Ark, Just Tell Me Whether the Mission Is Complete

The next morning.

Luo Chen stood at the end of the Public Security Management Brigade's corridor, his gaze sharp as he surveyed the entire floor.

His figure appeared even taller beneath the gentle sunlight, like an immovable mountain that gave people a sense of security.

He wore a dark blue uniform, with a gleaming Lungmen Guard Department badge pinned to his chest, making him look especially solemn.

His steps were steady and powerful, each one seeming to measure out the Guard Department's rules and discipline.

His hands were clasped behind his back, occasionally rubbing the handle of his baton as if pondering something.

Behind him followed another newcomer, Todd.

He had two body cameras hanging from his shoulders, two on his back, and another two strapped to his waist.

The two of them patrolled the office area in circles, like proctors watching over an examination hall.

But Luo Chen was clearly far harsher than any proctor, because proctors didn't carry batons.

Knock, knock, knock...

As he passed the desk of an officer whose eyelids were about to give out, Luo Chen directly tapped the desk with his baton.

"What are you doing? What are you doing... Your eyes are practically closed. If you're that sleepy, go home and sleep. Can you still serve the people of Lungmen like this?"

"If you can't bear this responsibility, then get out."

The officer whose desk had been struck jolted all over when he heard the sound.

Once he saw that it was Luo Chen, he immediately widened his eyes, hurriedly apologized, and threw himself into processing the documents in front of him.

After dealing with that slacker, Luo Chen looked at another officer beside him, who was staring intently at his screen and hammering away at the keyboard. Luo Chen nodded approvingly, then turned to Todd behind him.

"Newbie, write this one down. Give him a little star. Good performance."

Bosses, please throw in some votes.

No One Understands Torture Better Than Me

"Work hard... perform well, and strive to make the lives of Lungmen's people better and better."

"You're sweating it out here, and the Lungmen Guard Department won't forget your contributions."

"Now that so many corrupt people have been dealt with, only by showing your abilities can I promote you into their positions."

"Whoever collects a little sun first, I'll recommend him to the higher-ups as an office secretary."

The moment Luo Chen said that,

several young people in the office processed their documents even faster.

They had long been sick of those old farts occupying the good positions in the office, slacking off and coasting.

They weren't capable of much; all they knew was how to cozy up to the leadership.

Now that they had all been dealt with, a great many positions had opened up.

At a time of such unprecedented change in twenty years, if they didn't fight for themselves now, then when would they?

The previously backlogged files, records, and case-processing paperwork were now shrinking at a rate visible to the naked eye.

Led by several workaholics, those who had originally formed a united front to silently resist Luo Chen were forced into the rat race as well.

Even the cleaning lady mopping the floor sped up, terrified that Luo Chen would make an example out of her and sacrifice her too.

After finishing his inspection of the office area, Luo Chen took Todd to the Public Security Management Brigade's detention center.

At that moment, the officers in the detention center were interrogating criminal suspects arrested and brought back by the patrol teams.

"I'm asking you a question. What exactly did you steal? Confess clearly, now."

"More than twenty reports of missing property have been filed near Primordial Park. Was that all your doing?"

The thief being interrogated casually spread his hands.

"Officer, didn't you already find everything I stole when you searched me? I don't know anything about those twenty-plus cases you mentioned... Oh."

There wasn't the slightest trace of fear on the suspect's face. As a professional thief who operated in Upper City,

getting caught and thrown into the station was routine for him.

As for the punishment for theft, he knew it inside out.

As long as he kept his mouth shut and refused to confess,

and the Lungmen Guard Department couldn't find where he had hidden the stolen goods, then based on the few Lungmen Dollars found on him, he would be detained for two weeks at most.

Two weeks later, he would still be Lungmen's master thief.

"That bastard is coming this way!"

Just then, someone at the entrance to the detention center shouted.

In an instant, every officer in the detention center unconsciously tensed up.

Officer Huang Lin, who was in charge of questioning the suspect, started sweating from his forehead when he heard footsteps approaching from the corridor behind him.

Because that bastard was bringing people right toward him.

Huang Lin had just gotten married and bought a house. He was buried under debt, and what he needed most right now was job stability.

Thinking of the dozens of colleagues dealt with yesterday, he was terrified.

Who hadn't been negligent at times in their past work?

But who could have imagined that bastard would dig up old accounts and ruin people so thoroughly?

It was said that yesterday, that guy had taken inspectors to the surveillance room and pulled the Public Security Management Brigade's internal recordings from the past two weeks.

If that bastard discovered that he had ever been perfunctory during interrogations and failed to get to the bottom of things, then he was finished.

Please don't come looking for trouble with me.

But that's how the world worked—the more you feared something, the more likely it was to come.

From a long way off, Luo Chen spotted an officer in the interrogation room sweating profusely.

If a person had done nothing wrong, what did they have to fear?

Luo Chen strode to the interrogation room entrance with Todd and pushed the door open.

The two officers conducting the interrogation immediately stood and saluted Luo Chen.

Luo Chen gave a slight nod without saying anything. He slowly walked over to Huang Lin, flipped through his interrogation records, and after reading two pages, his brows furrowed.

Huang Lin's heart leaped into his throat.

"What have you been doing all morning?"

"Officer, I..." Huang Lin stammered, unable to say anything. Beads of sweat fell one after another from his forehead to the floor.

Just then, the thief handcuffed to the iron chair impatiently muttered,

"Come on, officers, are you done interrogating me yet?"

"I'm tired of sitting here already."

The moment the thief spoke, he instantly drew Luo Chen's attention.

What was this thing?

Luo Chen pointed at the handcuffed thief.

"This little piece of work, and you still haven't gotten him to confess after all this time?"

"Officer, I'm incompetent. I'll reflect on it. I'll review my mistakes." Huang Lin had no idea how to deal with a leader like Luo Chen, so all he could do was nod and apologize.

Luo Chen snorted and had Todd mark a red cross beside his name.

"If you're incompetent, then study harder. Don't think your education ends just because you've become an officer."

"Look at these criminals now. Every one of them understands the law better than you do."

"Since when are officers less competent than criminals?"

"Even if this guy were a psychopathic serial killer, would you still fail to get anything out of him?"

"I..." Huang Lin felt deeply unconvinced. He wondered whether Luo Chen, a man who only knew how to report people, understood anything about actual work.

But Luo Chen's insidious methods made him afraid to say a word.

After all, the detention center's director had been sent to the Special Inspection Group for investigation yesterday by Luo Chen on charges of dereliction of duty.

Just then, the self-proclaimed master thief arrogantly spoke up again.

"Officers... are you done yet? If you want to hold a meeting, go hold it in an office. Why are you torturing an ordinary citizen like me here?"

"Torture? Looks like you know a lot about torture." From the moment Luo Chen entered, he had already found this thief unpleasant.

A criminal suspect sitting in an iron chair actually dared not reflect on his actions or shed a tear?

This was simply an insult to the Lungmen Guard Department's dignity!

Luo Chen pushed Huang Lin aside, sat down in the chair himself, and stared coldly at the thief.

The thief calmly asked, "Officer, do you want to ask me questions too? I've already confessed everything I should. If you still don't let me go home, I'll get a lawyer."

"Very good. Then go get one."

"Under the Lungmen Criminal Code, even serial killers are allowed to hire lawyers."

At the words "serial killer," the thief's previously defiant expression instantly turned wary. "Officer, what do you mean?"

Luo Chen ignored him and turned to Huang Lin. "Wasn't there an unsolved serial murder case last month?"

Huang Lin froze for a moment, then asked, "Which one are you referring to?"

"There are several serial killers? What kind of public security is Upper City running here?"

"Forget it. No matter how many there are, they should all be closed today."

Luo Chen waved a hand, then turned back to the thief in front of him.

"All right. Drag him away."

The thief, who had been composed just moments ago, instantly lost his cool.

"Wait, officer! Explain yourself!"

"What serial killer?"

"What case closure?"

"I'm just a thief!"

Everyone Who Sits Here Must Cry

Terror flashed in the thief's eyes.

His instincts told him that this officer intended to use his life to close an unsolved murder case.

A thief.

A serial killer.

Though both were criminal suspects, their outcomes were completely different.

One would receive ten years in prison at most, while the other would be sentenced directly to death.

And he was only a thief. Even if the Lungmen Guard Department told him to find a lawyer to defend himself, he had no connections to find one.

"Officer! Say something! What exactly did you mean just now?"

"Drag him away. Lock him up. Give him two days to find a lawyer. If he can't find one, put him on trial immediately."