Chapter 953: Settling the Storm
Chapter 953: Settling the Storm
Time flew by, and it was already August 30th, 9 a.m.
Observers from various countries and news media personnel gathered in the assembly hall of the former Jinbei Province Municipal Parliament, awaiting the investigation team's announcement of their findings.
On this day, one could say that the eyes of the world were focused here.
However, to the dismay of many media personnel from different nations, only a select few renowned media outlets and senior executives from news agencies were allowed to enter the venue and participate throughout the event. The rest were to be notified of the results after the meeting, which prompted them to stage a protest.
Unexpectedly, this time, no one sided with them. It seemed that the countries had an unspoken agreement, and no one cared about their demands. In the end, they had no choice but to back down and wait outside, grumbling in frustration.
This was because the investigation involved incidents like the Daxun crash and the World Ring, which couldn't be openly disclosed to the public. Ordinary media personnel could only receive limited information.
In fact, the "truth" they knew was merely the dissolution of the Jinbei Province Government Hall and the dismantling of the political system of co-governance between the central government and local authorities in the Dashun Republic for over ninety years.
They were concerned that Dashun might fall into internal strife. As a major power, if Dashun faced internal issues, it would undoubtedly affect other nations and even the world order, especially neighboring countries, which would be the first to bear the brunt of any fallout.
To the general public, the investigation team was known for maintaining world order, resolving local disputes, and preserving the old system formed after the Grand Alliance. In the minds of many, the world had been free of major wars for so many years, with only small-scale regional conflicts at most. The existence of organizations like the investigation team was believed to be the reason for this relative peace in the eyes of the majority.
However, in reality, the investigation team was not concerned with specific local political issues. They only cared about whether the central city's government had the capability to maintain stability and whether it would be unable to defend this crucial node of the World Ring due to its internal turmoil.
At 10 a.m., all members of the investigation team were present.
Surprisingly, not only the investigation team but also a group of former members of the municipal parliament, led by Senator Ai, came forward. They explained that the parliament had undergone some restructuring, and they would still serve as members in the newly formed municipal parliament. The claim that the parliamentary system had been abolished was, in their words, "untrue."
What surprised many "visitors" from other central cities was the appearance of the former Speaker of the Municipal Parliament, Quan Zengming, who was rumored to have been arrested and detained!
If Senator Ai and his colleagues could still argue that they were coerced by the Government Hall, the presence of this individual left many unable to refute. Many prepared speeches had to be put aside.
Speaker Quan expressed that he was getting old and stubbornly refused to use implants to maintain his bodily functions. Therefore, he decided to step down and allow the parliament to elect a new speaker.
He expressed support and agreement with the Government Hall's actions and was satisfied with the current security and public order achievements. He hoped that the next parliament would better reflect the demands and voices of the people, and so on. This effectively dashed the hopes of many.
After this, the leader of the investigation team, Solrakson, announced the investigation results. He claimed that there were no security concerns in Jinbei Province Central City, and it had fulfilled its responsibilities well. There were no apparent loopholes in the current management structure, and he believed that maintaining the current state was sufficient.
A question-and-answer session followed, where observers from various countries raised many sharp questions. However, due to prior coordination between the Government Hall and the investigation team, they were able to refute or provide reasonable explanations for each question.
During this process, due to proper management and the presence of invited professionals to mediate, no uncontrolled situations occurred, and the overall atmosphere remained relatively harmonious.
At the end of the Q&A session, the investigation team released their conclusion: Jinbei Province Central City was trustworthy in terms of security and defense, and they expected the Government Hall to better fulfill its guardianship responsibilities.
With this announcement, the central city effectively received the endorsement of the investigation team. The international public opinion would no longer be one-sided in its condemnation, which could not only calm the domestic storm but also meant that external interference would no longer find a suitable pretext or excuse. If similar situations occurred again, they could directly resort to martial power.
This outcome disappointed many individuals and factions, and some loudly claimed that there was a conspiracy, accusing the investigation team of taking bribes from the Government Hall and engaging in secret deals. However, they were merely venting their frustration, and when someone voiced these accusations, they were immediately escorted out by the security guards present.
Meanwhile, in the main cabin of an airship hovering above the Municipal Parliament building, Chen Chuan watched the entire public meeting through a domain screen.
There were attempts to disrupt the venue, but they were quietly controlled and removed. Fortunately, there were no attacks or violence, thanks to the well-executed security measures and the awareness that a powerful fighter like him was personally overseeing the event, making it impossible for anyone to act against the proceedings under his watchful eye.
At this moment, he looked at a report in his hand, secretly delivered by the intelligence department. It informed him that someone had indeed engaged in secret dealings with certain members of the investigation team, but the other party was extremely cautious, and the trail had gone cold, making further investigation impossible.
However, from the subtle hints in their conversation and the information Qi Weizhao later shared with him, it was clear that this matter wasn't solely external but also likely involved certain individuals and powers within the upper echelons of the nation.
Just as he was thinking this, the doors of the Municipal Parliament's meeting hall opened, and a crowd of media personnel waiting outside rushed in.
At that moment, Chen Chuan received a message on his interface. He took a quick glance and saw it was from Scalerson, asking if he had time to meet.
Chen Chuan replied, "Mr. Scalerson, I'm at the tower. Please come up. I'll have security open a channel for you."
Soon after, Scalerson appeared on the rooftop of the parliament tower, carrying a box. He grabbed the long rope hanging from the airship and, with a gentle pull, ascended to the lower deck of the airship. A crew member guided him into the main cabin.
Chen Chuan was waiting there and, upon seeing him, gestured for him to take a seat.
Scalerson thanked him, and they both sat down at opposite ends of the table. After the crew member finished serving tea and left, Scalerson spoke with a hint of apology, "Mr. Chen, we've caused you a lot of trouble. I hope that the investigation team's final announcement will reduce some of your concerns."
"But I must emphasize that the investigation team's findings are not our report but a fair conclusion."
"All we want is a fair assessment," Chen Chuan replied. "The efforts of the Government Hall have never been about seeking external praise but rather doing what we believe is right."
"Doing what you believe is right..." Scalerson paused for a moment before continuing, "I used to think it was simple."
Chen Chuan asked, "Whether it's difficult or simple, I don't think you'll ever stop, Mr. Scalerson."
Scalerson looked at Chen Chuan, and determination and conviction filled his eyes. "Yes, I will continue, no matter how difficult it gets. Even now, I still disagree with some of your methods, Mr. Chen."
Chen Chuan smiled and said, "Although we have our differences, our goals are the same."
Scalerson nodded in agreement. Despite their disagreements, they were both committed to guarding the Central City's defenses and maintaining the world's safety.
He picked up the box on the table and slid it towards Chen Chuan.
"Although the investigation team has some resources, they are all committed to defense work. This time, we are grateful to the Government Hall for not spreading the news and returning the person to us for handling. We are very appreciative of this, and it is the investigation team's personal gift to you, Mr. Chen."
Chen Chuan accepted without hesitation, nodding and saying, "I accept." He then asked, "Now that the person has been handed over to you, has the investigation team discovered anything?"
"After examination, his cognition and memory have been stripped by the ritual. This was done together with the protocol deviation, and he voluntarily accepted it," Scalerson shook his head and explained.
"Voluntarily accepted?"
"Yes," Scalerson confirmed, his voice heavy with emotion.
Chen Chuan pondered for a moment. It wasn't a simple matter to make a fighter willingly give up their memories. Either the person or organization behind this must have earned his utmost trust, or their power was so immense that he dared not implicate them.
"We will send the investigation results and interrogation report to you shortly. If you wish to verify, you can send someone to us. Of course, if it's you, Mr. Chen, we would be even more welcoming," Scalerson offered.
Chen Chuan nodded, "Alright, Mr. Scalerson. Let's leave it at that for now." He extended his hand to shake Scalerson's.
Knowing the conversation was over, Scalerson stood up and shook Chen Chuan's hand. "Then, Mr. Chen, until we meet again."
"Until we meet again," Chen Chuan replied.
After seeing Scalerson off, Chen Chuan waited until all the attendees and security personnel had left. He then descended from the airship, carrying the box and landing in the municipal square. Just as he was about to head to the Defense Bureau, a strange communication signal appeared on his interface.
He accepted the call, and a familiar, cheerful voice greeted him, "Chen Chuan?"
Upon hearing the voice, Chen Chuan immediately recognized it, "Old Feng?"
The caller was none other than Feng, the agent he had worked with during the Molan Corporation incident after passing the entrance exam.
As Chen Chuan turned around, he saw a black car approaching from the opposite direction and stopping not far from him.
The car door opened, and Old Feng stepped out, still wearing his signature trench coat and fedora. He smiled at Chen Chuan.
Chen Chuan returned the smile and walked over to shake his hand, asking, "Old Feng, what brings you here?"
Old Feng complained, "It's all because of Old Cao. I was doing fine elsewhere, but they had to transfer me here." Then, with a cheerful tone, he added, "It's been a while since we last met. Why don't we find a place to sit and catch up?"
...
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(End of Chapter)
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