Lu Qiaochun pouted, looking somewhat displeased.
She may not want to look, but she cannot help but look.
Just like the old man can say this behind their backs, but cannot say this in front of them, making everyone uncomfortable.
Immediately, she opened her mouth with a bit of temper and retorted.
"Sir, Iâve interacted with many of your departmentâs intelligence personnel. Every time they go on tasks, theyâd chat a bit. Honestly, I admire those who actually go out and gather important intelligence at the cost of their lives."
"But people like you who just stay in the room, responsible for liaising intelligence... canât really be considered very respectable. Moreover... intelligence is classified into hierarchy. The demon intelligence lurking within the city is the lowest and most worthless category in the entire intelligence department."
"Except for our leader, no one in the whole Rebel Army ever asks for such intelligence content from you. Its utilization value is quite low. Why would you think weâd want to take a second look?"
The old manâs beard was puffing up and his eyes glaring; the air suddenly thickened with gunpowder.
Fang Yu was speechless, whatâs up with the Rebel Army infighting?
How have they managed to hide under Foolish Underworldâs nose for so long??
Guess Foolish Underworld isnât quite effective, huh.
"Rarely used doesnât mean low value. Because this intelligence is of extremely high value, it needs to be handled by someone important. Giving it to little girls like you is a waste! Only the Minister can make good use of this intelligence to do good things for the Rebel Army and Thunder Cityâs citizens!"
"What did you say?" Lu Qiaochun glared furiously.
Sheâs pressed! Really pressed! Breaking down!
Fang Yu saw with his own eyes that Lu Qiaochun was about to blow her top.
No wonder everyone enjoys watching fights and arguments, itâs indeed entertaining.
Yet Fang Yu didnât plan to waste time here with his own affairs to attend to. Not to mention, if things escalated, how the other Ministers from the Rebel Army would gaze upon him is uncertain, likely tagging him as incompetent.
"Apologize!"
Fang Yu spoke directly.
"Apologize to the old gentleman!"
Fang Yu planned to resolve the conflict directly, but in reality, his words fueled the conflict even more, igniting it instantly.
Lu Qiaochun became visibly angry, yet when her gaze met Fang Yuâs, she managed to suppress her temper and muttered, "I wonât say anything then!"
After speaking, she strode out of the pawnshop.
Fang Yu initially found Lu Qiaochun more reliable than that obtuse Yu Ji, but now it seems, sheâs just a hothead, unable to keep her cool.
Seems there might be a reason why these two were sent to him...
Putting aside combat abilities, their interpersonal skills, stress resilience, and obedience all fail to meet standards.
"Iâll keep an eye on her." Yu Ji quietly retreated.
Fang Yu sighed.
This Rebel Army team seems harder to manage than a demon one.
Luckily they both left, now only the shopkeeper old man whose chest was heaving with anger remained in the pawnshop with Fang Yu, so Fang Yu decisively unfolded the map.
To his surprise, there were actually over thirty red dots drawn inside the circle on the map, representing more than thirty demons! If the quality was better, it would be a direct leap!
Leap to what! Leap!!!
But after excitement, Fang Yu took a closer look and immediately noticed a pattern.
Most of these red dots on the map are marked with big question marks as suspected demon imposters. Filled with uncertainty, simply under suspicion, not yet confirmed, or difficult to confirm.
Unlike Fang Yu, who can discern authenticity at a glance.
Others attempting to discern the True Demon must kill with a sword.
Some people among these red dots might be obscure while others are high-ranking, serving as the middle or even upper echelons of certain forces, not easily dealt with by killing lightly. If a mistake is made, killing the wrong person instead of the demon, it would spell big trouble.
Of course, Fang Yu doesnât have such worries.
He wants all these red dots!
Whether demons or not, he can tell at a glance!
Yet among these numerous red dots, seven are quite special, key highlights marked by the Rebel Army, almost 100% confirmed as demon imposters, with detailed intelligence, including even how many years the demon has been hiding in the city.
"How did this intelligence come about? Even knowing how long a demon has been an imposter."
Fang Yu curiously asked.
The old shopkeeper, still angry, nevertheless answered Fang Yuâs questions.
After all, it wasnât Fang Yu who angered him, not to mention Fang Yu is a ministerial figure, he wouldnât dare offend.
"Reported back, sir. Obtaining such precise intelligence naturally requires targeted investigation. At the early stage of demon imposture, they reveal considerable flaws, raising doubts or unnatural feelings among those nearby."
"But as time goes by, flaws are mended, surroundings become accustomed to this individualâs change, and memories are beautified or blurred, forgetting these details, eventually becoming accomplices of the demon, thinking an outsider is slandering, believing thereâs no way a close one could be a demon."
He paused, pointing at several marked red spots on the map.
"Take a look at their intel, isnât it having something in common?"
Fang Yu was honest.
Shook his head.
"I donât know."
"...short."
The old shopkeeper stiffly followed up.
"Within these seven individuals, no matter who, they were replaced by demons over the last few years. Thatâs why we could investigate and determine identities, trace back and interview surrounding people, gather detailed intelligence for judgment."
"But as for other suspects, with durations ranging as short as five to six years or as long as ten to twenty years, itâs possible they are already entrenched in peopleâs memories from the beginning."
"Hence... impossible to investigate. Three to five years, we might catch certain clues. Five to six years, it becomes blurry, ten years and more, itâs basically impossible to tell whether theyâre demons, and most of them... not just us, the Ten Major Families might not even possess this intelligence."
Fang Yu understood the old shopkeeperâs meaning.
Demon replacements within short periods were investigated thoroughly through an overwhelming intelligence network, detailing every aspect of a person for deep investigation, therefore uncovering plentiful information. Particularly when there are suspicions that an individual was consumed by a demon and replaced, circulating rumors prompted Rebel Armyâs targeted investigation, maximizing its effectiveness.
Conversely, demons in better concealment or longer duration remain beyond their abilities.
"So, among your Rebel Armyâs suspect list, there should be far more than just these few people."
The shopkeeper nodded.
"Certainly, if we give more ambiguous suspects, the count possibly reaches hundreds or even thousands. Yet simply investigating one person expends substantial manpower and resources, overwhelming our Rebel Armyâs capacities."
Fang Yuâs eyes lit up.
The Rebel Army might see hazily, but he sees clearly!
Fang Yu lacks only intelligence!
Without broader scope, he searches for demons like finding a needle in the ocean.
Given direction or list, he targets individuals with unparalleled efficiency, a far faster rate than seeking randomly on the street.
"Itâs quite the coincidence, sir may not know, I, Diao, have conducted investigations against demons before, possessing some means to discern one. Would sir kindly provide that ambiguous demon list to me?"
"This..."
The old shopkeeper hesitated.
No precedent from above.
If he hands it over and troubles arise, heâd be accused of acting without authorization.
If nothing happens, he wouldnât gain any benefits.
As the old shopkeeper began to shake his head, Fang Yu interjected.
"Sir, please donât rush to decline."
Fang Yu blinked: "One day."
"One day later, Iâll return here to hear your decision. I hope, sir, not to disappoint my expectations by then."
Finishing speaking, Fang Yu turned and departed.