Chapter 448: Chapter 303: Sacrificing for Brotherhood
[Hegemony Company Crisis Management Center No. 7]
For the employees of Hegemony Company, working at the Crisis Management Center is a blessing.
In the company, if you want to climb the ranks as a warrior, you’re in for a tough competition, not only requiring exceptional talent but also being able to stand out among countless strong individuals.
Even if you manage to climb up, becoming the leader or captain of a unit with hundreds or thousands under your command, you are still on the front lines, and on a bad day, you might find yourself in high-intensity combat, leading to an abrupt end.
But it’s different at the Crisis Management Center; there are no bullets or artillery, only comfortable air conditioning and an endless supply of premium coffee. Everyone clocks in for work, everything is handled according to regulations, and all matters are orderly.
Here, you don’t need to risk your life to improve your skills or battle to the death on a battlefield. You just sit at a computer and tap away on the keyboard.
The salary might not be as high as in other departments, but it’s joyful because even the lowest-level crisis handling specialist has the authority to mobilize dozens or even hundreds of people at any time.
So the employees come to work every day with anticipation, hoping a few unlucky souls outside will cross those unforgivable red lines, giving them the thrill of strategizing and planning.
Sure enough, just a few days past New Year, the unlucky soul meant to entertain everyone has appeared.
At this moment, the crisis handling specialists were each at their workstations, and the supervisor stood before a massive holographic image, loudly saying, "Alright, ladies and gentlemen, look this way; we’ve got another person at the end of his rope."
With a gesture, the holographic image interwove to reveal Su Mo’s form and personal information.
"This person is Su Mo, a resident of New Moon City, the leader of the Edge Mercenary Corps, and one of the New Moon Seven."
"Ten minutes ago, he deliberately murdered the only son of Mr. Mammon, head of the intelligence department at the New Moon City branch, and sent an extremely provocative video recording."
At this point, the supervisor snickered, taking on a humorous tone: "What can I say? This young one felt life was too boring, fed up with living, so we’ll oblige him and give him a new start."
The crisis handling specialists all let out lighthearted laughs.
The supervisor clapped his hands, his expression turning serious: "Alright, jokes aside. You all know what to do in these scenarios, anyone who offends the company’s authority faces only one outcome."
"Team Seven, organize all personal information on the Edge Mercenary Corps, compile it entirely, and add it to the purge list."
Team Seven’s leader snapped his fingers: "Piece of cake."
Supervisor: "Team One, Team Six, Team Nine, your tasks are slightly more complex; gather all connections related to Su Mo."
"Whether his parents are alive, if he has children, any uncles or aunts, all direct and collateral relatives, anyone with a blood tie, compile them all and add them to the purge list, annihilate them all."
The leader of Team One raised his hand, jokingly: "I’ve looked into Su Mo before; he’s a loner of unknown origin, no relatives, no clan to eradicate."
The supervisor slowly said: "Then find his tenth clan, locate his partners, colleagues, friends, anyone he’s collaborated with, had financial dealings with, even if they just had a meal together or shook hands—compile it all."
"Anyone with even a slight connection to the death of Mr. Mammon’s esteemed son, add them entirely to the purge list, eradicate."
The leaders of Teams One, Six, and Nine sighed in unison: "Oh God, here goes another all-nighter."
The supervisor laughed: "Cheer up; there will be triple overtime pay."
He continued: "Team Two, once the purge list is compiled, liaise with the public relations department, get them to contact the New Moon City Council, and submit our purge list."
"Inform the City Council that the individuals on the purge list will all disappear, in a physical sense, and ensure news suppression and public opinion control is prepped in advance, so as not to scare our dear citizens."
The leader of Team Two shrugged: "I bet 500 mooncoins that Amir will complain big time to the company, we need to prepare enough money to appease him."
Supervisor: "Team Thirteen, contact the Razor Rapid Response Team, dispatch a fully assembled Razor Brigade to New Moon City, have those squad leaders with ’over-limit’ blood codes lead in person, leave no room for error, I don’t want to see any slip-ups, got it?"
The leader of Team Thirteen whistled, responding cheerfully: "Got it, though moving a thousand people in one go with such a high profile, shouldn’t we give a heads-up to the other two companies?"
Supervisor: "I’ll handle the communications with Iron Blood and Black Domain, just take care of your own tasks. Alright, those with tasks, carry them out; those without, continue your shift. Move it, move it!"
...
...
...
It was dawn, the sky yet to brighten, everything shrouded in haze.
Su Mo sat in his office, gazing at the whitening horizon.
His phone lay on the table beside him, connected on speaker.
Qi Ling’s voice came through the phone: "The time of day I love most is dawn. Every time I see the morning light break through the darkness, it gives me a sense of being alive."
Su Mo: "You’re just simply afraid of the dark, aren’t you?"
Qi Ling: "Oh come on, can’t you respond with something more poetic?"
Su Mo laughed softly, his tone turning serious: "Where are you now?"
Qi Ling: "Just crossed the river, watching the sunrise."
She paused, her voice becoming as gentle as the wind: "And thinking of you."
