For Bringer, who desperately craved a political achievement, this accomplishment was nothing short of a godsend.
To prevent a sure thing from slipping through his fingers, he quickly established the official narrative for the case in just a few words.
The moment he finished speaking, the large crowd of media behind him scattered as if on a mission, their camera flashes firing nonstop at the wreckage and signs of battle.
But seeing this, Zhu Yuan, standing to the side, suddenly felt uneasy.
Although she was thrilled to receive such high praise from Bringer, her idol, she found the specifics of the commendation hard to accept.
Throughout this whole affair, she had only conducted reconnaissance and investigation from start to finish. She hadn't fired a single shot; her gun was still fully loaded.
Yet in the version of events coming from Bringer's mouth, she had become the main force responsible for it all.
If she was the main force, then what did that man's efforts, the battles he fought, count for?
Noticing the look on Zhu Yuan's face, Bringer, who had always held this Public Security super-rookie in high regard, discreetly led her aside.
"Officer Zhu Yuan, I know you're not happy with this narrative, but there's something you need to understand."
Bringer's expression was one of profound righteousness, as if he truly had no selfish motives.
"What we're doing is actually protecting him. An operation of this scale... the real organizers wouldn't put themselves in the spotlight. This Wesker is nothing more than a scapegoat."
Hearing Bringer's convincing words, Zhu Yuan understood Andrew's reason for not revealing his identity.
"So... we're actually helping him hide his identity?"
Seeing her start to agree, Bringer—unaware that Andrew had deliberately erased his own involvement—immediately decided to strike while the iron was hot.
Had he known, he would have applauded even more enthusiastically.
"That man is surely unwilling to expose his identity to prevent retaliation from the masterminds behind the scenes. As police, it is our undeniable duty to help a citizen who acted righteously."
"So, Chief Bringer, when you said our actions were under your direction, was that also to protect me and Senior Qingyi?!"
Toward this hero and idol who had saved her life as a child, and who was also her personal goal, Zhu Yuan had absolutely no doubt in Bringer's words.
And regarding this rookie officer filled with a sense of justice, what Bringer had just said wasn't entirely a lie.
He did indeed want a brilliant political achievement to lay the groundwork for his campaign for Janus District's Chief Superintendent in a few years.
But that was only half of the reason. Protecting Zhu Yuan genuinely made up the other half.
Bringer's concern for the officers under his command was never fake.
Although she was almost convinced after just a few sentences, a tiny sliver of unease remained in her heart.
'If this was purely to protect the citizen, me, and Qingyi, was it really necessary to call in so much media...'
Seeing that Zhu Yuan still wasn't fully on board, Bringer assumed his righteous subordinate was worried about the reward for the helpful citizen.
"Rest assured, for that helpful citizen who didn't appear, we will prepare a more substantial material reward later."
Even Bringer felt a measure of admiration for the person who left without making any demands.
"At the same time, I'll have the witness cooperate in creating a composite sketch of the person's distinguishing features, which will then be circulated among officers to list him as a trusted individual."
Zhu Yuan couldn't find fault with this two-pronged approach. Furthermore, what Bringer had just said also settled the last thing that had been bothering her.
Namely, whether the person responsible for all this should be considered a righteous hero or charged with assault and vigilantism.
Fortunately, with Deputy Chief Bringer setting the official narrative, the final outcome was self-evident.
And so, the official version to be released to the public was decided.
Although a slight unease still lingered in Zhu Yuan's heart, her trust in Bringer led her to dismiss it as overthinking.
She stared at the fake number on her phone screen, the seed of curiosity planted in her heart already beginning to sprout.
Through Ann's analysis, Zhu Yuan had confirmed that the person who made the call and the one who tore through the research institute were one and the same.
In that case, her initial assessment of him as someone skulking in the shadows was completely overturned.
If he had simply reported it and had Zhu Yuan call for Public Security support to force entry after she confirmed the anomaly, she would have thought he was just using her and the department to achieve his own ends.
Although the criminals would have been punished all the same, she would have seen it as a matter of mutual convenience.
But according to the timeline Ann provided, the battle outside had taken place after he made the phone call.
This changed the concept entirely.
His actions instantly transformed him from a rat hiding in the shadows into an unsung hero.
"Just who... are you?"
Zhu Yuan's gaze was fixed on the screen, as if trying to pierce through the fog and see the person behind it.
She couldn't understand. There were so many police officers with more status and seniority than a rookie like her.
And it wasn't as if there weren't others known for their diligence and sense of responsibility. So why did he choose her?
Suddenly, the opening line from their phone call flashed through her mind.
"Who I am isn't important. What's important is that, as far as I know, you're very interested in the case of a corporation conducting illegal human cloning experiments. Am I right?"
'Could it be... a reward for someone who was also investigating this matter?'
The thought had just surfaced when she found it a bit absurd, but she couldn't think of any other possible reason.
Regardless, Zhu Yuan had silently committed this favor to memory.
Suddenly, Qingyi leaned in from the side, her cyan hair falling with gravity, making it impossible to tell that the strands were actually composed of mechanical parts.
She said with a wide smile:
"Heeey, Little Zhu Yuan, after we get back, our positions are probably going to be swapped! Then I won't be able to call you Little Zhu Yuan anymore, I'll have to call you Captain Zhu Yuan."
With no clue as to the mysterious man's true identity, Zhu Yuan decided to stop thinking about it for now. After all, if he continued to do things like this, there would surely come a day when she would find out who he was.
Zhu Yuan was confident that day would definitely come.
Compared to that, Senior Qingyi's teasing was giving her more of a headache, so she decided to put it out of her mind for the time being.
"Senior! You're teasing me again! 'Captain' or whatever, I can't live up to that. Just keep calling me Zhu Yuan."
Qingyi didn't object, simply remarking with a touch of emotion:
"Alright, alright, that's fine too. I guess that's another one I've successfully mentored~"
__________________
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