Chapter 81

80 Lyne Hell and the Spectators

Someone preemptively pulled my family’s files?

Upon hearing the archivist’s words, Lyne’s brow furrowed.

“Can you tell me who pulled the files?”

“I’m sorry, but according to bureau policy, this is strictly confidential.”

Though the archivist spoke politely, his refusal was firm. Lyne nodded, collected his request slip, and left the archives, his face dark as he walked toward the Secret Investigation Bureau building.

My entire family of six were ordinary civilians. My parents died in combat six years ago. Anna won’t come of age until next year. After eliminating my two younger siblings, aged six and seven, the person who pulled the files must be targeting me specifically.

The only person who not only has “interest” in me but also the authority to pull my files—no need to guess who it is.

……

Lyne, Oliver Lyne, Wayne Lyne, Thomas Lyne…

Looking at the mountain of “Lyne” files piled on her desk, the female police officer sighed heavily, her eyes dark with exhaustion—she truly had bad luck with this damned surname.

First, she was assigned to investigate the rebels who tried to assassinate Princess Wang Nuwei. The firearms abandoned at the scene bore serial numbers from the Lyne family’s arms factory. The captured rebels insisted the Lyne family ordered the attack—but due to the Lyne family’s non-cooperation, the investigation was forcibly terminated.

Later, she finally dug up a lead and tracked down one of the rebels, only for another “Lyne” who had joined the rebels to sabotage her efforts—mocking her like a fool and leaving her emotionally drained for days.

Worse still, to atone for her father’s mistakes, she’d been treated with such contempt that she was now forced to investigate their pension claims.

To recover the Lyne family’s withheld pensions—and to send that damned pension officer in the military to prison—she spent half the night poring over files, finally collapsing into a brief sleep just before dawn.

But barely had she submitted the pension case when two new cases landed on her desk today—both involving “Lyne.”

One was a commercial dispute between three noble families led by the Lyne family and Charles Department Store. The other was the Lyne family’s railway project with the Road Administration Department: after illegally cutting through a foundation, work halted for six months without cause, and now they were being sued and demanded to verify the situation…

What the hell… I just want to know, what’s there to verify? Are you all blind? Can’t you tell if the road’s broken? Why do you need us to send people over?

“Creak… creak…”

Looking at the two glaring red “Urgent” labels on the case files, the female officer gritted her small white teeth in fury.

Yes, our title includes “Investigation,” but we’re the Secret Investigation Bureau! Secret, do you understand?

We’re supposed to handle traitors, corrupt officials, foreign spies, and saboteurs!

Can you stop thinking of us every time something inconvenient pops up? Just to avoid responsibility, you dump every trivial mess on us? If I’d known secret police were just for this, I’d have chosen…

“Isa.”

As the female officer was being crushed by the “Lyne” files, wishing she could burn them all, another weary secret officer called out to her, tossing a metal badge her way with a tired voice:

“Interrogation Room 17 is free—use it quick.”

“I’m on it!!!”

Catching the badge, the female officer sprang up at once, face bright with relief, and strode out of the main office, then dashed down the stairs as if a dog were chasing her.

But as she reached the first-floor lobby, ready to head to the underground interrogation rooms to wrestle with those damned rebels, someone called her again.

“Isa~”

Seeing her puzzled look, a middle-aged female officer who usually got along well with her chuckled, then casually gestured behind her with her chin.

“Look over there—someone’s here for you~”

Someone’s here for me? Who?

Following her gaze, she saw the familiar face—and the woman who had just escaped “Lyne Hell” instantly dropped her expression, then turned and walked away without hesitation.

Don’t call me—I don’t know him!!!

Is this… a tantrum?

Watching Isa storm off without a word, then glancing at the man standing nearby with hopeful eyes, the middle-aged officer wanted to mediate—but due to bureau rules, she could only sigh helplessly and explain to Lyne in the reception area:

“I’m sorry… technically I should let you in, but our bureau has special rules—normally we don’t allow outsiders…”

“What are you doing here?”

Just as the middle-aged officer was halfway through her explanation, a cold voice came from behind.

She turned in surprise to see Isa had returned—standing behind her, glaring at the man, her face full of disgust:

“Didn’t you just call me crazy and tell me to get lost, and never bother you again until I die?”

“What? You think that was too harsh?”

Nodding thanks to the middle-aged officer who’d called him, then waiting for her to step back, Lyne rubbed his still-swollen backside and retorted in a low, dark voice:

“You screamed while shooting my ass on the firing range—dare you say you’re not mentally unbalanced?”???

What the—?!

Hearing their conversation through lip-reading, the middle-aged officer lurking nearby froze, nearly toppling over.

Not… on the firing range? Are kids today this open-minded? Or have I just gotten too old to keep up?

“You—shut up!”

Glancing around quickly and seeing everyone busy, apparently unaware of her, the female officer grabbed Lyne’s arm and dragged him outside, teeth clenched:

“You damned rebel! Didn’t we agree to forget the firing range and never see each other again? What the hell do you want?!”

“What do I want? I’d like to ask you the same thing!”

Glaring at her, Lyne extended his hand, irritable:

“We agreed never to meet again—so why did you secretly pull my files? Hand them over. All of them.”

Files? So that’s why you’re here.

Hearing Lyne’s demand, the female officer exhaled in relief, then slapped his open palm hard, glaring back up at him:

“I pulled them first—why should I give them to you? Wait until I’m done reading them!”

“Because they’re my files!”

“They’re not your files—they’re the archives the bureau collected on you!”

After spending half the night fighting for the Lyne family’s withheld pensions, the female officer finally had some backbone facing him, straightening her neck in refusal:

“Go home and wait. A few days from now, when I’m done, your files will be returned. Why are you staring at me like that?”

“….”

I’m not staring at you—I’m staring at your colleagues… Do people in your line of work have this much curiosity?

Glancing at the Secret Investigation Bureau lobby, where people who had been pretending to be busy now clustered in increasing numbers, Lyne silently opened his badge system and checked his newly awarded badge.

【Scumbag】