Lao Cheng Hotpot Restaurant.

This is a hotpot restaurant located in a remote alley in the Qinghe District. It is very popular and usually requires advance reservations for a seat. The second floor has an open-air terrace where the evening breeze blows, carrying a fragrant aroma.

Tonight, the second-floor terrace was booked by three young people.

"So fragrant—"

Zhong Wei took a deep breath and swallowed his saliva. "…Where is this smell of hotpot coming from? It's too delicious. I'm about to cry from craving it. How much longer until Little Gu arrives?"

Luo Shijie lightly tapped him with unopened chopsticks, warning, "Just wait patiently. Don't touch the chopsticks until Little Gu arrives."

Soon enough, the hotpot was brought out. A large piece of beef fat was topped with a thin layer of tea-infused water, simmered slowly over low heat until the beef fat completely melted, and the fragrance of Sichuan peppercorns gradually spread, bubbling with small bubbles.

"It's no wonder this is the hotpot restaurant that Teacher found…" Zhong Wei looked at the spicy oil pot and sighed, "It must be very delicious if it's hidden so well. Can I taste the soup before I start eating?"

Luo Shijie glared at him.

Zhong Wei awkwardly retracted his spoon.

With a light cough, Zhong Wei changed the topic and said seriously, "By the way... Little Gu is really surprising and unexpected. Those people in the review committee are all tough characters. They don't seem like they would go easy on anyone. How did he pass the review?"

Nanjin, dressed in casual clothes, sat on the edge of the terrace. She rested one hand on the railing and gazed into the street corner outside the alley, whispering, "I think Gu Shen has a hidden talent. Dream interpretation... is probably his specialty. Do you remember Han Dang's expression at the end?"

The senior brother and sister exchanged glances.

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

"Are you saying that it's very likely... that Han Dang and Gu Shen had a confrontation at the orphanage?" Zhong Wei narrowed his eyes and found this matter becoming more interesting. "And this old fox Han Dang was deceived by Gu Shen."

"Interesting..." Luo Er also became interested and murmured, "No wonder Han Dang came to the apartment to snatch the lockbox... He must have thought there was important evidence inside. But he was completely deceived by Gu Shen."

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

Zhong Wei's speech speed increased, "So he pulled Gu Shen into the dream, thinking that he had obtained clues within the 'True Words Domain,' but in fact, the clues were completely fake."

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

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

"What we can be sure of is that Little Gu is not as simple as we imagined."

Luo Shijie smiled and shook her head, "We didn't have high expectations for his performance before, but he achieved an 'S-level' and broke several records of the Judgment Hall."

She remembered what Gu Shen said to her on the training ground.

This young man did it.

It was not easy, and it was remarkable.

"He's here."

Nanjin spoke softly and at the same time, she pulled the brim of the cap on the table and pressed it firmly on her head.

Zhong Wei was initially confused by Nanjin's action, but then he understood why.

The roaring sound of an engine echoed in their ears.

A dazzling black convertible sports car drifted around the corner, followed by a sudden brake, leaving two tire marks on the ground.

Everyone's gaze was drawn to one point.

It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV.

"Ah ha—"

"Long time no see!"

The old man with a cigar in his mouth exhaled a large puff of smoke, warmly greeting the disciples on the second-floor terrace under everyone's gaze. Mr. Shu changed into an extravagant white gentleman's suit, looking like a heavyweight guest attending a state banquet. However, Gu Shen beside him tightly covered his face, unwilling to expose himself in front of everyone.

This old man must have a social narcissism, right?

Who would dress like this... to eat hotpot!

...

...

"Why do you all have such expressions? Afraid of being seen?"

"Relax, the second floor has been reserved."

Zhou JiRen ascended to the terrace and saw his three disciples, each wearing a hat and shrinking their heads. He couldn't help but laugh, "After eating hotpot, I still have to meet some friends. It's better to dress more formally. Otherwise, I don't mind being a plain citizen in a vest and shorts."

Gu Shen, who was behind him, finally arrived at the terrace and let out a long sigh of relief.

Finally, the torment of this journey was over. Gu Shen had lost count of how many people had looked at him with strange eyes. Those eyes were filled with surprise, envy, jealousy, disdain, and other complex emotions.

He felt something was off when he got into that sports car... He only regretted being too young and having thin skin, and lacking the experience of living with a certain old man day and night.

If he could do it again, he would choose to wear a thick mask.Mr. Shu took off his coat and sat down, flicking off some ash from his cigarette, he hinted, "Everyone must be anxious, right? Gu Shen's review was supposed to be over a long time ago, but he was pulled aside by Cui Zhongcheng for two hours."

Zhong Wei threw a meaningful glance at Gu Shen and chuckled, "Oh? Cui Zhongcheng is quite a formidable figure. What did you two talk about? Spill the beans!"

"We just walked around the school a few times." Gu Shen also took off his coat and said helplessly, "The review is over... he asked me if I had any requests."

"You got an 'S-grade' rating, which is why you had this meeting. Everyone's opinion of Cui Zhongcheng is consistent. He's a highly efficient but cold and harsh robot. He only talked to you because you're valuable." Sister Luo asked, "What requests did you make?"

So this is how everyone sees Mr. Cui? Gu Shen was somewhat surprised.

Highly efficient, indeed he could feel that.

But cold and harsh... he didn't feel that at all. On the contrary, some traits of Mr. Cui made him feel warm, even resonating with him.

"I didn't make many requests..." Gu Shen counted on his fingers, "Just some protection for the children in the orphanage. And to keep my grandmother in the dark about certain things."

The people at the table looked at each other.

A brief silence.

"..."

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

"Should there be anything else?"

Gu Shen was a bit confused, "Right... I also asked him to thoroughly investigate the fire case."

"These requests... they're not really requests. Didn't you propose any... weighty conditions?" Zhong Wei hurriedly said, "For example, high-level access to the Deep Sea, top-tier breathing techniques, or choosing a Transcendent seal?"

"This..." Gu Shen was dumbfounded, "Can I really choose like that?"

Too young.

Poverty had limited his imagination.

When he was talking to Cui Zhongcheng, he didn't think about it at all.

Compared to what Brother Zhong mentioned, his requests were indeed too mundane, no wonder Cui Zhongcheng's gaze at that time was so... memorable.

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

"Ah ha—"

Mr. Shu laughed and patted Gu Shen on the shoulder, "I think Little Gu made a good choice! Neither Zhao Xilai nor Cui Zhongcheng are good guys, there's no need to take advantage of them!"

When it came to Cui Zhongcheng, Nanjin remained silent.

She leaned against the rooftop railing, her gaze drifting over the gradually darkening night sky.

"Alright, alright. The review is over."

The old man raised his glass with a smile, "Let's toast tonight, to congratulate the new S-grade member of the Judgement Office!"