Chapter 499

Is the Gemini Division still operating normally?

After hearing the words of the middle-aged small flower man, Leon couldn’t help but pause slightly.

As for the fate of the Gemini Division, he and Nicole had speculated on many scenarios, but none of them included the possibility that the Gemini Division would still be functioning normally. After all, Apheta 01 had directly attacked the Gemini Division and was suspected of controlling the royal family of the Crocodile Kingdom. It was almost like they were openly opposing the Clearing Bureau. So why keep those cleaners around? “Are the people from the Gemini Division being controlled?”

After frowning and pondering for a moment, Leon came up with only one possible explanation and asked tentatively: “Like having some strange things inserted into their brains, or being influenced by an anomalous item that affects their will, or maybe their loved ones and families are residents of the Crocodile Kingdom and have been captured?”

“Unclear.”

The two small flower men shook their heads in unison after hearing this. Then the older of the two spoke:

“Bureau Director Edward once considered capturing someone from the Gemini Division to ask questions, but none of us who came here are skilled at this, nor do we have the ability to erase memories afterward. If we did this, it would definitely alert the other side.”

“Considering that we still don’t know the situation of the royal family, Bureau Director Edward temporarily abandoned this plan and instead decided to first confirm the situation of the royal family and the location of Apheta 01’s true self.”

“So, do you have any results? Have you confirmed the situation of the royal family?”

“Uh… not yet…”

The two small flower men exchanged a glance and said helplessly: “The terrain of the Crocodile Kingdom is too complex, with over eight hundred districts, and they often change. Mona’s abilities consume a lot of energy, and the bureau spent several days investigating only thirty-odd districts.”

“And worse, the Crocodile Kingdom will hold a celebration in a few days. At that time, most of the districts will change positions and be rearranged. Once the thirty-odd districts we’ve already investigated move, it will probably all be wasted effort.”

“…”

So you guys just wasted your time, huh?

Shaking his head in extreme speechlessness, Leon carefully asked about the progress of the Scorpion Bureau Director and then frowned and said:

“Seniors, Bureau Director Edward’s method of investigation is taking too long. Moreover, whether it will succeed in the end mostly depends on luck. If the luck is bad, we might keep getting dragged along indefinitely.”

“Bureau Director Edward has also said something similar.”

The middle-aged small flower man nodded and said helplessly:

“But after considering everything, we found that there really isn’t a better way. Considering that the members of the royal family of the Crocodile Kingdom may already be under Apheta 01’s control, to avoid provoking it and causing harm to the royal family, we can only proceed slowly for now.”

Pfft, if you keep relying on blind luck with your investigations, you’ll probably be investigating until the Watchtower Palace falls into disrepair.

“Seniors, what I’m about to say might be a bit harsh.”

With the somewhat nervous expressions of the two small flower men, Leon frowned and said:

“But continuing like this will absolutely not work. I even suspect that the other side has already discovered you and is using this method to delay time.”

“So I hope you can help me contact Bureau Director Edward. I want to discuss with him whether we can try my method.”

“This… could actually work.”

After exchanging glances, the middle-aged small flower man propped himself up on both sides of the leaf petals, climbed out from the large bulbous stem of a plant that looked like an onion, and then dug a small hole in the flower pot, placing a tiny seed inside.

Next, he covered the soil he had dug up and somehow produced a miniature watering can, lightly watering the place where the seed was buried.

“Puff”

A barely audible sound was heard, and a plant with short soft hairs on its stems quietly pushed through the soil above it. Subsequently, before Leon’s astonished gaze, it wrapped itself twice along the edge of the flower pot and extended its flower buds toward him.

This is… a morning glory?

Watching how the entire process of growth and sprouting was completed in less than two seconds, blooming with dozens of pink, red, and purple trumpet-like flowers, Leon couldn’t help but blink in surprise. Then, following the indication of the middle-aged small flower man, he leaned down and cautiously opened his mouth:

“…”

After about a few seconds of “delay,” the nearest morning glory to Leon suddenly transmitted the somewhat surprised voice of the Scorpion Bureau Director.

“Leon?”

Wow, not only can you shrink and hide inside a flower, but planting a morning glory can act as a speaker—this ability is truly interesting.

Looking curiously at the middle-aged small flower man dressed in a grass suit, Leon responded:

“It’s me.”

“I of course know it’s you.”

The Scorpion Bureau Director on the other end of the morning glory sounded confused: “But aren’t you supposed to have just disembarked from the airship and be arguing with the diplomatic minister right now? Why are you contacting me suddenly?”

“The diplomatic minister has been pacified, and I am… ”

Here, Leon glanced slightly at the two small flower men and continued:

Not a single mistake, content inside the book, look at 69 Book Bar!

“Exchanging with the seniors, feeling that the situation seems a bit off, so I wanted to discuss with you whether we should change the investigation method.”

Want to change the investigation method?

After hearing Leon’s words, the Scorpion Bureau Director on the other end of the morning glory fell silent for a few seconds before speaking:

“Give me a reason.”

“The reason is… we might have already been exposed.”

Recalling some common knowledge about the Crocodile Kingdom that he had heard from the female journalist, Leon frowned slightly and said:

“Just now, the seniors told me that because the districts of the Crocodile Kingdom often change, your investigation progress is abnormally slow. But in reality, the districts of the Crocodile Kingdom, although they indeed change frequently, shouldn’t be changing this frequently.”

“Explain in more detail.”

“In more detail, among the six types of blocks in the Crocodile Kingdom, the personnel flow in living, residential, administrative, and scientific research blocks is relatively stable, so there is usually no need to move them. Therefore, they rarely move.”

“Only production and military blocks, which involve a large amount of raw materials and finished goods entering and exiting, require frequent coordination with airport blocks, hence they often need to change positions.”

Except for production and military blocks, other blocks don’t move frequently? After hearing Leon’s words, the Scorpion Bureau Director on the other end of the morning glory recalled the situation of the districts investigated these days, and his eyebrows instinctively furrowed.

If the districts that usually don’t move much have recently started moving frequently, the reason is naturally only one—to slow down our investigation. So it’s likely that our supposedly covert investigation has already been seen by someone.

“I understand what you mean.”

After judging from the information provided by Leon that they were most likely already exposed, the Scorpion Bureau Director paused for a moment and then decisively said:

“What are you planning to do?”

“I plan to take a ‘minimum guarantee’ first.”

After thinking for a moment, Leon spoke:

“You know, the worst situation the bureau can’t accept is the complete annihilation of the royal family of the Crocodile Kingdom, leading to a reduction in the effectiveness of the Watchtower Palace.”

“And since we currently have the identity of an envoy group, which allows us to officially meet members of the royal family of the Crocodile Kingdom, we might as well avoid the worst outcome. Grab any princes or princesses when the opportunity arises and catch ten or eight of them just in case!”

(End of Chapter)