Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo' Chapter 879 - 512: Snowflake Beach (Part 4)

"Issued by the bureau!"

This answer is spot on. Li Qi managed to secure a reward for the Public Security Team, which turned out to be the Harmonizing Agent.

Li Banfeng looked at Shen Jingye and said, "You ordered the issuance of this Harmonizing Agent, consuming what you issued isn’t against the rules, right?"

Shen Jingye glanced at the Chuuni and smiled slightly, "The truth is about to surface, it can’t be hidden even if you want to, so why play these mind games and linger here?"

Another voice of questioning rang out, "Besides the Harmonizing Agent issued by the bureau, when else have you consumed it?"

Chuuni replied, "I have not consumed it."

"Repeat that."

"I have not consumed it!"

The tester, changing its angle, asked several times, but Chuuni’s answer remained constant.

The chair’s vibration ceased.

The test was over.

Outside the testing room, a group of bureau chiefs had already seen the test results.

Shen Jingye looked at Chuuni inside the testing room, surprised.

Before entering the testing room, staff specifically checked that Chuuni was not carrying any dark energy carrier.

With Chuuni’s cultivation level, how could he possibly withstand such a level of testing without relying on a dark energy carrier?

Li Qi’s lips curled into a smile.

From this test, he learned two things.

First, the so-called Dark Energy Tester is purely a bluffing technique.

These instruments have a lie detector function, and their core functionality is likely to be a De Xiu Talisman, similar to the methods used by the Border Defense Envoy at the border line.

Qin Minghui, afflicted by Li Banfeng’s Foolish Cultivation Technique, firmly believed he hadn’t illegally consumed the Harmonizing Agent, rendering the De Xiu Talisman useless against him.

Secondly, the Dark Star Bureau knows very little or nothing at all about Foolish Cultivation Technique, for they haven’t made any effective countermeasures or solutions so far.

Li Banfeng said with a smile, "Director Shen, since Chuuni hasn’t illegally consumed the Harmonizing Agent, compensation must be issued as deserved."

Shen Jingye pondered for a moment and said, "This matter needs further study, the dark ability test is a very complex process, we’ve only completed the first step today..."

Li Banfeng picked up the Contract Book, "Little Shen, you might not fully understand the concept of the Contract Book, nor the consequences of breaching a contract."

Shen Jingye had some understanding of Puluo State, knowing that they hold the Contract Book in high regard, and breaching a contract would invite fierce retribution.

He also knew of a special material in Puluo State called Contract Paper, capable of punishing contract violators on its own.

Shen Jingye deeply regretted his impulsive decision to sign the Contract Book with Li Qi earlier, an action quite uncharacteristic of his station.

Now, with the contract signed and the results finalized, how should this be handled?

Shen Jingye remembered the principle of dealing with Li Qi, noting that it’s best not to provoke him over trivial matters.

Is this even considered trivial?

In truth, Qin Minghui was insignificant, and if not for being caught by someone else, Shen Jingye wouldn’t have had to deal with him.

As for the Harmonizing Agent, it wasn’t a difficult matter for Shen Jingye; the only thing requiring attention was finding a legitimate reason for issuance.

Losing a bet wouldn’t be an appropriate reason; a suitable reason would take some thought.

"Say what you mean and mean what you say. Accept the consequences of your bets." Shen Jingye agreed to fulfill his promise, leaving the testing room.

...

Chuuni rushed into Li Qi’s office, excitedly exclaiming, "Chief Li, I... I don’t know how to express my gratitude to you, I..."

"I suggest you show it through your actions," Li Qi handed over a document bag, "The Ruirong Textile Factory case still has many unresolved questions, review the actions taken so far, and for any detailed questions, you can consult with Light Bulb and Dumpling."

Qin Minghui took the document bag, and Li Qi brought out two document boxes, "These are the materials on the artist Chu Zikai. I suspect he’s a high-level Dark Energy User involved in black market dealings. See if you can find any clues from these materials,

Additionally, I need to investigate some matters concerning Puluo State, but Dark Star Bureau has an overwhelming amount of Puluo State materials that I can’t sift through effectively. I’m entrusting you with this. Pay special attention to an organization called Snowflake Beach."

With the materials in hand, Chuuni eagerly began his work, unaware of the time passing until it was deep into the night.

Big Head was on duty tonight, and seeing Chuuni still there, asked with concern, "It’s so late, aren’t you going home to rest?"

Having been following Big Head since entering the field, Chuuni quickly stood up and chatted briefly with him.

Big Head glanced at the documents on the table and smiled, "Work can’t be done in a day; there’s no point pushing yourself so hard. It’s about time to head home."

Indeed exhausted, Chuuni locked up the documents and left the office.

Back in the duty room, Big Head took out a facial mask, applied it to his face, placed two cucumber slices over his eyes, and began his skincare routine.

Fifteen minutes later, Big Head removed the cucumber slices.

The mask extended rapidly over his face, first enveloping his hair, then his entire head, and then covering his entire body.

Big Head continually adjusted his breathing to keep his body relaxed.

The mask tightened more and more; the once robust Big Head’s body visibly slimmed, his head shrank, his hair thinned, the hairline receded, and his facial features gradually transformed.

Five more minutes passed, Big Head stood up from the chair and left the duty room.

He went to the elevator entrance and saw Preserved Fruit, who was just about to leave for home.

Seeing Big Head, Preserved Fruit hastily greeted him, "Director, aren’t you leaving yet?"

Big Head had transformed into the likeness of Shen Jingye.

He nodded at Preserved Fruit, smiling but silent.

In the elevator, Preserved Fruit felt both nervous and awkward, "Director, are you heading home? I can give you a ride."

Shen Jingye shook his head and pressed the button for the first floor, "You go ahead home, I’m just going out for some fresh air."

After exiting the elevator, Big Head strolled around the lobby before returning to the elevator, ascending to the eleventh floor. He exited the elevator, entered the stairwell, and climbed to the twelfth floor.

The twelfth floor is a data room. Taking the elevator to the twelfth floor gains access to a data room where normal materials can be accessed.

But taking the stairs to the twelfth floor leads to another data room where the materials are very special.

Outside the stairwell stood a metal door, devoid of keyholes, fingerprint scanners, or password inputs, with only two small lights glowing.

These two small lights aren’t for illumination but for retina scanning.

Big Head approached the metal door, eyes fixed on the small lights.

The main equipment within the door registered an entry: "Shen Jingye, permission granted."

It was Big Head’s first time in this data room; unsure of the proper method for finding information, he had to scan each shelf one by one.

The data room emitted a special chemical scent, strong enough to make Big Head want to cough.

He mustn’t cough; even a minor exertion could tear the mask he wore.

The mask on him would last for two hours; within those two hours, Big Head needed to locate the desired information, hoping the duty phone wouldn’t ring during that time.

He had good fortune, finding a box of materials after an hour.

Medical Cultivator, Kang Zhenchang’s materials.

If there exists a Medical Cultivator who could save He Jiaqing, this person might be the only current hope.

...

For the second round, a deeply fatigued Big Head exited the duty room; by regulation, he now had two days of leave.

At the entrance of the building, Big Head happened to meet Li Qi, and they exchanged greetings.

As they brushed past each other, Li Banfeng caught a scent, faint but pungent.

Confirming through the Hundred Flavors Delicate Skill, he determined that the odor indeed came from Big Head.

Li Banfeng wasn’t the only one who noticed the scent; the Gloves in his pocket did as well.

"Master, I feel like I’ve smelled that scent somewhere before."

PS: This was the third time Big Head saved He Jiaqing.

Thanks to Alliance Hierarch Ken, huang, and sincere appreciation for the significant support given to Shala and this work.