Xia Shumin looked awkward. Liao Zihui simply watched him, not uttering a word.
For two whole minutes, neither side spoke. Liao Zihui chuckled. "Xia, your handling of the Light Bulb matter was indeed inept. Of course, your intentions were good; you wanted to train the newcomer. However, because you were unfamiliar with the situation in Puluo State, your good intentions led to bad results.
"This isn’t entirely your fault; I also bear some responsibility. You’ve been here for quite some time, and I haven’t urged you to deepen your understanding and knowledge of Puluo State.
"Going forward, some foundational tasks will be assigned to you. This is an important opportunity for growth and training, so you must seize it.
"There are a few hoodlums in the Yangjiao Garden area who have been gathering for brawls recently. They’ve injured quite a few people, and the impact has been very negative. When you have a moment, go and deal with it."
After a moment of thought, Xia Shumin said, "Chief Envoy, I believe the urgent matter still concerns Light Bulb. The Dark Star Bureau sent people here, but now there’s no word from them. We’re truly..."
Before Xia Shumin could finish, Liao Zihui waved his hand, calling over his secretary Ling Sujun, "Take the files on those hoodlums from Yangjiao Garden to Commander Xia. Also, bring Light Bulb here."
Xia Shumin was stunned, "Call who?"
Liao Zihui smiled and said, "Light Bulb, of course!"
"Which Light Bulb?"
"Who else could it be? The trainee from the Dark Star Bureau, Dong Xiaoning!"
Xia Shumin hadn’t yet snapped back to reality when Ling Sujun had already brought the person over.
Light Bulb stood with his hands clasped below his belt, shoulders slumped and head bowed, looking anxious.
Xia Shumin watched for a moment and, recognizing it was indeed Light Bulb, stammered, "You’re... how are you still..."
Liao Zihui laughed and said, "You mean to ask why he isn’t dead, right?"
Xia Shumin quickly stood up, taking Light Bulb’s hand, "You worried me to death! Where have you been all these days? Not a single word!"
Light Bulb said, "You told me to go to Xiaoyao Lodge and watch Li Qi. I went. Li Qi was rushing all over, going to many places. I wasn’t familiar with some of them, so I lost him after tailing him for two days."
"If you lost him, you should have come back!"
Light Bulb shook his head, "With the mission incomplete, how could I dare return? I checked the information you gave me, searched several of Li Qi’s properties, and I actually found him in Blue Poplar Village."
Xia Shumin was astonished, "You found Li Qi?"
"I found him. His men were suppressing bandits near Blue Poplar Village, and Li Qi himself was there."
"He didn’t notice you?"
"No." Light Bulb shook his head.
"He’s a Fifth Layer Dark Energy User. With his capabilities, he actually didn’t notice you?" Xia Shumin found this hard to believe.
Light Bulb hesitated for a moment, then said, "Commander Xia, did you predict that Li Qi would definitely discover me?"
Xia Shumin realized he had misspoken and hastily explained, "That’s not a prediction; it’s a deduction based on an assessment of our respective strengths."
Light Bulb paused again before asking, "You could deduce that he would definitely discover me? Then why did you still send me to surveil him?"
Xia Shumin was speechless; he couldn’t defend his actions.
One shouldn’t assume that figures of his stature don’t misspeak. People at their level frequently say the wrong thing; it’s just that no one dares to point it out.
But today, Light Bulb dared to call him out, putting Xia Shumin in an awkward position.
The reason was simple: Liao Zihui was watching from the side, giving Light Bulb the confidence to speak up.
Liao Zihui smiled and said, "Xia, I had Sujun put the files on your desk. Go look into those hoodlums from Yangjiao Garden first, and try to have a preliminary plan ready by tomorrow."
Liao Zihui offered a way out, and Xia Shumin quickly accepted the task and left the Defense Agency office.
Back in his office, Xia Shumin’s brow was furrowed, his face showing dissatisfaction.
He had handled today’s events very poorly, finding himself passive from the outset.
The reason for his passivity was simple: he possessed severely insufficient information. He didn’t know Light Bulb was still alive, much less that he had returned to the Defense Agency.
This incident also served as a wake-up call for him.
The Defense Agency was Liao Zihui’s domain. As long as Liao Zihui was there, it was difficult for anyone else to stir up trouble.
...
At Hundred Joy Gate, Liao Zihui brought Light Bulb into the Famous Performer’s Chamber and invited the popular songstress Chang Hongjiao to perform.
This was a private invitation for Light Bulb, specifically to help him calm his nerves; no one else was included.
Was Liao Zihui treating Light Bulb this way because he cared for his subordinates?
Not entirely. Light Bulb was only here for advanced training and, strictly speaking, wasn’t truly Liao Zihui’s subordinate.
Was he worried Light Bulb might speak recklessly upon returning to the Dark Star Bureau?
Not that either. The disparity in status between Liao Zihui and Light Bulb was vast. As long as Light Bulb was alive, whatever he might say wouldn’t significantly affect Liao Zihui.
His purpose this time was to investigate the relationship between Light Bulb and Li Qi. The fact that Light Bulb had tailed Li Qi for so many days without being detected was something Liao Zihui also found hard to believe.
However, he didn’t intend to interrogate him, but rather to coax the truth out of Light Bulb.
In such a setting and atmosphere, it was easy for a person to lower their guard and divulge things they shouldn’t.
After two songs, Liao Zihui asked Chang Hongjiao to step out for a moment and, in a hushed voice, asked, "Xiao Ning, what do you think of this young lady?"
Light Bulb shook his head, "I think she’s average."
"Average?" Liao Zihui exclaimed, "With her looks, her figure, and her singing voice, could she really be inferior to the star singers from the Outside Provinces?"
"She’s far superior to the singers from my region. Besides, given my status, I wouldn’t have access to truly accomplished singers anyway. When I say she’s average, it’s only in comparison to Jiang Mengting."
"You’ve also been to Jiang Mengting’s concert?"
Light Bulb spoke in a lowered voice, "I have. Li Qi took me."
Liao Zihui was taken aback, "You know Li Qi?"