Travel through time, and then establish an anomaly management bureau!

Page 22

"hiss--"

Gasps of astonishment filled the air!

Yuanzhi, Yuanfeng, and the others' expressions changed drastically! Kidnap? Kidnap this powerful figure who could easily separate Tai Sui and whose methods were divine? This was practically suicide!

"Grandpa! No!" Mingyuan Qiu, lying on the chair, was so anxious that his heart clenched, aggravating his wounds and causing his vision to blur, but he forced a hoarse cry, his eyes filled with disbelief and pleading.

He never expected that the person who had just saved him would be betrayed by his own grandfather in an instant!

Faced with this question that was almost explosive and the atmosphere that instantly became extremely tense, Dongyuan Qiu neither argued nor got up.

Instead, he slammed his forehead hard against the cold floor again, making a dull "thud" sound!

"I am deeply ashamed and have no place to hide in remorse for this. Your kindness in saving my grandson's life and giving the Qiu family hope in breaking the curse is something I, Dongyuan Qiu, could never repay even a fraction of, even if I were to be shattered to pieces! To betray one's benefactor is worse than that of a pig or a dog! I will do everything in my power to make amends to you!"

He looked up, and blood was already seeping from his forehead.

"In addition to the extraordinary items from the family treasury that I previously promised, and my remaining life which you may dispose of at your disposal, I have secured an extra 'Level 4 Anomaly' for you from Secretary Randolph Stone as compensation. As long as... as long as you agree to meet and speak with him, regardless of the outcome, he will personally hand over this anomaly to you afterwards! As an apology for my offense!"

“A level four anomaly?” Zhang Su’s eyes flickered slightly, but then returned to their piercing coldness. “Sounds tempting. But…”

He leaned back slightly, his icy gaze sweeping over Dong Yuan: "You don't really think that a mere Level 4 anomaly can make me willingly walk into a meeting place that might be full of traps? By then, let alone the Level 4 anomaly, it's hard to say whether I can even get out of there."

He ruthlessly shattered any illusions he had made.

“No! Your Excellency!” Dongyuan shook his head violently, his tone unusually resolute. “I would never do such an ungrateful and despicable thing to you! What I promised Randolph Stone was merely to ‘let him see you,’ not to force you to go, much less to ‘kidnap’ you!”

He took a deep breath, mustered all his strength, and threw out the most crucial information, his only trump card and his sincerity:

"So, I 'kidnapped' Secretary General Randolph Stone here."

He raised his hand, trembling, and pointed to the closed door to the living room.

"He is waiting outside the door right now."

Dong Yuan's gaze earnestly and openly met Zhang Su's deep, clear eyes.

"Whether you see him or not is entirely up to you. Let me in, or I'll immediately escort you safely out of Twilight Cloud Harbor through the secret passage!"

"I swear to you on the century-old reputation of the Qiu family and on my life, Dongyuan Qiu! You have lifted Mingyuan's curse, making you the benefactor of my entire Qiu family! To repay kindness with enmity and force one's benefactor? Such a beastly thing is something I, Dongyuan Qiu, would rather die than do! If you shake your head, I will risk the last man of the Qiu family to ensure your safe departure!"

After he finished speaking, the entire living room fell into a deathly silence.

All eyes turned in horror to the tightly closed living room door—Randolph Stone, the man whose power was second only to the mayor, was being held outside by Dongyuan Qiu through some unknown means.

At this moment, the final decision on whether or not to meet Qi Ershan rests in the hands of Zhang Su, who sits in the main seat with an unreadable expression.

Zhang Su suddenly let out a long, deep sigh.

The emotions contained in that sigh were too complex—there was helplessness, scrutiny, and even a sense of being fooled.

He understood the cunning and shrewd calculation behind Dongyuan Qiu's seemingly complete handover of the choice to him, and even his vow to protect him.

First, Dongyuan Qiu, who was on a moral high ground, lowered his posture to the extreme, tearfully admitting his mistakes, even kneeling and kowtowing, firmly pinning the crime of "betraying his benefactor" on himself, and using strong words such as "it would be impossible to repay even if I were to be crushed to pieces" and "worse than pigs and dogs" to strengthen his sense of guilt.

This inadvertently attempts to elevate Zhang Su to a moral high ground of "magnanimity" and "forgiveness."

If Zhang Suruo doesn't agree, he'll be clinging to the old man's mistake and appearing petty.

Secondly, Dongyuan Qiu placed the fate of the entire Qiu family, especially his grandson Mingyuan who had just gained a glimmer of hope, before Zhang Su.

He repeatedly emphasized that Zhang Su was his "benefactor," stressed that he would "rather die than" repay kindness with enmity, and even said that he would "spare no effort to protect the last member of the Qiu family."

This may seem like an expression of loyalty, but it is actually a reminder to Zhang Su: You saved one person, can you bear to watch their whole family lose all hope of escaping the curse because you refused to meet them, and they may even suffer official wrath and eternal damnation because of your "non-cooperation"?

This heavy "gratitude" and the "responsibility" that followed, like invisible chains, quietly bound Zhang Su's will.

The illusion of "safety" and the display of "sincerity": taking Randolph Stone directly outside the door instead of sending Zhang Su to some dangerous and unknown location does reduce physical risks and demonstrates Dongyuan Qiu's "sincerity".

However, this also makes the "danger" more tangible—a "superhuman secretary" representing the authorities and whose strength is unknown is right outside the door.

If Zhang Suruo chooses not to meet, he can leave through the secret passage, but this means he must immediately make the decision to "escape Muyun Harbor" and expose the Qiu family to the possible wrath of the authorities.

Dongyuan Qiu's actions clearly laid out the consequences of "escape" for Zhang Su.

This is hardly a real choice. It is clearly a brilliant and tragic act of moral blackmail against Zhang Su by Dongyuan Qiu in despair, using all the wisdom and humanity he has ever possessed!

He put himself in a desperate situation, gambling with the future of his family, and using the "danger" itself as a catalyst, forcing Zhang Su to make a seemingly free but actually guided choice between "leaving would seem heartless and potentially have endless consequences" and "going with the flow, taking control of the situation, and perhaps even gaining benefits."

Zhang Su saw through it all, and his heart was filled with helpless calculation.

He even admired the old fox's courage and cunning—for the sake of his family, he was willing to gamble away his dignity, reputation, and even the debts of gratitude.

What's even more infuriating is that Dongyuan Qiu actually made the right bet!

Zhang Su was indeed not the kind of person who could truly be ruthless enough to abandon the Qiu family, who had just offered assistance and were now in dire straits due to both racial and cursed circumstances, and simply turn away.

Since he saved Mingyuan and promised to let Dongyuan rest in peace, the cause and effect have been formed to some extent.

Seeing that the Qiu family might fall into the abyss because of his refusal, the thought of "going all the way to the end" finally prevailed in his mind.

He had done most of the good work, but gave up at the last minute because he found it too troublesome, causing all his previous efforts to go to waste. This is inconsistent with his behavior and the education he received under the red flag.

Furthermore, Zhang Su was not a reckless man; he was also quickly analyzing the situation.

The information revealed by Dongyuan Qiu, and the way Randolph Stone appeared outside the door, themselves conveyed a key signal.

If the officials of Muyun Port truly viewed him as a threat, given their power and ability to pinpoint my location, why would they bother sending a secretary to negotiate? That doesn't make sense.

More likely, they are assessing his value and danger.

Taking direct action would be too risky and costly; it would be better to make contact and probe first before making a decision. This actually shows that they are not determined to kill him immediately, but rather that there is room for negotiation and an intention to do so.

Finally, and most realistically.

Running away might not be an option; his abilities are still too weak. Although he has someone like Yuan Shu to show off, he is ultimately not a strong person.

Since the other party was able to track down the Qiu family, they must have some mysterious means of locking onto him.

Forcing a breakout would be too risky and involve too many variables.

Rather than fleeing for their lives, they should take this opportunity to make direct contact with representatives of the world's power structure, understand their attitudes and bottom lines, and gather information for subsequent actions.

This presents both risks and opportunities.

Weighing the pros and cons, although Dongyuan Qiu's "kidnapping" was unpleasant, the way out he offered and the "sincerity" he showed, combined with Zhang Su's own soft heart and rational judgment, ultimately tipped the scales in favor of "seeing him".

Zhang Su looked at Dong Yuan Qiu, who was still kneeling on the ground with his forehead pressed against the ground, and said in a voice that revealed neither joy nor anger, "Alright, then let's meet him."

With just one sentence, Dongyuan Qiu's tense body trembled violently, as if he had been granted a pardon.

"Let the Secretary-General in. I'd also like to hear what the Mayor has to say to me."

"Thank you for your magnanimity!" Dongyuan Qiu's voice was filled with immense relief, choked with emotion. When he raised his head, his cloudy eyes were filled with gratitude.

He said no more, knowing that any words would be superfluous at this moment.

Then, his withered hands quickly formed a hand seal in front of him, and his fingertips instantly lit up with red light. With a shout, he pointed his finger at the living room door and emitted a beam of red light.

"Buzz—Crackling!"

The space in front of the door shattered suddenly, like a glass mirror struck by an invisible giant hammer!

Countless spiderweb-like spatial rifts, shimmering with a bluish-black light, instantly spread and expanded, forming a red opening with extremely irregular edges, just wide enough for one person to pass through!

Immediately afterwards, a figure was as if "thrown" out from the other side of the hole by an invisible force, tumbling awkwardly before crashing heavily onto the smooth floor in the center of the living room with a "bang"!

The figure groaned, quickly regained its balance, and lay on its side on the ground.

He was wearing a meticulously tailored, dark gray striped three-piece suit made of an obviously expensive material, with delicate platinum cufflinks peeking out from the cuffs, and his leather shoes were gleaming.

He looked to be in his thirties, handsome, well-maintained, with his blond hair meticulously combed—the typical image of an elite politician who had long resided in the inner circle of power.

This was Randolph Stone, the chief secretary of the Mayor's Office of Duskcloud Harbor.

However, at this moment, the image of this elite politician is somewhat disheveled.

His body was tightly bound by several chains that emitted a dark red light. The chains were deeply embedded in his expensive suit, and the red light flowed, exuding a powerful aura of confinement, which clearly restricted his movement and strength.

Randolph Stone didn't get up immediately. He first turned his head, his gaze passing over the red chains binding him, to look at Dongyuan Qiu, who was still in the hand seal posture and whose face was even more ashen. His expression was both surprised and admiring as he said:

“I really underestimated you, Mr. Dongyuan Qiu. You can use such a powerful ‘imprisonment spell’ at only Sequence 8, and you can even completely lock me down at Sequence 7.”

"Your extraordinary sequence, exclusive to rare people, is indeed powerful and astonishing."

He seemed to be genuinely evaluating this power, rather than simply being sarcastic.

Dongyuan Qiu did not answer, but just looked at him silently, his eyes tired but still firm, silently declaring: for the sake of the family, he dared to do anything.

Randolph Stone did not expect his answer and turned to look at Zhang Su, who was sitting in the main seat and calmly watching him.

The disheveled look on his face vanished instantly, replaced by an impeccable, approachable, and professional politician's smile, as if he weren't the one who had just been thrown in bound in chains.

He nodded slightly, his posture exuding a composed elegance even while lying on the ground, and greeted them in a magnetic yet gentle voice:

"Your Excellency Zhang Su, it is a great honor to meet you. On behalf of the Mayor of Muyun Port, I extend my sincerest greetings to you."

Book 1: Chapter 21: The Definer, The Questioner

Zhang Su's gaze calmly fell on Randolph Stone, who was bound by red energy chains and lying on his side on the ground. He asked, "Hello, Secretary Stone. You said you wanted to see me, and now you have. May I ask what brings you here?"

Even in his disheveled state, Randolph maintained the composure and smile of a politician: "The purpose is simple, Mr. Zhang Su. The mayor has entrusted me to ask you a few questions. That's all."

He slightly adjusted his bound posture, trying to make himself appear less passive. "I wonder if Your Excellency would be willing to answer truthfully?"

Zhang Su's lips curled into a playful smile: "What will happen if I answer truthfully, and what will happen if I don't answer truthfully?"

Randolph's smile remained unchanged: "Answer truthfully, and you will gain the friendship of the Duskcloud Port authorities and the Empire on certain levels. The value of this friendship far exceeds your imagination. Conversely... what you will gain is our clear hostility. This hostility may make your journey within the Calidor Empire extremely difficult."

His tone remained gentle, but the content carried a hint of sharpness.

“Hate? That sounds serious.” Zhang Su chuckled. “But what if I’m lying? How will you tell if I’m telling the truth or not? By your eyes? Or by your intuition?”

Randolph calmly replied, "How to distinguish truth from falsehood is a matter for the higher-ups to worry about. My duty is simply to remember your answer truthfully and then report it word for word. The higher-ups have their own methods to assess the veracity of your words."

He cleverly shifted the blame for the death sentence to "his superiors".

Zhang Su stared at Randolph for a few seconds, weighing the weight of his words, before casually waving his hand: "Alright, go ahead and ask."

Randolph did not ask a question immediately.

His shrewd eyes slowly swept across the living room—his gaze passing over the Qiu family members with their varied expressions, the wary Yuan Hao, the pensive Yuan Zhi, the expressionless Dong Yuan, and the bewildered Ming Yuan.

He frowned slightly, a perfectly measured look of unease on his face, and lowered his voice: "Your Excellency Zhang Su, the matter entrusted to me by the Mayor involves some highly sensitive information. To ensure absolute confidentiality and to avoid causing unnecessary trouble for the Qiu family, could you please ask them to leave temporarily? Or, could we discuss this in a more private location?"

These words made the already tense atmosphere even more so.

Mingyuan Qiu's already pale face, due to blood loss and the shock of the information, became even more flustered. He looked at his father and uncles, who were solemn and silent, then at his grandfather, whose expression was inscrutable, and finally his gaze fell on Zhang Su.

From the hope of lifting the curse to the desperate debate over the survival of his family, to the intervention of high-ranking officials, and now the need for a "clearing out"; the rapid development of events left him dizzy and his mind in chaos, unable to keep up with the pace.

Zhang Su remained silent for about two seconds, then lightly tapped his fingertip on the armrest of the chair. He glanced at Randolph, then at the tense expressions of the Qiu family.

Finally, he nodded: "Okay, as you wish."

Then, he looked at Dongyuan Qiu and commanded, "Dongyuan, unlock the chains on his body."

Upon hearing this, Dong Yuan Qiu immediately replied, "Your Excellency, you must not! He is, after all, a Sequence 7 transcendent! If the chains are broken, he might suddenly attack and threaten your safety. We cannot take that risk!"

Yuan Hao and the others also tensed up instinctively, staring warily at Randolph on the ground.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Su not only showed no signs of nervousness, but instead chuckled twice, relaxed his body, leaned back in his chair, and casually crossed his legs. His posture was relaxed and confident, and his gaze looked at Randolph with an almost condescending expression: "Dong Yuan, you're overthinking it. A mere Sequence 7 poses no threat to me. Just unlock it."

This posture perfectly showcased his immense confidence, as if Sequence 7 truly deserved only "mere" status in his eyes.

In this world, one's identity is self-given. Since Zhang Su has established himself as a mysterious and powerful figure, he must stick to that identity and never show weakness, no matter when or where.

Only in this way can he continue to deter villains!

Randolph Stone's perfect politician's smile faltered slightly upon hearing "a mere Sequence 7," and his eye twitched uncontrollably.

His assessment of Zhang Su's danger level increased several points! He thought, "This man is either extremely arrogant and ignorant, or he possesses terrifying strength far exceeding Sequence 7! He is clearly not the former... I need to be even more careful."

Dongyuan Qiu sensed the confidence of a strong person in Zhang Su's words, and replied, "Yes, I will obey your command!"

His withered hands formed a hand seal once more, and the dark red energy chains wrapped around Randolph began to writhe like living snakes. The red light quickly dimmed and disintegrated, eventually turning into specks of light that flew towards him and were absorbed into his body.

With his restraints gone, Randolph Stone slowly and calmly stood up from the ground.

He showed no sign of being imprisoned or angry. His first action was to meticulously tidy up his expensive dark gray striped suit, smooth out every wrinkle, adjust the position of his tie, and even lightly dust off any dust that might not even be there on his trousers. Every movement was meticulous.

After finishing his preparations, he faced Zhang Su, who was seated upright, and gave a perfectly standard and impeccable gentlemanly bow, bending at the waist just right, expressing respect without losing his own status: "Thank you for your understanding, Your Excellency Zhang Su. It allows me to speak with you in a more dignified manner."

Zhang Su nodded slightly in response to his courtesy, then turned his gaze to the Qiu family members led by Dong Yuan Qiu: "You may all leave. Do not come in without my permission."

"Yes, Your Excellency." Dongyuan Qiu replied without hesitation, bowing immediately.