Chapter 366 - 336: Dragon Seeking Association

Chapter 366: Chapter 336: Dragon Seeking Association

After giving his orders and outlining the next steps, Deputy Director Lou Limin suddenly turned. Looking toward a specific spot, he smiled and said, "Young man, you can come out now."

Li Qian’s heart skipped a beat. He slowly emerged from behind a building and greeted Lou Limin, "Hello, Director Lou."

Though he wore a smile, his heart was pounding. ’If this Director Lou could spot me, then what about that group from earlier?’

’They must have noticed I was here too, right?’

As Li Qian wondered about this, Deputy Director Lou Limin looked at him, his expression full of gratitude. "You acted decisively at a critical moment to thwart the Tufuzi’s plot and resolve this crisis. Your contribution was indispensable."

This wasn’t mere flattery; he truly meant it. If not for Li Qian’s decisive action—attacking the Tufuzi and exposing the location of the Mutated Red Star Stone—this Rock Giant crisis would not have ended so easily. The entire town of Zhenxi could have suffered a devastating blow.

"Hello!" Li Qian walked over, giving a nod to the surrounding Security Officers before speaking. Then, he asked with a hint of worry, "Um, Director Lou, I’m not going to be targeted by those people, am I?"

Lou Limin looked at Li Qian, understanding his concern. He reassured him, "Even though you tried to stay hidden, you couldn’t have evaded their senses entirely. But don’t worry. The most they could have done is detect your presence; there’s no way they could have confirmed your identity."

"Chances are, they’ll assume you’re with the Public Security Bureau."

He continued without missing a beat, "Of course, even if they did identify you, you don’t need to worry. Under normal circumstances, that group of Tufuzi won’t come after you."

Li Qian’s worries eased considerably upon hearing this. He quickly focused on the term Director Lou had used for them. "Tufuzi... is that some kind of evil organization?"

Lou Limin pointed to a nearby stone block. "Strictly speaking, they’re not really an evil organization," he said as he walked over. "They’re just a bunch of low-lifes operating in a gray area, making dirty money."

Li Qian followed Director Lou and sat down on a stone block, his gaze full of curiosity as he looked at the director.

Director Lou smiled and explained, "The organization is called the Dragon Seeking Association. As the name implies... well, to put it bluntly, they’re just a bunch of tomb raiders. That’s why we call them Tufuzi. What they do is certainly illegal, but compared to truly evil organizations like the Black Divine Teachings, the Ancient Divine Teachings, or the Mechanical Desecration Association, the threat they pose is on a completely different level. Even if they’re caught, they’ll usually just get a few years behind bars."

Li Qian nodded.

’If that’s the case, I don’t need to worry about them retaliating. They’re just a bunch of tomb raiders after treasure. Normally, they wouldn’t do anything too extreme.’

After explaining the identity of the group in the convoy, Director Lou’s brow furrowed. He revealed another piece of information. "Their going down into the Underground caverns to steal the Mutated Red Star Stone... it probably wasn’t their own initiative. Chances are, they were hired for the job."

"So, they were working for someone else?" Li Qian asked. Then, he brought something else up. "Actually, I’ve seen that group before. The last time I went to the Black Stone Forest for training with some classmates, I saw them just outside."

"I never would have guessed they were after the Mutated Red Star Stone."

"You’re one of Dakoli’s classmates?" Director Lou asked, putting the pieces together.

Before Li Qian could respond, he continued, "We have you all to thank. If you hadn’t provided that tip, our officers wouldn’t have been dispatched to find those Tufuzi. The whole of Zhenxi Town could have been facing a total catastrophe."

"These Tufuzi from the Dragon Seeking Association usually just stick to petty crimes," Director Lou said with a sigh. "They don’t seem like much of a threat, but every now and then, a special situation comes up and they cause a major incident."

Li Qian nodded in agreement. "They’ve certainly got guts," he added. "To go after that Red Star Stone with so many Rock Giants and even three Rock Sword Masters guarding it."

"You’ve been down in those Underground caverns?" Director Lou asked, a look of surprise on his face.

"It was like this..." Li Qian held nothing back and gave him a brief summary of what had happened.

A look of realization dawned on Lou Limin’s face as he listened to Li Qian’s story. "So that’s what happened."

Then, he looked at Li Qian again and said, "Oh, and one more thing. I need you to keep the matter of the Mutated Red Star Stone confidential."

"The Mutated Red Star Stone is extremely important to the Rock Giants, and it’s incredibly valuable on its own. If word of this gets out, there’s no telling who else might get greedy and come after it."

Director Lou explained the gravity of the situation. "If the Rock Giants are provoked into another rampage, Zhenxi Town will face yet another crisis."

Li Qian nodded. It was a valid point. He gave his promise without hesitation. "Director Lou, don’t worry. My lips are sealed."

He then added with a hint of concern, "But what about the Dragon Seeking Association..."

"Don’t worry, we’ll deal with the Dragon Seeking Association." Director Lou smiled faintly, not seeming too concerned. He said confidently, "Their leaders aren’t fools. They know which jobs to take and which ones to stay away from."

Finally, his gaze settled back on Li Qian. "In any case, thank you for your help this time."

Li Qian smiled back and gave a salute. "Cooperating with our Security Officers to fight criminals is the duty of every Federation citizen..."

Seeing Li Qian stand up to leave, Director Lou asked casually, "By the way, young man, I forgot to ask. What’s your name?"

"Li Qian," he replied.

"Li Qian, Li Qian..." Director Lou repeated the name, then his expression turned to one of astonishment. "So, you’re *that* Li Qian!"

Li Qian was confused by the director’s reaction. "What is it, Director Lou? Do you know me?"

The look of admiration in Director Lou’s eyes deepened. "You have quite a reputation within our security system. I’d only ever heard your name but never had the chance to meet you. Seeing you today, I can see it’s well-deserved. A true hero among the young!"

Li Qian was stunned for a moment, but he quickly put it together. It must have been because he had supplied the Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragon and the Frostfire Salamander to the Jiangnan Province Public Security Bureau.