Perhaps, finding out that the Foster Family is the true puppet master behind the scenes wasn't entirely a bad thing.
Song Lan returned to his desk, donning his headphones and closing his eyes as if immersed in a world of music. In reality, he was sorting out in his mind the recent unrest in District 17.
First, Chai Ke's criminal empire was reigning terror in District 17, unchecked by anyone. On the surface, it seemed because he had spent a fortune on prosthetic implants, making him and his army of cronies unstoppable with the local law enforcement's limited resources. But to Song Lan, a deeper reason lay in the intricate business ties between Chai Ke and the Foster Family.
This complex mesh of interests was precisely why no rescuers were dispatched to resolve the Chai Ke issue.
Until Lu Xiang arrived.
The first thing Lu Xiang did after joining the law enforcement department of District 17 was to plan the operation to arrest Chai Ke.
Even her colleagues couldn't believe that they could one day put Chai Ke behind bars themselves.
Looking back, it seemed that High Prosecutor Angel Foster's actions were all premeditated.
The day Chai Ke was arrested and put in jail, she gave a public speech at the center square of District 17, declaring that the prosecution would punish this notorious criminal severely according to the law. Becoming a city hero overnight, the clueless citizens credited her and the Inspection Department.
Angel Foster didn't do this for the glory, though. Her actual intention was for the Inspection Department to take over Chai Ke's case entirely.
Soon after, she let Chai Ke go, and orchestrated a scandal big enough to bring Lu Xiang into the spotlight.
If he hadn't been the unfortunate sacrifice for this scandal, secretly helping Chai Ke escape from jail and causing the deaths of several law enforcement officers, leading Chai Ke to take the city hero hostage, Lu Xiang's issue probably wouldn't be as simple as losing her job, especially with the fabricated documents and audio recordings as evidence.
Song Lan couldn't help but sigh about the sinister depths of the influential families in the core districts.
After sorting out the sequence of events, he found the most puzzling part of the entire incident.
If all the recent chaos in District 17 can be attributed to the power struggle between the Foster Family and the new supervisor of the law enforcement, then who had sent Lu Xiang here?
From the bits and pieces revealed by the assassin, it isn't hard to guess that Lu Xiang also hails from the core district; a feeling of familiarity seems to linger between them...
So, the person sending Lu Xiang here aims to utilize her as a tool to sabotage the Foster Family's businesses?
The situation is getting more complex.
The Foster Family, virtually controlling the entire United Government judiciary system, and another substantial force secretly opposing the Foster Family.
And him, just a simple office worker wishing to work peacefully until retirement and buy a house to spend his later life, all of this wasn't supposed to be his problem.
Even back in 2020, Song Lan didn't particularly care for international affairs, and it hadn't changed in 2166.
But now, a small problem crept up.
The professional assassin sent by the Foster Family to handle the aftermath is presently sleeping peacefully at the bottom of a deserted lake.
Once the Foster family realizes this, they will undoubtedly send more powerful people here. Then it would turn into an endless dispute, and his retirement plan would be entirely ruined.
Which is why he urgently had to find a scapegoat to take the blame, before the Foster Family finds him.
That way, even if the Foster Family's disputes with the "outside world" criminals escalate, it won't be his problem.
He must realize his preliminary goal.
Lost in his world, Song Lan was subconsciously furrowing his brows, nervously biting his thumb until it bled, the noise-canceling effect of his headphones allowing him to immerse in his thoughts.
The pain in his thumb helped him focus, and about two minutes later, he finally opened his eyes.
Yes!
At the moment, no one but him knows that Mr. Killer is sleeping forever in some deserted place.
As long as the Foster Family believes that Mr. Killer is still alive, they won't send anyone here temporarily.
Pretend to be Mr. Killer and reestablish contact with the Foster Family. This plan could buy him enough time to arrange a proper "retirement" ceremony for Mr. Killer.
A plan emerged in Song Lan's mind.
He remembered the phone stored in his bedroom safe, as well as the deactivated artificial eye. He double-checked the emails and call records on the phone. Still, the people on the other end were professional killers after all, the phone's contact list and email inbox had been entirely wiped clean.
If he wanted to establish contact with the Foster Family, he could only wait for them to take the initiative.
A possibility occurred to Song Lan - after Mr. Killer has completed his current tasks, the Foster Family would issue new instructions.
And he conveniently knew the missions that the assassin hadn't completed yet.
The first was to force him to betray Lu Xiang, either by coercion or enticement.
The second, to eliminate all survivors of Chai Ke's case.
Right now, the very last survivor was in Forest Hospital in the East District, and Lu Xiang was guarding them day and night.
He certainly couldn't frame Lu Xiang with false evidence. His last resort was to let the Foster Family know that the task of wiping out all survivors has been complete.
Song Lan couldn't help but reminisce about a movie he had once watched, where the protagonist tricked the villain by pretending to be dead.
Considering the last survivor's unique circumstances and Lu Xiang persistently by their side, he trusted the reasonable Foster Family wouldn't quibble over the difference in cause of "death" from the previous two.
It seems, he had to make a trip to the Forest Hospital.
Caught in a whirl of struggles, forced to become an entirely unfamiliar character, this was an experience Song Lan never had before. The peaceful life he yearned for seemed to be drifting further away.
But, that's only for now.
He would definitely get in touch with the Foster Family, and then have Mr. Killer, the role he played, gloriously "retire." When that time comes, no one in this world would know what had happened in an apartment in District 17 last night.
He took off his headphones and sprayed antiseptic on the thumb that had stopped bleeding. After binding it with a band-aid,
He pulled out a gift bag from his drawer, which held presents individually wrapped for his girlfriend who was busy working through the night.
It was entirely reasonable and emotionally considerate.
Fortunately, they were in the most laid-back department of Law Enforcement Manor.
The department head took a day off due to the shock yesterday, making the department's atmosphere even more lax. Every colleague was too occupied copying the spirit of rescuers. When he entered, no one greeted him, or noticed him leaving with a gift bag.
He walked down the stairs and hopped onto his beloved MK-Ⅱ.
Now, it was time for visiting his family.