Chapter 267: The Most Ideal Situation

Su Yuqing fell silent for a moment before saying, “I’m a little worried. Could this kind of publicity backfire?”

“The higher-ups were also surprised by the level of hype it generated. In fact, there have been a few other heroic acts of repelling Alien Species in the last couple of days, but none of them have garnered as much attention as Feng Ling,” Pei Xianjue said with a smile. “Perhaps it’s a matter of timing. After Captain Ye Zheng’s sacrifice, the public is desperate for another powerful warrior to emerge, which is why the media hype surrounding Feng Ling remains so high.”

Su Yuqing nodded. “The hype is frighteningly high. It makes me worried that online public opinion will spiral out of control, which is why I pressed you with a few more questions. I hope I’m just worrying over nothing.” ℯ

“It looks to me like the higher-ups are pleased to see this public furor build, aren’t they?” Pei Xianjue said meaningfully. “The number of cases of people being smuggled out of the country has been on the rise lately.”

“I understand,” Su Yuqing said politely. “I’ve taken up so much of your time. I hope I haven’t interfered with your work?”

“Of course not.” Pei Xianjue adopted a very humble tone. “Captain Su, if you have any questions, feel free to contact me or Captain Shen at any time. We’re all colleagues; it’s only natural that we help each other out.”

The two exchanged a few more pleasantries before finally ending the call.

Su Yuqing put down his phone and let out a slight sigh of relief. “Pei Xianjue is smarter than I thought.”

Zhou Diao, who had been perched on the edge of Su Yuqing’s desk listening to the entire call, asked in confusion, “Smart how?”

Su Yuqing glanced up at him. “The moment I brought the topic up, she said she had gone out of her way to ask about Feng Ling. That was her way of telling me she’s just as concerned about Feng Ling as we are, establishing that we’re on the same side. Then she told me about the smuggling cases, and even said it’s only right that we help each other. She handled all the pleasantries for me.”

Zhou Diao couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “I’ll never get you people and your roundabout ways. Why can’t you just say things plainly!”

Then he asked, “So what’s the story with those smuggling cases Pei Xianjue mentioned?”

“The ones being smuggled are probably Alien Species,” Su Yuqing said. “You’ve seen nature documentaries, right? Lions, cheetahs, or Hyenas—any carnivore—when they find food growing scarce in their territory, or their natural predators increasing, will try to migrate elsewhere. It’s the same for the Alien Species.”

Zhou Diao grinned at this. “Ha! So our hard work is paying off! The Inspectors have squeezed the Alien Species’ operational space, and now with all the fanfare around the Hunter project, they’re scared shitless!”

Su Yuqing nodded slightly. “It’s definitely having an impact. The breach of the Sanqing Mountain Maze, the clearing of Daling Forest, and the raids on the two Alien Species nests at the Mengjia Hotel and that KTV—I’m sure news of this string of events is spreading and being discussed within the Alien Species’ communities. It’s only natural they’d want to find new hunting grounds.”

“That’s good news, isn’t it? So why was Pei Xianjue being so cagey about it?” Zhou Diao asked bluntly.

Su Yuqing shot him a look and shook his head in resignation. “It’s good news for us, but not necessarily for our neighbors. If word gets out, it would be bad for our international image.”

“Are we wrong for working hard to fight the Alien Species and defend our country? Tsk. If anyone’s to blame, it’s their own incompetent Inspectors,” Zhou Diao said, his expression cold.

Su Yuqing leaned back in his office chair and sighed wistfully. “Not every country has the ability to fight back. Some are already mired in internal conflict; it’s hard for them to muster the strength to resist an invasion by Alien Species.”

Zhou Diao had no patience for this. “Whatever. I’m just focused on my own little corner of the world—on protecting Qingjiang. I don’t care about the rest, and I can’t do anything about it anyway. You should stop worrying about things you can’t control, too!”

Just then, a special ringtone sounded.

Zhou Diao picked up his phone. The screen displayed a city map with a single red dot flashing on it.

At the same time, a dispatcher’s clear voice came through the phone: “A resident at 23 East Border Road has reported a creature, suspected to be a Pollution Body, attacking a pedestrian. Requesting the inspection team proceed to the target location immediately.”

“Copy that. We’ll be there in ten,” Zhou Diao said, turning on his heel and hurrying out of the office without another word to Su Yuqing.

Su Yuqing was left alone in the office.

He sat quietly in his chair, his gaze drifting to the picture frame on his desk. It held a photo of him and Ye Zheng.

He wanted to get a better look at Ye Zheng and sat up, reaching for the frame. As the angle shifted, the glass surface reflected his own head of stark white hair.

Su Yuqing’s hand froze in midair. After a few seconds, he slowly drew it back, a wry smile touching his lips.

‘You’ve changed, and I have too.’

‘Please come back soon…’

…

……

By the third day, there was still no news of Feng Ling or Ye Zheng, and Su Yuqing’s fears were finally realized.

The tide of public opinion had begun to turn.

Perhaps the expectations had been too high to withstand failure, because the mood shifted from eager anticipation to the fury of crushed hopes.

People started questioning Feng Ling, questioning the Guangshan City branch, and even questioning the entire inspection system.

Zhou Diao had dealt with a few Pollution Bodies the previous night and had been in a great mood. But after scrolling through the news that morning, he flew into a rage and stormed back into Su Yuqing’s office—

“What the hell is going on?! Is the Public Relations Department asleep at the wheel?!” Zhou Diao whipped out his phone. “Look at how people are trashing us online!”

His phone screen prominently displayed a user’s comment:

Momo: These Inspectors are lazy as hell!

Zhou Diao was livid. “I’m running myself ragged every single day! And this guy dares to call me lazy! Me?! Lazy?! HUH?!!!”

Su Yuqing was on a call and couldn’t placate him. He turned away and spoke into the phone, “Yes… I’m hoping the Public Relations Department can intervene. The negative impact is getting too severe… What meeting?… Understood. Thank you for your work. I’ll make sure to manage morale on my end.”

Su Yuqing hung up.

Zhou Diao got right in his face again, practically shoving the phone at him. “Have the IT guys track this guy’s IP address! Arrest this ‘Momo’ and lock him up for twenty days!”

“That’s enough!” Su Yuqing snapped, exasperated. “The whole internet is trashing us right now. Are we supposed to arrest all of them?! Just calm down. The Public Relations Department will intervene.”

“Intervene how? Intervene when?” Zhou Diao, his hair a mess, was like a snarling, ruffled poodle. “They push us to the front lines when it’s time to risk our lives, and they push us out to take the heat when people get angry! Are Inspectors really that damn disposable?!”

“Calm down!” Su Yuqing’s head was throbbing. “I already asked about it. There are multiple reasons why public opinion has shifted like this. We may work diligently every day, but you have to understand that the inspection system’s coverage is limited. There are still many cities without any Inspectors at all. The public’s built-up anger needs an outlet. You have to give them some time!”

Zhou Diao took a deep breath and asked Su Yuqing, “How long will it take?”

“Maybe two or three days…” Su Yuqing sat down, rubbing his forehead. His voice was low. “If we intervene now, it’ll be like throwing water into a pot of hot oil—it will only make things worse. We wait until the public has vented most of its frustration. Then, the Inspection Bureau will release the list of Inspectors who’ve been sacrificed recently, play the sympathy card, bring in a few experts to make statements, and guide the narrative…”

Su Yuqing sighed and closed his eyes. “Of course, the ideal scenario would be for Ye Zheng and Feng Ling to walk out of that Maze.”