Arknights: The Cycle of Light and Darkness

With a snap of Revy's fingers, everything around the fat officer seemed to shift and distort.

Suddenly, the scene reverted to what it had been when Revy first entered the room—the Rhodes Island operator was still sitting calmly across the table, and the fat officer himself was seated upright, leaning forward in an attempt to use his bulk to intimidate.

"AHH!!—AAAHHH!!"

The lump of flesh in the chair screamed at the top of his lungs, voice sharp and shrill like a stepped-on rubber chicken.

"Monster! He's a monster!! Arrest him—lock him up!!"

He flailed, looking for something—anything—to defend himself with, but then slipped and fell with a thud, chair and all.

The fear in his eyes was unmistakable. Gone was the smug bureaucrat—what remained was a man crawling on all fours, trying desperately to get away from a nightmare.

Revy, of course, looked completely innocent, spreading his hands with a helpless expression.

But was he really innocent?

"Revy, even if that guy's just a disposable pawn, isn't this going a little far?"

It was Theresia's voice. Though she wasn't inside the dream-space Revy was using, he could still hear her clearly through their shared link.

He could even picture her now: frowning slightly, concerned.

"Relax. That man was never a real Yan police officer."

Revy replied mentally, using a voice only the two of them could hear.

"Forget his weak will—just look at that body. He wouldn't have passed the physical for even the lowest rank. You know how strict Yan's police screening is. How could someone this useless make it through?"

"Even if he's a fake, he's still a messenger. If you provoke whoever's behind him too much, won't it cause trouble for Kal'tsit?"

"It won't. Trust me—if we stay silent and get labeled as weak, then that's when talks break down."

Revy's tone turned colder.

"This is the most direct method—and the one 'that person' prefers most."

"Still clinging to that grudge against the Doctor…"

Theresia sighed softly. She had no way to resolve the tension between Revy and the Doctor. But as someone who shared Revy's thoughts and emotions, she understood deeply just how complex his hatred really was.

And like love, resentment was rarely rational.

"No need to talk me down. I might hate her personally, but I'll still follow orders professionally."

Revy said calmly."Privately, I despise her. But as far as Rhodes Island is concerned, the 'Demon of Babel' is still the strategist—and I'm still the blade."

"Fine, fine. I trust your judgment."

Theresia chuckled lightly, dropping the topic. She was never one to force others. Besides, she knew Revy had already shown restraint—for her sake.

"Just watch. Now that this meatball's panicked, the real handler will show up soon."

Revy said, confident.

From the start, he'd known the fat man wasn't a legitimate officer. Either he was a decoy—or just a belligerent placeholder meant to create chaos.

And when that tactic failed? The real players would be forced to appear.

"Xiao Zhou! Xiao Zhang! Remove this disgrace!"

A sharp, commanding voice rang out from the door.

Revy turned his head just in time to see a middle-aged man with black hair step in, followed by two sharply dressed officers—tall, fit, alert-eyed. A stark contrast to the trembling heap of lard being dragged away.

The two policemen moved in near-mechanical sync, grabbing the fat man and hauling him out, shutting the door behind them with practiced finality.

Revy remained seated, calmly observing.

"Apologies for the earlier incident."

The middle-aged man gave a slight bow."Some unqualified individuals slipped through the ranks. I hope you'll accept my apology on behalf of the Guard Bureau."

But there was no apology in his eyes.

Revy smiled coolly.

"No need. In fact, I should thank you, Chief Li. That performance was quite the show."

He narrowed his gaze.

"It's not easy getting someone like that into such a tightly run organization. That fat officer must have some hidden talents... funny how seeing me scared him so badly."

"Am I really that frightening?"

The man's eyes narrowed.

"...I don't believe I've introduced myself yet. How do you know who I am?"

"Li Rufeng. Senior Inspector. Chief of the East Capital Guard Bureau. Formerly served thirteen years in the Yan Northeast Army before transferring to civilian duty. You've been with the Bureau for four years now."

"In that time, you've solved 124 murder cases, 1545 various other crimes, 925 active incidents caught on scene, and 49 high-priority felonies—all solved with a 100% success rate."

"Congratulations. You're what the people of Yan would call... a model officer."

Revy smiled.

"So, can we drop the charade now, Chief Li?"