"To become an official?"
Liang Xiao was taken aback, then said with some difficulty,
"Your Excellency Mayor, I am still a student. If I can get into university, I hope to finish my studies first."
"Too."
The square-faced mayor knew he couldn't force the child to stay, lest he needlessly offend this little genius.
Unfortunately, Changlin City was too small — the geniuses who had come from here rarely ever returned.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have been in such a hurry to have Liang Xiao stay and become an official.
An Unexpected Offer
"In this way,"
the mayor said slowly, "I, the mayor, will grant you the title of Honorary Law Enforcement Captain, with the same powers as Huang Wei. When necessary, you can forcibly conscript ordinary honorary citizens."
He continued,
"You don't need to do anything on a daily basis — just focus on your cultivation. In return, I, the mayor, can arrange for you to have a five-bedroom, two-living-room apartment in a wealthy area, complete with a cultivation room. At the same time, I will give you the choice of a first-tier spiritual weapon, a set of Qi Refining stage cultivation techniques, and the qualification to use a set of spells. The total price will be within ten million Federal Credits."
Liang Xiao was taken aback. So generous?!
"Liang Xiao, this Honorary Law Enforcement Captain title is just that,"
Captain Huang, standing nearby, explained kindly.
"You don't need to work here, so it won't be a burden to you.
A five-bedroom, two-living-room suite in the wealthy district of Changlin City is worth twenty million Federal Dollars, and with the cultivation room included, it's worth one hundred million Federal Dollars."
The unsophisticated Liang Xiao gasped in surprise and hurriedly bowed.
"Thank you, Mayor."
There was no way to refuse something like this —
they had given too much!
The square-faced mayor nodded in satisfaction.
Although it was impossible to keep the boy as an official permanently, this much was enough to make him feel a sense of belonging to Changlin City.
If this young man grew in the future and still had a conscience, he might one day remember Changlin City.
It was enough if, when that time came, he could lend a helping hand when the city was in need.
"Alright, you can go back now. Come over before you leave for university."
The mayor turned to Captain Huang.
"Huang Wei, you're in charge of arranging Liang Xiao's housing issue."
"Yes, Your Excellency."
Huang Wei hurriedly bowed, then turned to Liang Xiao.
"Let's go. I'll take you back."
"Okay."
Liang Xiao immediately took his leave with Captain Huang and left the mayor's residence.
Behind the Scenes
After the two left, the square-faced mayor looked at the two ministers of the law enforcement department.
"Are you wondering why I didn't give him any cultivation resources?"
"Your subordinate dares not question the mayor's decision."
"The mayor's decision must have its reasons."
The two ministers hurriedly responded.
The mayor smiled faintly.
"The problem of cultivation resources will solve itself for us."
Immediately, both ministers understood what he meant.
The top scorer in the college entrance examination, now favored by the mayor and titled Honorary Captain, would surely attract the attention — and goodwill — of powerful figures across the Federation.
After all, this world belonged to the Federation.
"But be careful,"
the mayor said calmly, "the Longevity Cult will probably target that little guy again.
Those who come bearing gifts must be thoroughly investigated."
"Yes!"
"Don't worry, Mayor!"
A New Home
Liang Xiao returned to the Law Enforcement Department with Captain Huang, chose his new residence, and then left.
It was worth noting that because of his title as an Honorary Law Enforcement Captain, his home was officially designated as being in Changlin Community.
That residential area was protected by a third-order array, with law enforcement officers patrolling day and night —
so the safety of his family was absolutely guaranteed.
This was one of the main reasons why he accepted the honorary title.
Of course, this identity came with more than just security —
it also granted him the right to act first and report later.
Power and Privilege
This authority meant that if an unregistered cultivator attacked a mortal, he could act on the mayor's behalf —
to suppress or even kill the offender —
with all consequences borne by the mayor himself.
Of course, these rights only applied within Changlin City,
since other cities had their own jurisdictions.
However, the benefits of his title extended throughout the Federation.
For instance—
a 15% discount on all shopping purchases.
Even if he did absolutely nothing for a month, he would still receive 100,000 Federal Dollars in salary.
And that was only the base pay — completing missions would earn additional bonuses,
none of which would ever be lower than the base amount.
In short, the treatment was luxurious beyond imagination,
something ordinary citizens could never dream of.
This is what cultivators are like.
This is what honorable citizens are like.
This is what the privileged class is like.
Homecoming
When Liang Xiao returned home, it was already evening.
His grandfather Liang Wen and younger brother Liang Yuan saw him enter and rushed forward, their eyes full of emotion.
"Brother, are you alright? I knew you'd be alright!"
Xiao Liangyuan exclaimed happily.
"Did Ah Xiao suffer any losses in prison?"
Grandpa Liang Wen asked with concern.
"No, Grandpa, don't worry."
Liang Xiao smiled.
"Grandpa, pack your things — we'll move first thing tomorrow morning."
"Moving?"
The old man blinked, clearly taken aback.
It was Xiao Liangyuan who reacted first.
"Brother, can we move to the rich neighborhood?"
Liang Wen's eyes widened as realization dawned. He couldn't help but look at Liang Xiao with admiration and disbelief.
Had he finally reaped the rewards of all his life's hardships?
"Right."
Liang Xiao nodded.
"I'm now the Honorary Law Enforcement Captain of Changlin City, and I own a five-bedroom, two-living-room suite with a cultivation room in Changlin Community."
"Five bedrooms and two living rooms…"
Grandpa Liang Wen's eyes widened even more.
"It's so big… it must be very expensive, right? Was it allocated?"
"It's allocated, and theoretically belongs to me," Liang Xiao said with a grin.
"I can't rent or sell it, but I can modify it however I want. It's worth one hundred million."
"One hundred million…"
The old man was momentarily stunned.
"How much is one hundred million? Is it a lot?"
Xiao Liangyuan asked innocently.
"A lot," the old man said, voice trembling.
He was so overwhelmed that he could barely speak.
"Brother, you're amazing!"
Xiao Liangyuan shouted excitedly.
"Grandpa, you don't need to move everything from home. Just take the things worth remembering.
We can buy new furniture later — I have money now."
Liang Xiao smiled faintly.
"Also, Grandpa, you should quit your job. It's far from where we'll live, and our family will never be short of money again."
"Okay… whatever you say. Whatever you say."
Tears welled up in the old man's eyes.
"If your parents knew what happened, they would be very pleased."
Quiet Reflection
Liang Xiao fell silent for a moment.
Although he remembered the appearance of this body's parents,
they had already passed away two years before he transmigrated.
So he himself had no emotional bond with them.
He told his grandfather and younger brother to rest, then returned to his small room.
Finally… I can move out of this cramped space.
Looking around the four-square-meter room, he felt a strange mix of nostalgia and relief.
He had lived here for ten years — leaving now felt bittersweet.
But only slightly.
After all, he had been an adult when he transmigrated.
The childhood of this body didn't truly belong to him.
I don't have anything worth taking with me. Just leave it all here. The government will handle the old housing anyway.
He didn't go to sleep immediately.
Instead, he intended to take out the Destruction Gun to practice his marksmanship—
only to realize that the weapon was longer than the room itself.
With no other choice, he lay on the bed, pulled out his phone, and opened [Cultivation Home], browsing through the spell section.
Although these were all low-level spells, they were still common knowledge for cultivators —
it wouldn't hurt to learn more.
He knew everything he had achieved so far came from his own effort and ingenuity.
To keep it all, he had to become even stronger.
Because in this world—
Strength reigns supreme.