Chapter 277 Lack of Interest

"Akong Akong, was that man really blown up in the end?" Ji Huaisu said with great interest.

"No, the Divine Guards took him away in time. If he had been blown up, it would have been too much." Chu Hengkong said, "But I heard him screaming miserably. It was the price he paid for carrying out the terrorist attack."

The bookstore was filled with the aroma of fried chicken. Everyone grabbed a takeout box and devoured their fried chicken, hamburgers, sashimi, and puffs. Trick slid a sandwich from Vander's box and said as he ate, "Excuse me, everyone. Bah, bah, bah, every time we debate a bill, these unexpected incidents that harm the city's appearance..."

"Who is the person who has caused the most damage to the city's appearance? It's so hard to guess." Dudu Otter stared at someone's beach pants.

"It's so hot in Jingsha, it's really awkward to work in a three-piece suit." Cui Ke calmly took Gulibo's sparkling water. "Thank you all for your help this time. Inspector Chu is indeed an elite of Huilong City. His handling of the case is very skillful!"

Chu Hengkong's mouth twitched, thinking that this veteran captain must be incredibly thick-skinned to be able to say such things without batting an eyelid. He asked curiously, "Bill debate refers to the promulgation of a new code?"

"It's a bit more complicated than that... Amendments and deletions to existing laws, policy adjustments affecting daily livelihoods or the economy, and proposals for Jingsha's future development—all this mess is collectively referred to as 'Jingsha Bills.'" Trick took a long sip of sparkling water. "The general bill amendment process isn't that complicated. But if a citizen proposes a brand new bill with no precedent, it'll have to go through several lengthy and complex 'bill debates' before it can officially enter the House and begin the voting process."

"Is the law such a complicated matter..." Ji Huaisu exclaimed.

This wasn't because Captain Ji was ignorant, but rather because, unlike the democratic city-state system, the ancient dragon totem-based divine kingdom society prioritized efficiency. In ancient dragon cities like Huilong City, the drafting of laws related to major development directions was primarily led by the ancient dragon totem itself, while minor bills affecting people's livelihoods were decided by the leadership based on public opinion.

No one has ever been exposed to such an inefficient procedure as voting since childhood. After all, no one has ever heard of anyone who thinks he is smarter than Lord Shenlong.

"Your side in Huilong City is easy. Ji Qiufeng goes by whatever he says, which is why the Candlelight God System is so efficient," Cui Ke complained. "Don't tell anyone else, but after working in the Senluo God System for so long, I even have the urge to defect to the Empire. There are no false cases, and the execution is excellent, and talent is utilized. I envy the workplace like that."

"Hello, is this the Attorney General's Office of Mansa Star Castle? Hello, I want to report that a city-state civil servant has defected to the enemy..." The Poison Otter editor picked up the conch and whispered.

"Why is this otter so rude to me?"

"Captain Trick, wouldn't you consider reflecting on your own behavior first?" Gulibo complained. "By the way, have you finished discussing the store manager issue?"

"I was just about to say that, but the manager seemed to be having a lot of fun."

The big seal, having had a good meal and a good drink, and having watched a marathon, was in a particularly good mood. He was now lying comfortably in the large pool on the first floor of the bookstore, like a large gray-black drop of flesh.

Ji Huaisu secretly took a piece of fried chicken and went to the edge of the pool. The big seal's eyes suddenly lit up, and its head stretched out from its round body like a long bridge. Only then could everyone see its neck.

Ji Huaisu was delighted: "Come and clap your hands!"

The big seal raised its paws and slapped its belly.

"Good boy, roll over~"

Ji Huaisu threw the fried chicken in. The seal grabbed it in one gulp and rolled around happily in the pool.

Manager Crucian Carp covered his eyes with his hands, his face full of an expression of not being able to bear to look at anything.

"Brother, you think you're still a little seal weighing about 100 kilograms." The venomous otter commented.

Vander rubbed his eyes and said, "If I remember correctly, it's point mass 5."

"A seal with a mass of 5 is probably also a seal." Chu Hengkong walked to the side of the pool. "Manager, what's the matter? Can you do me a favor?"

The big seal gulped down the fried chicken and lifted a writing tablet in a backstroke.

[Just to confirm, what's the name of the person you're looking for? We might have heard of him.]

"Vilbert Velus."

Ji Huaisu was slightly surprised: "Vilbert, it sounds like a woman's name."

Chu Hengkong seemed quite happy for some reason: "Yes, it's a very nice name."

Ji Huaisu had no idea what was going on with this guy, so she could only guess that the gangster godfather was a gentleman like his name, so it didn't matter if he had a nice name. She saw the big seal flip the sign over:

I haven't heard of it...

Chu Hengkong was not surprised: "The boss is a very cautious person. I don't think she would directly use her real name to carry out activities, so she has to put up a missing person notice."

"But we can't help with the missing person notice." The big seal grimaced.

Chu Hengkong was genuinely surprised. The animals in the city-state were all incredibly easygoing, willing to lend a hand even to a stranger they'd only just met. With Gulibo's support, he'd expected his request for help to go smoothly, but he wasn't expecting to be turned down by this adorable seal.

The big seal flipped the sign, revealing a new message: [Inspector Chu was once a formidable assassin, and now a renowned legend. I imagine he has many enemies.]

“…Indeed.”

He had killed all his old enemies on Earth before leaving, but with Shax as a precedent, who knew if other killers would be reborn in the Shendong Realm. And there were still many outsiders in the Shendong Realm who cared about his life. If he left the righteous base like the city-state, he would have made many enemies.

The big seal had a predictable expression: "Inspector Chu is looking for someone, but he has more than one enemy. So, after this missing person notice is posted, is it more likely that the enemy will see it first, or your old boss?"

"Enemy."

The seal put down the tablet, and the Poison Otter editor continued, "Inspector Chu is a skilled and courageous individual, so he's naturally not afraid of his enemies seeking revenge. But I think those enemies are more aware of how powerful the inspector is. If they're determined to avoid a confrontation with you, but still harbor a desire for revenge, they'll likely shift their focus to the person you're looking for."

"If they can't deal with the police officer, they'll deal with his family. This is a common tactic used by hooligans." Ji Huaisu pondered. "If I were Akong's enemy, I would wait near Jingsha after receiving the news and see if there was a chance to capture his boss... But Jingsha is a huge area, so there should be more than one way out."

"Take a look at the map when you have time, girl." Vander rolled his eyes. "South of Jingsha City-State is the Desperate Front, where the Allied Forces and the Outcasts fought tooth and nail. The only way to reach Jingsha safely is by sea. And while Jingsha has many sea routes out to sea, there's only one sea route into the city, the one we took. If those Earth killers really want to disgust us, they have a way—it's nothing more than going out to sea and becoming pirates for a while."

Chu Hengkong frowned. He knew everyone's concerns were justified. Those outsiders had no bottom line, and not many people on Earth had consciences. They would attack the boss, but the boss...

The boss had no fighting ability at all. She had never been one for the battlefield. He couldn't even imagine Velvet standing before the Outer Dao. She should be sitting in her office, in the passenger seat of a luxury car, planning the next few hours, even the day, with a few words, then sipping tea and waiting for his victory.

"Brother?" Fander patted him. Chu Hengkong knew that his face was not looking good.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "I just realized that things might not be as good as I thought. The boss might..."

"He might be relentlessly searching for clues about you on some unknown island, but he's just not having much luck." Ji Huaisu encouraged him, "Don't be too pessimistic. The gang leader you've followed so wholeheartedly for so long wouldn't die so easily! What you need to think about now is how to find him."

"Missing person notices are too unsafe. I have to find another way—"

"No, no, the missing person notice itself is fine, but you should use a more euphemistic term."

Trek put down his bottle of sparkling water and leaned against the seal pool. He puffed up his lips and whistled an unfamiliar folk song, while everyone looked at him in confusion.

"How is it?" Trek pushed up his sunglasses.

"Your ventriloquism is pretty good." Chu Hengkong gave a forced compliment.

"Even with your wealth of experience, you can only give this kind of evaluation. After all, you're not familiar with this little tune. If you ask the otter over there to comment, it'll say I'm overestimating my abilities, because this little excerpt is from the classic 'Salamanca Symphony,' and my level is obviously not as good as the band's." Trick smiled slyly. "And if you ask my wife to comment, she'll say I'm always frivolous. I often play this tune on dates, taking her up and down the treetops."

Chu Hengkong's eyes lit up: "I understand..."

Trek pointed his hands at him like guns. "You're looking for an old acquaintance, aren't you? Then you two must know something. Write a song! Or perhaps a long poem in a secret language. The seals will be happy to publish it, since no one but you can understand the underlying meaning."

"We often receive readers' feedback on behalf of authors," Dudu Otter added without missing a beat, "so it's common for enthusiastic readers to come to the bookstore to discuss things."

This was truly a brilliant idea, far more appropriate than a seemingly out-of-place missing person notice in a magazine. Chu Hengkong had no shortage of material. After nine years of working together, there were countless details that only he and his boss knew. The only problem was his lack of creative talent; expecting him to create a hit song was simply too much to ask.

Fortunately, they are in the third lineage, and what they lack the least is creators, and one of the most famous singers in the music world happens to be standing next to them.

Sriel was flipping through this month's new work with great gusto. He turned to meet the crowd's gaze, his expression unwavering. "Poetry and couplets are indeed my forte. If you have a good story, please feel free to contact me."

"What price would you ask Mr. Sriel to write a song for me?" Chu Hengkong asked.

"Talking about money! Too vulgar. Every action should be dealt with accordingly." Sreel put the new book back on the shelf. "Poet, I've been troubled lately. The current atmosphere isn't good. There are many scandals of impetuous pursuits, but few practical, thoughtful, and kind people. This energy originates from the vast ocean and sinks into the brush of calligraphy and painting. A single mushroom can be worth ten years of hard work, but studying hard in the cold and cold has lost its meaning."

Sreel pulled something out of his pocket and knocked it on the bookstore counter. Everyone looked closely and saw that it was a short, white mushroom.

The poet curled his lips at Chu Hengkong and said, "Try eating it?"

Chu Hengkong, though a layman, wasn't afraid of poison at all. He swallowed the mushroom immediately. He savored it and said, "It looks plump on the outside, but hollow on the inside. It's pale white, spotless, and tasteless. It's a shame to use it in a living room, and a shame to use it in the kitchen."

Chu Hengkong finished speaking, then gaped in astonishment. Everyone in the bookstore looked as if they had seen a ghost.

The poet laughed heartily and pointed at him: "If you can find out the true appearance of this mushroom, I will help you~"

(End of this chapter)