Chapter 64

63 Exposure

「…」

Embarrassed by the stares from his colleagues, the woman with the scarf could only scowl and nod.

“Everything he said is true—it was my fault. I didn’t prepare properly; I just glanced at the field reports on ingredient prices and casually quoted a price of one silver wheel. But this man is definitely suspicious!”

After glaring at Li Ang, who had distracted her and let the rebels escape, the female officer named Yisha took a deep breath and pointed at him with a stern face:

“To avoid alerting him, once I realized the price was too high, I immediately offered a lower one to calm him down—but he kept secretly watching me, even peering into the target’s room!”

“I was just…”

“It couldn’t have been a casual glance! It couldn’t have been coincidence!”

Cutting off Li Ang’s words, the female officer frowned sharply and demanded with certainty:

“There are over a hundred rooms in the building across the street, and at least thirty to forty are visible from the coffee stall—why did you fixate only on the target’s window?”

“…”

“But… why are you still suspicious of me?”

Seeing the secret police once again cast skeptical glances his way, Li Ang could only stare blankly and say:

“If I were one of the rebels, I would’ve run the moment you lowered the price!”

Come on, have you ever even been to one of these coffee stalls? Aside from the coffee, the things you served me could’ve sold to five people at any other stall—you know that, right?

And yet you charged only two copper wheels for all that. You braved the morning chill just to set up this stall, clearly not expecting to make any profit—so if you’re not here to surveil, what are you here for? To heat up this street?”

“You… don’t change the subject!”

Flustered by Li Ang’s sharp mockery, the female officer clenched her lips tightly, then slammed her hand on the table and snapped:

“I’m not asking how I got exposed—I’m asking why you kept staring at the target’s window!”

“I stared at it because you were staring at it. As for why I watched your target…”

After briefly explaining his reasoning, Li Ang sighed helplessly:

“I thought you were odd, but I never imagined I’d be this unlucky—buying coffee on my way to work and stumbling into a secret police arrest.

Plus, I’m from the Police Bureau myself, so I’m practically half a cop—I just glanced over a couple times out of curiosity. Who knew you’d react so strongly and drop the target to interrogate me?”

“…”

Watching the female officer fall silent, Li Ang, still uncomfortable from the handcuffs, couldn’t help urging:

“Sigh… you’re overthinking this. I’m really one of you. It’s been half a day already—have you verified my credentials yet?”

“You… don’t think this is over. You still have…”

“Enough, Yisha!”

Stopping the female officer from speaking further, the burly man who had shouted from upstairs earlier crushed out his cigarette, raised a finger toward Li Ang, and said flatly:

“Take off his handcuffs.”

The female officer froze slightly, then questioned:

“But the credentials haven’t been confirmed yet…”

“The Archives Department hasn’t sent back their results yet, but every level of seal and signature on his credentials is intact. Rebels couldn’t forge something this meticulous. So as long as we rule out he’s an inside agent, we should release him.”

“Yes…”

After biting her lip in frustration, the female officer lowered her head and walked over to unlock Li Ang’s handcuffs.

Though she was an exceptionally striking beauty, Li Ang had endured a morning of constant disruption—being dragged into an interrogation room and forced to sit for hours on a cold iron chair. His temper was already simmering.

After rubbing his reddened wrists, he glanced at the female officer’s still-suspicious expression, as if she wanted to interrogate him further, and couldn’t help lashing out with a dry, biting remark:

“It’s almost noon already. Thank you, Miss Yisha, for your generosity—if your morning bread ration hadn’t been so generous, I’d be starving right now!”

“You!”

Hearing Li Ang’s sarcasm, the female officer—who had already lost the rebels and lost face today—turned black with rage. She seemed ready to retort, but swallowed it down, lips pressed tight, head bowed, and muttered:

“I apologize. It was my misjudgment. I’ve wasted your time. I’m truly sorry.”

Though her voice was taut and her apology lacked sincerity, Li Ang, mindful that she belonged to the Kingdom’s secret service, chose not to press further. Instead, he turned to the scarred, burly man who had shouted from upstairs.

“Excuse me, could I have my credentials back?”

“Of course.”

Hearing Li Ang’s request, the scar-faced man grinned, revealing a smile that could make children cry. He stood, picked up the credentials from the table, and handed them over with a chuckle:

“I’ve heard a little about your bureau. Our department occasionally encounters situations requiring your assistance. I hope we’ll have the chance to work together in the future.”

“…”

Work with me, the “Cleaner”? Then you must’ve encountered something abnormal. Are you sure you want that opportunity?

“Certainly, certainly…”

Unsettled by the man’s ill-omened pleasantries, Li Ang mumbled a few vague replies and followed a secret officer out of the interrogation room.

Once the others had left and only two remained, the female officer, having held her tongue for too long, let out a heavy sigh and snapped:

“Why didn’t you let me keep interrogating him?”

The scarred man raised his bushy, scarred eyebrows and replied:

“Interrogate him about what?”

“About what happened four days ago!”

The female officer growled:

“Four days ago, a masked man in black assaulted the chief editor of the Social Section of The Daily News at a restaurant on Embroidered Flower Street, then drove to the headquarters of Charle’s Department Store.

And this man was recently featured on the Entertainment Section of The Sun after being injured by a gold wheel—I saw the photo taken then. His attire matched the masked man on Embroidered Flower Street exactly!”

“Mm. And then?”

“Then today he interfered with the arrest of the rebels, kept harassing me, and let the rebel who participated in the Princess’s assassination escape!”

The female officer pressed:

“If he hadn’t shown up today, I might’ve thought it was coincidence. But now I’m certain—he’s 100% suspicious!”

“Yes. I agree he’s suspicious.”

Nodding in agreement with the female officer’s judgment, the scarred man lit another cigarette. The glowing ember cast a reddish hue over his face, making the jagged scars crisscrossing his skin look like writhing venomous snakes.

He spoke slowly:

“The royal family and nobles are nothing but lice growing in the crotch. Once they bite too hard, they must be crushed under one hand.”

Repeating the masked man’s words, the scarred man smirked:

“After uttering such a dangerous statement, he dares to approach you under his real identity, helping the target escape. He’s the boldest opponent I’ve ever seen!

Hah! Had it not been for this incident, I never would’ve imagined the rebels had infiltrated the Police Bureau—even joined the dangerously elite Cleaner Bureau. This man is unquestionably a colossal fish.”

“I think I understand…”

After thinking for a moment, the female officer frowned:

“So… you didn’t arrest him because you’re trying to lure out more rebels?”

“No.”

Crushing out his cigarette again, the scarred man leaned back in his chair and chuckled:

“You’re overthinking it. He’s from the Cleaner Bureau. I’m simply too afraid to arrest him.”

Female officer: ???