One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

Chapter 140 Arrival in the Capital

On the flight from Urumqi to Beijing, Chen Duo sat by the window, clutching a panda plush toy, gazing at the churning sea of ​​clouds outside. Her profile appeared remarkably serene in the sunlight streaming through the window, and occasionally, a faint golden glint would appear in her emerald eyes—a sign of the slow integration of the Queen Mother of the West's legacy into her body.

Nie Lingfeng sat beside her, toying with the "Warm Jade Heart of Yaochi" hanging around his neck. The jade pendant was warm and smooth, carrying a slight coolness, forming a delicate balance with the Yin-Yang jade pendant on his chest and the completely fused Qilin power. He could feel that his cultivation had improved again in the past few days, especially his control over "fire," which had reached a level of complete mastery.

As the plane was about to land, he took out his phone and sent a message to Xu Si:

"Fourth Brother, Chen Duo and I have arrived in Beijing. How are Chu Lan and Bao Bao doing lately? Want to get together sometime?"

The message was sent, but several minutes passed without a reply. Nie Lingfeng raised an eyebrow and sent another message:

"Busy?"

The reply was quick this time, but only two words:

"Meeting."

Nie Lingfeng pursed his lips and was about to put his phone away when Xu Si called directly.

"Xiao Feng," Xu Si's voice was low, the background noise was very quiet, obviously in a well-soundproof place, "you and Chen Duo are in Beijing?"

"Just landed," Nie Lingfeng said. "Fourth Brother, Chu Lan and the others..."

"We'll talk about Chu Lan later," Xu Si interrupted him, speaking quickly. "Chairman Zhao wants to see you. Now, immediately, come to the company headquarters. I'll send you the address; someone will pick you up when you arrive."

Nie Lingfeng frowned: "So rushed? I just came down from Tianshan, let me catch my breath at least..."

"Why are you panting? Young people need to be more active." Xu Si's tone was unusually serious. "Chairman Zhao and the board members are waiting. You made too much of a scene with the Wang family this time. Although the outcome was good, there are some procedures... that need to be followed."

Nie Lingfeng understood. This was both a "warning" and a "negotiation."

"Alright then." He sighed. "Send me the address, I'll be there now."

After hanging up the phone, Chen Duo turned to look at him: "Are we going to fight again?"

"We're not going to fight, we're going to... argue." Nie Lingfeng laughed, ruffling her hair. "When we get there, stay with me, don't wander off, and don't say anything. If anyone asks you anything, just watch my expression. If I tell you to speak, then speak; if I tell you not to speak, then pretend you're mute."

Chen Duo nodded and took notes very seriously.

After the two got off the plane and collected their luggage, they walked out of the terminal and saw a young woman in a black suit and sunglasses holding a sign that read "Mr. Nie".

"Mr. Nie, Ms. Chen, I'm Xiao Liu, Chairman Zhao's secretary." The woman was very capable. She took their luggage. "The car is outside. Please follow me."

Nie Lingfeng glanced at her. This woman had fluctuations of "Qi" around her, not strong, but very pure, clearly indicating she had practiced it. Moreover, her posture and gait showed signs of being well-trained, unlike an ordinary secretary.

"Secretary Liu has practiced?" he asked casually.

"I spent a few years in the military." Xiao Liu smiled and didn't say more.

The three got into a black sedan, which smoothly drove out of the airport and headed towards the city. Beijing's roads are very congested, and the car moved in and out of traffic for almost two hours before finally stopping in front of an ordinary-looking office building.

The building wasn't tall, only about twenty stories, with a plain glass curtain wall exterior and a sign that read "Hua'an Group" hanging at the entrance. People coming and going were dressed in business attire and walked briskly; it looked like an ordinary commercial company.

But Nie Lingfeng could sense that at least a dozen lines of guard were deployed around the building. There were visible sentries, hidden sentries, electronic surveillance, array fluctuations, and even... several sniper positions on the roof. Although well disguised, they were as obvious as lighthouses in the dark to an expert of his level.

"The company headquarters is really... heavily guarded," he said in a low voice.

Xiao Liu glanced at him, didn't reply, but simply made a "please" gesture: "Chairman Zhao is waiting for you on the top floor."

The three entered the building. The lobby was spacious and bustling with people. Xiao Liu led them directly to a private elevator. They swiped their cards, the elevator doors opened, and there were no buttons inside, only a small screen.

Xiao Liu pressed his fingerprint on the screen and then swiped his iris before the elevator slowly went up.

"The security level is high enough." Nie Lingfeng raised an eyebrow.

"After all, it's headquarters," Xiao Liu said calmly.

The elevator stopped at the top floor. The doors opened, revealing a long corridor with thick carpets, dark wood veneer walls, and several oil paintings that looked quite expensive. On both sides of the corridor were rows of closed doors with signs that read "Meeting Room 1," "Meeting Room 2," "Archives," and "Confidential Room," among other things.

It was so quiet that I could hear my own heartbeat.

Xiao Liu led them to the end of the corridor and stopped in front of a double solid wood door. The door was dark red and had no markings on it, except for the brass doorknob, which was polished to a shine.

"Chairman Zhao is waiting for you inside." Xiao Liu knocked on the door and then pushed it open.

Behind the door was a large office.

The office's decor was simple, even... austere. A large solid wood desk, a few chairs, a bookshelf, a sofa, and a coffee table. Beyond that, there were no superfluous decorations. But Nie Lingfeng could tell that everything here was incredibly valuable—the desk was made of Hainan rosewood, the chairs of sandalwood, many of the books on the bookshelf were rare, out-of-print titles, and even the ashtray on the coffee table looked like a piece of Ming Dynasty imperial porcelain.

Outside the office's floor-to-ceiling windows, the Beijing skyline stretches out. It's dusk, and the afterglow of the setting sun streams through the glass, bathing the entire room in a warm golden light.

Chairman Zhao sat behind his desk, looking down at a document. He wasn't wearing a suit today, but a gray Zhongshan suit. His hair was neatly combed, and his eyes behind his gold-rimmed glasses were focused and sharp.

Hearing the door open, he looked up and saw Nie Lingfeng and Chen Duo, a gentle smile appearing on his face.

"You're here? Have a seat."

He pointed to the two chairs in front of the desk.

Nie Lingfeng led Chen Duo over and sat down. Xiao Liu quietly closed the door and left, leaving only the three of them in the office.

"Want some tea?" Chairman Zhao picked up the purple clay teapot on the table, poured three cups of tea, and pushed two of them over.

"Thank you." Nie Lingfeng took the teacup, but didn't drink it; he just held it in his hands to warm it. Chen Duo followed his example, taking the teacup as well, holding it in her hands, and sipping it slowly.

"Thank you for your hard work over there in Tianshan." Chairman Zhao took a sip of tea and spoke slowly, "I've read Ali's report, and it was handled very cleanly. Those villagers have recovered and have no memory of what happened those few days. The local 'Qi' field has also stabilized, and there won't be any more problems in the future."

"It's my duty," Nie Lingfeng said.

"It's my job?" Chairman Zhao laughed, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. "Young friend Nie, you're not even a company employee yet, are you? What 'job' are you talking about?"

Nie Lingfeng laughed as well: "Chairman Zhao, you're right. Although I'm not a formal employee of the company, I've still helped the company handle a few troubles. The Wang family in the Southwest, the anomaly in Tianshan, and the previous Biyou Village... Even if I haven't done anything outstanding, I've certainly put in the effort, haven't I?"

"Of course you deserve credit." Chairman Zhao put down his teacup, leaned forward, crossed his hands on the table, and looked at Nie Lingfeng. "It is precisely because you have contributed that I am sitting here to talk to you... calmly and rationally."

He paused, then slowly said, "You went too far with the Wang family's affairs."

Nie Lingfeng raised an eyebrow: "Absolutely? Wang Ai wants to kill me, Wang Bing and Wang Xiao want to kill me, dozens of people from the Wang family want to kill me. If I don't fight back, am I supposed to just stand there and wait to die?"

"Fighting back is fine, but wiping out an entire family..." Chairman Zhao shook his head. "The methods are too extreme. The Wang family is one of the Ten Elders, and they have been rooted in the world of supernatural beings for hundreds of years, wielding considerable influence. Your actions have shaken the entire world of supernatural beings. Now there are all sorts of rumors circulating outside. Some say you are a chivalrous hero acting on behalf of heaven, some say you are a bloodthirsty demon, and some even say... you are a tool kept by the company, specifically used to eliminate disobedient powerful families."

"So, what does Chairman Zhao think I am?" Nie Lingfeng asked calmly.

"What do I think?" Chairman Zhao smiled. "I think you're a smart man. Smart people don't act on impulse. While your destruction of the Wang family certainly stemmed from personal grudges, it was more... to show certain people what to do, right?"

Nie Lingfeng didn't speak, he just looked at him.

"You want to tell everyone—don't mess with you, or you'll end up like the Wang family," Chairman Zhao said slowly. "You want to tell the company—you're useful, very useful, but hard to control. You want to tell me...you have the right to negotiate."

He paused, then added, "Moreover, you chose the perfect time. The Wang family has indeed overstepped its bounds too much over the years, and the company has long wanted to take action against them, but it couldn't do so due to the need for balance. With your actions, the company went along with it, taking over the Wang family's power and resources, and also conveniently eliminating a group of unruly individuals. In the end... the company profited."

Nie Lingfeng laughed: "So Chairman Zhao invited me here today not to interrogate me, but... to reward those who have contributed?"

"Merits should be rewarded, and transgressions should be punished," Chairman Zhao said. "Your destruction of the Wang family, while a good outcome, was too ostentatious and had a very bad impact. Within the company, especially on the board of directors, many people have opinions about you. They feel you are too arrogant and unruly, and keeping you around is a potential problem."

"So what does Chairman Zhao mean?" Nie Lingfeng asked.

"What I mean is..." Chairman Zhao slowly leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the table, "You're a rare talent. You're capable, intelligent, principled, and... young. The company needs people like you, but it needs you to... operate within the rules."

He paused, then slowly said, "So, I'll give you two choices."

"First, join the company and become a full-time employee. I will offer you a senior investigator position with excellent compensation and resources. However, in return, you must abide by the company's rules and regulations and accept the company's management and assignments. Some things you can do; some things you cannot do. Some people you can kill; some people... you must keep."

"And the second one?" Nie Lingfeng asked.

"Second," Chairman Zhao looked at him, enunciating each word clearly, "establish a... special department. Independent of the company's existing system, it will be directly responsible to me. You will select the department members, I will assign tasks, and I will provide the resources. You will have a high degree of autonomy, but you must operate within the framework defined by the company. This department will specifically handle some... 'special issues' that the company cannot easily address or that its existing resources cannot handle."

Nie Lingfeng narrowed his eyes slightly.

This second option sounds very tempting. High degree of autonomy, direct responsibility to Chairman Zhao, abundant resources... it's practically tailor-made for him.

But there's no such thing as a free lunch.

"And the price?" he asked.

"The price is that you'll become the company's sharpest, but also most secretive, weapon," Chairman Zhao said slowly. "Some things, once done, cannot be named. Some people, once killed, cannot be publicized. Some credit goes to others. Some blame... you'll have to take the fall."

He paused, then added, "Moreover, only a very few people know about the existence of this department. Even within the board of directors, only I and two other directors are aware of it. To the outside world, you don't exist. To the inside, you are... ghosts."

Nie Lingfeng remained silent for a long time.

The office was quiet, with only the sound of Chen Duo sipping her tea and the faint sounds of city noise coming from outside the window.

"Chairman Zhao," Nie Lingfeng began slowly, "may I ask you a question?"

"ask."

"What does the company... or rather, you, ultimately want?" Nie Lingfeng looked at him earnestly. "Balance? Stability? Or... control?"

Chairman Zhao didn't answer, he just looked at him quietly.

"If it's about balance, then the Wang family's downfall should serve as a wake-up call for other powerful families, causing them to restrain themselves and making the world of supernatural beings more stable. If it's about stability, then the company's current system is sufficient; there's no need for another 'ghost department.' If it's about control..."

Nie Lingfeng paused, then said, word by word, "Then this department isn't a tool for handling 'special issues,' but rather... an executioner for eliminating dissidents."

Chairman Zhao smiled, but it was a faint, cold smile.

"Young friend Nie, you are very clever. But sometimes, being too clever is not a good thing."

"I just want to know why I'm risking my life for it," Nie Lingfeng said calmly.