By the time he returned to Payin City, it was already 11 p.m. All Hexia wanted to do was get a sound sleep, and he had hardly finished bathing before he passed out on the bed.
Soon, the quiet breathing sounds filled the room.
Unlike the peaceful residential areas during the night, the world at this moment was undergoing a tremendous change.
The glaring floodlights illuminated what used to be a dim and chaotic cave environment. Under the surveillance of the federal soldiers, the people from the Underworld were shackled with Restraining Bracelets and then escorted to a temporary detention center. There, they would be subjected to individual scrutiny and interrogation, and based on the judgment of the examiner, they would be sent to different places for reformation.
Those with lesser offenses and younger in age might be released after a few years, while those with worse attitudes and rebellious personalities might be imprisoned for life. Even so, they were still luckier than those who had died unnoticed in the Underworld.
Though they lost their freedom, compared to the average lifespan of no more than 25 years in the Underworld, their lives would now be extended by a considerable amount.
"Name?" asked the examiner from behind a sturdy transparent metal partition, temporarily reassigned from other districts.
"Blu," the hefty man replied humbly, seated like a small mountain on the chair.
"What did you do for a living in the Underworld?"
"I helped to sell damaged fruits to the people of the Underworld," he said, which wasn't false—he really did manage such transactions for the gang before.
"Oh, and where did these fruits come from?" The examiner wouldn't believe him on his word alone. Their Transcendent Profession included certain lie detection abilities; not just anyone could deceive these experts.
"They came from a supermarket in the lower residential levels. They would dump the spoiled fruits at the garbage station, and we would collect them in advance."
"How did you manage to take things from the garbage station? There should be surveillance and guards there."
"Indeed, there are, but we had an agreement with the guards and gave them a share of the profits, so we weren't obstructed."
Hearing this, the examiner tapped his fingertips on the desk, paused for two seconds, and then continued.
"Specify the location of the garbage station and the name of the person you dealt with."
"I can tell you, but I hope you won't blame him. His life isn't easy either, after all, the wages at the garbage station are very low."
"Cut the unnecessary talk," said the examiner inside, his expression unchanged.
"It's in the R351 area of the Underworld 67th layer, at 12 Pai Lu Street, at the waste processing station. The person I contacted is worker G183, named Klum, 71 years old."
Hearing that the contact was an elderly man, the examiner inside frowned slightly, but said no more. He entered the data into the computer terminal before him and then picked up the communicator beside him.
"...Yes, it's in R351 area. We would need you to make a trip there."
The chubby man on the other side of the glass partition was a bundle of nerves as he had to explain, "We don't get along. He's saying this on purpose because I lent him money before, which he used for gambling, and then Holmes's mother died prematurely because of this incident, so we had a falling out."
"Oh..." The examiner responded noncommittally, glanced at him, and continued with the questioning.
"He said he once lent you a sum of money, which was meant for treating your mother's illness, but you gambled it away."
"Bullshit! Who said that... well, who else but him..." the man's voice was full of irritation.
"Er, I understand now, I do have this friend. And don't call me again, we're not that close, and if he dies out there, don't contact me either." With that, the person on the other end hung up the phone.
As he watched the disconnected call buzzing, the examiner's face betrayed a slight expression of surprise. He looked at Blu and waited silently for a few seconds.
At that moment, the staff who had been investigating the trash station also replied to him with a message.
...
"Yes, that trash station is indeed watched over by an old man who has been doing this job for nearly 40 years. He claims he has sold countless pieces of trash to various people, with names like Blu, Link, Yoda, etc., and he doesn't know specifically which one we're referring to."
"Although what he's doing is illegal, it only amounts to a violation within the scope of his duties, with the worst consequence being a fine. And since he's old, going to jail would probably be like living in comfort, so we don't have much to pressure him with during a strict interrogation."
After ending the call, the examiner hung up the communicator, tapped on the desk again, and paused for a few seconds.
"You're lucky."
"Although I still have my doubts, we're in a crisis right now, with thousands of people queuing outside. We can't afford to waste resources on a small fry like you."
"You've passed. After being detained and reviewed for a month, you will be released on probation, granted temporary freedom. However, if you commit any violation of federal law within five years, you will be caught and returned to prison for harsh punishment."
He ticked off items on the projected form in front of him and then threw the pen down.
"Cherish this hard-earned freedom."
Although the examiner could tell that the chubby man in front of him had lied, he also saw that he wasn't a thoroughly wicked person; there was at least a chance for him to reform.
Upon hearing this, Blu slumped into the chair as if deflated, it took him a long while to remember something.
"Thank you for your kindness and leniency." He bowed deeply, then bobbed several times.
The examiner inside paid him no mind and instead flipped through the file of the next person to be examined. He waved his hand, indicating for Blu to clear the spot and leave.
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