Chapter 223: The Water Bottle Director's Predicament
Chapter 223: The Water Bottle Director's Predicament
"Is there a problem?" The Water Bottle Director's heart skipped a beat as he noticed someone had spotted the thin copper plate at the back of his head. He glanced at Lyon and replied expressionlessly, "You're suddenly bringing this up now, are you trying to find a reason to blame me for the Memory Furnace's malfunction?"
"I wouldn't say it's forced, but I'm just being cautious."
The Water Bottle Director's lack of a direct response, with a hint of trying to skirt the issue, gave Lyon a hunch.
That metal plate must be extremely important to the Water Bottle Director. Even if it wasn't the reason he could avoid the Memory Reading, its origins were likely questionable.
As for the sudden exposure of this metal plate, it was unlikely to be a slip-up by the Water Bottle Director... The chances were slim.
After being thoroughly licked twice by the Divine Mind Devourer, his brain nearly boiling, if he still had the wits to set a trap, Lyon would accept falling into it!
Having made up his mind, Lyon pressed on, raising his voice, "Water Bottle Director, you haven't answered my question. What is that metal plate, and why is it embedded in your head?"
"I know a bit about that." Before the Water Bottle Director could respond, the Gemini Bureau Chief stepped forward, his voice devoid of emotion, "That's an information plate from the Corlok Kingdom. It records basic identification information used for verification. It's equivalent to an ID card in other kingdoms, and you need a corresponding level of information plate to access facilities of that level in the Corlok Kingdom... I have one too."
The Gemini Bureau Chief slightly lifted his hair at the back of his head, revealing the copper plate underneath to the crowd, and continued his explanation, "The Corlok Kingdom has a small population, and many facilities and instruments cannot be allocated to specific personnel. In the past, they considered using information plates for identification and allocating access without human intervention. If the Water Bottle Director was indeed the previous Gemini Bureau Chief, he would have one of these."
"Additionally, although the information plate was developed a long time ago, it has not been widely adopted because some citizens of the Corlok Kingdom feared it was a means of control. It has been officially discontinued for decades. The younger generation in the Corlok Kingdom doesn't even know about it, and those who haven't visited the kingdom wouldn't be aware of its existence. So, it's completely normal to question it, and it's not specifically targeting the Water Bottle Director."
"..."
Wow, no wonder the Corlok Kingdom is said to be a hundred years ahead in technology; they even have such a sci-fi device!
Lyon felt let down when the Gemini Bureau Chief, someone from their own side, stepped forward and revealed that he also had a copper plate on his head. He thought he had found a blind spot.
If it had been someone else, it wouldn't have mattered, but now the person providing the most evidence, the Gemini Bureau Chief, was vouching for the copper plate. It was probably legitimate, and Lyon might have been overthinking things.
The Purification Bureau Chief, after hearing the Gemini Bureau Chief's explanation, glanced at Lyon and urged, "Let's continue. No more delays."
"I'm not the one causing the delay."
The Water Bottle Director gave Lyon a cold look and turned to face the Divine Mind Devourer again...
"Wait!"
This time, it was the Red-Haired Director who spoke up.
With a sly look in her eyes, she stared at the Gemini Bureau Chief and, under everyone's gaze, stood up to make a request, "Water Bottle Director, if this is indeed a discontinued information plate with no function, could you please repeat your previous action and press it a few more times?"
"Olivia!"
At the sound of the Red-Haired Director's voice, the Water Bottle Director seemed to have reached his limit. His eyebrows furrowed in feigned anger, as if the pain in his brain was unbearable, he shouted, "You're going overboard!"
Fake! His anger was a farce! There was definitely something wrong with that so-called information plate!
With his right hand bound by a strand of lustrous red hair, pressing firmly on the horn, Lyon stared at the Water Bottle Director, whose soul was visibly wavering, not in anger but in anxiety. The Red-Haired Director couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.
He had almost been deceived! This was truly the work of a sober director, and it was too damn reliable!
"Water Bottle Director, where exactly am I being unreasonable?"
After exchanging a glance with Lyon and receiving an affirmative response, the Red-Haired Director's lips curled up again, and she continued with a smile:
"Before I made my request, you had already pressed it several times on your own, so it should be harmless to you. If that's the case, why can't you press it a few more times?"
Of course not!
Each time this thing is pressed, the current doubles. If it's pressed a few more times, I'm afraid my brain will be damaged even before the memory extraction begins...
Although there is an answer, how can this answer be spoken of?
Looking at the Purification Bureau Director's gradually narrowing eyes, the Water Bottle Director knew the situation was hopeless. He did not offer any further futile arguments but sighed softly.
At this point, denial was useless. Since they had already noticed the problem, whether he pressed the copper plate or not, this thing would undoubtedly undergo a thorough inspection, turning it inside out.
Even if the Purification Bureau personnel didn't understand the technology of the Corlok Kingdom, once they lifted the copper plate and saw the metal wire embedded in his brain, they would surely sense something amiss. Because of this one-day difference, he was completely finished.
If the Director hadn't returned and the inquiry had started a day earlier, his new brain could have fully synchronized with his body, allowing him to deceive the Divine Mind Devourer's reading. He wouldn't have needed to resort to electric shocks for activation, and the issue with the copper plate wouldn't have been noticed...
One day! Damn it! Just one day!
...
"It seems you have no intention of explaining."
After waiting a moment and hearing no defense from the Water Bottle Director, the Purification Bureau Director silently raised his hand and said:
"As the Director of the Purification Bureau, I propose to remove the Water Bottle Director from his position and temporarily seal the Water Bottle Star Palace... Let's vote."
As the Purification Bureau Director spoke, the originally transparent hall suddenly darkened. The thick rock wall, a kilometer in thickness, seemed to become transparent, instantly transforming into an endless dark night sky.
Then, eighty-seven patterns composed of countless stars of various sizes lit up around the center of the hall, beginning to rotate slowly according to some pattern. The only place without star points slowly revealed a terrifyingly large incision, which split into an eye-like shape, revealing the true starry sky within.
The sun, which had been countless miles away just a moment ago, was forcibly pulled closer by some unknown force, becoming the dazzling golden iris within the 'eye,' fixated on the Water Bottle Director. Among the twelve seats belonging solely to the directors surrounding this solar eye, four seats were illuminated one after another.
"Four votes in favor."
After announcing the voting result, the Purification Bureau Director raised his hand and waved it towards the seat that once belonged to the Water Bottle Director, dispersing the Water Bottle Star Palace, which was composed of 90 star points, cutting off any possibility of the Water Bottle Director escaping from headquarters. Then, with a blank expression, he pronounced the sentence:
"Creating aberrations in secret, causing widespread harm to the innocent, and attempting to encroach upon the Watchtower Palace... Multiple offenses warrant multiple punishments!"
"As the Director of the Purification Bureau, I sentence the former Water Bottle Director to... death!"
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
