Chapter 55: Venture Capital

Outside the window, dusk gradually deepened, and a slender crescent moon rose, hanging at the tip of a willow tree adorned with fresh, pale green shoots. The gentle moonlight filtered softly into the room.

Inside, a single oil lamp flickered, its tiny flame leaping up and down, casting a dim yellow glow that mingled with the faint silvery light from the moon. Zhuang Jin, Bi Kai, and Qian Wende sat together, eating and chatting. Truly, the dinner table was the best place to draw people closer, and as they shared their experiences from the past month, the conversation broadened, soon turning to the others who had once shared their dormitory.

“Brother Zhuang, Brother Lin and Xiong Lei, aren’t they also stationed at the Shen family’s outer compound this month?” Bi Kai asked.

Zhuang Jin nodded. “Yes, they’re with the Logistics Division in Internal Affairs. I go to the training grounds to practice martial arts, so we run into each other now and then. Things are stable on our side; they haven’t had much trouble either.”

Ever since Xiong Lei suffered that blow some time ago, he had begun to apply himself. Lin Hong, too, was often seen at the training grounds; from what Zhuang Jin could tell, Lin came from a well-off family and lacked nothing in terms of supplies—perhaps that was why he had chosen a post at the Shen family’s main compound. As for their specific progress in cultivation, Zhuang Jin couldn’t say for certain, but he was sure neither had broken through the second meridian yet. Whether they had reached the bottleneck was another matter—he guessed Xiong Lei still had a way to go, while Lin Hong was probably close.

“That leaves Xiang Qichen, Jiao Kun, and Haozi from our old dorm. If I remember right, they’re stationed in the north of the city, like you, Dezi?” Bi Kai asked.

“That’s right. I actually know a bit about those three,” Qian Wende replied, picking up some food and speaking as he ate. “Xiang Qichen lives not far from my street, which borders another street controlled by the Medicine King Gang. This month, he was ambushed by them several times. I heard Xiang even killed someone and claimed a bounty for a severed head. Apparently, he’s already broken through the second meridian and has started learning the Black Fiend Palm.”

Zhuang Jin was aware of this—Xiang Qichen had come by that afternoon to boast about it.

“As for Jiao Kun, well, you know what he’s like. I heard that one afternoon in the middle of the month, he sneaked off to find a half-shut door, and that very night it was his squad’s turn to patrol. He came back late and missed his shift… That night, their team was ambushed by the Medicine King Gang, and someone got hurt. Tsk, tsk!” Qian Wende chuckled gleefully. “In the end, Jiao Kun was fined, and I doubt his wages this month will cover it. He’ll probably end up paying out of pocket.”

As Qian Wende said, neither Zhuang Jin nor Bi Kai were surprised to hear about Jiao Kun’s antics; that was just his nature. It was a pity—among the eight from their old dorm, aside from Xiang Qichen, Jiao Kun had been one of the first to become a formal martial artist. Yet he had squandered his promising start so thoroughly.

“Let’s hope a big setback will teach him something,” Bi Kai sighed, thinking of himself and casting a grateful glance at Zhuang Jin.

“Such things depend on a person’s fate,” Zhuang Jin replied, nodding slightly at Bi Kai. “Some people learn from setbacks, but others will keep banging their heads against the wall, never turning back, no matter how battered they become.”

As he spoke, he suddenly recalled that dinner at the end of the month a while ago, when the eight of them had discussed fate. He smiled wryly to himself—if Jiao Kun didn’t change his ways, even if some fortune-teller predicted he was destined for wealth and power, it would all end up as insubstantial as a reflection in water.

“Haozi’s luck has been decent. The street he’s on is bordered by some of the smaller local factions, who wouldn’t dare provoke our Shen family. Nothing much has happened there.”

Wu Hao was an honest fellow, unlike the thick-skinned Qian Wende. He treated everyone with respect, calling everyone ‘brother’, and had quickly adapted, fitting in like a fish in water. Such straightforwardness also made him trustworthy—his teammates were happy to rely on him. Since his street didn’t border any controlled by the Medicine King Gang, it made sense that it was peaceful.

Upon learning news of their former dormmates, Zhuang Jin and Bi Kai felt a faint nostalgia. Still, aside from Wu Hao, they had only a passing acquaintance with Xiang Qichen and Jiao Kun, so the reminiscence was brief, soon giving way to other topics.

Throughout dinner, Qian Wende kept a close eye on Zhuang Jin’s expression. Noticing his lack of interest, he lowered his voice and shared a bit of inside information: “I’ve heard that because the fighting in the south of the city, near the Medicine King Gang's territory, has been so intense, our Shen family’s fighters don’t want to go there anymore. And in the north, once our people and the Medicine King Gang finish carving up territory and start clashing, things will get more dangerous. So there’s a rumor going around that soon, killing enemies will count as meritorious service, and those merits can be exchanged for all kinds of rare rewards!”

“I know about this too—it’s true,” Zhuang Jin confirmed.

Chang Hetong had spoken to him often about this. Next month—tomorrow, in fact—the new system of military merits would be announced. From then on, slaying a martial artist from the Medicine King Gang would earn merits, which could be traded for many valuable items. Rumor had it there would even be pills to help break through bottlenecks and exotic beast meat.

Chang Hetong had discussed this with Zhuang Jin, asking what he thought and whether, in the coming two or three months of self-selected missions, he planned to take risks for those rewards. Zhuang Jin’s response was firm: he would play it safe. Chang Hetong admired this steadiness, and had offered to lend him money or supplies if needed.

Next month, Zhuang Jin knew he would have nothing to worry about in terms of silver or cultivation resources. If he ever ran short, it would only be after he broke through the third meridian and his daily needs increased, which would not be for another month or two.

At that time, he would stick to his principle: keep his head down, play it safe, and if necessary, borrow from Master Ping or Uncle Chang, even at the cost of owing favors. For the four months of self-selected assignments, he would focus on cultivating, striving to break through the fourth meridian and advance to the level of household retainer before the protection period ended.

His eyes grew deep with thought: He was not afraid of owing favors. In fact, the more someone invested in him, the greater their sunk cost, and the more likely they would be to support him in the future, becoming the wings that would help him soar.

Of course, he had no intention of being an ingrate or shirking his debts. Every bit of kindness or support he received would be remembered and repaid many times over in the future.

The investments of Master Ping and Uncle Chang might be difficult to repay while he was at the second or third meridian, but once he reached the fourth, fifth, sixth, or even the seventh and tenth, returning their help would be effortless. It was like starting a business: the angel investors might seem to have given a lot at first, but once the snowball started rolling, even repaying them tenfold or a hundredfold would be a trifling matter.

In fact, from this perspective, Ping Yongfeng and Chang Hetong were exceptionally fortunate. Investing in others at the “angel” stage was always risky, but with Zhuang Jin’s talent, secret advantages, and character, the odds were overwhelming—almost a certainty.

Meanwhile, Qian Wende and Bi Kai were stunned to have their suspicions about military merits confirmed by Zhuang Jin, quietly digesting the news.

After a while, the meal wound down. Knowing that Zhuang Jin trained every night—and that tonight, after eating exotic beast meat, it was an especially good time for cultivation—Qian Wende and Bi Kai took their leave with tact.

Zhuang Jin saw them out, then went to the training grounds, where he once again experienced that surge of vital energy and the thirty percent increase in cultivation speed. He trained for a full hour, until the torrent of energy gradually subsided and the grounds were about to close. Only then did he prepare to return and rest.

…