Chapter 149: 143, I am not a good person, but Lu Lin is really not a person (please subscribe to monthly tickets)
After reporting to Director Long about the woman’s arrival, the handover process, and inquiring about the disposal plan for the Electromagnetic Levitation Cars, Lu Lin set Hua Qing Water Yard as the destination for the car he had driven and let it drive itself back.
As for the car Mi Yan and his companions had driven, it now belonged to Lu Lin.
He downloaded the hacking program Chen Shanshan had sent him and connected it to the car’s intelligent management system.
Soon, Lu Lin obtained the car’s main administrator program, allowing him to drive it wherever he pleased.
However, as Lu Lin was about to set a destination, he suddenly discovered the navigation records Mi Yan and the others had left behind.
On a whim, Lu Lin clicked the one and only search record.
Feibei City, Youjia Hutong No.26, Room 1004.
The car started, and only then did Lu Lin realize it was heading towards Feibei City.
Return to Chongnuo City? Lu Lin had no such intention. The beautiful night has just begun, and my curiosity is at its peak, he thought. A brave young man fears no difficulty.
As the car drove smoothly, Lu Lin opened the window to air out the smell of smoke.
With autonomous driving engaged, Lu Lin didn’t need to focus on the road. He decided to see if Mi Yan and his companions had left anything behind in the car.
If there were hundreds of thousands, perhaps even a million, in cash or star coins, wouldn’t I be set for tuition and living expenses?
However, after a thorough search, the only thing Lu Lin found was a map made of beast skin.
The map was crudely drawn. Besides a place labeled "Food God City," there were no other textual annotations.
The city was depicted on the far left, with a vast, continuous mountain range to its right.
A pentagram was drawn within the mountains, likely marking a significant location.
To the right of the mountain range, a large river was drawn, and beside it, an area was circled.
This circle had been drawn over several times, indicating it was a very important place for Mi Yan and his group.
However, when Lu Lin looked up Food God City, he discovered it was a Human City within the Exotic Battlefield.
It had been established by the renowned Liu Han, a Fire System Titled King, whose life’s ambition was to sample every delicacy the Exotic Battlefield had to offer.
Forget it. I can’t get there anytime soon, so there’s no point dwelling on it now. Might as well check out Youjia Hutong No.26, Room 1004 first, he mused.
As the car entered Feibei City, Lu Lin was stopped.
It was the Detective Department. They recognized the vehicle as the one used by robbers who had fled the city just hours before.
Immediately, a group of heavily armed Investigation Bureau Elites surrounded him, with more backup rushing in from the distance.
For the first time, Lu Lin experienced the "hands behind your head, step out of the vehicle" treatment.
"Don’t shoot! I’m a friendly!" Lu Lin shouted.
"Cut the crap! You killed so many of our brothers, and you dare call yourself a friendly?"
The Detective Department team leader, a burly man, assumed Lu Lin was trying to argue and moved to slap him hard across the face.
Lu Lin activated Evasion. His figure reappeared five steps away. This startled the nearby Detective Department members, making them tense up.
"Officer, please, don’t misunderstand! My Citizen Number is... I’m Lu Lin, an Elite Investigator with the Star Investigation Office," Lu Lin quickly explained. "Please verify my identity first. I have no intention of resisting."
"No intention of resisting?" the team leader sneered. Though his attitude remained hostile, he began searching for Lu Lin’s information on the Detective Department’s internal network.
The file was classified as Class C security, which the team leader lacked the clearance to access.
However, anyone whose file was classified as confidential by the federation couldn’t possibly be a criminal.
The team leader glanced at his Personal Terminal, compared the information to Lu Lin’s appearance, and nodded in acknowledgment.
Fortunately, Lu Lin’s citizen information had been updated recently, so his photo closely matched his current appearance.
Otherwise, if it had been a girl fond of heavy photo editing, she might have been taken away directly.
After confirming Lu Lin’s identity was legitimate, the team leader signaled his surrounding Detective Department colleagues to stand down.
However, this only confirmed his identity was legitimate. The team leader still needed to verify Lu Lin’s actual role, whether he truly was an Elite Investigator for the Star Investigation Office, and why he was driving a criminal’s vehicle.
"Brother, please wait a moment. Once everything is fully confirmed, I insist on buying you a drink to apologize."
"It’s alright, I understand," Lu Lin replied. "Some of your brothers from the Detective Department were injured today, and one was even killed in the line of duty. I understand how you must be feeling."
"Thank you," the team leader said. Just then, he received a communication from his superior, the Deputy Department Head of the Feibei City Investigation Bureau. He was informed that Lu Lin’s identity was confirmed; he had just completed a criminal apprehension mission, and the Star Investigation Office hadn’t updated their records yet.
Only then did the team leader fully relax, offering Lu Lin an apologetic smile.
"Brother, my apologies, truly. That was my mistake. I’ll have this vehicle’s flagged status canceled later, so you can drive it normally."
"Let’s exchange contact information. I owe you that drink later to make up for this."
After refusing several times, Lu Lin reluctantly accepted the invitation from Xia Jinwu, the Detective Department team leader. They agreed to meet for a meal after they both finished their current tasks.
Speaking of which, Lu Lin realized he was indeed feeling a bit hungry.
Even though he’d eaten a substantial meal at Jinchao Barbecue earlier that evening, the series of pursuits and battles had left him feeling peckish again.
After bidding Xia Jinwu farewell, Lu Lin got back into the car and headed towards Youjia Hutong.
Meanwhile, Chen Xiran had finally driven back to Chongnuo City, arriving at Hua Qing Water Yard.
As soon as she stepped out of the car, Chen Xiran saw Long Qianli standing outside the garage. "Director Long, I’ve returned," she said respectfully.
"Well done," Long Qianli chuckled, patting Chen Xiran’s shoulder. "How was your trip to the Exotic Battlefield this time? Any gains?"
"It was alright. I managed to kill two members of the Black Silk Tribe. If they hadn’t fled so quickly, I’m confident I could have taken down a few more."
"Oh? Not bad at all. The Black Silk Tribe are notorious troublemakers. Killing two of them on your first trip to the Exotic Battlefield is a fine accomplishment."
"How is your Star Veins refinement progressing? Are you preparing for Transforming Five Evils?"
"Not yet. I plan to wait until after school starts in a few days. I only reached Level 3 Peak less than half a month ago, so attempting to Transform the Five Evils now might be a bit challenging."
"Alright, proceed according to your own plan then."
"However, Xiran, you need to work on your professional demeanor. Lu Lin mentioned to me just now that during the handover with him, you maintained a cold, unsmiling expression the entire time."
"Is it not enough to be fierce towards the Alien Races? Must you treat your own colleagues the same way?"
Chen Xiran pursed her lips, silently grumbling about Lu Lin tattling on her.
He seemed like such a bright and cheerful guy; I didn’t expect him to be so scheming, she thought. I’ll have to find a chance to spar with him later, give him a few pointers on his cultivation.
"No, Director Long. It’s just that I recently returned from the Exotic Battlefield and haven’t quite readjusted yet."
"He’s a grown man, yet so petty! Does he actually expect me to apologize to him?"
"You!" Director Long gently poked Chen Xiran’s forehead and said no more.
Director Long ordered Mi Yan and his two companions, along with the Kongming White Ape, to be taken away, then returned to her office.
"Shan Shan, go find out why the people from headquarters who are supposed to pick up the ’goods’ haven’t arrived. Did they get held up drinking on the way?"
"Once they get here, complete the handover procedures and let them take the Kongming White Ape directly. No need to report back to me; I have work to do."
"Yes, Director Long."
Long Qianli closed her office door and pressed a button on the wall.
The previously bright office instantly transformed into a dim, spartan interrogation room.
Director Long sat down and roused the bald Mi Yan.
"Name."
"Zhang Mi."
"Age."
"45."
"Place of origin."
...
Mi Yan answered every question truthfully. Once the basic information had been collected, Zhang Mi said to Long Qianli, "Director, I admit it all. I’ll confess. I’ll cooperate fully."
"But can I please have a chance to file a complaint?"
"That young subordinate of yours—he’s not human! He’s brutal! He broke my arm, and then it just... healed itself right in front of me!"
"Director, I may not be a good man, but I, Zhang Mi, am a genuine member of the Human Race! You’ve actually recruited a non-human into your ranks! The federation’s secret departments are far too easy to infiltrate if that’s the case!"
"I’m willing to face the consequences for my actions, but I urge you to investigate your ’own people’!"
Listening to Zhang Mi’s frantic, somewhat incoherent accusations, a cold glint flashed in Long Qianli’s eyes.
"Are you telling the truth?"
"It’s the absolute truth! Every word of it!"
"Director, I know my fate is to be sent to a federation-affiliated Pioneering Team, never to see the outside world again. But this matter... this truly concerns the safety of our entire Human Race!"
A sarcastic smile touched Long Qianli’s lips.
This Zhang Mi, a lawless man who maliciously harmed others, now feigns concern for the Human Race’s safety?
As an Induction-type, how could Long Qianli not know Lu Lin’s true nature?
If Lu Lin weren’t human, even if he could somehow evade detection by countless technological instruments, he could never deceive her perception.
As for Zhang Mi’s current claims, Long Qianli had heard similar desperate ploys countless times during interrogations.
Countless criminals, realizing their situation was hopeless and that they were destined to spend the rest of their lives in a federation-run Pioneering Team, would resort to making wild accusations, just like Zhang Mi.
Some tried to drag their competitors down with them.
Some aimed to implicate their enemies, even those who had merely bullied them in kindergarten.
Some even tried to implicate their own girlfriends.
The most heartless ones, utterly devoid of familial affection, would go as far as to claim their own parents were criminals.
Zhang Mi’s attempt was relatively mild, merely a retaliatory effort to drag Lu Lin down with him.
But would Long Qianli grant his wish...?