40: Chapter 40 Receives an Award!

"Great, with your help, I'll definitely be able to achieve good results!"

Monday.

Beast Control Bureau training ground.

When Li Heng said this to Lin Chen, the latter raised an eyebrow, feeling that this sentence sounded familiar.

Who had said that to him before?

Oh, it was Zhou Ming, who was also participating in the Young Eagle Cup.

Not long after arriving at work today, Li Heng found Lin Chen for a sparring match, calling it a way to convert and test his training results and prepare for the upcoming Young Eagle Cup.

Lin Chen was naturally happy to see this.

Every victory brought him experience points, and it also allowed him to continuously improve his skill proficiency—it was a win-win situation.

In fact, after their first sparring match, Li Heng had said something similar. Perhaps because the Young Eagle Cup was about to start, Li Heng felt a sense of urgency and expressed the same request again.

"Brother Chen."

Li Heng grinned, slinging an arm around Lin Chen's shoulder. "When I become the champion, I'll definitely mention you in the interview."

Lin Chen raised an eyebrow. "Why mention me?"

Li Heng curled his lips. "Of course, to thank you for being my training partner during this time, which is why I've improved so quickly and become the champion."

"This championship, you have a share in it."

Lin Chen smiled. "Let's talk about that after you become the champion."

"Hey, hey, hey." Li Heng chased after Lin Chen, gesturing repeatedly. "I'm serious. When the time comes, you can just cheer for me from the audience and watch me become the champion."

Lin Chen was noncommittal. "Work hard on your training first, and try to make it to the finals."

Lin Chen suddenly felt that his task had become much more arduous.

He clearly wasn't participating in the Young Eagle Cup, yet he seemed to be the busiest person involved in it.

During the day, he had to work and help Li Heng improve his strength, and at night, he had to work a part-time job and complete his sparring duties.

Wait.

What if these two ended up facing each other?

Lin Chen shook his head, deciding not to dwell on such ethereal problems.

Focus on the present first, and continue to improve the Flame Claw Beast's strength.

Just as Lin Chen and Li Heng were sparring, Uncle Li asked him to go to his office.

Inside the office.

The afternoon sun shone through the blinds, casting neat grids of light onto the clean, dark desk.

Lin Chen stood in front of the large desk, while Director Li Haotian sat opposite him. He picked up a document from the desk and handed it over.

"Xiao Chen, take a look at this."

Lin Chen took it with both hands. At the top was the eye-catching emblem and name of the "Qinglan City Management Bureau."

He quickly scanned the content:

Decision on Awarding a Commendation to Comrade Lin Chen.

To all sub-bureaus, directly affiliated units, and dispatched offices:

[Comrade Lin Chen is currently a Class D assistant at the Qingyang Town dispatched office of the Qinglan City Management Bureau.]

[Since participating in the assistance work, this comrade has been diligent and responsible, brave in taking on tasks, and has demonstrated a high sense of responsibility and excellent professional quality.]

[Especially in the recent assistance in handling several sudden incidents involving pet beasts within the jurisdiction, he acted quickly and judged accurately...]

[In order to commend the advanced, set an example, and encourage the vast number of cadres and employees to forge ahead, it has been decided after research to award Comrade Lin Chen one commendation.]

Below was the bright red official seal of the Qinglan City Management Bureau.

"Uncle Li, is it confirmed?" Lin Chen looked up at Director Li Haotian, his tone full of surprise.

"Yes, it's confirmed."

Director Li Haotian nodded, a smile appearing on his face that softened the perennial solemnity between his brows. "The procedures at the municipal bureau are complete, and the document has just been issued. Congratulations, Xiao Chen."

"As far as I know, this is the first time a temporary assistant has received a commendation in Qinglan City."

He leaned forward slightly and tapped his finger on the document. "By the way, the award ceremony has been moved up. It's scheduled for this Friday at 3:00 PM in the grand auditorium of the municipal bureau headquarters."

"Okay." Lin Chen nodded.

Director Li Haotian asked again, "You haven't told your parents about this yet, have you?"

Lin Chen shook his head. "Not yet. I wanted to wait until it was completely confirmed before telling them."

Director Li Haotian's smile deepened. "That's perfect. You can give them a surprise then. A father and son receiving awards on the same stage would be a wonderful story."

With the matter of the commendation settled, a weight was lifted off Lin Chen's mind, but another matter faintly floated to the surface.

He hesitated for a moment before asking, "By the way, Uncle Li, what happened with that matter last time?"

At the mention of this, Director Li Haotian's expression became serious again.

He waved his hand. "That matter has been completely taken over by the Special Defense Bureau. Unless it's necessary to notify us, the subsequent investigation results won't be fed back to our local units. Even I don't know more than you do."

Seeing the lingering doubt in Lin Chen's eyes, he added, "However, based on recent reports from the patrol team, the Duanshan Mountains are indeed not very peaceful. The activity frequency and aggression of wild pet beasts have both increased."

"You must be extra careful when you go out on field missions. If there's no mission, never approach the edge of the mountains privately, understand?"

Lin Chen nodded solemnly. "Okay, Uncle Li."

That night.

It was a normal dinner time, and the table was set with three dishes and a soup, filling the air with aroma.

Until Lin Jianjun put down his chopsticks and coughed lightly.

This cough broke a certain tacit silence. Liu Hui and Lin Chen both stopped their movements and looked at him, and even the two little guys buried in their food bowls looked up.

Lin Jianjun didn't speak; he just took a brand-new document out of his briefcase.

He placed the document on the table, gently smoothed out non-existent wrinkles with his fingers, and then pushed it so that it was closer to the center of the table.

After doing this, he picked up his chopsticks again, picked up a peanut, put it in his mouth, and chewed slowly, but his gaze fell on the rice bowl in front of him, as if the document didn't exist.

But everyone at the table had been attracted by that document.

Lin Chen looked at the familiar document, then at the indifferent-looking Lin Jianjun, and suddenly realized.

He secretly suppressed the amusement in his heart and pretended to be puzzled. "Dad, this is..."

Lin Jianjun seemed to be waiting for this very sentence.

He stopped chewing, swept his gaze over his son, then glanced at his wife. The corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up, and the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothed out.

"Hmm."

He nodded, his voice slightly higher than usual. "The commendation has been approved. The award ceremony will be held at the municipal bureau headquarters this Friday afternoon."

As he spoke, the smile on his face grew even wider. "You should all take some time off and come with me to attend."

"Look at how smug you are." Liu Hui teased with a smile, but her eyes remained fixed on the commendation document from beginning to end.

"It's really great," she said softly.

Her husband's career was just like their life over these years—steady and flawless;

Her daughter Lin Yue was a top student at the Beast Tamer Academy and had now found a good internship; although it was a bit tiring, the future was promising;

Her son Lin Chen, although just graduated, had been obedient and sensible since he was a child. She didn't ask for him to have great abilities, as long as he was safe and sound, that was enough.

In the future, it would be good if he could become an Advanced Beast Tamer.

If that happened, they could truly be considered to have gained a firm foothold in Qinglan City.

For a moment, all three of them were looking forward to the arrival of Friday.