"You probably don’t know..." Meng Wankui and Zhang Ming exchanged glances, and the younger man tactfully handed over a document.
Li Ming took it somewhat confusedly, glanced down, and his expression gradually turned serious, "What does he mean by this? When did I ever offend him?"
Luo Chuan frowned and leaned over for a look, his tone turning icy, "He directed someone to move against those around you? The Bian Family..."
"We’re just as puzzled, which is exactly why I came to ask..." Meng Wankui’s words weren’t even finished when he was interrupted by Luo Chuan.
"Ask?" Luo Chuan’s face grew cold, "You mean suspect, right? Suspecting Li Ming, suspecting my teacher?"
"My teacher is still in the Heluo Star System working for our civilization, and yet you’re engaging in such dirty deeds behind his back!"
Meng Wankui hastily explained, "No, you misunderstand, we have no intention of suspicion, it’s just routine questioning."
"Get out!" Luo Chuan was uncompromising, spitting out a single word.
So Brother Luo is this fierce?
Li Ming was surprised, never seeing this side of him in everyday life.
Meng Wankui was somewhat helpless, but it was his assistant by his side who turned red in the face, "Minister Meng didn’t say anything, you..."
"This is none of your business." Meng Wankui silenced Zhang Ming and then stood up, saying, "Since His Excellency Luo Chuan does not welcome us, we will take our leave."
"Uncle Meng, let me walk you out." Li Ming quickly followed, saying helplessly, "Uncle Meng, don’t take it to heart, Brother Luo is just because of me."
Seeing Li Ming’s earnest attitude, Meng Wankui’s expression softened, and he said in a low voice:
"Actually, we never suspected you, you’re one of us, and I won’t hide it from you, the one who killed Bian Li is at least a D-level life form, and most likely a C-level life form."
"But the act is indeed related to you as for Professor Wu..." Meng Wankui did harbor some suspicions about Professor Wu, but he shook his head:
"Frankly, with Bian Li’s targeting of you now, one could say it’s driven by jealousy at most. Professor Wu’s temper these past two years is well known; he wouldn’t resort to such a ruthless killing."
"Indeed." Li Ming sighed, Meng Wankui was somewhat biased towards him, after all, Li Ming carried the status of a city guard.
The two chatted for a bit.
Before leaving, Li Ming also gave Li Ruoning two boxes of Strong Bone Potion, very beneficial for kids, all produced by Morning Light Laboratory, as a token of appreciation.
"You’re different from those other students of Professor Wu." Meng Wankui sighed, offering half a genuine sentiment, "You shouldn’t have joined Professor Wu’s door."
To be fair, such words had been said often, but they also showed Meng Wankui’s fondness for Li Ming.
"Brother." Li Ming returned and saw that Luo Chuan was waiting,
"You’re too kind." Luo Chuan sighed, "Meng Wankui is an old fox; don’t think he just came for a casual visit."
"If I’ve done nothing wrong, what do I have to fear?" Li Ming said, then hesitantly asked, "This matter, it wasn’t done by the teacher, was it?"
"You’re overthinking it. If it were the teacher’s doing, I wouldn’t have been so strong in my response just now." Luo Chuan shook his head, "Besides, the teacher only cares about you, as for the others around you, he doesn’t mind them."
"If the teacher knew the truth, he might take action, but what Bian Li did hasn’t touched you yet."
Li Ming contemplated, while Luo Chuan spoke solemnly, "Be more cautious in the future, avoid getting drawn into others’ schemes if you can."
"Understood." Li Ming replied.
Back in his room, he pulled up his smart terminal’s permissions, and Qi Xing had sent him a lot of messages, all caps and excited.
"Did you hear? That punk Bian Li is dead!"
"He died a damn good death!"
"City guards came asking me this morning, I almost laughed out loud on the spot."
Li Ming dismissed it with a smile, as Qi Xing didn’t mention his previous inquiries, as if they never happened.
Bian Li’s death, indeed, caused quite a stir; the forum at the University of Science and Technology was abuzz with discussions about the incident.
This sort of event was also an embarrassment for the city guards, compounded by the Bian Family’s pressure.
Meng Wankui personally took charge of the investigation, and various departments expedited their cooperation.
Indeed, they uncovered a significant number of stowaways, fugitives, and even spies from the Sela Civilization, which led to the exposure and arrest of many more snakeheads and corrupt officials, totaling hundreds of arrests.
The unrest rippled outward, even prompting a major crackdown on Jingnan Star, as if someone was arrested every day.
At first, Li Ming was somewhat taken aback by the magnitude of the response.
But over time, he began to suspect that someone was using the incident as a pretext for a major purge.
He monitored the situation for several days and observed the incident morphing into a massive investigation into spies from the Sela Civilization.
Combined with the news of the impending arrival of the Sela delegation, the upheaval sparked by Bian Li turned into a warning to the Sela delegation.
Such are the unpredictable affairs of the world.
In early November, with the chill of autumn in the air, the fervor of university reopenings finally subsided, returning to its usual tranquility.
Li Ming, who soared to fame, was hardly mentioned anymore, as citizens of Blue Star were captivated each day by more sensational stories.
Gossip and scandals among celebrities dominated the mainstream.
"How come there were so many expenses last month?"
In the conference room, Luo Chuan was conducting a routine lab meeting, but the financial report from the finance department made him furrow his brows.
"Material expenses increased by eight million? Which department used them?" He looked up, questioning in a cold voice.
"Uh..." The heads of the various departments looked at each other, and Zhang Ruoning said softly from the corner, "Director Luo, it was Li Ming."
"Li Ming?" Luo Chuan was momentarily stunned, then astonished, "He used so much?"
Hiding his reaction, he continued sternly, "If some people are using Li Ming’s name as a cover to line their own pockets, don’t blame me if I turn my back on them."