Naming Technique of the Night

Chapter 613: Talent War Chapter 613: Talent War “‘Isn’t a membership fee of one million a bit too expensive?ʼ” asked an intelligence personnel from the Chen Clan in Intelligence Department One. “‘You know that the Federation has been reducing the funding for Intelligence Department One. It’s a bit tight to fork out one million.ʼ”

Even Li Yunqu, an Inspector from Intelligence Department Two, spoke up to question, “‘What you’re doing seems a bit unethical. Aren’t you afraid of inciting public outrage? Is it really worth it for this one million?ʼ”

Qing Hua sneered inwardly, so you guys know what it’s like to plead poverty?

Apart from the analysis group, which Intelligence Department One isn’t surviving on funding from behind-the-scenes consortia rather than federal allocations?

To the consortia doling out funds, a million is but a drop in the ocean; no one takes this matter seriously.

It’s not that these people find the million too pricey, but they feel humiliated having to pay the seventh group, that’s all.

At this moment, it wasn’t just the Chen Clan intelligence personnel at the third-floor stairwell; other intelligence groups had arrived too.

Seeing that they couldn’t negotiate with Qing Hua, they started to play the sentiment card, “‘We in Intelligence Department One are all family. Why must we exchange money to share intelligence?ʼ”

Qing Hua rolled her eyes and headed straight back to the third-floor main office, leaving behind a comment before she left, “‘Intelligence Group Seven welcomes everyone to apply for membership at any time.ʼ”

The other intelligence groups felt angry and hurried back to their respective floors to hold an emergency meeting.

Inside Intelligence Group Six.

Inspector Chen Sai sat at the end of the conference table, his face stern as he said, “‘The Qing’s Family is going too far; this new Inspector’s actions clearly show she wants to be the boss of the entire Intelligence Department One. The position of the Director of the Federation Central Intelligence Bureau is up for rotation in two months, perhaps that’s what she’s aiming for. Let’s hear your thoughts.ʼ”

Trainee Inspector Chen Zhen thought for a moment before saying, “‘For now, all we know is that Qing’s Family has arrested too many people, making us eager to find out who’s in their hands. But I think it’s not good for us to remain passive. Why don’t we report to our superiors and arrest some officials from the Qing’s faction? This way we’ll have leverage, giving us the opportunity to negotiate with them on equal grounds.ʼ”

Chen Sai considered for a moment, “‘That’s the only thing we can do now. Let’s put all other work on hold and pay special attention to officials from the Qing’s faction. However, once we’ve gathered the evidence, it would be best not to expose ourselves and offend the Qing’s Family. We should hand the evidence and items over to other intelligence groups, and instigate them to make a move. Whether the officials from the Qing’s faction are in our hands or not isn’t what’s important; what matters is getting Group Seven to bow down and comply.ʼ”

“‘That sounds difficult,ʼ” a member of the intelligence personnel whispered, “‘I doubt the other intelligence groups would be willing to charge into battle.ʼ”

Chen Sai shook his head, “‘It would definitely have been difficult in the past, but now that the Qing’s Family has torn apart the alliance between Jindai and Deer Island, despite the two families having secretly become sworn enemies, what they loathe even more is undoubtedly the Qing’s Family. At this time, if someone hands them the dagger, whether they choose to swing the dagger or not is no longer up to them to decide.ʼ”

Every intelligence group has a consortium behind it, and whatever they want to do is decided by the boss.

By now, the intelligence personnel from both Jindai and Deer Island have probably received instructions from their bosses, ready to initiate a plan against the Qing’s Family.

The Chen Clan has always been developing slowly in the southern part of the Federation, not offending anyone, so their strategy this time is still about handing the dagger to others while hiding behind the scenes.

Although their ability to solve cases is not as good as Group Seven’s today, if the other four join forces, can’t they overturn the seventh group?

The officials from various factions in City 10 might still be unaware that this place has become the main battleground for the struggle between various consortia’s intelligence systems.

The war in front has paused briefly, but the fight in the rear is fierce and relentless.

And those who are usually in the limelight have now become chips on the negotiating table for both sides.

…

…

At this very moment, Qing Zhun sat across from Qing Chen at his desk and asked, “‘Boss, our Intelligence Group Seven is already the target of public anger. How can you still be so calm?ʼ”

Qing Chen glanced at Qing Zhun, “‘There’s no use in panicking.ʼ”

“‘So what do we do now?ʼ” Qing Zhun asked.

Qing Chen thought for a moment before responding, “‘Right now, they have but two options: one is to pay the membership fee, and the other is to find evidence and then arrest officials from the Qing’s faction to use as bargaining chips in negotiations with us. We also have essentially two options: one is to continue finding more evidence to nail their people, and the other is to protect our own people.ʼ”

Qing Zhun hesitated before saying, “‘These days, there are no truly clean officials in the Federation. If they are given a death order to find evidence, they will surely find it.ʼ”

Qing Chen looked at Qing Zhun, “‘No matter, we have done our humanly best; the rest is up to fate. By the way, I have found some things here. Go to the PCE Security Management Committee and bring Yan Feng back. The amount of unexplained funds in his nephew’s account is simply asking for trouble. Then make a trip to the Food and Drug Administration and bring Fang Xia back. They dare to secretly sell federal strategic reserve drugs, as if they have a death wish. Next, pay a visit to the ICE Tax Management Committee…ʼ”

Qing Chen reeled off over a dozen names in one breath, leaving Qing Zhun increasingly astonished.

“‘Boss, how did you know Fang Xia was a problem?ʼ” Qing Zhun inquired.

Qing Chen gave him a look, “‘The number of drugs entering and leaving the warehouse daily doesn’t match the inventory numbers.ʼ”

The Federation doesn’t have any strong external enemies, and although the wilderness people are active, they don’t have the capability to truly threaten the Federation—they are mostly hiding in the Taboo Land or the Southwest Snow Mountain, avoiding extermination.

Therefore, the main duty of the PCE Federal Central Intelligence Bureau is actually to surveil the officials.

They even have the authority to access the internal systems of various other departments. In Qing Chen’s view, he thinks that the PCE Federal Central Intelligence Bureau is like a rehashed version of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Although they are the consortia’s enforcers, at least in terms of responsibilities, they do resemble the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Qing Zhun looked at Qing Chen, “‘Boss, the incoming and outgoing warehouse amounts and inventory figures are vast pieces of data. You…ʼ”

Qing Chen pondered for two seconds before asking, “How much is put into storage, how much is taken out, and how much is left? Isn’t this just a simple arithmetic problem?”

Qing Zhun was stunned for a moment, not knowing why, but when Qing Chen put it that way, he suddenly felt that the data didn’t seem so vast anymore.

After thinking for a long while, he suddenly said, “But boss, these are all our Qing’s Family’s faction members. Why should we arrest them?”

Qing Chen glanced at Qing Zhun, “Since the Chen Clan, Li Family, Jindai, and Deer Island want to target us, if I arrest all the easy targets, who else can they go after?”

“Ah?” Qing Zhun laughed and cried at the same time. Was this the true meaning of ruthlessly capturing one’s own people?

However, it seemed like a viable strategy. It was better to deal with these officials, who had clear evidence against them and could be easily blackmailed, by arresting them ourselves rather than leaving them in others’ hands.

The talent reserves of various consortia are stronger than imagined. Taking away a dozen or so officials hardly matters when there are hundreds more waiting to fill their shoes.

Furthermore, it wasn’t just officials from the Qing’s Family faction who were being arrested. Haven’t you seen Qing Hua’s group already making moves? Group Seven has cast a wide net, not planning to spare any faction.

At that point, Qing Chen said to Qing Zhun, “We must act fast and snatch them back before the other groups get to them. Reveal our Qing’s Family identity clearly and tell the suspects not to resist, but to come willingly to Intelligence Department One.”

Qing Zhun thought for a moment, “But these are just small fries. Even if we nab them all, there are surely others who have fallen into the hands of other groups.”

“That’s okay,” Qing Chen said calmly, “Do your best and leave the rest to fate.”

At one point, Qing Zhun wondered whether, after Qing Chen’s sweep, the structures in City No.10 would become clearer than a mountain stream…

It seemed that this might actually be a good deed for the residents of City No.10.

Before leaving Qing Chen’s office, Qing Zhun suddenly turned back and asked, “Boss, are you trying to take this opportunity to purge the harmful officials of City No.10? At a time like this, when the intelligence systems are at each other’s throats, no one has the authority to question who you arrest.”

Qing Chen smiled, “Purge? I don’t have such grand ambitions. I’ll arrest as many as I can.”

“Understood,” replied Qing Zhun.

Half an hour later, Qing Zhun took half of the detective brothers and set out. Starting today, he and Qing Hua had clear divisions of labor; while Qing Hua arrested people from other families, he concentrated on their own.

Hitting from both sides.

…

…

The other intelligence units also sprung into action, with Jindai’s third intelligence group targeting the senior inspector Yan Feng from the PCE Security Management Committee, armed with irrefutable evidence, as instructed by Qing Chen.

However, when Jindai Changming led his team to the PCE Security Management Committee, they were informed that Yan Feng had already been taken away by Group Seven.

Jindai Changming erupted in the PCE office building, “When was he taken? How could they let him be taken away so easily?”

The detectives from PCE didn’t dare provoke him, knowing that agents from Intelligence Department One, regardless of which group they belonged to, were like Living Hades and not to be trifled with.

But the detectives from PCE couldn’t understand what had gotten into Intelligence Department One; why had they suddenly started a fierce competition for arrests?!

It wasn’t just Jindai who faced this situation.

On Deer Island, on their way to the Food and Drug Administration, they happened to encounter Qing Zhun’s convoy returning to Intelligence Department One.

Deer Island’s Li Zhongxian watched helplessly as Qing Zhun had his men slow down the car, roll down the window, and then made Fang Xia, who had just been captured, greet the men from Intelligence Team Four.

Fang Xia, sitting in the car nearly in tears, couldn’t disobey Qing Zhun’s order, much as he wished to.

The demands from Qing Zhun in the car were quite detailed: “Smile, make sure to show eight teeth, otherwise it doesn’t look good, it’s not friendly.”

Intelligence Team Four’s Li Zhongxian watched Qing Zhun’s convoy pass by with a steel-grey expression, “No need to go to the Food and Drug Administration anymore. Change course to the ICE Tax Management Committee!”

Then, at that moment, an agent in the car cautiously said, “Boss, my informant just told me that Chen Yuan, whom we were about to arrest, was also taken away by Group Seven.”

Li Zhongxian sat frozen in his seat, thinking, is this what they mean by walking on someone else’s path, leaving them no path to take?

Preemptive arrest sounds simple but is difficult to execute, as Qing Chen’s Group Seven always needed to be one or even three steps ahead of the competition.

Jindai and Deer Island had managed to separately identify three suspects with difficulty, only to find that Qing Chen’s team had already dragged them away. This meant that Group Seven’s case-solving abilities were equal to both of theirs combined, didn’t it?

Li Zhongxian said, “Return to Intelligence Department One. I refuse to believe I can’t capture a single official from Qing’s Family faction. I don’t believe he can arrest all those with issues!”

…

There will be another chapter before 11 PM.