Am I really hallucinating?

Chapter 638 Super Connections?
After reuniting with his family, Lu Chongming set off for the central capital ahead of schedule. He should have arrived earlier to help Zhang Xue with some matters; arriving two days late, he hoped the central district wouldn't be too harsh. Zhang Xue had been bombarding him with messages. Why send an advance representative only to have that representative run away?
The central eastern district of the capital was located in the triangular tower where the Bureau of Justice was headquartered.

When Lu Chongming arrived at this place, he looked up and saw the towering building in front of him, and he was quite shocked.

“It’s spectacular,” he said.

“After looking at it for a while, it’s just so-so. There are actually many shortcomings in the design, and it even affects office work. However, the General Administration mostly plays a symbolic role, so there’s no need to be too critical.” Bai Shi said beside Lu Chongming.

That's right, Lu Chongming didn't come back alone.

When I went back to see Bai Shi before, we happened to mention that he was going to represent Jiangwen Street at the central assembly. Bai Shi said that he was also going there soon, so he brought Lu Chongming with him.

Lu Chongming didn't dare to respond to Bai Shi's words.

The regional chief dares to openly and loudly comment at the door, while a nobody like him wouldn't dare to say a word.

"The assembly hasn't even started yet, no need to be so formal, Brother Shiraishi." A handsome man with blond curly hair stepped out of a car by the roadside and greeted Shiraishi with a bright smile. He wore his Bureau of Investigation uniform with an air of aristocratic formality.

“Rymanov, long time no see, you’ve grown quite a bit,” Shiraishi replied with a smile.

"Good morning, Chief Lemanov!" Lu Chongming greeted him with a polite bow, eager to make a more advanced impression. This was the chief of Tarkovsky Street; he looked young, but was actually only one year younger than Bai Shi.

Lemanov responded to Lu Chongming first, then said somewhat helplessly, "I'm not a child. Besides, didn't we already meet at the meeting after the earthquake?"

Shiraishi's words didn't sound like a meeting between colleagues; rather, they sounded like someone visiting relatives during the Lunar New Year and seeing a child, regardless of whether it was true or not, immediately commenting that the child had "grown taller," "gained weight," or "lost weight."

“After all, I’ve been so busy since the earthquake conference that I’ve lost track of time,” Shiraishi said.

“Indeed, there’s been no rest for a moment these past few days, and now we suddenly have to hold a meeting,” Rymanov sighed.

Tarkovsky Street is considered one of the better streets, but even so, his workload remains high.

As they spoke, they had already entered the triangular tower. Before the central assembly, there were also preparatory and debriefing meetings within the Bureau, which was why they had arrived early.

As for Zhang Xue... she couldn't make it to the preparatory meeting before the rally because Jiangwen Street was too busy and she simply didn't have the time. Even for the central rally, she would only rush over the night before the meeting and then return on the day of the meeting.

This is the retribution for slacking off.

Therefore, Lu Chongming is Zhang Xue's representative and doesn't need to speak, because Zhang Xue usually just listens to others in meetings and then simply records what they say. He's mainly there to make up the numbers.

Inside the triangular tower, people came and went, and the two regional chiefs walking side by side attracted a lot of attention. This made Lu Chongming feel a little nervous.

“Relax, everyone is very friendly. And you represent Zhang Xue, so you won’t be any less capable than Zhang Xue here. Sometimes she even skips these small meetings,” Lemanov comforted him gently.

While letting out a sigh of relief, Lu Chongming also thought to himself, "Chief Zhang Xue, what the hell are you doing in public every time? People's expectations of you are so low!"
It's obviously a lazy cubed version.

Of course, it's not just the regional chiefs who have come here. Not all gray districts are large enough to have a chief position; smaller gray districts often share a single chief. And these regional chiefs all have the potential to be promoted to regional chief in the future... but there's not much hope for them at the moment.

Lu Chongming noticed that the people looking at him were scrutinizing him.

The implications here probably go beyond just observing him as a representative.

Of the current chief executives, only Zhang Xue's position is unstable due to the earthquake; the others are all secure.

They're either young and newly appointed like Hong Yiyi, or experienced and long-serving like Bai Shi. Most of them can only focus their attention on the Jiangwen Street area.

Zhang Xue has the worst reputation, frequently facing criticism and impeachment, making her position unstable. Originally, not many people wanted this position; unless blinded by self-interest, most people wouldn't want to jump into the mess of Jiangwen Street. However, there's been a recent reshuffle, and now someone can directly take over a clean Jiangwen Street. Furthermore, given the lack of mid-level personnel in the Jiangwen Street management bureau, if an outsider were to take over, simply transferring their own team wouldn't require much effort.

As a result, many people's minds gradually became active.

Lu Chongming, who was suspected of being Zhang Xue's sudden successor, naturally became an obstacle in the eyes of these people.

"Senior Shiraishi, Senior Lemanov." Hong Yiyi suddenly appeared at the corner, greeting everyone with a perfectly polite smile.

“I’ve said it many times. You’re already the regional chief, so there’s no need to keep calling me ‘senior.’ We’re on the same level now, and doing so in public will damage your prestige and make people think you’re inferior to us.” Lemanov shook his head slightly, correcting Hong Yiyi’s form of address.

“Not at all. Even if you become the regional chief, you will still be respected seniors.” Hong Yiyi spoke tactfully.

Bai Shi and Hong Yiyi were more familiar with each other, and since they lived in close neighborhoods, they interacted more, so their greetings were rather casual. Hong Yiyi looked at Lu Chongming behind her, and her polite smile suddenly became more genuine: "Hello, Lu Chongming! Why aren't you answering me?"

"Ah! Greetings, Chief Hong Yiyi!" Lu Chongming greeted her with a bow.

"Hey, don't be so formal. Xiaolin asked me to take care of you. Just relax." Hong Yiyi reached out and gently patted his shoulder.

Rymanov was somewhat surprised, and if he was surprised, one can imagine how surprised the others around him were.

This kid who suddenly appeared out of nowhere seems a bit extraordinary? He's not only Zhang Xue's representative, but he's even receiving attention from Hong Yiyi, the rising star chief?

What kind of super-connected person is this?

Not to mention that Lemanov also saw that Lu Chongming came with Bai Shi, and their relationship was obviously not as simple as just meeting by chance.

A young man who only emerged a few months after the earthquake has actually gained the favor and attention of three chief executives at the same time!

"Everyone has finally arrived," a serious, hoarse voice said, immediately silencing much of the noise.

The woman who appeared had long black hair neatly tied back. She was tall and slender, and even her uniform couldn't contain her impressive figure. As she moved, there were occasional slight noises coming from her body, as if she had a lot of things hidden inside her clothes.

However, her eyes were devoid of any light, her pupils were unfocused and dilated.

blindness……

Lu Chongming realized this and was startled.

"Chief Zhou Yinzhu," some people greeted.

The chief of the Lumière district. He looks equally young, but has a mature demeanor; he's actually from the same generation as Shiraishi. Standing together with the district chiefs, Shiraishi appears to be the oldest—though he is indeed the oldest.

Although both are regional chiefs, Zhou Yinzhu's position is subtly higher than that of the other chiefs due to the status of Lumière Street.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with the chiefs, this woman, who was actually an "auntie" in age, turned to face Lu Chongming. Although her eyes were devoid of any light, Lu Chongming still felt as if he had been thoroughly seen through.

"Lu Chongming, you are excellent. Keep up the good work." The hoarse and slow tone made everyone present hear it clearly.

Lu Chongming didn't introduce himself, but the chief immediately called him by name. If this was simply because she knew the attendees' identities beforehand, then Chief Zhou Yinzhu was notoriously aloof; it was even rumored that she rarely led teams in the local area, always acting alone. She was indifferent to everyone, so this sudden, earnest praise of Lu Chongming—what kind of development was this?!

It seems there's another middleman on Hong Yiyi's side. Who is this person?

Lu Chongming was completely dumbfounded.

Zhou Yinzhu turned her head away without offering any explanation.

There were two things on her mind.

One incident occurred a few days prior on Lumière Street, which she missed while handling matters on a distant street. During the subsequent investigation, a report from one of the team members brought Lu Chongming to her attention.

Through their own investigation, the team members recounted what they had witnessed, including their conversations.

Why didn't the Lumière Street administration take action against the Society's atrocities?
This kid is a bit of a hothead... but he's not bad.

Another thing is that Lu Chongming actually fought the Lamplighter head-on, and it was none other than Deville, a somewhat famous wanderer. Even though he should have been defeated in the end, the fact that he's still standing here unharmed speaks volumes. Also, regarding the abilities Lu Chongming displayed in that battle… they seem a bit familiar.

Therefore, she did not submit Lu Chongming's information to the association and suppressed the intelligence.

In any case, this child deserves praise. If he can really take over Zhang Xue's position as a slacker, it might be a good thing for both the local Jiangwen Street community and the handling bureau.

Meanwhile, Chief Rymanov was slightly uneasy.

So it wasn't just the three chiefs looking after Lu Chongming together, but all four regional chiefs were looking after him!
Doesn't this make him seem a bit out of place?
Should he also make a statement?
Could this super-connected person be the designated Director-General of the Future Disposal Bureau?

Haha, no way...

(End of this chapter)