chsdbacks Chapter 421 Chairman Zhao's Thanks
Chapter 421 Chairman Zhao's Thanks
Looking at his profile, Zhang Chulan suddenly realized that the embers Nie Lingfeng carried back from Nathan Island—that barely perceptible coldness beneath the calm—had never truly dissipated.
Chairman Zhao remained silent for a long time. His gaze shifted from Nie Lingfeng's face to the dark golden branch on the table, then back. He tapped his fingertips lightly on the table five times, each tap spaced about two seconds apart.
Then he slowly nodded.
"Don't worry." He wrapped the branch back in the cotton cloth, opened a hidden alloy compartment with a combination lock under his desk, placed the branch inside, closed the cabinet door, and the latch clicked into place. "I will personally safeguard this. I will select the people who have access to it, keeping it to a minimum. Research will be limited to recording and analysis, absolutely not involving any live experiments or sacrificial rituals. If you don't trust me—" He looked at Nie Lingfeng, "you can check anytime."
Nie Lingfeng stared at the locked compartment for two seconds, then looked away and picked up his teacup. He blew away the floating leaves on the water, took a sip, and as he lowered his eyes, the taut line on his brow finally relaxed.
"That's good."
The tense atmosphere began to dissipate from his words. Wang Zhenqiu let out a long breath, broke off the remaining orange segments one by one, popped them into his mouth and chewed them heartily, then leaned closer with a curious expression and whispered, "But seriously, Brother Nie—how did you manage to get it? I was less than three meters away from you, and I didn't even see you turn that corner."
"Right, right, right!" Zhang Chulan chimed in, "I was right behind you on your right, with only a few fallen people in between, how did you—just like that—"
Nie Lingfeng put down his teacup and looked at the two faces squeezed in front of him.
"The shockwave from the explosion knocked everyone in the square off for at least a moment. I was pushed behind a broken pillar, and when I got up, the smoke and dust were so thick that I couldn't see faces three steps away. Broken branches were scattered all over the ground, and this piece had landed on the rubble at the edge of the tunnel, undamaged. I picked it up, stuffed it into my clothes, and went back—it was all over in less than six breaths."
"Is it that simple?" Zhang Chulan's expression was complicated.
"It's that simple."
"But there should still be residual energy and guardians at the core of the Divine Tree! You just charged straight in like that?"
"Nobody looked into the pit back then," Nie Lingfeng said, as if he were talking about something unrelated to himself. "Behemoth was retreating, Nathan Guards were rescuing people, and the guards were scrambling to move the wounded. I was faster than them even glancing back."
Zhang Chulan opened his mouth, then swallowed his questions, finally leaning back into the sofa and muttering, "Well... Brother Nie's move was utterly swift and unpredictable... I'm truly impressed..."
Wang Zhenqiu cupped his hands in a gesture of respect beside him: "Brother Nie, you've reached the pinnacle of the art of muddying the waters. I hereby formally crown you the Grandmaster of Muddy Waters."
Are you praising me or insulting me?
"Of course it's a compliment! A 100% pure compliment!"
Seeing that they were about to start another round of bickering, Chairman Zhao smiled helplessly, stood up, pushed his office chair back under the desk, and casually picked up the lukewarm tea and drank it all in one gulp. A pinch of tea leaves stuck to his upper lip at the bottom of the cup, which he wiped off with the back of his hand.
"Alright, it's getting late, and you've all worked hard. Go back and rest. You have three days off starting tomorrow. If you need anything, just let the logistics department know—food, supplies, anything. We'll discuss further arrangements after the holiday."
"Yay! Holiday!" Zhang Chulan sprang up from the sofa with a somersault, his face finally regaining some color. "I'm going back to sleep for three days and three nights! Don't call me!"
"Is that all you've got?" Wang Zhenqiu stood up as well, threw the orange peel into the trash can, and patted the crumbs off his hands. "I'm going to go get a good meal first. The stuff on Nathan Island is inedible; it's so bland it's practically tasteless."
"Are you hungry? You're just craving something!"
What's the difference between these two?
"Of course! One is a physiological need, and the other is a psychological need!"
"Well, this is a psychologically driven physiological need of mine, what's it to you!"
"I--"
The two women jostled each other toward the door, elbows bumping against each other, their mouths never stopping. Lu Linglong stood up from the sofa, straightened the cushions, and walked side by side with Lu Lin in the middle, whispering something—Lu Lin listened with her head tilted to the side, occasionally nodding. Zhang Lingyu slowly rose from the corner, nodded slightly to Chairman Zhao, and quietly followed the group. Baron glanced at Ruan Feng outside the corridor; Ruan Feng was leaning against the wall, yawning, and lazily waved for him to go first. Baron didn't say anything, turned, and stepped out the door.
Feng Baobao was the last to get up from the chair. She picked up her katana from beside her legs and slung it over her shoulder. As she passed Nie Lingfeng, she paused, glancing at him sideways. Nie Lingfeng also turned his head. Their eyes met briefly, and neither spoke. But Feng Baobao's eyelids twitched slightly, as if confirming something. Then she looked away, slung her katana over her shoulder, and continued walking out silently, her clothes fluttering in the breeze.
Nie Lingfeng stayed behind. Just as he was about to step out the door, Chairman Zhao's voice came from behind him: "Little Nie, wait a moment."
He stopped and turned around.
Chairman Zhao emerged from behind the desk, casually placing the barley tea cup into the tray in the tea room as he rounded the corner. He walked up to Nie Lingfeng, paused for a moment, and his jaw muscles twitched, as if some words had been hesitating on his tongue before finally finding their way out.
"You did an even better job on Nathan Island than I expected. The completeness of the intelligence, the on-the-spot judgment, the choices at key moments—and that branch you brought back—are an invaluable resource for the company."
"I just did what I was supposed to do."
"No." Chairman Zhao shook his head slightly. "What you did wasn't something anyone asked you to do." His tone held a warmth rarely seen in his voice. "You know very well how many people you'll become a target by bringing this back. Behemoth, Qu Tong's side, DC—every day the news leaks out, more people will be watching you. The people around you will be dragged into it too."
"I know."
"Then you should still bring it."
Nie Lingfeng looked into Chairman Zhao's eyes and remained silent for a moment.
"Leaving it on Nathan's Island would only benefit Behemoth or Elijah's successors who would seize the gold," he said. "I took it and entrusted it to someone I trust. At least I know it won't be used to harm anyone."
Chairman Zhao looked into his eyes for a long time, then raised his hand and pressed down on his shoulder. The hand was broad and heavy, with the dryness and warmth unique to someone who had been working at a desk for many years. It patted his shoulder twice.
"Don't worry. I won't let you regret this decision."
Nie Lingfeng nodded slightly, turned around and stepped out of the threshold.
The corridor lights were automatic. The moment he stepped out, the overhead light strips lit up sequentially from near to far, the pale light seeming to be brushed across the path by an invisible hand. About ten steps ahead, Zhang Chulan and Wang Zhenqiu were already arguing again. Lu Linglong was caught in the middle, unsure whether to intervene or not, while Lu Lin could only laugh helplessly. Zhang Lingyu walked ahead, his back straight, unhurried. Baron stood at the corner of the corridor, waiting for Ruan Feng to stagger up from behind. Feng Baobao had reached the end of the corridor, stopped in front of the elevator, glanced back, and only pressed the down button after seeing Nie Lingfeng emerge.
Moonlight streamed in through the side window, casting a long, silvery-white strip on the carpet. The shadows of the people, stretched long by the interplay of lamplight and moonlight, overlapped and separated on the carpet, like a slowly flowing painting.
Nie Lingfeng walked at the back of the group and closed the door. The soft click of the latch engaging was particularly clear in the quiet corridor.
The smoke and blood from Nathan Island peeled away inch by inch from their bodies, carried away by the building's constant temperature and humidity. But everyone knew in their hearts that the dark golden branch locked in Chairman Zhao's secret compartment was slowly and silently pulsating in a corner where no one could see it.
It looks like a seed.
It was buried somewhere deep in the soil.
What will it grow into?
Nobody knows.
At the end of the corridor, the elevator arrived. The moment the doors opened, warm air rushed out of the car, carrying a faint smell of disinfectant mixed with the scent of leather seats. Zhang Chulan was the first to jump in, turning to wave at the outside: "Come on, come on! Go back to sleep! Don't bother me tomorrow!"
"You're the one talking," Wang Zhenqiu squeezed in and leaned against the elevator wall, "You're already being nice by not bothering others."
When have I ever argued with anyone?
"You were snoring on the ship early yesterday morning, and Senior Ruan Feng almost hit you with a bottle."
"That was—that was because the boat was rocking too hard, I accidentally—"
The elevator doors closed behind them, and several smiling, tired faces, finally letting out a sigh of relief, were reflected on the metal panel.
The carriage dipped slightly and began to descend.
The moonlight was shut out through the door. The corridor fell silent again, save for the faint hum of the ventilation vents and the distant ringing of a telephone from a floor above, which quickly faded away.
Tomorrow is a new day.
But tonight, they can finally get a good night's sleep without the rocking of the waves or the sound of gunfire.