A heretical cultivator in Bureau 749, I'm the fiercest at pulling out tendons and skinning peop

Edward stood there, probably out of his mind.

Perhaps it was the lingering impact of that old "Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy" movie, coupled with the adrenaline rush during the life-or-death moment—anyway—

Edward suddenly felt a surge of hot blood rush to the top of his head!

A pledge of allegiance! Yes! A pledge of allegiance!

That's how it's portrayed in the movies! To join the gang, you have to show your loyalty and demonstrate your sincerity! You have to prove your worth and loyalty to the leader!

Although he doesn't understand cultivation or fighting, he understands the rules! He understands the ways of the martial world! Uh, he should understand, right?

Old Ai took a deep breath, trying hard to recall those blurry fragments from last night's movie, and then—

He stepped forward, his back ramrod straight, hands clasped in a fist, and facing Zhang Yucheng, he shouted with all his might, in a clear, resonant voice, with a hint of imitation and what he thought was a very "streetwise" tone:

"Master Zhang! The world is a long and winding road, and I'm in dire straits today. I'm so grateful that you haven't abandoned me and have given me a chance to eat!"

"I dare not ask for more! I only ask to serve you faithfully, like a dog or a horse!"

"If you harbor any disloyalty, may you be struck by lightning, stabbed three times and pierced six times, and dealt with as you see fit!"

He paused, feeling that the intensity might not be enough, and racked his brains, finally managing to utter another, even darker and more forceful line from the movie, his expression solemn, as if making a vow:

"From now on, if you tell me to go east, I will never go west! If you tell me to chase away a dog, I will never feed a chicken!"

"Through water and fire, we'll do anything for you, Master Zhang!"

"I still have my life, and these few possessions..."

Lao Ai patted his inner pocket containing gambling tickets, his eyes resolute:

"I'll leave everything to you, Mr. Zhang!"

"We beg you, Master Zhang... to give us a clear path! Let our brothers have something to strive for!"

His words were powerful and sincere.

On the dock, the Qi cultivators who had just been wailing and howling over the outcome of the bet fell silent.

Everyone stared, mouths agape, eyes glazed over. They looked at Edward, who stood solemnly with his hands clasped in front of him, and then at Zhang Yucheng, who stood opposite them in a black trench coat, refined and gentle, with an unusually frozen expression.

No, what do you mean?

Is Master Zhang going to make a comeback and return to his old ways?

The fox demon queen burst into laughter, her body trembling with mirth. She leaned heavily on Ji Zuodao's back, her shoulders heaving, her peach blossom eyes glistening with tears, clearly overjoyed.

Zhang Yucheng remained silent.

For once, there was a long silence of five seconds.

His face, which always wore a refined and gentle smile, now held a somewhat complicated expression.

Damn it, I've been cultivating myself for so many years, and I've even sent my inner demons to work in the Epang Palace labor camp. How can anyone still point at me and call me a bandit?

Master Zhang of the Dongxing Society is from the very last year of the lunar calendar.

He is now the director of the 749 Bureau of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau. He is a state cadre who wears an official robe, holds a secure job, and occasionally engages in some gray income, but overall he is absolutely legal and compliant!

He's a leader! He's a respectable person!

That foreign devil...

Where the hell did they learn these crappy words from?!

Still Master Zhang? Still serving him faithfully? Still the one with three cuts and six holes?

Bureau 749 is a legitimate organization! We have permanent positions! We offer the five social insurances and one housing fund! We have year-end performance reviews! We don't do this kind of thing!

but……

Then again.

This little phrase is actually pretty damn cool.

Tsk.

It really reminds me of when Master Zhang of the East Star Society was recruiting his underlings, and those hotheads were all clamoring to follow him and conquer the world.

Passionate, reckless, single-minded, once they've made up their mind, they won't look back.

Although the man in front of me was a blond, blue-eyed, well-dressed foreigner with crooked glasses, he was quite different from the guys from back then who were shirtless, covered in tattoos, and yelling while brandishing machetes.

But that "recognizing an older brother" attitude, hey, it's actually kind of similar.

Zhang Yucheng muttered to himself.

"I never thought that after all these years of retiring from the criminal world and donning the official robes, I would still run into someone who wants to curry favor with me."

His gaze swept across Edward's face, then over his back, which was trembling slightly with nervousness but remained ramrod straight.

My mind started racing.

This kid...

Although when they came here to negotiate before, they cried and begged, which seemed quite pathetic.

But that's because Jinghai 749 doesn't play by the rules.

You use diplomatic language with me, I'll discuss physical salvation with you.

You quote classical texts to me, I'll flip the table and smash the pot in response.

Who could stand this?

But what if we change the location, to a more formal occasion where rules and face are important?

Edward's ability to climb to this position and become a shrewd figure in the Free Nation's diplomatic system shows he's no fool.

In situations where reasoning is necessary, it might actually be quite useful.

Zhang Yucheng recalled the repeated, subtle reminders from the General Administration.

"Yu Chen, could your Jinghai branch be a little... more lenient in your way of doing things?"

"During negotiations, they constantly hold a knife to someone's throat and force them to sign... This has a bad influence, a really bad influence!"

"We must be mindful of international perception! We must be careful in our approach and methods!"

Zhang Yucheng said "yes, yes, yes" but in his heart he was thinking, "Go to hell."

If you don't put a knife to their throats, will those bastards obediently sign the papers? Will they hand over the money willingly? Will they admit defeat and back down?

Dream on!

But now...

He looked at this foreigner who had delivered himself to his doorstep, bringing with him irrefutable evidence of treason, and who had no choice but to submit to him...

A thought, like a match struck in the dark, suddenly ignited.

If in the future all those disputes that require "following procedures," "reasoning," and "maintaining international image"...

Why are we just leaving everything to this old bastard?

Let him argue, quarrel, bang on the table, quote classics, and spew spittle at those people.

If they can reach an agreement, great; if not...

Then, take out the knife again.

He slammed it on the table.

"Can't reach an agreement?"

"OK."

"Then let's try a different approach to this."

See, isn't this process much smoother now?

Doesn't this give us both face and substance?

Doesn't this uphold international image?

The more Zhang Yucheng thought about it, the more reliable the idea seemed.

That's how it was settled.

With just a few words, Zhang Yucheng recruited Edward, a former Free State diplomat and now a "surrenderee," into the Foreign Affairs Section of the Jinghai 749 Bureau.

The procedures were ridiculously simple.

It's mainly because I love this situation, and it is indeed clean.

He lost his wife in middle age, supposedly to cancer. The terrible medical insurance system in the free country couldn't hold her up. She passed away, and most of his savings were gone.

Two years ago, my only son was killed by a stray bullet while working as a "military advisor" in the Middle East. His compensation was embezzled by his superiors.

In the free country, he was truly all alone.

Relatives? There are a few, but they are all far away and we basically don't keep in touch. They are the kind of superficial relatives who "might come to claim their inheritance if they hear you're dead, but if there's no inheritance, they'll pretend they never heard of you."

These conditions...

Zhang Yucheng almost burst out laughing.

This is simply the ultimate consumable material—"completely alone, ready to move in anytime, and filled with gratitude for a new life because of how miserable his life has been"—no, I mean, the ultimate talent!

No brainwashing or ideological work is needed; they have already cut off all their escape routes completely and thoroughly on their own.

If we don't recruit him and let him shine, it would be a disservice to the "destiny" arranged by God!

Then we'll arrange seven or eight more "senior citizen matchmaking events" for him.

Once a wife is married, the family settles down, and a house is acquired...

For the rest of his life, this guy was truly bound to the Jinghai 749 Bureau and this land.

It's more effective than any contract, oath, or three cuts and six holes.

This is what it means to bind people with life experiences and to erode... no, to warm people's hearts.