True and False Detective

Shelley led Luke into the Cape District Secret Intelligence Bureau office building.

On the way to meet the "New Detective", Shelley briefly introduced Luke to the situation of the entire building.

The first floor of the Secret Intelligence Bureau was the office area for ordinary imperial secret agents.

Below was the training area, and further down was the dungeon.

The second floor was the office area for clerical staff and management.

The third floor housed special functional departments such as the confidential document room and the tactical mission briefing room.

In addition to this headquarters building of the Cape District Secret Intelligence Bureau, there were many safe houses, interrogation rooms, and hidden prisons scattered throughout the city.

"Detective, there are 128 overt imperial secret agents working in this building, and 289 covert imperial secret agents.

Once you officially become our detective, you will be able to access their information and formally fulfill the duties entrusted to you by the empire."

Luke walked along with Shelley.

If one didn't know this was the Secret Intelligence Bureau, it looked just like a commercial company.

And a commercial company with no business.

Most of the secret agents here were idle. Drinking tea, reading newspapers, and chatting together.

Even upon seeing Shelley, they didn't restrain themselves, likely because Shelley usually did the same things.

The Cape District was a forgotten place, where the empire's administrative capacity was at its lowest. It had its own unique, unsavory system of operation.

Even a powerful department like the Secret Intelligence Bureau couldn't help but sink into depravity in the Cape District.

Luke said, "Let's verify my identity now and get the Cape District Secret Intelligence Bureau running normally as soon as possible."

"Yes, Detective."

Shelley led Luke to the second floor.

The second floor was a large, open-plan office hall where all the clerical staff of the Secret Intelligence Bureau worked together, making it convenient for the detective to issue orders and request information.

Inside the office hall were several private offices, which were the workspaces for the detective and the management of the Secret Intelligence Bureau.

As soon as Luke and Shelley entered the office hall, they heard a person's roar coming from the office at the far end.

"Is this your work attitude? Why isn't Black Mamba here yet! Without her, can none of you confirm my identity?

Send someone to find her immediately, I want to see her within half an hour!"

A person rushed out of the detective's office.

It was Pisco.

His expression was terrible, clearly having been reprimanded by the "New Detective" for a long time.

Upon seeing Shelley, Pisco finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Big Sister, you're finally here. And... Sir..." Pisco saluted Luke, then whispered to Shelley, "The 'New Detective' arrived this morning and has been waiting until now."

"Aren't I here now? Come on, let's help our 'New Detective' complete his first task."

At this moment, Shelley had no doubts about Luke's identity.

All the way here, he had been preparing for his new position very seriously, and that confidence couldn't be faked.

He had even taken on his first task upon arrival.

To find the son of Old Helm, the hot dog vendor!

Luke followed Shelley and Pisco into the detective's office.

Several people were standing in the office.

Behind the desk sat an arrogant middle-aged man, wearing... a suit similar in style to Luke's, a gentleman's hat of a similar style, a watch chain of the same color, and he was tapping the desk with a walking stick.

This made Shelley glance at Luke.

She was certain Luke had never met this "New Detective" today. Was his attire a coincidence, or did he know that this "New Detective" would appear in such an outfit?

The whereabouts of this "New Detective" had always been under the control of our "True Detective".

Seeing two new faces enter, the New Detective asked irritably, "Who are you?"

He had been waiting here all morning and had a very, very bad impression of his new work environment.

Shelley walked up to the desk, saluted the New Detective, and said, "Hello, sir. I am Black Mamba."

"You are Black Mamba?"

The New Detective, new to the area, was unfamiliar with the situation at the Cape District Secret Intelligence Bureau. He hadn't expected the captain of the Cape District Secret Intelligence Bureau's special operations team, codenamed after a venomous snake, to be such a beautiful woman.

The New Detective's temper immediately subsided considerably, and he felt that perhaps he could start a good life in the Cape District.

"I asked them to verify my appointment letter's watermark, but they all said to wait for you. It seems your prestige and ability are highly recognized. I believe we will have a very pleasant cooperation.

My appointment letter is here."

The New Detective used his walking stick to push a document on the desk forward, his eyes shamelessly appraising Shelley's alluring figure.

"Yes, I will immediately verify the appointment letter. I also look forward to cooperating with you."

Shelley picked up the letter of appointment from the desk.

Number: OEOFT3694457, correct!

New Detective Codename: Meteor, correct!

This was all information written in plain sight; the final step was to verify the secret code.

In the upper right corner of the letter of appointment was text covered by a special alchemical coating. Removing the coating would reveal a set of secret characters.

By using the secret characters to decipher and interpret the document, its authenticity could be confirmed.

Shelley carefully examined the alchemical coating; it had not been tampered with.

Next, she used a spell to remove the alchemical coating.

As expected...

"Fox, turtle, pike, yellow flag, foil stone, square table."

The secret characters were all correct.

These were secret characters personally written by Her Highness the Eldest Princess.

If anyone else knew the secret characters in advance besides Her Highness the Eldest Princess, it would have to be because Her Highness the Eldest Princess told them.

Perhaps the Eldest Princess had written this letter of appointment in his arms.

Shelley thought wickedly and, following procedure, re-interpreted the letter of appointment using the secret characters.

All anti-counterfeiting information was accurate and without error.

"Your Excellency." Shelley respectfully placed the letter of appointment on the desk. "I have completed the verification of the letter of appointment. It is personally written by Her Highness Princess Agatha, appointing Meteor as the Detective of the Cape District Secret Intelligence Bureau in Raging Wave City, with full authority over the secret intelligence work in the Cape District."

Upon receiving confirmation, the new detective finally let out the breath he had been holding.

"Since the verification of my appointment is complete, I am officially your detective from this moment on.

Now..."

BANG!

A gunshot rang out.

A hole was blown through the new detective's head, and he slumped back in his office chair.

His eyes were open, staring blankly at his subordinates in the room.

At this moment, everyone in the room was looking at Shelley, her hand steady as she held the gun, pointed at the new detective's corpse.

Smoke was still rising from the barrel of the gun.

Someone exclaimed, "Black Mamba, do you know what you're doing? Are you trying to rebel?"

"Black Mamba, this is the detective sent to us by Her Highness the Eldest Princess!"

Facing her terrified colleagues, Shelley spun the gun, then reholstered it.

"Everyone, no need to be nervous. I was merely disposing of an 'envelope' according to Her Highness the Eldest Princess's orders. The true Meteor detective of the Cape District Secret Intelligence Bureau... is right beside me."