The First Step Toward the Sea of Stars

"Now you have two choices..." Director Johnson stood in front of the bookshelf in Michael's study, looking at the books that showed signs of being turned over, and for the first time his impression of Michael improved somewhat.

He had assumed Michael wouldn't read, but it seemed that many of the books here had been read before.

He sighed inwardly, turned to look at Michael, and said, "The first option is that Little Michael broke into Lin Qi's house and took his ring. You want Lin Qi to drop the charges, so you framed him and tried to force him to drop the charges and compromise through your methods."

This is "Lin Qi's version," in which Lin Qi says Michael ultimately committed attempted murder. Director Johnson did not accept this, as he was well aware that if attempted murder were established, coupled with these previous statements, Michael could be charged with First Degree Murder.

Although Lin Qi did not die in the end, given the current public outcry and the negative social impact, the jury will certainly find Michael guilty, and the judge will try to give him a heavy sentence to quell public anger.

If it really comes to that, it's not just a matter of three to five years in prison; it could mean spending the rest of your life in jail, at least ten or twenty years, and possibly thirty or fifty years. Knowingly breaking the law is always an excellent tool for sentencing, and no matter how much is given, people will never feel it's too much.

Michael's breathing became heavy. He looked up and glared fiercely at Director Johnson, who ignored his expression and gaze.

"This has nothing to do with my child. My child was also framed by Lin Qi..."

Director Johnson glanced back at him. No one knows what really happened to Little Michael. He confessed to his crimes but refused to talk to Michael. No one knows what the inside story is.

Perhaps, as Michael claims, he was indeed framed and imprisoned by Lin Qi, but the judge wouldn't think so.

"The second option is that you have a personal grudge against Lin Qi. You feel that he has not been respectful enough to you, which hurts your feelings. So you have repeatedly caused trouble for him, wanting him to realize the difference between you and him and to respect you."

This is Director Johnson's version. Overemphasizing the crimes committed by Michael and his children could raise concerns about whether lower-ranking law enforcement officers might have similar experiences.

Instead of focusing on the crime itself, we should focus on the conflict between the two individuals, which, simply put, exacerbates Michael's personal character issues.

Michael's situation fits the second explanation very well. In fact, later on, we didn't even need to write a script. We could just have reporters interview people who had contact with Michael or their colleagues to draw a conclusion.

Michael's public image will become more concrete and more tarnished, but the benefit is that the Sabine City Revenue Service is extricated from the whole affair and the enforcement issues are also removed.

Michael tugged at his hair, his mouth tightly shut, his lips drained of color from the pressure of his jaw, his eyes wounded and filled with despair, and he knew he had to make a choice.

The first option won't work, because it would expose his son to the media as well. People would not only criticize him, but also his son, and even his wife and family would not escape the public eye.

We can only choose the second option...

When Michael made his choice, Director Johnson had a strange feeling. He even joked with Michael before leaving that they didn't need to "collusion" and that if Michael just acted naturally, people would believe that his choice was the truth.

These things seem cruel, forcing a person to choose how to endure one of the most terrible things in the world, but there's no other way.

Because the subsequent efforts from all sides to reverse public opinion require the cooperation of Michael and Lin Qi, and without journalists with "professional ethics" digging out more "insider information" from them, the truth will not be revealed to the public.

While the reporter may seem to deserve more credit, Michael and Lin Qi's work was actually more important. As various inside stories emerged, they would appear in front of the media and be scrutinized by the public, making their cooperation crucial.

Having resolved these issues, Director Johnson seemed to have soothed his guilt towards Michael. Not only had he rescued Michael from the Lin Qi version, but he would also take care of Michael's family for the foreseeable future until Michael was released from prison.

Without him, this family would have fallen apart. He has done everything a boss should do, and much more.

The next day, Qiao Geliman called Lin Qi and offered to talk about their small business dealings, Lin Qi readily accepted.

Ten percent of two million, plus a five percent of the expected return—this is a deal worth hundreds of thousands, and he's not in much danger. Many people might think this is a chaotic era, but Lin Qi believes it's the Golden Age!

In the morning, the two arranged to meet at a private club, as if a meeting requiring a certain degree of privacy should not be exposed to the public.

In this society, many people have a "terrifying" perception: they believe that people in Upper Class don't need leisure or entertainment; they are always working and socializing, and socializing may be their entertainment time.

This is actually a misconception. Just because people don't see them having fun doesn't mean they don't have a fun life. Who knows how much fun they have behind the scenes!

Around nine o'clock, Lin Qi appeared on a quiet, secluded street outside the city center, carrying a briefcase. There weren't many pedestrians on the street. Following the address given to him by Qiao Geliman, he arrived at a door with a one-square-meter red carpet laid out in front.

From the outside, it doesn't look much different from most of the houses on this street, including the three steps at the entrance, a handrail that's so short it's almost useless, and an old-fashioned wooden door.

Its wooden door may be a little wider than others, but that's about it. There's no sign, no name; everything is so plain that passersby can't possibly notice it.

Lin Qi checked the address several times, pushed open the door and entered. There were two elevator doors at the entrance, and a small workshop with a fence. Inside sat a guy dressed in a suit and wearing glasses, who looked like a butler.

The environment here was like the ground floor of most apartments. Lin Qi walked to the counter with a peculiar feeling. "Mr. Qiao Geliman asked me to meet him here..."

The man who looked like a butler immediately began flipping through the notebook in front of him. "May I ask your name, sir?"

"Lin Qi!"

The man subtly sized up Lin Qi, and after confirming that it was indeed him, he took a key from the wall behind him, which was covered with keys, and placed it, along with a small card the size of a palm, on a red velvet tray, then handed it over with both hands.

"Mr. Lin Qi ..." Lin Qi accepted the items and bowed slightly. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Lin Qi glanced at him, shook his head, and walked towards the elevator.

Once inside the elevator, he discovered that the card was actually a key to the elevator floors. One end of the card had small holes, and inserting the card into the slot would activate the corresponding floor.

After an almost imperceptible ascent and descent, the elevator doors slowly opened. Stepping out, everything before his eyes suddenly became incredibly luxurious! Gilded decorations, bright red carpets, exquisite tapestries, and oil paintings appearing on the walls at intervals. Lin Qi didn't understand oil painting appreciation, but some of them were indeed very good.

A faint fragrance, unlike anything he had ever experienced, filled the air. It was calm and not lively, yet it gave people a solemn feeling.

The distance between each door is very far, which means that the house is much larger than it appears to be.

Before long, Lin Qi arrived at the door corresponding to his key number. The door was inlaid with various gems and half of it was made of metal. Just standing in front of the door, a sense of heaviness was overwhelming.

He inserted the key into the keyhole, turned it gently, and with the sound of the spring as the gears turned, the door was pushed open with unbelievable ease.