Qin Siyang nodded and shared his own speculation, "I can think of two possibilities."
"The first thought is that this Doom Fate Octopus was being kept in captivity. We all know that as gods grow stronger, the score on their round armor plates increases as well. It's possible that its twenty consecutive victories in gambling battles were carefully orchestrated by its keeper. To make the Doom Fate Octopus stronger, increase the value of its round armor plates, and then harvest them for profit."
Li Tianming shook his head, "That's impossible. Just go straight to the second thought."
"Why? You think it's impossible for someone to keep a god in captivity?"
"No, what you said might be a real phenomenon, but it wouldn't be a Doom Fate Octopus. If keeping gods in captivity really existed, the cost would be enormous. This thing is only worth a little over a thousand points. Raising it wouldn't even cover a fraction of the cost. Who would do something so pointless?"
"For research purposes?"
"Even more impossible. I'm a researcher myself. We don't have that kind of funding. If we can afford to keep a few Iron Helmet Fleas, you should already be impressed by us."
"Fine. My second thought is that there's something wrong with this Doom Fate Octopus."
Hearing this, Li Tianming silently took a drag on his cigarette, his brow furrowing deeply as his eyes narrowed in thought. After a long while, he spoke, "This possibility is highly likely. Maybe the round armor plate you submitted was different from those of other Doom Fate Octopuses, which led to someone reporting you."
"You mean…"
"The person who reported you has also successfully hunted Doom Fate Octopuses."
Li Tianming looked at Qin Siyang, "If that person has hunted Doom Fate Octopuses before, their sequence rank must be quite high. Doesn't that align with what Qian Wenzhao told you. That the informant has a high status?"
"Brother Li, that makes sense…"
DING! DING! DING!
At this moment, Qin Siyang's phone rang again.
He glanced at the number—it was an unfamiliar one.
Who would be calling him this late at night?
"Hello, who is this?"
["It's me, Olov."]
Qin Siyang immediately hung up.
'This old bastard, calling at this hour can only mean trouble.'
DING, DING, DING—
The phone rang again.
"Hey, stop calling, I'm busy."
["I know, you've been reported by someone from District 7. You must be in a tough spot right now."]
Qin Siyang was taken aback, "You get information fast."
["I'm calling to tell you that if you can't handle this matter, I can help you."]
"You? Help me?"
["Yes, I can help you deal with some trouble. Like I said, I've always been very friendly toward you."]
"And what's the price for your help?"
["For now, there's no cost. But in the future, if I need your help with something, I hope you won't refuse."]
"I don't do deals without knowing the price. Goodbye," Qin Siyang hung up.
Just as he ended that call, Li Tianming's phone started ringing.
Li Tianming stubbed out his cigarette, staring at the caller ID with a grim expression.
"Who is it?"
["The State Education Department's office."]
"Hello, speaking. Yes, I'm Li Tianming. Mm, Qin Siyang is here with me. We're both at [Ju'an School], currently discussing ways to improve his moral character… What? The car is already parked outside the school? Oh, alright, understood. We'll head over immediately."
"Goodbye."
Li Tianming hung up and snorted, "They said your phone line was busy, so they called me instead. No need to guess anymore—we're about to get our answer. The state government's car is already outside the school gate. The officials want us to get in right away and report to the state government."
Qin Siyang rubbed his face and got up, "I barely ever see a state government document, and I thought they ran on inaction. But look at this. Hunting a god in the afternoon and getting summoned for a trial at night. That's some lightning-fast efficiency."
"Officials from the United Government always act like this. They tailor their responses based on who they're dealing with. That's the most basic skill."
The two grumbled a bit before leaving the school together.
Outside the school gate, a silver-gray sedan was parked. Its sleek exterior was eye-catching, and its two massive headlights illuminated the surrounding walls within a dozen meters.
Qin Siyang clicked his tongue, "That doesn't look cheap."
"Is it better than what the people backing you use?"
A man stepped out of the front passenger seat, motioning for them to sit in the back.
Once they got in, the driver hit the accelerator, heading straight toward the state government of Duanzhou.
"Brother Li, where is our 14th State's government office located?"
"In District 14000."
"We're in District 14121, so how long will it take?"
"At least ten hours. But this car is fast. Maybe we'll make it in seven or eight."
"So that means they spent seven or eight hours getting here? Doesn't that mean they set off not long after I submitted the round armor plate?"
"Yeah. See how much attention you're getting?"
"Funny. You're getting taken to the state government with me. Proud of that?"
Qin Siyang wanted to chat with the official in the front passenger seat, but the man remained silent.
So, the two leaned back and dozed off.
Who knows how much time passed.
"Wake up, we've arrived."
The two opened their eyes, yawning.
"Qin Siyang, you drooled on my clothes."
"Huh? Let me wipe it off."
Stepping out of the sedan, they saw a three-story pointed-roof building.
At the entrance was a curved canopy supported by eight marble columns, with Western-style floral carvings adorning the top.
"This state government building looks quite different from the city government building."
"Our state governor was originally from Europe before the apocalypse. Naturally, he chose a Western-style place as his office."
After being led inside, Qin Siyang noticed that everything from the railings to the ceiling followed a Western aesthetic, which felt rather exotic.
But instead of being taken directly to an interrogation room, they were placed in a cramped waiting room.
"Brother Li, what does this mean? Aren't they supposed to be questioning us?"
"They're probably waiting for some big shots to arrive before they start the trial."
They waited for a long time, but no one came, so they just went back to sleep.
"Wake up, time for the hearing."
"Oh, alright."
They were led to the most central double-wooden-door room on the third floor.
As they stepped inside, an official closed the doors behind them.
Qin Siyang glanced at the long conference table. It was packed with people. Three individuals sat in the very center, while the side rows were also full.
At the far end of the table sat Chen Zhongming, the mayor of District 141. In front of him was a laptop, which he was tapping away on, seemingly recording everything.
Chen Zhongming glanced at Qin Siyang with a worried expression.
Qin Siyang whispered to Li Tianming, "Even Mayor Chen is sitting at the lowest seat. Looks like there are quite a few big shots here tonight."
"You seem pretty relaxed."
"I've got nothing to hide."
As they spoke, a man sitting next to Chen Zhongming suddenly stood up.
"You two—no whispering!"
"Present at today's hearing are a vice professor from Nanrong University, a leader from the Sequence Ability Management Department, and our 14th State Governor, Jonathan. I expect you to take this trial seriously."
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