[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-lawful-tyrant":3,"chapter-lawful-tyrant-lawful-tyrant-chapter-68":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Lawful Tyrant",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2284952,4469,"Chapter 68: A Deal","lawful-tyrant-chapter-68",68,"\u003Cp>“I heard from Director Kou that Captain Lin came to the hospital to visit Captain Chen—turns out you’re here.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qiu calmly scanned Lin Qing and Chen Yanan in the ward and said, “Per the Municipal Patrol Bureau’s directive, we’re here to ask you a few questions. Please cooperate with the investigation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing turned his head and glanced at Xu Qiu, frowning slightly. “Even patients are subject to your investigation?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just a few questions.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qiu’s expression remained calm. “Also, my deputy from the Upper District Branch Patrol Team has already arrived at your office and residence with a search warrant. You’ve received the news, haven’t you, Captain Lin?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Search all you want,” Lin Qing said coolly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“We’ll now ask you both a few questions. Please answer truthfully,” Xu Qiu said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing continued eating his apple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both he and his cousin were Level-Two Patrol Officers; unless there was serious misconduct, there was no need to bring them to an interrogation room—a private conversation was sufficient.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s start with Captain Chen.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qiu turned to Chen Yanan. “Captain Chen ordered a mechanical prosthesis from Dawn Group. Based on your family’s financial status, you should only be able to afford the G21L model. Was the prosthesis you ordered the G21L model?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Patrol System could access vast amounts of data, but Dawn Group was a major corporation within the urban zone—investigating them was complicated and required cumbersome procedures.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chen Yanan nodded. “I did order…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not the G21L model.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Lin Qing interrupted her, sweeping his gaze over the three patrol officers. “It’s the Hongjun series prosthesis.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qiu blinked in slight surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The patrol officer behind her taking notes couldn’t help speaking up. “Hongjun series? Does Dawn Group even have a Hongjun series? There’s no record of it in our files. Captain Lin, please clarify—”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need to ask.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qiu suddenly raised her hand to stop him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked at Lin Qing with unusual curiosity. “Is this a headquarters benefit?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes,” Lin Qing nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qiu, the top patrol officer among her peers, clearly had extraordinary connections—knowing about the limited-edition Hongjun series was perfectly normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, she’d signed the Elite Patrol Training contract; she could easily deduce this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re quite good to your sister.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qiu gave a slight nod, then glanced at her two subordinate officers. “That’s enough. No need to investigate further. Dismiss the team.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re not investigating anymore?” The two officers stared in surprise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Captain Lin wouldn’t do something like this for a mechanical prosthesis.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qiu said calmly, “Just write on the investigation record: ‘Involves headquarters secrets—no comment.’”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two officers instantly understood—this was clearly something only headquarters could uncover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing hadn’t expected Xu Qiu to be so straightforward. He asked casually, “Won’t the Municipal Bureau leadership be dissatisfied with your half-hearted approach?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not my problem.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xu Qiu said calmly, “If they’re unhappy, let them go investigate headquarters themselves. Besides, I never believed Captain Lin would do this—it was just a formality. Now this is better… The Hongjun series prosthesis isn’t something money can buy. I’d like to see what the Municipal Bureau has to say now.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She gave Lin Qing a slight nod. “We won’t disturb you further.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing nodded. “Goodbye, Captain Xu.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Xu Qiu and her two officers left, Chen Yanan couldn’t help asking, “What did Captain Xu mean just now? Hongjun series prosthesis? I’ve never heard of that.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t worry—you’ll find out soon enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing smiled. “If my performance review fails, it fails. You’re about to be discharged anyway. You stay as captain—I’ll be promoted or not, it doesn’t matter.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as he reached Patrol Chief-level strength, he could enter the headquarters’ Elite Patrol unit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—That is, the level Xu Qiu is at now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the Super-Sense Serum takes effect, he’s destined to master the original Sunrise Cultivation Method. His strength will far surpass Xu Qiu’s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is already certain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he became a full captain, he wouldn’t hold the position long—so he didn’t care at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Upper District Branch Patrol Team conducted their search, they found no stolen items from Eagle Sea Group in Lin Qing’s home or office. Normally, even this wouldn’t clear his suspicion—but the Municipal Bureau suddenly fell into collective silence, as if they’d uncovered something monumental.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, March 1st, the Municipal Bureau issued a notice: recent rumors concerning Deputy Captain Lin Qing of the Shaoshan District Patrol Team had been investigated and confirmed as false. The Bureau personally cleared his name.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this notice, all gossip about Lin Qing within the branch vanished completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That evening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing and Zhao Jiayi returned to their respective homes. When he stepped inside his door, he frowned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On his living room coffee table sat a golden nameplate watch and a lustrous jade pendant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were the exact stolen valuables from Eagle Sea Group!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beneath them lay an invitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing didn’t touch the items. Instead, he sent Zhao Jiayi a WeChat message: “Ate yet?” Soon after, she knocked on his door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After closing the door, Lin Qing didn’t ask her directly—he simply handed her a glass of water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While drinking, Zhao Jiayi used her telekinesis to carefully scan the entire room, then sighed in relief. “Lin Qing, I checked—no surveillance devices. You’re safe.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Someone broke into my home. But my door locks are issued by the Patrol Bureau—security isn’t an issue.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing stared at the two stolen items and the invitation on the coffee table. “The Upper District Patrol Team only entered after my permission. They searched thoroughly and found nothing. But now…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet here the two stolen items sat, openly displayed on the coffee table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Someone placed these here after the patrol team left?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhao Jiayi thought for a moment. “Maybe the invisible woman from Eagle Sea Group? She could’ve slipped in during the search, waited until the patrol team left, then left these behind.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing grunted in agreement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He picked up the invitation and glanced at it. “Chairman Zhang Zhiren of Eagle Sea Group wants to talk to me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Will you go?” Zhao Jiayi asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing narrowed his eyes. “He’s telling me—he could’ve used this to block my promotion, but chose to let me off.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused, glancing at Zhao Jiayi. “You come with me. Wait outside. If there’s danger, warn me through subconscious signals.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside the spacious, well-lit reception hall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Captain Lin, please sit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the lights, Zhang Zhiren, dressed in a black Tang suit with streaks of gray at his temples, smiled. “Do you prefer direct conversations, or more subtle ones?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Direct,” Lin Qing said, sitting on the long sofa and studying Zhang Zhiren. “What’s your connection to the Yuanhong Society?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Zhiren chuckled. “Captain Lin, that’s a bit too blunt.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So?” Lin Qing stared at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then let’s be direct,” Zhang Zhiren smiled. “I’m the second-in-command of the Yuanhong Society—call me the deputy boss. Zhou Yang, who previously handled the Shaoshan District, was third.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You actually admitted it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Qing nodded slightly. “So you’re confident I can’t gather any evidence?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Some evidence, even if it exists, is as good as nonexistent,” Zhang Zhiren said, shaking his head gently. “You know why I invited you here, don’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You want me to play the role of Xiao Pei?” Lin Qing looked at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re still testing me,” Zhang Zhiren smiled. “So you’ve already concluded Xiao Pei was my informant?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Wasn’t he?” Lin Qing countered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No need to test further. Zhou Yang didn’t reveal anything before he died.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Zhiren shook his head with a smile, sincere. “I’m a businessman. Today, I simply want to make a deal with you, Captain Lin.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is that so? I thought you were trying to force me into it. Is that business?” Lin Qing looked at Zhang Zhiren.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet his subconscious was screaming warnings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His intuition told him—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone was sitting right beside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1326,"2026-06-20T02:41:34.488Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","c964a760231971bb2a6e2c99707ad1f2bc1f40f6ff624627b60298ada0c44073","lawful-tyrant-chapter-69","lawful-tyrant-chapter-67",442,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Flawful-tyrant-cover.jpg"]