# 1951
Chapter 1951
Chapter 1944: Disuading
"What Night Watch? You've got the wrong person. I'm from the neighborhood committee."
He turned and walked away.
Zhao Zhengbin: "……"
You can't even lie convincingly! Who in all of Great Xia doesn't know about the Night Watch??
Zhao Zhengbin was about to say something when, turning around, the force pulled his grip on the man's clothes, and a Straight Blade tucked into his waistband clattered to the ground.
Zhao Zhengbin and the young man stared at each other. The air suddenly fell into dead silence.
"Sorry, my cane fell."
The young man was silent for a moment, then bent down to pick up the Straight Blade from the ground, using it as a cane for guidance. However, the blade was far too short, so it just wobbled and poked around in the air—an absurd sight that was somehow oddly comical.
"……Is the thought process of you Night Watch members always this unique?" Zhao Zhengbin couldn't help but吐槽.
"No, I'm the exception."
Just as the young man spoke, he realized he'd said the wrong thing. He looked around and, seeing that no one was paying attention to him, slightly relaxed.
Zhao Zhengbin stared blankly at this interesting peer before him. The mysterious filter he'd placed on the Night Watch had diminished considerably……
"The Night Watch appearing at the shelter will definitely draw crowds, and then the order will fall apart…… You can rest assured, I won't tell anyone." After a moment of僵持, Zhao Zhengbin took the initiative to extend his hand.
"I'm Zhao Zhengbin."
"……Su Zhe." Su Zhe studied him for a long while, then sighed helplessly and shook the offered hand. "Sorry, I'm not good at keeping my mouth shut…… Sometimes I tend to cause trouble."
"You look about the same age as me."
"I'm twenty-one."
"Then I'm younger, I'm twenty." Zhao Zhengbin glanced curiously at the red armband on his shoulder. "So, has the Night Watch been混入 ordinary people, maintaining civilian order?"
"Not exactly. Most of them are just in plain clothes, on standby at the shelter…… I'm the exception."
Zhao Zhengbin wanted to ask why but, after some thought, closed his mouth.
A Night Watch member, suddenly withdrawn from the front lines, back to maintain civilian order…… Clearly he'd been demoted. It would be impolite to press further.
Su Zhe stared at him for a long while, then asked in return, "You're not curious why I'm the exception?"
"……Huh?"
"If it were me, I'd definitely keep asking…… 'Did you desert?', 'Or are you just too weak?', 'Otherwise why would you only be here maintaining order'——" Su Zhe spoke in a hollow voice.
"……Asking like that, won't you get beaten up?"
Su Zhe thought about it. "Yes."
Zhao Zhengbin: ……
"You're a Night Watch member, so you should know what's happening outside now, right?" Zhao Zhengbin lowered his voice, asking the question he most wanted to know. "Outside, has fighting broken out?"
"That, I can't say." Su Zhe answered seriously.
"Just give me a little hint, I won't tell anyone, really."
"Sorry, that really won't work."
Zhao Zhengbin sighed. "Then can you tell me how to become a Night Watch?"
Hearing this question, Su Zhe's expression was somewhat subtle. He looked Zhao Zhengbin up and down again, confused, and asked,
"Why do you want to become a Night Watch?"
"The Night Watch is so cool! Powerful, able to fight those monsters and gods, defending the country." Zhao Zhengbin's eyes lit up with a gleam.
"……" Su Zhe sighed and said with earnest concern,
"Brother Zhao Zhengbin…… You're already in your twenties, you should have long passed the age for youthful fantasies. The Night Watch is indeed impressive, but not just anyone can handle that impressiveness……
The Night Watch is miserable and exhausting. Just the training to become a full-fledged Night Watch can take half your life. If your luck is bad, you might not even survive until graduation……
After graduating and becoming official, you have to kill those terrifying things every day—blood, limbs, all that. You might even encounter disgustingly and horrifically ugly monsters, or gods who completely overpower you. In front of them, people really are like ants…… The brother who was eating and drinking with you today might become a mound of earth on a grave tomorrow……
Not only that, the Night Watch has almost no vacation. You must remain on call at all times. Can you imagine yourself comfortably soaking in a hot bath at home, then the phone rings, and you rush out without time to put on clothes, just wrapped in a bath towel? Exactly because of this, Night Watch members can hardly get married or have children. Everything ordinary people take for granted is out of reach for us……"
One sentence from Zhao Zhengbin had opened the floodgates of Su Zhe's heart. Like a leaky basket, he poured out a torrent of words that left Zhao Zhengbin somewhat dizzy.
This guy…… is he really a Night Watch?
Zhao Zhengbin had expected Su Zhe might discourage him, but he hadn't expected the discouragement to be so sincere…… It felt like he was practically talking himself out of it.
Su Zhe spoke in one breath without any pause. Zhao Zhengbin was stunned for half a day, wanting to refute but unable to find the words……
"But I feel like……"
Before Zhao Zhengbin could finish, there was a commotion from the restaurant nearby. It seemed someone was arguing over food portions.
Su Zhe glanced in that direction, immediately tucked the Straight Blade back into his waistband, covered it with his jacket, and seriously straightened the bright red armband on his arm.
"Pleasure meeting you, Brother Zhao Zhengbin." Su Zhe patted his shoulder. Whether it was Zhao Zhengbin's imagination, but after Su Zhe said that whole speech, he seemed much more cheerful.
"Even though saying this sounds like some kind of novel line that wouldn't pass review and has a weird tone, I hope you can keep our secret. See you next time."
With that, he turned and ran toward the restaurant!
"Shelter security administrator here! No crowding! No troublemaking! Leave it to me……"
His voice echoed faintly from the distance. Zhao Zhengbin stood frozen in place. After a long while, he sighed deeply, turned, and walked toward the dormitory.