Chapter 986: Chapter 774: Before Dawn (2)
In the silence, a sudden vibration came from within his embrace.
His phone.
A secure call from the Astronomical Society was incoming.
A series of subtle impacts continued to remind him.
But this wasn’t the channel Ai Qing originally used; it was another unfamiliar call from a different division—directly replacing Ai Qing’s original band through higher authority and sending a communication request.
The vibrations repeated, and the red alert on the screen flashed.
Reminding him of the seriousness of the situation.
"Hello, who’s this?" Huai Shi answered the call.
A previously unheard low voice replied, hoarse and somber: "This is the Manager of the Yingzhou Branch of the Jurisdiction Bureau—LeNe Yusheng."
Huai Shi frowned.
It wasn’t the caller’s identity that shocked him but a growing sense of unease.
The high-profile Manager of the Yingzhou Branch, the main person in charge of the Jurisdiction Bureau’s Asian Decision Room in Yingzhou, bypassed Ai Qing and directly contacted a mere tool like him?
This was completely out of procedure.
Moreover, Ai Qing was directly responsible to the Asian Decision Room of the Jurisdiction Bureau, and the two weren’t even within the same system. What was his intention in contacting him?
Huai Shi paused for a moment in silence and asked, "Should I address you as Minister Yusheng or Minister Le Ne?"
"It doesn’t matter how you address me. I’m contacting you just to inform you of one thing."
LeNe Yusheng stated, "Inspector Huai Shi, I am now issuing a formal command in the name of the Yingzhou Branch: cease all activities within the Tanbo Inner Circle and withdraw from Yingzhou."
He said, "Your mission is complete."
"..."
In the long silence, Huai Shi stood there dumbfounded.
Motionless like a wooden chicken.
"What... do you mean?" he asked.
"In the literal sense, stop everything you’re doing, clear all relations, leave Kyoto, and report to the Yingzhou Branch. A border express to London awaits you, and by noon today, you can return to the Ivory Tower..."
Le Ne hadn’t finished before Huai Shi interrupted him.
No longer maintaining surface politeness and calm, Huai Shi coldly questioned, "You’re saying, let me ignore what’s happening right in front of me?"
"This isn’t something you should be concerned with, Mr. Huai Shi."
Yusheng retorted: "From the start, this task which was neither filed in the Yingzhou Branch nor granted my permission doesn’t possess any legitimacy!
As a subordinate organization of the Decision Room, the Yingzhou Branch isn’t qualified to interfere with national sovereignty!"
"Ha!"
Huai Shi laughed, almost unable to suppress his anger, angrily questioning, "Isn’t it precisely due to the Yingzhou Branch’s inaction that things evolved to this state?"
"Huai Shi, this is none of your business." Yusheng lost patience: "Reiterating once more, Huai Shi, before the Yingzhou government questions the Jurisdiction Bureau’s interference with sovereignty, cease all actions within the Tanbo Inner Circle and withdraw from Yingzhou."
Huai Shi’s gaze gradually grew colder.
"Sorry, Minister Yusheng, whether as Xinhai Prosecutor of Dongxia or as a teacher of the Ivory Tower Exchange Group, you seem to lack the authority and capability to command me."
He coldly replied: "I am not your subordinate, nor do I need to care about your orders."
"No, now you are."
LeNe Yusheng said: "Five minutes ago, Ai Qing had her duties suspended due to her overreaching actions and refusal to cooperate with investigations. You’ve now been placed within the deployment range of the Yingzhou Branch.
From just now until now, although I dislike your actions, I have maintained enough restraint and politeness, hoping not to let things become unpleasant for everyone.
No matter what you’re doing in my jurisdiction, if you ignore the warning, I have the right to conduct a search and pursuit against your violations. I hope you can be self-aware...
"Then come and get me!"
Huai Shi interrupted him and told him word by word, "Why so much nonsense? Do you also moonlight as an editor?
I’m right here, LeNe Yusheng. I’m not going anywhere. If you’re unhappy, then why not hold it in? Did you really think everyone indulges you?
Trash—"
Without waiting for another word, Huai Shi threw down the phone, pulled out a pistol, and repeatedly pulled the trigger.
Until eventually, the fragment on the ground no longer showed the state of the phone.
In this brief dead silence, all members of the Huaizhi Gang raised their heads in bewilderment, never having seen their leader so furious, like a beast wanting to kill something.
The terrifying killing intent almost condensed into substance.
But soon, it quickly dissipated...
He regained his composure again, only turning back, softly instructing, "Bring the people, let’s go, Ueno."
"Where are we going?" Ueno rose to follow.
"To where we should be."
Huai Shi bowed his head, looking at the key left by Tobio in his hand, slowly grasping it tightly: "Couldn’t hold back anymore..."
.
.
The long night seemed endless, with only fire burning and the sound of collapse spreading.
Before dawn, in the world’s darkest moment.
The refugees curled up in the ruins heard the distant sound of low footsteps, nervously hiding in places the beams couldn’t reach, fearfully peeking.
But soon, accompanied by the sound of heavy vehicles moving, those footsteps grew nearer.
Under the car rooftop lights, everything seemed to turn into daylight, the dense footsteps overshadowing the rainstorm. Where they passed, all sounds of struggle vanished in an instant.
