Chen Pingfan shook his head and said, "It's not me looking for you; there are new arrivals who need to be processed."
The bald uncle, with his eyes half-closed, followed Chen Pingfan's gaze and saw Li Chonglou.
"What time is it, and there are still new people arriving?"
However, the person in front of him was indeed unfamiliar, and besides, Chen Pingfan shouldn't be lying to him.
The bald uncle, also known as Master Qing by Chen Pingfan, quickly sobered up, rubbed his eyes, and took a closer look at Li Chonglou, confirming he hadn't met him before.
"That's strange. Are there really new arrivals at this hour?"
He had been working here for decades and was well aware of the process of handling new recruits. He had never encountered a situation where new people were processed so late.
Wait, it seemed there was indeed a scheduled processing that hadn't been claimed.
Master Qing suddenly remembered something and quickly retrieved a tablet from under the table.
Yes, a tablet computer, and he operated it with more proficiency than younger people.
After a while, Master Qing revealed a look of confirmation and asked, "You are Li Chonglou?"
Master Qing looked over, and Li Chonglou smiled and nodded.
After all, he was a senior, and politeness was necessary.
Master Qing also nodded, then lowered his head to look back at his tablet. At that moment, his expression suddenly changed.
"That's not right! Doesn't it say 'Martyr' here? How are you a martyr if you're not dead?"
Despite his age, the old man wasn't lacking in fear. Realizing this, Master Qing plastered himself against the chair, his hand holding the tablet trembling involuntarily.
His complexion even turned a few shades paler.
Chen Pingfan quickly explained, "Master Qing, that's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding. They've already figured it out, and this information will likely be cleared soon."
"A misunderstanding?"
Seeing this, Li Chonglou also briefly explained the incident on Donghai Island.
After listening, Master Qing finally understood and murmured, "No wonder."
"However, I think it's better for you to remain a martyr."
Master Qing's sudden change in tone made Li Chonglou's face fall instantly.
What kind of talk was that!
Was it better to be dead than alive?
Seeing Li Chonglou's displeased expression, Master Qing shook his head and said, "Young man, you've misunderstood me. I'm not wishing death upon you. It's just that since the title has been bestowed, you should negotiate with them to ensure the benefits aren't revoked."
"That's the treatment only living first-class heroes receive. If you change it, you'll lose everything."
"Also, the title of martyr is the most solemn honor in our Huaxia. With it, you should be able to avoid a lot of trouble."
Well, it seemed this Master Qing knew quite a bit.
From his last sentence alone, Li Chonglou understood that this approaching-retirement uncle wasn't as dull-witted as he appeared.
He slightly bowed and said softly, "Senior is right. It's just that I can't get past it myself. And as senior said, the title of martyr is solemn. If it is, it is; if it isn't, it isn't. It's not a tool for me to seek personal gain."
Master Qing's face immediately showed surprise.
"I didn't expect you to have such principles, boy. It seems I really need to get to know you again."
Despite his words, there was no further exchange between the two.
After confirming his identity, they processed a student card for Li Chonglou at the branch base.
It was a palm-sized card, entirely white, similar to a student ID from school. It had text inscribed on both sides. One side read "Branch Base."
The other side bore Li Chonglou's name.
The only difference was that besides the text, there were no other patterns.
After finishing, Master Qing slumped back onto the table, and soon, snoring could be heard.
The two naturally and quietly withdrew.
As soon as they stepped outside the door, Li Chonglou directly asked, "You bought your information from him, didn't you?"
Chen Pingfan's expression changed, and surprise flashed in his eyes.
"Brother Li, how did you know?"
Li Chonglou just smiled and didn't explain.
It wasn't difficult to deduce.
It was normal for Chen Pingfan, as a rogue cultivator, to be interested in collecting intelligence. However, to know all this in just a few days was abnormal.
The only possibility was that he had contacted one of the elders here.
Of course, "elder" here didn't refer to age, but to the duration of their stay.
Li Chonglou had initially thought he was lucky to find someone from a higher grade and had either befriended or curried favor with them. He had even planned to follow up on this lead later.
But Master Qing's remark, "You still have time," made Li Chonglou realize that the person in front of him was his source of information.
With his biggest secret exposed, Chen Pingfan felt a bit awkward.
More importantly, he felt uneasy.
In his mind, his relationship with Li Chonglou was more of an alliance than being a subordinate. After all, as a rogue cultivator, he inherently rejected the idea of being someone's subordinate.
But if it were an alliance, they would each have their own uses!
In Chen Pingfan's view, Li Chonglou was sharp-minded, and having arrived a few days earlier, he had established his own information network. Thus, they both had their strengths.
This alliance was truly fitting.
But now that his information source was known to others, and they could obtain any information they needed without relying on him, what was his use?
In an instant, Chen Pingfan regretted letting Li Chonglou come to process the student card.
If he had known this, it would have been better to find an excuse and wait outside!
"Don't wear that expression. It's just a place where you can get information by paying money. It's not that important."
Seeing Chen Pingfan's ashen face, Li Chonglou couldn't help but offer a word of comfort, but his words sounded quite sarcastic to Chen Pingfan.
"Brother Li, what do you mean? Although I obtained most of my intelligence from him, it still took time and money, you know. He's not offering free consultation."
Right!
He was still useful!
The cost of time was also a form of expenditure. The thought of this made Chen Pingfan's unease subside slightly.
Li Chonglou didn't say much more.
What was the point of being too strict with his subordinates? As long as they could charge forward when needed.
Thus, the two then proceeded to the cafeteria.
The cafeteria, as the second major feature of the Execution Department's base, naturally had its highlights.
If nothing else, its layout was striking.
It was a typical large cafeteria, like those in schools or factories!
A spacious area filled with tables and chairs. At the very back, behind a row of windows, stood uncles and aunties, holding instruments more precise than scales.
Li Chonglou was somewhat surprised.
"This is our usual cafeteria?"