Chapter 121: Chapter 106: Li Kang: He’s Saying All My Lines
"Oh, right. And afterward, he’ll even let that Shadow Killer get away clean... and then have me taken out!"
"Hmm," Chu Bamboo mused, his tone a little uncertain. "Maybe he’ll arrange for a few more ’accidents’ then... and have Li Kang and his people killed too?"
Chu Bamboo now suspected that earlier this evening, right after Zhang Hai died, Li Kang and the others were probably supposed to meet with an accident too.
’No witnesses if everyone’s dead! Ah, a perfect plan.’
After all, Qi Heng had probably realized by now that Li Kang had noticed something was wrong with his identity. The evidence they got from Xue the Third—the evidence Chu Bamboo corrected—was still on file at the Third District’s Captain’s Office.
Zhang Hai: "..."
To be honest, Zhang Hai hadn’t actually made the connection to Qi Heng yet. ’But this guy... he’s practically figured out the color of his underwear, hasn’t he?’
No! Zhang Hai suddenly shivered. He had a subtle realization that maybe, just maybe... Chu Bamboo really *did* know what color the man’s underwear was!
All Zhang Hai could think was that he couldn’t possibly fathom what was going on in Chu Bamboo’s head. ’Just how much intelligence does he have?’
Recalling the series of moves Chu Bamboo had pulled at the site of the All-Powerful Mass, Zhang Hai’s mind began to wander. ’Could it be? Does he have a mole in the All-Powerful organization who discovered the entire plan and reported it to him? But that...’
Zhang Hai mentally made the sign of the cross, a wave of pity washing over him for these Demon Cultists.
’Tragic. Just too tragic! They’re being played from start to finish!’
’But what kind of mole would you need to know this much... If he claimed he’d planned the whole thing himself, I’d believe him!’
’Wait a minute, could it be...’
"Um." Zhang Hai’s expression shifted several times before he finally couldn’t hold it in any longer.
"?"
"You’re not going to tell me at the end of all this," Zhang Hai said carefully, "that you’re actually an Apostle, are you?"
Chu Bamboo: "???"
"Get lost!" Chu Bamboo laughed in exasperation. ’If I were an Apostle, I’d have become a Transcendent ages ago.’
"You got it!" Zhang Hai nodded hurriedly, feeling a strange sense of relief at being scolded.
"What are you going to do next!" Chu Bamboo said, his face expressionless. "I’ve paid a hefty price for you, you know. Two good brothers lost their lives because of this!"
’Twice! A full two times!! I had to reset twice!!!’
"I know! I owe you a huge favor." Zhang Hai shrank back again, a bitter look on his face. He wasn’t surprised by the two lives... but he truly didn’t know how he could ever repay him! ’I haven’t even paid back the last favor... This debt is compounding!’
"So, talk!" Chu Bamboo’s words were short and sharp, radiating the oppressive aura of a creditor.
"..." Zhang Hai fell silent, then made the sign of the cross over his chest. ’God, please forgive me! Afterward, I’ll use a tenth of my fortune to buy indulgences.’
Then, Zhang Hai straightened his back and, with the look of someone whose conscience was now clear, announced, "I’m going to find the Cardinal from the First District."
"An enemy like this, carrying a Forbidden Artifact clearly designed to target members of the God Worship Sect—why should I carry this burden alone?"
"Good." Chu Bamboo nodded, expressionless. ’Now, let’s see what move they make.’
He stood up and walked toward the door.
"Whoa, hey, Boss! Bro! Isn’t it okay if I call you Bro?! Didn’t you say you were going to join the faith?" Zhang Hai’s expression changed in a flash. "I’ve told you so many secrets! You can’t—you can’t just walk out like this!"
"Next time for sure!" Chu Bamboo said without a hint of guilt, turning his head to look Zhang Hai straight in the eye. "I never lie!"
Zhang Hai: "...R-Really?"
...
「Police Chief Bureau, Special Operations Captain’s Office.」
Chu Bamboo casually opened the door and walked in, but his movements suddenly froze. He sensed a murderous aura.
"And you are?" Chu Bamboo narrowed his eyes, sizing up the three men dressed in Flying Fish Suits. All three had numb, emotionless faces, and were now subconsciously gripping the Long Sabers at their waists.
He recognized these three—members of the logistics department for the various Special Operations teams in Jinghai City.
’Hm, if he wanted to, he could probably pull some strings and claim a connection to them!’
"This is our Special Operations team’s Honored Guest Elder!" Li Kang’s eyelid twitched a few times as he quickly stood up to explain, silently wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. ’I already made a point of sending Ning Linglong and the others away; I never imagined the timing would be this terrible...’
"Also a member of the Captain’s Office?" The leader of the group frowned. He didn’t actually look very old; there was still a hint of boyishness in his features.
After sizing Chu Bamboo up for a moment, he finally sheathed the half-drawn Brocade Spring Saber with a CLANG and said in an icy voice, "Kid! Be more careful next time. Remember to knock before you enter a room, or else!"
"Or else what, Gao Changming?" Chu Bamboo sneered.
Gao Changming’s body stiffened, his killing intent flaring. ’He’s investigated me?’
’Damn it! The Captain’s Office is a secret department of Daqian, handling functions like intelligence and Extraordinary affairs. Its security classification is the highest among all departments in the entire Imperial Court system!’
’Even though my own security clearance is, strictly speaking, lower than Li Kang’s, forget an ordinary person—even the Sun District Governor would have to lose a hand for daring to pry. And if I killed them for it, as long as there was evidence, they would be the ones in the wrong!’
Before Gao Changming could draw his saber, Chu Bamboo spoke slowly. "Have you gone back to see your grandmother?"
"?"
"Have you forgotten me?" Chu Bamboo crossed his arms, his tone tinged with dissatisfaction. "Think carefully. You should have seen me before—I was the one who personally checked your grandmother into the Chongming Nursing Home."
"Back then, I was a little... small..." Chu Bamboo gestured to indicate his height at the time. "I remember you were so grateful to me, you even said... you’d repay me in the future! And you’ve already forgotten? Jeez. It’s not that I care about your help, but what kind of person are you! Your grandmother would be very sad if she knew about this."
Gao Changming: "?!"
’What the hell...!’
’That was, like, three years ago, right?’
’I think... I do vaguely remember now!’
In that instant, Gao Changming was drenched in sweat. ’But, but back then you were wearing worker’s clothes, your face was covered in grime, you looked like you’d just crawled out of a factory...’
’Now you’re all dressed up, handsome and refined—how was I supposed to recognize you as the same person?!’
Although he was just frantically roasting him in his head while his expression remained unchanged, at this moment he gave off an impression of being completely at a loss.
"Speaking of which," Chu Bamboo gestured again and sighed, "a month ago, I even went to the Chongming Nursing Home and volunteered for two days."
"Your grandmother is in decent spirits, but really, you’re a bit too unfilial, aren’t you? How long has it been since you went to see her? If you haven’t been in the last month, it must be half a year by now, right? I visit more often than you do..."
"She always says you’re busy and that she doesn’t want to bother you, but I can tell she misses you a lot." Chu Bamboo looked at Gao Changming with great dissatisfaction, his voice taking on a slightly scolding tone.
The icy numbness on Gao Changming’s face finally cracked. Instead of anger at Chu Bamboo’s attitude, his heart filled with only pain and guilt.
His lips quivered, and Gao Changming finally lowered his head. "I’m... bad luck! Grandma... she’s the only family I have left. It’s... it’s better for her to stay away from me!"
"She’s already very old! So what if you’re a jinx?" Chu Bamboo’s voice was mocking. "It’s you acting like this that’s causing the old lady so much pain!"
Gao Changming bit his lower lip hard.
The other two logistics members of the Captain’s Office: "..."
Right now, their feelings could be summed up in one word: scared!
’After seeing this side of our superior, we’re not going to get screwed over when we get back, are we?’
"Heh, mm." Gao Changming noticed his subordinates’ gazes, paused, and instantly reverted to his cold demeanor. But his attitude toward Chu Bamboo was completely different from before. "Sir, um, I don’t even know your surname. Thank you for taking care of my grandmother!"
Gao Changming bowed slightly. "I will think seriously about what you’ve said! Thank you very much!"
"Hmph! I can tell just by looking at you," Chu Bamboo rolled his eyes, "that it’ll just go in one ear and out the other."
Gao Changming acted as if he hadn’t heard Chu Bamboo’s mockery at all. He turned around, shot a vicious glare at his subordinates, then looked deeply at Li Kang and said abruptly, "Captain Li, this man has done me a great favor!"
"For the sake of our smooth cooperation in the past, if he’s ever done anything that rubbed you the wrong way, please, for my sake, just pretend it never happened... And, if you can, please take good care of him in the future!"
"I’m counting on you!" Gao Changming bowed slightly again, his voice sincere. In Li Kang’s eyes, the man who was previously as cold as a statue now seemed to have a touch more humanity...
But the key problem was...
"..." Li Kang was lost in thought. He felt a little dizzy, his emotions spiraling.
’Wait, what just happened?!’
He slapped his cheeks, staring dumbfounded at Gao Changming.
’Have our roles been reversed just now?’
’Those... are all my lines!!’
