Tianjin, starting with unorthodox methods to achieve immortality

"Register for the Town God Bureau."

As soon as he showed his identification token, a young inspector in a black uniform stood up at the window and picked up a roster on the table.

"Chen Mo? From Linhe County? Hmm, he's on the list. Come with me."

The inspector glanced at Chen Mo, then led him out of the gatehouse and onto a waiting black enclosed carriage.

The interior of the carriage was simply furnished, with thin gauze covering the windows, obscuring the view outside. Only the rumbling of the wheels on the stone pavement and the hustle and bustle of the marketplace could be heard.

After traveling for about half an hour, the carriage stopped.

The inspector opened the car door: "We're here. This is the side entrance to the Zhenyisi Jinmen headquarters. Go straight in and register at the welcome desk."

"Thanks."

Chen Mo got out of the car, cupped his hands in greeting, and looked at the sprawling, deep-set mansion-style building complex in front of him.

The towering gray walls, the jet-black gate, the gleaming copper nails the size of bowls on the gate, and the black plaque with gold characters reading "Zhenyi Si" hanging above the gate, the characters thick and solemn.

The side gate is smaller and also has a sentry post.

He took a deep breath, slung his bag over his shoulder, walked to the side, showed his token to the sentry, and stepped inside.

Inside, the courtyards are deep and the corridors are winding. Most of the people coming and going walk with steady steps and wear uniforms or casual clothes of various colors.

Following the directions, Chen Mo quickly found the room at the welcome area.

There were already three or four people queuing or waiting inside, and the person in charge of registration was a middle-aged clerk wearing glasses.

Chen Mo waited quietly at the end of the line.

"Oh, I'm finally here! Uncle Zhong, quick, check if my hair is a mess!"

A plump man with a round, fair face, wearing a royal blue silk robe, walked in with a swagger, fanning himself with a folding fan.

Behind him followed a middle-aged man dressed in a short blue cloth jacket, whose aura was restrained, clearly a skilled bodyguard.

Chen Mo turned around and glanced at him, a thought flashing through his mind. Wasn't this fat guy the one he had met in the ghost market last time?

Some fat guys have a sharp tongue.

Li Jinrong stood casually behind Chen Mo, creating a gentle breeze carrying the scent of incense.

He held the folding fan, looking around listlessly, his gaze pausing slightly as it swept over Chen Mo's back.

"Huh?" He leaned over, his tone slightly uncertain. "Brother, you look familiar. Haven't we met somewhere before?"

Chen Mo turned around, a thoughtful look on his face. "Now that you mention it... I think you look familiar, but I can't quite place where I've seen you before."

As the two were talking, people kept coming in from outside and obediently lined up behind the fat man.

"Make way, make way, don't block the way!" A slightly arrogant voice rang out, and three young men dressed in suits, leather shoes, and white shirts walked in. They seemed to be wealthy young men who had come to report for duty.

The leader, with a slightly sallow complexion and the most fashionable eight-part hairstyle, glanced at the queue and then directly bypassed them, intending to cut in front of the clerk's desk.

Before anyone else could speak, the fat guy exploded first.

In Jinshi, when has anyone ever cut in line for him when he was the one cutting in line for others?

"Hey! I said, don't you know what first come, first served?" Li Jinrong raised an eyebrow, took a step to the side, and blocked the yellow-faced youth's path, his large body like a wall. "Get in line at the back!"

The young man, annoyed by being blocked, immediately frowned and said, "Who are you? How dare you block my way? Do you know who I am?"

"I don't care who you are!" Li Jinrong scoffed, tapping his folding fan against his palm. "Even if it's the Heavenly King himself, he has to follow the rules and queue up in this Bureau of Suppressing Strange Things!"

"Besides, you're from Tianjin, you don't even know me, and you three just arrived in the city, right?"

"You!" Two men behind the sallow-faced youth surrounded him, their expressions unfriendly.

The atmosphere was somewhat tense.

The clerk at the welcome desk adjusted his glasses, glanced up, and remained silent, seemingly wanting to see how to deal with these people.

Just then, Li Zhong, the guard who had been standing silently behind Li Jinrong, took a small step forward.

He shrugged slightly, and his imposing, mountain-like aura was instantly released, enveloping the three arrogant young men.

The three men's faces turned pale at the same time, and they involuntarily took half a step back.

Li Zhong didn't even lift his eyelids. "My young master is from the Li family of Tianjin."

These two short sentences, spoken in a calm tone, are like two pebbles thrown into a seemingly calm lake, creating silent ripples.

The mere mention of the Li family of Tianjin carried enough weight to instantly turn the three young men's faces from white to green, their eyes revealing obvious apprehension.

Although there are many people with the surname Li in Tianjin, only one family dares to use "Jinmen Li Family" as a prefix.

The leading youth's Adam's apple bobbed, and he forced a smile that looked more like a grimace, bowing to him: "So...so you are Young Master Li! My apologies for my rudeness! I was blind and offended you!"

Having said that, he dared not linger any longer and hurriedly led his two companions to slink back to the end of the line.

The other people waiting in the welcome area looked at the fat man with more apprehension.

The four major families of Tianjin have businesses covering the daily lives of ordinary people, including food, clothing, housing, and transportation. They also have deep roots in unseen gray and black areas, making them true local tyrants.

The Li family is known for its immense wealth and unbridled behavior.

Seeing that the others had backed down, Li Jinrong turned his attention back to Chen Mo, a signature smile spreading across his round face.

"Tsk, look at this, it's so blind."

He gestured with his folding fan towards the end of the line, his voice neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for them to hear, "Wearing a Western suit and slicked-back hair, you really think you're some big shot in the concession? Don't you know your place? This is not a place where just anyone can cross the threshold of the Zhenyi Division?"

These words were sharp and sarcastic, causing the three young men's faces to turn red and white in turns, but they didn't even dare to raise their heads.

"Impressive. These days, we need righteous people like Brother Li to uphold justice."

Chen Mo bowed slightly, his expression unchanged, and offered a compliment.

"That's right."

Li Jinrong seemed somewhat surprised by his reaction, yet also found it amusing. He chuckled twice, then stopped talking about it and instead complained about how slow the registration process was.

The procession moved forward slowly.

Soon it was Chen Mo's turn, and he handed his identity token into the window.

The bespectacled clerk took the list, glanced at it, then looked closely at Chen Mo, a faint smile appearing on his face.

"Chen Mo? From Linhe County. Hmm, your situation is special, so the assessment process will be waived, and you'll be admitted directly."

"In half a month, at 9:00 AM on the first day of next month, gather here with this token and proceed to the training location together."

"You are free to arrange your time during this period, but please do not miss the appointed time."

Upon hearing this, Li Jinrong, who was listening intently behind him, also let out a surprised "Eh," glancing at Chen Mo with obvious surprise in his small eyes.

Before Chen Mo could react, the clerk had already handed the token back, indicating that he could leave.

At this moment, Li Jinrong quickly squeezed forward, stuffing his recommendation letter and credentials into the window, shouting, "What about me? What about me?"

The clerk seemed to recognize him, and his attitude softened. He also flipped through the roster and nodded, saying, "Young Master Li Jinrong will also be gathering here at 11:00 AM on the first day of next month, presenting his identification token."

"Alright!"

Li Jinrong smugly put his things away, then turned around and hooked his arm around Chen Mo's shoulder, acting like they were old friends. "Not bad, bro, you've been hiding your true abilities!"