Because Yang Xiao wasn’t sure of Vice Commissioner Zhao’s character, he seized the moment and decisively went to Professor Cui’s experimental base to seek advice from his uncle.
Yang Xiao considered his greatest strength to be taking advice.
Listening to others leads to a full meal.
As expected, upon hearing about Vice Commissioner Zhao’s series of maneuvers, Professor Cui couldn’t help but furrow his brows; clearly, he hadn’t anticipated such happenings.
"Uncle, could this be a trap?" Yang Xiao bent over and poured a cup of hot tea for Professor Cui.
"Hmm—" Professor Cui pursed his lips tightly and took a while before speaking: "I can’t figure it out either. Judging from this man’s character, there must be a trap, but given his courage, I don’t think he would dare to use this to scheme against you."
"You have Director Gu backing you. If he were to plot against you and cause you distress, he’d be asking for trouble, effectively pushing you to Hong Anguo and Wu Qingcang’s side. How could he continue to survive in the Provincial Bureau?"
"Unless..." Professor Cui seemed to have an idea but soon shook his head, apparently doubting its possibility.
Yang Xiao keenly caught Professor Cui’s hesitation and immediately asked in a whisper, "Unless what?"
"Unless he is confident that he can eliminate you all at once, remove future troubles, and leave no trace. But from what I know of this person, he doesn’t have such boldness or ability," Professor Cui said frankly.
"Yes, that’s what I think too, but caution sustains a ship for a thousand years, so I’ll be wary of him." Yang Xiao managed to survive until today due to his sweat, hard work, and prudence.
"Uncle, tell me, what cards does this fellow hold?" In knowing the enemy and oneself, Yang Xiao could better respond.
"Zhao Jingde is extremely skilled at managing relationships. He uses his power to get along with various martial arts forces within Jiangbei Province. He rightly said that these forces form the foundation for his ability to counter Hong Anguo and Wu Qingcang."
"Little Yang, if in the future you could truly take over the martial arts forces and connections he controls, it would definitely be a huge advantage for you."
"Let me be honest, things aren’t like they were years ago. After years of depletion, our Patrol Defense Office is no longer at its peak strength, operating at less than seventy percent. We often have to adopt conciliatory policies and try to win over these martial arts forces, at the very least preventing them from joining the Union and Chamber of Commerce."
"Many martial arts forces are close to Zhao Jingde, but few are truly tied to him strongly enough, with the Northern Han Family being at the forefront."
"Han Chen and Han Li?" Yang Xiao had previously met these two characters, during the evening banquet organized by Vice Commissioner Zhao.
"Yes." Professor Cui nodded, "Within the martial arts forces of Jiangbei Province, the Northern Han Family is a leading figure, with overall strength being exceptional. Back in the day, Grandmaster Han wielded a golden spear to sweep across the province almost without any challengers."
"Moreover, the Han Family is quite unique. When we had an all-out battle against Evil Cultivators years ago, Grandmaster Han fully supported our Patrol Defense Office with people and money, forging a strong bond with us. So, even if the Han Family slightly oversteps these days, the Provincial Bureau turns a blind eye as a form of recompense for past ties."
"That’s why Han Li was exceptionally promoted as the captain of the Provincial Bureau’s externally chartered special task force. To put it bluntly, this position was tailor-made for him."
"This person doesn’t seem very friendly to me..." Yang Xiao recalled.
Professor Cui laughed upon hearing that: "Haha, it would be strange if he were friendly. Little Yang, if weren’t for your appearance, the position of captain of the Provincial Bureau’s Third Law Enforcement Team would have been his, Han Li’s."
"He isn’t one of our external members, how could he enter the Provincial Bureau leadership?" Yang Xiao immediately sensed something amiss.
"Just you can have someone backing you, they can’t? Over the years, the Han Family has invested heavily for Han Li, they’ve worked their connections."
"Moreover, as I’ve said, things are different now. The Patrol Defense Office, to alleviate its pressures, tries to spare more manpower to deal with Evil Cultivators and foreign forces, requiring some compromise. These days, all Provincial Bureaus and municipal bureaus make room for several positions with little real power to win over these martial arts forces; it’s been quite effective." Professor Cui’s insights were as straightforward as ever.
"I understand now, basically creating nominal positions to curry favor," Yang Xiao nodded.
"More or less, after all, we are the official ones, and they like to align with us."
Professor Cui took a sip of tea to moisten his throat and continued: "Few within Jiangbei Province can truly be considered figures, and Grandmaster Han certainly qualifies. But looking at the entire Han Family, they only amount to half a figure."
"What do you mean by that?" Yang Xiao pressed further.
"Haha, isn’t it simple? Grandmaster Han is a character, but adding Han Chen and Han Li, they together only count as half," Professor Cui laughed.
"How come these two guys can count for half?" Yang Xiao was a bit surprised.
"Saying they account for half is flattery; these two are thorough idiots."
"It’s not just stupidity; they’re self-righteous too. If not for the Han Family’s name, they’d have been devoured leaving nothing but bones."
"Speaking of this, Grandmaster Han is quite pitiable too, a lifetime of glory nearly ruined by these unpromising juniors."
"In earlier times, when Grandmaster Han’s health was still good, he could manage them. But in recent years, due to backlash from a magic artifact, he’s been powerless."
"These two idiots cause trouble everywhere, and when they can’t clean up their mess, they have to have Grandmaster Han come forward begging to clean up after them."