ATAPOW Chapter 80
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Chapter 80: Arrangements
“…Who are you?” The inside information that the man was privy to caused Rodo, the obese man, to frown slightly. However, that man was a bit too naive to think he could topple or blackmail him with just that bit of information.
As a high ranking official who had handled his social and work affairs in a slick and sly manner, Rodo had accumulated a vast amount of experience and connections over the years. He was like the bark of an old tree whose roots reached considerably deep in the ground; It might not be too difficult to hamper him a little, but if one wished to uproot his entire foundation and overthrow him, it would be nothing but a fool’s dream, even if the person was the local division chief of the Sacred Martial Association.
Besides, it wouldn’t even matter if he was hampered. Relying on his extensive connections and wealth, he could make a comeback after only a short time and would repay any grievances made towards him.
As he thought about this, the obese man recovered his calmness and casually got back to his seat once more.
“It’s indeed befitting of the young to be wild and frivolous. Did you perhaps think that the little bit of status you have is enough for you to be condescending to others? Haha, the overt and covert battles of wits in bureaucracy are not as gratifying or soothing as you think they are. I am guessing you must be a new section chief or vice section chief that has just assumed a post, are you not? That type of information isn’t enough to bring me down, alright? Oh my, what benefit is there to stand out among a group? If you do things without fully considering the consequences, the person down on their luck wouldn’t just be you; Even your family might be implicated as well!” The obese man’s eyes were brimming with threats as he narrowed them into a line.
“Huh? This might implicate my family too?” Ji Bai raised his brows.
“Hah! Little friend, let an old-timer like myself teach you a lesson today.” Said Rodo as he sneered at Ji Bai. He was especially certain that Ji Bai was just an inexperienced guy who had assumed his post only a couple of days ago.
“Bureaucracy is like the battlefield. One should hone their strength while waiting for the right time to come. Before having a hundred percent confidence, one must probe out their enemy and engage in underhanded methods. If necessary, one has to hit a person while they’re down and develop one’s power and connections in secret. Bribery is indispensable, that’s why it’s commonly known as amassing wealth while in the shadows…” The nose of the obese man was raised so high up, it seemed like it could ascend to the heavens at any moment. He was getting a deeper satisfaction out of it the more he spoke.
“Once you have absolute confidence in your chances, possess some capital, and ready your retreat; Then you can go all out and pull your opponent down from their position! This is what we call ‘Social Erasure’. And when that time comes, will anybody care that the family of a powerless official, one currently at the forefront of public opinions, has disappeared? Haha, this is just like a board of chess. You have to anticipate the impact various actions will have on the state of the game later on. As the saying goes, you have to see 10 steps ahead for each step you take; and remember that the risk is often proportional to the reward… Do you understand now?”
“While playing cards, the trump card will usually be kept to the very back, while a lion would never go all out to fight a rabbit. If I were you, I’d never have handled this affair in such a sloppy manner… Sigh, it’s such a pity, young man. This foolish choice you made, will very soon consign you and your family into eternal damnation…”
“Because I’ll never let you slip away with this, hahaha…” Rodo laughed evilly.
“…Is all bureaucracy like this nowadays?” Ji Bai crossed his arms and lowered his head in contemplation.
“Huh? What else do you expect? This world is much dirtier than you think. And all we need to do is be a dirty person to live a life better than the common folks. Life will truly be incomparably fulfilling then.”
“Mhm. Perhaps this is the only sentence you’re right about.” Ji Bai moved his arms about, kicked his chair away and stood up.
“What? Are you getting desperate now? Don’t forget that this place is my domain.” Said Rodo in disdain.
“…So the reason back then when I made you branch head in Border Town, it’s all so you can become a local tyrant.”
“Ah?? What?? Youngster, don’t tell me that you’ve been frightened silly, and are now beginning to blabber nonsense?”
“You’ve been preying on the commoners a lot within these past few years, correct?” Asked Ji Bai indifferently and placed his hands into his pockets.
“Ha, so what if that’s the case? This is a matter of mutual consent. Commoners give us money for justice and security, while we take their money and handle their affairs for them. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“Oh. What do you think will happen if I made those words of yours public?”
“Pfft… Who the hell are you? How many people in the upper echelons will believe our words? You’re just a nobody with no history or fame, do you really see yourself as some sort of bigshot?” Rodo sneered at him.
“Who the hell am I??” Ji Bai smiled. “I will now show you who the hell I am.”
Ji Bai pulverized the ground with a punch, as white holy particles, pure and flawless, covered and wrapped around his body like a crowd of fireflies.
The holy particles scorched the cracked floor as the temperature in the room suddenly increased.
A series of sun inscriptions carved on the dark silver armor was wrapped within the silver radiance and glittered resplendently.
As the silver radiance gradually scattered, the blue helmet tassel fluttered upwards under the sweeping embrace of the holy grains.
As the dark silver armored knight gradually stood up from his kneeling position, a gaze landed on Rodo’s body through the slit of the helmet.
“…” Rodo’s smile froze. His entire being had turned into stone along with his chair; He was completely motionless.
“I trust you have been well since we last met, lil’ Rodo.” The nostalgic, hoarse voice passed through the full plate armor and, like a heavy blunt blow, exploded in Rodo’s ears.
“…R,R-R-Radia…!!” The petrified Rodo jumped up with a jolt as his complexion turned pale as paper. For a moment he thought he had actually seen a ghost. He kicked away his chair in a panic and fell to the ground, landing on his butt.
“R-R-Radiant…?!!!”
Ji Bai was silent. He silently fixed his eyes on the wretched state of Rodo, whose limbs were shivering from fright.
“I pay respect to my lord! This subordinate of yours is as blind as a bat! As blind as a bat!! May my lord forgive me! Even if Rodo hadn’t performed any meritorious deeds over these long years, he at least deserves credits for his hard work…” As he incessantly kowtowed while kneeling on the ground, Rodo cried to the point his face was full of snots and tears. His ability to change expressions dramatically was so superior that actors in a Soap Opera would have no chance of catching up with him.
“Hard work? Don’t pull this logic on me. I have seen Young Master Ro living quite the comfortable life during these past few years. Does hard work truly exist here?” Ji Bai shook his head.
“O-Of course! My lord, it isn’t necessarily a good thing to have such a high position. One could even say that I have been considerate of the people’s needs and obeying their will. It had sapped my mental and physical faculties dry and clean, and exhausted both my body and heart…”
“I can tell. Your mental and physical faculties must be so dry and clean to the point you gained a few tens of pounds, while your body and heart must be so exhausted that your cheeks now have a fine, healthy color to them.” Ji Bai nodded his head and walked over.
“Lil’ fatty, do you plan on swallowing the words you just said back down your stomach? You didn’t say all this when you saw me earlier.” Ji Bai grabbed Rodo’s hair and yanked his head up.
“That was just a joke earlier…”
“Your ‘jokes’ can go so far as to kill my entire family?”
“I… My lord, I…”
“Save that acting of yours! You’re making your granddaddy nauseous just by looking at you!” Ji Bai threw Rodo down to the ground.
“I will punctually show up at the venue tomorrow, so arrange everything beforehand. Fabricating someone’s identity shouldn’t be something too difficult for you, so regardless of the methods you use, I must see my own seat in tomorrow’s tribunal court.
“Yes, yes…” Rodo kowtowed and didn’t dare lift his head as his obese body shivered.
“Also, I will give you some time to tidy up your valuables. I don’t want to see you still sitting in this seat after this incident.”
“My lord! I…”
“I can send you to the division and consign you to eternal damnation with just one sentence of mine. It’s just a matter of me moving my fingers, understand?”
“Yes, yes, yes…” Rodo, who was kneeling on the ground, felt his intestines turn green with regrets as waves of bitterness overwhelmed him.
“And lastly, did I come here today?” A cold radiance radiated within the seams of his helmet.
“Ah? …Oh! No, no…!” Rodo had fallen into a state of shock, then immediately responded after.
“Mhm. Remember this. The Radiant Knight is already dead, got it? You need to know that I’ve revealed this information only to you. If this was leaked, the first one I will think of is you, got it?”
“Yes, yes, yes! …Uhm, my lord. Are you still alive…?”
“That isn’t something you should know, so don’t ask.” Ji Bai coldly warned him.
Ji Bai pushed open the window and leaped out.
ED Note: Ji Bai then tripped on the edge of the window and fell face-first to the floor where he broke his head and died for real.