Chapter 185: Riddled with Doubts
Chapter 185: Riddled with Doubts
Ji Xinghuo was left in a dilemma, unable to tell if he was serious or not. Was someone of Yu Meiling's caliber sufficient?
Yu Meiling's popularity had declined in recent years, but that was only in comparison to Zhao Manying.
In the public eye, she remained the undisputed core of the Skywalker Team, a top genius ranked fifteenth on the Tower, known as the "Queen of Ice and Fire," with both beauty and talent. Her fan base was counted in the hundreds of millions, and a single spitting contest among them would be enough to drown Min Chongwu.
Of course, Ji Xinghuo knew that Min Chongwu was just joking, but he feigned a thoughtful expression and replied, "You're not good enough. I can't teach you."
"Huh?" Min Chongwu's face fell, "Why not?"
"Because you don't have any hair." Ji Xinghuo's gaze fell on the other's bald head, and he replied seriously.
The surrounding area suddenly erupted in laughter, filling the air with a joyful atmosphere.
Min Chongwu's face stiffened, but he soon joined in the laughter, cursing, "Damn! You're making fun of my hair now, too?"
Ji Xinghuo patted him on the shoulder. "When it comes to finding a girlfriend, you should look for someone who you're compatible with. It's not just about looks, and you certainly shouldn't expect her to be a powerful expert as well. That would be putting someone in a difficult position. Captain Min, you're not that shallow, are you?"
"I am," Min Chongwu nodded firmly.
Ji Xinghuo was left speechless.
"Listen to him! Just listen!" Min Chongwu's tone rose in pitch. "This guy finds himself the most beautiful girlfriend, and now he's telling us not to care about appearances. Does that even make sense?"
The swordsmen around them nodded unconsciously, agreeing with Min Chongwu's words.
"Do I smell sour grapes?" Ji Xinghuo's face took on a puzzled look. "Did someone eat a lemon this morning?"
"Damn it!" Min Chongwu gritted his teeth. "You're just asking to be beaten up!"
"I'm standing up for the heartbroken netizens out there!"
A glow appeared on Min Chongwu's fist as he spoke.
Most of the onlooking swordsmen were men, many of them fans of Zhao Manying, and they were all reveling in the show, some even cheering Min Chongwu on.
"Enough fooling around," Zhou Yishang emerged from his office and shouted, "Get back to your posts! Don't you all have work to do this early in the morning?"
The swordsmen shrank back and quickly dispersed.
"Boss Zhou, I'm off to take my shift," Min Chongwu said, before hurrying away.
Ji Xinghuo followed Zhou Yishang into his office.
A knowing smile appeared on Zhou Yishang's face, one that all men would understand. "Do you want Xiaoxian to tell me about your situation? I was kept in the dark as well. I never expected you to start dating the number one player on the Tower without making a sound. You've got skills, I'll give you that."
"It was a coincidence," Ji Xinghuo replied, unsure how to explain it.
Zhou Yishang didn't dwell on the topic and soon regained his serious expression. "Now that your personal identity has been exposed, who knows how many eyes are on you. I can get the Cyber Information Department to block any connections between you and the Sword Bureau, but I can't hide it from those who are truly determined. From now on, be extra careful when carrying out your missions."
"I understand," Ji Xinghuo nodded. "Thank you, Boss Zhou."
"It's the least I can do."
Zhou Yishang rubbed his temples and pushed a report towards Ji Xinghuo. "This is the preliminary result of the Intelligence Department's overnight investigation. Take a look."
Ji Xinghuo began reading the report with a serious expression.
However, when he finished reading, his eyes reflected even more doubt, and he was filled with confusion.
"It has nothing to do with the Emperor Star Club, and even the people at the Tianqin Stadium are in the clear. This investigation result really surprised me," he said.
Zhou Yishang nodded. "I was astonished as well, but that's the current conclusion."
The report was very clear.
The two key figures from the Tianqin Stadium, the Security Manager and the Shield Manager, had both been controlled by the same psychic hacker at different times. In addition, several mid-level managers in the stadium's management had also been controlled, allowing the hacker to carry out their infiltration and assassination plan.
The thirty-plus androids had been delivered to the stadium half an hour before the match started.
This process had been captured on surveillance footage.
The eccentric genius Gao Xuan had been working with the psychic hacker. During the intermission of the second game, he had disguised himself as a staff member and gone on stage, waiting for the right moment to strike.
The process of drawing lots for the audience member to go on stage had also been manipulated by the psychic hacker, who controlled a backstage staff member to ensure that Ji Xinghuo's name was drawn.
The entire process was clear and simple, and the chain of logic was complete.
The Sword Bureau also had a psychic hacker, a legendary one at that. They had conducted a psychic interrogation on the individuals who had been controlled, confirming that they were telling the truth.
These individuals were employees of the Tianqin Stadium management company, and the company's high-level executives had all been investigated and questioned overnight, with no issues found.
These people had no affiliation with the Emperor Star Club.
Moreover, the Emperor Star Club was also a victim in this incident.
Due to the match being abruptly halted and rescheduled, their event plans and broadcast schedules had been disrupted, and they had incurred significant financial losses from having to rent the venue again, among other things.
Ji Xinghuo asked, "What about the ticketing company?"
The biggest mystery in all of this was how the enemy had known that he would be at the match. The half-hour setup time was a flaw in their plan.
Zhou Yishang shook his head. "We've looked into it, but we haven't found anything. Ticket sales channels include multiple platforms, and not just the stadium management company has access to the information of ticket purchasers. There are dozens of sales channels in the country, and employees above a certain level can access the names of the audience members."
"Since only the name is available, with no other information, it doesn't count as a major privacy leak. The main purpose is to prevent ticket scalping."
The amount of work was simply too vast to continue the investigation effectively.
The Sword Bureau preferred quality over quantity when it came to personnel, unlike the Security Bureau, which boasted a large number of agents. Finding the leak among the over three thousand employees would be a monumental task that couldn't be accomplished overnight.
Zhou Yishang pushed over two more reports. One was a file on the eccentric genius "Gao Xuan," and the other was an analysis report on the androids.
According to Gao Xuan's citizen profile, he was registered as a super-powered individual, spending most of his time in the Star Realm. In the past two decades, he had only returned to Earth about fifteen times, and on each occasion, he had traveled to the American Federation instead of the Diya Pacific Community.
The North American branch provided a crucial lead—Gao Xuan had been spotted multiple times in the New Nightless City.
Located on the east coast of North America, the New Nightless City encompassed the former New York and its surrounding metropolitan area. It was the second-largest city in the American Federation.
"Why is he, as a member of the APC, always active in the AF?" Ji Xinghuo asked, puzzled.
"Intelligence suggests that Gao Xuan's rise to legendary status was due to the support he received from the AF," Zhou Yishang explained. "It's highly likely that he has been an operative cultivated by the American Federation all this time."
Ji Xinghuo was taken aback.
If that were true, then Gao Xuan was a spy of legendary proportions, and the potential damage he could have caused was immense. Fortunately, he was now dead, which was at least one piece of good news in this whole incident.
Ji Xinghuo continued reading the other report, which analyzed the androids. It pointed to a robotics company under the Giant Consortium as the manufacturer. The androids had originally been designed as domestic helpers but were modified into combat robots, equipped with firearms and weaponry. The level of modification was exceptionally high.
"The Giant Consortium..." Ji Xinghuo muttered.
He looked up at Zhou Yishang. "Boss Zhou, if I recall correctly, the headquarters of the Giant Consortium is also in the New Nightless City, right?"
"That's correct," Zhou Yishang nodded.
Could he have guessed wrong? Ji Xinghuo wondered if this incident truly had nothing to do with the Emperor Star Club. After all, he had only been drawn into this mess because of Shen Yuchen, and during their time in the Immortal City, Shen Yuchen had been actively seeking connections with the higher-ups of the Giant Consortium.
Previously, he had thought that it was just a red herring that Shen Yuchen had thrown out.
But now, in retrospect, it felt more like a clue.
Could there be a connection between the so-called Qian Yuan Association and the Giant Consortium?
Noticing Ji Xinghuo's thoughtful expression, Zhou Yishang asked, "Do you have another suspicion?"
"Yes," Ji Xinghuo didn't hide it. "Since last night, I've felt that the Emperor Star Club is highly suspicious."
"What's your evidence?"
"I have no evidence, just my intuition," Ji Xinghuo admitted. "The ticket that Mianying gave me was an internal ticket from the Emperor Star Club. Although many people could have accessed my name through the sales channels, the Emperor Star Club knew about it first, so they can't escape suspicion."
"Moreover, the name 'Qian Yuan Association' clearly originates from our country; it doesn't sound like a translated term."
"All the clues at the scene point towards the Giant Consortium; it feels too deliberate."
"While logically, the Emperor Star Club shouldn't make such a rookie mistake and expose themselves, there's also a possibility that they are using this very logic to their advantage. They might have boldly taken the opportunity to act, knowing that successfully killing me would achieve their goal."
Zhou Yishang listened quietly and then nodded slowly. After a long moment of contemplation, he said, "If, unfortunately, your guess is correct, do you know what that would imply?"
"I know," Ji Xinghuo replied gravely.
It would mean that one of the Thirteen Kings of the APC, the nation's richest man, the "Great Magician" Shi Hongyi, was secretly colluding with the American Federation! It was an astonishing revelation.
As one of the Thirteen Kings and the country's wealthiest individual, Shi Hongyi's betrayal, if that was indeed the case, would deal a devastating blow to the nation.
Of course, it wasn't necessarily betrayal, but it certainly wouldn't bode well for the country.
Zhou Yishang considered this carefully and ultimately shook his head. "The Sword Bureau is a legitimate organization. Without evidence, we can't make any rash moves."
Ji Xinghuo's eyes glinted, "What do you suggest, then?"
"I won't provide you with any official support, but I'll turn a blind eye to your independent investigation. This is the right of a Red Cloud Swordsman," Zhou Yishang said solemnly. "The Sword Bureau's investigation will continue, but in a different direction. Our primary target will be finding Peng Zhenshan."
Peng Zhenshan was the sleeper agent who had previously infiltrated the Sword Bureau and was a former Red Cloud Swordsman. If they could capture him, they would surely gain valuable information.
"Understood," Ji Xinghuo nodded. "From now on, I'll use my relationship with Mianying as a cover to interact more with the Emperor Star Club."
"Approved," Zhou Yishang agreed.
Ji Xinghuo placed the Purple Lightning Sword on the table. Zhou Yishang glanced at it and said, "You can continue carrying it for protection. Just make sure you don't leave Chang'an with the sword."
"Alright," Ji Xinghuo stood up to take his leave.
"Be careful," Zhou Yishang reminded him.
Before leaving the base, Ji Xinghuo made his way to the Training Department and requested a private training arena. He intended to explore the new abilities he had gained now that the Titanium-Cobalt Dragon's Blood had reached Level 3.
(End of Chapter)
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