Chuuni's ears twitched. He lowered his head and stated, "The phone call just now was actually unrelated to Bureau Chief Li. My hearing is quite acute; I could discern the voice through the receiver."
Shen Jingye took a deep breath, forcing himself to quell his rising anger. This young man always spoke so bluntly. He couldn't continue this argument; convincing him wasn't the priority. The crucial point was that debating with an agent was beneath his dignity. "Xiao Qin, we all occupy different positions, have distinct duties, and face varying pressures and challenges. When confronted with pressure, the ability to correctly fulfill one's duties becomes particularly critical. As a junior member of the Public Security Team, your responsibility is..."
Just as Shen Jingye settled into his instructive tone, the phone rang once more. "You see, this is my duty, this is the pressure I face. When confronted with adversity and strain, what kind of decisions should I make? This is what you need to contemplate!"
Shen Jingye answered the call. "Director Du, we can implement some adjustments to the specifics right away..."
"It's me." The voice on the other end was not Director Du's. Shen Jingye felt a shiver. "Little Shen, come to my office for a moment." The line went dead.
Shen Jingye glanced at Chuuni, his face paling. Chuuni's keen ears recognized the voice from the phone. "Li Qi is back?" Shen Jingye nodded. "Yes, he has returned. Hesummoned me to his office. Do you wish to accompany me?"
Chuuni pondered for a moment before replying, "Director, we each hold different positions, carry distinct duties, and confront unique pressures and challenges. This is your duty and your burden; I must maintain my proper place. I will not be going." With that said, Chuuni rose, offered Shen Jingye a salute, and departed the office.
Shen Jingye dabbed the sweat from his brow, managing to maintain a semblance of composure. This situation required immediate reporting. Li Qi might currently be in grave peril, potentially endangering the safety of the entire Dark Star Bureau. He opened the phone directory, preparing to use the landline, but the phone rang again. It was Li Qi once more.
Shen Jingye answered. "Little Shen, hurry here. If you don't come, I'll be over there." Shen Jingye shivered again and stood up from his desk.
...Upon entering Li Qi’s office, Shen Jingye carefully observed Li Qi, confirming his identity twice. Li Qi offered a smile as he looked at Shen Jingye. "Little Shen, please take a seat."
"Certainly." Shen Jingye sat down, keeping his legs together and leaning slightly forward. It was him, undeniably Li Qi. He was still alive. He had survived an encounter with Green Flower and remained alive. Li Qi grinned. "Aren't you quite surprised?"
"Surprised? No, how could this possibly be surprising?" Shen Jingye attempted to sound nonchalant. Li Qi inquired with feigned surprise, "Not even a little bit of joy?"
"What is there to be joyful about..."
"Think again?"
"Joy!" Shen Jingye hastily corrected himself. "I am immensely joyful, Director Li. You cannot fathom the days we spent searching for you. I truly believed..."
"...that I had been consumed by the Straw Moth Lady?" Li Qi chuckled. "Director Shen, have you encountered the Straw Moth Lady yourself?"
"I have not," Shen Jingye replied, shaking his head vigorously. "I have seen her," Li Banfeng leaned back in his chair, recalling the Straw Moth Lady's appearance. "The Straw Moth Lady is a creature with a human visage; her face is round and quite attractive. Yet, when I encountered the Straw Moth Lady on Sui Chen Road, her face was not at all round or pretty. It was elongated, covered in pustules, and she was dressed in rags. She resembled a beggar more than an insect."
Shen Jingye offered, "Perhaps it was the differing environment, resulting in biological mutation." Li Qi looked intrigued. "Mutated that severely? Shall I take you to see her again? To ascertain if she truly is the Straw Moth Lady?"
Unable to bear the mounting pressure any longer, Shen Jingye ceased his evasive maneuvers with Li Banfeng. "Director Li, I was not present at the scene and am not well-informed about the situation there. When I received directives from higher-ups, they mentioned the Straw Moth Lady, but regarding the actual circumstances, I am genuinely unclear..."
Li Qi regarded Shen Jingye. "Then, shall we find someone who is clear on the situation for a thorough discussion? How about Director Du, whom you mentioned earlier?"
"Going to find Director Du right now might not be appropriate. We need to ensure complete communication between us first." Shen Jingye had already contacted Director Du, who had instructed him to first stabilize Li Qi. Li Qi smiled. "We certainly do need communication, proper communication." Shen Jingye began to sweat profusely. "Let us discuss the matter of the Straw Moth Lady, that night..."
"Cease your talk of the Straw Moth Lady!" Li Banfeng's face darkened. "That was Greenwater Beggar. If you're unfamiliar with him, I can personally escort you to meet him right now!"
"No need for that," Shen Jingye repeatedly shook his head. "I've reviewed Greenwater Beggar's profile and heard quite a bit about his reputation. Is he still in Yuezhou?"
Li Banfeng shook his head. "He has returned to Puluo State. I sent him back."
Indeed, this was the truth of the matter.
Shen Jingye expressed his surprise, "You ventured to Puluo State?"
"That's correct," Li Banfeng nodded. "As a side trip, I also paid a visit to Soda Kiln to assess the prevailing conditions there."
Upon mentioning Soda Kiln, Shen Jingye's anxiety intensified. "How is the situation over there?"
"It's not looking good," Li Banfeng stated gravely. "Your subordinates transformed the Gatekeeper at the Inner State's entry into a mere skeleton. Such a severe provocation will undoubtedly provoke retaliation from the Inner State; they won't simply let this slide."
Shen Jingye's eyes widened in disbelief. "We had nothing to do with that!"
"How can you be so certain it wasn't your doing?" Li Qi interjected, his brow furrowed. "Didn't you previously claim to have no knowledge of this affair?"
Shen Jingye hastily clarified, "I've gained a better understanding of the circumstances recently. It appears there was indeed a significant misunderstanding regarding this incident."