44: Chapter 44 The Fire Kirin Organization Implemented

At the foot of Phoenix Mountain, the alternating red and blue police lights cast a surreal glow over the evening forest.

Dozens of Special Police anti-riot vehicles formed a circle, and long cordon lines were pulled up.

Manager Zhang had silver handcuffs on his wrists and heavy shackles dragging on his feet. He was held on both sides by two burly Special Police officers, who were dragging him toward the transport vehicle like a dead dog.

At this moment, the arrogant aura he had during his livestream was long gone.

Without the support of the System, the side effects of his body being forcibly overdrawn began to manifest.

He had become so thin he was unrecognizable; his once-fat cheeks were sunken, his skin hung loosely on his bones, and his mouth, where his teeth had been kicked out, continued to drip blood.

"Director Gu... I was wrong... Give me a chance..."

As he passed by Gu Changan, Manager Zhang struggled, trying to kneel.

He was afraid.

It wasn't the fear of going to jail; it was the feeling of powerlessness after being stripped of all his trump cards.

Gu Changan was looking down, adjusting his cuffs, and didn't even lift his head upon hearing this.

"I already gave you a chance."

His voice was cold, as if stating a predetermined fact.

"The moment you said those words, 'a place outside the law,' your chance was already used up."

"Take him away."

Upon hearing the order, the two Special Police officers increased their grip and shoved Manager Zhang directly into the back seat of the prisoner transport vehicle.

The iron door slammed shut, cutting off everything from the outside world.

After dealing with the suspect, Gu Changan turned and walked toward the media area that had been waiting for a long time.

Cameras and microphones were instantly pointed at him.

Flashes lit up in succession, and the sound of shutters was like dense raindrops.

The eyes of all the reporters were not entirely focused on this young and handsome deputy director, but rather, more of them were looking at his feet.

A small beast with a crimson body and imposing horns was crouching there.

The Fire Qilin cub had clearly never seen such a scene before.

It shrank back toward Gu Changan's leg in fear, its two front paws clawing at his straight suit trousers, and the little flame at the tip of its tail jumping nervously.

"Director Gu! I am a reporter from the Jianghai Evening News!"

A bespectacled female reporter squeezed to the very front, her microphone almost poking into Gu Changan's face.

"May I ask if this creature is truly the legendary Divine Beast, the Fire Qilin? How does the official authority plan to handle it? Will it be sent to the national zoo or to a research institution for dissection?"

Upon hearing the word "dissection," the Fire Qilin shuddered, let out a wary low growl from its throat, bared its teeth that hadn't fully grown in yet, and glared at the female reporter with a cute, fierce expression.

Gu Changan bent down and placed his hand on the Fire Qilin's head.

His warm palm seemed to carry some sort of soothing magic; the little guy calmed down instantly and even took advantage of the situation to nudge Gu Changan's palm with its head.

"Regarding this question, the Bureau has already discussed it in a meeting."

Facing the camera, Gu Changan looked solemn, as if announcing a national-level strategic decision.

"Given that this creature possesses extremely high intelligence, a keen sense of smell, and a special talent for thermal sensing, and has shown good obedience during this arrest operation."

He paused, his tone becoming extremely formal.

"With the organization's approval, it has been exceptionally recruited to join the Bureau of Anomalous Affairs."

"Position: Special Tactical Police Dog."

"Codename: Fire Source."

The reporters were stunned.

Police dog?

You call this thing a police dog?

This is an auspicious omen! It's a Divine Beast!

Before anyone could react, Gu Changan looked down at the little guy by his feet.

"Fire Source, attention."

Although the Fire Qilin could not understand the complex meaning of human language, it was extremely sensitive to Gu Changan's emotions. Coupled with the psychological trauma from that terrible collar earlier, it straightened its back almost reflexively, lifted its two front paws off the ground, tucked in its belly, and puffed out its chest.

"Salute."

The Fire Qilin tried hard to raise its right front paw, awkwardly placing it near its brow bone.

"Awoo!"

A crisp cry rang out. Although it was very youthful, the serious expression instantly charmed everyone present.

"Click, click, click!"

The sound of shutters filled the scene, and countless flashes captured this human and beast in a still image.

Gu Changan nodded with satisfaction, took a piece of specially made high-temperature-resistant beef jerky from his pocket, and stuffed it into its mouth.

"Good performance; this is your salary advance."

The Fire Qilin's eyes lit up. It hugged the beef jerky and started chewing, its tail wagging like a propeller.

So much for the dignity of a Divine Beast, so much for the airs of an auspicious omen.

In the face of a steady government job and beef jerky, all of that was not worth mentioning.

...

Three days later.

Jianghai City Intermediate People's Court.

Inside the solemn courtroom, as the gavel fell, a crisp sound shook everyone's spirits.

"Defendant Manager Zhang, guilty of the crime of illegally hunting and killing precious and endangered wild animals, with especially serious circumstances; guilty of the crime of profiting from the dissemination of obscene and violent materials; guilty of the crime of endangering public safety by dangerous means..."

The Chief Judge's voice reading the verdict echoed in the courtroom.

In the defendant's seat, Manager Zhang had changed into prison uniform, and his whole body slumped in the chair as if his soul had been sucked out.

"For multiple crimes, he is sentenced to fifteen years in prison and deprived of political rights for five years."

Hearing "fifteen years," Manager Zhang's body trembled violently.

But it wasn't over yet.

"Additionally, given that the defendant's actions caused serious damage to the ecology of the Phoenix Mountain Secret Realm, and considering the huge amount of illegal profits obtained through illegal livestreaming."

"The court orders the confiscation of all his illegal gains from the livestream, totaling 8.43 million RMB."

"And imposes a fine for ecological restoration and punitive damages..."

The Chief Judge paused for a second, his eyes like torches.

"Two hundred million RMB, exactly."

"Whoa—" There was an uproar in the gallery. Two hundred million!

This was an astronomical figure that an ordinary person could not earn in several lifetimes.

Manager Zhang suddenly looked up, his eyeballs almost popping out.

"Two hundred million?! Just kill me! I don't have money! I don't have that much money!"

He roared hysterically, struggling desperately against his handcuffs and banging against the railing of the defendant's seat.

After fifteen years in prison, he would be a man with one foot in the grave.

Carrying this debt of two hundred million meant that in this life, the next life, and even the life after that, he would never be able to turn things around.

Even if he worked the sewing machine in prison until it smoked, he would never be able to pay off this money.

"Silence!"

The bailiffs quickly stepped forward and pressed the roaring Manager Zhang firmly onto the table.

Gu Changan sat in the first row of the gallery, watching this scene with no expression on his face.

He wanted to fine these people until they were destitute.

In this era of Spiritual Qi recovery, the deterrent power of the law must keep up with the speed of power expansion.

Only by letting those who think they can do whatever they want because they have a System know that the cost of breaking the law is a weight they cannot bear in their lifetime, can order be maintained.

The verdict was broadcast live on the internet, instantly igniting the entire web.

Those "treasure hunters" who were originally eager to move, having bought mountaineering picks and prepared to go into the mountains to try their luck, silently opened Xianyu after seeing the two hundred million fine and put their equipment up for sale.

The livestreaming platforms that were originally flooded with titles like "Wild Survival" and "Secret Realm Exploration" became wholesome and upright overnight.

No one wanted to end up with a debt of two hundred million and fifteen years of working a sewing machine in prison just for a pheasant.

...

Bureau of Anomalous Affairs, lounge.

Chen Beixuan sat on the sofa, holding a freshly delivered newspaper, looking at Manager Zhang's desperate and twisted face on the front page headline.

The collar around his neck, which could explode at any time, was still glowing faintly.

"Two hundred million Spirit Stones... No, two hundred million RMB."

Chen Beixuan put down the newspaper, picked up his teacup and took a sip, his tone somewhat complex.

"Although this Mortal currency is meaningless to me, this method of making someone unable to turn their life around for eternity is indeed more cruel than killing them directly."

"Killing someone is just a nod to the ground; you are attacking the heart."

He looked at Gu Changan, who was feeding the Fire Qilin special dog food. For the first time, there was less contempt and more wariness in his eyes.

"In my world before, if I was unhappy with someone, I would just exterminate their whole family. Although it was satisfying, there were always people coming one after another to seek revenge."

"Your move directly extinguished a person's hope."

Gu Changan brushed the crumbs off his hands and stood up.

The Fire Qilin immediately fawned and rubbed against his trouser leg, then hugged its exclusive food bowl and ran to the corner to feast.

"This is called the civilization of a society ruled by law."

Gu Changan adjusted his tie.

"Violence can only destroy the body; rules can tame ambition."

Chen Beixuan pursed his lips. Although he didn't want to admit it, he really felt that the scene just now was a bit satisfying.

That idiot who dared to sprinkle cumin on a Qilin deserved this outcome; it was truly satisfying.

"Alright, stop sighing."

Gu Changan glanced at the tactical watch on his wrist.

"Since you find it satisfying, then get ready to work."

"What is it again?" Chen Beixuan reflexively protected his collar. "My working hours for today are full! According to the labor law, I have the right to rest!"

This guy learned the law quite quickly; he even knew how to use labor law to squeeze the capitalist.

Gu Changan ignored his protest and pointed to the red alarm light that had suddenly lit up on the wall.

The surveillance monitor automatically switched images.

The screen showed the busiest central business district of Jianghai City.

Various glass-curtain-walled buildings up to four hundred meters high stood in the clouds.

And at the top of that iconic twin tower, a figure wearing a red and yellow tight-fitting suit, waving a golden iron rod in his hand, was jumping up and down.

Because the distance was too far, the face could not be seen, only the extremely exaggerated movements of the figure.

He held the lightning rod with one hand, swinging back and forth like a monkey.

The iron rod in his hand smashed fiercely toward the smooth-as-a-mirror glass curtain wall beneath his feet.

"Crash!"

The tempered glass shattered, and large sheets of glass rain fell from four hundred meters in the air, scaring the pedestrians on the ground into screaming and fleeing.

The alarm sound echoed throughout the entire monitoring room.