https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-951-The-Conflicting-Desires-Within/13041454/
Chapter 952: Self-Disturbance
Chapter 952: Self-Disturbance
Kolva, lying at the bottom of the pit, had already emerged from the anomaly. Blood oozed from his facial features, his eyes rolled back, and his body lay there in a twisted state, unsure if he was alive or dead.
Chen Chuan paid no more attention to him and turned to walk into the building.
Scalerson remained lying there, his injuries were severe, and under the influence of "Frostclaw," he couldn't recover quickly.
Hearing Chen Chuan's return, he wasn't surprised. With difficulty, he said, "Commissioner Chen, could you do me a favor? There's a box of medicine in my luggage."
Chen Chuan walked over, spotted the medicine box at a glance, took it, and came to his side. With a pinch of his fingers, the box ruptured, and the medicine flowed onto his face and body, quickly absorbed by his skin, accelerating the healing of his injuries.
Due to the interference in this domain, Chen Chuan couldn't establish contact with the outside world, so he was about to leave when Scalerson called out to stop him.
Chen Chuan turned around and saw Scalerson struggling to sit up, leaning against the broken wall, his face filled with guilt. "Could I ask you for one thing, Commissioner Chen..."
Chen Chuan watched him quietly.
Scalerson said with difficulty, "Could you please keep this matter from being revealed to the outside world for now, Commissioner Chen?"
If the investigation team's involvement in this incident were exposed, it would be a huge scandal. It would be devastating for the entire investigation team to be known worldwide as a group that conspired to usurp a central city of a certain country, despite their mission to protect the world's safety.
Chen Chuan said, "Mr. Scalerson, even if you don't tell me, I won't reveal any of this."
This matter was too significant. As the sole remaining heir of the Grand Alliance, the investigation team's collapse would have an immeasurable impact on the world order. It would be extremely detrimental to the defense of the World Ring.
Currently, not every country in the world is strong. The investigation team still maintains a limited level of fairness in certain situations, at least on the surface.
Not to mention, there are many fighters within the investigation team, some trained by the team, and others who volunteered to join. If the investigation team ceased to exist, it would undoubtedly lead to chaos.
However, not revealing it doesn't mean he won't pursue the matter.
He said, "Regarding this incident, I need the investigation team to provide a clear explanation to Jinbei Province, one that satisfies us."
Scalerson showed gratitude, and he solemnly promised, "Commissioner Chen, we will. I assure you with my personal life and reputation."
Chen Chuan nodded slightly. He did believe in this man's character. Even in the most dangerous moments, this person hadn't wavered. But belief aside, some things still needed to be ensured.
"Regarding Mr. Kolva, what he did was excessive. For now, we can only ask him to stay with us. As for how to deal with him, we'll discuss it later."
Scalerson spoke in a low tone, "I understand. It might be better for him to stay with you. I'll make everything clear to the investigation team members when I return."
Chen Chuan said, "Then it's settled. If you need help, you can contact me again." As he spoke, he turned and left, his footsteps fading into the light.
After a while, Scalerson finally stood up again. He slowly moved outside, where he saw the traces of the previous battle. Kolva had been taken away, along with the shield and short sword he had used.
After Chen Chuan left the interference zone, he first had the handling bureau and city patrol control the area and search for any suspicious items.
Then he contacted Qi Weizhao and briefed him on the situation. Qi Weizhao responded swiftly, saying, "Commissioner Chen, please bring the person back immediately. We need to hold a safety decision meeting as soon as possible."
Chen Chuan agreed and immediately called for an airship, bringing the person aboard. But after a quarter of an hour, the safety team members all appeared on the domain screen.
Qi Weizhao first detailed the situation as informed by Chen Chuan and sought the opinions and countermeasures of the team members regarding the handling of this matter.
Yao Zhiyi thought for a moment and spoke first, "Let me share my thoughts. I've met several investigation team members before. They are brave and dedicated. I don't think the entire investigation team has such intentions, nor is this the collective will of the team. Only a small portion of them might have such thoughts."
It's not that I trust them blindly, but all investigation team members are bound by agreements, which is one of the reasons the international community trusts them. Even if one or two individuals show temporary deviation, it's impossible for all of them to be like that. In fact, they couldn't even handle the two people they sent this time, further confirming my judgment.
In my opinion, this seems more like a rogue action by certain members within the investigation team. They might have been influenced and incited by certain interest groups, becoming the front-line henchmen."
He concluded, "They were used."
"Specialist Liang expressed his agreement with Principal Yao's assessment, adding that he believed the ordinary members of the investigation team were likely unaware of the situation's intricacies. He emphasized that ordinary people were too prone to leaking information, which could compromise the secrecy of the operation."
"Indeed, they were probably used without their knowledge. Do they genuinely think they can take over the Central City through this opportunity?"
Qiao Weiting shook his head, "That idea is overly naive. Perhaps they genuinely believe in the international narrative."
Certainly, when a central city experiences consecutive security incidents, the investigation team is nominally allowed to take over. However, from a practical standpoint, this is fundamentally impossible.
Even if we set aside the opinions of the majority of Jinbei Province's citizens and national interests, everything in the world is determined by strength. Daxun's military is stationed here, and three fighters, including Chen Chuan, are in the central city. Do they want to take over? They should ask if the fighters would agree first.
Moreover, can something that cannot be obtained through strength be easily acquired with a few hollow words and a so-called nominal authority? This is simply laughable.
Allowing the investigation team to intervene this time is already the maximum level of cooperation and concession. The idea of taking over the central city through a single security incident is too far-fetched. Unless the Grand Alliance still exists, such a thing is impossible.
Specialist Liang spoke in a low voice, "The one pushing this matter from behind doesn't aim to seize the central city but to provoke internal conflicts in Daxun and hinder our progress in Jinbei Province. They want to push us back to the past, to a time when certain individuals and groups could freely seize benefits."
He looked up and said, "We must find the person behind this."
Qi Weizhao turned to Chen Chuan and asked, "What's your take on this, Chen Chuan?"
Chen Chuan replied, "We should find the person responsible, but I suggest we wait for news from Mr. Scalerson first. With representatives from various countries gathered, anyone could be the culprit. The public conference is at the end of the month, and I think we can first handle Jinbei Province's affairs and wait for the situation to stabilize before discussing anything else."
Qi Weizhao nodded in agreement, "Yes, we should take the lead and not be led by others. If we lose our footing, it might be what our enemies want to see. For now, let's focus on the tasks at hand and then deal with the remnants of their schemes."
However, the security work at hand must be done well, and no mistakes can be made." He emphasized, "I'm entrusting this matter to all of you here."
Chen Chuan and the other team members responded solemnly.
After the team meeting concluded, Qi Weizhao turned off the domain screen and sat in his seat, deep in thought. He asked Secretary Qiao Yang to leave, and soon after, he approached his desk.
He reached for a rarely used independent telephone and picked up the receiver, dialing a string of numbers. After a brief wait, he said, "This is Qi Weizhao. I have a matter to report."
In the Whitebird District, the two figures dressed in black formalwear remained standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the central city outside.
The tall and slender figure on the left said, "There's been no news, so the plan has likely failed."
The short and stout figure on the right looked at his watch. The hands on the dial reversed and turned a few more circles. He said, "The variables have increased again."
"So, do we need to proactively expose this matter?"
"The world cannot afford too much turmoil. The investigation team still has its uses, and it doesn't substantially help in curbing the situation in Jinbei Province."
The short and stout figure said, "The plan has failed. There's no need to linger here. Let's handle the loose ends before we leave."
The tall and slender figure said, "I'll take care of it."
Two hours later, in the underground headquarters of Jingyang District.
The deputy arrived at Commissioner Cao's desk, and without looking up, the latter asked, "Which aspect?"
Soon after, he sensed something and looked up. The deputy solemnly handed over a report, saying, "Just received from Whitebird District."
Commissioner Cao took it and saw the photos of two people who had been killed, but he could identify them as his informants.
He fell silent for a moment before saying, "Take care of their families, and personally deliver the compensation."
"Commissioner, I'll personally handle it," the deputy responded.
The deputy hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Commissioner, is it possible that these people..." He couldn't bring himself to finish the question.
Commissioner Cao waved his hand, "Go."
"Yes, sir," the deputy saluted and left.
Commissioner Cao sat there, seemingly waiting for something. After a short while, the phone on his desk rang, and he picked it up.
A voice came through the receiver, "Commissioner Cao, there are some things you can investigate, but there are also things you shouldn't cross. I think I don't need to teach you this."
Commissioner Cao said, "Old Chu, you're a member of the National Special Action Committee. I hope you'll at least be a man and not cross the line."
The other end remained silent for a while before finally saying, "Don't blame me for not warning you." Then, the call was abruptly ended.
...
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(End of Chapter)
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