"Red Heart 7, your application to join the Law Enforcement Team has been approved by the Prime Minister's Office!"
"After a review, the previous killings of Spade 6, Diamond 9, and Plum Blossom 2 were all determined to be the work of Jomoya Chris. It has nothing to do with you. Welcome back to the Order Keeper faction."
As soon as the communicator connected, a clear and bright female voice came from the other side.
The voice was as bright as a songbird's call, full of life and energy.
Chen Qi instantly recalled the entry about Plum Blossom 10 in Ireland's diary.
The two of them must have had a conflict, and then Ireland had groveled his way out of it.
'To think Ireland actually used that to join the Law Enforcement Team. That guy was a real piece of work.'
Although Chen Qi didn't know what the Law Enforcement Team was yet, the fact that it required approval from the Prime Minister's Office told him it must be a powerful organization.
"You can rest assured. From now on, I will be an absolute guardian of order!"
Chen Qi mimicked Ireland's tone, replying cautiously.
She apparently didn't realize that "Red Heart 7" had changed hands again and was very satisfied with Chen Qi's declaration.
"It's good you've come to this realization!"
"Since we met, you've used your Superpower much less recklessly, and you haven't been disrupting social order. We've noticed."
"But you still need to fix that lecherous habit of yours. To think you'd throw the entire Talin City Underworld into chaos just because you were jealous."
"It's embarrassing even for me, your sponsor!"
Plum Blossom 10 chattered on, recounting all of Ireland's outrageous antics.
Chen Qi's heart skipped a beat. He hadn't expected his new identity to be under constant surveillance.
But when he remembered the Law Enforcement Team was run out of the Prime Minister's Office, it all made sense.
"You can rest assured, I've already come to an agreement with the Firefox Gang!"
"And I've also broken up with all those girlfriends of mine!"
Chen Qi really wanted to give himself a pat on the back. 'Good thing I didn't get a big head, or I'd probably have been beaten to a pulp by now.'
"Hmph, that's the right move!"
"The King's Game doesn't just give us power, it also gives us responsibility!"
"Our creed as Order Keepers is to ensure the Lanyu Kingdom runs smoothly."
"Those Traitors are not on our path. They're just clowns heading for their own destruction. You must always be vigilant. Don't get arrogant and go down the wrong path like your predecessor!"
Plum Blossom 10 didn't seem like a wily fox. To Chen Qi, she seemed more like a naive young woman.
'If this King's Game was really set up by a Demon, how could it be as wonderful as she's making it sound?'
But Chen Qi wasn't a contrarian, so he wasn't about to voice his doubts. The more Plum Blossom 10 talked, the better. At least he could learn more about this game.
"Since you've joined the Order Keepers, you're now qualified to attend the meeting on January 1st."
"We'll hold a welcome ceremony for you then and introduce you to everyone."
"This meeting is very important. Everyone's safety is at stake. You absolutely must be there."
When it came to official business, Plum Blossom 10's tone immediately grew much more serious.
Chen Qi wasn't against joining the Order Keepers, so he naturally wouldn't miss this meeting.
But out of curiosity, he asked one more question.
"Is something about to happen?"
...
"Oh, I almost forgot, you're still a newbie!"
"The King's Game runs in five-year cycles. On the last day of the fifth year, all players must have an audience with His Majesty the King."
"And His Majesty the King will pass judgment on everyone's actions."
"Unlike us Order Keepers who maintain the Kingdom's order, some people completely lose their way after gaining power."
"They either act wantonly, or they kill their fellow players for power and snatch their Cards!"
"People like that, naturally, cannot escape His Majesty the King's Judgment!"
Plum Blossom 10 really seemed to be treating Chen Qi like a new recruit under her wing, explaining the game's inner workings in detail.
Chen Qi finally understood what Order Keepers and Traitors were.
The key distinction between the two was whether or not one killed other players to snatch their Cards.
Traitors were guaranteed to fail the King's Judgment!
And if an Order Keeper acted wantonly and disrupted the smooth running of the Kingdom, they too would be subjected to the King's Judgment.
This was also the main reason Ireland had cleaned up his act!
And when faced with the King's Judgment, the Traitors naturally wouldn't just sit back and wait for death.
The last two years of every game cycle were a frantic period where they would struggle desperately and go on a killing spree against other players.
That was why the Order Keepers held a gathering on January 1st to discuss countermeasures.
"You can rest assured. I'll definitely be there on time!"
After stating his position once more, Chen Qi ended the call with Plum Blossom 10.
Chen Qi didn't take all the information Plum Blossom 10 revealed at face value.
'There are definitely other "insider secrets" to this game.'
Otherwise, Jomoya wouldn't have written in his diary, "I have received a Card of Certain Death!"
...
'So, the Big King Card really is in Gutaf's hands!'
Although Plum Blossom 10 hadn't directly revealed the King's identity, anyone with a little knowledge of the Lanyu Kingdom's history could guess the truth.
The game had already completed eight cycles, plus three years of the ninth cycle.
In other words, the game had been running for a total of 43 years.
And Gutaf's change from a presidential system to a Monarchy happened exactly 43 years ago.
Chen Qi couldn't help but make the connection. 'Could it be? Did the game start the very moment Gutaf was crowned King?'
At this thought, Chen Qi began to search online for Gutaf's detailed history.
"Before the age of 40, he was just an ordinary businessman. Then he rose abruptly to become the richest man in the country."
"He entered politics at 50, going from congressman to president in only 3 years."
"After that, he was re-elected for three consecutive terms as president, wielding immense power!"
"At the age of 68, he abolished the presidential system and was crowned King of the Lanyu Kingdom."
"And today, he is 111 years old."
'What a legendary figure!'
Looking at Gutaf's life story, Chen Qi finally understood what a true "winner at life" was.
He had to admit, he was a little envious, but only a little.
'If I really wanted to, as long as I could roll a 7, I could become president in an instant.'
'This life story might be legendary, but in the end, he's just a Mortal!'
'If I didn't know the King's Game existed, and that he possessed the Big King Card, it would be really hard to connect Gutaf with a Demon.'
'Does the Demon truly exist? And what is its relationship with Gutaf?'
The information he had wasn't enough for Chen Qi to make a judgment.
After pondering for a moment, Chen Qi gave up.
Chen Qi also canceled the meeting he had originally scheduled with Taruno.
Chen Qi had originally planned to fund the Firefox Gang, allowing them to recover their strength after the recent crackdown.
Then he would take the opportunity to absorb them and use them to consolidate all the underground forces.
But after joining the Law Enforcement Team, and especially after learning that the game was about to enter Bloody Mode, Chen Qi no longer intended to be stuck in Talin City playing house.
The Law Enforcement Team, with the support of the Prime Minister's Office, was clearly more worthy of his energy.
Thus, Taruno received a bolt from the blue: the "boss" had shown great mercy and let the Firefox Gang off the hook.
He could no longer throw his boss's weight around!
However, the good news was that his boss had given him a large sum of money and full support to build an intelligence-gathering organization.
His chance to really show what he could do had finally arrived.