76: Chapter 76 Danzo's Interstellar Prison

Inside the conference room, hearing Danzo's proposal, Chen Mu agreed very readily, "This is a good suggestion. What do you all think?"

The Mayor of New York City spoke up cautiously, "I wonder where Chief of Staff Danzo intends to build this prison?"

Danzo raised his cane and pointed the tip at the massive map of New York City on the conference room wall.

The tip of the cane landed on a deserted island not far across the East River from Manhattan. It was a small, undeveloped reef near Roosevelt Island, year-round occupied by seagulls and various illegally dumped construction waste.

"It will be built here, planned by me personally and constructed using our Guga Planet's architectural technology."

The three of them clearly felt something was wrong. A prison personally designed by Danzo and built with alien technology, right next to New York, and still under his management.

This wasn't a prison; it was clearly an independent kingdom he was planting on Blue Star.

But no one dared to be the first to object. The three of them kept their words to themselves and nodded silently.

"Alright, that's all for today." Chen Mu clapped his hands and stood up. "As for the specific preparations for the Interstellar Police Department, I'll leave that to His Honor the Mayor. Commissioner George, please stay behind; I have something to discuss with you."

The Mayor of New York City felt as if he had been granted a great amnesty. He nodded repeatedly, gathered his documents, and hurried out.

The President immediately made an excuse about returning to the White House to check the stock market and followed the Mayor out in a flash.

The footsteps of the Mayor and the President quickly faded down the hallway, moving as fast as if they were stepping on a red-hot iron plate.

Before the door had even fully closed, the two had already disappeared around the corner of the corridor, leaving Commissioner George alone in the conference room.

He stood in front of his chair, his legs shaking at a frequency visible to the naked eye.

Chen Mu turned around and looked at him in confusion. "Commissioner George, do I look that scary?"

George stood up abruptly, but his calves failed him the moment he rose, and he slumped back down into his seat.

He used the armrests to haul himself up and began a frantic output: "Lord Ball Chief! The majesty radiating from you is truly unbearable for a mere mortal like me! You are like the sun god Apollo descending to the mortal realm; your radiance makes it impossible for me to open my eyes, your..."

"Enough, enough." Chen Mu felt goosebumps all over from the man's blatant flattery.

This Commissioner George was a big, burly man who looked like he could punch someone from Manhattan all the way to Brooklyn, yet he was a natural at flattery, delivering it effortlessly without even needing a script.

"I kept you here because I wanted to talk to you about Thompson."

George suddenly plopped back onto the floor. This burly former Marine, an old cop who had once stood duty for fourteen consecutive hours in a blizzard without blinking, was now shaking like a leaf as if his spine had been removed.

"Lord Ball Chief! I have absolutely no connection with Thompson at all! I usually saw that he had some anti-social tendencies and publicly criticized him many times! I even wrote in his personnel evaluation as early as last year that he refused to follow management!"

"I'm a whistleblower! I can call Internal Affairs right now and pull his entire file! Lord Ball Chief, please see the truth!"

Sweat mingled with tears on his face, and his gray beard trembled pathetically.

"Alright, alright!" Chen Mu felt his scalp tingle as he listened to the man's rapid-fire oaths and curses.

He had heard enough ridiculous accusations from witnesses in the hearing videos today.

Chen Mu waved his hand. "I also watched the video of Thompson's trial. My point is, the Interstellar Police Department is about to be established, and we need people."

"Thompson has been a cop for twenty-two years and is highly experienced. It would be a waste not to use such talent. If he's willing, have him report to the Interstellar Police Department in a week."

"Also, tell him that I don't need any compensation from him."

Commissioner George's legs suddenly stopped being weak. He bounced up straight as if he had been electrified, the tear stains on his face instantly crinkling into countless folds.

"Lord Ball Chief, you are truly too kind and magnanimous! Your heart is wider than the entire Milky Way! You are so generous to Thompson; his ancestors must have saved the universe!"

He thumped his chest hard. "Leave this to me! Rest assured, Lord Ball Chief! I know him best."

Before he could finish, Chen Mu had already walked out of the conference room. He rubbed his temples; the flattery from these people was giving him a headache. They were all masters of changing faces; in the future, it would be better to let Maya relay his messages.

Tomorrow was the last day of the month. He wondered what the mall would refresh for him next month.

——————

In the New York Police Department office area, Thompson was packing his personal belongings, many of which were medals and certificates he had earned over the years.

He held the cardboard box against his chest, with his police badge placed on top.

All sound in the office area fell into a dead silence the moment he took his first step.

Some typed on their keyboards with extra force, some stared at their computer screens pretending to read a non-existent report, and others stood up with coffee only to sit back down halfway.

Everyone was silent. They all knew what the case was about; those absurd charges of "crimes against humanity" were essentially just an extension of Ball Chief Chen Mu's power.

Like an ancient emperor, a single displeased look could ruin an ordinary family.

The office door was suddenly pushed open from the outside. Commissioner George stood at the door, his forehead covered in sweat.

Seeing Thompson holding the box and preparing to leave, he strode across the office area, grabbed Thompson by the shoulder, and pushed him into a corner.

"Stop right there, damn it! Has your brain been scrambled by those rotten eggs? The Ball Chief personally asked for you to report to the Interstellar Police Department. Do you know how much face that is? The Ball Chief even waived your compensation. Do you know how great a favor that is?"

"That's a million dollars. You couldn't earn that much in a lifetime even if you didn't eat or drink."

George's spittle sprayed onto Thompson's collar as he glared at him, waiting for an answer.

Thompson didn't answer. He simply placed the box on a nearby table, pulled a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his shirt pocket, and lit one. Smoke rose slowly between the two men.

He flicked the ash onto the edge of the box and looked calmly at Commissioner George. "Commissioner, why do you think Chen Mu wants to build this police department?"

George was taken aback by the question. "To maintain public order, of course."

"Whose order?" Thompson interrupted him. George was momentarily speechless.

He put the cigarette back in his mouth and took a deep drag. "Commissioner, you and I both know in our hearts that this so-called Interstellar Police Department is nothing more than a sheepdog specially designed by aliens to herd the lambs known as humanity."

He stubbed out the cigarette on the edge of the box and looked up at George. His eyes, clouded by twenty-two years of interrogation room fluorescent lights, suddenly became exceptionally clear.

"I cannot wear that uniform, Commissioner, because that uniform is not a policeman's uniform. It's the bell of a sheepdog in a pen. I cannot help aliens persecute our own compatriots."

George shook with rage. "You stubborn bastard! Get the hell out of here!"

He spat out the curse, then turned and strode toward the door, slamming it shut behind him.

Everyone in the office area pretended not to hear. The sound of typing resumed, more intense than before.

Thompson threw away his cigarette butt, picked up his box, and walked out of the precinct's main doors. It had started raining at some point outside.

Raindrops splashed against the steps, and people on the street covered their heads with their hands as they rushed toward the subway station.

He stood on the steps of the police station, watching the running people, and then turned the box upside down.

Everything inside spilled out: his uniform, medals, certificates, personnel files, shooting qualifications...

The evidence of his twenty-two-year police career was instantly soaked by the rain, turning into a soggy mess.

He knelt down to find his police badge among the ruined papers and gripped it tightly in his fist.

Then he rose and walked away, leaving it all behind on the steps.

He walked west along the street, aimless in the downpour, when the phone in his pocket suddenly rang.

He answered instinctively, and Maya's voice came through the receiver: "Look to your right."