I'm not a drama god

Tuk-tuk-tuk——

As night deepened, a knocking sound came from the door of the auto repair shop.

Li Shangfeng, who had just returned home with Li Wanhua, looked towards the front door with a hint of doubt in his eyes.

"Is it Boss Chen who's back?" Li Wanhua asked.

“It shouldn’t be him. I gave him the key to the front door.” Li Shangfeng shrugged. “It’s probably just someone’s car that broke down on the road again… I’ll go check it out.”

"Then you go ahead, I'm going to take a shower and go to bed... I have a midterm exam tomorrow."

Li Wanhua yawned lazily and walked towards the bathroom.

Li Shangfeng walked straight to the front door, opened it skillfully, and saw a gray-haired young man standing outside, wearing a retro shirt and silver glasses on his nose, looking refined and cultured.

“You are…” Li Shangfeng felt that this person looked familiar, as if he had seen him somewhere before.

“He Jing, Imperial Observer.” The gray-haired youth smiled slightly. “Mr. Li, we met a few days ago.”

"Oh, oh, I remember now, you're the one who serves Lord Brand... Is there something you need so late?"

"Mr. Li, Lord Brand requests your presence."

"……Now?"

“That’s right.” He Jing nodded. “Mr. Li, don’t worry, it’s great news.”

"Oh?"

Upon hearing the words "great news," Li Shangfeng's eyes lit up. Could it be that the Imperial Observatory was going to give him another big job? One with a very generous reward?

"Let's go then."

Li Shangfeng was somewhat expectant, and followed He Jing towards the Imperial Observatory under the cover of night.

……

This was not Li Shangfeng's first visit to the Imperial Observatory.

But every time I stand on Xuanwu Avenue and see the brightly lit, vermilion palace walls standing tall in the night, I can't help but feel a sense of melancholy...

What kind of person could live in such a magnificent and solemn palace?

At the heart of the Chengtian Realm lies the Chengtian Imperial Palace. Centered on the palace, four main roads extend to the surrounding city areas, like the blood vessels connecting the royal power and all living beings, and are named after the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise, respectively.

Each of these four main roads can accommodate eighteen carriages and horses side by side, and the shops on both sides are extremely prosperous. The wealthiest and most powerful merchants in the entire Chengtian Realm, and even princes and nobles, all have a place here. Various magnificent commercial districts are brightly lit, making the entire street as bright as day.

Li Shangfeng's auto repair shop is located on the edge of the Chengtian Realm. He has only been to Xuanwu Avenue a handful of times. He has heard that there is almost no night on this avenue, and it is always brightly lit and bustling with pedestrians.

"Xuanwu Avenue is truly a place of extravagance and debauchery..." Li Shangfeng couldn't help but sigh.

He Jing chuckled lightly and said meaningfully, "Mr. Li, there's no need to be envious. Perhaps it won't be long before you have a place here too."

Li Shangfeng was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter: "Me? Maybe I'll have a chance if I'm reborn into a better family in my next life."

Li Shangfeng followed He Jing, walking along Xuanwu Avenue and getting closer to the oppressive vermilion palace wall... At the very front of Xuanwu Avenue, where it met the vermilion palace wall, a tall, mysterious, dark purple building stood majestically, like a terrifying beast guarding the dynasty.

The Chengtian Imperial Palace was the emperor's residence, and all other administrative departments were confined to its walls. While the Imperial Observatory's position within the Chengtian Dynasty wasn't considered paramount, it wasn't insignificant either, and thus it was situated on Xuanwu Avenue. Whenever pedestrians passed by the Imperial Observatory's gates, they were always awestruck by the mysterious aura emanating from it, their hearts involuntarily quickening.

When Li Shangfeng stood in front of the Imperial Observatory once again, that feeling grew stronger... He frowned as he looked at the towering dark purple building, feeling as if it were staring at him like a predator, as if it were about to devour him whole.

"Mr. Li, please." He Jing smiled and led the way for Li Shangfeng.

Li Shangfeng shook his head, banishing the strange thought from his mind, and followed He Jing inside.

He Jing did not lead Li Shangfeng through the main entrance, but instead cautiously circled the area to make sure no one was paying attention before quietly entering from the back.

Soon, Li Shangfeng met Lord Brand of the Imperial Observatory. Although Li Shangfeng didn't understand the intricacies of officialdom, he knew that there were only two real people in charge of the Imperial Observatory... one was the Chief Historian, and the other was Brand, whom he had personally trained.

Upon seeing Li Shangfeng, Brand smiled faintly and got straight to the point:

"Mr. Li, Lord Chong has already seen your masterpiece... I'll be frank, Lord Chong and I admire you very much and plan to arrange for you to work under us. What do you think?"

Li Shangfeng was dumbfounded.

Before coming, he had considered countless possibilities of a "great opportunity," but he never expected that the other party would directly ask him to enter the Imperial Observatory.

He opened his mouth, but for a moment he didn't know what to say.

"Since His Majesty established the Imperial Observatory, the Imperial Observatory has been working diligently for the Chengtian Realm... The alchemical walls of the nine prisons used to resist the waves of calamity, the inter-realm trains shuttling between realms, and even the alchemical arrays on the walls of the Chengtian Imperial Palace, were all accumulated little by little by the chief Observatory through the painstaking efforts of successive chief Observatories."

"The Imperial Observatory has spent over three hundred years building the strongest fortress for the dynasty. Now, Lord Chong and I have an even grander, more world-shaking plan... Your power is indispensable in this plan."

Brand's words left Li Shangfeng somewhat bewildered. Although he might be a bit arrogant, he wasn't stupid. What kind of plan would require the power of a low-level Divine Path cultivator like him?

Moreover, the emperor had already issued an edict that the Chengtian Dynasty must go through layers of screening to recruit talents. No matter how capable you are, you still have to go through the process. How can you just come in whenever you want?

What's more, the meeting between the Grand Historian and him was deliberately scheduled for the middle of the night, conducted secretly... without even using the main gate.

Brand's words just now seemed to emphasize the contributions of the Imperial Observatory to the dynasty, but in reality, every time he mentioned the plan and Li Shangfeng, he referred to "him and Lord Chong" rather than the Imperial Observatory of the Chengtian Dynasty.

A sense of vigilance immediately arose in Li Shangfeng's heart.

"What plan?" he asked tentatively.

“I can’t tell you that now,” Brand shook his head. “You’ll know when the time is right…”

"So what do I need to do?"

"What you need to do is very simple. Your current strength is not enough to meet our requirements... Once you're in, just focus on improving your rank and don't have any casual contact with the outside world," Brand said confidently.

"Of course, we won't treat you unfairly. During this period, we will ensure your food, clothing, and daily necessities, and give you three times your salary every month... I believe you should be able to feel our sincerity."