Secret Buyer-Chapter 184 - 145: Seizing the Initiative at the Apprenticeship Banquet
Zhang Tianming smiled and began to speak:
"Miss Zhang, we meet again... Where’s that friend of yours from yesterday?"
"I don’t know, maybe it’s the rain and traffic jam."
Zhang Tianming shook his head with a laugh:
"The assistant of the Public Security Headquarters is equipped with a hovercar, how could there be a traffic jam?"
"Assistant? What assistant?"
Zhang Xiaoxi looked at the young man suspiciously:
"Are you investigating him?"
Zhang Tianming still maintained a polite smile:
"It’s not really an investigation, just casually asked some people below."
Zhang Xiaoxi chuckled slightly, too lazy to pay attention to this inexplicable young man, feeling that he bore ill intentions.
When someone is suddenly nice, they are either a traitor or a thief!
Zhang Tianming didn’t mind Miss Zhang’s distance, sitting beside her with a warm demeanor:
"Miss Zhang, I heard the institute came this time to routinely investigate the dimensional overlap point, I wonder..."
"Are you trying to pry into the institute’s secrets as well?" A voice interrupted, as Chen Qingxue approached, glaring unceremoniously at the young man:
"Zhang Tianming, right? I’ve checked on you, the son of Zhang Erhe. Your father’s situation hasn’t been very good lately, and you still have time to fool around outside?"
The smile on Zhang Tianming’s face stiffened, his eyelids drooping:
"This must be Miss Chen from the institute, right? I wasn’t aware I had offended Miss Chen..."
"Cut it out!"
Chen Qingxue spoke disdainfully:
"Are you trying to deceive me like that Xiaoxi kid? Do you think I’m unaware of your local tricks? So you’re trying to use sugar-coated bullets again?"
She lifted her head, with a slender neck, seemingly not caring at all about the other party’s father’s status, saying with a pout:
"You want to gather information on the dimensional overlap point and use it to ingratiate yourself with the Innate Realm? Isn’t that a bit too low-level?"
Zhang Tianming’s expression stiffened, he chuckled awkwardly twice, and quietly retreated.
Zhang Xiaoxi was still a bit confused, just as she was about to ask.
"Your personality is as straightforward as ever." A soft voice came, and Zhang Xiaoxi and Chen Qingxue glanced to the side,
to see a man and a woman walking towards them, both exuding a very scholarly aura.
Chen Qingxue’s expression became serious, quickly making a respectful gesture:
"Dean Shen."
After a pause, she nudged Zhang Xiaoxi with a kick and quickly introduced:
"Xiaoxi, this is Dean Shen from Golden University!"
The relationship between Golden University and the Source Point Research Institute is intricate, as the institute is located within Golden University.
Zhang Xiaoxi hurriedly jumped off the stool:
"Dean Shen!"
"No need to be so formal." Shen Baobao nodded slightly: "Please send my regards to Elder Yu."
The two women made their salutations again.
The institute could disregard the local Great Sect’s grandmasters, but couldn’t remain aloof when dealing with the upper echelons within the affiliated system...
To put it bluntly, all the expenses of the institute are funded by Golden University, in some sense, Golden University is the institute’s bread and butter.
Chen Qingxue curiously asked at this point:
"Dean Shen, I saw you yesterday, didn’t expect you to attend this banquet... Who exactly is the host of this banquet?"
"An old friend of my teacher’s." Shen Baobao replied casually: "I am attending in my teacher’s place."
Chen Qingxue’s expression changed again, Dean Shen’s teacher?
She surveyed the banquet hall, spotting a governor from an upper-level city, a leader of a province-spanning Divine Net Group...
She exclaimed in surprise:
"Could the host of this banquet possibly be a reclusive Innate Realm cultivator?"
"That’s not the case." Shen Baobao replied nonchalantly: "Elder Hong’s cultivation isn’t actually high, but he has helped many in his time."
After a pause, she sighed:
"If Elder Hong hadn’t suffered a tremendous calamity back then, maybe he might have been an Innate Realm cultivator by now."
Chen Qingxue swallowed.
Suddenly, Zhang Xiaoxi, who was listening silently, brightened up and waved vigorously:
"Fusheng! Over here!"
Chen Qingxue looked over, seeing Xiaoxi’s friend from the Public Security Headquarters approaching,
She frowned slightly, wanting to remind Zhang Xiaoxi to be more composed in front of such seniors as Dean Shen... but it was already too late.
The young man, dressed in a black long coat, walked over, and Zhang Xiaoxi excitedly began introducing him:
"Hurry, let me introduce, this is Golden University’s Shen..."
Before she could finish, she saw her little cousin nod to Dean Shen:
"Senior Sister Shen, I ran into some trouble last night and left without notice, truly sorry."
Huh??
Both Zhang Xiaoxi and Chen Qingxue looked bewildered.
Shen Baobao and Kong Dongyan both looked at Zhang Fusheng, the former smiling:
"As long as you’re alright, that’s a good thing. It’s just a shame I wanted to have a long chat with you."
"There will be opportunities."
Zhang Fusheng nodded with a grin, glanced at the dumbfounded Zhang Xiaoxi, and asked in confusion:
"What’s with your expression?"
"Nothing, nothing." Zhang Xiaoxi came back to her senses, her gaze at her little cousin was a bit strange, she couldn’t help but ask:
"How do you know Dean Shen?"
"It’s a long story."
Zhang Fusheng smiled and cupped his hands toward Shen Baobao:
"Since Senior Sister Shen is attending this banquet, it seems you might have some connection with my master."
"Your master?"
Shen Baobao was surprised:
"Are you saying..... Elder Hong?"
"Exactly." Zhang Fusheng calmly affirmed, while his little cousin was even more confused now: "Is this your master’s banquet?"
"Ah!"
Zhang Fusheng glared at the startled Zhang Xiaoxi, his eyes suddenly focused on something outside the banquet hall.
"Third junior brother, how is it that such an important event as taking a disciple hasn’t even sent an invitation my way? Am I so disregarded as your senior brother?"
The raspy voice echoed through the banquet hall, causing guests from various cities to turn their heads.
An elder dressed in training clothes walked into the hall with his hands behind his back, seemingly not caring about these so-called ’important figures’ from all over.
He looked at the crowd parting, watching as a slow and steady old man walked out, smiling:
"Where is the little one to be accepted as a disciple today? Why hasn’t he come to greet me, the elder brother?"
Hong Tianbao’s face was as calm as ever, squinting at Chen Qiusheng:
"Senior brother coming uninvited is somewhat impolite."
"Polite?"
Chen Qiusheng laughed loudly, displaying a wanton attitude:
"Junior Brother Hong, when you killed my wife and daughter, murdered my parents, did you ever speak of politeness?"
The banquet was momentarily silent.
Hong Tianbao’s expression turned somewhat unsightly, this old bastard was really here to cause trouble.
But...
He was puzzled, among the guests in the hall were no shortage of grandmasters, was Chen Qiusheng insane to choose this moment to cause trouble?
During the silence.
Hong Tianbao suddenly asked:
"Where’s your disciple?"
"On the way." Chen Qiusheng raised his eyelids, staring at Hong Tianbao: "I have a proposal, when my disciple arrives, why not have a little spar with yours?"
"And while we’re at it..."
"Shall we have another spar?"
He grinned, his gaze chilling:
"Just right, let me test your skills, see if after all these years, you are..."
"Truly crippled?"
Some guests in the hall showed anger on their faces, Hong Tianbao remained calm as ever, while in the corner, Zhang Fusheng slightly lowered his eyelids.
"He won’t be coming." He thought to himself, turning his head to look at the drizzling rain outside the banquet hall, and silently smiled.
Far away.
Figures cloaked in black silently walked in the heavy rain.
