The weapon refiner is not doing her job properly

Chapter 163 Rationality and Neutrality
Assistant Yu's work efficiency is indeed well-deserved.

The new investigation list was updated on her terminal almost in the blink of an eye.

Su Ninglong stared intently at the few lines of information, and almost couldn't help but chuckle.

The list was streamlined to the extreme, leaving only three lonely names.

Two shareholders from the planet Ghostwood, and Rod Lorran.

The Lancel mixed-race individual withdrew from the company three months ago...

Su Ninglong's fingertips lightly traced the names of Youmuxing shareholders and Luo De on the screen.

Now, only three shareholders who have been completely 'abandoned' remain, becoming the obvious targets to attract criticism.

This technique is clean and efficient, like a cicada shedding its shell.

The large-scale withdrawal of the organization's core members not only conceals suspicious individuals within the organization but also reduces economic losses.

Su Ninglong's gaze fell on the name Rod Lorran. She didn't know this person, but according to descriptions from people who did.

Rod is a typical 'sucker'. If it weren't for the wealth and connections accumulated by his ancestors, his family fortune and his 'Qiankun Shrine' patent would probably have been wiped out by the market tide long ago.

Su Ninglong felt she couldn't let her guard down. If she had the chance, she wanted to get to know this person. After all, his elders were remarkable, and the fact that he himself was able to develop the Qiankun Shrine based on his elders' research records was enough to prove that he was quite intelligent.

The fact that Assistant Yu was able to provide this concise, almost naked list so quickly is itself a strong signal.

This means that the Star Alliance has long been focused on this area, and may have more information than expected.

Su Ninglong's mind raced, and a clear realization emerged: the Star Alliance was indeed secretly brewing a large-scale operation.

However, its true intentions remain shrouded in mystery, making them difficult to discern.

But one thing is almost certain: the fact that a character like Yun Fei, who has a clear stance and can be considered an openly "good person," is still active in the Star Alliance is by no means a "bad thing," at least from Su Ninglong's point of view.

They must have a deeper plan in mind.

Su Ninglong raised her hand to turn off the bracelet's screen, leaned back slightly in her chair, closed her eyes, and briefly took a break from the chaotic information to rest.

The hovercar arrived at the police station smoothly.

Soon, Su Ninglong was led into a slightly cold and pale lounge. Beside the sofa where she sat were two teddy bears dressed in police uniforms.

She immediately picked one up and sat quietly on one side of the table, opposite two young policemen in uniform.

One of them clearly wanted to intimidate the young-looking girl and tried to create a sense of pressure.

He slammed a thick stack of paper documents on the table with a loud "thud," the sound particularly jarring in the empty space.

Su Ninglong slowly raised her eyes, her clear pupils completely calm, like a bottomless pool of ice, as she looked directly at the policeman who had slammed his fist on the table.

The cold gaze sent chills down the spine of the other policeman next to him, and his legs trembled slightly uncontrollably.

He had personally witnessed how this "little tyrant" had swiftly and decisively defeated the enemy in front of the Starship Building.

That skill was not something an ordinary child could possess; it was more like a killing machine secretly honed by the Star Alliance.

He quickly kicked his colleague under the table, his eyes filled with a stern warning: "Are you crazy? Don't you want to live?"

Their interrogation was not conducted in accordance with regulations and should not be performed in the manner of treating suspects.

The policeman who slammed his fist on the table was startled by the kick and was about to retaliate when he met his colleague's terrified gaze, and his heart skipped a beat.

The latter lowered his voice, almost squeezing it out between his teeth: "Why are you being so fierce! She...she's just a child!" He didn't dare say the last part out loud, but roared in his heart: What if she can't take the fright and reflexively starts hitting us, and hurts us? In the end, it will all be our fault, since we scared her first.

The policeman who had slammed his fist on the table immediately lost most of his momentum, and a hint of embarrassment flashed across his face.

Another policeman took a deep breath, trying to put on the calmest expression possible. He leaned forward slightly and asked in the gentlest tone possible, "Little friend, don't be nervous. Can you tell us what happened today? Start from the beginning."

Su Ninglong had no need to hide anything.

She recounted her day's itinerary and experiences in a clear and organized manner.

The journey to retrieve the items from the bank vault, the manager's unusual nervousness, the malicious attack by trucks after leaving the bank, and the fierce battle in front of the Starship Building.

The entire incident was clearly outlined and highly targeted. Even the two relatively inexperienced Star Police officers, after listening to the story, did not need to ask any further questions and already understood that the other party was targeting Su Ninglong and her group.

"You just mentioned there were four of you in your group?" the police officer asked to confirm. "Where is the other person? Where is she?"

"Back to school," Su Ninglong replied matter-of-factly, her tone frank.

If the Star Police simply went to the Starship Building to retrieve the real-name passenger records for the shuttle, they could immediately verify that, apart from the navigator dog, all passengers must be registered with their real names.

Fifteen minutes was the minimum timeframe she estimated Lei Qingya would need to safely transfer the wooden box.

While the bank manager's unusual behavior was a major point of suspicion, Su Ninglong did not overlook another crucial factor: the bank's specially designed safe deposit box itself.

The heavy safe likely had a strong shielding function, preventing outsiders from detecting the items inside (especially the mysterious wooden box and its contents).

Once the wooden box leaves the safe's protection and is exposed during transport, those lurking in the shadows, watching with predatory intent, might be able to use technological means to re-locate its whereabouts.

Of course, this is currently just her speculation based on limited information, and the truth still needs further verification.

Lei Qingya was able to return to school so quickly thanks in part to Principal Yan's help; he had Aoli pick up Lei Qingya from the Xinghang Building.

The police officer, who was trying to appear more gentle, spoke again, attempting to guide the process: "Little friend, a very gentle lady will be coming here in a moment. Just answer her questions honestly, like you did before, okay?"

"A psychologist?" Su Ninglong blurted out almost immediately.
The two young police officers instantly felt as if an electric current had passed through their scalps, causing them to go numb simultaneously.

They exchanged a shocked look: Are all the children raised by the Star Alliance this monstrous? We had only just begun, and with just a single hint, she had already seen through our intentions with unerring accuracy.

"how do you know?"

Su Ninglong did not answer the question directly, but instead raised another point of observation: "From just now until now, you have not asked me why I took the initiative to attack the three people who were lying in ambush in the surrounding buildings."

As for the one who jumped off the building, that doesn't count. That was the result of her attacking with her soul power; the other person died silently, and on the surface, it could only be attributed to suicide.

"You're so smart, can you guess why?"

"Are they all wanted criminals on record?"

Star Police: "..." You guessed right, it really is a little monster.

At this point, Su Ninglong perked up immediately, unable to hide her smile: "Is there a reward for helping to catch a wanted criminal?" The two young police officers, who had been full of confidence and thought that dealing with a child would be a piece of cake, were now filled with helplessness and confusion. They looked at each other, their eyes filled with the same silent question mark.

Help! We really didn't know about the bonus part in this process!
The interrogation lasted for nearly an hour.

Faced with the Star Police's repeated, even leading, questions, Su Ninglong's answers remained consistent, without any contradictions.

What made things even more difficult for the police officer in charge of recording the statements was that her testimony closely matched the statements of Yun Fei and Shen Zhaoming, leaving no room for error.

From the perspective of information acquisition, it was actually Suninglong who provided more valuable clues.

In contrast, Yun Fei and Shen Zhaoming were more like "accompanying the princess on her trip," with very limited understanding of the core events. No matter how the Star Police tried to probe indirectly, they couldn't uncover any deeper details.
"At such a young age, she is meticulous and her answers are flawless." This was the core evaluation given by the professional counselor who was responsible for assessing Su Ninglong's psychological state after the interview.

Throughout the entire process, Su Ninglong remained tight-lipped about what exactly she took from the bank safe deposit box.

She only vaguely stated that the items did not belong to her, but to someone who had been missing for nearly a year, and that she was merely entrusted to retrieve them.

The critical information was kept under strict protection.

"She's very wary of you?" asked Old Wang, the leader of the Star Police Team in charge of the liaison, with a puzzled look.

"No, it's not a matter of defensiveness." The therapist slowly shook his head.

“You know the nature of my special ability. Her situation… is very special, more like she has a natural ‘immune’ barrier against hypnosis itself.”

Then she couldn't help but sigh softly, "The Star Alliance... it's truly a 'perverted concentration camp.' What kind of monsters are they producing..."

Her mind involuntarily drifted back to the cases of inner court students she had encountered in the Gemini Main Star Police Department. Each of them possessed abilities or traits that defied common sense, and their calm and efficiency in carrying out missions was chilling.

"Killing without blinking an eye" may be too simplistic, but "ruthless and decisive towards the enemy" is definitely an apt description.

Old Wang was more concerned with practical issues: "In your opinion, does she have any psychological problems? For example, post-traumatic stress disorder? Or aggressive personality tendencies?"

"At least in this assessment, no obvious abnormalities or pathological tendencies have been found so far."

The therapist answered affirmatively and then explained in detail, “I specifically designed a situational test, assuming two opposing camps, and told a story with a clear bias, intending to guide the audience to take sides.”

“Normally, even neutral people would unconsciously show sympathy or bias towards one side after listening. But she didn’t.”

"Her analysis and response are exactly the same as the vast majority of Star Alliance Inner Academy students I have encountered. Extremely rational, making judgments entirely based on interests and logical chains, with an exceptionally neutral stance, almost unaffected by emotional biases. It's as if... their training is to strip away emotions and only make the 'correct' or 'optimal' choices."

"I'm sorry, this psychological evaluation didn't reveal anything of value," the therapist reported with a hint of helplessness to the two people waiting for the results.

"It's alright, thank you for your hard work." It was Lao Wang and Xue Wanshan who spoke.

As people who had relatively more contact with Su Ninglong, they witnessed firsthand how this little girl became a beloved "little princess" in the bar with her sweet smile, and also watched as her image became increasingly complicated and elusive after leaving Zou Shuyi, as if veiled by layer upon layer of thin gauze.

When they themselves cannot easily uncover these mysteries, seeking professional psychological evaluation becomes a natural choice.

After the routine questioning by several relevant personnel (including Yun Fei) was completed, Lao Wang strolled out from the corner of the corridor.

With a relaxing smile on his face, he walked up to Su Ninglong and tapped his fingers lightly on his personal terminal a few times.

"Here, this is your reward for assisting in the capture of those wanted criminals, calculated at the highest tier." A confirmation screen lit up on Su Ninglong's bracelet.

"Thank you, Uncle Wang! Thank you, Brother Wan!" Su Ninglong's attention was instantly drawn to the string of numbers. A bright smile bloomed on her little face, and her eyes sparkled as she counted the zeros following the reward. "Wanted criminals are really valuable!"

With a hint of smugness, she turned to Yun Fei beside her and boasted, "It seems that even if I don't become a 'hunter' (referring to entering the contaminated zone) in the future, I can still switch careers and become a bounty hunter. That's much more lucrative than risking my life in the contaminated zone."

Yun Fei was amused by her greedy yet naive appearance, but couldn't help but pour cold water on her enthusiasm: "Silly girl, it's easy to make money if a wanted criminal walks right into your line of fire. But do you know where real bounty hunters spend most of their money?"

He held up one finger. "Intelligence, building and maintaining an efficient and reliable intelligence network—that's the real bottomless pit. Do you have your own intelligence sources?"

"Hmph!" Su Ninglong pouted and retorted without any politeness, "You're only saying all this because you didn't get the bonus and you're jealous of me."

At this moment, Xue Wanshan, who had been silently observing, suddenly squatted down, making his line of sight level with Su Ninglong's.

His expression was exceptionally solemn, one could say it was earnest: "Ninglong."

He called softly, his gaze gentle and earnest, "I know you're a good kid at heart. Look how well you take care of Qirui, that proves it."

A hint of worry flickered in his eyes. "Can you promise me that no matter what happens in the future, you will always keep this precious love in your heart, okay?"

Upon hearing this, Su Ninglong gave a distant smile: "Brother Xue, my future path is destined to be that of a hunter. This profession does not require, nor allows, me to be a person with overly rich emotions."

She touched her chin, seemingly organizing her thoughts for a more precise expression: "The persona of being compassionate doesn't suit me, nor is it conducive to my survival."

Hunters need to have a solid set of values ​​that align with basic human ethics as an anchor to prevent them from getting lost.

However, excessive sentimentality—excessive sympathy, burning anger, and profound sorrow—can often become a fatal weakness in a polluted environment where spiritual pollution is ubiquitous.

The richer one's emotions, the faster and deeper they may be eroded, and the more easily judgments may be flawed.

Because Xingyuan understood this principle so well, he never deliberately instilled in her things like friendship, kindness, or compassion that required a huge emotional cost during the long years of teaching her.

What Su Ninglong needs to hone is composure, decisiveness, and the rationality to make the best choice in extreme circumstances.

Xue Wanshan was suddenly reminded that he had overlooked the most fundamental point.

Star Cops and Hunters, though both shoulder the responsibility of protection, face vastly different battlefields, bear different risks, and have different mental requirements for their professions.

His disappointment was beyond words.

He wished that this exceptionally intelligent young girl could be like any other girl her age, laughing heartily without restraint when happy, and crying freely when wronged or sad, fully experiencing the emotional turmoil of youth.

However, the destiny of her profession, like a heavy shackle, had already demarcated a completely different path for her.

After leaving the somewhat oppressive police station, Su Ninglong and her two companions did not return immediately. Instead, they began to carefully search the dark corners, abandoned pipe gaps, and back alleys filled with clutter near the Starship Building, as planned.

Their targets are extremely weak Mystics, whose energy levels are even weaker than the lowest-ranking "Starless" Mystics.

These tiny things are like dust in the real world, appearing frequently but difficult to detect. They themselves do not have the ability to cause substantial pollution, but the weak energy they release as they wander can, like pebbles thrown into water, quietly disrupt the stability of the surrounding magnetic field and bring about subtle anomalies.

The three of them patiently "cleaned" for a long time, properly containing the little spirits.

Throughout the mission, Su Ninglong remained highly vigilant, her mental energy spreading out like an invisible spiderweb, sensing the movements around her. Unfortunately, even as the mission neared its end, the anticipated pursuer did not appear. The streets were deserted with ordinary pedestrians and vehicles; everything was eerily calm.

"It seems the other side has temporarily given up." After confirming several times, Su Ninglong could only announce with a hint of helplessness, "Let's call it a day."

(End of this chapter)