"You've waited for a long time."

Cui Zhongcheng had been reading the last dozen pages for over an hour. As the sunlight shifted, only remnants of light fell on the two of them.

The man closed the book and spoke apologetically, "I thought your review... would not be finished until tonight at the earliest."

Dream interpretation was the longest test.

Unexpectedly, Gu Shen completed it so quickly.

To read the uncut version, go to [pawread.com].

"You're too polite." Gu Shen quickly shook his head. "I've always wanted to come here to read, so I didn't feel like it took long."

Cui Zhongcheng glanced at Gu Shen's side.

His reading speed was slow, while Gu Shen was the complete opposite. From sitting across from him to now, he had already finished two books.

"Electromagnetic Topology?" Cui Zhongcheng laughed. It was an old subject that had long been conquered, and the person who conquered it was well-known. "Why did you choose this book? Did you randomly pick it? Or are you interested in Alan Turing?"

"I'm actually interested in the deep sea..."

This statement sounded somewhat arrogant, so Gu Shen quickly corrected himself. "To be precise, I'm more curious about the development process of the deep sea, so whenever I have time, I'll read some related books, miscellaneous things, anything really."

"Then you shouldn't have chosen this book. It's too outdated, and there's not much connection between topology and the deep sea." Cui Zhongcheng smiled. "Perhaps you should read books on cloud computing or deep sea languages."

"Logic and algorithms should only be the framework..." Gu Shen thought for a moment and scratched his head. "Mr. Turing once said that the true essence of technology lies in the knowledge and truth that have not been entered into the database. I know I'm not that smart, so I usually choose these kinds of books... the subjects that have been conquered, with all the difficult points marked. After reading them, I won't have many doubts."

Cui Zhongcheng fell silent for a moment and looked meaningfully at the young man. "Gu Shen... you're different from what I imagined. Don't underestimate yourself. Perhaps you're much smarter than you think."

Gu Shen felt embarrassed and quickly brushed off the praise. "You're also different from what I imagined. I thought you would..."

He paused.

He gestured as if typing on a keyboard and smiled. "Be busy."

Who would have thought that the busy assistant to a congressman would spend a whole day leisurely sitting in the library reading physical books?

"Today is an exception because I wanted to see you." Cui Zhongcheng stood up, tidied up the books on the table, put his single-lens glasses in his coat pocket, and then held the coat on his arm. He smiled. "Let's talk while we walk. I'll show you my alma mater."

The two of them left the library and walked along the way.

"I studied at Da Teng Academy for six years, with the goal of becoming a teacher. If nothing unexpected happens, my dream should be achievable." Cui Zhongcheng recalled his past, his eyes filled with complex emotions. He smiled with guilt. "I feel a bit ashamed. The affairs of the council were too busy, and more than ten years passed in the blink of an eye. This is my first time returning to my alma mater."

"Unexpected?" Gu Shen asked cautiously.

"At that time, my mother, who raised me alone, fell seriously ill and needed a lot of money. Hua Zhi Group was offering high salaries and Mr. Zhao took a liking to me, giving me a good position and a large sum of money." Cui Zhongcheng said softly, "With that money, my parents were able to live out their later years peacefully. Sometimes, people need to bow to reality. Ideals cannot be eaten as food or used as medicine. I've read your file. Did you join the Arbitration Bureau because of money?"

Gu Shen remained silent for a moment and nodded.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about." Cui Zhongcheng said lightly, "People die for wealth, and birds die for food. There are no saints in this world who are free from worldly desires. The tasks of the Arbitration Bureau are all dangerous. If you have any requests, feel free to ask. Being able to satisfy you with money now is a good thing. Maybe in the future, you won't care about these worldly possessions anymore..."

"I hope my mother-in-law and the children in the welfare home can have a better life." Gu Shen knew that since Mr. Cui had requested to meet him separately after the review, it wouldn't just be idle chat.

They could only meet after the review was passed.

So now was the time for him to make his conditions.

"That's not a problem." Cui Zhongcheng said calmly, "It's not easy for Xu Ya, the matron of the Morning Light Welfare Home, to raise you. If she's willing to move to the city, I can arrange it at any time. If she wants to continue staying in Wulao Mountain, I can allocate funds directly from the group. The education resources, social security, and future employment of these children can all be taken care of by the group."

"..."

Gu Shen thought for a moment and said seriously, "Can the funds be directly deposited into my account? I hope Mr. Cui won't inform my mother-in-law and the others about this... For those children, ensuring their education resources is enough. They can solve other problems themselves."

"Alright." Cui Zhongcheng agreed cleanly. "I'll do as you say."

From frugality to luxury is easy, but from luxury to frugality is difficult. Children who grew up in remote mountains often have perseverance and tenacity that surpass their peers, but if this drive is eroded by comfort and indulgence, they may never be able to go back.

"Is there anything else you want?"

This time, Gu Shen thought for a long time.

He stood in front of a lake, shimmering with countless reflections.

"I'll tell my mother-in-law that I work at a research institute, and I need your help to make it believable. That's all." Gu Shen said slowly, "This shouldn't be difficult, right?"

"Don't worry," Cui Zhongcheng said lightly, "I can make your research institute resume even more convincing than that of a real researcher."

With this promise, Gu Shen breathed a sigh of relief.

"Mr. Cui, I want to ask about the upcoming tasks." He said seriously, "I've experienced the A-009 incident, so I know what a Transcendent mission entails..."

He would have to deal with many dangerous individuals in the future, including Uncontrolled Ones, Sealed Objects, and perhaps many Transcendent phenomena that science couldn't explain.

"You'll leave Qinghe District for a while." Cui Zhongcheng stood beside Gu Shen, looking at the myriad of silhouettes in the lake, and said softly, "There's a task that will be assigned to you... It's not as dangerous as you imagine. It involves dealing with 'normal people.' Of course, it won't be easy either.""Sometimes, normal people are far more terrifying than those who've lost control."

Gu Shen chuckled self-deprecatingly.

Everyone thought of A-009 as a ferocious beast, but only he knew that this towering lady was gentle, at least towards him.

On the contrary, the two unknown Transcendents who burned down the building in the fire incident were brutal and infuriating.

"I have one last request... I don't want the fire incident to be forgotten or glossed over."

The ripples on the lake dissipated, returning to a smooth mirror-like surface, reflecting the calm face of the young man: "This turmoil was caused by the amnesty order, and those who tried to assassinate me were clearly organized and premeditated. I can't forgive the actions of those behind the scenes. They took innocent lives and managed to evade the law."