"This is a provocation against the entire order of Paradise City!"
"The lawful society the rest of us worked so hard to maintain brought prosperity and equality to Paradise City! But what did that brat do?!"
"I suggest we immediately arrest Sean and bring him to justice!"
In an Inspection Bureau reception room, people in various uniforms loudly condemned a certain villain.
Among them, the representative from the Academy was the loudest.
The director of the Inspection Bureau leaned back in his chair, nursing a headache. He didn't want to say a single word.
The Inspection Bureau was an oversight agency jointly established by the corporate giants of Paradise City. It maintained order within the city with an "equal," "strict," and "impartial" hand.
That Sean wasn't some petty grunt in the Gold Ghosts; he was their second-in-command!
Even more ridiculously, when the Inspection Bureau was founded, the other three major factions had used the Gold Ghosts' illicit background as an excuse to shut them out.
You refuse to let them play, yet you still expect them to follow your rules?
The Bureau's people never even patrolled Gold Ghosts territory.
Amid his headache, another problem suddenly came to mind.
The director looked at the Academy representative. "Sir, our people sent word that the Academy's Airship was supposedly gifted to the Gold Ghosts?"
The Academy representative faltered for a second before clearing his throat. "Let's put that aside for now. The main issue is that Sean's actions have caused massive chaos in the city! This incident was supposed to be a good thing, but because of what he did, innocent citizens suffered heavy casualties."
"We absolutely cannot tolerate this kind of behavior!"
The director sneered inwardly. Put it aside? When had the Academy ever taken a loss when they had the moral high ground?
Most likely, the Academy's people had pulled something first, and now they were feeling guilty...
And this incident was a good thing? Those people were innocent citizens?
Everyone knew that once food fell into the mouths of the rats in the Dirty Street, not even the best cat could pry it back out.
Judging by their current stance, the Academy wanted to abandon that loot and focus entirely on retrieving the Airship, all while making Sean pay the price.
Naturally, those bestowals were conveniently spun into the Academy's acts of charity.
But anyone with a clear mind knew the situation was full of shady tricks and political maneuvering.
After a moment of thought, the director decided to stay out of these muddy waters. He would just send someone down to hold them accountable, fire that person for incompetence upon their return, and wash the Inspection Bureau's hands of the whole mess.
Just as he was about to speak, a knock came at the door.
"Director, Director Morgan is outside to see you."
Director Morgan? The director hitched up his belly and stood. That guy had hurried away from their previous afternoon tea, probably because of this exact incident, right?
Still, to come to the Bureau in person... Had the Academy set its mind on getting payback? How was he supposed to refuse him...
He stepped out of the reception room.
A few minutes later, a sudden roar echoed, carrying an immense wave of grief.
"Assemble the men! This time, we absolutely must bring the suspect to justice!"
Gold Ghosts, Core Zone.
The Airship was already parked in Gold Ghosts territory, and Sean had finally gotten his first moment of rest since transmigrating.
Stepping out of his bedroom, he found a massive courtyard flourishing with greenery.
The giant artificial sun overhead radiated a gentle warmth, making him unconsciously want to take a nap.
Sean lay back in a sun lounger. Though he was resting, he continued to endlessly test the Effect of the Heart of Deceit.
Only three chances a day is still too few... Sean thought. I really need to build proficiency through repeated trials.
Beside him, a woman in a maid outfit and white stockings stiffly leaned over to pour tea.
The custom-tailored maid dress accentuated her stunning figure, and the flash of fair skin made the corners of Sean's mouth curl up slightly.
The newly arrived maid was, of course, the Academy's seventh-year top student and prefect, Qiong Ying.
I'm only doing this to survive... she chanted inwardly. Besides, this demon hasn't done anything worse yet. I can accept this. I can accept this... as long as I can make it back to the Academy...
She continuously brainwashed herself, doing everything she could to avoid displeasing this demon.
Just then, Moza stepped into the courtyard. He glanced at Qiong Ying, and after getting a reassuring nod from Sean, he spoke:
"Boss, we're already looking for the people you wanted. Trials on the newest potion have started; they'll send it over once they're done."
"We've found all the moles in the guard squad. Just as you ordered, we haven't touched them for now."
"Also, we've recorded the recent movements of the Red Ridge, Tide Wraith, Yinshan, Barren Mother, and Kneecap Shovel departments. Have a look..."
Moza methodically reported various matters to Sean, while Qiong Ying felt increasingly desolate.
He's not hiding any of this from me... she realized. Which means... I might never go back...
When Moza finished his report, Sean nodded. "Not bad. Alright, you can go take your punishment now."
Moza breathed a sigh of relief. He bowed respectfully and took off his suit jacket and glasses.
"Boss, please hold on to these for me."
"Mm. Go on."
Once Moza left, Sean looked at Qiong Ying, who seemed completely drained of spirit, and considerately explained, "He made a mistake, so he has to be punished."
"P-punished with what?" she asked, the words slipping out before she could stop them.
Sean chuckled at her reaction. "It's a slap on the wrist, really. Just jumping into a cage of Iron Centipedes and staying there for an hour."
Qiong Ying froze. Iron Centipedes? Those mutated, metal-eating venomous insects? A single bite would inflict a pain worse than death...
Rumor had it that someone had accidentally wandered into an Iron Centipede nest outside the city. He wasn't eaten alive—he literally died from the sheer agony...
Her eyes grew more terrified by the second. This man in front of her was this ruthless even to his own subordinates...
Seeing her trembling with fear, Sean kindly grabbed her hand to comfort her. "Don't worry. Working under me has always been like this. Do well and you get rewarded; mess up and you get punished. And as for me..."
He patted the back of Qiong Ying's pale hand. "I like obedient people the most."
Qiong Ying swallowed hard as an emotion called despair rapidly took hold.
Right at that moment, the guard stationed outside the courtyard knocked on the door.
"Boss Sean, people from the Inspection Bureau are outside. They say they're here to arrest you."
Sean asked casually, "Who's leading them? If it's not Ran Xinzhu, just send them packing."
The guard replied, "It's the director of the Inspection Bureau. He brought a lot of people this time, and representatives from the other major factions are with him."
Sean raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that fatso a master fence-sitter? What, did I sleep with his wife or something?"
The guard scratched his head. "Something like that... Boss, seeing him reminded me. Out of that pile of people you threw off the Airship, didn't one of those kids look a lot like the Bureau's director?"
Sean spat out a mouthful of black tea, clutching his stomach in amusement. "I killed his son?"
The guard chuckled along with him. "Looks like it."
"If I remember right, that fatso swapped in a Mechanical Prostate half a year ago—" Sean put on a thoughtful look before bursting into malicious laughter. "Hahaha—"
"Double happiness arrives at the door!"