"You're telling me that all the people you were looking for have disappeared?!"
The man roared, his excitement causing the veins on his forehead to bulge.
The person beside him glanced at the pristine fragments on the floor and couldn't help but think that ever since Qin Xuezhong went to the Bayflow Bureau, this man had been smashing things worth ten million every day.
He replied, "Yes, they either ran away or have been quietly eliminated."
The man slapped him hard, making him stagger. "What the hell is going on?!"
"I don't know. It's possible that—"
Before he could finish, the man interrupted angrily, "That damn woman has some kind of power! How can she manage those desperate criminals?!"
Without waiting for a response, the man began pacing the room, muttering to himself, "I need to get rid of her. I need to get rid of her..."
The person beside him put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down and said, "It's okay. If we suspect she's building a power base, we can apply for an investigation now."
The man's eyes lit up. "Exactly! This is a betrayal of the family's oath! She must not be allowed to grow her own influence!"
His hands stopped trembling, and a wild light danced in his eyes as he gazed out the window.
---
As dawn broke, the city district began to buzz with activity.
Factories typically operated in three shifts, with the morning shift starting at 8 a.m. Considering breakfast and commute time, workers living here generally woke up before 7.
With the lingering effects of alcohol and fleeting dreams still fresh, the hundreds of thousands heading to the subway looked as if they were in a daze.
Among such a crowd, Qin Xuezhong felt a bit more at ease.
Indeed, walking among the hardworking masses, she felt safe from the wolves and tigers outside.
However, the crowd today was noticeably more lively.
Many seemed to be discussing something with curiosity.
Qin Xuezhong listened for a bit and realized they were talking about the case she had handled yesterday.
"...They actually awarded 500,000! 500,000!"
"And that Wang Erleng guy even killed someone at the clinic, and he faced no consequences."
"So what actually happened?"
"I heard it was a system issue…"
"Ah, that's just luck; when will it be my turn...?"
Qin Xuezhong was taken aback. They actually awarded that worker 500,000 in compensation? That's a lot! With that, the family should have a much easier time.
Although she still didn't quite understand how the case had progressed, as a participant, she felt a sense of pride.
Smiling, she walked through the crowd, keeping her achievements hidden.
Upon arriving at the office, she found Xue Zhishi and Jin Anan had already arrived and were busy.
Xue Zhishi was standing on a chair, hanging something on the office wall.
Jin Anan looked up from below, directing him, "A little lower; it's not aligned with that window over there."
Xue Zhishi sighed in exasperation, "You just said to raise it!"
"Okay, okay, just a bit lower now."
With one hand stabilizing the wall nail, Xue Zhishi lightly tapped the other thumb, surprisingly driving the nail directly into the wall.
Seeing Qin Xuezhong enter, he curiously showed her his hand. "A mini lighter and impact hammer integrated into my thumb; it's quite handy."
Jin Anan rolled her eyes below, "So ugly."
For some reason, even though she had only been in the office for two days and hadn't interacted much with her colleagues, she felt a sense of familiarity.
It felt like home.
Perhaps it was because, no matter the world, those who liked to slack off could become friends.
She set down her bag and asked, "What are you busy with?"
Neither of them answered. Xue Zhishi finished hanging the item and let it drop. Jin Anan smiled and gestured for a reveal.
Qin Xuezhong was surprised to see that it was a banner!
Although this was already a cyber world, the banner looked just like the one she had seen before her transmigration. With golden fringes and a bright red background, it had two lines of large characters:
"Thunder Strikes, Upholding Justice."
On the side, there were smaller characters: "Presented to the Bayflow District Public Security Bureau Chip Data Analysis Department"
There was no signature.
Xue Zhishi hopped down from the chair, clapped his hands, and smiled, "About yesterday's incident at the amputation clinic: because you retrieved the memories of the deceased so quickly, the tech department didn't take it back for review and just directly awarded 500,000 in compensation. That worker's family sent this banner."
Jin Anan excitedly added, "This is the first banner our department has received."
"And a bonus too." Xue Zhishi operated something on the screen, and Qin Xuezhong immediately received a notification.
[From: Bayflow District Public Security Bureau Automatic Assessment System]
[Quick Case Processing Bonus – Qin Xuezhong]
[1000 Credit Points]
Qin Xuezhong couldn't help but beam with joy.
Since arriving in this world, she had checked her personal account, which only had over 3000 credit points.
According to the bureau's employment information, her salary was 5000 points per month, and she wouldn't receive it until the beginning of next month.
With 1200 points in rent due at the end of the month, plus expenses for food, utilities, commuting, and internet, she could only scrape by this month.
So, this 1000-point bonus made her really happy.
"Alright, I'll treat you for lunch today; let's celebrate for Xiaoqin!" Xue Zhishi declared.
---
While chatting, Qin Xuezhong learned that because of yesterday's incident, there had been many rumors circulating both inside and outside the bureau.
When she had looked up information earlier, she learned that in this cyber world, the corporations wielded immense power while the government was weak.
Sometimes, the Eastern Continent Federal Government seemed to exist merely to maintain social order for the corporations.
However, in recent years, the federal government had become increasingly assertive in many matters, gradually regaining control from the corporations.
In the past, if a lowly worker was scammed by a shady clinic? Just make a few connections, throw some money around, and it would be handled in no time.
The federal government had long been infiltrated by corporations, and many of its members were merely coasting along.
But yesterday's events served as a glaring declaration of war for many who were observing the situation.
The conflict between the government and the corporations had finally come to the forefront!
Some looked forward to the chaos, hoping to take advantage of the confusion to make a big score.
Others felt anxious, realizing that the long-standing balance had been disrupted and would inevitably lead to danger.
More were watching, trying to figure out where they should stand in this changing future.
Listening to Xue Zhishi and Jin Anan discuss these gossip rumors made Qin Xuezhong's head spin.
What a mess!
All she wanted was to enjoy her slacking life! How had she suddenly been pulled to the center of this vortex?
Seeing the grim look on Qin Xuezhong's face, Xue Zhishi reassured her, "Don't worry; this kind of thing has nothing to do with us."
Jin Anan also appeared relaxed, "Right, the case handling processes in the security department are confidential; no one will know you retrieved the memories of the deceased, and the final determination is made by the online system. We're just the employees handling the money; don't overthink it."
Looking at their nonchalant attitudes, Qin Xuezhong felt that it was true—such large-scale social change had nothing to do with a small district's bottom-level department.
She could just stay in the office, enjoy her slacking off, and let the seasons change outside!
Trouble wouldn't come knocking at her door, would it?
---
Just as Qin Xuezhong returned to the office, Xue Zhishi received a message.
After reading it, his face turned grave.
Qin Xuezhong and Jin Anan exchanged puzzled glances, and even Xiekdu, who had been engrossed in a game, looked at him.
Xue Zhishi spoke in a heavy tone, "Xiao Qin, uh… you should take a look."
Qin Xuezhong leaned over to Xue Zhishi's desk, where the holographic screen displayed a top-secret internal notice:
[Top Secret, For Department Heads and Authorized Personnel Only]
[Qin Xuezhong, Level 1 Intern of the Chip Data Analysis Department, due to outstanding work performance, has been promoted to Level 2 Official Authority. Following review and assessment, she will also serve as a temporary member of the Anti-Intrusion Team at the Xigu City Security Division. Further review and work arrangements will be announced later.]
Qin Xuezhong's voice trembled, "What… what is the Anti-Intrusion Team?"
"It's for catching undercover agents; they have significant power in the Security Department."
Qin Xuezhong was filled with confusion.
Am I an undercover agent?! And now I have to help you catch undercover agents?
Am I catching myself?!
Xue Zhishi comforted her again, "It should be fine; the higher-ups might see the clinic incident as an opportunity to make some moves. You're just a newcomer; they won't ask you to do anything too troublesome."
Qin Xuezhong's
expression was almost in tears, "Can I refuse?"
"Should be possible." Seeing her expression, Xue Zhishi felt moved; after all, she loved to slack off.
He thought for a moment and said, "There will be an evaluation too; maybe you can politely decline when you talk to the higher-ups?"
Xue Zhishi's suggestion sounded uncertain.
Qin Xuezhong's heart skipped a beat.
An evaluation? They wouldn't discover my identity issues, would they?
---
The entire afternoon, Qin Xuezhong was absent-minded.
As closing time approached, she received a message from Qin Huaigui.
[From: Qin Huaigui]
[I won a bonus today; I'll come pick you up after work, let's go eat.]
Qin Xuezhong felt despair.
If this message truly came from her brother, it would have warmed her heart.
But now she knew this "brother" was just a partner, probably not even using his real name, and this person was coming to pick her up...
What kind of trick might the undercover team be pulling?!
After work, Qin Huaigui's car was already waiting.
As soon as she got in, Qin Xuezhong spoke first, "What's going on?"
She maintained a cold façade, but inside, she was a bundle of nerves.
Qin Huaigui spoke excitedly, "Boss wants to give you the highest authority, bringing you back to be a senior director. As for the previous internal conflicts, she'll do her best to resolve them! She even said she's really sorry about what happened before."
Qin Xuezhong felt hopeless, gritting her teeth and asking, "Why?"
Hearing her question, Qin Huaigui hesitated for a moment, responding cautiously, "Because of what happened this time; everyone knows you left the company just a few days ago and not only dealt a blow to the Security Department with the clinic incident, but also entered their Anti-Intrusion Team... It's simply a brilliant move!"
At this point, Qin Huaigui chuckled, "An executive from the Dreamer's Realm who entered the Security Department's Anti-Intrusion Team to catch undercover agents—that would definitely become the biggest joke in the Federation!"
Qin Xuezhong: ...
She leaned back, her mind blank.
In a single day, she was promoted on both sides.
With double happiness, Qin Xuezhong's face was alight with joy.
---