After leaving Spike's place, the siblings returned to the ramen shop, where they finally met General Chop.
As expected, he firmly declined their invitation, but they also learned the truth about the past from him.
It turned out everything revolved around Bringer, the figure on the promotional poster. Once, he had been celebrated as the hero who conquered the Hollow.
Long ago, he had served as a simple Officer among the residents of Six Street, keeping a warm and friendly bond with everyone.
But after returning from the Hollow, his personality had shifted drastically. He started performing only for the cameras and grew unusually close to powerful corporations.
He often implemented measures under the pretense of helping the residents, but in the end, only the large corporations reaped the benefits.
Residents tended to avoid matters involving Public Security, as Inspector Bringer only cared about promoting himself and setting his sights on becoming the Chief Sheriff of Janus Quarter.
After learning the truth from General Chop, the siblings left the ramen shop and set out to find Zhu Yuan and Qingyi.
When they finally caught up to them, they could not help but overhear the conversation.
"Ugh, I've already gone all over Six Street, and still fewer than ten people are willing to show up!"
"Zhu Yuan, like the old saying goes, 'Man proposes, God disposes.' Just drink some tea and rest for a bit."
Unlike Zhu Yuan's dejected and gloomy demeanor, Qingyi appeared completely at ease, as if the slow progress of handing out the questionnaires did not bother her in the slightest.
[Ding! New favorability target detected.]
[Name: Qingyi]
[Gender: Female]
[Charm: 95]
[Unique Traits: An intelligent construct with the appearance of a young girl and whose limbs and body can be disassembled.]
[Hobbies: Tea drinking and chess]
[Hobbies: Drinking tea and playing chess]
[Current Status: Calm and content]
[Current Favorability toward Host: 60]
[Evaluation: She has the mind of a grown woman in the body of a young girl. Since her body can be disassembled, could 'that' also be removed? And if it still senses anything, could it actually continue to be worn afterward?]
[Inner Thoughts: Zhu Yuan's anxiety is obvious. That won't work. I need to shift her thinking. I've heard that love is often the easiest way to influence someone. Wise seems like a good match, and Zhu Yuan appears to like him too. I'll try to play matchmaker later.]
Wise caught Qingyi's thoughts and wanted to thank her right away, but for now, he just promised he would do it properly later.
Zhu Yuan, upon hearing Qingyi's words, spoke with a hint of resentment, "Senior, that's easier said than done. The lecture hall fits 300, but I don't think even half will show up."
If it keeps going like this, maybe not even one-tenth will come.
Qingyi thought it over but still spoke to ease Zhu Yuan's worries.
"Inspector Bringer probably chose this place because there are many residents nearby. Coincidentally, most of them used to be under his jurisdiction, and plenty of complaints were made about him."
Then Qingyi suddenly realized something, her expression shifting.
"So that's why you've been so gloomy today. I almost forgot that Inspector Bringer is your benefactor. Compared to failing the operation, watching him get criticized must feel far worse."
With her feelings exposed so plainly, Zhu Yuan didn't deny it and simply nodded.
"Yes. If Inspector Bringer hadn't saved me in the Hollow back then, let alone becoming a Public Security Officer, I probably wouldn't even be alive today."
Zhu Yuan was well aware that Bringer's public image had declined significantly. Still, she believed that someone who would give up anti-Corrosion equipment for a child couldn't possibly be a bad person.
After all, a lot of Public Security gear had to be developed together with TOPS, so dealing with them later couldn't be avoided.
Qingyi listened as Zhu Yuan kept defending Inspector Bringer, offering neither agreement nor denial.
It was her way of saying that everyone saw Inspector Bringer's actions differently, and that, as Public Security Officers, their job was simply to understand what they were supposed to do and what they weren't.
Inspector Bringer was surely aware of this as well. If his conscience was clean, then any misunderstandings would eventually fade away.
After Qingyi talked things through with her, Zhu Yuan's mood improved, and she soon spotted Wise and Belle approaching them.
"Excuse me, did we interrupt something?"
"It's alright. Senior and I were just chatting. How did it go? Were you able to find those three residents?"
Hearing Zhu Yuan's question, Wise explained the final outcome. Zhu Yuan wasn't surprised to learn that none of the three had been willing to participate.
"Sorry, we weren't much help."
Belle had noticed Zhu Yuan's downcast expression earlier, so she felt a little awkward saying that.
Zhu Yuan simply shook her head, showing that she understood.
"It's okay. We're already very grateful that you were able to contact them. The questionnaires for Six Street are almost collected. Since that's the case, Senior and I will head back to the Public Security Office first..."
"Wait, Officers, don't leave yet!"
General Chop called out loudly before Zhu Yuan could finish, jogging over while catching his breath.
Seeing his state, Wise immediately gestured for him to take a deep breath, calm down, and speak slowly. Still, General Chop's voice remained urgent.
"I can't slow down right now. There's no easy way to explain it. Something just happened over there, and the situation is complicated. Two Officer ladies, please come take a look as soon as possible!"
General Chop pointed toward the street. His words were rushed and uneven from lack of breath, but Zhu Yuan and Qingyi immediately understood the seriousness of the situation.
Following General Chop's directions, they quickly headed toward the scene. Wise and Belle followed close behind.
Soon, they reached the end of the street, where a group of bystanders had gathered around a parked truck.
A man was shouting angrily at Give Change, the Bangboo from the 141 Convenience Store.
Some of the onlookers immediately spoke up in Give Change's defense, their arguments piling on top of one another and plunging the area into disorder.
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