Chapter 756: Chapter 756. High-ranking Admin Staff

’I am not looking for faction members who did missions,’ Amon answered. ’The ones I’m looking for are the bookkeepers.’

’Bookkeepers?’ Bo Wu asked.

’No matter what organization, they need records to keep everything manageable. The bigger an organization, the more important its paperwork is. Otherwise, everything will be too much of a mess to keep the organization running.’

’How will you identify these bookkeepers?’

’I already did, at least two of them, and they should be among the highest ranks.’

’How can you tell?’

’There is a particular behavior for someone who occupies the top position in an office setting. They either spent the most time inside the office compared to other workers, or they spent the least time. I do not need those who spent little time in the office. Their knowledge tended to be limited to the reports of their subordinates. Also, members who only enter the building to take missions won’t spend too much time inside. After watching the place for a couple of weeks, I identified two individuals who often enter the mission center the earliest and leave the latest.’

’You are going after them just based on that?’

’I’m also looking for those with high cultivation levels. No matter what, this realm values strength the most. They won’t give important positions to someone with a low cultivation level, regardless of how good the person’s administrative skills are. That said, someone who doesn’t spend much time in the field will possess different bearings from the faction members who go on missions. So, I’m also looking for members with a high cultivation level, but who don’t look like they have much battle experience.’

’Hm… And you found two candidates based on those categories.’

’I did, and those two live in the same place.’

’How do you… Oh, that’s why you always walked around this town after leaving this tavern. You were following someone. I thought you were walking randomly.’

’I never do things randomly. Anyway, I’m going to make my move tonight.’

’Good! I’m getting bored staying here doing nothing.’

’You do nothing most of the time.’

’That’s because you told me not to do anything except when you call me to.’

’That’s right. Stay that way.’

*

Jong Ziang was among the senior administration officers inside Unruly Neglect Town’s mission center. Though others possessed the same rank as him, he could be said to be the second-in-command in this place. He answered only to the director. The reason he didn’t occupy the top post was not that his administration skills were inferior to the director’s, but because the director had a higher cultivation level. If anything, he could say his administration skills were much better than the director’s. Aside from cultivation level, that clown gained the director seat due to his good connection with high-ranking faction members.

Jong Ziang couldn’t complain. He knew this was how society worked. Relationship was everything. A solitary desk-worker like him wouldn’t get far. He was already glad that he could gain his current position thanks to the director valuing his work, which in turn made the director look good.

The director was a Peak Fiendish Stage cultivator. As for his other colleagues of the same rank, most were either Beginning or Intermediate Fiendish Stage. He was the only one who was still at the Malicious Stage. Yet, the way the director treated him forced his other colleagues to respect and obey his requests. So, he truly could not complain about the director.

Jong Ziang spent almost his entire waking hours inside the center. If he could, he would sleep here as well, but no such accommodation was provided for the staff here. Even the director was not provided the facility to spend the night. Hence, he had no choice but to leave.

His house was not far. He had no family, but he lived with two other colleagues from the mission center. Those two could be said to be his only friends. The three hit it off in the office and decided to buy a house to live together since they were all loners without a family. What they had in common was their solitary preference, love for office work, and workaholic lifestyles.

Jong Ziang came out into the mission center’s courtyard and looked around the place. Usually, his two housemates sat on one of the benches in this courtyard. They often worked late, as he did, and returned home together.

He didn’t see them tonight. Perhaps they had left first. This was not strange. It had happened before. They probably got tired of waiting and ditched him. He did work especially late tonight. The red sky was slightly darker. He checked his time indicator. It was indeed very late already.

He walked toward home, which was not far. The house was large. The faction paid well. He could afford an even larger house, but what for? He had no family. This one was already too large for three people.

He entered the gate and went through the front yard. A luxurious lobby awaited him after the front door. Beyond the lobby was the living room. He sensed the presence of his two colleagues inside there. He was about to greet them when he entered the living room, but stopped when he saw the two on the sofa. The reason was that they were bound by runic chains. A runic chain was the stronger version of the engraved chains, which could bind someone with Lord Stage or Fiendish Stage cultivation. The two were also gagged. Hence, they couldn’t warn him.

While he was stunned by the scene, he sensed something beside him, very close beside him. He turned to the side, and he caught sight of a hand coming toward his face. This hand covered his mouth, muffling his scream. His mouth was also open due to surprise. He felt something small entering his mouth. Another arm came from behind and grabbed his neck. The two arms locked together and restrained him.

He tried fighting back, but the arms were too strong. He couldn’t resist. The hand that covered his mouth also covered his nose. He had no choice but to swallow the small thing in his mouth. Not long after, he felt extreme drowsiness assailed him. He lost consciousness soon.

*

Zong Jiang woke up in a strange cubic room. The room was large but empty. The surfaces of its walls, ceiling, and floors were smooth and unnatural. He quickly figured that he was in a constructed pocket dimension.

“Good. You are awake. We can talk now.”

Zong Jiang looked to the side and saw a stranger. The stranger was large, bald, and had unsettling black eyes.

Zong Jiang’s attention quickly shifted to his two colleagues behind the stranger. His colleagues were still bound. Their eyes were white, and their mouths were foaming. They were shaking with uncontrollable spasms. He saw menacing lesions develop on their skins, but then they healed rapidly.

He called to them, “Chong! Baan! Are you alright?!”

“They are not alright,” Amon answered him. “They told me they didn’t have the information I was looking for. I’m unsure if they are telling the truth, so I give them a taste of what happens when people lie to me. They, however, informed me that you are the head coordinator of everything going on in the mission center. I’m surprised to learn about this because your cultivation level doesn’t fit my suspected profile. That’s fine. I admit I can be wrong sometimes. So, is what they told me true? Are you the top person in the mission center?”

Zong Jiang didn’t answer immediately. His eyes kept darting to his two colleagues, who looked like they were in great pain.

Amon snapped his fingers and drew Zong Jiang’s attention back to him.

“If you want a taste of what they are experiencing, you can,” Amon said. “Do you want to?”

Zong Jiang looked at his colleagues again. He turned back to Amon and shook his head.

Amon asked his question, “So, are you truly privy to all the missions that go through the mission center in this town?”

Zong Jiang nodded.

“Good. Does that include secret missions?”

“Any missions that have anything to do with or happen in Unruly Neglect Town, they all pass through me.”

“Mm, perfect. Around eight years ago, someone was brought into this town by your faction. His existence should have been kept secret from the public. His name is Zee Whang, and he came from the surface world. I am unsure if his name and origin were disclosed to your office, so I will describe his appearance. He is extremely obese and practices divine cultivation. He should have been at the Beginning Spirit Stage when he came into this town. Do you have an inkling as to who I am talking about?”

Zong Jiang was silent and feigned confusion, but Amon noticed acknowledgment in his eyes.

Amon sighed. “It seems you are not willing to cooperate. I have no choice but to do to you what I do to your two friends.”

“Wait! Wait!” Zong Jiang pleaded. “That… That information is held in the highest secrecy. If the faction knows I leaked the information, I’m a dead man.”

“Perhaps,” Amon said. “But if you don’t, you will be in extreme pain, then a dead man. At least with the faction, you will have a chance if you keep your mouth shut. So, what will it be?”

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