Once, I wanted to be a good person

Discovering that the Windbreeze Flower was actually used by Fang Ze to contact her, Bai Ling couldn't be more shocked.

As a Security Bureau Commissioner who aspired to become the greatest merchant, Bai Ling, though failing at every business venture, still had broad vision and knowledge.

Windbreeze Flower, that's something only produced in the Directly Governed State of the Eastern Region.

While its utility might seem a bit lackluster, its value was anything but trivial. A single flower cost 5000 Lini, non-negotiable.

The reason it seemed lackluster was that, aside from lower-tier cities, other high-tier and directly governed cities generally had wireless signals and fiber optics laid down.

Everyone could use wired or wireless devices to communicate with each other, making the Windbreeze Flower unnecessary.

Thus, if one didn't go out, the Windbreeze Flower was essentially useless.

Stay updated through empire

However, its high value came into play once one left the area covered by wireless signals, like in low-tier cities, the wilderness between cities, or when venturing outside—that's when contacting someone could become incredibly difficult.

At such times, the Windbreeze Flower could show its worth.

Although a flower could only be used on one person and there was a limit on its bloom time,

it could truly save lives in critical moments.

So, seeing that Fang Ze actually had a Windbreeze Flower and had even used it to contact her, Bai Ling truly found it hard to believe.

She couldn't help asking, "Fang Ze, where did you get the Windbreeze Flower from?"

....

At that moment, in the forest clearing, Fang Ze, looking at the face of Bai Ling appearing before him, also felt a bit of magic.

He gently reached out his hand, wanting to touch Bai Ling's face.

But when he did, all he felt was the swirling wind.

He withdrew his hand and said casually, "Picked it from the forest. There's a large patch of them here."

Bai Ling: ...

Bai Ling felt Fang Ze must be insulting her intelligence.

Even fools have their dignity, okay!

Not everything said blindly could deceive her!

Thinking this, she crossed her arms, pouted and decided to ignore Fang Ze.

Yet, when she didn't want to deal with Fang Ze, he spoke up.

He said, "Chief Bai Ling, do you want to know the organization's intelligence? Do you want to know why the organization silenced that wealthy merchant? Do you want to root out the mole within the Special Case Team?"

Hearing Fang Ze's words, an initially sulking Bai Ling suddenly looked at him with surprise.

Before she could respond, Fang Ze gave a radiant smile and said, "I can help you."

In that instant, Bai Ling felt... as if Fang Ze was a devil, tempting her...

She was unsure whether to agree or refuse.

She opened her mouth, and after a long pause, finally managed to squeeze out a question, "Your... your memory has come back?"

Perhaps because he had completely taken the rhythm of the conversation in just a few words, Fang Ze became more and more at ease as he smiled and shook his head, "No."

Bai Ling, "Then....."

Fang Ze candidly responded, "After I escaped, the organization has been trying to kill me. I caught one of their members, and before killing him, I interrogated him and got a lot of intelligence."

"I also learned about my own identity. Just a very ordinary Periphery Member."

"In this entire massacre, I was just leading the way, didn't even lift a hand. My guilt isn't that heavy."

"So, I want to cooperate with you. Consider it making amends for my actions."

"Periphery Member, didn't lift a hand, guilt isn't heavy..." The Security Bureau had similar clues and deductions, so she believed what Fang Ze said.

But... "Caught a member of the organization? Interrogated for intelligence?" Bai Ling was obviously a bit incredulous...

What power did Fang Ze have to capture a member of the organization?

Wasn't that a bit too exaggerated?

But just the thought that Fang Ze had obtained a Windbreeze Flower and used it so nonchalantly made it seem... slightly credible?

With that in mind, she tentatively asked, "Who did you catch?"

Fang Ze answered truthfully, "A ranger."

Hearing Fang Ze's words, Bai Ling unexpectedly covered her mouth in surprise, "A ranger?"

As a Commissioner sent by the Security Bureau to solve the case, Bai Ling knew the basic information about several suspects by heart.

Based on the video data, the ranger was at least a high-ranking Awakener. Moreover, with his ability to manipulate trees, his power would be even stronger in the forest.

Yet Fang Ze had caught and even killed him?

If she remembered correctly, wasn't Fang Ze just an ordinary person a few days ago?

How had he done it?

Truth be told, if she hadn't pinched herself secretly, Bai Ling would have thought she was dreaming.

Of course, she also wondered if Fang Ze was deceiving her.

But... to contact her with the valuable Windbreeze Flower, just to deceive her, what was he after?

With this thought, Bai Ling also started to use her own little brain.

After a moment, she said with a smile, "Alright. I believe you, Fang Ze."

"So you just said you can help me get the organization's intelligence? Can help me find out why the organization wiped out the wealthy merchant? And can help me catch the mole inside the Special Case Team?"

"Is that true?"

Seeing the clearly doubtful expression on Bai Ling's face, Fang Ze didn't mind.

He naturally had a way to prove himself.

So, he smiled and nodded, "Of course it's true."

"However...."

He paused and then added, "There are conditions!"

Hearing Fang Ze's words, Bai Ling thought to herself, "Here it comes!" She asked with a beaming smile, "What are the conditions?"

However, Fang Ze didn't continue along with what she said, instead, he suddenly asked, "Chief Bai Ling, do you trust me?"

Caught by Fang Ze's question, Bai Ling was visibly taken aback.

The wariness she had maintained up until now involuntarily dissipated, and she started to ponder.

After a moment, she said, "If it were before, I probably wouldn't have believed..."

"But..."

As she reached this point, her tone shifted, and with a smile, she said, "Ever since you became the first person to actually pay me back, I started to trust you!"

This time, her smile was much more sincere.

And hearing her words, Fang Ze couldn't help but smile as well, then he said, "Chief Bai Ling, I trust you too."

"So... I hope you won't be wary of me any longer or keep testing me incessantly."

"I genuinely want to cooperate with you."

Seeing her own tactics called out by Fang Ze, Bai Ling pouted.

She let out a light "hmph" and, somewhat annoyed, leaned back on the bed and said, "Alright. It seems I'm not really cut out for playing mind games. The moment I start getting a bit crafty, I get found out."

Having said that, she asked, "So, no more tests. Why not you tell me your conditions directly?"

Seeing Bai Ling finally let down her guard, Fang Ze nodded in satisfaction.

Then, looking at Bai Ling and smiling slightly, he casually started to drive a hard bargain,

"Actually, what I want is very simple."

"I want the Security Bureau and the Investigation Bureau to lift my arrest warrant and stop pursuing me. To restore my identity."

"I want three Transfer-type and five Defense-type Extraordinary Artifacts."

"And I also want one million Lini."

Hearing Fang Ze's demands, Bai Ling's eyes inevitably widened as she exclaimed, "Fang Ze, what do you think you're doing, robbing a bank!?"

"You dare to ask for such a price," she said

Fang Ze, smiling, responded, "Chief Bai Ling, don't be in a hurry. Why don't you go and talk to Officer Bai Zhi first?"

"As for business, it's meant to be negotiated. Not set in stone with a fixed price."

Hearing this, although Bai Ling still felt the terms were likely implausible, even if halved, she acknowledged that indeed, the decision wasn't hers to make for the Special Case Team.

So she hesitated for a bit, nodded, and said, "Then I'll go talk to Bai."

"I'll get back to you shortly."

Having said that, she lightly tapped the wind that had been hovering in front of her and spoke, "Pause communication."

The Windbreeze Flower transformed into a little flower and settled on Bai Ling's shoulder, waiting for the next connection...

.......

10 minutes later, in Bai Zhi's room.

Dressed in a sheer nightgown, Bai Zhi looked at the Windbreeze Flower resting on her shoulder as Bai Ling recounted the recent conversation with Fang Ze right in front of her...

After a moment, she reached out to check Bai Ling's forehead.

Bai Ling, who was in the midst of her enthusiastic narration, looked at her with a puzzled face and then couldn't help asking, "What's wrong, Bai?"

Bai Zhi shook her head, "Nothing... I just thought you weren't running a fever. How could you be so easily brainwashed?"

"He says he defeated the ranger, and so he did?"

"Rangers are at least high-ranking, if not Awakeners in the Fusion stage. How did he defeat him?"

"Is there a corpse? Is there a crime scene? Are there Traces of Awakening Ability use?"

"He claims to have information about the organization, but does he really?"

"He says he can catch the traitor within the Special Case Team, but can he really do it?"

Bai Zhi spoke earnestly, "Bai Ling, you have to understand. A man's mouth lies like a ghost. The more handsome they are, the more they lie. Don't be easily deceived by them."

Hearing Bai Zhi's words, Bai Ling nodded thoughtfully and then said in a cutesy voice, "In that case, given Fang Ze's appearance, he must be a super big liar."

Bai Zhi: ...

Although Bai Ling was agreeing with her, Bai Zhi still felt something was oddly amiss...

Shaking her head to dismiss her silly thoughts, Bai Zhi pondered for a moment and then said, "Well, let's do this. Reconnect with his communication. I want to talk to him as well."

"Let's see what all this hoopla is about and what he really intends to do."

She speculated, "I suspect this might be part of some organization's conspiracy..."

Bai Ling nodded, then lightly tapped the Windbreeze Flower and said, "Request to resume communication."

Shortly, the connection resumed in less than two seconds.

But the image that appeared before the two of them wasn't Fang Ze, but a deadly silent forest of Giant Tree People...

Although the Windbreeze Flower could only simulate the scene, the sight of the Giant Tree People bowing their heads in wilt, falling to the ground, still made both Bai Zhi and Bai Ling stand up in shock.

Meanwhile, in the forest, Fang Ze held a torch in one hand and the Windbreeze Flower in the other.

Below the Windbreeze Flower, there was now a vine-woven pot, with the entire soil intact inside, making it portable...

He walked with it in tow, narrating, "Officer Bai Zhi, Chief Bai Ling, take a look."

"This is where I battled the ranger."

"At that time, he summoned forth forty or fifty towering Giant Tree People! Then, one by one, they shot at me like cannonballs!"

"And me, I faced the danger without fear, shouted out loud: 'Sword, come!'"

At that instant, thousands of swords throughout Qingshan City unsheathed and shot toward the sky, blanketing it.

Then, I slew them all on the spot.

Bai Zhi: ???n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om