F-class thief? Sorry, I can steal anything.

Wang Jianguo's office is at the end of the corridor.

Unlike the bustling and noisy public office area outside, this place is unusually quiet.

A thick wooden door separates the inside from the outside, creating two different worlds.

Chen Yifan paused for a moment.

In the expensive security bureau building, a soon-to-retire "veteran police officer" is able to enjoy a private office.

Indeed, they are not simple.

He pushed open the door.

Wang Jianguo was sitting with his legs crossed, a cigarette butt dangling from his mouth, scrolling through short videos on his phone with little interest.

Hearing the door open, he didn't even bother to look up, only slightly twitching his eyelids.

"Hey, isn't this our great hero of Jiangcheng?"

Wang Jianguo slowly moved his legs off the table, stood up, and spoke with a tone full of teasing.

"How come you have time to visit this old man? Shouldn't you be out there receiving the admiration of thousands, instead of being harassed by reporters?"

Chen Yifan did not respond.

He closed the door behind him, completely shutting out the noise outside, and then walked straight to sit down opposite Wang Jianguo.

His face showed just the right amount of fatigue and confusion.

"Uncle Wang."

He spoke, his voice a little hoarse.

"I have something I can't figure out."

Wang Jianguo acted as if he hadn't heard, picked up the chipped enamel mug, poured himself a cup of strong, black tea, and pushed a cup towards Chen Yifan as well.

"What's wrong? Tell me, and Uncle Wang will give you some advice."

His demeanor was like that of a kind and gentle elder neighbor.

Chen Yifan remained silent for a moment, seemingly organizing his thoughts.

"Online... everyone's saying I killed Shadow Fiend."

He looked up, his eyes filled with the stubbornness unique to young people, trying to see the truth.

"But you know, I'm just an F-rank thief. How could I possibly kill a Shadow Demon..."

He stopped there, not saying anything more, and just quietly looked at Wang Jianguo.

Wang Jianguo took a big gulp of tea, scalding it so much he winced, but a look of extreme comfort appeared on his face.

He put down his teacup, and the "bang" was particularly clear in the quiet office.

"Xiao Chen, sometimes, the process isn't important, the result is."

He spoke earnestly, fully embracing the role of "an elder guiding a younger generation."

"Shadow Fiend is dead. That's a conclusion."

"Jiangcheng is safe; that's another outcome."

"As for how he died..."

"Whether he was scared to death by you, or he hit his own head in the car, or maybe it was you... In short, does it make any difference to ordinary people?"

"no."

Chen Yifan followed his words.

"That's right, no."

Wang Jianguo nodded.

"But for us, it's different. We have to give the public an explanation, an explanation that everyone can accept."

He looked at Chen Yifan with a meaningful gaze.

"An S-class wanted criminal escapes from prison under heavy guard and accidentally ends up in the National Security Bureau through spatial traversal."

"But in the end, he died in such a ridiculous way..."

"We cannot provide that explanation."

"But what if there was a brave young man who fought back desperately in dire straits and ultimately created a miracle?"

The words fell.

Chen Yifan instantly understood and relaxed.

It turned out to be the case.

The so-called "deification movement" and the so-called "role models of the times" are just sugar coatings on the outside.

Its core purpose was to cover up an "investigation" that the authorities could not explain—the farcical death of an S-level wanted criminal.

They don't need a hero.

Rather, it is a perfect "step".

Having figured all this out, Chen Yifan's expression was no longer confused.

"Uncle Wang, I understand."

Chen Yifan's tone suddenly changed, and he readily accepted the identity of this "hero," even showing a relieved smile on his face.

"Thank you. If you hadn't pointed that out to me, I would have really been stuck in a rut."

He acted like a genuinely persuaded teenager.

"but……"

His tone shifted again, and a slightly bitter smile appeared on his face.

"This hero's identity seems to have brought me a huge problem."

"Oh?"

Wang Jianguo raised an eyebrow, looking eager to hear more.

A barely perceptible glint flashed deep within his eyes.

This kid's words have a hidden meaning.

"The Hundred Aspects"

Chen Yifan uttered those two words softly.

The moment the name was uttered, all his attention was focused on Wang Jianguo's face, trying to capture even the slightest micro-expression.

However, it did not.

When Wang Jianguo heard the words "Hundred Appearances," there was no shock, no surprise, and not even a trace of emotion on his face.

Chen Yifan's heart sank.

This calmness made him more uneasy than any violent reaction.

Bai Xiang's sins of killing far surpass those of the Shadow Demon.

Shadow Fiend kills for money, but he still has some moral bottom line.

And yet, a hundred forms of killing can occur at will.

Wang Jianguo remained completely unmoved upon hearing the name of such a ruthless and legendary assassin.

This only proves one thing.

He already knew.

After a long while, he saw that Wang Jianguo did not respond.

He continued:

"As far as I know, he and Shadow Fiend had a life-or-death bond. Now, officially, Shadow Fiend is dead at my hands. I have no doubt he will come after me, and might even... come after my family."

Chen Yifan's voice unconsciously took on a genuinely serious tone.

"Uncle Wang, you said before that I could come to you if I needed anything."

He forcefully suppressed his unease, his gaze becoming incredibly sharp, like a sword drawn from its sheath.

"Now, I'm in trouble. And it's a huge deal."

"I can't solve this problem. That's why I've come to you."

"Yes, you should come to me."

Wang Jianguo nodded unexpectedly, admitting it readily.

He said slowly:

"Bai Xiang is indeed a big problem. But don't worry too much, even if the sky falls, there's always someone taller to hold it up."

He maintained his casual demeanor, but his words revealed a sense of complete control and composure.

Chen Yifan finally understood.

Was this something that was planned in advance?

They had even planned to use this incident to bring Bai Xiang to justice.

He took a deep breath and played his last and only trump card.

"I think he's in Jiangcheng!"

next second.

He gently placed a crystal fragment, completely black and radiating an ominous aura, on the table.

despair.

A soft sound.

This item was the very fragment of "Agern's Gaze" that Mu Wanqing had thrown at him.

"Uncle Wang, I've always been lucky."

Chen Yifan leaned forward slightly, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between his teeth.

"I obtained this by accident from the [Rotten Bed]."

"Its attribute description clearly states—"

"Its master is [Hundred Faces]!"

Something obtained from the boss in the Jiangcheng Wild Dungeon...

Fully explain.

Some people found the BOSS even earlier than them.

This time, Wang Jianguo finally reacted.

He slowly stood up from the chair.

He picked up the crystal, weighed it between his fingers, and for the first time, a hint of surprise appeared in his usually sleepy eyes.

"very good."

After a long while, he only said two words softly, then patted Chen Yifan's shoulder with a heavy pat.

"Yifan, you don't need to think too much."

"Remember, from today onwards, you only need to play your 'hero' role well, and leave the rest to us..."

really!

Wang Jianguo's words were practically pointing a finger at him and saying:

You, Chen Yifan, have been used as bait.

Chen Yifan smiled bitterly to himself; the thing he had feared most had come to pass in the most direct way.

He tilted his head back and closed his eyes.

About three seconds passed.

He opened his eyes, his gaze unconsciously sweeping across the ceiling in the northwest corner before landing on Wang Jianguo.

Immediately afterwards, he frowned.

That is……

"That's one thing..."

As she spoke, she tilted her head to the left, gently pinched her earlobe with two fingers and rubbed it a few times, while at the same time, she turned her gaze back to the northwest corner.

There, in the crack of an inconspicuous smoke alarm casing.

A red dot smaller than the tip of a pin.

It is flashing at a constant, tireless frequency.

At that moment, Chen Yifan's pupils suddenly shrank to the size of pinpoints.

His blood seemed to freeze instantly.

Hidden camera?

Wang Jianguo...

Are you being monitored?

In the impregnable Jiangcheng Security Bureau building, in his own private office... was he being monitored?

How outrageous!

How absurd!

A chilling thought, so cold it sent shivers down his spine, exploded in his mind.

He almost stiffly turned his eyes to look at Wang Jianguo.

But they met the other person's unfathomable gaze.

Wang Jianguo raised the hand holding the enamel mug, and made a very subtle downward gesture with his thumb on the cup.

Silence?

Chen Yifan's heart skipped a beat.

This guy knew?!