Chapter 1 Lao Cheng Hotpot

Lao Cheng Hotpot Restaurant.

This is an old hotpot restaurant located in a remote alley in the Qinghe District. It's very popular, and reservations are usually required to get a seat. The two-story building has an open-air rooftop terrace where a fragrant aroma drifts through the evening breeze.

Tonight, the rooftop terrace was booked by three young people.

"It smells so good—"

Zhong Wei took a deep breath and swallowed. "...Where is this pot aroma coming from? It smells so good, I'm about to cry. How much longer until Xiao Gu arrives?"

Sister Luo gently tapped him with an unopened pair of chopsticks, warning, "Just wait patiently. No chopsticks until Xiao Gu arrives."

Soon.

The hotpot was brought up, a large piece of butter covered with a thin layer of tea, simmering over a slow fire. The butter completely melted, and the aroma of peppercorns slowly spread, bubbling gently.

"No wonder the teacher found this hotpot restaurant..." Zhong Wei looked at the red oil pot and sighed, "Hidden so deep, it must be delicious. I won't use chopsticks, but can I at least taste the broth?"

Sister Luo glared at him.

Zhong Wei sheepishly retracted his spoon.

After clearing his throat, Zhong Wei changed the subject, saying seriously, "Speaking of which... Xiao Gu is such a pleasant surprise! Those people on the review team are all ruthless characters. They don't seem like the type to let things slide. How did he pass the review?"

Nan Jin was dressed in casual clothes, sitting on the edge of the rooftop, one hand resting on the terrace railing. She gazed at the street corner outside the alley and said softly, "I think Gu Shen has an ace up his sleeve. This dream interpretation... is likely his forte. Remember Han Dang's expression at the end?"

The senior brother and sister exchanged glances.

When the lockbox was opened in Gu Shen's apartment, Han Dang looked shocked and astonished.

"You mean, it's very possible... that Han Dang and Gu Shen had already crossed swords once at the orphanage." Zhong Wei narrowed his eyes, finding the matter becoming interesting. "And Han Dang, that old fox, was tricked by Gu Shen."

"Interesting..."

Luo Er also became interested, murmuring, "No wonder Han Dang came to the apartment to snatch the lockbox... He thought there was important evidence inside. Turns out he was completely fooled by Gu Shen."

"Han Dang's ability is called 'True Words'. He can release a powerful mental domain, forcibly pulling people 'into dreams'. In a dream, no one can lie to him."

Zhong Wei spoke faster, "So he pulled Gu Shen into a dream, believing he had obtained clues in the 'True Words Domain,' but in reality, the clues were fake."

"Amazing..." Senior Brother Zhong murmured, "So the truth is Gu Shen found a loophole in Han Dang's dream? Unbelievable..."

"We don't know the truth, and it doesn't matter... the review is over."

"What's certain is that Xiao Gu isn't as simple as we thought."

Sister Luo shook her head with a smile. "We were all pessimistic about his results, but he got an 'S grade' and broke several records at the Tribunal."

She thought of what Gu Shen had said to her at the training ground.

The young man had done it.

It wasn't easy, and it was remarkable.

"He's here."

Nan Jin said softly, pulling the baseball cap from the table and forcefully pressing it onto her head.

Zhong Wei was initially confused by Nan Jin's action of putting on a hat, but then he understood why.

The roar of an engine echoed in his ears.

An extremely eye-catching black convertible sports car drifted around the corner, then braked sharply, the tires gripping the ground and leaving two skid marks.

Everyone's attention was drawn to one point.

"Aha—"

"Sorry to keep you waiting!"

The old man with a cigar in his mouth, under the gaze of everyone, sprayed out a large mouthful of smoke, warmly greeting the disciples on the second-floor rooftop. Mister Shu had changed into a flashy white gentleman's suit, looking like a heavyweight guest about to attend a state banquet, while Gu Shen next to him tightly covered his face, unwilling to be exposed to the public eye.

This old man must have a social superpower, right?

Who wears something like that... to eat hotpot!

...

...

"Why do you guys look like that? Afraid of being seen?"

"Relax, the second floor has been booked."

Zhou Jiren came up to the rooftop and couldn't help but laugh when he saw his three disciples all wearing hats and shrinking their heads. "After the hotpot, I have to meet some friends, so it's better to dress formally. Otherwise, I wouldn't mind being a simple citizen in a tank top and shorts."

Gu Shen, who was behind him, breathed a long sigh of relief as he reached the rooftop.

Finally, the torture of the journey was over. Gu Shen had lost count of how many people had looked at him with strange eyes, eyes full of complex emotions such as surprise, envy, jealousy, and disdain.

He felt something was wrong as soon as he got into that sports car... He only regretted being too young, too thin-skinned, and lacking the experience of being with a certain old guy day and night.

If he could do it again, he would choose to wear a thick mask.

Mister Shu took off his coat and sat down on his own. He flicked off his cigarette ash and said meaningfully, "Everyone's been waiting anxiously, right? Originally, Gu Shen's review ended a long time ago, but Cui Zhongcheng pulled him away for two hours alone."

Zhong Wei threw a meaningful glance at Gu Shen and said with a smile, "Oh ho? Cui Zhongcheng is quite the impressive figure. What did you two talk about? Confess!"

"Actually, we just walked around Da Teng Academy a few times." Gu Shen also took off his coat and said helplessly, "After the review passed... he asked me if I had any requests."

"You only get this meeting because you got an 'S grade'. Everyone's assessment of Cui Zhongcheng is consistent: he's a highly efficient but cold-blooded robot. He talked to you because you're valuable." Sister Luo asked, "What requests did you make?"

So that's what everyone thinks of Little Cui? Gu Shen was a little surprised.

His efficiency is indeed noticeable.

But cold-blooded and ruthless... He didn't feel that at all. On the contrary, some of Little Cui's qualities made him feel warm, and even vaguely resonated with him.

"I didn't ask for much..." Gu Shen ticked off his fingers, "Just some guarantees for the children at the orphanage. And to keep my grandmother's matter internal."

The people at the table looked at each other.

Brief silence.

"..."

Zhong Wei said, "That's it? Just that?"

"Should there be more?"

Gu Shen was a little confused. "Oh, right... I also asked him to investigate the arson case to the end."

"Those requests don't really count as requests. Didn't you make some... heavyweight requests?" Zhong Wei said quickly, "Like, high-level access to connect to the Deep Sea, a top-tier breathing technique, or choosing a transcendent sealed item?"

"That..." Gu Shen was dumbfounded. "You can choose those too?"

Too young.

Poverty limited his imagination.

When he was talking to Cui Zhongcheng, he didn't even think about that.

Compared to what Senior Brother Zhong was saying, the requests he made were too mundane. No wonder Cui Zhongcheng's gaze at that time was so... worth savoring.

As an S-grade, his requests were simply too easy to fulfill.

"Aha—"

Mister Shu smiled and patted Gu Shen on the shoulder. "I think Xiao Gu chose well! Zhao Xilai and Cui Zhongcheng aren't good people, no need to take advantage of them!"

Nan Jin had been silent when Cui Zhongcheng was mentioned.

She silently leaned against the terrace, her gaze drifting into the distance, into the gradually enveloping night.

"Alright, alright. The review is over."

The old guy raised his glass with a smile and said, "Tonight, let us raise our glasses to congratulate the Tribunal's S-grade newcomer!"