Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo' Chapter 1283 608: Husband, Let Her Come! (Part 4)

Ling Miaosheng nodded: "That's my inference, but many of my memories have been taken away. Amikan Country is still playing the same trick; they still hide most things about Inner Amikan Country deeply,

I've recorded some memories through phonographs, using some techniques that should evade Amikan Country's scrutiny. After a period of time, when these records are sent back, I should be able to recover most of my memories, and by then, I'll likely be able to uncover many secrets."

Li Banfeng and Ling Miaosheng had always gotten along well, and just as they were chatting, a simple phone rang. It was a call from Luo Zhengnan, saying that Liao Zihui went to Xiaoyao Lodge with urgent matters to find Li Qi.

Li Banfeng advised Ling Miaosheng: "The two musicians you found are not simple people; you must treat them well."

"I will treat every artist kindly." Ling Miaosheng saw Li Banfeng off outside the Phonograph Shop and bowed deeply.

Over at Xiaoyao Lodge, Liao Zihui waited for half the day, too anxious even to take a sip of wine, sweating profusely.

"Zihui, what's got you so anxious?"

"Brother Li, Shen Jingye is missing!"

"Who?"

"The Director of Dark Star Bureau, Shen Jingye. He went to investigate Gourd Village yesterday and never came back!"

"He went into Gourd Village?"

Liao Zihui shook his head: "We can't confirm it yet, at least we can't define the situation. Once it's defined, Shen Jingye is done for..."

"What's your relationship? Since when did you start caring about him so much?" In Li Banfeng's memory, there had been plenty of bickering between Shen Jingye and Liao Zihui.

"It's different now. All the little squabbles and bickering were nothing, but this time it's serious. If he went into Gourd Village, he might never come back. Even if he does, things would be unclear."

"He wanted to go to Gourd Village himself. What can I do?" Li Banfeng seemed indifferent to this.

Liao Zihui pleaded: "The matter isn't settled yet. He might not have gone to Gourd Village. He's not a great person, but he can handle some things. Everything runs smoothly with him, but if someone else comes, you'd surely find it uncomfortable, and the entire Dark Star Bureau wouldn't have it easy either."

Li Banfeng chuckled: "Whether it's easy or not, what difference does it make?"

Honestly, Li Banfeng felt that his role as a Balancer was almost over. The issues with the Boundary had been mostly resolved, and the attitude of the Outside Provinces towards Puluo State had mostly corrected.

What's necessary now is to wait for my wife to make improvements to the Dark Bridge, ensuring that the Dark Bridge Cannon has a larger range of effect and longer duration, so more people can pass through the Boundary. Completing this task would mean Li Banfeng would have fulfilled his mission in the Outside Provinces.

Of course, the problem with the Three-Headed People still needed resolving, but it's not something the Dark Star Bureau could handle. Releasing the Three-Headed People each time required a trade of interests from both sides.

For Li Banfeng, does the Dark Star Bureau still hold any significance?

The only things that might matter are Light Bulb, Dumpling, and Chuuni, these few confidants.

Liao Zihui seemed to have caught on to Li Banfeng's thoughts: "Brother Li, I beg you to help him out. Weren't you always interested in the Three-Headed People? I'll figure something out for that. If you can bring Shen Jingye back, we won't go through the books, and I'll send a batch of people over to you."

This attitude seemed quite sincere. Li Banfeng nodded: "Alright, I'll go back and take a look."

...

The Dark Star Bureau was still holding a meeting late at night, chaired by the superior leader, Guan Zhengyang.

"I really didn't expect such a problem to arise with the person in charge of the Dark Star Bureau. Higher authorities have repeatedly emphasized the importance of remembering one's responsibilities at work, remembering one's mission, and being clear on the most fundamental Boundary,

Old Chen, today you talk about what work you've done in implementing the superior's instructions and requirements, and where you've placed the responsibility and Boundary!"

Chen Changrui, with his head down, quickly organized his thoughts according to Guan Zhengyang's questions and replied: "We've conducted in-depth research on..."

"No need to say it! What's the use of these clichés?" As soon as Chen Changrui began to speak, Guan Zhengyang interrupted him.

It was redundant for Chen Changrui to speak up; Guan Zhengyang just wanted to embarrass him and the entire Dark Star Bureau, to regain the face lost by the research room. Letting Chen Changrui speak was just to create a transition point.

Indeed, he did need a transition point because the meeting had already been going on for more than five hours.

Next, Guan Zhengyang wanted to further elevate the issue: "The Dark Star Bureau has encountered such a severe problem today, with reasons that must be manifold, but we have to find the primary reason,

During the execution of a critical mission, as the head of the Dark Star Bureau, Shen Jingye lacked even the most basic awareness of the Boundary. As an investigator of Gourd Village, he failed to resist the lure from Gourd Village, which indicates a severe problem within the Dark Star Bureau, especially in its ideological understanding, and the root of this problem lies in..."

Bang!

Li Qi pushed the door open and came in.

Guan Zhengyang was just about to get angry, but seeing that it was Li Qi who came in, he couldn't let his anger out.

"Director Li, what are you..."

"Move aside." Li Qi looked at Guan Zhengyang expressionlessly.

Guan Zhengyang looked surprised.

"I said move, do you not understand?" Li Qi picked up Guan Zhengyang and set him aside.

Deputy Director Wang, seeing this, quickly stood up and helped Guan Zhengyang to his seat.

Unwilling to sit, Guan Zhengyang gritted his teeth, wanting to leave the meeting room.

Li Qi frowned: "Where are you going? We're in a meeting! Do you not understand discipline?"

Guan Zhengyang's face turned pale as he sat back in Deputy Director Wang's seat.

To be honest, he was defiant, but he couldn't overcome the fear within.

Back when he was captured by the Birch Tree Hermit Society at a hotel, having an ear cut off just for saying a few extra words, he was sent to the Bureau by Li Qi and severely interrogated; that ear almost didn't get reattached.

If he were to walk out of this meeting room today, he wouldn't know what consequences awaited him.

Li Banfeng scanned the meeting room and said to everyone: "Director Shen personally went to trace the related clues of Gourd Village, and during the process, due to certain special factors, he is currently trapped in The Unnameable Place. Now we need to concentrate all our efforts to rescue Director Shen."

Guan Zhengyang looked at Li Banfeng: "What basis do you have for what you're saying? Why would Shen Jingye be trapped in The Unnameable Place? Have the origin and nature of this Unnameable Place been thoroughly investigated?"

Li Banfeng retorted: "Do you know what The Unnameable Place is?"

"This thing..." Guan Zhengyang pursed his lips. He had heard of the concept, but as it was from Puluo, he couldn't immediately figure out how to describe it.

Li Banfeng looked at Guan Zhengyang: "You know nothing and yet you babble on like this? Do you not feel ashamed?"

Guan Zhengyang also responded: "Then why don't you tell us, what is The Unnameable Place?"

"Even if I tell you, can you understand? Or should I take you to see it?"

PS: Did Little Shen really go to Gourd Village?