Shaking the Central District

Grace Tower, the minister's office on the top floor.

Bai Qiulin lounged with one leg propped on the armrest of his swivel chair, idly picking at his ear with a cotton swab he'd swiped from the desk.

He'd been waiting here for a full twenty minutes. The minister, wearing a dark expression and looking exceptionally grim, had only just finished a conference call with Grace Tower's central headquarters and returned to his office.

"You were given full responsibility, and this is the wonderful job you've done!"

The minister angrily hurled a stack of files in front of Bai Qiulin. Among the papers scattered everywhere, he could make out references to "Patent No. 626."

"Now I want to hear exactly what you've been doing all this time!"

Bai Qiulin casually tossed aside the cotton swab and recalled events with studied nonchalance.

"Right after I got to Yuguang, I consulted a learned Twilight priest and deepened my understanding of Twilight doctrine. Then I discussed criminal investigation techniques with a deputy police chief who looked like he had a dark cloud over his brow. After that, I realized there wasn't much fun to be had in Yuguang, so I went back to Yaoguang. I found a pretty good Western restaurant on Ziguang Street. The food was beside the point—the girl who played piano there was gorgeous. I worked at it for two days, and last night I finally moved her to tears with a ruby necklace. We went to see a movie first, then spent the night together at the Hashier Hotel. Her reward moved me to tears, too. Tsk, tsk, tsk."

He clicked his tongue in admiration, as if still savoring the intoxicating romance of the night before.

"Bam!"

The minister slammed his fist onto the solid-wood desk. His bloodshot eyes fixed on Bai Qiulin.

"So you never bothered to handle Feng Zi and that bioman! Do you have any idea how much trouble they've caused? They killed Bishop Twilight!"

"No matter how glorious Feng Zi used to be, she's crippled now! Bishop Twilight was a biologist who had mastered organ fusion. He was a first-tier biologist, the product of tens of thousands of people's genes and the successful modification of hundreds of people's limbs! And that bioman killed him! The Police Department has already issued a report and informed the Council. They say that bioman has mastered physics! Physics!"

He ranted, spittle flying everywhere as he vented the fury born of his fear.

"A bioman being given a key was bad enough, but now he's mastered physics—and he escaped from one of our Grace Tower experimental sites! Once the Council found out, they didn't even bother notifying me. They reported it straight to the Central Scientific Management Tribunal!"

"The Tribunal and the Twilight Grand Diocese have officially notified headquarters. They're sending people to Sun City to escort that taboo bioman to the Extreme Research Control Pavilion! Headquarters just called and told me I have to resolve this before the Tribunal and the people from Twilight arrive in Sun City! Otherwise, everyone responsible—including me—will be sent to the Fortress Field to work as miners!"

"And now you tell me you've been spending the past few days chasing women! You've been chasing women, damn it!"

The minister was genuinely afraid.

He hadn't expected Bai Qiulin to handle the matter well, but he hadn't imagined that bioman would cause such a massive disaster, either!

Being given a key was taboo, but as long as he kept it quiet within the organization, word wouldn't get out. It was only a key, after all.

But if someone actually used that key to open the door to science and became a scientist, there was no way to cover it up anymore!

By all conventional wisdom, even a genius like that crippled little girl, Feng Zi, had needed years before she could truly grasp the fundamental laws of nature.

And how long had it been since that bioman was given a key?

A week, at most. And he'd already managed to delve into the laws of physics!

Worse, he'd used that ability to kill Bishop Twilight, who'd spent half his life immersed in biology!

That was what made the situation terrifying.

Patent No. 626 had displayed astonishing growth, and biomans were inherently unpredictable—especially psychologically!

Once the news reached the Central District, the Central District's scientific research institutes, the Twilight Grand Diocese, the Scientific Management Precept Bureau, and Grace Tower headquarters had all erupted into chaos!

Apparently, the incident had already made the covers of major science weeklies that morning. The scientific research department inside Grace Tower was in even greater turmoil, because the matter involved Feng Zi, who was all but certain to be the next person to take charge of Grace Tower's scientific department.

The news that Feng Zi had given Li Wei a key hadn't gotten out yet. But a big shot at Grace Tower headquarters had already warned the minister to keep his mouth shut. Under no circumstances could Feng Zi be implicated in this taboo matter.

They also had to deal with Li Wei before people from other organizations arrived in Sun City. Otherwise, the entire Grace Tower Sun City branch would be dealt with, too.

The minister was on edge, while Bai Qiulin was still telling him how he'd wooed a woman!

Bai Qiulin's expression barely changed as he listened to the minister's tirade. He simply watched him with interest.

"By the way, if we really trace this back to its source, I looked into that bioman's file. He seems to be an inheritance the previous Sun City branch manager snatched from Speaker Feng, doesn't he? You were only carrying out the experiment. Even though the former manager was transferred to the West District, you're still helping him keep it going. If headquarters really holds anyone responsible, shouldn't they go after the manager who was transferred? Are you so afraid because you know something?"

The question left the minister silent for a moment. But under that lazy, inexplicably piercing gaze, he met Bai Qiulin's eyes again, his own full of loathing.

"What's it to you! I haven't even settled your own mess yet, and you still have the nerve to question me! You're off the hook for Feng Zi and that bioman. I'll handle it myself, and I'll report your work ethic to headquarters!"

Bai Qiulin replied offhandedly, "You don't have that authority. The manager gave me my power. He's the one who actually controls the Sun City branch."

"I'll report everything you've done over these past seven days to the manager!"

"Go ahead. But I'd bet the manager won't even read your report before tossing it aside. Ever since he arrived in Sun City, he's been busy trying to get elected to the Council. You've never even met him, have you?"

The blatant mockery—backed by the plain truth—sent the minister over the edge!

"Why is a Grace Tower branch manager so obsessed with getting into the local Council?! He's been in Sun City for half a year and hasn't handled a single company matter! He even dumped such a critical job on you, you useless piece of trash! Are all of you people who got sent here crazy?! I'm reporting this to headquarters! I'm reporting every last one of you!"

"I'll report to the manager that you called him crazy first. He's petty, so watch out—once he finds out, he might make life difficult for you."

Bai Qiulin smiled and offered the friendly warning, then turned and left the office.

That left the minister with nowhere to vent his fury. He roared and overturned everything in the room that could be overturned.