Chapter 824: Report

Xu Huo put away the syringe and walked out of the study, only to find quite a crowd had gathered outside. A large number of flight devices were parked out front, and both Black Epaulets and White Epaulets had arrived in full force. Ran Ying, serving as the leader, was standing in the living room. She turned around at the sound of his footsteps and smiled. "Mr. Xu, we meet again."

Since leaving the ship last time, Xu Huo hadn't had any dealings with Ran Ying after returning to District 011.

Ran Ying had brought him, an outsider, onto that ship, so there was no way she didn't know what was going to happen aboard. The superficial dynamic of "the powerful one" and "the kept man" could no longer be maintained, but clearly she felt neither guilt nor shame. Instead, she simply turned the page and adopted a professional work attitude.

Xu Huo glanced at the two robots behind her—Cheng Bing, and the short-haired man he'd seen once before, Guo Yingguang—as well as the long-haired player responsible for the interrogation. Only after descending the stairs did he say, "Miss Ran is a rare guest. Please, have a seat."

"Mr. Dong, please serve tea to Miss Ran and her colleagues."

"No need. I'm here on official business today." Ran Ying didn't take a seat.

Xu Huo smiled slightly. "Miss Ran is here to arrest me?"

"That's not it..." Ran Ying paused, about to say more, but Xu Huo cut her off first. "Then there's no rush. Sit down and have some tea first. We can talk after."

"What's with the act?" a Black Epaulet behind her sneered. "Only been in District 011 a few days, but you've adapted to the Baron title pretty damn well!"

The Black Epaulets who came with Ran Ying were clearly well-trained, showing no reaction to those words. It was the few White Epaulets who displayed impatient expressions instead.

Ran Ying didn't move, and naturally no one else gave Xu Huo the face to sit down for tea. But Xu Huo obviously wasn't about to give the Enforcement Department that face either, sitting there waiting for Mr. Dong to serve the tea.

Kitchen staff came and went, setting up tea for everyone as he'd instructed. No one drank it—didn't matter. Xu Huo sipped his tea slowly without a shred of pressure under the watch of dozens of eyes.

"What kind of attitude is that!" The Black Epaulet who'd spoken earlier stepped forward, making a move to slam his hand on the table.

"Mind where you are." Xu Huo shot him a glance.

The Black Epaulet's face was twisted with rage, about to speak, when Ran Ying patted his shoulder from behind, signaling him to step back. Then she sat down across from Xu Huo and picked up a cup of tea.

"Mr. Xu, someone has reported that you're sheltering a dangerous player proficient in pharmacology. We'd like you to cooperate with our investigation."

Xu Huo looked at the dozens of people blocking the doorway. "Bringing this many people, Miss Ran must have a government approval document, right?"

For ordinary people, the Enforcement Department could search whenever they wanted. But he now held noble status, and nobles were a special existence in District 011. Any matter involving nobility required the Enforcement Department to go through a special application process—at least on the surface, especially in this core city.

"I wouldn't have come without the approval document." Ran Ying raised her hand, and the female robot behind her displayed the document.

The approval document was genuine, but what it authorized was merely questioning. In other words, the Enforcement Department could only ask Xu Huo questions—they had no right to search Rose Castle or conduct interrogations.

Looking at the approval document, Xu Huo leaned back, folding his hands on his knees. "Supporting government work is every citizen's duty."

"May I ask who the player the Enforcement Department is looking for? Do you have a photo?"

With Ran Ying's permission, the robot Cheng Bing played footage related to Dr. Deng—from his arrival in District 011, to finding work and joining Rong Xin, and finally the clips of him secretly visiting Rose Castle twice.

"The second time he entered Rose Castle, he never came back out." Cheng Bing said. "And the first time, he stayed inside for a considerable amount of time."

Xu Huo withdrew his gaze and turned to Mr. Dong instead. "Do you remember this man?"

Mr. Dong nodded. "He came to see the Master twice, but the Master didn't have time to receive him."

The castle had no surveillance cameras. Even if it did, Mr. Dong, who controlled the castle, would have avoided them. So the Enforcement Department could only trace Dr. Deng's visits to Rose Castle on video—they couldn't confirm who had received him.

"He hasn't been in District 011 long, and he has no connection to you, Mr. Xu. Why would he come to see you multiple times?" Ran Ying said.

"You should ask him that." Xu Huo chuckled. "Or go ask the person who reported him. Since they were keeping an eye on this man, they must know his purpose."

"We've been investigating this man for a while. His reasons for joining Rong Xin were impure—he used his identity as a pharmacology expert to steal an important document. This document is of extraordinary significance to District 011. Since you plan to settle here, Mr. Xu, you're part of District 011 too. Damaging its interests does you no good." Ran Ying stared at him intently.

Xu Huo's expression didn't change in the slightest. "By your account, I've already cooperated."

Hearing this, Ran Ying smiled instead. "Mr. Xu, cooperating with an Enforcement Department investigation isn't as simple as just saying so. We need to use some special items to verify whether what you're saying is true or false."

Xu Huo's expression darkened slightly, and he stopped speaking, letting Mr. Dong take over.

The butler, who used ventriloquism and looked refined and polite, stood to the side and said, "The approval document presented by the Enforcement Department permits discussion with my Master. If the Enforcement Department wishes to conduct an interrogation or use items, they require specific authorization from the government."

"May I remind you all—my Master is a Baron of District 011, involved in multiple charity projects with substantial donations. Lady Lily presented my Master with a medal on behalf of the Noble Charity Foundation, a medal recognized by both the nobility and the government."

"To interrogate a noble of standing and contribution, the Enforcement Department must go through a strict and rigorous application process. If you lack government authorization yet attempt to forcibly detain my Master, the Enforcement Department does not have such authority, and the government would not permit it either."

"District 011 has comprehensive laws. As a coercive apparatus, the Enforcement Department is bound by even stricter regulations. You will all face imprisonment, exile, and other penalties afterward."

"When you all arrived at the castle, I had already notified Lady Lily."

The Black Epaulets were, of course, fully aware of everything he'd said. But Dr. Deng's identity was too sensitive—even offending a duchess was worth it. Otherwise, Ran Ying wouldn't have brought this many people.

"I'll explain myself to the Duchess later." She stood up, looking down at Xu Huo from above. "If you want to return to District 011, I advise you not to resist. The moment you use a train ticket to escape, it means the charge of conspiring with others to steal classified documents will be confirmed."

Two robots equipped with space-restriction devices stepped forward. Xu Huo's fingers twitched slightly, and he was about to rise when a flight device came speeding in, directly charging into the castle courtyard. The Duchess stepped out of the vehicle in elaborate robes and heavy makeup, coldly sweeping her gaze over Ran Ying and the others. "I knew the Black Epaulets had been getting high-profile lately, but I never expected you to be so swollen with arrogance that you don't even put the nobility in your eyes. In time, will you try to replace the nobility and the government too!"