Across the web, immortals and true beings, their thoughts and energy creating the heavens.

Chapter 4 The Path of the Hero: The King of Knights

Lin Zhuo followed the curator into the mailroom.

Upon arriving at the locker, Qiao Mingyang retrieved the pile of books, supporting the bottom with his left hand as if holding a baby, and using his chin to brace the top to prevent it from slipping. With his right hand, he pulled out the books one by one and categorized them into the compartments labeled with their first letters.

He turned his back to Lin Zhuo, using his body to block the movement, and started chatting casually, "Xiao Lin, tell me about the interview process. How did you get rejected? It shouldn't be like this. You're a genuine high school graduate who fought your way through the college entrance exam and got a Level 3 credit rating right after graduation, unlike me who didn't study hard in high school and only got it after twenty years. With such a good resume, as long as your major is relevant, what job wouldn't be scrambling to hire you?"

"It's not appropriate to discuss the specifics," Lin Zhuo said, squinting at Qiao Mingyang.

He had only been at the Jianlan Library for a week and was not very familiar with the librarian's ideas and style. The librarian usually either sat in the office or chatted with familiar customers over tea. He never caused trouble for the employees, so he had a very good reputation.

No matter what Qiao Mingyang did, Lin Zhu could sense a secretive undercurrent. After thinking about it carefully, he realized that although this person was aware of the importance of keeping secrets, his methods of doing so were very poor. He left clues everywhere. He seemed calm and composed, but his words, actions and expressions were quite superficial.

"What's wrong with talking about this? Let's just chat privately. Don't be so tense, there's no need to be nervous." Qiao Mingyang didn't turn around, but took the opportunity to pull something out of the pile of books and stuff it deep into the cabinet.

Lin Zhuo continued, "The interview panel had some opinions about some of my ideas."

"Oh?" Qiao Mingyang glanced at him sideways. "So what are your thoughts?"

"Hehe, I think there's something wrong with this selection interview process."

"If you have any problems, you can report them to Comrade Chijiang. The organization will not wrong you."

Lin Zhuo listened to the curator's tone, which carried a hint of resentment and a smile, as if he were gloating.

After a brief silence, he bluntly brought up the already somewhat dangerous topic: "Mr. Qiao, I feel that this world is unfair to many people."

"Shh!" The curator quickly turned around and stopped him. "Don't let anyone hear you. You're a level three credit rating, don't you have any sense of propriety?"

"Sigh, I see it clearly now." Lin Zhuo wasn't very good at acting, so he just turned his head away and stared blankly.

"Hey kid, do you even know what you're saying?"

"What's the big deal about talking? We can't just keep someone shutting up, can we?"

"Walls have ears, and there are also electronic devices on you. Chi Jiang has been eavesdropping the whole time. If word gets out, people will think you have impure thoughts, and your reputation in the community will be ruined. The organization will have a record of it, and not only will it be extremely difficult for you to get promoted, but you might even be demoted to the lowest credit rating." Qiao Mingyang lowered his voice.

He gestured for Lin Zhuo to stop complaining, finished his work, and said, "Come with me," and the two of them went into the office one after the other.

Qiao Mingyang sat behind his desk, reached into a drawer, flipped a switch, and took out a sealed box. He then had Lin Zhu put his phone inside and close it. Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief. "Alright, now you don't have to worry about being listened to, but you still have to keep your voice down."

"Director, what's going on?"

"Don't think I'm making a mountain out of a molehill. Look at this day and age, who dares to speak the truth? Xiaolin, to be honest, it's normal for you to have these thoughts. After all, you're young, and you've been exposed to so many works from other planets in your work. Those colony worlds outside the human community are all old societies, with backward ideas and residual poison in the culture they spread. It's inevitable that you'll be influenced."

Qiao Mingyang gave Lin Zhuo his advice like a kind and wise elder, but his cunning and calculating demeanor made Lin Zhuo almost certain that there was a group behind him.

This person is like the tip of a tentacle protruding from something underwater, using trained rhetoric to lure others.

Lin Zhu remained silent, pretending to be struggling with an internal conflict.

"Oh dear, don't get upset. This is the result of being born here. You think you're capable, but there are countless geniuses like you under this dome."

"Look at the customers in the store. Why do they come here pretending to work? It's because they've realized that society is the same whether they're there or not. Eating at the community canteen doesn't cost work points, and the food is just a little worse. Life goes by in a blur, so why go to work and create trouble for yourself?"

"There are college students among these people. They used to be just as ambitious as you, but they had nowhere to realize their aspirations, so they had to spend their days in the mud with other high school graduates who had never been to college."

"Have you thought it through yourself? Do you really want to live a life of prestige, like those movies about alien colonies, acting like a big shot, all glamorous and successful? Although these works have ideological problems, they are not without reason, and can be criticized and accepted."

Lin Zhuo hesitated, "Does the curator mean I should leave? But the only ways to get on a spaceship are through pioneer teams or the military. I can't even get through those routes."

Qiao Mingyang smiled and shook his head, "Actually, there are more than just these two ways to go out. Think about it carefully, how does our Cuirang Star communicate with countries and companies outside the human community?"

He spoke cryptically, and Lin Zhuo guessed that Qiao Mingyang was alluding to the alien embassy and the interstellar chamber of commerce. These organizations all had physical addresses and personnel stationed on Cuirang Star. Although they were under close surveillance, they had a certain degree of autonomy and were, in fact, well-known intelligence agencies.

"Director, do you have connections over there?"

"How could that be!" Qiao Mingyang hurriedly waved his hand in denial. "I didn't say that. I was just making a suggestion, take it with a grain of salt."

"I'll think about it."

"Alright, let's pretend we never said anything." Qiao Mingyang was as satisfied as if he had eaten a ripe peach, his eyes were bright, and his face still had that nice guy look. He took out Lin Zhuo's phone, held it with both hands and handed it over, and even patted him on the shoulder to encourage him.

Lin Zhuo took the phone, and before leaving, he heard the curator say behind him, "Little Lin, we can chat more often when we have time and exchange ideas."

"Definitely." He turned and smiled before leaving.

Qiao Mingyang took a voice recorder out of the drawer, chuckled, and thought to himself: Now I have something on them. So what if they're college students? A few scare words and they'll behave.

Stepping out of the office, Lin Zhuo looked at the integrated network panel in front of him.

[Network notification: The Taoist quest - Exorcising Ghosts and Spirits has been triggered]

Exorcising ghosts and spirits: Find and resolve the conspiracy behind the character "Qiao Mingyang".

The Path of the Hero: King of Knights

Description: You know this world is peaceful, and you thought it was a time of tranquility, where heroes had no place to use their skills. Yet, the spirit of chivalry surges with history, rising and falling like waves, never truly fading away. Even in such an era, there are still those who are corrupt and wicked, causing harm to the region. It is time to uproot this sinister person along with the evil roots behind him.

Lin Zhuoxin shook his head and chuckled to himself.

Not long ago, he thought the Path of the Hero King was the hardest to trigger; indeed, things are unpredictable.

He already had a rough plan on how to deal with Qiao Mingyang. This feigned heart-to-heart talk was enough for Lin Zhuo to see just how capable this seemingly kind-hearted curator really was.

Regardless of whether Qiao Mingyang was sincere or not, just by listening to his tone, describing the human community as a high-pressure group full of surveillance and false accusations, and trying to instill this view in Lin Zhuo, a college student, it is enough to show that this person's cognitive level is not high.

Cases of being punished for one's words are commonplace in worlds controlled by giant corporations and warlords.

His conversation with Qiao Mingyang was child's play in a university debate or class meeting, completely unrelated to sensitive topics. If speaking out could be punished, then Lin Zhuo's university roommates would have at least forty more heads than others.

Lin Zhuo has no immediate plans to expose the curator's sneaky words and actions to Chi Jiang.

To bring down an individual, or even destroy a group, one must first follow the clues, gather materials, peel away the disguise, and then burn it in the sun. The time is not yet ripe.

As a Qigong master, he has enough power to accomplish this, but he still needs to hone his skills before making any plans.