125. The Consequences of Withholding "Wages"

Seeing that Xu Guanyan’s henchmen were so incensed by Chen Sheng that they were about to resort to violence, Xu Guanyan spoke up directly: "Chen Jueshen, the original reason I asked you to come here was to inform you that your promotion to intermediate officer will be delayed. You have just completed your probation, and while your capabilities are sufficient, your seniority is lacking. You will need to wait another year or so."

"I was originally considering you, wanting you to uncover the truth behind the disappearance of the upper city of Sanjiang. If you had succeeded, I would have helped you bypass that one or two-year wait. However, looking at you now..."

She paused deliberately before fixing a cold, piercing gaze on Chen Sheng. "Chen Jueshen, not only is your seniority insufficient, but your loyalty to our department is also in question!"

Upon hearing this, her henchmen exchanged knowing smiles. Some even couldn't help but cast mocking glances at Chen Sheng. To them, after just being insulted as eunuchs by him, this was deeply satisfying.

One had to understand that while promoting from a junior officer to an intermediate officer was only a one-rank increase, there were only four ranks in total below the Precinct Chief, including probationary officers: probationary, junior, intermediate, and senior. Therefore, even a single-rank promotion represented a world of difference. Furthermore, while junior officers could command probationary officers and received far better pay, they were ultimately at the very bottom of the hierarchy. But reaching the rank of intermediate officer changed everything entirely. To use a bureaucratic analogy, a junior officer was merely a clerk, whereas an intermediate officer was an official. It was a qualitative transformation.

Thus, in the eyes of Xu Guanyan’s followers, her words not only sounded the death knell for Chen Sheng’s promotion but also dealt him a devastating blow, implying that no matter how much merit he might earn in the future, he would never be promoted again.

However, as they sneered, they noticed something amiss. Chen Sheng’s face did not display the expression they had hoped to see. He merely raised an eyebrow and, with an annoyed look, asked Xu Guanyan, "Are you saying—you’re going to withhold my mission reward?"

Xu Guanyan was momentarily stunned by the question; it was so baffling. It was like a secretary asking their boss for a reward after simply finishing a printing task.

Soon enough, however, she grasped the meaning behind his inquiry. She stared at him coldly and spat out a few words: "You could certainly see it that way."

"Do you know what happened to the last person who planned to deny me my reward?" Chen Sheng grinned, then raised a hand and "summoned" his prized possession.

Life bound to life, death tethered to death!

Xu Guanyan seemed to be lifted into the air by an invisible force. Her body twisted unnaturally as her hands clawed desperately at her throat, as if a noose were tightening around it. She never managed to grasp the phantom rope; her hands fell limply, her head lolled to the side, her tongue protruded slightly, and her eyes bulged wide in a look of eternal shock.

"And you lot, finding this amusing, are you?"

"Don't bother saying you aren't; I know you are!"

Chen Sheng turned and dispatched Xu Guanyan’s henchmen as well. Though there were several of them, the gallows worked quickly, taking less than ten seconds. As the last one fell at the door, Chen Sheng began to search the corpses.

Practice made perfect; in no time, he had found several valuables, especially on Xu Guanyan, who carried several "coin cards" that could be redeemed by anyone without restriction.

"More of these useless game coins..." Chen Sheng remarked, feeling somewhat dissatisfied. To date, he hadn't found anything in this "Healing Game" that could be purchased to provide any actual utility to a "player."

He then searched the room and found something that came as a pleasant surprise: a secret manual.

"Seven Extremity Fist."

"This must be a skill, right?" Chen Sheng flipped through it and discovered that, as he had suspected, it wasn't just a skill—it was capable of harming ghosts.

"This must be the class skill intended for the Exorcist Police," he surmised. It fit perfectly with his previous deductions. He had yet to learn anything about the martial arts of this world, let alone concepts like "Supreme Martial Artists" or the "One-Yuan Realm."

"A pity, this must only be a beginner-level skill. Otherwise, it wouldn't just harm ghosts—it would annihilate them." Chen Sheng made a quick assessment and tossed the manual onto the floor with a sigh of regret.

He pushed the door open and stepped out.

Slamming the door behind him, he went to find the girl, Yu Youxin. He searched for a while but couldn't find her. Just as he was about to call out, he sensed someone behind him and turned immediately.

There stood a young girl dressed in a purple ancient court gown, the hem of which trailed gracefully on the ground. She was looking at him with a gentle, curved smile.

"That piece of equipment looks really nice," Chen Sheng couldn't help but praise. "Where did you get it? Did you pick it up in the starter village too?"

Hearing his question, Yu Youxin continued to smile softly, answering in a delicate voice, "Yes."

"Does this equipment have any functions?" Chen Sheng asked curiously.

"Does being pretty count?"

Chen Sheng’s eye twitched. "Just that?"

"There's more," Yu Youxin improvised. "When attacked, it can spontaneously form a purple barrier to protect the wearer, capable of withstanding three to five fatal blows."

"That’s not bad at all!" Chen Sheng nodded. While it couldn't instantly empty the "health bars" of "monsters and NPCs" like his own "starter gear," a spontaneous defense that could absorb multiple fatal attacks was clearly superior. In his view, the skill of his own prized possession, which instantly emptied a "health bar," counted as a single fatal blow.

This left Chen Sheng feeling a bit envious. Although the dress was clearly intended for a girl, medical research indicated that men were actually more suited to wearing dresses. However, he was currently teamed up with this girl, and he wasn't certain if killing a teammate would cause them to drop their "starter gear."

"I suppose I'll let it slide, then..."