One person said: The essence of Wuhou Qimen lies not in Qimen, but in Wuhou.

He paused, switched the chewing gum in his mouth and continued chewing, and said in a low but still shocked tone: "As for your old master master—this peerless Taoist master Zhang Zhiwei in the world of supernatural beings, in my opinion, your master master was just unlucky to have met with such a fate."

Of course, the news won't report it; you wouldn't believe it if I told you—a member of the Quanxing sect, posing as a Taoist priest of the Zhengyi sect at the Tianshi Mansion on Longhu Mountain, was committing fraud and bullying students at a ticket booth at the foot of Longhu Mountain, and was caught red-handed by Director Zhuge's inspection and research team.

This swindler fooled people at the entrance of the Celestial Master's Mansion for a full half month without anyone noticing, until Director Zhuge arrived and ran into him.

"Don't you think this is fate?"

He leaned forward, lowered his voice even further, almost speaking in a breath, but every word carried the weight of "I'm telling you a huge secret": "Our Director Zhuge's heart is filled with nothing but the people and the country."

Do you know how much power Director Zhuge wields? Nominally, he's in charge of cultural affairs—”

He paused for a moment, then tapped the coffee table surface lightly with his finger. "As far as I know, Director Zhuge has military power."

The pinnacle of the supernatural world, the largest supernatural organization in China—that too must be under the leadership of the Party and the State.

Think about it carefully.

He patted Zhang Chulan on the shoulder and, with the earnest expectation and profound tone of an experienced person speaking to a junior, concluded: "You're quite shrewd, aren't you? There are some things you need to understand—understand them well."

Zhang Chulan felt as if he had been given a whole bottle of Tiger Balm and then doused with a bucket of ice water from head to toe, and his whole body shuddered.

He muttered those words over and over again, each word like a shock that burst forth from the depths of his soul after being struck by an electric current: "Military power—the great Chinese People's Liberation Army."

Fourth Brother, this is too difficult.

I failed the military academy entrance exam; it's even harder to get into a military academy than a 985 university.

Young people yearn to achieve great things; that perfectly describes me.

He suddenly looked up, his eyes shifting from shock to confusion and a boundless thirst for knowledge: "Fourth Brother—why aren't there any privately-run military academies?"

Xu Si stopped chewing the bubble gum in his mouth.

He stared at Zhang Chulan expressionlessly, remained silent for about two seconds, and then, with lightning speed, reached out, joined his index and middle fingers together, and flicked Zhang Chulan's forehead hard with a crisp sound.

A sharp "snap" echoed in the living room. Zhang Chulan was thrown back by the impact, clutching his forehead and letting out a wail.

Xu Si withdrew his hand, and said through gritted teeth in a tone of utter utter disbelief, "Those are fucking bandits! Get the hell out of here!"

Zhang Chulan covered his forehead, grimacing as he rubbed the small red bump that was visibly swelling up. Tears were almost in his eyes, but he still managed to keep talking.

As he rubbed the wound, he sighed, his tone filled with deep anxiety as he felt overwhelmed by the prevailing circumstances: "Fourth Brother, I'm at my wit's end."

Things are so chaotic right now, the overall environment is so chaotic, I don't even know what to do anymore.

When will we be able to get ashore?

Xu Si leaned back on the sofa, crossed his legs, and said in a calm and insightful tone, like a seasoned veteran who had seen through the world's illusions, "That's perfectly normal."

In our line of work, let alone other industries—do you know how bad things have gotten in China right now? Businesses with sentences of six years or less are basically unprofitable.

"So, are you sure you want some?"

Looking at Zhang Chulan's dejected appearance, he softened his tone slightly, adding a touch of elder's advice and pragmatism to the younger generation: "And you, kid, you've gone down the wrong path."

You haven't even graduated from university yet, what are you doing taking the national civil service exam? Even forcing seedlings to grow faster than this, you're pushing them too hard.

You better obediently follow the baby's training and finish this Luo Tian Da Jiao matter first.

The contract you signed is a formal contract, and some of the benefits are quite good, almost like a permanent position—five social insurances and one housing fund, salary, benefits, and bonuses are all included.

Follow your fourth brother and do well. If your fourth brother gets a bite of meat, you'll get a sip of soup too.

Zhang Chulan looked up at Xu Si, his eyes filled with a mixture of emotion, resentment, and barely suppressed eagerness.

He wiped away the tears that had come from the thud on his head with the back of his hand, and said in a sincere tone, "Fourth Brother, I understand everything you're saying."

But I long to serve the people, and I long to make progress.

I just wanted to get used to this initial stage in advance.

You asked me—what does a normal path of progress look like?

Xu Si leaned back on the sofa, a meaningful smile curving his lips. He switched the chewing gum in his mouth to the other side and chewed it slowly a couple of times. Then, in a tone that said, "You've really hit the jackpot," he counted the gum pieces one by one on his fingers.

He spoke slowly, but each number was like a milestone carved on a stone tablet, landing heavily in the air with a sense of awe and solemnity unique to those within the system: "Twenty-five years old - landed ashore."

Twenty-six years old – Level 2 staff member.

Twenty-seven years old - Level 1 staff member.

Twenty-nine years old – Level 4 Chief Clerk.

Thirty years old – Deputy Section Chief level.

The deputy mayor is equivalent to a deputy section chief; 90% of people basically stop at this level.

Thirty-three years old – Level 3 Chief Clerk.

Thirty-five years old – Level Two Chief Clerk.

Thirty-seven years old – at the level of a section chief.

Thirty-nine years old – First-level chief clerk.

Forty years old – Level 4 Researcher.

Forty-two years old – Deputy Director.

We can start eating now that we're back in the village for the feast.

Forty-three years old – Level 3 Researcher.

Forty-six years old – Level 2 Investigator.

Forty-eight years old – at the level of a division chief.

The county magistrate is equivalent to a division chief; your family and relatives are proud of you.

Fifty years old – Level 1 Investigator.

Fifty-three years old – Level 2 Inspector.

Fifty-five years old – Deputy Director-General level.

Fifty-eight years old – First-level inspector.

Sixty years old – Department-level official.

The mayor is equivalent to a department head; your ancestors were proud of you.

Sixty-three years old – Vice-ministerial level.

Sixty-seven years old—ministerial level—

He finished counting on his last finger, spread his hands out, silently chewed the bubble gum one last time, and concluded with a sigh: "How high does one have to be to be considered a truly high-ranking official?"

After listening to the entire promotion path diagram, Zhang Chulan's eyes shone like two lit light bulbs. He clenched his fists and placed them on his knees, leaning forward so much that he almost fell off the small stool.

His eyes burned with a blazing fire that had been ignited with direction, a light that only appears after one has seen a clear path through confusion.

He asked eagerly, with a touch of childlike arrogance, "Fourth Brother! What's up there?"

Xu Si looked at Zhang Chulan expressionlessly, slowly lowering his legs from the crossed position.

He took a deep breath, stood up from the sofa with an expression that looked like he had been deeply offended, and kicked Zhang Chulan without saying a word.

Zhang Chulan slid back a bit, stool and all, while Xu Si remained in a kicking stance, his voice so loud it made the living room windows buzz: "Further up? You really dare to dream! Are you out of your mind! Get the hell out of here! Are you crazy?! This isn't just wishful thinking—you're mentally unstable! Get the hell out of here!"