In the following days, Yang Xiao’s life returned to a calm routine. He went to work at the Patrol Defense Office during the day to learn and adapt to his new position and returned home as soon as dusk fell.
Due to his promotion, many people wanted to get in touch with him, but Yang Xiao managed to decline almost all the invitations, showing more humility at the Provincial Bureau than before.
People easily give up on themselves during adversity, and easily lose themselves in prosperity. After experiencing so much, Yang Xiao had already learned how to control himself.
His uncle, Professor Cui, increasingly admired Yang Xiao. He was decisive when needed and kept a low profile when necessary, showing maturity beyond his years, and could be said to have started showing the aura of a great person.
Though Yang Xiao intended to keep a low profile during this time and avoid appearing in public, he couldn’t avoid unexpected matters.
One day, near the end of his workday, Vice Commissioner Zhao came to his office personally to invite him to a banquet that evening.
Yang Xiao was about to find an excuse to decline, but then Vice Commissioner Zhao emphasized that it wasn’t a private gathering, but a meeting organized by the Provincial Office, where almost all notable martial arts forces in Jiangbei Province would send representatives.
"Specialist Yang, you may not know. To thrive in Qinglan City, cooperation with these people is necessary. After all, not everything can be settled with violence." Vice Commissioner Zhao urged with a smile, "Tonight, there are no outsiders; it’s just you and me from the Provincial Bureau. Consider it a favor to this old brother."
With words spoken to this extent, refusing would be a bit impolite. Besides, Yang Xiao wanted to see what kind of strange characters gathered in Qinglan City.
Vice Commissioner Zhao made a good point. Yang Xiao would continue to develop in Jiangbei Province in the future, meeting these people in advance and knowing both friends and foes wasn’t a bad thing.
Thinking of this, Yang Xiao smiled and replied, "Then I’ll follow Zhao’s arrangements."
"Good, it’s settled then. After work, take my car, I’ll wait for you at the parking lot." Vice Commissioner Zhao was in high spirits and patted Yang Xiao’s shoulder warmly before leaving.
Watching Vice Commissioner Zhao’s departing figure, Yang Xiao couldn’t help but feel a bit wary. He didn’t know what plans the other had.
If he couldn’t figure it out himself, he decided to inquire. After confirming no one was eavesdropping nearby, Yang Xiao locked the door and dialed Professor Cui who was far away at the experimental base.
Professor Cui explained to Yang Xiao that the leaders in the Provincial Bureau had their distinct roles. Wu Qingcang, for instance, was specifically responsible for combat—he had the power for eliminating Evil Cultivators and exterminating traitors. Professor Cui managed the experimental base, while Vice Commissioner Zhao was fully responsible for interactions and communications between the Provincial Office and the various major forces within the province, coordinating their actions.
As for tonight’s banquet, Professor Cui was aware that it’s an annual event organized by the Patrol Defense Office where forces across Jiangbei Province gather in Qinglan City.
However, he hadn’t expected Vice Commissioner Zhao to invite Yang Xiao to participate.
According to Professor Cui, Vice Commissioner Zhao was quite cautious about other leaders from the Provincial Office meddling in his work area, and inviting Yang Xiao this time was likely a goodwill gesture, possibly trying to bring Yang Xiao into his circle of connections.
Of course, if Yang Xiao could attend the banquet, it would be very prestigious for Vice Commissioner Zhao.
"So, from uncle’s perspective, I should attend?" Yang Xiao asked cautiously.
Professor Cui couldn’t help but chuckle at these words, "Little Yang, given your current status, they wouldn’t dare harm you openly among so many witnesses. You can rest assured."
"This is also an opportunity for you to understand more about the internal power dynamics of Jiangbei Province. Just remember to listen more and speak less, be cautious and sensible, and there’s nothing to worry about."
"Avoid drinking too much; it causes troubles. If Zhao Jingde wants to build a good relationship, that would be ideal, showing his understanding, and saving you from a future rival."
"To be honest, in the short term, Vice Commissioner Zhao’s presence is definitely more of an asset than a liability to you. With him around, your relationship with Hong Anguo and Wu Qingcang can remain stable."
"Again, Zhao Jingde himself may not be great, but if you can utilize him well, you don’t necessarily need to collaborate, but at least avoid conflict."
"As long as he remains in position, he can absorb a lot of pressure from the leadership layer of the Provincial Office, which is beneficial for you."
"You’re under Director Gu’s protection; no one would openly trouble you. But internal relations must be well managed, and you must learn to leverage your strengths and maintain balance."
"Hong Anguo also isn’t easy to deal with; he’d be happy to see you confront Zhao Jingde head-on. That Zhao Jingde isn’t simple either, with deep martial arts connections, some issues that even Hong Anguo couldn’t settle need him to step in."
"Think about it; if he were simple, would he have survived all these years against Hong Anguo and Wu Qingcang teaming up?"
"In short, if Zhao Jingde is sensible, coexist peacefully, using him to counterbalance Hong Anguo, giving him tasks so that old fellow isn’t scheming against you day in and day out."
"Hah, if he’s not sensible, we have ways to deal with him."
"You, me, Hong Anguo, Wu Qingcang, plus Captain Yang Lao—can we not handle him?"
Professor Cui exhaled slowly, his tone relaxed significantly, "Little Yang, you’re a smart kid, understanding that the world of martial arts is not only about fighting, but also about human relations and worldly wisdom. Never act rashly; endure, and endure well."
"In this, you need to learn from Hong Anguo, who is as patient as a turtle, indifferent to external threats, not taking any risks personally."
"You have no idea how tolerant this person is. When he was still a deputy director at the Provincial Office, during a leadership meeting, another deputy director scolded him for a full half hour, and he didn’t say a word."
"Finally, when the other couldn’t continue scolding, he calmly said: ’This is the Provincial Office’s leadership meeting, meant to discuss the survival and safety of the province’s people. Please act professionally and not waste time expressing personal emotions. Let’s conduct the meeting first; you can come to my house to scold me this evening if you wish.’"
"And then?" This indeed piqued Yang Xiao’s curiosity, "Did that deputy director actually go to scold him in the evening?"
Professor Cui was almost amused with anger upon hearing, "Stop scolding, the person passed out from anger at the scene and was finally sent to the hospital."
"Then, not long after, scandals about that deputy director were everywhere, which eventually led to the person’s dismissal and investigation."
"Although there’s no evidence that all of this was related to Hong Anguo, who else could it be? Since then, Hong Anguo’s reputation as a smiling tiger has spread, and no one wants to offend him," Professor Cui pointed out.
Yang Xiao certainly knew how formidable Hong Anguo was. This guy hailed from an intelligence background. As soon as Yang Xiao joined the Provincial Office, he was greeted with a harsh welcome when Hong Anguo exposed his Evil Cultivator identity.
Perhaps because he was interacting with people of higher ranks, Yang Xiao often felt like he was running naked, as if the identity he desperately tried to conceal was transparent in front of them.
Especially Director Gu from the General Bureau, who even excavated the Second Demon Uncle hiding in the hotel, his intelligence capabilities were truly terrifying.
After nightfall, Yang Xiao rode in Vice Commissioner Zhao’s car to a luxury hotel located halfway up the mountain.
The location was excellent with a private environment, and the parking lot outside the hotel was already full of various luxury cars.
On their way driving here tonight, they encountered their Patrol Defense Office’s squad setting checkpoints a kilometer away from the hotel to check the people coming and going and maintain order.
The hotel’s bustling atmosphere was beyond Yang Xiao’s expectation; not counting the service staff, there were over two hundred guests in the meeting hall.
Indeed, as Professor Cui mentioned, this was a grand gathering. Those qualified to be invited here were prominent figures who had made a name for themselves in Jiangbei Province.
At this moment, one could see the status of their Patrol Defense Office. As soon as Vice Commissioner Zhao appeared, people eagerly came forward, speaking flattering words, and Zhao mingled warmly with everyone, appearing quite familiar.
Of course, Vice Commissioner Zhao didn’t forget Yang Xiao. As Zhao mentioned Yang Xiao’s name and new identity, many people’s eyes lit up, and their attitude towards Yang Xiao improved ten times immediately.
Some truly well-connected major forces had long known about Yang Xiao’s new identity and seen this rising star of the Patrol Defense Office in photos, so they weren’t overly surprised.
In short, Yang Xiao was like a mascot, being warmly introduced by Vice Commissioner Zhao to everyone, receiving praise and applause.
Perhaps due to his recent change in mindset, Yang Xiao no longer resisted such occasions. After all, this was the path he must walk in the future; he couldn’t change it, only adapt.
Vice Commissioner Zhao introduced Yang Xiao one by one to the important forces present tonight, including the Mountain and Sea Old Courtyard, Xuantie Pavilion, Jinghong Mountain Residence, Miao Yin Sect, and others.
The names of these forces seemed familiar to Yang Xiao, leaving him in a daze, and Vice Commissioner Zhao laughed heartily to explain that despite their saintly appearances, they were indeed human and, leveraging their influence, they had gained quite a bit of profit in the mundane world.
"Mountain and Sea Old Courtyard..." Yang Xiao pondered over this name; it seemed he had heard of it somewhere.
Until Vice Commissioner Zhao explained to him, the Mountain and Sea Old Courtyard was a leader in seafood buffets within the province, with dozens of branches, and the name of the seafood buffet chain was Mountain and Sea Villa.
"Wow, that’s right!" Yang Xiao suddenly realized. There was also this buffet in Rongcheng, and he often took Beibei and Xi Menxiu there to eat. The price was not cheap.
Xuantie Pavilion monopolized the automotive repair and hardware industry in several cities, Miao Yin Sect ran a KTV chain, which reportedly offered hidden services to senior VIPs who recharged a substantial amount.
The most shameless was Jinghong Mountain Residence, a group pretending to be monks, building a temple on the mountain and collecting incense money.
After being warned by the Buddhist Temple, they transformed into a Taoist Temple to continue collecting incense money. As a result, they were warned by the Taoist Sect, and now the three are in court.
Suddenly, Yang Xiao acutely sensed a nearby ripple of spiritual power, a prelude to activating abilities to probe.
Following the feeling, Yang Xiao instantly locked onto someone in the crowd, and the person clearly didn’t expect Yang Xiao to be so perceptive. Their aura dissipated, and the spiritual power instantly vanished.
Simultaneously, that person walked out of the crowd, approaching Yang Xiao with a friendly smile. This person was about 35 years old, honest and thick-set, with darker skin, evidently a practitioner, and beside him was a middle-aged man who resembled him about sixty to seventy percent.
The two were clearly father and son, and the middle-aged man’s actual age should be close to 60; he was well-preserved, not looking old at all.
"Vice Commissioner Zhao." The newcomer was evidently familiar with Vice Commissioner Zhao, warmly greeting him first, then turning to Yang Xiao.
The approximately 35-year-old man slightly bent over to Yang Xiao, smiling broadly, proactively extending both hands for a warm handshake, "Mr. Yang, I’ve long admired you. Seeing you today is indeed as the rumors say, magnificent."
Seeing Yang Xiao didn’t recognize the newcomer, Vice Commissioner Zhao cheerfully introduced, "Mr. Yang, your encounter today is indeed a stroke of fate. This man is nominally also part of our Patrol Defense Office sequence, the captain of the Provincial Office’s direct out-of-staff special forces team, Han Family, Han Li."
Upon hearing this, Yang Xiao immediately recalled this person, "Captain Han Li, hello, I’ve often heard others mention you; unfortunately, I’ve never had the chance to meet."
Familiar memories were awakened; Yang Xiao truly knew this Han Li, a young man with an illustrious record, leading crackdowns on numerous major cases, capturing and killing many Evil Cultivators, and was quite famous in Jiangbei Province.
The Japanese liked to give people nicknames; this Han Li and Yang Xiao were well-known, the two jointly referred to as Jiangbei Twin Stars.
Among them, Yang Xiao’s nickname was Rong City’s Most Fierce Tiger, Han Li was known as Northern Evil Dragon.
Now that the dragon and tiger meet, a subtle sense of intrigue inevitably filled the air.