Chapter 397 - 363: Trust and Determination

Chapter 397: Chapter 363: Trust and Determination

Alarms blared in front of the Sisiya administrative building.

The security department had arrived on the scene immediately after the attack.

In the first-floor lobby, the director of the Sisiya Security Bureau was loudly berating the building’s guards.

"How could you useless trash be so incompetent? How could you let an attack like this happen here?!"

One of the guards protested aggrievedly, "Director Valery, the assailants were hiding in their car. They only popped out of the sunroof to fire the rocket when they were close to the building. We didn’t have time to stop them..."

"Shut up! You dare make excuses for your dereliction of duty? Seize him!"

Two burly men in sunglasses standing beside Valery stepped forward and pinned the guard down. Just then, Yelena stepped out of the elevator.

"What are you doing?"

"Ah, Governor."

Valery’s expression changed in an instant, his flushed face plastering on a sycophantic smile.

"This attack was clearly aimed at you. Letting the culprits succeed was a dereliction of duty on the part of the building’s security. I will have all these incompetent fools replaced. The Bureau’s elites will guard you instead."

Yelena frowned slightly, glancing at the guard pinned to the floor.

"Very well. But there’s no need to punish them. It wasn’t intentional."

"Yes, Governor, you are too kind," Valery said. "As for those two criminals who don’t know their place, I will take them in for intensive interrogation. I’ll make sure they confess everything."

"I’ll have Sikokun handle the interrogation of those two. The Security Bureau can start by investigating the nearby surveillance footage."

"Sikokun will be in charge of the interrogation..."

"Surely Director Valery hasn’t forgotten that she came from the criminal investigation division of the Public Security Bureau? Interrogating two criminals should be well within her capabilities."

"Ah, of course." A look of realization dawned on Valery’s face as he slapped his forehead. "How could I have forgotten? I’m truly ashamed. I’ll get started on the investigation right away."

With that, Valery started for the door. After a few steps, however, he stopped, turned his head, and smiled. "I heard that the Governor’s new guard caught the two criminals in the car before they even made it down the street. Quite impressive. It seems that besides Sikokun, the Governor has found another capable subordinate."

Yelena’s expression was indifferent. "The situation is murky. We must be careful. You may go."

"Yes, Governor..."

Valery turned and left, the smile vanishing from his face in an instant.

On a balcony on the second floor, Guan Tong and Shangyuan Zi stood watching as Valery climbed into a car on his thick legs. The numerous burly men in sunglasses who followed him also got into their vehicles and drove away.

"What do you think?" Guan Tong asked.

"Doesn’t seem like a good guy," Shangyuan Zi said, her assessment simple and direct.

"Valery, the director of the Sisiya Security Bureau... There’s definitely something wrong with him. But Yelena doesn’t have any concrete evidence right now, so she can’t make a move against him directly."

Shangyuan Zi was a bit confused. "But she’s the Governor, right? The most powerful person in the country? Can’t she just replace him with someone else?"

"The Sisiya Security Bureau is a special case. I heard Yelena mention before that it operates independently of the administration. It has the authority to supervise and enforce laws over the entire administrative system, including the Governor. The director can only be chosen through a multi-party vote."

"I can’t believe it..."

Guan Tong explained, "From what I understand, the people of Sisiya are very supportive of this system. The governorship of Sisiya is passed down through a family line. The last governor was Yelena’s father, and the right of succession for this generation was contested between Yelena and her brother, Rijeka."

"The Security Bureau was established with the intention of being responsible only for national security, not for the Governor. So if there’s evidence that the Governor has done something to undermine national security, the Bureau has the right to hold them accountable... But this Valery doesn’t seem like such a selfless public servant."

Hearing this, Shangyuan Zi asked, "So, you’re saying this Valery originally supported Rijeka, and now that Yelena is Governor, he’s planning to move against her?"

"It’s unclear. But a fox will always show its tail. I think this attack was a probe to test the waters. Yelena’s enemies will surface soon enough."

"...That must be so difficult for her," Shangyuan Zi said after a moment of silence, recalling the nickname Yelena had wanted to change. "She wants to be the ’sword’ that protects this country, yet she has to guard against attacks from within."

"The Governor’s seat was never going to be an easy one to fill," Guan Tong said. "Since she chose this path, she’ll face one difficulty after another... But with us here to help, things should be a little better."

"Yeah."

"She’s back in her office. Let’s go, too."

Guan Tong and Shangyuan Zi returned to Yelena’s office. Although it had been hit by a rocket, Guan Tong had used a Shadow Wall to contain the explosion at the window.

As a result, aside from the shattered windowpanes, the interior was largely undamaged.

More than half an hour had passed since the attack. The broken glass had been cleaned up, and Yelena was sitting in her chair, a dark expression on her face.

When she saw Guan Tong and Shangyuan Zi enter, she told them about her conversation with Valery.

"Replacing the guards with his own Security Bureau agents... It seems his intentions are not what they appear," Guan Tong said.

"I thought so, too."

"So you agreed to it, hoping to lure the snake out of its hole?"

"Yes. With you as my teachers, I’m not worried about my own safety. Besides, I can fight myself." Yelena was very confident about this.

Guan Tong knew this was true. Judging from the talent Yelena had shown at the academy, combined with the resources her status afforded her, her overall strength could definitely rank among the first-rate Ascenders, perhaps even the top-tier ones.

"However..."

Yelena looked at Guan Tong.

"Teacher, I think they might figure out that my new guard is ’Shadow’."

"Oh?"

"Regarding Rijeka’s death, they all think I sent someone to assassinate him. But to infiltrate the heavily-guarded Icefield Prison without attracting any attention, carry out the assassination, and then leave without a trace... only an extremely powerful Ascender could do that."

Yelena continued, "After that, you, Teacher, disguised yourself as a soldier and entered the Landing Site. Everything was fine until the Parasites launched a surprise attack, forcing you to act and revealing your identity... They would naturally assume you could only have been lurking in the Landing Site with my permission. Otherwise, the on-site Commander, Sikokun, would have certainly discovered you."

"Then, shortly after, I gain a mysterious, highly skilled guard. If they connect the dots, they’ll definitely suspect my new guard is ’Shadow’."

After listening, Guan Tong nodded. "A good point. If I were your enemy, I would draw the same conclusion."

"Then, Teacher, if you were my enemy and came to that conclusion, what would you do next?"

"Hmm... ’Shadow’ is a world-renowned master. Defeating him isn’t impossible, but it would require sending many experts and having a meticulous plan to be safe. If they decide against using force, they might try to approach him in secret, to bribe or turn him."

Shangyuan Zi remarked, "That sounds pretty reasonable."

Yelena nodded. "Defeat or turn my teacher... yes, the enemy has those two options... If they choose to try and turn you, Teacher, I hope you’ll play along."

Guan Tong looked at her. "Aren’t you afraid that if they offer a high enough price, I really might be turned?"

Yelena shook her head gently, her gaze firm. "If there are people in this world I can absolutely trust, you, Teacher, are definitely one of them."

"..."

Guan Tong hadn’t expected someone with Yelena’s rather cold personality to say something like that. After a moment of silence, he agreed.

"Alright. If the enemy tries to contact me, I’ll do my best to get to the bottom of their plans. But... Yelena, sometimes a person can’t be too bound by the rules."

"...I understand what you mean, Teacher. When the time comes, I won’t rule out using force to annihilate the entire Security Bureau and any other enemies."

The killing intent in Yelena’s eyes was almost tangible. Even Guan Tong couldn’t help but admire her determination.

’It makes sense,’ he thought. ’She’s not even twenty years old yet. Her calmness and restraint are things she has to work to maintain. Impulsiveness and brutality are the true colors of someone her age, especially after everything she’s been through.’

’For a moment, Guan Tong actually felt sorry for those who had made an enemy of Yelena.’

’They probably think her composure is just an act—that she’s a weakling who doesn’t dare flip the table, someone trying to secure her position as Governor by diligently upholding the rules.’

’In reality, the truth was likely the polar opposite of what they imagined.’

’The reality was more likely that Yelena’s efforts to maintain order and find evidence according to the rules were just her way of suppressing her inner rage—suppressing the urge to be the one who flips the table.’

’If one day she decides to stop holding back, her enemies might be the ones begging to play by the rules...’