On the way back to the hotel, Ling Chen suddenly received a call from an unknown number.
The call connected, and Ling Chen greeted, only to hear a familiar voice on the other side: "Ling Chen, it’s me."
"Zhou Jun?" Ling Chen recognized the voice and asked with a smile, "What made you think of calling me?"
"This time, it’s on behalf of my old man; I specifically called you. Hey, are you free these days? Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would like to invite you over as a guest and give you the reward we owe you."
"That might be a bit inconvenient; I’m in Beijing, maybe..."
"You’re in Beijing?" Zhou Jun laughed loudly: "That really is a coincidence."
Ling Chen was slightly taken aback and said with a tone of surprise, "From what you’re saying, could it be that the headquarters of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion is in Beijing?"
Zhou Jun laughed and replied: "Where else did you think it was? Since you’re in Beijing, there’s no better day than today. Where are you? I’ll come and pick you up."
Ling Chen thought for a moment and then told Zhou Jun the address of his hotel.
When Ling Chen arrived at the hotel, Zhou Jun was already waiting in the lobby for his arrival.
"Ling Chen, it’s been a few days. How have you been?"
Although the two had not known each other for long, they had fought side by side, and both admired each other and deliberately befriended one another, thus their relationship was quite good.
"Just so-so, the usual."
"Let’s go. The old man is waiting for you there so he doesn’t end up calling to rush us."
Ling Chen nodded, gave a few instructions to Zhong Wei to ensure the safety of Nanrong Wanqing. Now that the Snake King was captured, Nanrong Wanqing’s safety was temporarily secured even if Ling Chen was not by her side.
As they exited the hotel’s main entrance, a silver Porsche was parked by the roadside; Zhou Jun pulled out his car keys and walked over.
Getting into the car, Ling Chen chuckled: "Does everyone in Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion have as much money as you?"
Zhou Jun pursed his lips and said, "I’m not bragging, but Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion never cares about money. We don’t have salaries here, only bonuses. Adding together the bonuses from holidays, let’s not exaggerate, but one million is guaranteed."
Ling Chen was somewhat surprised; he knew Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was wealthy, but he didn’t realize it was to this extent. But then again, considering Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion has a history of hundreds of years with profound heritage, it made sense they had accumulated substantial wealth.
After a drive of more than ten minutes, Zhou Jun drove the Porsche into an underground parking garage.
"Are we here?" Ling Chen looked at Zhou Jun, his face full of astonishment. He had thought the headquarters of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would be in a quiet place in the suburbs. Yet here he was, in the bustling center of Beijing, the most vibrant part of the city.
Zhou Jun laughed and retorted: "Where did you think the Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion would be?"
Ling Chen touched his nose and said, "I thought it would be in a very secretive place."
"There’s an old saying, ’The greatest secrets are hidden in plain sight’. The best way to avoid discovery is to blend in."
In the meantime, the two walked side by side into the parking garage’s elevator.
This luxurious office building had sixty-six floors, and according to Zhou Jun, it was entirely funded by Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion and had been standing for about a decade now. The headquarters of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was located on the top floor of this luxurious office building, covering an area of more than 2,000 square meters, while the rest of the floors were rented out. Just from this rental income alone, the earnings were substantial.
As the elevator doors opened, Ling Chen stepped out to see a spacious reception hall wherein several attractive young women in professional attire respectfully stood on both sides, their faces adorned with gentle smiles that made people feel very comfortable.
Under Zhou Jun’s lead, Ling Chen passed through the reception hall and went straight into the lounge. Along the way, Ling Chen’s eyes never rested, carefully observing the surrounding environment.
What amazed Ling Chen was that the headquarters of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion weren’t much different from a regular company; each employee had an individual cubicle, and all work was completed via computers, a uniformly modern setup. If Zhou Jun hadn’t stressed on it several times, Ling Chen wouldn’t have believed that this place was indeed Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion.
Upon reaching the lounge, Zhou Qi was seen holding a tea cup, waiting inside.
"Mr. Ling." Zhou Qi greeted with a smile, stood up, and approached Ling Chen with an extended hand: "Welcome to Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion."
"Elder Zhou." Ling Chen politely shook hands.
"Mr. Ling, as Zhou Jun probably told you, the main reason for inviting you here is to deliver the reward we promised you. Zhou Jun, go fetch the items."
"Alright!" Zhou Jun responded and left the lounge.
"Mr. Ling, please have a seat."
"Elder Zhou, no need to be so formal; I’m friends with Zhou Jun, just call me Ling Chen."
"That’s fine." Zhou, smiling, nodded his head, then suddenly shifted the conversation: "Did you encounter any trouble on your way back last time?"
"Ran into a bit of minor trouble, but it wasn’t a big deal."
"That’s good. After you left, I knew the God Organization wouldn’t give up easily, so I’ve been worried about your safety. Seeing that you’re alright, I can rest easy now."
"Thank you for your concern, Elder Zhou." After saying this, Ling Chen couldn’t help but ask: "Elder Zhou, is this place really the headquarters of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion?" Although Zhou Jun had confirmed it several times, Ling Chen was still somewhat disbelieving.
"It is." Zhou Qi explained with a smile: "Previously, Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion was located in deep mountains and forests where transport and communication were very inconvenient. With the advancement of the time, the Pavilion Master decided to keep up with the times, abolishing old rules and giving Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion a complete makeover. Thus, we built this new building, serving as the headquarters. All of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion’s documents were uploaded to the server, and the originals are preserved at Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion’s old site."
"The Pavilion Master of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion..."
"Of course, the Pavilion Master resides in the old location; it’s the foundation of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion’s centuries-old inheritance and can’t just be abandoned. Also, that old site is entwined with many of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion’s secrets, so it must be guarded."
So that was the case!
Having heard Zhou Qi’s explanation, Ling Chen finally understood. Zhou Jun wasn’t wrong, but this place could only be considered the modern headquarters of Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion; the real main base was still at the original location.
He had thought he might be able to visit Heavenly Mechanism Pavilion to broaden his horizons, but it seemed there would be no chance now.
Lost in thought, Zhou Jun came in holding several exquisite wooden boxes.
"Ling Chen, these are all Heavenly Mechanism Pills; four top-quality Heavenly Mechanism Pills plus one ordinary Heavenly Mechanism Pill. Take care of them." Zhou Jun said while handing a tablet to Ling Chen.
"What’s this for?" Ling Chen asked, puzzled.
Elder Zhou said: "Your reward includes an Internal Cultivation Method; the tablet contains a directory, browse through it first and see if there’s anything you’re interested in."
Hearing this, Ling Chen skimmed through it quickly, and his eyes widened more and more in amazement.