. The so-called three major forces are essentially the three strongest violent groups in the country, and our Patrol Defense Office is the strongest among the three. We maintain the basic order of this nation."
"Without absolute military suppression, who would give you any face? If you can’t earn something with your fists, hoping to get it by reasoning is a pipe dream."
"So, it resulted in the three major forces being dominated by military officers. In other words, the more high-level Apostles one controls, the stronger one’s people, the more central they are."
"The most acknowledged powerful force in our Patrol Defense Office are the three action groups directly under the General Bureau, divided into the first, second, and third groups. These three groups form the absolute military deterrent of the Patrol General Bureau, and the second group is under Gu Chongshan’s control."
"You can understand it like this, at least one-fifth of our Patrol Defense Office’s high-rank combat power works under Gu Chongshan."
"I’ve always worried that there was no one above to back you, no one to speak for you at critical moments, but now with Gu Chongshan, this problem is solved."
"Now, you have a good hand of cards. Externally, you have Esoteric Priest Cannibal Buddha, Japan’s Kusunoki Family, etc., supporting you. Within the Patrol Defense Office, you have Gu Chongshan backing you. Once you help reclaim the Academy, Yiling Academy will inevitably side with you."
"Dean Sheng is a man of principle. He holds high esteem in the martial arts world and has widespread friendships. He knows how to repay you."
"If you want to achieve prominence, friends in the court and the martial arts world are both indispensable, and now you have both. Right now, you need to stabilize. As long as you can hold steady, waiting for the right opportunity, your future is beyond measure."
"Little Yang, Uncle didn’t misjudge you. You are highly talented. To recognize me as your uncle truly does you an injustice." Professor Cui sighed.
In the next second, Yang Xiao immediately reached out and grasped Professor Cui’s hands earnestly, "Uncle, please don’t say such things. I owe my achievements today much to your guidance. I can never repay your kindness in a lifetime."
"Hahaha, good, between us let’s not speak of this. Now, there’s a troublesome matter you must handle carefully." Professor Cui reminded.
"Is it... Vice Commissioner Zhao?" Yang Xiao probed.
"Smart!" Professor Cui’s eyes lit up, "This time you’ve returned victorious. The others might not think much of it, but Zhao Jingde must be feeling highly uncomfortable."
"You’ve only been in the Provincial Office for a short time, yet you’ve advanced too quickly. Hong Anguo is the full-time director of the Provincial Bureau; you can’t top his position in a short period. And Wu Qingcang’s battle merits are solid; in terms of contribution, he’s no less than you, hence you can’t replace him either."
"Now you are the fourth in the Provincial Bureau’s team, a Second-level Full-time. Think, if you advance further, it would be to a First-level Deputy. Besides Zhao Jingde, who else can you replace?" Professor Cui reminded.
Yang Xiao naturally understood this point, "Uncle, I sensed it too. After Director Hong announced my appointment, he hinted at Deputy Director Zhao."
"Heh, that Hong-man isn’t a good thing either. He’s sowing discord, planning to sit back and watch the struggle between tigers. His dislike for Zhao Jingde isn’t new, and he’s wanted to deal with him for a while, but there’s never been a suitable opportunity."
"What does Uncle suggest; how should I act?" Yang Xiao asked in a low voice.
"Stay put, watch the change." Professor Cui gave eight words, then continued, "Little Yang, it’s not like the old days. You are in a position of advantage, and nobody dares to harm you openly unless they are extremely reckless."
"But remember, open attacks are easy to dodge, concealed ones are harder. The higher you stand, the more vigilant you need to be. Beware of petty schemers."
"In my view, Zhao Jingde will not sit and wait for death. That guy is most adept at schemes and intrigues; I suffered at the hands of that old fox back then."
"He has means and has covertly acquired many martial arts forces. The power behind him is not to be underestimated."