Life in Cahaya returned to its usual odd rhythm following Roy's "fruit diplomacy" success. The media hailed him as an unorthodox hero, and his approval ratings inexplicably rose. But as Roy basked in the glow of his newfound popularity, Aziz was about to deliver yet another bombshell.
"Sir, we have a situation," Aziz said, barging into Roy's office.
Roy looked up from his latest project: building a miniature catapult out of paperclips. "Is it another crisis at the border? Because I'm fresh out of fruit baskets."
"No, sir," Aziz replied, tossing a thick folder onto the desk. "It's about the national budget. Half of it is… gone."
Roy froze mid-catapult-launch. "Gone? Like, missing?"
"Yes, missing!" Aziz snapped. "Our financial reserves have been drained, and nobody knows where the money went. This is a disaster!"
Roy scratched his chin. "Maybe it's just misplaced? You know, like when you lose your socks in the laundry."
Aziz glared at him. "Sir, this isn't about socks! This is billions of Cahayan Ringgit! If we don't figure this out, we'll be bankrupt!"
Roy frowned. "Okay, so… what's the plan? Do we call the cops or something?"
Aziz sighed. "No, we investigate internally. You need to call an emergency meeting with your cabinet immediately."
Roy groaned. "Ugh, fine. But this better not interrupt my nap schedule."
The Cabinet Meeting
Roy's cabinet members filed into the meeting room, looking as clueless as ever. Pak Din brought his whistle, Jamal carried a bag of fried chicken, and Mak Siti had a basket of fresh cucumbers, as usual.
Aziz wasted no time. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have a major crisis. The national budget has been depleted, and we need to find out where the money has gone."
Jamal raised his hand. "Uh… maybe someone accidentally transferred it to their GrabPaz account? That happened to me once. Bought fried chicken with my rent money."
Aziz glared. "This isn't about fried chicken, Jamal!"
Pak Din blew his whistle. "Maybe it's sabotage! Ultima could be behind this. Those sneaky fellas are always up to something."
Mak Siti frowned. "Or maybe the money was cursed? I've heard stories about cursed banknotes. We should consult a bomoh."
Cikgu Suraya nodded. "I agree. We should also implement a lesson plan on financial literacy for everyone involved. Knowledge is power!"
Aziz rubbed his temples. "This is going nowhere." He turned to Roy. "Sir, please say something."
Roy leaned back in his chair, deep in thought. "Alright, team, I have an idea."
Everyone leaned forward, hopeful.
"We'll do a treasure hunt!" Roy announced.
Silence.
Aziz's jaw dropped. "A… treasure hunt?"
"Yeah!" Roy said, his eyes lighting up. "Think about it. Missing money is basically treasure, right? We'll split up into teams and search for clues. It'll be fun!"
Aziz looked like he might faint. "This is a financial investigation, not an episode of Doro the Explore!"
Operation "Find the Money"
Despite Aziz's protests, Roy insisted on turning the investigation into a treasure hunt. Teams were formed, maps were drawn (badly), and everyone was given a whistle for "team spirit."
• Team A: Roy and Jamal. Their strategy was to check all the local fried chicken restaurants, "just in case."
• Team B: Aziz and Pak Din. Their approach involved actual research, combing through financial records and contracts.
• Team C: Mak Siti and Cikgu Suraya. They decided to question market vendors and community leaders.
Roy's Adventure
Roy and Jamal started their hunt at a famous fried chicken chain.
"Alright," Roy said, munching on a drumstick. "If I were billions of Ringgit, where would I hide?"
Jamal shrugged. "Probably somewhere cool, like a yacht. Or a really big fridge."
They spent the next three hours eating chicken and asking waiters if they'd seen "a suspicious amount of money lying around." Unsurprisingly, they found nothing.
Aziz's Breakthrough
Meanwhile, Aziz and Pak Din uncovered something suspicious while reviewing government contracts. A company called "Cahaya Innovations" had received a massive payout for a project that didn't seem to exist.
"Cahaya Innovations?" Pak Din said, blowing his whistle. "Never heard of them. Sounds fishy."
Aziz nodded. "Exactly. This could be our lead."
The Big Reveal
That evening, all the teams reconvened at Roy's office to share their findings.
Aziz slammed a folder onto the desk. "Sir, we've uncovered the culprit. The missing money was funneled into a shell company called Cahaya Innovations. And guess who's listed as the CEO?"
Roy leaned forward, intrigued. "Who?"
"Mr. Zaki Bin Karim," Aziz said grimly.
Roy frowned. "Who's that?"
Aziz sighed. "The former Minister of Finance. He must have set this up before you took office. He's been siphoning money for months!"
Roy whistled. "Wow. That's sneaky."
Jamal, munching on a chicken wing, chimed in. "So… what do we do? Can we, like, arrest him or something?"
Aziz nodded. "We'll report this to the anti-corruption agency immediately. But, sir, you'll need to make a public statement."
Roy groaned. "Ugh, fine. Can I at least wear my lucky tie?"
Roy's Statement
The next day, Roy addressed the nation in a televised broadcast.
"People of Cahaya," he began, standing in front of a dramatic backdrop of the national flag. "It has come to my attention that our budget was stolen by… uh… a very bad man. But don't worry! We found him, and justice will be served."
Aziz, standing off-camera, cringed.
Roy continued. "Also, I'd like to thank my amazing team for their hard work. Special shoutout to Jamal for keeping us fed during the investigation. And remember, folks: teamwork makes the dream work!"
The Aftermath
The anti-corruption agency launched an official investigation, and Zaki was quickly apprehended. The missing funds were partially recovered, and Roy's approval ratings inexplicably went up again.
"See, Aziz?" Roy said, leaning back in his chair. "Another crisis solved."
Aziz shook his head. "You didn't solve anything, sir. You turned a serious investigation into a treasure hunt."
Roy grinned. "And it worked, didn't it?"
Aziz sighed. "One day, sir, your luck is going to run out."
"Maybe," Roy said, shrugging. "But until then, let's ride this wave!"
End of Chapter 6