The zoo. A white lion, moving with graceful dignity, tilted its head and observed the humans within the iron fence. Inside the enclosure stood a chamber, where a camphor tree with a gnarled trunk and lush foliage hung down thick, arm-like vines. These vines were tightly bound around a young man whose forehead was wrapped in a headband; half of his body seemed to have merged into the tree, only his chest and head remaining exposed. The curly-haired Teddy dog sat quietly before the tree, its button eyes serious, speaking firmly: "Where is the headquarters of the Army of the Commander?" The magic-eyed king, wearing a sports headband, stared blankly, unmoved by the elder dog's question. After a long while, the king regained his composure. Though weary and breathless, his face remained bright with a steady smile, and he said: "Tell me the headquarters of the Army of the Commander—would your Five-Element Alliance dare to go?" Woo, it's rather uncomfortable—this lack of freedom feels terrible. If it were the one called 'fear' trapped here, I'd wager he'd commit suicide right away. He's always been vocal about his desire for freedom. "Um, suicide seems out of the question," said the Dog Elder calmly. "Arrogant, don't you think? Do you really believe the Vajra could single-handedly face off against five of the alliance's leaders?" "The five leaders of your Five Elements Alliance could have already defeated the Vajra by now," remarked the Mage-Eyed King indifferently. "But that doesn't matter anymore. Who cares? The old Vajra still doesn't help me cleanse the world. I can tell you where the headquarters of the General-in-Chief's Order is, but you have to do something for me." "The what?" asked the Dog Elder, nodding slightly. "I have a list," he said. "It contains all the noble families involved in the Copper Rooster Tower case. You need to eliminate them all. Until that's done, I can't feel at ease." "It's impossible!" the Dog Elder declared firmly. "They have laws to hold them accountable The Mage-Eye King wanted to shrug, but found he couldn't. The Dog Elder didn't dwell on the issues concerning the Commander's Monastery, and continued: "Back then, why did the Commander's Monastery destroy the Chu family? Don't tell me it was for those rule-based artifacts. I've reviewed the detailed records of the case—by that time, the Commander's Monastery deployed at least two Kings, four Guardians, and dozens of monks and nuns. A single Chu family? That doesn't warrant such a grand mobilization. The rule-based artifact had been in the Chu family for decades—why didn't you take it earlier?" "Don't rush to reject. I'd like to share something with you first—listen to it carefully before you decide." The King of the Mystic Eyes said. "Before the Chu family was wiped out, the Night Rose Order had no leader." Before the Chu family's downfall, the Night Rose Order had no leader... A strange light sparkled in Dog Elder Niu's eyes, and his breathing grew slightly rapid as he asked, "What do you mean?" The King of the Mystic Eyes smiled, "Bring Yuan-Shi Tian Zun to see me." Taking a deep breath, Dog Elder Niu loosened his tone and said, "I'll consider it." ... "Knock, knock!" In the morning, the bedroom was roused by a knock, followed by the sweet voice of the aunt: "Stinky pig, get up and have breakfast!" "Never mind! Go away!" Zhang Yuanqing lingered in the comfort of his blanket, immersed in the lazy state of sleep, and rolled over, ignoring her. "I'm right here!" the aunt exclaimed, turning the door handle and stepping into the room, shouting, "The sun's already shining on your back—still not up?" Zhang Yuanqing curled up in the bedcovers, sighing impatiently: "I was a bit tired last night and didn't get much rest. Let me just sleep a little longer." After days of worrying, finally having resolved his greatest concern, he now intended to enjoy a lazy morning, letting both body and mind relax. Just as he finished speaking, he heard Jiang Yu E's soft voice: "So you did something to my undergarments again last night, didn't you?" The air suddenly grew still. Zhang Yuanqing, wrapped in the quilt, remained motionless at the head of the bed. Jiang Yu E, standing by the bedside, also stayed perfectly still. Time seemed to have been paused. Zhang Yuanqing leapt suddenly from the bed, explaining: "No, I absolutely didn't do anything to your undergarments. Believe me—just smell them yourself..." As he spoke, he suddenly lowered his head, sighed, and rubbed his head, saying, "Well, then, I'm wrong." He suddenly realized he couldn't explain to his aunt that the undergarments had been stolen by a baby—so, whether he wanted to or not, he'd have to take the blame. Jiang Yu-ye looked at Zhang Yuanqing with a complex expression, sighed with a sense of frustration: "You should have a girlfriend now. Such a fine young man, and yet he's become a complete oddity. Last time I said, if you keep stealing my underwear, I'd tell your grandmother. Zhang Yuanqing bowed his head immediately and said: "Auntie, I'm sorry. Please tell me what you'd like, and I'll do my best to meet your expectations." Auntie smiled, gently stroked her nephew's head, and asked, "How much have you saved?" "About fifty or sixty thousand." "Didn't you say last time that you'd earned five million this year?" "That was just exaggeration." "Mom, my grandson has been stealing from me... oh, oh..." "Six to seven million, six to seven million... I'd like to present you with five thousand as a token of my gratitude." "Good boy!" ... Zhang Yuanqing, wearing cotton slippers, arrived at the living room where the entire family was gathered around the dining table enjoying breakfast. Brother-in-law Chen Yuan-jun sat with a furrowed brow, quietly eating meat buns, his expression deeply preoccupied. Zhang Yuanqing picked up a steamed bao and bit into it, then sat down beside Jiang Yubi, in front of the white porridge that Grandma had already served. "Give me a bit of the salted duck egg," he tapped gently on his cousin's shoulder with his elbow. "Nong!" Jiang Yubi handed over the egg. Zhang Yuanqing took it, then paused and exclaimed angrily, "You! You've completely scooped out the yolk—how can this salted duck egg even be eaten?" He reached for the whole yolk still intact in Jiang Yubi's porridge. Jiang Yubi moved swiftly, gulped it down in one go, puffing out her cheeks proudly and looking at him with a satisfied expression. Zhang Yuanqing was furious, and with both hands he gave a sharp clap on Jiang Yubi's cheek—right at the same time, the yolk sprayed out in a puff from the rosy little mouth. Jiang Yubi cried out, "Mom, he's bullying me! Help me!" Grandpa set down his chopsticks heavily, his tone firm and stern. "No more eating! The elders have lost their dignity, the younger ones theirs too—always making a fuss. A whole group Zhang Yuanqing and Jiang Yu'ei were both taken aback, silently tucking their heads down and focusing on eating. Their grandfather, however, had no appetite—he rose from the table and went out for a walk. Once the security door closed behind him, Zhang Yuanqing immediately turned to his grandmother: “Is something wrong? Is Grandfather also going through perimenopause?” The grandmother gave him a sharp look, scraping her grandson’s scalp with her knife. Brother Chen Yuanjun chewed on a meat bun, speaking calmly: “There’s nothing major—just that the promotion matter fell through. The person Grandfather had in mind said that Songhai is now conducting a strict review of discipline, and the situation is very tense, making it difficult to push forward. Nobody wants to create trouble for a little gain just now, fearing they might end up in the crosshairs.” Pausing, he added: “Also, because the person we relied on doesn’t hold a high enough position, we’d have to offer gifts to move things forward. If it were someone of a higher rank who was willing to recommend me, it would really just take a few words.” His tone was calm, his expression as steady My cousin is ambitious and has clear aspirations—he naturally hopes to achieve even greater success. Yet, he doesn’t need to express his disappointment and frustration to his sister-in-law or his cousin; doing so would only add to their worries. Zhang Yuanqing suddenly understood. It’s no wonder Grandfather is feeling so down. As Uncle put it, "My son is the successor of my father, and my grandson is the successor of mine. I’m certain my grandson will surpass my son." Grandfather’s rigid, unyielding nature has limited his career advancement—he reached the position of Chief Inspector and has remained there for decades, barely making any progress. Thus, he has placed all his hopes on his grandson, Chen Yuanjun, seeing him as the true heir to his legacy. Now, with his cousin missing a prime opportunity for promotion, the next one may not come for another five years, or even longer. According to Grandfather’s experience, if one hasn’t become a Chief Inspector by the age of thirty, they are unlikely to reach the position of Deputy Director. And if they haven’t attained that rank by forty, they will never make it to the headquarters of the Songhai Public Security Bureau. Zhang Yuanqing thought for a moment, then said, "I know a friend of mine. My friend's friend works at the headquarters of the Public Security Bureau. Why don't I try to get in touch with them?" Chen Yuanchun shook his head, laughing, "Yuanzi, this isn't something you can achieve just by having a few words at a dinner party." University students' connections often don't involve interests, and without interests, the relationship tends to be shallow—making it difficult to handle such significant matters. Grandmother lifted her chopsticks and tapped lightly on Yuanzi's bowl, in a good-naturedly impatient tone, "Eat your meal, don't worry so much about everything. "Take some time to visit your aunt-in-law. She's been feeling down lately; just going to see her will make her happy." Grandmother still believed in Yuanzi's ability to soothe people. Zhang Yuanqing said nothing, finished his breakfast, and took a taxi to the Public Security Bureau in Kangyang District. By the window, he chatted casually with Guan Ya, while simultaneously sending messages continuously to Xiao Yuan. The Prime Origin Deity: "Aunt Xiao Yuan, "Yuan Shishen: 'Have you heard? The King of the Magi-Eye has been detained by the elders. Now it's finally time for him to travel freely. Let's have dinner together tonight, Ya-jia sister.' Magical Aunt Xiao Yuan: 'What about the Wuzhu and the Illusionists?' Yuan Shishen: 'You're so tall and graceful—whatever you say goes. Tonight, we'll have a gathering for our second team. I'll be hosting. Shall we reserve a room to learn each other's techniques? Hehe.' Magical Aunt Xiao Yuan: '????' #Yuan Shishen retracts a message# Yuan Shishen: 'Sorry, sorry—I meant to send that earlier. Aunt Xiao Yuan, I've been researching. Among the three evil professions, the Spirits of Enchantment are most suitable for crafting Yin corpses. Illusionists excel at creating spirit servants. Wuzhu practitioners are average—they're good at both, but neither stands out particularly.' Magical Aunt Xiao Yuan: 'Are you chatting with someone? A senior female?' "Yuan Shǐ Tian Zun: 'No, no, I was just joking with my colleagues [blushing].'" Magical Aunt Xiao Yuan: "Third-level enchanting beast, right? You're to come to Wú Hén Hotel in three days to collect the body—don't bother me unless something urgent arises [smiling].'" Zhang Yuan was about to add a few more words of praise when he suddenly saw a message from Fu Qingyang in the "Bai Hui Wei" group: "@Ling Jun, I’ve secured a knight’s equipment item—please reach out to Anne in the near future." Ling Jun: "As always, you're efficient. But how do I get Anne to sign such a contract on her own initiative? She simply won’t agree to sign anything with me." Fu Qingyang: "I’ve thought about that, so I chose an item whose effect is subtle—when you hold it, simply use sweet words to persuade her to make a verbal commitment, and the item will witness and record it. However, the binding power will be weaker than a contract formally established when both parties are fully aware and involved." Nanjiro: "Hmm, is Ling Jun “Lingjun: 'I'm sacrificing myself for the organization. You shouldn't mock me—you should pity me and send a little gift.' As they exchanged banter, Zhang Yuanqing sent a message: '@Fu Qingyang, Captain, why are you so concerned about the Motives of the Goddess Association's visit to the mainland? The Mage King has already passed away and isn't particularly relevant to us. Compared to that, doesn't the enigmatic President deserve more investigation?' Fu Qingyang: 'High-level Void Proficiency Travelers don't need to investigate—there's no point in it. As for the Mage King, even though the Goddess Association knew of his demise, they still dispatched representatives across the ocean to investigate. I suspect there's something behind the scenes. Our White Guard, even if not directly involved, must remain observant and keep abreast of developments across the realm.' This is a fundamental trait of an elite organization.” That makes sense. Why would the Goddess Association send people to investigate the demise of the Demon King? Ling Jun: "To be honest, the Demon King and the head of the Goddess Association have been in a romantic relationship. In fact, according to what I've learned from the Taiyuan Sect, the Demon King has two major flaws—his fondness for killing and his passion for beauty. His lovers are scattered across the world. I initially suspected Yuan Shi was a descendant of the Demon King precisely because Yuan Shi himself is quite fond of beautiful women." Yuan Shi: "Can the son of the Taiyuan Sect just arbitrarily slander others? The truth is, I've remained single to this day, staying pure and committed for the past twenty years, while you've had girlfriends all over the place." You Feng Lai Yi: "Hmph. Ling Jun is just as unremarkable as the Demon King. Is Yuan Shi still a novice? Hard to believe..." Ling Jun: "The Demon King is passionate about beauty, but I appreciate it—our tastes are quite different." Heng Sao Tian Xia: "Ah, my wife is pining for me again." The conversation has drifted off course. Seeing that no … Kangyang District, behind the Public Security Bureau building, a glass pavilion. Zhang Yuanqing went to the second floor and headed straight for the lounge, leaning lazily against Guan Ya’s desk. “Just one question!” Guan Ya was going through a thick list on her screen, the soft glow illuminating her delicate, refined features. She spoke plainly: “Go on.” “Recently, hasn’t the entire Songhai Public Security system been going through a major shake-up? With so many positions opening up, do you think my cousin has a chance to become a Superintendent?” Guan Ya looked at him, then said, “Your cousin… let me check.” She switched pages, logged into the Public Security Bureau system, and searched for “Chen Yuanjun.” After carefully reviewing his resume, the senior official lifted her sharp chin and remarked, “The resume is quite solid—this performance is more than sufficient for a Superintendent appointment, though his experience is a bit lacking. You know, promotions aren’t solely based on performance; experience matters too. Unless he’s made a major contribution.” “So I’d like to help him,” Zhang Yuanqing said. Guan Ya exclaimed, "I'll handle it for you—it's not a big deal." Zhang Yuanqing looked skeptical. "You?" He thought to himself, how could this daughter of Fu family, once overlooked, have the confidence to say such a thing? Didn't she usually say, "I'll go find Fu Qingyang"? I invited Jingwei and Teng Yuan—let's have a dinner gathering for our second team." "No thanks!" Wang Tai rejected coldly. "Then why are you looking up at me?" "I'm working overtime tonight and will stay at the office until late. If you'd be so kind as to pack a meal for me, that would be great." Wang Tai said. "..." Zhang Yuanqing bowed again and conceded. "By the way, should I let your family know, or should I handle this quietly?" Guan Ya asked with a smile. "No need to hide it—I just mentioned that I'd be asking friends for help." This isn't a big deal at all. Once family knows he has a few well-connected friends, future situations—like needing a leave of absence—will be easier to justify. After all, having so many reputable friends, what's wrong with starting his own business? ... Evening! The Deputy Director called Chen Yuanjun into his office. "Please sit—please sit—please sit..." The middle-aged, slightly overweight Deputy Director greeted Chen Yuanjun warmly. Chen Yuanjun couldn't help feeling puzzled. The Deputy Director usually handled personnel assignments and internal affairs, and had little direct interaction with him, the Superintendent of Public Security. How could he be showing such enthusiasm lately? He sat down calmly and asked with steady composure, "What's the matter, Director Qiao?" "Chancellor Li was also taken aback: 'But I heard from my colleagues at headquarters that this matter was handled by someone from the Special Department.' Saying this, he gestured toward the back of the building: 'That young lady who drives a sports car—the one you young people call a goddess.' '...' Chen Yuanjun stepped out of the chancellor's office, bewildered, yet filled with both surprise and curiosity. Why would that attractive female colleague from the Special Department have helped him? This wasn't just a small favor—it was a significant personal gesture. No matter what, a gift from heaven is still a gift. He'd find out from her tomorrow and make sure to express his gratitude. Chen Yuanjun glanced at his watch and decided to head home after work, to share this unexpected joy with his family. As Chen Yuanjun stepped out of the police headquarters, a blue sports car appeared in sight, slowly approaching the main entrance. Was it her? Without thinking, he hurried over and walked toward it.