Chapter 434 - Losing Face (1/2)
In a conference room located near the top of the Heaven Dou Spirit PaG.o.da, over a dozen high-level executives sat glued to a large screen, some sporting a few patches of grey hair and others more advanced in their years. On screen played a recording of a battle between six children and three mechas. The video had high resolution and crisp audio, courtesy of the mechas' recording devices.
“We're enforcers sent by Headquarters to evaluate the ability of the local enforcers to adapt to new situations. You have been disappointing. Just because we're young children, you underestimated us and neglected to consider the possibility that we were hostile. Do I need to remind you that evil soul masters launched a terrorist attack not too long ago? Those evil soul masters excel at disguising themselves. If you're all so lax, then what would you do when danger really comes? We're just here to keep you all on your toes. Go back and reflect on this, then write a report to headquarters. Understood?”
Once the leader of the band of children delivered these words, he went calmly on his way. Not once did he glance back. Doubtful expressions flickered across the faces of everyone present.
“PaG.o.da Master, does the enforcement department of Headquarters have jurisdiction over us? Isn't that the job of the supervisory department?” asked a middle-aged man, his eyes on the elderly man at the head of the table. “Isn't what he said wrong?”
The elder snorted. “Forget about these kids' backgrounds for now. Let me ask you, were their words not correct? How is our enforcement department so lax that they can't even deal with kids? There was a terrorist attack just earlier today! And according to a reliable source, an evil soul master attacked the train station afterward! I've already dispatched some people for an internal investigation. If our enforcement department's standard has really dropped so low, then everyone there can just forget about their paycheque!”
The entire room lost their tongues at such a display of fury.
“Raise the enforcement department's alert level to orange. We'll use the internal investigation to examine the state of affairs. Now that I think about it, it's not enough for just those three pilots to write reports. Have everyone in the enforcement department write one as well. And double their training.”
“Understood!” The meeting adjourned and the heavy atmosphere in the room lifted as everyone shuffled out. Everyone but the PaG.o.da Master and a middle-aged man.
“Has the Heavenly Phoenix Douluo said anything?” the PaG.o.da Master asked.
“She hasn't said a word. It seems like she's leaving it to our discretion and won't intervene with our decision. PaG.o.da Master, should we capture those kids?”
“Do you like losing face that much? Put a hush order on this matter. Don't let it leak out to the public.”
“Got it! Kids these days sure are daring though.”
The PaG.o.da Master glanced at him. “You said that they have to visit ten cities for their exam?”
The middle-aged man nodded. “That's what Gu Yue told me.”
A sly smile slid across PaG.o.da Master's lips. “Make sure this doesn't leak to the other branches then. We won't be the only ones to lose face.”
The middle-aged man's cheek twitched. PaG.o.da Master, what kind of att.i.tude is that?
The PaG.o.da Master finally rose from his seat and approached the window, peering out to the cityscape. “We've been at peace for too long already. We needed something to put us on our toes. Just five more years…”
☀
He could hardly feel his legs. Or breathe, for that matter. Despite looking long and hard, Tang Wulin and his companions were unable to rent a car. At least, they couldn't find one that could take them out of Heaven Dou City. Left clear of other options, they purchased a small soul car for eight hundred thousand credits instead. That was nearly all of the money Tang Wulin had received from his uncle-master, and it was only enough for one car. Sadly, this car could only seat five comfortably, which was kind of an issue seeing that they had seven people.
Right after his purchase, Tang Wulin apologized to Wu Zhangkong. There was no room for him, not even with everyone squeezing together. He had to find his own way.
Xie Xie was the driver, Xu Lizhi rode in the front, and Tang Wulin was squished into the back with the three girls. Fortunately for Tang Wulin, the girls were quite skinny. Unfortunately for him, he was not. He found himself pressed against the window like a strange specimen. Beside him sat a triple layered cookie of Gu Yue, Ye Xinglan, and Xu Xiaoyan in that order.