Above the Galaxy
Chapter 340 - 223, Monitoring Bureau!_2

Chapter 340: Chapter 223, Monitoring Bureau!_2

"..."

Living room.

Tang Fei and Little Fatty stared each other down.

It was well into the night, now past two in the morning, but neither Tang Fei nor Little Fatty felt the least bit sleepy.

The sudden arrival of Bai Wuxin had shattered the tranquility of their home and also the tacit understanding between the brothers.

In the past, Tang Fei could deliberately hide his true identity from Little Fatty, along with everything he was going through.

But now, should he continue hiding it?

Even an idiot like Little Fatty should have guessed that there was something off about his own identity...

If he were told the truth, how much pressure would that put on his mind?

What if he couldn’t hide his emotions and gave himself away in front of Phoenix and Mr. Sheng?

After a moment’s silence, Tang Fei still decided to tell the whole truth.

If he had a choice, the only person in the world he did not want to deceive was Little Fatty.

Because Little Fatty had never lied to him.

Tang Fei looked at Little Fatty and said, "Little Fatty..."

Out of the blue, Little Fatty yawned, stood up from the sofa, and said, "Bro, I’m getting sleepy; I can’t stay up any longer... Can we talk about it tomorrow?"

"Little Fatty..." Tang Fei called out to Little Fatty and said, "Aren’t you the least bit curious?"

Little Fatty turned back to look at Tang Fei and asked, "Curious about what?"

"Curious about who I am, curious about who my parents are, curious about my relationship with Bai Wuxin... curious about why I risked so much to save him?"

"I’m not curious," Little Fatty shook his head and looked at Tang Fei, "The only thing I’m sure of is that you are my brother... I’m not at all curious about anything else."

"What’s there to be curious about? If Big Brother wanted to tell me, he would have already... You haven’t told me, so there must be reasons you can’t. Big Brother wouldn’t hurt me."

Looking into Little Fatty’s sincere and resolute eyes, Tang Fei was deeply moved.

He never doubted himself; from childhood to adulthood, he had held onto this simple and firm belief: Big Brother would never harm me.

Tang Fei nodded and said softly, "Go to sleep, we can talk about everything tomorrow."

"Alright, you should go to sleep early too, it’s almost dawn," Little Fatty advised.

"Okay," Tang Fei agreed.

After Little Fatty had gone back to his room, Tang Fei had the smart robot turn off all the lights in the living room.

He sat alone in the darkness, not feeling sleepy, nor able to go to bed.

Bai Wuxin was not yet out of danger, and soon he would have to apply another dose of medicine.

------

Monitoring Bureau.

This was an institution that struck terror into officials of the Empire and made them blanch at the mention.

They held the power of monitoring all officials, impeaching and auditing them.

They were the Damocles’ sword hanging over the head of every official.

Zhong Jiayuan, head of the Supervision Bureau Fifth Division, walked hurriedly to the door of the director’s office, straightened his uniform, and then gently knocked on the solemn, unadorned yet commanding door.

"Come in." A rather warm voice came from inside.

Zhong Jiayuan pushed the door open and bowed deeply to the middle-aged man drinking tea on the couch, respectfully saying, "Director."

Zhong Jiayuan was of direct descent from the Zhong Family, truly a royal relative.

Yet, in the presence of this man, he dared not show any arrogance or disrespect.

"Jiayuan..." Yan Wenli was tall and thin, like a long bamboo pole. His face always wore a warm, affable smile, yet, this smile did not make one feel close, but rather evoked a chilling sense of danger.

It was as if being targeted by a smiling tiger.

Mad Dog Yan Wenli had bitten to death not less than a hundred high-ranking officials, and countless more below that level.

He had even killed two princes, and the Emperor’s intercession was futile...

Such a man was not someone Zhong Jiayuan could afford to offend, nor was he someone the Zhong Family wished to.

"Yes, Director." Zhong Jiayuan bowed as he answered, stepping forward to refill the tea.

"I’ll do it myself, I’ll do it myself..." Yan Wenli said with a chuckle, snatching the teapot from Zhong Jiayuan’s hand, "Our brothers risk their lives out there, and when they come home, it should be me pouring you a hot cup of tea... How can I let you pour tea for me?"

"It’s my honor," Zhong Jiayuan said modestly.

"I appreciate your sentiment," Yan Wenli said as he voluntarily poured a cup of hot tea for Zhong Jiayuan. "Come on, sit down and have some tea."

"I dare not."

"What’s there to be afraid of? We all eat from the same pot. Whether I can hold this position steadily still depends on how earnestly the brothers work, doesn’t it?"

Zhong Jiayuan dared not sit.

The chief of the division had once sat down, and then he was quickly transferred to the logistics department to manage the kitchen.

And that was a core member of his core group, a confidant amongst his confidants.

Seeing that Zhong Jiayuan was resolutely refusing to sit, Yan Wenli didn’t insist further. He sipped his tea and asked, "How’s the case going?"

"Reporting to the Director, under your astute planning, we had laid our hooks early and set the trap, which finally lured the assassin into play... When he attempted to assassinate the retired general of the Flame-Bathed Legion, Qin Sanyuan, we surrounded him..."

"Hmm? Where is he now?" Yan Wenli asked cheerfully.

"Our brethren from the Supervision Bureau Fifth Division fought bravely, battling to the last drop of their blood. We lost twenty-one good men and thirty-seven were injured..."

"Hm, the brothers have had a hard time. Bury the dead generously, and treat the injured well," Yan Wenli nodded and asked again, "So where is he?"

"The monster was incredibly powerful, and his swordsmanship was extraordinary. Unexpectedly, he managed to escape in a desperate situation..." Zhong Jiayuan said, his face filled with guilt.

Yan Wenli fell silent.

Zhong Jiayuan also hung his head low, not daring to take a deep breath.

For a long while.

For a long while.

"Jiayuan..." Yan Wenli sighed softly, lifting his head to examine Zhong Jiayuan with his slender eyes. "You’ve been careless in handling this matter."

"Yes. I am incompetent, please punish me, Director."

"If you were truly incompetent, I would have sent you packing long ago. The entire Empire knows that our Monitoring Bureau doesn’t harbor the useless."

"Yes."

"This criminal has committed heinous crimes, repeatedly assassinating our government officials and retired soldiers. Do you know how much panic this has caused in Phoenix City? The public is in turmoil."

"Even the King is closely watching this matter; he retains me after every meeting to ask how the case is progressing and when the perpetrator can be apprehended..."

"After all the effort we have put in, casting such a wide net to finally draw the big fish out of water, and you let him get away?"

"I am aware of my guilt."

"Is there still a chance to catch him?" Yan Wenli asked: "Didn’t you say he was severely injured? How far can he get like that, and where can he possibly go?"

"This is precisely why I came back to seek assistance from the Director," Zhong Jiayuan said with a straight back and serious tone. "The assassin disappeared in the Lion Mountain area, an enclave of the wealthy and prestigious, home to many Royal Family Members and high-ranking professors..."

"I’m worried that a large-scale search could lead to unrest and a pushback from other officials."

Yan Wenli stood up, the Monitoring Bureau’s dark uniform hanging loose on his frame, appearing somewhat comical.

Yan Wenli’s face still wore a smile, but his voice became strong and forceful, "We are eliminating harm for the people, hunting criminals for the country. What’s there to fear? Who would dare defy us?"

"Whoever is dissatisfied with our work, we’ll just have to diligently investigate their work... I really want see who is so ignorant of life and death to go against us so openly."

"Investigate, thoroughly. Conduct a clean, thorough investigation, until the truth comes to light."

"Yes, Director."

"Also, didn’t you say the person in question was extremely powerful, with extraordinary swordsmanship? I’ll ask a Grandmaster to come and assist you... Zhong Jiayuan, you won’t disappoint me again, will you?"

"I will not let down the Director’s expectations."

"Good. Go on," Yan Wenli said while patting Zhong Jiayuan’s shoulder with force, chuckling, "I’m looking forward to your triumphant return. I’ll make sure to commend you to the King."

"Thank you for your guidance, Director."

"Why be polite? We are all brothers here. If you’re good, I’m good, we’re all good... Hahaha..."

Zhong Jiayuan also smiled.

But he was well aware that he was not Yan Wenli’s brother.

Nor did he dare to be.