Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
In a meeting room within the Ling Manor, Lu Xuan, Yun Sheng, and the square-faced fatso sat on three separate sofas.
Yun Sheng took a deep breath before opening the conversation. “As the head of the Agency of Special Affairs, I would like to hire you, Mr. Lu, as a special consultant of the Fu City’s Agency of Special Affairs!”
Lu Xuan glanced at Yun Sheng. From his past life, he knew that the Agency of Special Affairs had the tradition of absorbing all sorts of mysterious talents and bizarre beings. The reason was that it was impossible for all these extraordinary beings to only appear in the military or government. In fact, most of them would be found among regular people.
If only one or two of such humans surfaced, they might be arrested or captured like they were monsters. However, this was the start of a brand new era. Most factions had realized by now that the world might be an entirely different beast from then on.
Slowly but surely, the old set of rules would be abandoned for a newer game. Even within the country, one or more factions fought each other for these cultivators.
Out of them, the only faction who could publicly recruit the Awakened was the Agency of Special Affairs. For those who were just awakened or were not yet stable, the Agency of Special Affairs would take all of them into the organization.
For those who had become dominant, they would entice them to join the agency.
Lu Xuan belonged to the third type; not only was he powerful, but his power was also beyond anyone’s wildest imagination. After the battle of tonight, no one would ever question just how destructive a martial arts legend could be on the battlefield.
Yun Sheng thought it through. For someone as formidable as Lu Xuan, who did not display any signs of anti-societal inclination, it would be wise to try to win him over to their side. Why do they need to wait? For other organizations to buy Lu Xuan over to the opposing camp?
Lu Xuan lowered himself into the sofa and let out a seemingly happy expression. “You want me to enter your Agency of Special Affairs? What’s in it for me?”
Of course, Lu Xuan understood what they meant by making him a special consecratee. Judging from the name, it should be quite similar to a regular consecratee. They would not meddle with anything concrete and just needed to come out and be intimidating when need be, not unlike a hired thug.
Lu Xuan was happy with the arrangement. If he were to expected to interfere with worldly affairs and waste time in all sorts of politics, he could forget about making good progress in cultivating.
There was no harm in beating people up occasionally or being brought out as intimidation. After all, when he got bored of cultivating, he would also need some chance to crack his knuckles and loosen his joints.
Even regular Baodan Grandmasters would have some apprehension or hesitation when facing an entity as humongous as the Agency of Special Affairs. However, Lu Xuan was different. His capabilities had surpassed the threshold for being a martial arts legend, and that itself was enough to make him more than just a chess piece on the board.
Even if he decided to join the Agency of Special Forces, he would never be a chess piece. He would be a collaborator, and together they will be of mutual assistance, achieving win-win.
That was also why he decided to exert his dominance back then. Otherwise, some may still be unclear about the current situation, thinking that they could threaten them in one way or the other.
Yun Sheng was, in fact, relieved by his directness. Lu Xuan was willing to discuss this at least, and Yun Sheng thought of it as a good start. He would be worried if Lu Xuan had been a blockhead who couldn’t care less about such things.
Yun Sheng had encountered types that were difficult to convince. Some were blockheaded youths who had just awakened their powers, and some were just cultivators who were as unworldly as wild cranes or floating clouds.
Those people would never pay you any attention. The only way to get through to them was to flash them your authoritarian steel fist and teach them who’s the real boss.
Of course, that would be useless against Lu Xuan. Otherwise, they might be the ones getting taught a lesson by Lu Xuan instead.
“It seems like you were quite familiar with us, the Agency of Special Affairs, Mr. Lu. I won’t beat around the bush then. To put it simply, if you join us at the agency, we would provide a portion of the resources needed for your cultivation!” Lu Xuan said as he waved a single finger. “You may be very powerful, Mr. Lu, but in terms of resource gathering, I’m assuming that the agency would fare much better, given our control over the nation’s resources. However, so long as you join the Agency of Special Affairs, none of that is an issue!”
Lu Xuan nodded; Yun Sheng was right. Currently, the drastic change of heaven and earth had only just begun. Many treasured herbs still grew deep in the mountains and forests.
Without external help, a lot of time would be wasted just by looking for these precious herbs. That would also explain the rumor that cultivation was much easier for those working for the government.
“Apart from that, we may also arrange our men to protect your parents from the shadows!” Yun Sheng continued, “I know that no one would be able to hurt you, but I believe both your parents are regular people. With us in charge of their safety, we could reduce a lot of your problems!”
“Thirdly, with our capabilities, we could also block many unnecessary troubles that may come your way!”
Lu Xuan thought over Yun Sheng’s offer. Indeed, at the current stage, or even a long time after, the Agency of Special Affairs would head many cultivation factions. Joining them would be a wise call.
While it may be inevitable at times to be their hitman or to intimidate their foes, it was nothing to sweat over.
“Apart from all that, we also belong to the civil service. The remuneration package would include a stable salary, an allowance, health insurance, and retirement. No matter what the other units could offer, we could match them, and do them better!” Seeing that Lu Xuan was now slightly interested, the square-faced fatso quickly added, looking both sincere and anxious.
The only thing he hadn’t done was kneel and hug Lu Xuan’s thighs!
The square-faced fatso got even more worried as Lu Xuan refused to give the final nod. Was that still not enough to convince him? Comparing it to when the agency recruited him, it was almost as if he was duped into joining. All he had was a basic pay with no insurance.
He was so young and silly back then. All those benefits only came after he became a full-fledged employee a year into the field.
Don’t tell me that Lu Xuan would only agree if I kneel? The square-faced fatso thought.
If I kneeled just because he told me to, wouldn’t that be too humiliating? But if I refused to kneel, we wouldn’t hit our target for our monthly KPI!
Trying to take over the baton after his old man got promoted was no easy task. The stress was real.
Not to mention the intense competition between the different agencies of Special Affairs, and within the agency itself.
It was challenging to get anything done nowadays!
Lu Xuan paused slightly. Some of Yun Sheng’s points were spot on about the worries he had. Of course, he wasn’t talking about the salary or insurance. Those were nonsense.
If word got around that the great Celestial Lord was collecting retirement funds, he might as well die of embarrassment.
Of course, he knew nothing about the melodrama going through the mind of the obviously uptight square-faced fatso, who was such a drama queen. Otherwise, Lu Xuan would be at an even greater loss for words.
Yun Sheng could not help but let out a sigh of relief after seeing how Lu Xuan was a little taken with the idea. Most may not know this, but these conditions were specially curated after countless experiments in recruiting these cultivators.
Even powerful cultivators found it tough to refuse the comforts of life. After all, with their bodies embedded in the mortal realm doomed with no escape, boundless meddlesome matters would always arise, waiting to be resolved.
Meanwhile, they, the Agency of Special Affairs, could resolve these matters for them. Actually, it would be more accurate to call it mutual assistance.
“Since you people are so sincere, I agree to enter the Agency of Special Affairs as your special consultant. You may send me your missions, but whether or not I accept them will be entirely up to me!”
Lu Xuan said.
“Of course! No problem at all!”
The square-faced fatso quickly accepted the offer. I almost knelt, he thought. It would be so embarrassing if I did. Thankfully I didn’t!
