NOVEL NEXT Chapter 87 - Peerless Talent
Xia Chen shifted his gaze from Yu Shaoqian to Zhang Wenliao, who sat off to the side, frowning but earnestly studying characters.
[Zhang Wenliao: Half-Step Top-Tier Talent]
[Command: 52 (95), Intelligence: 82 (90), Politics: 63 (85), Fate Trait: Slayer of the Alien—When facing foreign tribes, all three attributes increase by +3. Potential: Three and a Half Stars, Realm: Martial Path Ninth-Rank Realm!]
Xia Chen glanced at Zhang Wenliao’s ability scores and nodded approvingly—especially at his Command stat. With a future potential of 95, he could reach the realm of Top-Tier Talents. Moreover, he possessed a Fate Trait, no wonder he was rated a Half-Step Top-Tier Talent.
“Zhang Wenliao has remarkable potential—especially against foreign tribes. If we send him to the Eastern Wasteland battlefield or the Southern Frontier in the future… if I recall correctly, there are alien tribes north of Dafeng too!”
Xia Chen murmured to himself before turning to detect Xia Wen, who was practicing punches in the courtyard.
[Xia Wen: Peerless Talent]
[Command: 82 (103), Intelligence: 85 (95), Politics: 42 (87), Fate Trait: Army Breaker—When leading an army in a charge, all attributes increase by +3. Potential: Five Stars! Realm: Martial Path Eighth-Rank Realm!]
Xia Chen couldn’t help but feel a jolt of shock at Xia Wen’s lavish stats. No wonder he was a Peerless Talent, capable of dominating an era. A peak Command score of 103—in any previous age, that would have shone unrivaled across a generation.
“Already so exceptional, yet still outshone by my dear brother Xia Hao. Truly worthy of being hailed as one who surpasses our distant ancestors!”
In that moment, Xia Chen’s thoughts raced, his heart filled with awe. Through the system’s detection, Xia Wen was undeniably outstanding—yet in the grand era to come, he’d still fall slightly short of Xia Hao. One could only imagine the staggering talent and potential of his younger brother.
“Six hundred years of the Xia family’s fortune are set to fully erupt in this era!”
Having produced Peerless Talents like Xia Wen and Xia Hao, even they couldn’t entirely eclipse the brilliance of other Xia family scions!
A constellation of stars!
At this thought, Xia Chen’s chest swelled with boundless ambition.
“Division Head!”
As Xia Chen mused, two more figures crossed the courtyard and approached.
It was Lu Shen and Shen Xueyan!
“How did things go?”
Xia Chen turned his gaze to them. Lu Shen clasped his fists and reported.
“I led a team to wipe out the Langya Gang in the capital. I’d investigated beforehand—the Langya Gang was trafficking women and children, with no small amount of blood on their hands. This time, we’ve done a good deed.
Their total assets are estimated at just over 10,000 taels. I took 5,000 and handed them to Mr. Shen.
The remaining six or seven thousand were reported to the authorities. Rest assured, Division Head, I handled it cleanly—no trouble will come your way!”
Lu Shen spoke earnestly. This was the first task Xia Chen had entrusted to him alone—and a discreet, sensitive one at that. It eased his mind considerably. Such tasks were typically reserved for trusted confidants, suggesting Xia Chen wouldn’t dispose of him later.
“Well done!”
Xia Chen’s gaze shifted to Shen Xueyan, who hurriedly reported as well.
“I scouted the capital today and selected a location. I’ve decided to start with a restaurant. For one, the restaurant business offers substantial profits, and I’ve got experience in this area—I’m confident I can break even within two months at most.
For another, restaurants draw crowds and serve as social hubs. Though you hold office in the court, Division Head, and the Lamplighters lack no informants, there’s still value in hearing the voices and movements from the grassroots…”
Shen Xueyan paused, casting a cautious glance at Xia Chen. He’d mulled it over last night—merely excelling in business wouldn’t showcase his worth; he needed to prove himself a versatile asset.
Xia Chen’s expression remained unchanged, offering only a faint nod.
“Since you’ve chosen a spot and have a plan—and the funds are in place—go ahead and proceed boldly!”
“Yes, Division Head!”
Shen Xueyan clasped his fists, his demeanor brimming with enthusiasm, while Lu Shen beside him felt a mounting pressure.
Every person around this Division Head seemed a talent!
Xu Xingchen and Xia Wen, the Division Head’s brother, went without saying.
Even Shen Xueyan, whom he’d previously dismissed, possessed such foresight.
Lu Shen, once so self-assured, now felt a pressing urgency. He had to prove his worth—otherwise, how could he earn favor?
Though Xia Chen listened to their reports, he’d already begun detecting their stats.
[Lu Shen: First-Rate Talent]
[Command: 81 (89), Intelligence: 90 (94), Politics: 66 (87), Espionage: 94, Potential: Three Stars, Realm: Martial Path Seventh-Rank Realm!]
…
[Shen Xueyan: Top-Tier Talent]
[Command: 76, Intelligence: 96, Politics: 68 (82), Commerce: 99, Potential: Four Stars, Realm: Unranked!]
Xia Chen noted that both now had four attributes rather than three, each with an additional specialized stat. Did this mark them as exceptional talents?
Shen Xueyan’s stats, in particular, drew Xia Chen’s attention for a second look.
In his thirties, his abilities had largely peaked—especially his Commerce stat at 99, among the very best even for Top-Tier Talents.
On a whim, Xia Chen also detected Xia Qian, and to his surprise, even Xia Qian reached Second-Rate Talent caliber. His Command hit 86, and Politics reached 82—further testament to the Xia family’s formidable fortune.
…
Over the following week, Xia Chen remained at the Lamplighters’ Government Office, adhering to a steady routine of work and rest.
Though these seven days passed calmly for Xia Chen, undercurrents surged within the Lamplighters.
Chen Song and Li Yue were sentenced to death for forming factions for personal gain, alongside five Thousand Households officers and over twenty Hundred Households officers—a chilling spectacle for many.
In the past decade or more, the Lamplighters had never seen so many executions. Such was the brutality of power struggles—more perilous than any battlefield. No blades flashed, yet heads rolled in an instant!
Meanwhile, Xia Chen aggressively promoted personnel within the Eagle Eye Division, wielding Commander-in-Chief Ma Song’s writ to transfer individuals from the other eight divisions into his ranks.
He rebuilt the two halls once led by Chen Song and Li Yue, reshuffling Zheng Ping’s three halls as well—dismantling the old power structure and reassigning roles.
With that, he fully seized control of the Eagle Eye Division!
Time flowed steadily onward, and in the blink of an eye, it was late May.
Xia Chen had been with the Lamplighters for nearly a month.
For Xia Chen, Xu Xingchen, and the others, this month brought immense change.
Xu Xingchen and Yu Shaoqian had fully adapted to the Lamplighters’ operations—one handling case files and investigations, the other managing documents, their coordination seamless.
In that month, Zhang Wenliao had mastered all basic characters. Literacy transformed him—shedding his thuggish air, he grew steadier by the day.
Within the same timeframe, Shen Xueyan’s restaurant was fully renovated and on track. With a flourish of his brush, Xia Chen set its grand opening for three days hence.
“Today’s wind is quite restless!”
Xia Chen sat in the courtyard, gazing at wildflowers swaying in the breeze, murmuring to himself.
“Division Head, orders have come from above—we’re to begin rallying the people’s spirits, ensuring fervor in the capital and its surrounding regions!”
Lu Shen stood behind Xia Chen, bowing with clasped fists, his expression grave.
“The court may have decided… to go to war!”