signingbooks Chapter 56 Garrison Commander
Chapter 56 Garrison Commander
Song Chen stood up: "Dad, Mom, I'm going out for a bit."
Li Xiuying was picking vegetables in the kitchen when she poked her head out and asked, "Where are you going?"
"Something came up."
Come back soon.
After leaving the house, Song Chen did not head towards the inner city, but instead turned into the slums.
It's still the same old place: dilapidated buildings, potholed roads, and the little GGs on the walls have been replaced time and time again.
He found Liu Si's place and knocked on the door.
No one answered, so he knocked a few more times with more force.
A flurry of noise came from inside, followed by a trembling voice: "Who...who is it?"
Song Chen didn't say anything, but knocked again.
The door opened a crack, and Liu Si's face appeared inside.
The moment he saw Song Chen, his face turned pale, and he instinctively tried to close the door.
Song Chen braced himself against the door, and Liu Si was thrown back two steps by the door, falling to the ground with a thud. His lips trembled, and he could barely speak.
"Song...Song Chen...the top scholar...you...how did you get here...?"
Song Chen went inside and casually closed the door.
Liu Si sat on the ground, trembling all over, his face as white as paper.
Song Chen pulled up a chair and sat down, looking down at him: "I need you to be a witness regarding Zhao Wei's matter."
Liu Si was taken aback: "As? As a witness?"
Song Chen said calmly, "Go to the garrison commander's mansion and tell me exactly what Zhao Wei asked you to do to keep an eye on my family."
Liu Si's face turned even paler, and his lips trembled even more violently.
"No, no... Zhao Wei will kill me... His grandfather is the city defense army captain, a third-level martial artist..."
Song Chen didn't waste any words: "If you don't go, I'll make sure you can never go for the rest of your life."
Liu Si collapsed to the ground, trembling all over.
He looked up into Song Chen's eyes. There was no threat, no anger, only calmness in those eyes.
But it was precisely this calm that made him even more afraid.
He recalled the time more than half a month ago when Song Chen cornered him in the alley, beat him half to death, and left him in pain for several days.
Later, Song Chen became the top scholar in the imperial examination. He lived a humble life in the slums every day, praying that Song Chen would not think of him.
But now Song Chen has arrived.
"I...I'll go," he said, trembling.
"Okay, come with me."
……
The Garrison Commander's Mansion is located at the deepest part of the inner city and is the tallest and most imposing building in the entire Anning City.
Song Chen stood at the doorway, looking up at the massive bronze door.
Two guards stood at the entrance, dressed in black uniforms with badges of second-tier martial artists pinned to their chests.
"What is it?" one of the guards stopped him.
Song Chen took out his martial arts badge and admission notice from his pocket and handed them over: "I want to see the garrison commander."
The guard glanced at the badge, then at the notice, and his expression changed.
"Song Chen? The provincial top scorer?"
"Yes."
The two guards exchanged a glance, and one of them turned and strode inside.
In less than five minutes, he ran back, his tone much more respectful: "The garrison commander invites you in."
Song Chen followed the guard through the long corridor.
The interior of the garrison commander's residence was simpler than he had imagined, with portraits of past garrison commanders hanging on the walls.
At the end of the corridor was a wooden door, and the guard knocked on it.
"Sir, Song Chen has arrived."
"Come in." The voice was deep and resonant.
Song Chen pushed open the door and went in. The room was small, with a desk and a few chairs, and files piled on the desk.
A man in his fifties sat behind a desk, dressed in casual clothes, with gray hair and deep wrinkles on his face.
Shen Qingshan, the garrison commander of Anning City.
A fifth-tier martial artist, the strongest person in Anning City.
Shen Qingshan sized up Song Chen, his gaze moving from his face to his chest, and then to the Thunderclap Blade at his waist.
After a few seconds of silence, he suddenly laughed: "The provincial top scorer, instead of celebrating, what brings you to this old man?"
Song Chen didn't waste any words: "Governor, I have a complaint against someone."
Shen Qingshan raised an eyebrow: "Sue whom?"
"Zhao Chenggang, the commander of the city's garrison, and his grandson."
Zhao Chenggang was Zhao Weina's grandfather, who served in the city's garrison.
Shen Qingshan put down the documents in his hand and leaned back in his chair: "Tell me in detail."
Song Chen recounted the entire incident from beginning to end.
From the conflict with Zhao Wei during practical training to Liu Si spying on his parents downstairs.
He spoke calmly, without embellishment or exaggeration, simply stating the facts.
After he finished speaking, he turned and glanced at Liu Si, who was huddled by the door: "Come in."
Liu Si walked in tremblingly, knelt down on the ground with a thud, his face as white as paper.
Shen Qingshan looked down at him: "Are you a witness?"
Liu Si nodded frantically, his voice trembling uncontrollably.
"It was...it was Zhao Wei who sent me."
"He said he was keeping an eye on Song Chen's house to see if he was back, and if his parents were home... I don't know what he's up to. I'm just a gofer, and I don't dare disobey him..."
Shen Qingshan didn't speak, then he picked up the communicator on the table.
"Have Zhao Chenggang come over."
Zhao Chenggang arrived very quickly.
He was wearing the uniform of the city defense army, tall, with a cold and hard face, and bore a resemblance to Zhao Wei.
As he entered, his gaze swept over Song Chen, a cold glint flashing in his eyes, but he quickly concealed it and respectfully bowed to Shen Qingshan: "My lord, you wanted to see me."
Shen Qingshan didn't offer him a seat, pointing at him and saying, "Are you aware that your grandson sent people to spy on the home of Song Chen, the provincial top scholar?"
Zhao Chenggang's expression changed for a moment.
He glanced at Song Chen, then looked at Shen Qingshan: "Sir, I know nothing about this."
"have no idea?"
"You didn't know what your grandson did?"
Zhao Chenggang paused for a moment, then explained, "My grandson is young and impetuous, and there might be some misunderstanding between him and classmate Song Chen, but he would never do anything out of line."
"As for surveillance..."
His gaze swept over Liu Si. "I don't know this person. His words are not to be trusted."
Song Chen spoke up: "Captain Zhao, your grandson was in the same team as me during the practical training. Because of a previous conflict, he held a grudge against me. After returning to the city, he had Liu Si keep watch downstairs at my house for several days. Liu Si admitted it himself."
Zhao Wei sneered: "Song Chen, you are the top scorer in the province, but that doesn't mean you can just falsely accuse someone."
"Although Xiao Wei's grades aren't good, he wouldn't do something like that. As for Liu Si... can a petty thug be used as evidence?"
Song Chen stared coldly at him: "Then, Captain Zhao, what do you think can serve as evidence?"
Just as Zhao Wei was about to speak, Shen Qingshan suddenly spoke up.
That's enough.
His voice wasn't loud, but the air in the room seemed to freeze instantly.
Zhao Wei shut his mouth, and Song Chen also fell silent.
Shen Qingshan looked at Zhao Wei calmly: "Zhao Chenggang, how many years have you served in the city garrison?"
"Twelve years."
Shen Qingshan nodded, then asked, "How many strange beasts have you killed in these twelve years?"
Zhao Wei paused for a moment.
"I can't remember."
"Can't remember?"
Shen Qingshan repeated it, then suddenly smiled.
"I've lived in Anning for twenty years and seen many martial artists. Some were talented, some were lucky, some survived, and some died. Do you know what the most important thing I learned was?"
Zhao Wei remained silent.
Shen Qingshan stood up, walked to the window, and turned his back to them: "It's to check on people."