Turbulence

"What did you say? A seditious book has been circulating in Jinxia City lately?"

Inside the Police Department of the Affairs Bureau, Li Xing looked up from the case files.

"Chief, you seriously didn't know?" Investigator Huang Si nodded repeatedly. "This book has taken the streets by storm lately! The lines outside the bookstores selling it stretch from their courtyards all the way to the street entrance!"

"Oh? Tell me the details." Li Xing was immediately intrigued.

To be honest, this city had the best public security environment he had ever seen. Even during the period when enemies had frantically infiltrated it, there had been fewer than a hundred murder cases. Now that it had entered a stable period, the city presented a scene of prosperity and peace, with even robberies and thefts becoming far less frequent. But that did not mean the Police Department had nothing to do. In fact, their work had only grown busier—registering the population, handling identity documents, resolving commercial disputes, and even settling quarrels between neighbors had become part of their duties.

This left Li Xing feeling a trace of melancholy.

He always felt that his talents had nowhere to be put to use.

But news of a seditious book made his spirits soar—without question, the Seven Stars Bureau of Military Affairs had never stopped sending spies into Jinxia. If he could drag out these vermin, the credit would surely outweigh handling those petty neighborhood disputes.

The course of events was not particularly complicated.

About four or five days earlier, a popular vernacular novel titled "Flowers Bloom" had suddenly become a sensation. Many people scrambled to buy it, and it sparked heated discussion. Because supplies were limited, its price had climbed steadily. After changing hands several times, the price could even triple or quadruple. Price