Chapter Eleven: Ji Ling’s Heart Is Corrupt—He Is Unfit to Be a Soldier!

Meanwhile, at the Divine Bureau.

“Director,” the assistant entered briskly.

Director Nangong Zhongjian removed his reading glasses and looked up.

“Director, the guardian of the National Fortune Divine Pillar reported that in an instant, twenty-seven reflections of the Dragon Nation’s deities appeared. This means…” The assistant’s excited words were cut off by Nangong Zhongjian’s wave.

Nangong Zhongjian then smiled slightly, pointing to the computer before him. “Didn’t you watch the live military broadcast? This young man named Jiang Ling helped the soldiers of the Eastern Theater Command successfully summon and contract twenty-seven of our Dragon Nation’s deities!”

The assistant immediately nodded with a smile. “I thought at your age, you wouldn’t be much into online live streams. Didn’t expect you’d seen it all.”

“What’s wrong with my age?” Nangong Zhongjian glanced at him. “Computers, phones—I’m no less skilled with them than you youngsters! If you don’t keep learning in this position, you might as well be left behind by the times.”

“Yes, yes, Director, your foresight is profound and your awareness far ahead of the times. We should all learn from you,” the assistant flattered nervously.

Nangong Zhongjian smirked faintly. “Enough with the flattery. Come take a look—who is this person?”

He pressed the pause button on the live stream and pointed to Nangong Lingyue on the screen.

The assistant glanced briefly, then looked up in shock at Nangong Zhongjian. “Is this… your granddaughter? Didn’t she say she was going to the Maldives for vacation?”

“Nonsense about the Maldives,” Nangong Zhongjian snorted. “That wild girl even dared to lie to me! She said she was traveling abroad, but secretly went somewhere dangerous! If that young man Jiang Ling hadn’t contracted Yinglong at the critical moment, she would have died!”

“I’m assigning you a task.”

The assistant stood at attention immediately. “Please give your orders!”

Nangong Zhongjian pursed his lips, clearly annoyed. “If that girl manages to come back alive, immediately suspend all her duties at Qingyun Platform. You’re responsible for bringing her home and locking her up! Without my order, she’s not allowed anywhere!”

The assistant’s face fell. “Director, suspending her position is easy—that’s my department. But you want me to capture the young lady and lock her up… I—I don’t dare…”

“You know her temper, don’t you? This task is too difficult for me…”

“Nonsense! Do you think I don’t know it’s difficult? If it were easy, I’d have asked someone else!” Nangong Zhongjian waited angrily, then admitted sheepishly, “Do you think I dare?”

Hearing this, the assistant couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Nangong Zhongjian shot him a glare, and the assistant hurriedly stifled his laughter.

“Funny, isn’t it?” Nangong Zhongjian gave a forced smile.

The assistant nodded instinctively, then quickly shook his head. “No, no, it’s not funny at all!”

“Get out!” Nangong Zhongjian snapped with a half-smile. “Call Sun over.”

“Yes, sir!” The assistant fled like he’d been pardoned.

Soon after, Sun Liansheng, Director of the Military Affairs Department at the Divine Bureau, knocked on the door.

“Come in,” Nangong Zhongjian said without looking up.

Sun Liansheng entered respectfully. “Director, you called for me?”

“You saw the military live broadcast, right?” Nangong Zhongjian got straight to the point.

“Yes, yes,” Sun Liansheng nodded repeatedly. “This program has a huge impact, with high global viewership. Even foreign countries are paying attention. How could I not watch it!”

“This Jiang Ling… no, Ji Ling, is truly a genius.”

“Yes,” Nangong Zhongjian nodded slightly. “Ji Tianxing is truly fortunate—both his sons are outstanding.”

“But didn’t you see the comments? They say Ji Ling seems to have questionable intentions, and the Ji family appears to have internal discord.”

“You might say it’s just brothers quarreling,” Nangong Zhongjian said calmly. “That’s a family matter. As the saying goes, even an honest official can’t settle family disputes. We don’t concern ourselves with that. But Ji Ling achieved such a great feat on the battlefield, single-handedly saving two hundred thousand soldiers. Our Divine Bureau must award them for their merit.”

“That’s your Military Affairs Department’s responsibility.”

“I understand,” Sun Liansheng nodded promptly. “I’ll take care of it right away.”

“Good, go ahead.”

After Sun Liansheng left, Nangong Zhongjian rubbed his tired eyes and put on his headphones, planning to lean back and listen for a while, maybe even close his eyes for a bit.

At his age, he didn’t have the energy to stare at the screen all day like the young, but he didn’t want to miss such an exciting program, so he figured he’d just listen with his eyes closed.

Just as he reclined, the phone rang.

Sighing resignedly, Nangong Zhongjian sat up.

Few could call his office—only top officials from the Dragon Nation or other countries’ Divine Bureau directors.

“Hello, this is Nangong Zhongjian.”

“Nangong-san! Long time no see! This is Yuki Eguchi,” came the caller’s voice—the director of the Divine Bureau of Sakura Nation.

“Eguchi?” Nangong Zhongjian’s expression showed surprise. “Is something the matter?”

In this era, all nations were facing strange invasions. Though there was a growing international call for peace and mutual aid against common enemies, covert and overt rivalries still persisted, especially between old foes like the Dragon Nation and Sakura Nation. Maintaining a facade of “friendship” was already the greatest goodwill they could muster.

Thus, calls from foreign Divine Bureau heads to Nangong Zhongjian’s office were usually from the poor fellows in Black Continent or relatively friendly countries like Great Bear.

A call from Sakura Nation’s Divine Bureau director was a rare occurrence.

Though the top leaders of each country knew each other by name, their relationship was limited to mere acquaintance.

So, Nangong Zhongjian was outwardly polite but inwardly rather displeased.

In contrast, Yuki Eguchi sounded very warm, as if greeting an old friend after many years. “Hahaha, Nangong-san! I was watching your Dragon Nation military program too! I heard your nation awakened its first ancestral deity! I’m calling to congratulate you! Congratulations!”

Nangong Zhongjian, adhering to the principle of not biting the hand that feeds, simply laughed and thanked her politely.