96: Three Brothers

“Big Brother, is it a bit harsh for us to ignore them so mercilessly?”

After confirming that they had completely left Xibike and his group's line of sight, one of the three Senior Judges spoke with a hint of worry.

“We came down here with the important task of investigating whether they have committed crimes. How can we have the leisure to build good relationships with them?”

The Judge, referred to as Big Brother, said with a serious and solemn expression.

“Besides, with people like Xibike, if you are even slightly polite to him and give him a good impression, he will immediately take advantage of it and climb all over you, lording it over everyone.”

“That’s right, Third Brother, Big Brother’s words make sense. We must remember that we three brothers were specially transferred to carry out this investigation.”

Second Brother chimed in, his eyes firm.

Hearing both his older brothers speak, Third Brother nodded slightly and said no more.

“However, having said that, we must be extremely careful in our actions.”

Big Brother walked steadily forward, his expression cautious as he reminded his two brothers.

“Xibike is not someone to be trifled with. If we are not careful and he notices anything amiss, then it will be harder than ascending to heaven to find evidence of his wrongdoing. Our mission this time is crucial and allows for no sloppiness.”

“Big Brother, you can rest assured! We have been working our way up in the Galaxy Cluster Court for so many years, experienced many storms, and seen all kinds of situations. How much trouble can Xibike and his petty tricks cause? Can he really escape our grasp?”

Second Brother patted his chest, responding to Big Brother's cautious reminder with a confident expression, his eyes full of disdain and certainty.

This was his confidence as a Senior Judge who had served in the Galaxy Cluster Court for many years.

The three arrived at their newly assigned office, where the decor was simple yet solemn.

As soon as he sat down, Big Brother skillfully contacted An Cheng through his smart device.

The moment the communication connected, An Cheng’s familiar face appeared on the smart device’s holographic projection.

“Chief Judge An, we have successfully arrived at the Telap System Court, and everything is proceeding according to plan.”

Big Brother reported the situation to An Cheng with a serious expression and steady tone.

“Very good!”

An Cheng nodded slightly, a hint of authority in his eyes.

“Your primary task is to find every possible way to investigate Chief Justice Xibike’s criminal evidence. Remember, the evidence must be conclusive and accurate. Once collected, report to me immediately; there must be no delay.”

“Yes! Please rest assured, we will not fail in our mission!”

Big Brother replied with a firm expression and a resonant voice, as if these few short words carried an immense responsibility.

After all, his three brothers had been Senior Judges for many years, and this mission might just allow the three of them to be promoted.

After ending the communication, Big Brother slowly turned his head, looking at his two brothers with a steady gaze, and said with a solemn expression.

“Next, we cannot sit back and wait; we must take the initiative.”

Big Brother's expression was serious as he methodically assigned tasks.

“Second Brother, you have a knack for data analysis, so you will be responsible for secretly delving into the internal financial transactions of the Court. Every account must be carefully screened for any irregular operations, especially large sums of money with unknown whereabouts. You must uncover the hidden tricks behind them.

Third Brother, you are meticulous. Find a reasonable excuse to thoroughly investigate all case files. Focus on cases involving significant interests to see if there are any miscarriages of justice or unfair judgments. Especially the case concerning Wu Qiu’s nephew, Wu An; we might find a breakthrough there.

As for me, I’ll be responsible for building good relationships with the Court’s grassroots personnel. They are here every day and must know a lot. I’ll try to get information out of them.”

“Understood!”

Second Brother and Third Brother responded in unison, their voices filled with determination and confidence.

Subsequently, the three prepared to act independently.

However, as soon as the three stood up, they heard a series of urgent and firm footsteps approaching from a distance.

Immediately after, Wu Qiu strode in.

Seeing Wu Qiu enter so brazenly, Big Brother maintained a calm expression, only quietly saying.

“Deputy Presiding Judge Wu, entering without notice like this somewhat disrupts our work…”

Hearing this, a hint of disdain flashed across Wu Qiu’s face, and he couldn’t help but think to himself.

“Work? You three just reported here, and your specific work assignments haven’t even been issued yet. What work am I disrupting? Just putting on airs.”

Although his heart was full of disdain for the three of them, he certainly wouldn't say these words out loud.

After all, such a small matter wasn't enough to completely break ties. In officialdom, it was always best to leave a margin for future encounters, a principle he understood.

“Ahem, wasn’t I just eager to arrange work for you three, esteemed Judges?”

Wu Qiu’s lips curved slightly upward, a hint of mockery in his eyes. He deliberately emphasized the words “esteemed Judges” with an sarcastic tone, as if intentionally highlighting their current “down-and-out” situation.

“Oh? I wonder, Deputy Presiding Judge Wu, what important work you are going to arrange for us this time?”

Big Brother’s face was as calm as water, but a subtle sharpness flashed in his eyes. He retorted, emphasizing the word “Deputy” to subtly maintain his dignity in the exchange.

“Hmph, since you’ve all been demoted to this small place, stop dreaming of still being important figures in the Galaxy Cluster Court. I think you should just stay here honestly and live out your lives peacefully…”

Wu Qiu sneered, the disdain on his face becoming even more apparent. Saying this, he casually tossed a stack of documents onto the table.

“Here, this is your next task. Thoroughly clean all the case files in the Court. Every light screen recording data and cases must be wiped clean, and you must clean them very carefully.”

Seeing that these three were still so “arrogant,” Wu Qiu no longer bothered to pretend and directly blurted out his inner thoughts, completely disregarding their feelings. He even deliberately threw this trivial work, which should have been done by cleaners, at the three Senior Judges.

After all, in his opinion, since these three had been demoted to the Telap System Court, they would probably never have the chance to return to the Galaxy Cluster Court in this lifetime, so there was no need to befriend them.

Perhaps one day they would be demoted to an even more remote and desolate Galaxy. Of course, there was an even more important reason: the arrival of these three had caused him to lose two capable subordinates. He dared not vent this anger on the higher-ups, so he naturally had to get it back from these three.

After saying these words, Wu Qiu felt he had given the three a warning. He had no desire to continue bickering with them, so he snorted coldly and turned around, striding away.

Watching Wu Qiu’s retreating figure, the three Senior Judges slowly recovered from the mocking and disdainful words Wu Qiu had just uttered.

“So, they actually thought we were unlucky people who had been demoted. No wonder they were so arrogant right from the start.”

Third Brother couldn't help but murmur softly, his tone a mix of helplessness and amusement.

“Indeed. If Chief Judge An hadn’t told me in advance that this was an important mission, being suddenly transferred from the Galaxy Cluster Court to this remote place, I think my composure would have crumbled on the spot.”

Second Brother said with deep feeling, nodding in agreement with Wu Qiu’s self-important assumptions, understanding him perfectly.

“But this is good too. This identity, which they mistakenly believe to be a demotion, will make them lower their guard against us. Oh, what did he say we had to clean just now? Was it case files?”

Big Brother frowned slightly, looking at his two younger brothers with a puzzled expression, trying to get confirmation from them.

“Yes, he seemed to have said that, asking us to carefully clean all the case files.”

Second Brother replied affirmatively.

“Hahahaha, this is truly a godsend!”

Big Brother’s face instantly broke into a joyful smile.

“Originally, I was worried that upon arriving here, I wouldn’t immediately find a suitable excuse to review all the case files. I didn’t expect Wu Qiu to actually hand us such a good opportunity.”

It should be known that according to the rules of the Imperial Court, case files are generally not allowed to be accessed freely by ordinary Judges, even Senior Judges, unless they are involved in specific case work or have a very legitimate reason, with the exception of the two Chief Justices.

“Since Wu Qiu was so kind as to deliver this opportunity to us, we certainly must gladly accept this ‘great gift’.”

Third Brother also laughed, his eyes full of excitement and anticipation.

The three exchanged smiles and, with joyful hearts, left the office, walking with light steps towards the archives where the Court’s case files were stored.

They knew that this might become a crucial opportunity to uncover the dark secrets of the Telap System Court.

As soon as the three stepped into the archives, they saw the entire room densely packed with transparent screens, about the size of two palms. These screens were stacked in layers, arranged in an orderly manner, occupying almost every inch of space in the archives.

Each transparent screen meticulously recorded the ins and outs of a case, or some related important information.

“It seems like this is quite a lot of work…”

Big Brother frowned slightly, looking at the mountain of transparent screens, and couldn't help but sigh.

After all, with so many documents and cases, finding information about Wu Qiu and his group would indeed take a lot of effort.

“I actually feel it’s not that bad, not as exaggerated as I imagined.”

Second Brother responded with a smile, a reminiscent expression on his face.

“Before, Chief Judge An punished me by making me clean the archives of the Galaxy Cluster Court. That scene was truly spectacular. The documents were piled up like mountains, so numerous it was despair-inducing; it felt like I would never finish cleaning even if I cleaned until I died. Fortunately, Chief Judge An took pity on me after a few days and let me go; otherwise, I’m afraid I really would have left my life there.”

Saying this, Second Brother shivered exaggeratedly, as if that experience was still vivid in his mind.

After all, as the archives of the Inter-Galaxy Cluster Imperial Court, the sheer volume of information stored was enormous, and it would be no exaggeration to use billions as a unit. The vast sea of information, just thinking about it, made one’s scalp tingle.