Chapter 804
Chapter 804 - 790 Differences
1,777 words
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9 min read
Lu Ping’an had visited Changping State several times before, but with each visit, he had completely different experiences and emotions.
The spacious streets and towering buildings were as usual, but the oddity of each pedestrian, who seemed like a species of their own kind, always made Lu Ping’an feel like he was still in an Exotic Realm.
Everywhere there were strange foreign residents, and within the familiar Shopping Street, a considerable number of stores were weird shops run by extraterrestrial residents.
This was the street in front of the Changping State Foreign Affairs Office, which seemed to have undergone complete otherworldly transformation due to the overwhelming number of foreigners.
"Excuse me."
The headless Giant, carrying a gigantic... broom, was sweeping the street like a large cleaning machine.
Passing by were flocks of Birdman life forms, quietly gossiping from time to time, and the group of Beastmen children running past were exceptionally cute... but upon a closer look, they were carrying pipes and wore reading glasses, their beards and hair all white.
Ugh. How could we presume their age, gender, or sexual orientation? Just because they look like children, should we really treat them as such?
"...Tsk, that group of old johns, coming out this early."
"Don’t say. They probably never went home. It’s really a mystery what these creatures are up to; they’re always chasing after such things. Their tails are white; they must be at least a hundred years old."
Apparently, the group of "children" in sight were quite famous, and the development of the situation was so amusing that Lu Ping’an had to stifle his laughter, especially when a group of scantily dressed aunts came out with rolling pins to chase after their...erm, ’patrons.’ Alas, the sight was too beautiful for the eyes, and Lu Ping’an fell into contemplation.
"As a special agent, I feel like I should handle illegal behavior, and running off without paying, as they are now, is just that. But somehow, I feel that if I really intervened, I would be the one who lost..."
At that moment, Lu Ping’an was caught in a dilemma. Then, he slapped his forehead and had an epiphany.
"What do I care about their business for... as a cop from the Ancient City... Please give a call and ask the local Special Service Team to come in for overtime work."
After doing his good deed for the day, Lu Ping’an then went on his way to tend to his own business.
Of course, there was a proper reason for coming to the Foreign Affairs Office. As a "representative of the Ancient City," he and his group needed to register first and also take the opportunity to understand the situation...
"Do you have Decree-levels?"
"Yes, why?"
"Decree-levels are to register separately and receive a nameplate, which can be worn on the chest or shoulder. It saves a lot of trouble and earns some preferential treatment."
Upon hearing that Lu Ping’an’s team had Decree-level Big Bosses, the beautiful foreign girl managing the office became considerably more enthusiastic.
𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺
Preferential treatment? It’s for the others to see that these individuals are dangerous and should not be provoked.
It seems that Changping State had developed a unique system for dealing with these "key threats."
Lu Ping’an thought about it for a while. This might indeed be a good approach... The destructive power of Decree-level professionals was too strong; it was better to keep them apart.
But the reality of Lu Ping’an nonchalantly taking a bunch of nameplates left the Saphire girl somewhat dumbfounded...
"...Great Knight-levels are that common? What a frightening new world..."
The familiar title and Saphire language made Lu Ping’an feel as if he had returned to that world, and his DNA stirred...
"Did you know, there’s a Rumor that humans eat Saphire people (Saphire language)? I’m only warning you because you’re a fellow countryman; have you noticed if there are any young men around you being particularly friendly (Saphire language)? I am a Contractor; I cannot lie (Eastern Country language)."
Lu Ping’an said with a smile, uttering a casual remark that left the girl colorless with fright.
He was somewhat looking forward to finding out if this Rumor would also be widespread...
But the mischief-maker Lu Ping’an also realized, perhaps the (transformation) of Changping City was far more significant than any other city in the State.
Outsiders too were "averse to poverty and fond of wealth"; naturally, they first choose top-notch Big Cities like Wanjing, and if conditions didn’t allow, they would prioritize the State Office. If that wasn’t possible, they would step down one level at a time.
No wonder the lower regions were so anxious; what trickled down after the top layers had their fill was nothing but dregs... maybe the eagerness to absorb more Resources and manpower was why they took too big a step and suffered a bit of indigestion.
The truth was, within Changping State, the vast majority of visitors from the Foreign Domain made Changping City their first stop, where they would naturally choose to settle in locally first.
Perhaps, that was the reason why the Four City, even if it meant breaking the bank, also strived to have its own Departure Tower.
The city was experiencing an unconventional prosperity, full of strange beings from the Exotic Races on the streets, with no one showing the slightest surprise, as they probably had grown accustomed to the daily normalcy.
And this harmonious coexistence, perhaps, was something other cities needed to learn and emulate.
"...Excuse me, how do you determine the residence terms for foreigners....?"
One of the civil servants accompanying Lu Ping’an’s team had gone to ask.
After all, in some sense, the current situation in Changping State might be what the Ancient City looks like in half a year, so getting a feel for the missteps they’ve taken could save a lot of trouble on their end.
"Equal work, equal pay..."
This phrase silenced the bureaucrats on their side.
In the Ancient City, they still treat these outsiders as cheap labor, and the first prerequisite for "equal interactions" is "equal status."
This reality is known to all, but from the bureaucrats’ perspective... "Isn’t cheap labor desirable?"
Lu Ping’an stroked his chin and didn’t bother with the bureaucrats still struggling with the concept.
In his eyes, general equal treatment was just a matter of time, but true complete equality was an eternally unattainable reality... The Ancient City’s current system needed reform, but what did that have to do with him? He was just someone waiting to enjoy the show.
"Hehe, let’s disband for now."
Lu Ping’an wasn’t interested in working overtime the moment he arrived. After greeting the team leader, he just left.
This time, it wasn’t just him; several core team members came along, and each had their own goals.
Xia Qin came to find a mentor, probably for the final push before advancement,
Meow came to find her brother... There was news that Lei Huoren was indeed in this city, but in such a huge city possibly with a population exceeding ten million, finding someone was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Lu Ping’an himself had some private matters to attend to.
"Let’s settle down today, and head out early tomorrow morning to get used to the examination site. We’ll find somewhere to practice at noon, and I’ll assess your conditions."
Lu Ping’an had received an assignment from his alma mater, to help lead the team participating in this temporary Explorer qualification exam.
It only felt more peculiar to him once he actually got the task in hand...
"Most of you here are my senior brothers and sisters. Just call me Lu Ping’an, relax. I estimate the difficulty of this exam won’t be too high, after all, the frontline is indeed desperately short of people..."
The seventy or eighty people in front of him were mostly students ranging from sophomores to third-year postgraduates, each older than Lu Ping’an (in the physical sense).
But they accepted and complied with what he said... To enter a prestigious university and become top students, the legends who "look down on people" are very few.
In their eyes, the freshman Lu Ping’an was already a legend. He was simply here to earn a degree and add a golden touch to his credentials.
Having advanced from an unranked individual to a titled professional within only half a year of enrollment, originally if someone had been unconvinced and wanted to try their hand, facing the reality of a fourth-tier Decree, a person with normal intelligence would choose to give it up.
What made Lu Ping’an slightly uncomfortable was that among these "high-quality candidates," he saw several old acquaintances.
For example, the Craftsman senior brother who had sold him the Qilin Set, and the senior sister who once tried to recruit him into the Necromancer’s Club.
".....Alright then, I’ll go take a walk. How about you two teachers?"
With so many people, naturally, they wouldn’t let Lu Ping’an lead the team alone... to be precise, he was an unexpected addition to the plan. The real team leaders had been decided long ago, but Lu Ping’an’s return was clearly a positive chip, and they naturally wanted to use it.
"Let’s have dinner together."
"We haven’t had the chance to meet at school. It’s a bother this time, let’s treat you."
The five lead teachers were all roughly middle-aged, with the youngest being over thirty, but none of them put on airs with Lu Ping’an... a third-tier putting on airs with a fourth-tier would indeed not be taken seriously.
It seemed as though it had been agreed upon earlier; they treated Lu Ping’an as a peer, which saved him some trouble and formality.
The students were left to rest and prepare on their own, while the five mentors and Lu Ping’an went onto the streets both to dine and relax, and at the same time, to communicate and understand the situation.
In recent times, Lu Ping’an had been quite busy in various ways and didn’t have the time to deal with the assignment from the alma mater.
Now getting into it, after some understanding, he found that everything was a problem.
"Do you still not know exactly what to expect for the exam, or how it will be conducted?"
— End of Chapter 804 —