Nancheng Suppression Office.
Fu Yuanming sat in a large chair, listening to his trusted subordinate's report.
"Chen Ping'an took office yesterday and was met with a cold shoulder. I heard there was a bit of a commotion, but nothing major happened. Following your instructions, Chu Qirong endured it on the surface."
"After Pang Miao from the Dispatching Division returned, he spread the word about what happened, and quite a few people in the Nancheng Suppression Office now know about it."
"......"
Fu Yuanming lightly tapped the table with his fingers, not even lifting his eyelids.
"What's Mu Wanjun's reaction?"
"Currently, no movement has been detected."
"What about the Internal Energy Reverends?"
"None either."
"Understood. You may leave."
"Yes, Lord Fu."
After his trusted subordinate left the office, Fu Yuanming's fingers, which had been lightly tapping the table, slowly stopped.
"He is indeed a good young man; no wonder Mu Wanjun took a liking to him."
In yesterday's scene, this young man named Chen Ping'an undoubtedly made the most correct choice.
His methods, abilities, and Heart-Nature are all excellent!
"Mu Wanjun indeed has good methods; she won another round."
Fu Yuanming pondered, a smile appearing on his face.
"It's just a pity... this round, I'm afraid, can only be won for a short while. What if his methods, abilities, and Heart-Nature are excellent? His cultivation is a bit lacking! No matter how much he jumps around, he still can't reach the required height."
Nancheng Prison has always been managed by someone at the Qi Blood Sixth Stage!
This time, appointing a young man at the Qi and Blood Fifth Stage to be the head of Nancheng Prison, Mu Wanjun must have borne considerable pressure.
If everything goes smoothly in this process, then so be it. But what if something goes wrong at Nancheng Prison?
How will things turn out then...?
Interesting.
Extremely interesting.
Thinking of this, the smile on Fu Yuanming's face grew even wider.
.......
After officially taking office as the head of Nancheng Prison, Chen Ping'an's days once again became regular. Compared to the alley, there are actually just as many intricacies within the prison.
However, these intricacies are naturally handled by his subordinates. What he needs to do is coordinate all parties and oversee the overall situation.
In the past few days, Chu Qirong has been extremely well-behaved. However, Chen Ping'an does not believe that he will simply give up. Chen Ping'an still maintained a degree of vigilance towards this unstable factor.
"It's still better to resolve it early; leaving it like this isn't a solution."
Chen Ping'an kept the matter of removing Chu Qirong, this stumbling block, in mind.
In the past few days, he would occasionally visit the Nancheng Suppression Office. Working in the same organization, it was natural for colleagues to familiarize themselves with each other.
Chen Ping'an also got to know the supervisors and deputy supervisors of the nine Errand Offices. While familiarizing himself with relationships, Chen Ping'an also conveniently accomplished one task.
To firmly secure his position as prison head, essential confidants are naturally indispensable.
Zeng Jihe, a temporary Yamen Runner from the Nanquan Lane Garrison Office, was applied to be transferred to Nancheng Prison as his personal aide.
At his level, such matters are merely a formality; the process is already underway.
Nancheng Prison is located at the edge of Southern City Alley, but it still falls within the geographical scope of Southern City Alley.
If he were to continue living in Nanquan Lane, daily commuting would be too inconvenient. Therefore, in addition to familiarizing himself with the prison environment and building relationships, Chen Ping'an also rented a two-courtyard house in Southern City Alley as his residence.
The house is not far from Nancheng Prison, and its overall layout and furnishings are quite to Chen Ping'an's liking.
At his current level, such trivial matters as renting a house naturally do not require his personal effort or appearance.
As the newly appointed prison head, within Nancheng Prison, besides unstable factors like Chu Qirong, there were also opportunistic individuals who sought to curry favor.
The matter of renting the house was handled meticulously by these individuals.
These people, having long mingled here, were local influential figures, and such matters were effortless for them.
According to them, the owner of the house, knowing that the tenant was Lord Chen of Nancheng Prison, out of gratitude for the Lord's benevolence, offered a rent price that was astonishingly low.
As for what methods these individuals used in the process, Chen Ping'an was not clear. He figured it was a form of disguised bribery.
As a superior, one must view people comprehensively, utilize their strengths while avoiding their weaknesses, and in specific situations, these individuals can indeed be useful.
After renting the house, his subordinates busied themselves, adding many items. Once everything was ready, Chen Er'ya officially moved from Nanquan Lane. Accompanying Xiao Yatou was her personal maid, Shaoyao.
After hiring two more servant women, the newly rented house became well-organized.
The servant women had undergone strict vetting and came from reputable families, ensuring their safety.
Once everything settled, Zeng Jihe, Xiao Zeng, was officially transferred from the Nanquan Lane Garrison Office.
"Lord."
Inside the head's office of Nancheng Prison, Zeng Jihe clasped his fists, looking energetic.
"Xiao Zeng, it's been a while since we last met, your physique has indeed become much stronger."
Chen Ping'an put down his pen, looked up at Zeng Jihe, and said with a smile.
"Thanks to your immense fortune, Lord, I've been eating and drinking well these days, and with my daily martial arts practice, my body has gradually strengthened."
Zeng Jihe said with a smile.
He understood that to stay by his Lord's side, he had to ensure he didn't fall behind.
Fortunately, he was still young, and the Lord was willing to cultivate him, so he worked exceptionally hard on martial arts. He had made great progress these days.
"Hmm."
Chen Ping'an observed Zeng Jihe for a while and noticed that that kid's Qi and Blood were subtly abundant, indicating that he was not far from martial arts initiation.
Previously, while following him, Zeng Jihe also gained quite a bit of profit.
Unlike others, that kid was sharp-minded and knew how to invest in himself. He bought many expensive medicines to supply himself, striving for a better future.
Zeng Jihe's actions showed considerable foresight!
He is worth cultivating!
After encouraging Zeng Jihe for a few moments, Chen Ping'an went straight to the main topic.
"Xiao Zeng, it's the same as before; you'll continue to stay by my side from now on."
"Help me inquire about the best school in Southern City Alley. Er'ya is also of age now, so we should settle that soon."
"During the day at the residence, pay more attention to safety matters. If you need any support, let me know early."
"......"
Chen Ping'an assigned many tasks to Zeng Jihe.
Hearing these, Zeng Jihe showed no impatience; instead, he was overjoyed. For him, the more tasks the Lord assigned, the more it proved his value.
"Lord, Xiao Zeng understands."
"Good, first familiarize yourself with the environment. Besides those few matters just now, don't neglect your martial arts. I have your future in mind."
Chen Ping'an casually made a promise.
This time, Zeng Jihe was not just pleased, but excited.
"Yes, I dare to die for the Lord!"
"Alright, you may withdraw for now."
Chen Ping'an waved his hand, dismissing Zeng Jihe.
The best way to gain someone's loyalty is to tightly bind their interests with yours.