Merit and Promotion

"...So, you're saying you used the wristband I gave you to ambush the villain who was attacking Teacher Yuan, and defeated him?" Holding a silver-white metal briefcase in one hand, upon which faint traces of blood were still visible, and carefully lifting the letter covered in scarlet blood-written words with the other to examine it, Section Chief Liu wore an utterly bizarre expression. "Yes, exactly." Bai Zhou nodded. "My stomach was hurting at first, so I asked where the infirmary was and came over to see the doctor." "Who would've thought..." He recounted the tense scene back then: "I only had time to crash through the window and yell at him. While drawing his attention, I fired this poisoned needle." "It was all thanks to this wristband! Chief, I was scared out of my wits." As he spoke, Bai Zhou even brandished the rusty, broken bench leg in his hand, looking thoroughly shaken in hindsight. "If not for that super wristband, this is all I would've had to fight him with!" "..." Section Chief Liu glanced at the iron bench leg in Bai Zhou's hand, falling exceptionally silent for a moment. Relying on a wristband and a sneak attack to kill a Blood Worship Cultist, save other colleagues and two civilians, and obtain crucial intelligence to earn a tremendous merit? He wouldn't dare dream of such a thing even in his wildest dreams. Yet the facts lay right before his eyes; he had no choice but to believe it. "...You've worked hard!" Section Chief Liu took a deep breath, his tone gradually rising. "—Bai Zhou, you saved all of us!" "Judging by the timing, it was the exact moment you killed this scoundrel that the Devotee he created vanished." "Otherwise, none of us would be standing here completely unscathed..." Recalling how troublesome that backpack freak had been, a wave of lingering fear washed over him. He cast a wary, loathing glance at the wretched corpse on the floor. "Without a doubt, he was a very powerful and exceptionally insidious Blood Worship Cultist!" Fortunately, beginners countered masters. A righteous, reckless youth was precisely the kind of person who could catch an insidious old dog pulling strings from the shadows off guard. Section Chief Liu felt he had completely understood everything. "You are a hero!" "Moreover, you have brought our base vital intelligence." "—In a sense, you might have even saved our entire base!" Holding up the Blood Worship Cult letter, Section Chief Liu breathed heavily, unable to contain his excitement. "This is of the utmost importance. We must return immediately to report this to the Major and Adjutant Han!" "You've accomplished such a monumental feat; the Major will surely reward you handsomely!" "A promotion is guaranteed." "Perhaps I will witness a new branch record for the fastest promotion to P2!" He paused here and looked at Bai Zhou, his gaze complex and earnest. "Still, you deserve every bit of it." "Bai Zhou, you were born to belong in the Special Control Bureau. The heights you'll reach in the future... might be beyond anything I can imagine." This might sound a bit grand, but aside from Bai Zhou waving his hands and shaking his head, none of the commissioners raised any objection. Because after witnessing so many occult phenomena in the Special Control Bureau, they all believed in the existence of "fate" to some degree. For the vast majority of people, equality was no empty phrase. Yet for a tiny minority, the rules were different. Some people simply possessed extraordinary talents in the occult world. From the very beginning, they underwent experiences unimaginable to others, consistently creating impossible "miracles." Just like during the platform test back then, before the Legacy of Bloodthirst, out of so many people from Wancheng, only Bai Zhou had passed the selection. It was the same now. Behind this string of undeniable coincidences, perhaps it was all the meticulous arrangement of "fate." The debut of an extraordinary figure naturally could not be set off by ordinary foils. Without realizing it, they had all become the audience and supporting cast of a theatrical play. People like that were destined to be exceptional, born to trample destiny underfoot. Even if they temporarily blended in among the crowd without showing any distinct peculiarities, their budding brilliance was unmistakable. The idol of all of Branch 36, the Major, was just such a figure. And now— Section Chief Liu felt that perhaps, just perhaps... Bai Zhou was that kind of person as well. ... With things having developed to this point, there was no continuing the vacation. The school immediately received notice of a temporary closure under the pretext of a severe gas leak. Anxious parents rushed over to pick up their children, while only the students rejoiced at the break. Unnoticed by the crowd, an ambulance carrying Teacher Yuan and Liu Huahua drove out of the school grounds. Specialized personnel took over the scene. Once word reached base, even the Major was alerted. He immediately ordered Section Chief Liu and the others to maintain strict confidentiality and instructed him to return to the Special Control Bureau at once to report the full situation. On the drive back, Bai Zhou sat once again in the passenger seat of the Maserati MC20, though Section Chief Liu was unusually quiet. Unfortunately, retrieving the Dead Sea Secret Scrolls was definitely out of the question for now. Forget the fact that he hadn't even figured out where Dongxing Road was—Bai Zhou hadn't had a single chance to leave Section Chief Liu's sight. Perhaps he could only wait until the next time he went out. Once he earned a promotion and no one was watching over him, his opportunities to obtain the Dead Sea Secret Scrolls would naturally increase. ...Then again, this piece of vital intelligence concerned the entire base; it was undoubtedly a tremendous merit. A promotion to P2 was practically guaranteed, but was there any chance he could touch P3? If he could reach P3, he would have the chance to look into those special new last words on the crown... "Bai Zhou." The sports car's engine let out a low rumble. After a long time, just as they were about to turn onto the street where the base entrance was located, Section Chief Liu suddenly broke the prolonged silence. "Thanks." "If not for you, my daughter..." As he spoke, a look of profound self-reproach crossed his face. If only he had noticed Liu Huahua's struggles sooner, how could things have come to this? To take it further, if he hadn't been too busy to pick her up and drop her off, and hadn't sent her to the best boarding school in Tinghai, would this ever have happened? Wasn't it simply because he hadn't shown enough care in daily life? Yet what else could he do...? Commissioners of the Special Control Bureau were like this: dealing with occult items, subject to militarized management, completely unable to leave the base on normal days. Only during vacations could a family happily gather together. —Just like the everyday life other people lived day in and day out, growing sick of it. A child couldn't be exposed to these things; to give her a normal person's life, there was no other way... Yet could a child raised in an environment deprived of parental affection truly become the "normal person" he wanted to see? As a commissioner and as a superior, he was competent. But as a parent, he fell far short. This time, if not for Bai Zhou, he would have lived with regret for the rest of his life. Yet that regret would have been completely in vain... "I owe you a favor." Section Chief Liu did not intend to dwell on his personal matters for long. He brought the topic to an end and shifted to what would happen once they returned: "This time, simply saving our entire team would have been enough for me to recommend you for a commendation and an early promotion to P2." "But adding this crucial intelligence, a mere promotion to P2 is definitely not enough." "When I report the situation, I will certainly fight for more on your behalf..." At this, Section Chief Liu's gaze grew determined, as though his mind were made up. "No matter what, I'll secure enough benefits for you. Even if I have to take it up with the Major, I have a solid case!" "Our Major has never been stingy with those who render great service. Any pushback should only come from below." "And... it's not like I don't have backing of my own above me!" Bai Zhou's heart skipped a beat, and then he heard Section Chief Liu continue his serious analysis: "Over the next couple of days, I'll pull some strings for you." "Who knows, there might be a chance to promote you directly to P3 Sector Supervisor and secure your eligibility to apply for a potion!" The entrance to the base, the Curiosity Sundries Shop, was right before their eyes. Looking up, the massive neon sign reading "Welcome to Tinghai" came into view once more. The car gradually slowed down. "Last time, I said I'd teach you how to shoot once you made P2." "Who would've thought? In the blink of an eye..." "Heh!" Slowly turning the steering wheel, Section Chief Liu clicked his tongue with emotion. "I look forward to witnessing the day you become an Extraordinary, when all the senior executives throw a celebration party for you!" ... The Maserati pulled into the garage opposite the sundries shop to park. Watching him change into his commissioner uniform in the garage, Bai Zhou finally understood how he had managed to transform so completely in the blink of an eye earlier that day... Straightening his collar and picking up his thermos once more, the familiar Section Chief Liu had returned. Back at the base, Bai Zhou headed straight for his dormitory, while Section Chief Liu rushed off without pause to report to the Major. When Bai Zhou returned, he brought back another poster. By now, the walls of his dorm were covered with posters, a vibrant, colorful collage. Movies, anime, celebrities—it had a bit of everything, all brought back by Bai Zhou one or two at a time each day. It wasn't because he liked them; he didn't even recognize most of them... It was just that when practicing his blade techniques, the slashes and scorch marks left on the walls were far too conspicuous. If someone saw them, they might think he was a violent psychotic who stayed up every night tearing apart bench legs to hack at the wall. By then, never mind a promotion... The very next day, a bunch of burly men would probably drag him off to a hospital for treatment, joining his fellow compatriots from Wancheng. The next day. Bai Zhou briefly met with the hurried Section Chief Liu. From him, he learned that his promotion was already being processed, and the exact details would be known in a day or two. Section Chief Liu wore a secretive grin and refused to explain, saying only that he had a surprise in store for him. Meanwhile, the entire base was buzzing with activity. Because at this very moment, until the Blood Worship Cult's "devastating invasion"... only three days remained. The value of that intelligence was unquestionable. According to Section Chief Liu, the Major had decided to turn the enemy's scheme against them, setting a trap to lure the Blood Worship Cult into a snare. —Undoubtedly, it would be a bloody battle concerning everyone's survival. Some might distinguish themselves through meritorious service, but even more would die. To prepare for the impending war, everyone was getting ready. Many were secretly writing their wills, and an exceptionally oppressive atmosphere hung over the entire base. Only that group of white-coated researchers, who seemed not quite right in the head, continued doing their morning and evening calisthenics as usual. Naturally, Bai Zhou was also preparing for the massive crisis arriving in three days. Or rather, he had been preparing for this day all along. When the news was finally confirmed, it gave him an odd sense of relief. Like the other shoe that had been dangling precariously overhead, it had finally dropped. He simply hadn't expected this day to come so soon. To that end, Crow had deliberately shortened the special training schedule. Today was the final day of special training. All the bitter sweat and toil would bear fruit today. ...That evening, having finished his day's work as a maintenance worker, Bai Zhou prepared to return to his dorm to face his final lesson. Specifically, to achieve the sublimation of the "Body" and make the ultimate leap in transcendent evolution. —To thoroughly complete his promotion along the "Adventurer" pathway.