"…Officer Ch'en?"
"Hm? Li Lin? What are you doing here?"
When Officer Ch'en heard Li Lin call out her name, she was momentarily stunned. After carefully looking Li Lin up and down, she said with some surprise:
"Why are you here at Penguin Logistics? When did you come back to Lungmen? With clothes on, I almost didn't recognize you."
"Ahaha, I finally found a job, thank you for what happened before. Sit, sit."
"…??????"
Watching the two inexplicably greet each other, everyone present, including the two Blacksteel International operators, showed expressions of surprise.
Superintendent Ch'en, if not notorious, could be said to be incredibly disliked. Especially for those who operate in the gray areas, seeing Superintendent Ch'en was always a headache. She didn't accept gifts, nor did she engage in any illegal activities; instead, she hated evil like a personal enemy and was particularly enthusiastic about judging criminals.
Moreover, her personal abilities were outstanding, having made significant contributions to the stability of Lungmen as a whole. Civilians quite liked this stern-faced Officer Ch'en, but for those like Penguin Logistics and Blacksteel International who thrived on chaos, seeing Superintendent Ch'en was somewhat awkward. And when they saw Officer Ch'en, who in their impression was practically an iceberg, actually chatting somehow with Li Lin, the thoughts in the minds of those present couldn't be articulated in just a sentence or two.
Superintendent Ch'en's subsequent actions also confirmed she wasn't some counterfeit product.
"We'll talk about catching up later, I'm here to investigate intelligence now."
Reaching out to stop the hand Li Lin wanted to pull over, Officer Ch'en took out a file from her pocket, looking at Exusiai who was taking off her eye mask and Li Lin beside her.
"After investigation, Lungmen found that this exploded room was once rented to Penguin Logistics' Exusiai for use as an external residence. Mainly used to look after an unidentified individual, namely Li Lin. And also responsible for transferring some documents or items that might cause problems if kept at Penguin Logistics, correct?"
"Yes. Is there any problem?"
Exusiai rubbed her eyes, raised an eyebrow looking at Officer Ch'en standing with Li Lin.
"This is the room where Prophet and I live together. Ever since I picked him up from the wilderness, he has been living here. Occasionally storing some Penguin Logistics files and things like that."
"Prophet?"
"That's him. We live together."
Exusiai pointed at Li Lin, making Officer Ch'en glance strangely at Li Lin and jot something down in her notebook. Then she looked up at Exusiai.
"Is that so? Then you should know where some of the unstable materials found in your bedroom came from, right?"
"Penguin Logistics is only responsible for transport and storage, we don't pay attention to what's inside. Officer Ch'en."
The Laterano girl blew on her hair tips, saying with a matter-of-fact expression:
"If Penguin Logistics knew what was in all the transported files and then deliberately transported them to competitors, we would have been out of business long ago. Our data files have tamper-evident seals monitored by dedicated personnel, and many times we only retrieve files from safes, even transporting them at intervals. We also don't know what's inside."
"Yes. If you hadn't always maintained such rules, then what found you wouldn't be an inspection, but an arrest. This is just a routine inspection, no need to be too nervous. Believe that Lungmen will provide a space for peaceful development for various enterprises."
After stating the routine formalities, Officer Ch'en put away her police ID, her sharp gaze scanning the figures in the room, seemingly searching for someone.
Glancing at the people from Blacksteel International and Penguin Logistics in the room, as if committing them to memory, she then turned her head to look at Li Lin, who seemed powerless to even truss a chicken and wore a blank expression. The Dragon girl just glanced at his posture and wrists before shaking her head.
"Since you finally managed to come back, just find a proper job. Penguin Logistics is suspected of many illegal criminal activities; although no handle has been caught so far, it's ultimately not a long-term solution. Aren't you planning to write a novel? I'm very interested in the story you told when you were leaving. If you find any criminal evidence here at Penguin Logistics, or if you can't stay any longer, you can come to the Lungmen Police Department anytime, mention my name, and find me. I will arrange a suitable position for you."
"Ah, um… Thank you, Officer Ch'en?"
Li Lin said somewhat awkwardly.
Only this Officer Ch'en could manage to scold the bald donkey in front of the monk ( idiom: criticize someone indirectly by scolding another). Without even looking, one knew the faces of several Penguin Logistics employees in the room immediately turned sour. However, this didn't seem to be a problem for Officer Ch'en. She just maintained her cold face, saying whatever she wanted to say to herself.
"No need to thank me. If you hadn't happened to run into me back then to provide evidence, you would have already been arrested as a criminal suspect."
"Huh? Could someone like me possibly commit a crime? I'm so powerless…"
"I also don't think you could do anything. But after all, your identity and the timing are indeed too sensitive, so you were also listed within the scope of suspects. However, it is indeed because of me that you have an alibi and a time difference. So it shouldn't be you."
"Then what case is it exactly?"
"Confidentiality regulations, you don't need to ask further."
Officer Ch'en waved her hand, clearly not intending to say much more.
Actually, coming here to warn Penguin Logistics was just routine procedure anyway. Everyone knew Penguin Logistics was honest and wouldn't do things like opening files and copying them. Otherwise, this logistics business couldn't continue, no one would trust them. This visit was mainly routine procedure, a warning tap, and also incidentally telling those monitoring that Penguin Logistics was innocent. Although there were indeed some muddle-headed people starting to target Penguin Logistics, under the watch of the Lungmen Guard Bureau, everyone would calm down.
The problem was, the clues on Penguin Logistics' side were cut off, and Li Lin, the prime suspect, was confirmed to have been kicked out of Lungmen months ago, only managing to sneak back with great difficulty. Someone without an ID and with amnesia, completely unfamiliar with the world, couldn't possibly understand the internet directly and announce various information.
Officer Ch'en had already tested and confirmed this herself back then. He didn't even know what Originium Arts were.
So Li Lin and Penguin Logistics were innocent, then who exactly placed the files with Penguin Logistics without a sound?
Just thinking about the remaining paper fragments in the ruins and the already scattered files, Officer Ch'en felt her head ache.
However, such emotions couldn't be brought into work. She quickly switched her mood, nodded at the crowd, then looked at Li Lin, the amnesiac writer whose words before being kicked out were very interesting and left an extremely deep impression.
"Since you've returned to Lungmen, and your identity proof can be processed soon, you'll be considered a normal resident. If your novel gets published, you can let me know, I will support it."
"Then, thank you, Officer Ch'en?"
"You're welcome. I still have work to do, won't keep you company. We can chat more when there's time."
Officer Ch'en nodded and walked to the edge of the door. As if just remembering something, she looked at the two Blacksteel International operators in the room and said pointedly:
"Also, Lungmen hopes that the personnel of Blacksteel International can do their security work properly, and not get involved in other aspects. We very much welcome foreign enterprises to station in Lungmen, but we do not wish for it to bring any chaos or unrest. I hope you can cooperate with my work. Thank you."
Before the two Blacksteel International operators could speak, Officer Ch'en snapped a salute to everyone, then walked straight out the door.
Her swift and decisive aura was so strong that the seven people remaining in the room didn't even have time to say anything else, their presence completely suppressed. Even the two elite Blacksteel International operators merely moved their lips without saying anything further. Only after the people present came back to their senses did they look somewhat strangely at Li Lin, who had poured a glass of water and returned to his chair.
"…Why are you all looking at me? Is there a flower growing on my face?"
Holding the paper cup, Li Lin looked at the several pairs of eyes staring at him, hugged his notebook, and said somewhat uncomfortably.