Chapter 18: I Am Willing to Accept This Arrangement
Li Wei’s expression froze, completely shut down by Yun Sheng’s words.
She clearly hadn’t expected that this girl, who seemed so ordinary—even a bit unpresentable—would have such a sharp tongue and be so familiar with the regulations.
"Stop quoting rules at me!"
"I’ve worked on this floor for five years. We handle Sentinel-guide abnormalities and confidential matters here! What kind of ’special business’ could an ordinary person like you possibly have that requires coming here? I bet you got your hands on a fake notice from somewhere, or you’re just in the wrong place entirely!"
The more Li Wei spoke, the more justified she felt, her posture growing increasingly aggressive.
"I’m stopping you for your own good, and for the sake of order in the Tower! If I let someone of your unknown background in and you disrupt important business, can you bear the responsibility? If you don’t leave now, I’m calling security!"
Yun Sheng gave a small laugh, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes, only serving to make them look colder.
"So, by your logic, whether or not someone can enter this door isn’t determined by a notice issued by the Tower, but by whether or not you approve?
If you can stop me today based on your ’experience,’ does that mean your colleagues can stop a general reporting for duty or a VIP here for a confidential meeting tomorrow, just based on a ’feeling’? As long as they don’t look the part?"
She lifted her gaze, her eyes cold and sharp.
"Since when did the Tower’s rules become a game where you alone make the calls?"
Li Wei’s face grew even uglier.
’She had just wanted to give some ordinary person she didn’t like a hard time. How could she have known she’d be slapped with such serious accusations as "undermining the Tower’s authority" and "determining access based on personal preference"!’
’If word of this got out, or if they actually launched a formal investigation...’
A layer of cold sweat instantly broke out on her back.
"You... What nonsense are you spouting! When did I ever say..."
"You didn’t need to say it. Your actions just now said everything."
Yun Sheng cut her off, then raised her voice to ensure the people inside the door could also hear her clearly.
"Since guide Li Wei insists on obstructing me and is threatening to have security remove me, I will be filing a formal complaint with the Tower’s supervisory department regarding today’s baseless obstruction. The subject of that complaint will be you, guide Li Wei."
"You...!"
Li Wei was utterly flustered. She never imagined things would escalate this far.
’What if a complaint was actually filed...’
Just then, the door to Room 302 suddenly opened.
A stern-faced, middle-aged man stood in the doorway. His gaze first swept disapprovingly over the flustered Li Wei before landing on the calm Yun Sheng.
"What’s all this commotion! Li Wei, your job is to assist, not to block the way. I was the one who summoned Miss Yun Sheng. Do you have an objection?"
"Director Cui, I... I didn’t..."
The middle-aged man shot Li Wei a glare and commanded, "Now. Apologize to Miss Yun Sheng immediately, then go back and write an incident report."
Li Wei’s face flushed crimson, mortified and furious, but she had no choice but to turn to Yun Sheng and force out the words.
"I... I’m sorry, Miss Yun Sheng. It was my mistake. Please forgive me."
"I’ve heard your apology."
Yun Sheng looked at Li Wei’s face, which was filled with resentment, and spoke calmly before turning to the middle-aged man.
"Director Cui, whether or not I forgive her is one thing. But for her to block me from entering during work hours based on her own mood is a dereliction of duty. How to handle that is a matter for the Tower’s regulations and for you. As for whether I file a complaint, that will depend on the outcome of your handling of the situation."
With that, she didn’t spare Li Wei another glance and walked straight into Room 302.
In the hallway, only Li Wei was left standing there, her face burning with shame as if she had just been slapped hard across it.
「Inside Office 302.」
The middle-aged man gestured for Yun Sheng to sit. "I am Cui Mingyuan, Director of Zone B of the Tower’s Special Affairs Processing Department. Miss Yun Sheng, first, I would like to formally apologize for my subordinate’s unprofessional and discourteous behavior."
"You’re too kind, Director Cui." Yun Sheng nodded slightly, acknowledging his introduction and apology.
"Miss Yun Sheng, I asked you to come today because there are two main things we need to verify."
Director Cui pulled up a file.
"First, regarding the riot at the research institute yesterday. According to the report, the former Star Alliance War God, Si Jin, took you away. You were alone with him for at least twenty minutes. What happened during that time? Was he lucid, or was he in a complete berserker state? And how did you manage to leave unharmed?"
An expression of nervousness and helplessness, as if she were being formally interrogated, immediately appeared on Yun Sheng’s face.
She took a shallow breath. "Director Cui, about that... General Bai Ye already asked me about it in detail yesterday. I was terrified at the time, and I told him everything I could remember. If you need more accurate information, perhaps it would be better to ask him directly?"
Cui Mingyuan gave her a profound look but remained noncommittal, pulling up another file instead.
"Second, according to the reports, both General Bai Ye’s spiritual body, the Holy Light White Tiger, and Si Jin’s spiritual body, the Abyssal Giant Wolf at the institute yesterday, showed an unusual affinity for you. Do you have any explanation for this?"
Yun Sheng’s face showed even more confusion, even a hint of helplessness.
"That... I really don’t know. Maybe it’s because... I’ve always been good with animals?"
Her tone was uncertain, tinged with self-doubt.
"Back in the Eighth Star Zone, all the stray cats and dogs were very friendly with me. But I’ve never had much opportunity to interact with Sentinels, let alone their spiritual bodies... I was also very surprised by why General Bai Ye’s and Si Jin’s spiritual bodies acted that way. I was even... a little scared... I really don’t know what happened..."
Cui Mingyuan stared into Yun Sheng’s eyes, which were filled with sincere confusion. He tapped his fingers lightly on the edge of the light screen a couple of times, his gaze deepening as if he were evaluating something.
After a few seconds, he spoke again.
"Miss Yun Sheng, based on previous reports and your test results, the Tower has made an assessment. The tests show you have faint guide hormones, indicating you possess the most basic qualifications of a guide.
The Tower is currently facing a severe shortage of guides. We have a Preparatory Guide support program specifically designed to recruit individuals like you, who have the qualifications but haven’t fully awakened. After training, you could provide basic soothing for low-level Sentinels or work in a clerical position."
Cui Mingyuan paused, then got straight to the point.
"This job would not only provide you with a stable income but also grant you the protection of the Tower, so you wouldn’t have to rely entirely on your family. For you, at this moment, this should be an excellent option. You can think it over and give me an answer in a week."
Yun Sheng didn’t remain silent for long.
Cui Mingyuan’s proposal was exactly what she needed most right now.
’There were certainly risks, but this was a genuine opportunity.’
She looked up at Cui Mingyuan and, with almost no hesitation, said, "I don’t need a week, Director Cui. I’m willing to accept this arrangement."
Cui Mingyuan seemed a little surprised by how readily she agreed and studied her for a moment.
"Are you sure? This job isn’t easy, and it also means you’ll be formally entering the Tower’s system, accepting our rules and assignments."
"I’m sure," Yun Sheng nodded.
"Very good." A satisfied expression appeared on Cui Mingyuan’s face. "Someone will contact you shortly to handle the relevant procedures and inform you of the specific training schedule and other important details. Welcome, Yun Sheng."
"Thank you, Director Cui."
Yun Sheng stood up, politely took her leave, and turned to pull open the door to Room 302.
The moment the door opened, she took an unguarded step forward and nearly collided with someone.
It was Bai Ye.
He clearly hadn’t expected the door to open at that moment, much less for Yun Sheng to come stumbling out like that.
His body tensed for a second. He lowered his gaze to look at Yun Sheng, who was now pressed against his front, his eyes startlingly dark.