Guo Nu's head was covered in blood, and he looked at Shen Wuxiang in confusion.

Why did he hit me on the head?

What did I do wrong?

Regardless of whether it was wrong or not...

The boss says I'm wrong, so I must be.

Guo Nu knelt on the ground with a thud, his head hitting the floor heavily.

The shattered glass beneath his head cracked loudly into even smaller pieces.

Though his head was bleeding, he showed no sign of stopping.

"Please forgive me, Lord Military Minister."

"Please forgive me, Lord Military Minister."

"Please forgive me, Lord Military Minister."

------

Such is the sorrow of small people; the rewards for their loyalty, blood, and knees can so easily be taken away with a mere word.

Yet Sheng Kuang, from a wealthy family, had injured so many security bureau officers and even nearly killed himself in public...

Nothing happened to him.

Guo Nu knew Shen Wuxiang's character and was clear that he absolutely must not let him take everything away from him.

He would die.

A true physical death.

Those who were in charge of the security bureau, like Yan Wenli back then, had offended too many people.

Sitting in such a position, many knew during their lifetime that they would not meet a good end.

Shen Que watched this with a sigh, celebrating silently in his heart for having the surname Shen.

Shen Wuxiang placed a foot on Guo Nu's head, preventing him from bowing and making him unable to move.

"Do you know why, despite your repeated failures, I'm still willing to spare your life?"

"Because I am the dog of the Lord Military Minister."

"No, I have plenty of dogs, you're not needed." Shen Wuxiang's face was somber, his expression sharp, looking down at Guo Nu's bulky frame: "If it weren't for you taking a bullet for me back then, I'd have cut off your head to feed the dogs long ago."

"Thank you, Lord Military Minister, for your mercy. Thank you, Lord Military Minister, for your mercy."

Only then did Shen Wuxiang remove his foot from Guo Nu's head and said, "Get up."

"Thank you, Lord Military Minister."

Guo Nu kowtowed once more before getting up from the ground.

Shen Wuxiang looked at Guo Nu and asked, "Last time you went to search the bar, was it because of Shen Lewen's murder?"

"Yes."

"This time in Miss Sheng's boudoir, you encountered again, because of Shen Leyou's death..."

"The Lord Military Minister is wise."

"Do you know what it means to encounter a stranger twice in a vast Phoenix City in just one month?"

"Do you mean... both of these cases are connected to that rock singer?" Guo Nu looked up at Shen Wuxiang.

Didn't we just investigate him? He's just a properly improper rock singer...

Otherwise, why would I have taken this beating?

"At least he should be considered a prime suspect."

"I'll arrest him now, and once he's through our security bureau's doors, he'll even have to explain how many times he wet the bed as a child."

"Don't act rashly." Shen Wuxiang waved his hand and said, "If you had arrested him earlier and made things irreversible... the Sheng Family wouldn't have much to say then."

"You just barged into their daughter's house, and without any identity issues... turning around to arrest him again would be rubbing the Sheng Family's face in dirt."

"Sheng Jing, that old stubborn, loves his daughter too much. If the girl kicks up a fuss, Sheng Jing might come crashing down wanting to fight me."

"At critical moments, it's not wise to make enemies, especially not with powerful families like the Sheng Family."

"The Sheng Family holds the Empire's purse strings. If they fall, the financial system collapses... would that not be a case of sacrificing the big for the small?"

"The Lord Military Minister has great foresight, it is I, your subordinate, who is dull-minded." Guo Nu quickly provided emotional reassurance.

"Your security bureau should continue investigating as planned," Shen Wuxiang instructed.

"Yes."

Shen Wuxiang's gaze fell on Shen Que's face, "With Leyou gone, the matters he used to handle will be passed on to you... Do you have the confidence to do them well?"

Shen Que's heart pounded, knowing this was his chance.

Shen Leyou had been known as the 'Shadow Emperor' of the Shen Family, specializing in handling matters the Shen Family could not or did not want to publicly address.

Because of this, he had even been able to stand toe-to-toe with Shen Xinglan.

Now, the Lord Military Minister was about to pass this great power into his hands...

What did that mean?

Testing?

Or a sign of support?

Shen Que held his head high and stood tall: "I am willing to go through fire and water for the family, without regret."

To them, those from wealthy families, family was more significant than the nation.

Their status, identity, and lavish lifestyle were all provided by a powerful family.

If the family was destroyed, they would lose a beautiful future,

and their lives.

"Good." Shen Wuxiang nodded, "Seek that boy's whereabouts in secret and capture him at any cost."

"Yes, Lord Military Minister. Shen Que will not disappoint your expectations."

Guo Nu was deeply envious inside.

He knew the kind of power Shen Que had received and the opportunity he had gained.

Just because he also had the surname Shen, the moment Shen Leyou was killed, his assistant was immediately promoted.

Although the Shen Family had yet to truly ascend the throne, the Shen Dynasty was already taking shape,

The Shen were the masters, and everyone outside the Shen Family were vassals and servants.

It had always been this way throughout history.

Shen Wuxiang glanced at Guo Nu and said, "Go get bandaged up. All that blood affects the appetite."

"Yes, Lord Military Minister." Guo Nu bowed, comically yet sincerely.

Inside, he felt a weight off his shoulders, as the Lord Military Minister was willing to scold him, showing he still considered him one of his own.

Most importantly, the seat under him remained secure.

"You can get busy too, and report any updates at any time."

"Yes." Shen Que saluted and turned to leave.

------

Fengming Palace.

Dongguo Chenxi woke up.

Zhong Tianque sat by the bedside, looking at Dongguo Chenxi's pale face, sighed softly, and said, "You've suffered."

Dongguo Chenxi did not respond, only stared blankly at the snow-white ceiling above.

Perhaps death would be better than the current situation?

"I know you don't want to talk, but it can't continue like this. Things need to be resolved, don't they?"

"Shen Leyou is dead, but life must go on... I have already issued a gag order, so this won't leak out, and no one in Fengming Palace dares to discuss it."

"After all, we have a marriage contract. You've called me husband for so many years, and I've called you wife for several... there are still feelings there."

"From now on, let's pretend nothing happened and live our lives steadily, alright?"

Zhong Tianque reached out to hold Dongguo Chenxi's hand, but she shook his hand off as if jolted.

Zhong Tianque seemed terrifying to her, giving her the creeps.

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