stjorthotic Chapter 72 You're Not the Only One
Chapter 72 You're Not the Only One
As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Yuan, who had been keeping his head down, suddenly raised it, revealing the pent-up frustration and resentment that had been building up for years. However, the knocked-out molars and the dislocated jaw made him slur his words: "Fat wants to spend his days in the office administration department." Although the content was somewhat unclear, his emotions were clear: he was furious.
In fact, Chen Shi said this casually, and it was also something he was personally curious about, but unexpectedly it accurately hit Xiao Yuan's sore spot.
However, Xiao Yuan's emotional outburst lasted only a moment before he immediately suppressed all his anger and returned to his usual unyielding demeanor.
"What do you mean by 'just getting by'? Are you looking down on the administrative staff in the bureau?" Chen Shi immediately objected. "I think the administrative department is pretty good. It's stable and leisurely, and you don't have to risk your life. If it were me..."
As Chen Shizheng was speaking, he glanced around and noticed that Sun Tiemei and Xiao Yuan were both looking at him at the same time, their eyes filled with almost identical naked contempt.
"Just kidding, just kidding."
Chen Shi scratched his head awkwardly and gave a sheepish smile. He had just blurted out his true thoughts in a moment of carelessness.
So he quickly changed the subject, forcibly steer the interrogation back on track: "Speaking of which, you were forced to work as a clerk in the administrative department after joining the bureau, and you were unhappy about it from the bottom of your heart. So why did you keep using that ability to reduce your presence? That doesn't make sense. If you were an undercover agent from the beginning, keeping a low profile would make it easier to carry out missions. But the leaks in the bureau have only happened in the last year or two, which is enough to show that in the first few years after you joined the bureau, you didn't pass on any information to the outside world at all."
Xiao Yuan remained silent for a long time, but unable to suppress the pent-up frustration in his heart, he blurted out, "That weirdo... I learned it later."
Chen Shi looked surprised and pressed on, "Superpowers can be learned later in life?" But this time, Xiao Yuan kept quiet and refused to say a word no matter what Chen Shi said.
"Alright, I won't ask anymore. You see, I never force people when I interrogate them." Chen Shi took a tactical sip of water, his tone remaining calm. "However, dual abilities are extremely rare, definitely a scarce qualification that every department in the bureau is vying for. If you had shown it earlier, you would definitely have been given special training based on that talent, instead of being stuck in an administrative position wasting your days. Isn't that exactly what you've always wanted?"
Xiao Yuan lowered his eyes, his handcuffed hands gripping the corner of the table tightly, and couldn't help but correct him, "Studying hard... there is definitely a price to pay."
"I understand." Chen Shi nodded slowly, somewhat understanding. "The superpower you awakened later was given to you by that underground organization. They used your second superpower as a bargaining chip to get you to become a full-fledged undercover agent and betray the Superpower Bureau, right?"
Chen Shi sighed softly, revealing Xiao Yuan's predicament: "You yearn to stand out from the crowd and want everyone to see your talent and strength, but the more powerful your abilities are, the more you have to deliberately keep a low profile and hide all your brilliance. You can't openly display your abilities in this lifetime. This is just too frustrating."
Xiao Yuan was deeply shaken.
For a moment, he felt that the person in front of him was his true soulmate, and the other person had pointed out his frustration at being unappreciated.
But he quickly snapped back to his senses, forcefully suppressing the unease in his heart, and for the first time seriously examined Chen Shi.
These five newcomers were far more formidable than they appeared. With just a few nonsensical questions, they had somehow pieced together almost the entire incident. He regretted ever getting involved, but it was too late for regrets now.
Xiao Yuan had actually heard about Chen Shi several times before in the administrative department. The first time was when Sister Zhou told him about it as a joke, saying how pathetic he was when running on the training field and how he flirted with the older women in the canteen. So in Xiao Yuan's mind, a good-for-nothing like Chen Shi must have gotten in through connections, a clown-like figure, so he naturally didn't take him seriously.
However, Chen Shi later solved a series of major cases and quickly became a sensation throughout the organization. Even his underground organization specifically ordered him to collect intelligence on Chen Shi. People in the organization who had dealt with Chen Shi repeatedly reminded him that this seemingly carefree newcomer was actually unfathomable.
Taking Chen Shi seriously is one thing, but actually facing Chen Shi is another. Just as he said at the beginning, Chen Shi's interrogation had no coercive tone, but gradually dismantled his defenses, making him unable to control his emotions and mouth even though he knew he couldn't speak.
Just as Xiao Yuan's emotions were churning, Chen Shi had already completely figured out his entire trajectory.
A promising young talent in the Bureau of Supernatural Abilities was somehow sabotaged and relegated to a menial administrative post. Over the years, resentment grew within him. Ultimately, an underground organization took advantage of his vulnerability, using the promise of developing dual supernatural abilities as bait to recruit him. The price was that he became an undercover agent for them, betraying his original unit.
Seeing the silent standoff between the two, Sun Tiemei decisively broke the eerie atmosphere and forcefully steered the conversation back to the case: "Confess, how did you lure Zhao Lei out and then murder him to frame him?"
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuan, who had just been experiencing emotional turmoil, instantly fell silent, ignoring Sun Tiemei's question.
This made Sun Tiemei lose her temper.
She had partnered with Chen Shi for several interrogations, and each time she felt somewhat frustrated. Chen Shi could easily get the other person to open up by casual conversation, while she, despite her earnest interrogation, would be completely unresponsive, making her feel like an incompetent team leader. Actually, she was overthinking it. After all, what good is being a professional interrogator? Chen Shi's skill was a natural talent that others couldn't learn.
But she was still angry, slammed her hand on the table and stood up abruptly, raising her hand to use her supernatural power to exert pressure.
"Team leader, wait a minute. I haven't turned off the surveillance video. Wait until I turn it off before you start. How about freezing his spine? That would be so stimulating."
After Chen Shi's interruption, Sun Tiemei calmed down and waved her hand, signaling Chen Shi to continue.
But she herself didn't realize that since Chen Shi came to her side, she was becoming more and more like the former Sun Tiemei.
"Xiao Yuan, no one else is stupid. Tonight, the bureau set up a trap to specifically investigate Zhao Lei and the other two. It's a top-secret operation with a very small scope. How could you, a powerless administrative clerk, not only know about it in advance but also take advantage of the situation to set up a trap within a trap and frame someone for murder? That just doesn't make sense."
Chen Shi suddenly stood up and approached Xiao Yuan: "You couldn't possibly have been secretly squatting outside and overhearing us talking in Director Liu's office, could you?"
Xiao Yuan remained silent with his head down.
"So, you're not the only mole in the bureau, am I right?"
Xiao Yuan's eye twitched slightly.
A few days ago, this investigation plan targeting Zhao Lei and the other two inexplicably appeared in his private encrypted email, with the sender information blank.
He had always assumed the orders came from his superior, but now he was suddenly struck by the realization that there was another powerful figure hidden within the Bureau of Supernatural Abilities, silently controlling everything, and that even he, as a pawn, was merely a tool in the other's hands.