Chapter 108: Chapter 108: The peaceful daily life in Lixi Prefecture is about to be broken..._1
After enduring a half-month journey, Wang Linchi finally arrived at Lixi Prefecture in Yi State. Thankfully, no dramatic events occurred during the trip, and luckily Yan Ming King had not accompanied him, or chaos would have been guaranteed.
The induction and onboarding processes for his new job also went smoothly.
The reason for the smooth process was simply that there weren’t many people and little of value to compete for.
Most of those who ended up here were non-combat Awakeners, leading a rather leisurely life.
However, compared to the Soul Kind Bureau in Yingzhou, the Soul Kind Bureau in Yi State performed noticeably better regarding confidentiality and security. Wang Linchi couldn’t even see information like the quantity or lists of Soul Kinds.
When he was in Yingzhou, the amount of information accessible in the same position had been starkly different.
Moreover, his department had nearly twenty people, with no shortage of positions like department heads and directors.
Wang Linchi, who was originally a director, was demoted to a regular employee after his transfer. Despite the demotion, his salary and benefits didn’t decrease; they actually increased.
It could only be said that Yi State was indeed wealthier than Yingzhou; the salaries and benefits of ordinary employees were almost comparable to those of a director.
Afterward, his days consisted of clocking in, drinking tea, reading newspapers, and generally getting along well with his colleagues. There were no melodramatic conflicts.
If nothing unexpected happened, they would all be colleagues for life.
Of course, Wang Linchi didn’t see it that way. If Yan Ming King hadn’t come to Yi State, they probably could have lived peacefully for the rest of their lives.
However, this possibility was very low. Wang Linchi suspected that Yi State was Yan Ming King’s new playground.
But this was just a suspicion, as there wasn’t enough evidence to confirm it yet.
Wherever he goes, trouble follows. Yan Ming King’s Protagonist’s Aura very likely overdraws some of the region’s luck.
If the subsequent massacre of Qinghe City could be dismissed as a coincidence, then to say that the current situation—with not only Yining Prefecture but the entirety of Yingzhou destroyed—had nothing to do with Yan Ming King was a bit far-fetched.
But it seems I might be a suspect too?
Wang Linchi suddenly thought of this.Whether it was Qinghe City or Yining Prefecture, the catalyst always seemed to be his set of Rainbow Light Series Soul Kinds.
It was related to him, but not significantly so; after all, those Soul Kinds had never actually passed through his hands. To claim he was the cause was a bit of a stretch.
"Wang, what are you thinking about so intently?" his colleague, Guo Xi, asked curiously.
"Nothing really, just wondering what to have for lunch," Wang Linchi replied casually.
"What’s there to think about? We eat whatever the cafeteria prepares," Guo Xi said, obviously trying to strike up a conversation.
This was mainly because they usually had very little work to do.
The Soul Kind Bureau of Yi State was indeed much larger than that of Yingzhou, and the workload was also undoubtedly heavier.
The issue was that his department had more people. Previously, he and Ruan Tian had to work one full day a month. Now, it was different—ten minutes at most.
Once the workload was distributed, it became much lighter.
So, the actual purpose of this department and its positions was to keep these average-level Soul Awakeners stable. Their real use was akin to rearing pigs.
Yes, they were the pigs. As long as they didn’t pursue power, they could enjoy a life far beyond that of ordinary people. Unfortunately, at this level, their only point of comparison was with ordinary people.
The moment Guo Xi began with, "Have you heard...", Wang Linchi knew office gossip was about to start.
Gossip and chatting like this required someone to initiate it.
Wang Linchi was a bit wary of this. The last person who had started a conversation like this with him was named Ruan Tian, a shadow of the Shadow Covenant.
I hope this guy isn’t one too.
Luckily, Wang Linchi didn’t engage. Others in the office picked up the thread, and the chat became lively.
People would occasionally pass by the door, but they paid no mind, seemingly accustomed to it.
"Wang, I hear you came from Yingzhou?" Suddenly, a voice directed the question at Wang Linchi.
"Yeah, it took me half a month by steam train to get here," Wang Linchi didn’t deny it.
"What’s the situation over there? I heard a Gigantic Secret Realm descended and almost wiped out Yingzhou," the other person asked curiously.
"’Almost’ isn’t the word for it. Only a few of us non-combatants were left. Of course, that doesn’t count the Battle-type Awakeners; they have the strength to survive," Wang Linchi replied straightforwardly.
"That horrifying?!" Everyone was taken aback by Wang Linchi’s words. Then someone else asked, "So you entered the Gigantic Secret Realm? What was it like inside?"
This group of people hadn’t even entered a Mini-Secret Realm, let alone a Gigantic Secret Realm, so they were naturally curious.
"Dangerous, very dangerous. If it weren’t for my luck, finding a small town to hide in for a year until the time was up and I was expelled, I would have surely died there."
"Demons and ghosts are everywhere. One careless mistake, and you’ll meet a violent end," Wang Linchi said with a solemn expression.
"More dangerous than Yingzhou itself?" someone who didn’t quite grasp the situation asked naively. They didn’t really understand the difference, having never entered a Secret Realm.
"’Of course! You have no idea what I went through that year. It was terrifying, day in and day out, and I still had to go to work. Compare that to our current jobs, and you’ll realize just how wonderful our profession truly is,’" Wang Linchi naturally just bluffed.
Otherwise, should he tell them the truth?
"So you mean, we’ve struck gold being in logistics and clerical positions?" Guo Xi was a little puzzled. "If it’s really this good, why would Battle-type Awakeners go to Secret Realms instead of competing with us for these positions?"
"Exactly. Sitting in an office drinking tea, reading newspapers, and chatting, versus fighting for your life in a Secret Realm—you wouldn’t think the latter is better, would you?" Wang Linchi’s words immediately found agreement with the others in the office.
Guo Xi considered this, and it seemed to make sense, so he didn’t press further.
They chatted, each contributing a bit, for nearly half an hour before gradually quieting down.
It wasn’t because they ran out of things to say, but because it was almost time to leave work. Everyone started packing up, preparing to head to lunch early.
As for leaving early, it didn’t matter. After all, the department head and director were present; they could adjust the attendance records later. It wasn’t a big deal.
Besides, going earlier might mean getting better dishes.
They had nothing to do anyway, so finishing lunch early and heading back to rest was a good idea.
In the cafeteria, Wang Linchi was eating while scrolling through his phone. He had bought the smartphone after arriving in Yi State; there had been no way to get one in Yingzhou, and he could only purchase it after coming here.
Soon, a piece of news caught his attention.
The Secret Realm in Yingzhou is showing unusual activity?
Generally, those who could own smartphones were people of a certain status, let alone have internet access, so the monopoly on information wasn’t as strict.
But the price wasn’t cheap either. This smartphone had cost Wang Linchi fifty thousand yuan, and he had spent another twenty thousand on a house when he arrived.
Yes, the phone cost more than the house.
After all, any ordinary person could build a house. However, to get this phone, one either had to find a life-type Soul Awakener or bring it out from a Secret Realm.
The former were normal appliances, while the latter were Soul Devices.
Wang Linchi used only the former. Purchasing the latter required Soul Kinds. Besides, even if he could afford one, he couldn’t buy it; such items couldn’t see the light of day. Moreover, it wasn’t worth it.
The Secret Realm’s entrance started expanding the day before yesterday, after stabilizing?
Could it be Yan Ming King’s doing? In his mind, Wang Linchi immediately identified Yan Ming King, the protagonist, as the cause.
Just as he was about to read the comments, the news article vanished. It seemed something that shouldn’t have been disclosed had been leaked, probably by one of the soldiers guarding the Secret Realm.
The soldiers there were at least Mountain Copper Level, so owning a phone wasn’t a big deal for them.
Then, all related news and web pages were locked down.
If this hadn’t happened, Wang Linchi would likely have dismissed it as a rumor. However, the fact that they were now blocking information suggested that something had genuinely occurred with the Secret Realm.
From the very beginning, Wang Linchi had felt that there were many issues with that Secret Realm.
After all, there were too many suspicious points. However, Wang Linchi couldn’t investigate in-depth due to his limited access to higher levels. Besides, everyone had already fled, so who cared what problems the Secret Realm had?
If the sky were to fall, there were taller people to hold it up. With towering figures like the Dajing Court and Yan Ming King around, why should he trouble himself with such worries?
He refreshed again; indeed, everything was gone.
In terms of controlling public opinion, the Dajing Court’s capabilities were still very powerful.
Although their control in various regions was declining, public discourse was firmly held in their grasp.
Wang Linchi suspected they had probably learned some lessons from a Secret Realm, which was why they maintained such tight control over public opinion.
I wonder if this will affect Yi State. Yining Prefecture in Yingzhou is tens of thousands of miles from Lixi Prefecture here. If the effects reach this far, it will be extremely serious.
I need to make some preparations when I get back, just in case we’re caught off guard. Wang Linchi felt a bit frustrated; he had only just managed to settle down.