Chapter 496

The fact that he didn’t know any better didn’t mean that Arthis didn’t know any better.

And even if Arthis didn’t know, the Harken would definitely know something about this.

With that, Qin Ye left the worksite and headed back out. Wu Wenqing immediately minced his way over and responded somewhat apprehensively, “Sir, are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Qin Ye shook his head, “There’s something very strange here. Notify the top brass immediately.”

“Sir, what exactly did you find?” A young voice suddenly interjected. Qin Ye turned around, only to notice a young man cover his lips immediately and shrink back to the crowd.

Wu Wenqing glared fiercely at the young man, before turning back to Qin Ye with a soft smile, “Apologies. That’s Maverick, a greenhorn who doesn’t quite know the rules. Please don’t mind him. Anyhow, I’ll notify the top brass immediately. What other preparations do we need to undertake?”

Qin Ye found himself tongue-tied.

Preparations? What preparations?

This wasn’t supposed to be so difficult! Why does it have to be related to my identity and cover?! What kind of preparations am I supposed to make like this?

Seconds later, Qin Ye responded vaguely, “Do it in accordance with our usual protocol. I’ll personally keep watch in this vicinity until our headquarters send reinforcements.”

“Yes!”

With that, both Qin Ye and Wu Wenqing departed, leaving the star-struck investigators to their own devices. Yet, little did they realize that the ordinary-looking young man who had interjected earlier secretly fell behind the rest of the pack of investigators. It was almost as though there was a veil pulled over his existence, and his presence was barely noticeable to others.

Soon, the young man left the vicinity of the worksite through a separate path. He ensured that nobody was following him as he rounded a corner and entered a car with tinted windows that appeared to be waiting for him.

He entered through the rear door of the car and took his seat, before bowing respectfully to the other man in the vehicle, “Deputy Director.”

The man seated right beside him was none other than Zhou Xianlong himself!

“How was it?” Zhou Xianlong shut his eyes as he held the cap of a black thermos filled with fragrant black tea.

“We’ll know once the surveillance footages arrive.” Maverick responded with a deep voice, “We’ve installed more than 20 non-reflective surveillance devices under the rebars, as well as 32 pinhole cameras around the wooden hoarding. It’s hard to say with any certainty right now, but… don’t you think his responses were somewhat different after he came out from the work site?”

“I listened to your conversations earlier.” Zhou Xianlong pointed at the Bluetooth headset that was clearly hanging from his ears, “I didn’t pick up anything suspicious, but I naturally trust your judgment more as one of the elites among the albatross.”

Maverick hesitated for a moment, “Well, I guess you can put it this way… Have you heard of the party game called Werewolf? It’s a little bit like how one might act when he discovers his identity as a werewolf at the start of the game.”

Zhou Xianlong nodded.

Only then did Maverick go on, “When a werewolf is selected, he would pretend to sleep at night, and then continue to convince everyone that he’s a good person through logic and reasoning. And then, from the second round onwards, he will start to push hard against others and forcefully direct the attention away from himself. And that’s exactly when we’ll call him out on the flaws in his logic. He’s undoubtedly the werewolf.”

Zhou Xianlong remained taciturn.

Maverick went on, “Coming back to the matter at hand, he’s taken the position that the situation is bizarre and serious. The Special Investigations Department has always acted on the basis that prevention is better than cure. Furthermore, he’d mentioned that he would personally keep a close watch over this area. Naturally, the danger level he’s detected is one that warrants the personal oversight of an Infernal Judge. In other words, it would be a Judge-class threat. Deputy Director Zhou, let me ask you this - how would you have acted in a situation like this?”

“Or should I say, how would you, along with 99% of the other Infernal Judges, acted in such circumstances?”

Zhou Xianlong responded without hesitation at all, “I’d make a remote inquiry of the situation, before immediately proceeding with all necessary action. The Special Investigations Department has the right to act preemptively. Besides… it’s always the case with supernatural incidents that the longer one delays, the worse it gets.”

Maverick redirected the focus to the topic back at hand, “That’s right. But what did he do?”

Zhou Xianlong finally opened his eyes, only to reveal a complicated gaze within. Truth be told, he, too, found something amiss with Qin Ye’s actions.

After all, suspicion was something that accumulated in the smallest drops, yet the impact of these droplets would disclose a raging tsunami brewing in the distance.

Maverick continued, “He didn’t respond in that manner. There’s nothing wrong with what he’s expressly stated. Rather, it was the context in which it was stated where the issue arises. He’s chosen to wait for his superiors to arrive before making his move. In my opinion, he’s simply trying to buy time.”

He glanced around meaningfully, “I’m afraid he must have detected something that puts him in a conflicted position. He wants to resolve it, but he daren’t do so. Unfortunately, his office in Martial City puts him in a spot, and shirking responsibility here and now would clearly blow his cover. Therefore, he’s chosen to delay matters so that he can think of a better way out. His approach isn’t problematic in and of itself, but his response in the context of the situation leaves much to be desired. Naturally… this is all borne out of a suspicion on my part.”

Zhou Xianlong grew taciturn. Seconds later, he picked up a docket from beside him and handed it to Maverick, “These are images that the ‘Queen of the Earth III’ rover picked up from within the abyss last night.”

“The camera it uses has been specially set up by the Lupin Group in order to capture the most inconspicuous of supernatural sightings. Take a look for yourself.”

Maverick picked it up, only to gasp deeply just five seconds in.

The statue of Qin Ye was patently clear.

Apart from that… they could see a tall, hazy building.

It was impossible to see just how tall or large it was. Yet what was certain was the fact that Qin Ye’s statue was located at the highest point of the building!

Maverick shut the docket and heaved a long sigh, “Deputy Director, have you ever wondered… what if… and I truly mean what if… these two people are one and the same?”

“So what if they are?” Zhou Xianlong responded with a booming voice, “What has Hell been doing this last ten years? Sure, the mortal realm could do with any help it can get, but we’ll still get by regardless of it.”

“His identity and how that affects the situation don’t form any part of our consideration. That’s to be assessed by the nation’s leaders. All I’m concerned about, and all the Special Investigations Department is concerned about, is who he really is, and what his purpose is! And it’s precisely because the plaque on the stone statue claims that he’s none other than the King Yanluo of Hell that I’m personally taking charge of these investigations!”

“We want results. Don’t you realize the implications of this? If he’s indeed one of the legendary Emissaries of Hell, then what does his presence here mean? Why does he have to hide among the mortals, and even slip into the ranks of the mortal realm’s solution to the problem just to fight against the Yin spirits? What kind of danger would this place him in? What would happen if his cover is blown? Why is he taking such risks to begin with?”

He sighed wistfully, and then shut his eyes once more, “Let’s keep digging.”

“We’ll dig and dig, and then dig some more, until everything finally comes to light! Don’t you worry, even if it so