Chapter 108

The Critic: “The Laien Blood Night: Over a Hundred Officials from Nine Departments Dead or Injured!”

The New Industrial Daily: “Numerous Mid-Level Members of the Laien Family Killed; Arms Company Likely to Halt Operations!”

The Royal Gazette: “Solemn Mourning for the Fallen Members of the Laien Family”

Horn Alley News: “The Lion’s Heart Fallen? The Kingdom’s Two Pillars May Exit the Historical Stage”

The Sun: “Shocking! The Laien Family Massacred Last Night—The Killer Is……”

“…”

A single investigation mission nearly wiped out an entire clan? Is this how you make me feel at ease?

After reading the front pages of over a dozen newspapers, the Red-haired Woman felt blood rushing to her head, as if her whole body had gone light-headed.

It’s year-end! The year-end review is coming soon!

At this time, a large-scale casualty incident in the Capital, especially involving a noble family, will send the Bureau’s barely improving performance this year straight into last place.

And worse than a performance collapse, there seems to be something even more unfortunate…

Looking at the photo on The Sun’s front page—Leon, bloodied and sprawled on the ground, still reaching toward the corpse of Bobby Laien —and the bold, enlarged label beneath it identifying him as the killer, the Red-haired Woman let out a long, weary sigh, her head pounding.

Even though it was only The Sun, not The Capital Times or The Royal Gazette, you went out on an investigation mission—how did you end up locked in the death cell yourself?

…

“What? The Laien Family is gone? And it was that… that damned rebel who did it?”

“Sit down, sit down!”

Seeing the female officer leap to her feet upon hearing the news, the Scar-faced Giant frowned and pressed his hand downward.

“The Laien Family still exists—though nearly two hundred mid-level members and several high-ranking kin were killed last night. The old Duke has been struck so hard he’s fallen gravely ill; he’s likely on the brink of collapse.”

“As for the killer… it’s not necessarily that rebel. This Laien Family incident is suspicious.”

After taking a deep drag from the cigarette clenched in his mouth, the Scar-faced Giant mused:

“Though that rebel did appear at the scene and killed the first heir, Bobby Laien , there were no signs of any other intruders in the estate. It’s implausible that one man alone could have slaughtered the Laien Family’s mid-tier members in a single night.”

“Also, according to the old Duke’s testimony, he was stabbed awake at midnight by a maid who held scissors to his throat and forced him to step down immediately, handing the position to his younger brother, Bobby Laien . So in my view, what happened last night was more like an internal coup.”

“I see…”

Hearing this, the female officer exhaled slightly, then asked with uncertain eyes: “If it’s an internal coup, why aren’t we investigating who the real killer is? Why lock up that damned rebel in the death cell?”

“Isa, learn to think before acting!”

Tapping his forehead with his index finger, the Scar-faced Giant, cigarette still in hand, replied calmly:

“Whether Leon the rebel is the killer doesn’t depend on whether he did it—it depends on which narrative—‘rebel attack on the Duke’s family’ or ‘Duke’s family internal strife’—serves our interests better.”

“I don’t understand…”

“Simply put: the truth doesn’t matter. What matters are the benefits and the side you’re on.”

After crushing his cigarette under the glass tabletop, the Scar-faced Giant, his fingers stained yellow, pointed at the stack of newspapers and explained patiently:

“Notice anything? Aside from The Sun, which treats it as entertainment, every other paper either mourns the dead, describes the situation, or focuses on the consequences—but none give a clear answer on whether it was internal strife or an attack.”

“These papers aren’t trying to scoop the news, nor are they waiting for our investigation results—they’ve been warned by their backers not to pick a side yet. Wait until the wind shifts.”

“Wind shifts?”

“The views of the old nobility led by the Laien Family, the reformists led by the Princess, and the loose alliance of new nobles, major merchants, lawmakers, and the Prime Minister.”

“These three forces are the Kingdom’s true rulers. Only the consensus forged through their struggle and bargaining counts as the real wind direction.”

After explaining the meaning of “wind direction,” the Scar-faced Giant lit another cigarette and spoke slowly:

“The reformists, led by the Princess, hope this is an internal coup—because that gives them an excuse to cut into the old nobility and relieve pressure on the Minister of Defense from the military.”

“The loose alliance, however, wants this labeled a rebel attack—because rebels disrupting stability hurt merchants the most, which in turn pressures the lawmakers backed by merchants and the Prime Minister who needs their votes.”

“So if this is declared a rebel attack, they can pressure the other two sides to cooperate and prioritize eliminating the rebels to preserve business stability.”

It sounded like he’d explained it—but she still didn’t quite get it…

Frowning in thought, the female officer asked again:

“What about the old nobility? What do they think?”

“They don’t care.”

At her question, the Scar-faced Giant smirked oddly.

“Whether they die in an internal coup or a rebel attack, it’s equally humiliating. ‘Internal coup’ gives the Princess an excuse to carve them up; ‘rebel attack’ exposes their weakness, letting lawmakers seize more seats.”

“In short, no matter how the ‘ Laien Blood Night’ is ultimately labeled, they’re already the biggest losers.”

“…”

Who cares about winners and losers?!

After listening for so long and still not knowing what would happen to Leon, the anxious female officer clenched her fists repeatedly, then ventured cautiously:

“So, Boss—what do you think will happen in the end? What fate awaits that damned rebel?”

“That’s not up to me.”

Glancing at the crumpled hem of her uniform, the Scar-faced Giant turned to the window, smoking lazily:

“It depends mostly on the Princess. The lawmakers and merchants have weight, but their alliance is too fragmented. If the reformists led by the Princess hold firm, the others will eventually yield.”

“So how this plays out hinges on whether someone with enough clout in the Princess’s camp steps forward to affirm her resolve to strike at the old nobility.”

Someone with enough clout… I get it!

Soon after, when the Scar-faced Giant finished his cigarette, crushed it, and turned around, the female officer was already gone.

But he didn’t seem particularly concerned about his capable subordinate’s swift departure—he walked slowly back to his desk and unfolded a map of the Capital.

Let me think… next month’s plan should be blowing up the theater in the southeast of the Capital. I’ll mark the defenses westward first~