A heretical cultivator in Bureau 749, I'm the fiercest at pulling out tendons and skinning peop

Ji Zuodao was engrossed in filling out an electronic form, his fingers flying across the tablet.

The lean, well-built man in the suit, whose muscles seemed to be straining against his body, strolled over.

Seeing his smooth and effortless movements, I couldn't help but exclaim "Wow!" in amazement.

"Investigator Ji, you're an expert! You're so familiar with this process... If all my colleagues in other units were like you, our work efficiency would at least double, and I could save so much time and effort from talking."

Ji Zuodao had just finished filling out the last item. With a flick of his wrist, he handed the tablet back. Hearing this, he grinned, revealing his signature little tiger tooth:

"You still need to be familiar with the work process."

The man in the suit took the tablet, casually swiped across the screen to check it, and asked in a seemingly casual manner:

"By the way, was Investigator Ji here on official business, or just passing through?"

"Neither."

Ji Zuodao stretched, his bones making a slight "crackling" sound, his tone as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

"My company is giving me annual leave, so I'm going back to my hometown to visit."

The man in the suit paused abruptly as he checked the screen.

He slowly raised his head, his eyes widening in disbelief, the professional, enthusiastic smile on his face freezing instantly, as if he had heard something utterly unbelievable:

"Annual... annual leave?"

He suspected there was something wrong with his ears, as his voice suddenly rose an octave:

"Wait! Aren't you an investigator from 749? 749... where did you get annual leave?!"

He's been in this line of work for quite a few years now, and he knows a bit about the situation in other companies all over the country.

For special departments like Bureau 749, being on call 24/7 and working year-round is their basic professional conduct.

annual leave?

What kind of divine benefit is that? I've never even heard of it!

"Why not?"

Ji Zuodao raised an eyebrow, his expression even more surprised than Ji Zuodao's, as if the other party had asked a stupid question like "Why do people need to eat?"

"Our Jinghai 749 team gets a full two weeks off for the Lunar New Year, no cheating on anyone, young or old. The official document for this year was issued a long time ago, from the 29th of the twelfth lunar month to the 15th of the first lunar month, with pay and full bonuses."

The man in the suit was completely dumbfounded.

He opened his mouth, then closed it again, and after a long while, he managed to squeeze out a few words through gritted teeth, each word radiating a deep sense of existential doubt:

"Two...two weeks? Paid? Full bonus?"

He suddenly remembered something and asked urgently:

"No, what if all the investigators from Jinghai 749 go on holiday to celebrate the New Year? What if something goes wrong in Jinghai? Who will handle it?"

"It's nothing."

Ji Zuodao waved his hand, looking relaxed as if to say, "This is no big deal."

"Our bureau chief is benevolent and righteous. He single-handedly handled those two weeks. He used his supernatural powers to hang Venus in the sky, like a giant surveillance searchlight, hovering over Beijing."

"I heard it's the same every year, without fail. Just so that we, the people under you, can go home peacefully with our year-end bonuses of a few hundred thousand, have a good New Year, and show off a bit to our relatives and friends."

Holy crap!!!

The man in the suit couldn't hold back this time and swore, almost dropping the tablet from his hand.

His voice was trembling, whether from shock or excitement, it was hard to tell:

"One...one hundred thousand eight hundred thousand?! A year-end bonus?! Is that after tax?!"

He suddenly pointed to his nose, his expression a mixture of disbelief, grievance, and a barely suppressed, naked jealousy of "other people's workplaces."

"Me! A veteran investigator! I've been doing this for almost ten years! This year's year-end bonus, even after working my butt off and including all the subsidies, is only this much!"

He held up two fingers and shook them vigorously.

"What kind of god-like bureau chief is your Jinghai 749?! Is he raising assassins there?!"

After the initial shock, a huge sense of doubt welled up inside me.

"That's not right!"

He grabbed Ji Zuodao's arm, as if he wanted to get to the bottom of things.

"Where did you Jinghai 749 get so much funding?! Even if you're generating revenue, these expenses are outrageously high! Could it be...?"

He lowered his voice, glanced left and right, and whispered two words:

"...Embezzlement?"

"Eh—"

Ji Zuodao drew out his melody, then reached out with his other hand and gently pried the other person's hand off his arm with two fingers.

"Comrade, you need to be more progressive in your thinking. What era are we living in? Still thinking about embezzling those pittances?"

He leaned closer, lowered his voice, and with a sly glint in his eyes, earnestly offered his advice:

"Embezzlement? That's just a small amount of money. It's high-risk, low-return, and the cost-effectiveness is terrible."

"What's a truly quick and legal way to make money?"

Ji Zuodao's lips curled into a meaningful smile:

"As the old saying goes, murder and arson bring wealth, and confiscating property has always been the most profitable thing."

"In our Jinghai area, there are many stubborn, reckless, and daredevil types who love to court death and deliberately walk into the line of fire."

"Cult remnants want to take root, wild monsters want to carve out territory, and foreign forces want to plant their flags. They are springing up like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, one after another, with a very tenacious vitality."

"You may not know our bureau chief. He has a kind face, a soft heart, and can't stand illegal and criminal activities, especially those petty people who endanger social stability and disrupt people's peace."

Ji Zuodao sighed, as if lamenting the heavy workload on behalf of his bureau chief:

"So if anyone is foolish enough to come forward, and the evidence is conclusive and the facts are clear, then there's nothing we can do but act according to the law—"

"Arrest those who should be arrested, sentence those who should be sentenced, and execute those who should be executed. All their property should be confiscated, turned over to the national treasury, and then returned to our bureau in proportion as case-handling expenses and bonus incentives."

"Tell me, is this process compliant with regulations? Is it legal? Do I feel secure receiving this bonus?"

The man in the suit was stunned, his mouth slightly agape, unable to close it for a long time.

This is fucking...

It seems there's really nothing wrong with it?

Revenue generation is conducted legally and with confidence; the source of funds is clear and transparent; and bonuses are distributed with a clear conscience.

"so……"

The man in the suit swallowed hard, and his eyes began to dart around.

"Does your Jinghai 749... well... still need people?"

He paused, seemingly feeling it wasn't sincere enough, and quickly added, speaking rapidly:

"Me! A seasoned investigator! Highly skilled! Familiar with all procedures! Capable of handling tasks, filling out forms, and writing reports! Really!"

"My year-end bonus doesn't need to be a million or two, eight hundred thousand... no, five hundred thousand will do! I just want to experience what it's like to show off when I go home for the New Year..."

Upon hearing this, Ji Zuodao chuckled, his little tiger teeth flashing a mischievous glint under the light.

He leaned closer, his elbow brushing against the man in the suit's arm, his voice low, as if imparting some unspeakable workplace secrets:

"Brother, if you ask me, you need to broaden your thinking."

"If you're short on cash and feel the budget isn't enough... well, in this big area, what kind of birds can't you find in the deep forest?"

"I simply don't believe that all those local tyrants with guilty consciences are honest, law-abiding citizens with clean finances."

"Find a pretext, pick a lucrative target, figure it out, and then... do it according to the law. Before the property is registered, recorded, and converted into cash, pocket a little bit."

"It goes unnoticed by gods and ghosts alike. It rids the people of a scourge and improves their lives—a win-win situation!"

He patted the other person on the shoulder and concluded:

"Isn't that the truth?"

The man in the suit was taken aback at first, his eyes darting around for a moment, but the next second, he suddenly waved his hand and shook his head like a rattle drum.

"Hey! Hold on! Investigator Ji, you can't just say things like that!"

"Do you think I'm the bureau chief? That I can just investigate whoever I want and line my own pocket as I please?"

"cough."

A soft cough, neither too loud nor too soft, carrying a familiar and authoritative quality, came from behind him without warning, like ice water in the dead of winter.

The man in the suit stopped abruptly.

The person looked as if they had been frozen in place.

He didn't even dare to turn around.

"Little Sun."

"Come to my office."

The man in the suit—Comrade Xiao Sun—visibly shuddered.

He slowly, very slowly, turned around and glanced at the bureau chief who had silently appeared a few steps behind him.

She then glanced quickly and resentfully at Ji Zuodao, who stood beside her with an innocent look on his face, as if he hadn't said anything.

Finally, he resigned himself to his fate, lowering his head and slumping his shoulders.

With heavy steps, as if walking towards the execution ground, he followed behind his leader, who had already turned and headed towards the office.

Ji Zuodao touched his nose, looked up at the ceiling, and whistled off-key.

Yes, the weather is really nice today.