Le Yu had lost count of how many times he had praised her—but right now, he could hardly stop himself from shouting, "Qian Yuliu is number one under heaven!"
Compared with violent techniques like Intermediate Eight-Grain Flow Bite Combat Arts, it was the ability granted to Le Yu by Low Health Constitution—to remain calm even as Mount Tai collapsed before him—that was his greatest support in surviving this treacherous situation!
Stay calm!
Keep a poker face!
Choose your words carefully!
Don't make some rookie mistake like saying, I'm a wolf!
Always remember that you had a good identity!
Le Yu naturally took the apple and started munching on it. It was crisp and sweet. "I also think there's still a mole in the Statistics Department."
"What!?" Chen Fu looked utterly adorable. "There's a mole from the Anti-Light Rebels in the Statistics Department?"
Lan Yan pushed up his silver-rimmed glasses and nodded. "The assassin who sniped Qian Yuliu was very likely a mole planted in the Statistics Department by the Anti-Light Rebels."
"Although we haven't found definite evidence, Star Engraving Prefecture is united as one under Prefect Ding's rule, yet the 'White Night' rebels still dared to try to stir up trouble. This means the quality of those who joined the rebels exceeded our expectations. It's hardly surprising if there are official agents among them. Lin Jinyao and Li Shijie were clearly important members of the White Night rebels. Unfortunately, Yuliu and I went a little too far, and neither of us left them alive. Otherwise, we could have strangled White Night in its cradle."
Le Yu said, "Sorry. If I'd known, I would have..."
"No need to apologize. You killed Lin Jinyao, but didn't I also send Li Shijie on his way?" Lan Yan said with a smile. "I trust you just as I trust myself. If you were a White Night rebel who killed Lin Jinyao to cover up a secret, then wouldn't I be a mole just like you?"
"The director of the Statistics Department is a rebel..." Chen Fu couldn't help laughing.
"Is that funny? It really is funny." Lan Yan swept his gaze over the two of them. "So you must keep an eye on your colleagues at all times. One of them might be a mole, secretly laughing at how oblivious you are."
Damn, how do you know? Can you read minds... Le Yu nodded heavily and said solemnly, "Understood!"
"However, don't spread this matter. I'm telling you my suspicions about the mole because I trust you. If word gets out, everyone in the Statistics Department will be on edge, and that would only bring disaster."
"Yes!"
"I should be going too." Lan Yan stood up. "Yuliu, get plenty of rest. The Statistics Department is waiting for your return."
"Goodbye, Brother Lan."
"Goodbye, Director."
After saying farewell, Lan Yan reached the doorway. Then, as if remembering something, he turned around. "Yuliu, your grudge with the Lin Family—is it connected to a property transfer?"
Le Yu froze slightly, then nodded. "Yes, but..."
"You don't need to trouble yourself. Tomorrow, I'll send agents to help you take possession of the property deed. I guarantee you'll have your spoils by tomorrow." Lan Yan smiled. "Although the Judicial Department should technically handle this, since you call me Brother Lan, I'll abuse my authority for personal reasons and make absolutely sure your rights are protected."
Chen Fu nodded repeatedly, moved. "In that case, why not send me tomorrow? The captain is lying in bed while I can do nothing to help. I want to share the burden for both the captain and the director!"
"Good. You have some dealings with the Lin Family as well, Chen Fu. Negotiations will be more efficient if you go. Then it's settled."
Watching the two of them decide the matter between themselves, Le Yu could only swallow the words that had risen to his throat.
This was getting interesting. He had killed the Lin Family head, killed the Lin Family head's younger brother, and seized the Lin Family's ancestral residence. And the one going to collect the property was none other than Qian Yuliu's number-one lackey, Chen Fu... Le Yu could practically imagine that, in the future, when he went to the market to buy vegetables, the aunties and uncles would definitely refuse to take his money and might even give him a bundle of scallions.
Although Lin Xue had been the one to propose betting the Lin Family's ancestral home, sending people from the Statistics Department to seize it the very next day felt like, I lent you five hundred today, and tomorrow a gang of thugs comes to collect the debt.
Being so swift and ruthless was terrible for Qian Yuliu's reputation... But after thinking it over, Le Yu felt that Qian Yuliu didn't have much of a reputation to begin with, so he let them do as they pleased.
Actually, this was fine too. Drive the Lin Family out and let them experience the harshness of the world. They ought to understand that Star Engraving Prefecture was not somewhere they could remain. They should hurry back to the countryside, conceal their identities, and then study and cultivate hard while nursing their hatred for Qian Yuliu!
By the time they became powerful enough to return and seek revenge on Qian Yuliu... the grass on Qian Yuliu's grave would already be three meters tall.
It was just that he had only recently told the Lin Family, "When will vengeance end if vengeance follows vengeance?" Yet now he had confiscated the Lin Family's property... Le Yu finished the apple in his hand and sighed.
"What's wrong?" Chen Fu asked. "Do you still want an apple? I'll peel one for you."
Le Yu had no objection. The apples here were surprisingly sweet.
Chen Fu took an apple from the fruit basket, then glanced around.
"What are you looking for?"
"I'm looking for a small knife to peel it..." Chen Fu frowned. "No, wait. I remember there shouldn't be a knife in the fruit basket, and the inpatient department definitely wouldn't prepare knives for patients... Huh?"
"The director just now... didn't seem to use a knife to peel his apple either."
Le Yu and Chen Fu exchanged a look. Both of them saw the shock in the other's eyes.
Lan Yan had actually been peeling the apple with his finger!
And Le Yu thought a step deeper—Lan Yan had said that he didn't like apples, yet he was exceptionally fond of the technique of peeling them. On top of that, he had used his finger to do it...
Why was he so skilled? What kind of thing had he peeled before?
In the corridor of the Medical Officer Department, as Lan Yan walked toward the entrance, an utterly unremarkable ordinary agent quietly came up beside him.
"The autopsy results show that Lin Xue'en died from a fractured skull. There were finger marks on his neck. Qian Yuliu likely discovered that his left hand lacked strength, then used his body weight to lift Lin Xue'en and slam him down, aiming to kill him in one blow," the agent reported.
Lan Yan nodded, his face still wearing a smile as gentle as a spring breeze. He nodded at a female medical officer passing by. She immediately blushed and stopped, gazing at his retreating back.
Lan Yan smiled. "A good-for-nothing is a good-for-nothing. He couldn't even handle such a small matter. I originally thought he could at least obtain the White Night list... But a so-called good-for-nothing is simply an incompetent fool who can't even seize an opportunity."
The agent asked, "What should we do next?"
"Nothing in particular. I never expected Lin Xue'en to bring me any surprises. From the beginning, I positioned Lin Xue'en as bait, throwing him out only to disturb the fish in the pond. Now, a fish has finally taken the bait."
The agent's tone remained flat and emotionless. "Qian Yuliu is the fish you were looking for?"
"Do you know there's a technique in fishing called 'using a small fish to catch a big one'? A small fish lures a big fish, a big fish lures a school of fish, and then..."
Lan Yan clenched his fist tightly.
"The fisherman casts a net and catches all the prey in one sweep."
After playing another round of cards, Chen Fu suddenly said he had to go home for dinner just before he was about to be beaten to death. He slipped away at lightning speed.
Le Yu also prepared to go eat. The Medical Officer Department had an internal cafeteria. Although it was generally not open to patients and the dishes were not particularly varied, it provided free meals for the medical officers on night duty. Most patients' meals were handled by their families. But Le Yu was part of the Statistics Department. Not only could he freeload a meal in the cafeteria, even his medical expenses were charged to the Statistics Department—in other words, he didn't have to pay.
Still, to be safe, Le Yu decided not to wander around on his own and called for a medical officer to come push his wheelchair.
The downside of having no sense of pain was not knowing his own condition. He couldn't tell whether his movements would tear his newly grown muscles and nerves. If his wounds started bleeding while he walked and he left a trail of blood behind him, the cafeteria might think he had been sent by the dark-cuisine world to challenge them.
So Le Yu shouted, "Hey—are there any medical officers outside?"
"Coming."
There really was someone outside... Le Yu watched the door swing open, and a familiar head poked inside.
"You really aren't dead yet?"
Qian Yuya said this matter-of-factly.
P.S. From now on, we'll stick to the usual arrangement: the first chapter will always be posted at eleven, while the second chapter depends on the current (real) (whether I'm) (slacking) situation.
Before you continue