The immortal is beside me

Chapter 108 Zhou Qing: The goddess is still chasing me

As soon as the director arrived, the noise in the office immediately died down, leaving only the sound of Liu Jianhua's arrangements.

"This evaluation involves many dimensions, including resident satisfaction, greening level, infrastructure support, etc. We will check each one of them in the next few months and strive to get a good ranking in this evaluation."

Originally as a marginal area of ​​Liangzhou City, the Jianguo Road Sub-district Office had no chance of participating in such a city-wide evaluation. Every time it went there, it was just a runner-up and did not attract more attention.

But things were different now. For some unknown reason, the higher-ups' attention to our unit had intensified over the past few months, and we were now eligible to be included in the evaluations. So, with his hair turning gray, Liu Jianhua decided to step up his game and perform well under the watchful eye of his superiors.

"This assessment involves not only the company but also individuals. After a few months, each department will select a few of the most outstanding employees and report them as role models."

Liu Jianhua glanced at everyone in the room. "This is a city-level assessment. Everyone must take it seriously—especially the newcomers. One spot among the outstanding role models is reserved for young employees who have been employed for three years. Any capable young comrades should strive to qualify."

As he spoke, he looked at the several "young comrades" in front of him intentionally or unintentionally.

As he expected, Fu Chenghao, who was sitting at the very edge, immediately raised his head after hearing this, with a thoughtful look in his eyes, and it was obvious that he was interested.

This made Liu Jianhua secretly admire in his heart that the top student was indeed a top student. He immediately understood the meaning of it and thought that this boy could indeed be entrusted with important tasks.

As for the other two?
His gaze shifted to Zhou Qing and Li Jie standing by the wall. One of them was yawning, and the other was looking at his phone absent-mindedly, their behavior in stark contrast to Fu Chenghao.

Whether it is the usual performance or the current performance, the competitiveness is obvious. He said that capable comrades should strive for it, but he knew in his heart that this position was probably prepared for Fu Chenghao.

Liu Jianhua made a mental note and picked up the document. "Well, I'll start assigning tasks now. Xiao Fu, you'll be in charge of the office correspondence. Xiao Zhou and Xiao Li, take the next two days to prepare the inventory of logistics supplies. If there's anything missing, go to the wholesale market and get the invoices.

Office correspondence is the most core and valuable work of the unit. It allows you to accumulate personal connections while contacting other units, which is very consistent with the development path of selected candidates.

As for the salted fish duo, he only assigned them a marginal purchasing job. These two had the word "lie down" written all over their faces. Giving them important work would not only be a waste, but also might cause some trouble. It would be better to just let the salted fish lie in the pot that they deserved.

The two of them did not disappoint him. They happily took the list of supplies from him, and happily went out to get a taxi and went to the wholesale market in the city together.

Zhou Qing sat in the taxi, holding the stack of material lists, chatting casually with Li Jie.

This second-generation rich kid who owns seven apartments doesn't have much of the dandy airs of a rich kid. He exudes the laziness of wanting to just lie down at home and collect rent, and his motto at work is to just live one day at a time.

Perhaps because of this, he and Zhou Qing get along quite well and are considered the colleagues who communicate the most in the unit.

"Ah, when I saw this city wall, I thought of my ex-girlfriend again."

Perhaps the aftereffects of his recent conversation with Qin Hongmei hadn't faded yet. Halfway through the taxi ride, Li Jie gazed out the window at the scenery and sighed, "I remember riding bicycles with her on the city wall back then. Now it's been years since we broke up. Life."

Zhou Qing was also looking out the window. In the semicircular field of vision, there was a gray ancient city wall. It stood behind a semicircular green belt. A black road passed through the doorway, and the traffic on the road was endless.

That is the city wall of Chang'an City in the Tang Dynasty.

Thirteen hundred years ago, he had entered the inner city of Chang'an from here and participated in that grand banquet. Later, he had killed countless people for this city, witnessed countless blood spilled beneath the city walls, witnessed the scars of the dynasty's final years, and finally watched it turn into ruins in a raging fire.

Today, after the renovation by the Cultural Bureau, the Chang'an city wall looks exactly the same as when it was first seen. Some rebuilt parts even appear newer than before. The section of the wall where he sat is now a scenic spot, and you can go up there for 40 yuan. Various snack stalls are now set up on the wall that was once guarded by guards, and tourists can also rent bicycles to travel around the wall.

Looking further out, SKP and Daduhui shopping malls have been built outside the city wall. The music of Starbucks can be heard in front of the city gate where the song "Rainbow Skirt and Feathered Coat" once echoed. There is a roundabout in front of the gate, and there are always traffic jams every morning and evening, just like the countless horses neighing in front of the city gate back then.

Although it looks very different from the past, Chang'an has become vibrant again. The blood shed back then was not in vain. Today, a thousand years later, he sees a prosperous Chang'an again.

Even if it has changed, it is enough to see that it is still standing here.

"Hey, Brother Zhou, do you think this person really needs to persevere sometimes?"

Li Jie, who was standing next to him, was still humming, "Actually, I've never seen anything wrong with marrying someone from out of town. It's mainly because my parents don't like people from other places. If I had been a little more assertive, this might have worked out. What do you think, Brother Zhou?"

"Like attract like, like spirits seek like, and even different paths can lead to the same destination. Eastern and Western origins don't prevent similar ideas from existing." Zhou Qing said, "As for whether they are compatible, only long-term contact can reveal the truth. Judging people based solely on their region is always somewhat arbitrary."

"Oh, Brother Zhou, you really have a point."

Li Jie nodded slightly. This colleague looked indifferent on weekdays, but when talking about such matters in life, he always had some experience, and was a bit like an old man who had experienced many things.

"You're so knowledgeable. Have you had similar experiences before?"

Seeing that he seemed to be interested, Zhou Qing glanced at him and answered casually.

"I once met a girl from another place. Because of geographical differences, I had a lot of conflicts with her family. Our relationship was strained for a long time, but in the end, we had a private conversation and finally reached an agreement."

"Oh? Brother Zhou has this experience?"

Li Jie became a little interested and slowly leaned over to listen.

"Tell me in detail, what was the conflict between you two back then?"

"At that time, the Liao and Song dynasties were at war. The war lasted for fifty years, and both sides suffered heavy losses. Among them, Zhou Tong alone killed nearly ten thousand Liao warriors. Later, even the mere mention of his name filled the Liao cultivators with fear."

In the speeding business car, Xiao Yao sat on the spacious leather seat, looking at the traffic outside the window, and spoke in a calm and casual tone.

Sitting next to her, Executive Director Xue Duo was listening attentively with his ears perked up.

Although cultivators who can become strategic-level monks must have a positive attitude towards the mundane world, relationships between adults need to be managed and maintained.

As the head of the branch, maintaining relationships with strategic-level officials is one of Xue Duo's most important tasks. Naturally, he must seize every opportunity to understand Xiao Yao's quirks and habits.

Just from a few short conversations, she realized that the monk named Zhou Tong was probably of extraordinary significance to the Divine Eagle. This was extremely important information. If she grasped it well, it might become an important entry point for the Environmental Sanitation Bureau to communicate with her.

According to Xiao Yao, the cultivator named "Zhou Tong" should have been dead for many years, but such a person should have left some traces in the Central Plains. As long as they can get enough information, the Environmental Sanitation Bureau will definitely be able to find these remaining traces.

"So, in the end you went out to fight against him yourself?" Xue Duo asked.

"nature."

As Xiao Yao spoke, an inexplicable light flashed in her eyes: "Before I met him, I hadn't met an opponent for hundreds of years. Since there is such a strong man in the Central Plains, how could I not go and meet him?" When she said this, her tone rose, and excitement was revealed between the lines.

"After hearing the news, I led my army south to the Central Plains and met him at the foot of Taihang Mountain."

"Before the fight, I made a bet with him: if he beats me, I will order all Liao cultivators and mortal troops to withdraw. From then on, regardless of whether they are immortal or mortal, the Liao Kingdom will never harm a single soldier from the Central Plains."

Xue Duo, who was standing beside him, fell silent. The information revealed in these short words was already shocking.

As the number one prodigy on the grassland, Xiao Yao had the power to command the entire Liao Kingdom and all Khitan monks with a single word a thousand years ago. She was not only the daughter of a god, but also the hidden emperor of the grassland.

She did not intend to be an emperor, but her strength had given her the highest say.

Strategic power may seem enormous to ordinary people, but it always seems insignificant compared to the authority that can determine the fate of a nation with a single word. However, she gave up this immense authority and instead devoted herself to the Central Plains, becoming one of the many powerful guardians.

"So, what if you win?"

"That's what I asked him back then." Xiao Yao leaned against the car window and smiled softly. "His answer then was—don't even consider this situation."

What a big tone! Xue Duo, who was standing next to him, was shocked when he heard this. Even if this was said to an ordinary person, it would make people sigh that he was arrogant, not to mention that the opponent he was facing was the number one prodigy on the grassland at that time.

But judging from the results, this man's strength is fully worthy of his attitude.

"I fought him hand to hand from noon to sunset, until all sides were equal."

"In the end, I lost to him."

The car fell into a brief silence. Xue Duo carefully watched Xiao Yao by the window. There was no regret or anger on her beautiful face. On the contrary, her eyes were as hot as fire, and the temperature in the entire car seemed to have risen by several degrees.

As a nomadic people of the grassland, the Khitans generally worship war and admire strength. Challenging the strong is their lifelong pursuit, and dying on the battlefield is their highest honor. This is vividly reflected in this divine eagle.

After dominating the grassland for hundreds of years, he suddenly encountered a strong man who was able to defeat him. For the Condor, who pursues supremacy, this is a wine sweeter than any other, no less than seeing a lighthouse on the sea. It is a target that he will not let go of no matter what.

Xue Duo, sitting in the car seat, hesitated for a moment.

Historically, after nearly fifty years of war, the Liao and Song countries suddenly signed a treaty in 1005 and became brother countries. The Song was the elder brother and the Liao was the younger brother. They vowed not to interfere with each other, to exchange courtesies, and to open border trade. From then on, the two countries lived in peace for hundreds of years.

Everything proved the content of the bet.

The prairie goddess fulfilled her promise and found the person she was pursuing.

Outside Tanzhou City, on the bank of the Yellow River.

A light breeze blew, and Zhou Tong, who was standing by the river, suddenly turned around. The woman in a fur coat was standing behind him at some point. Her tall figure exuded wild vitality, and under her flying long hair was a beautiful smile.

"Brother Zhou, you are really here."

Zhou Tong frowned slightly when he heard the brisk voice: "Why are you here?"

After the Battle of Taihang Mountains, the Liao and Song dynasties signed an alliance, opening their borders to each other. Ever since then, this Liao goddess had seemed to have set her sights on him, frequently crossing the border to challenge him for a duel, making it impossible to evade her.

Sometimes, he even suspected that the opening of the border proposed in the Liao alliance was her idea, so that she could come to the Central Plains to find him smoothly.

In order to facilitate traveling in the Central Plains, she even gave herself a Chinese name, Xiao Yao, and called herself that in front of him.

But he had no interest in this. Although Xiao Yao did fulfill her promise to restrict the Liao Kingdom and greatly alleviate the pressure on the northern border, and he did not treat her with complete hostility, there was still a difference between Chinese and barbarians, not to mention that they were once enemies.

But Xiao Yao didn't seem to think so at all.

"Since I have some free time, I brought some milk tea from the grassland to see if it suits Brother Zhou's taste."

As if unaware of his slightly cold tone, Xiao Yao swung the leather bag in her hand as she spoke, "After sipping milk tea, it's a good time to have another discussion. Brother Zhou, are you interested?"

As she spoke, her face was full of life, but Zhou Tong's reaction was quite dull.

"I have no time."

Xiao Yao blinked: "Why?"

"There have been some unusual movements in the Eastern Ding'an Kingdom recently, and I need to go and suppress them."

"Ding'an? That small country on the Bohai Sea? They want to enter the Central Plains?" Xiao Yao tilted her head. "Does such a trivial matter require the intervention of someone like Brother Zhou?"

Zhou Tong did not answer.

Since the collapse of the Jiuli Immortal Alliance, the entire Central Plains cultivation world has been severely damaged. Both the number and quality of cultivators are less than half of those in the Tang Dynasty, and the defense of the four borders has therefore become extremely weak.

Due to Zhou Wuqing's influence, after the collapse of the Immortal Alliance, many of the original allied sects were still willing to follow him and guard the four borders of the Central Plains together. However, compared with the countless enemies on all sides, these manpower were far from enough.

When dangers abound and all are powerless, he alone stands firm. Wherever the enemy appears, he goes there.

"Well, since Brother Zhou is busy, then forget it."

Xiao Yao didn't argue any further. She put away the leather bag in her hand, turned around and left.

Three days later, Ding'an Kingdom was destroyed by the Liao Dynasty.

"Can you spar with me now?"

When she came again, Xiao Yao asked with shining eyes.

(End of this chapter)