Chapter 77: Rank

In the cafeteria of Yong'an Security, three people sat around a table eating. They were Chang Yu, Feng Sanpao, and Xiao Li.

"Chief, so the fancy meal you promised me turns out to be in the cafeteria?" Comrade Xiao Li sat on the bench, feeling somewhat skeptical about life. How stingy could Chang Yu be, promising to treat him and then just bringing him to the cafeteria?

"The cafeteria is great! You can eat as much as you want, it's generous and filling," Chang Yu replied with complete conviction.

"Is that all? I thought you were taking me to a restaurant for something good. Ended up getting excited for nothing," Xiao Li sighed.

"Xiao Li, that's where you're wrong," Chang Yu lectured earnestly. "Has the cafeteria auntie ever offended you? Why claim her cooking isn't good?"

Xiao Li was baffled. Had he ever said the cafeteria aunt's food wasn't tasty?

"The cafeteria aunt is a wonderful person. She rises early every day, giving up her chance to sleep in, forcing herself past exhaustion, and comes here at dawn to wash vegetables, chop, and cook. You must know, every dish is made with her painstaking care. Yet you say her food isn’t good? Think about it, hardly anyone comes here, she works alone—it must feel lonely and disappointing."

Xiao Li was speechless. He hadn't said anything at all! Why was it escalating into a moral lecture?

"Besides, she prepares so many dishes every day, most of which go to waste. Isn't that a pity? All this food uneaten wastes the nation’s grain. If we don’t eat it, it’s wasted. By eating here, we’re supporting the cafeteria aunt, making her happy, and saving the country’s resources. Clearly, your sense of duty needs improvement," Chang Yu rattled on, spittle flying, as if Xiao Li had committed some grave offense.

Xiao Li had a headache. If Chang Yu wanted to be stingy, just admit it—why all the excuses? Truly tiresome...

Feng Sanpao, gnawing on a chicken leg, glanced at Chang Yu and asked, "What happened to that Hu we caught last time?"

Perhaps because their meal times often overlapped, Chang Yu always ran into Feng Sanpao here. Today, Chang Yu and Xiao Li again found Feng Sanpao eating in the cafeteria.

Maybe because he'd fallen for Hu's tricks before, Feng Sanpao was curious about Hu's current situation.

"You’ll have to ask Xiao Li about that; I really don't know," Chang Yu replied carelessly. To him, Hu was a trivial passerby—not worth his attention.

Xiao Li, in logistics, was privy to many internal updates—more than Chang Yu.

"We placed him in the hospital and assigned logistics personnel to supervise him," Xiao Li recalled Hu’s post-arrest details. "He’s been on nutrient infusions for a week. In another week, he can be discharged."

"What happens to him after discharge?" Feng Sanpao asked, seemingly casual but actually concerned.

"He’s a fraudster. After discharge, we’ll send him to prison," Xiao Li said plainly.

Feng Sanpao’s hand paused mid-chicken leg, his expression shifting.

"Are you concerned about that fraudster?" Chang Yu was puzzled.

"Not really," Feng Sanpao replied gloomily. "I just feel bad for the money he scammed."

"So that's it," Chang Yu laughed heartily, patting Feng Sanpao’s shoulder. "No worries. The ten thousand yuan you borrowed from Katerina was recovered. When Hu was being chased by her, he dropped the money on the lawn while escaping."

"I'm not talking about her money," Feng Sanpao’s face fell. "I'm talking about the two thousand yuan I lost—it was all I had, my living expenses for the month! Without it, how will I survive?"

"Well, you were bewitched, insisting he was Emperor Qin Shi Huang. Consider it tuition, a lesson learned," Chang Yu said gleefully. "Anyway, your food and lodging are covered. Even without money, you won’t go hungry for a while."

"I asked Sakurako about advancing next month’s salary, but she refused," Feng Sanpao said, disappointed.

"Speaking of..." Chang Yu suddenly remembered something. "It's rare to see Katerina in the cafeteria."

"Oh, her? She hardly ever comes to Yong'an. I’ve never seen her here," said Feng Sanpao, a resident expert of Yong'an Security.

"That's odd," Chang Yu mused. "Not coming once or twice is understandable, but she never comes?"

"Chief, you don’t know," Xiao Li, who had been quietly eating, finally spoke up. "Katerina isn’t avoiding the cafeteria; she just doesn’t come to ours."

"What do you mean?" Chang Yu asked.

"Our Disaster Investigation Bureau has a headquarters in H City. Katerina works and eats at the headquarters."

"Isn't Yong'an Security the Bureau’s headquarters?" Chang Yu grew confused.

"Of course not," Xiao Li firmly denied. "Yong'an Security is just an outpost, not the headquarters!"

"Our headquarters is far more luxurious and grand. Compared to that, this place is just like a suburban outpost."

Chang Yu coughed, choking on his noodles. He’d interviewed and signed a contract at Yong'an Security, always thinking it was the Bureau’s headquarters. Turns out…

"Why did Katerina never mention this to me?" Now it was Chang Yu’s turn to be frustrated.

"If she didn't tell you, then I was just being talkative," Xiao Li said awkwardly. "But she’s following protocol—you shouldn’t take it personally."

"If she didn’t tell me, it’s fine for you to do so," Chang Yu muttered after a long pause. "So tell me, where’s our headquarters? Why don’t I know about it?"

"Chief, I think you’d better ask Katerina yourself," Xiao Li replied, lowering his voice.

"Why are you being so evasive? Just answer," Chang Yu snapped, eyes wide.

"Come on, don’t put Xiao Li on the spot," Feng Sanpao interrupted. "What’s there to ask? Even a lunatic like me can figure it out."

"It’s just that our rank isn’t high enough. If we were, nothing could be kept from us," he added.

His words snapped Chang Yu out of his confusion.

"Forget it, I won’t ask anymore," Chang Yu grumbled, slurping his noodles in silence, feeling uneasy. The Bureau was admirable in many ways, but far too cautious. Everything was secret, everything hidden. Even as an insider, he couldn’t shake the feeling of being treated as an outsider.

"Don’t be upset," Xiao Li, feeling guilty, hurried to explain. "Only investigators ranked C and above are allowed to know the headquarters’ location. D-ranked investigators aren’t qualified."

"D-ranked investigators only know Yong'an Security is a contact point. Nothing else. This is for their safety—part of the Bureau’s confidentiality measures."

"New investigators are unpredictable and might disclose the headquarters’ location to foreign intelligence agencies. Once you’re promoted to C-rank, you’ll know the headquarters’ whereabouts. No need to rush."

"I already have C-level skills; becoming a C-ranked investigator is just a matter of time," Chang Yu boasted, saving face.

"Having skills isn’t enough. You must pass the Bureau’s test," Xiao Li advised. "If you’re a plant from another organization or lack loyalty, you won’t pass."

"The bigger the organization, the more rules, the more trouble," Chang Yu wiped the grease from his mouth and set down his bowl.

He understood the logic: the Bureau wasn’t strict when recruiting. With a big forest, you get all kinds of birds.

Inevitably, some dubious people would sneak in. To prevent leaks, the Bureau’s policy was easy entry, difficult promotion. This way, manpower could be managed, and secrecy maximized.

In other words, D-ranked investigators were the Bureau’s peripheral members. They mostly ran errands or did menial tasks, never touching core secrets. Even if there were spies among them, they knew little and worked for free.

"Xiao Li, are you done eating?" Chang Yu checked the time—it was about right.

"Finished, Chief," Xiao Li replied with a polite smile.

"Then take me back," Chang Yu’s face revealed nothing.

Once in the car, Chang Yu remained silent, making Xiao Li uneasy. He kept glancing at the rearview mirror, worried about Chang Yu’s mood—afraid he might be crushed by reality.

"Chief, are you upset?" Xiao Li asked cautiously.

"No, why would I be?" Chang Yu glanced at him indifferently.

"Then why aren’t you saying anything?" Xiao Li pressed.

"Oh, that," Chang Yu gathered his thoughts. "I just feel like I’ve forgotten something important."

"Ah, now I remember!" He slapped his thigh. "My memory, honestly."

"Oh? What is it?" Xiao Li’s curiosity was piqued.

"Last time I saw my master, I was so focused on learning boxing that I forgot to ask about Brother Wang’s infertility!"

"What?" Xiao Li was utterly baffled—what did infertility have to do with anything?

"Such a sin!" Chang Yu recalled that day at the snack stall, when Fat Wang, drunk, poured out his bitter woes. Chang Yu felt he had let his old friend down.

Was it Wang’s fault? No. He was such a kind, understanding man, yet lived childless and scorned by his wife. Chang Yu felt bad just thinking about it.

Especially hearing that lately, Wang’s wife’s dissatisfaction had soared. There was a risk of their marriage ending in a dramatic divorce.

For Wang’s future happiness, Chang Yu resolved to do his utmost—he had to find a solution.

"I’ve decided, next time I see my master, I’ll ask about it for Wang," Chang Yu vowed.

Back at the apartment, Chang Yu sat cross-legged on his bed and took out a few spirit stones from his storage pouch.

With practiced ease, he gripped the stones and began to circulate the Fuling Heart Sutra.

He felt the spiritual energy flow through his meridians like a stream, and a smile spread across his lips.

Whether he drew spiritual energy from the air or from the stones, as long as he could continue his cultivation, it was enough.

Time immersed in cultivation always flew by—a whole night vanished in the blink of an eye.

Stopping his practice, Chang Yu stretched and rubbed his slightly stiff back.

Seeing that it was already late, he lay down, weary, and soon drifted into sleep.