Livestream Conflict-solver: The Whole Internet Begs Me for Justice!

122: Special Advisor, National Security Special Operations DepartmentDawn had broken.

Inside the Jianghai City Public Security Bureau, it was even noisier than deep in the night.

Telephone rings, footsteps, and reports rose and fell in succession. The police officers who had been up all night had bloodshot eyes, yet they could not hide their excitement.

Smoke filled the Director’s office.

Li Aimin pulled off his tie, collapsing unceremoniously onto the chair. The ashtray in front of him was already piled high with cigarette butts.

He gulped down a mouthful of completely cold instant coffee, grimacing at the bitterness.

The door was pushed open, and Zhang Ze swayed in, holding a steaming cup of soy milk and two fried dough sticks.

”Director Li, the press conference went well. I watched the live stream; your official rhetoric was flawless.”

Zhang Ze placed the breakfast on his desk, pulled up a chair, and sat down without prompting.

Li Aimin raised his bloodshot eyes and glared at him.

”You have the nerve to talk?”

”My head is hotter right now than the trending topics list!”

”Do you know how many calls I just took? From the city, from the province, and several departments that appeared out of nowhere—all asking me who that ’enthusiastic citizen’ actually is!”

The angrier Li Aimin got, the harder he slapped the table.

”What am I supposed to say? Am I supposed to tell them he’s the Monkey King who dropped from the sky?”

Zhang Ze took a bite of the fried dough stick and mumbled, ”Close enough, except my last name is Zhang.”

”You!” Li Aimin pointed at him, his hand trembling. ”Do you know how much trouble you’ve caused? Ten million followers! ’Brother Pingshi’! You’re hotter now than an A-list celebrity! How are we going to use that face of yours in the future?”

Zhang Ze shrugged, looking completely unconcerned.

”Use a beauty filter.”

Li Aimin nearly choked, clutching his chest and leaning back in his chair, feeling his blood pressure shoot up instantly.

”I don’t care! Yan Jing has already issued a death order: your popularity must be brought down! Starting today, keep those two crappy accounts of yours quiet!”

Zhang Ze chuckled, ”No problem, I’ll listen to the leadership.”

His ready agreement, however, made Li Aimin even more uneasy.

Zhang Ze continued.

”Director Li, you need to broaden your perspective.”

”This is called new-era propaganda.”

”Think about it, how much effort did you spend on anti-fraud campaigns before? And what was the effect?”

”Now, with one live stream from me, the entire nation knows not to trust a beautiful snake.”

”The educational significance is so profound.”

Li Aimin was choked by this set of twisted logic, unable to speak for a long time.

He realized that arguing rationally with Zhang Ze was the second most painful thing in the world.

The most painful thing was realizing that his twisted logic actually made a damn bit of sense.

”Fine, fine, I won’t argue with you anymore.”

Li Aimin waved his hand and pulled out something wrapped in red cloth from under his desk.

”This is jointly presented to you by the Municipal Bureau and the Provincial Department.”

He unveiled the red cloth, revealing a shimmering golden banner.

Two lines of bold, flowing calligraphy were embroidered on it.

”Wisdom and Courage Capture the Chief Culprit, Enthusiastic Citizen is a Fine Example.”

The signature read: Jointly Presented by the Jianghai City Public Security Bureau and the Jiangnan Provincial Public Security Department.

Zhang Ze leaned over to look.

”Tsk.”

He reached out a finger and flicked the corner of the banner.

”That’s it?”

”It’s cloth?”

”I thought it would have to be made of pure gold, or at the very least, gold-plated.”

”Director Li, you guys are a little stingy.”

Li Aimin’s blood pressure sounded a dangerous alarm once again.

”Take it or leave it! If you don’t want it, I’ll use it as a rag!”

”Want it, want it, of course, I want it.”

Zhang Ze snatched the banner, holding it up in front of himself.

”Not bad. Hanging this on the background wall of my live stream room will definitely look impressive.”

Li Aimin rubbed his forehead, feeling like he was about to have a heart attack.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.

”Let’s talk business.”

His expression became serious.

”Call Chen Hu and An Yang in.”

Zhang Ze shouted toward the doorway.

Soon, Chen Hu and An Yang pushed the door open and walked in.

The two men stood rigidly straight, like two javelins.

”Director Li.”

Li Aimin looked at them and nodded.

”Sit down.”

After they sat down, Li Aimin took out two sealed Manila envelopes from his drawer.

He pushed one of them toward Chen Hu.

”Chen Hu, you were once the best soldier in ’Blood Wolf’.”

”Due to serious disciplinary violations, you were forcibly discharged, given a major demerit on your record, and deemed permanently unemployable.”

Chen Hu’s body trembled slightly, and his eyes dimmed.

That was the eternal pain in his heart.

Li Aimin continued: ”However, after re-examination and discussion by higher authorities, it was determined that your ’violation’ back then was understandable under the circumstances.”

”Your disciplinary action has been revoked.”

Chen Hu suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Li Aimin opened the file bag and took out several brand-new documents.

”These are your new identification and files.”

”You are no longer the man dismissed from the unit.”

”Your file is now top-level S-class confidential.”

”Starting today, your identity is—Special Consultant for the National Security Special Action Department.”

Li Aimin then looked at An Yang.

”An Yang, you retired because your term of service ended, so your record is clean.”

”But the status of an ordinary discharged soldier will restrict your future actions.”

He pushed the other file bag toward him.

”The higher authorities have decided to recall you and incorporate you into a special sequence.”

”Your new identity is also Special Consultant for the National Security Special Action Department.”

An Yang’s eyes instantly reddened.

He had dreamed of returning to the military.

”Director Li...”

His voice choked up.

Li Aimin’s expression was more serious than ever before.

”Listen carefully.”

”Your new identities are not under my jurisdiction, not under the Jianghai Municipal Bureau, and not even under the Provincial Department.”

”Your files are directly sealed in Yan Jing.”

”You only have one direct leader.”

Li Aimin’s hand pointed toward Zhang Ze, who was sitting next to him with his legs crossed, currently examining the banner for loose threads.

”Him.”

”Your mission is to unconditionally cooperate with all his actions.”

”Understood?”

Chen Hu stood up, clicked his heels together, and gave Li Aimin an impeccably standard military salute.

”Understood!”

His eyes were also red.

This wasn’t acting; this was the raw excitement of a soldier recovering the honor he had been stripped of.

An Yang also stood up, saluted, and shouted with heartbreaking intensity.

”Understood!”

Then, both men simultaneously turned to Zhang Ze.

”Big Brother!”

Chen Hu’s voice trembled slightly.

”Thank you.”

A thousand words converged into these two words.

An Yang was even more excited, his face flushed red.

”Big Brother! If you tell me to go east, I absolutely won’t go west! If you tell me to beat a dog, I absolutely won’t chase a chicken!”

Zhang Ze stood up and patted both of them on the shoulder.

”Alright, cut out the emotional stuff.”

”We’re all brothers.”

He paused, then grinned.

”However, since you are officially on the payroll now, remember to ask your Big Brother here for your salary and the five insurances and one housing fund.”

Chen Hu: ”...”

An Yang: ”...”

Li Aimin: ”...”

The moving atmosphere that had just risen in the office was instantly and thoroughly destroyed.

Li Aimin waved his hand weakly.

”Go, go, go, all of you get out.”

”You give me a headache just looking at you.”