My Professions Have Too Much Personality

Chapter 39: Chapter 39: Throwing One’s Weight Around

Jiang He’s reputation wasn’t confined to Southwind Academy; it was a popular topic of gossip among the upper echelons of Southwind City.

Fatty Sun hadn’t expected the young man before him to have such a legendary backstory.

“But he’s still a Tier Two Professional. Messing with him a little should be fine…” he reminded him. “But you can’t do anything serious to him, kid. That would be a huge headache. His position in the Research Department is a Protective Talisman in its own right.”

“You got it. I’ll follow your lead,” Su Chen agreed easily.

’If I can just get Qi Chuan to talk, things will be much simpler.’

Seeing that Su Chen wasn’t fixated on it, Fatty Sun breathed a sigh of relief. “Well… go join your new colleagues. They should be getting back right about now. They just earned a collective honor, so it’s time for a celebration.”

“You’re a newly promoted Tier Two Professional, so I’ll trail you guys in secret to prevent any accidents,” Fatty Sun said, his tone casual.

Fatty Sun led him downstairs to the Garrison Hall, a vast, open space spanning three floors. It was bustling with Inspector Guards, some returning from patrol, others preparing to head out, and the air hummed with a low, noisy din.

Lounge 0512. Fatty Sun pushed the door open. The excited chatter within abruptly ceased, and several pairs of eyes shot in their direction.

“Section Chief Sun…” A man stood up. He was bare-chested, revealing numerous scars, and had a buzz cut.

“Old Zhao, this is your new team member, Su Chen. Get to know him.” Fatty Sun stepped aside, revealing Su Chen behind him.

“Su Chen, this is Zhao Xiong, your patrol captain.”

Zhao Xiong gave him a peculiar look, and the other six team members kept glancing over as well.

’A nepotism hire.’ They had all gotten the notice yesterday and had initially grumbled about another freeloader joining their ranks.

But then, this morning, they had been mysteriously ordered to bust a black market den, and just as mysteriously, they had been awarded a Third-Class Group Merit.

The smarter ones among them quickly realized it had all been tailor-made for the new guy.

With such a windfall, their resentment naturally vanished. In fact, they were even a little grateful.

“Zhao Xiong, come with me for a moment.” Fatty Sun called Zhao Xiong away.

Su Chen, meanwhile, stayed behind to greet his new teammates: four men and two women. Aside from Zhao Xiong, none of them were Professionals, but they weren’t ordinary people either.

“Lili, didn’t you say you were going to repay this favor with your body?” someone teased, looking at a woman in a crop top. She had tanned skin and well-defined muscles from years of rigorous training. With her shoulder-length hair, she was quite attractive, exuding a valiant and spirited air.

“Hey handsome, interested?” she asked unabashedly, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Alright, that’s enough,” Zhao Xiong said, walking back in. His voice was grave. “Pop-up overtime. Get your gear on. Assemble in five minutes.”

The team members were surprised, and a few of them glanced at Su Chen, realizing this was probably because of him.

But no one said anything more. They just reopened their lockers and pulled out their gear.

“Su Chen, your combat uniform hasn’t arrived yet. You’ll go without it today,” Zhao Xiong said.

The team was well-trained. They finished changing in four minutes, boarded the patrol vehicle, and headed for their destination.

“Captain, what’s the mission?” a large man with a scar on his face leaned in and asked.

They had already introduced themselves earlier, so Su Chen knew his name was Han Da.

“We received a tip that a location might be holding contraband,” Zhao Xiong said, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

“Oh.” Han Da pulled back, looking thoughtful.

Su Chen watched the light outside gradually dim. ’I didn’t expect the target to be a Tier Two Professional,’ he thought. ’I just wonder what his specific level is.’

About half an hour later, they finally reached their destination—a high-end apartment building. Their uniforms granted them immediate access, and they went straight up to the sixteenth floor.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

“Inspector Guard?” Qi Chuan opened the door. He had already seen Zhao Xiong and the others through the peephole and seemed a bit confused.

But it was only after opening the door that he noticed Su Chen standing off to the side. His expression shifted instantly. “Su Chen? It’s you!”

Su Chen responded with a smile.

“Mr. Qi Chuan, we’ve received a tip and suspect you might be harboring contraband. We’re here under orders to investigate,” Zhao Xiong said, his tone strictly professional.

“Contraband?” Qi Chuan’s expression turned cold, and he stared intently at Su Chen.

“Out of the way!” Han Da tried to shove his way inside, pushing against Qi Chuan, but he was the one who ended up stumbling backward.

“You’re going to resist!?” Han Da’s expression soured.

“Step aside,” Zhao Xiong said seriously.

Su Chen glanced at Fatty Sun, who was faintly visible at the end of the hallway.

Qi Chuan’s expression was grim. ’To think that a lowly refugee from back then can now throw his weight around like this.’

He knew why they were here and what was about to happen, but there was nothing he could do. Helpless, he stepped aside.

“Lili, the living room. Han Da, the bedroom…” Zhao Xiong rapidly issued commands. The team dispersed while he remained in the living room, his eyes fixed on Qi Chuan.

“Tsk…” Su Chen clicked his tongue and surveyed the room. It was spacious and tidy, with a large floor-to-ceiling window overlooking the city at night.

More importantly, a wedding photo of him and Jiang He hung on the wall.

“You and Teacher Jiang must be so deeply in love,” Su Chen said with a sigh, standing before the wedding photo and stroking the image of Jiang He.

Zhao Xiong’s mouth twitched. ’In another man’s house, caressing a photo of his wife… this is just…’

The muscles in Qi Chuan’s jaw jumped, but he remained expressionless.

Su Chen lowered his hand from the photo, his voice tinged with wistful longing. “Your wife… she’s so *smooth*…”

Flames erupted in Qi Chuan’s pupils, and the temperature in the room shot up!

Zhao Xiong’s muscles tensed. Beside him, Lili, who had been pretending to search, stared wide-eyed.

But it only lasted a moment. Qi Chuan reined himself in, his face once again becoming a blank mask.

It was because Fatty Sun had appeared at the door. His seemingly flabby body now radiated a terrifying aura, and the killing intent in his beady little eyes sent a chill down Qi Chuan’s spine.

’He’s got some real self-control…’ Su Chen thought with a hint of regret. ’My status is different now. If Qi Chuan had actually attacked, it would have been assault on an Inspector Guard, a crime of a completely different nature.’

’Fatty Sun would have been justified in killing him on the spot.’

“Captain, I found it,” Han Da announced, walking out of the bedroom. He was holding a small glass vial containing a beautiful pink flower.

“An Opium Poppy. A hallucinogen and Level 1 contraband. I’m afraid you’ll have to come with us, sir,” Zhao Xiong said gravely.

Qi Chuan seemed to have expected this. He just gave a cold sneer and held out his hands cooperatively.

The Electromagnetic Shackles clicked shut. The group returned to the Inspectorate and tossed him into a temporary holding cell.

“…Hmm, he’s a Tier Two Middle Professional—a Fire Refining Soldier…” Zhao Xiong said, looking through the glass at the silent Qi Chuan before glancing down at a data file. “His Profession development progress is… less than 5%…”

“Su Chen, at most we can hold him for seven days,” Zhao Xiong said, looking at the young man beside him.

“I know.” Su Chen nodded. “Can we starve him the whole time?”

“We have to supply food. But he’s a Professional, so his nutritional needs are very high. We can provide low-nutrition meals, which is almost the same as starving him,” Zhao Xiong said.

“Do that, then.” With those words, Su Chen turned and left, deciding to come back in a few days for the interrogation.

“Captain, what’s this rich kid playing at? This isn’t much of a punishment,” Han Da sidled over and whispered conspiratorially. “Want us to… spice things up a bit?”

“Just do what he said. Don’t take matters into your own hands,” Zhao Xiong snapped.

Han Da nodded sheepishly.