Chapter 2: Midnight Search

Zhu Yuan and Qing Yi, standing at the door, clearly had no intention of leaving so easily. Left with no other option, Zhong Yan reluctantly invited them inside. After making sure no other Security Officers were nearby, he finally closed the door.

Once inside, the two seasoned officers immediately began scanning the layout of the apartment.

The space wasn't large—one bedroom, one living room, one bathroom, one kitchen. Not even a balcony. Altogether, it barely spanned a few dozen square meters. Combined with Zhong Yan's lifestyle habits, the entire place looked quite messy.

The only spot that could be considered tidy was likely his workstation—the desk holding his computer, and the nearby bookshelf filled with books... although that was mostly for show.

"Whoa, working this late? As expected of the rising star in the literary scene. Still grinding away even at this hour," Qing Yi commented with a teasing tone, a faint smirk curving at the corner of her lips as her gaze landed on the author dashboard displayed on the screen.

Clearly, both officers were fully aware of Zhong Yan's publicly known identity.

However, Zhong Yan couldn't help but feel curious—was their midnight visit really just because of his writer persona?

That was obviously unlikely. Which meant he had to prepare for the possibility that his identity as 'Uchiha' had been exposed.

"Readers have been getting restless lately, too many requests for updates. If I don't hustle, they might actually think I collapsed or something," Zhong Yan replied with a chuckle, not revealing any hint of panic.

Qing Yi replied just as leisurely, "I've read your novel. It's well written—especially the Hollow expedition parts. Feels so real."

Halfway through, she paused and glanced toward Zhu Yuan before continuing, "So real it makes you wonder—did the author really venture into a Hollow himself?"

As her words settled, Zhu Yuan took a document out of her pocket and laid it in front of Zhong Yan.

"Apologies, Mr. Zhong Yan. Due to the extreme realism in your work—surpassing even seasoned Hollow Investigators—we've received authorization to conduct an official investigation," she stated calmly.

"By order of the upper authorities, I, Officer Zhu Yuan, along with Senior Officer Qing Yi, will now investigate whether your true identity is indeed that of a Hollow Raider. If this causes any inconvenience, you may submit a complaint once the investigation is complete."

Zhong Yan blinked in surprise, then said, "Investigation? Wait, what is there to investigate here? You can't just go around bullying civilians, right? You really think I'm a Hollow Raider?"

His protest didn't faze them in the slightest. Qing Yi even retorted with a jab, "Oh no, we'd never bully ordinary citizens. But you're the breakout author 'Zhong Shuren' from New Eridu, aren't you? Don't you already have over 200,000 fans?"

Zhong Shuren was the pen name Zhong Yan used when registering his author profile online. His remarkable writing quality had helped him skyrocket past six digits in fan count within just a few months.

His monthly income had even surpassed a staggering one million Denny. That was how he'd been able to afford property in New Eridu so quickly.

"Two hundred thousand fans, big deal. In New Eridu, a single wave of public opinion could topple dozens of authors with that many followers. Besides, my Ether Compatibility Score is zero, you know. Zero! I'd probably get corrupted into an Ethereal the second I stepped into a Hollow."

In New Eridu, Ether Compatibility determined how long someone could survive inside a Hollow. Anyone scoring below 50 was generally unfit to enter.

Zhong Yan's score was zero—a rare case, likely due to him not being a native of this world.

However, a score of zero didn't mean he couldn't survive inside. On the contrary, as long as his body was well-nourished and maintained, he could stay inside a Hollow nearly indefinitely.

If such news ever got out, countless factions would come circling. Some might even try using him for human experimentation to develop anti-corruption medicine.

"That's what makes you so special. I've never heard of someone scoring zero. In New Eridu, even newborns show some degree of compatibility. But you... You're suspicious, dear author."

Qing Yi playfully pressed a finger to her nose, making an exaggeratedly cute expression. Meanwhile, as she engaged Zhong Yan, Zhu Yuan had already begun a full-blown search of the apartment.

From the wardrobe to drawers, even the kitchen cabinets and the toilet—nothing was spared.

This level of diligence made it clear Zhu Yuan was truly a capable officer.

Otherwise, she wouldn't have already made it to squad leader at her age. In fact, the "Senior" officer Qing Yi was technically her subordinate.

Despite the thorough search, Zhu Yuan found nothing suspicious. She returned to report, "Senior, I found nothing that would link him to Hollow Raiders. He really just seems like a normal high school student and web novelist."

Hearing this unexpected result, Qing Yi narrowed her eyes slightly. Seeing her expression, Zhong Yan instinctively shielded a particular spot.

It was a drawer beneath his computer desk—one that didn't stand out at first glance.

But even such a small gesture didn't escape the sharp eyes of the two officers.

"Zhu Yuan, did you check that drawer?" Qing Yi pointed at the space behind Zhong Yan.

Zhu Yuan's eyes sharpened. "No," she said.

"Well then, there you go."

Without hesitation, Zhu Yuan strode over toward the desk, but Zhong Yan stood his ground, blocking her path.

In the end, though, he couldn't avoid the inevitable. Zhu Yuan opened the drawer that he guarded as if it were his very life.

Inside, she found several magazines and comic books—their unwholesome covers leaving little to the imagination.

After a brief, silent pause, Zhu Yuan quietly placed the items back, closed the drawer, and bowed slightly.

"My sincere apologies for the disturbance."

And so, under Qing Yi's gaze—radiating that unmistakable smug little-goblin energy—Zhong Yan grumbled all the way to the door, escorting the two officers out.

As he watched their backs retreat into the distance, his face flushed with alternating shades of red and purple. Unable to hold it in any longer, he roared:

"I swear I'm filing a complaint against both of you at the Security Bureau!"

***

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