Chapter 299 - 164: The Suicidal Guard

Chapter 299: Chapter 164: The Suicidal Guard

WHIRRR—

The three metal skulls flared with brilliant light. The runic wheels inside their eye sockets and mouths spun frantically, accelerating with a high-pitched hum as three eerie blue beams shot from their eyes and mouths, enveloping Yang Deyong and Kong Yu on the platform.

Both men shuddered violently, their faces contorting in pain as if invisible spikes were piercing their minds. They instinctively wanted to shut their eyes or struggle, but they were unable to move, bound by the force field. All they could do was grit their teeth and endure.

Yang Wenqing’s Divine Sense quietly spread out. To his perception, a vast and obscure special energy from the Inspiration World was being channeled by the three metal skulls, seeping like an invisible tide deep into Yang Deyong’s and Kong Yu’s consciousness.

However, Yang Wenqing could only sense the energy’s presence and operation, and even see the subtle ripples it created in the Inspiration World. But his Cultivation was only at the Marrow Cleansing Realm. He couldn’t trace the finer details of the process, let alone interfere with it directly.

Time passed amidst the silent, intense, and invisible struggle. The eerie blue beams of light shone continuously, and the humming of the metal skulls combined with the whirring of the runes filled the entire space.

Suddenly, the three eerie blue beams abruptly retracted.

The light in the metal skulls’ eyes swiftly dimmed. The spinning runic wheels jerked to a halt, finally falling silent. In the center of the room, the glow from the Crystal Stone returned to its original softness.

Finally, the force field restraining the two men vanished.

Yang Deyong let out a muffled groan, swaying for a moment before steadying himself. Kong Yu, on the other hand, dropped directly to one knee, gasping for breath with an unfocused gaze, clearly exhausted.

Wu Quan’s stooped figure stepped forward again. He carefully inspected the state of the runes on the wall, then checked the Spiritual Light feedback from an invisible monitoring Array above the platform.

A moment later, he turned to Yang Wenqing and said, "Bureau Chief, their memory structures are intact. There are no signs of passive tampering, no abnormal consciousness implantation, and their life consciousness is whole. We can confirm they are not puppets."

The tension that had been gripping Yang Wenqing eased slightly. He walked forward, helped Kong Yu to his feet, then looked at Yang Deyong, who was barely standing steady. "Thank you," he said.

Though exhausted, clarity had returned to both of their eyes. They visibly breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing Wu Quan’s conclusion.

"What happened today must not be mentioned to anyone once you leave this room," Yang Wenqing said, his tone serious. He then added, "Follow me."

He led the two back to the Bureau Chief’s office. After they were seated, he took a Sound Insulation Array from his Storage Bag and activated it. He then informed them of his plan to form a secret investigation team, stressing:

"Uncle Deyong, your primary criterion for selecting personnel from now on is that they must be ’clean.’ Once you have your preliminary candidates, bring them all to the top floor of the Folklore Division to have their identities verified. Captain Kong, put your Major Case Team duties on hold for now. I’ll speak to Team Liu about it."

"Yes, Patriarch!" "Yes, Bureau Chief!" the two replied in unison.

Yang Wenqing looked at Yang Deyong and instructed, "Uncle Deyong, go find Yang Yong. I’ve already had him register a company. You’ll use this company as a front to open a private detective agency. Don’t tell Yang Yong what the agency will actually be doing. If he has any questions, tell him to come see me." 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

He paused, his gaze sweeping over both of them. "You have only two days. In two days, I want an operational investigation team. Captain Kong, the team’s initial mission will be to secretly observe the Major Case Team’s entire investigation of the explosion."

Yang Wenqing stared at Kong Yu and said in a cold voice, "I want you to monitor every stage of this case’s progress, every person involved, and all the investigators associated with it."

"Your ultimate goal," Yang Wenqing concluded, "is to unearth the true mastermind behind the explosion and any moles who may have infiltrated our system. This is a necessary measure, so you shouldn’t have any psychological burden. Remember, your existence and mission are top secret. You will answer directly to me for everything."

When he was done, he looked at them and asked, "Any questions?"

Yang Deyong and Kong Yu exchanged a look, each seeing the gravity and determination in the other’s eyes.

"No questions. We will accomplish the mission."

"Good." Yang Wenqing nodded. "Go and prepare. Report directly to me if you run into any emergencies or situations you cannot resolve on your own. From this moment on, you are both temporarily relieved of your regular duties to focus solely on this matter."

"Yes, sir!"

The two men rose, accepted their orders with solemn expressions, and quietly exited the office.

The halo from the Sound Insulation Array quickly dissipated. Yang Wenqing sat alone in his large chair. Just as he was about to tackle the pile of documents on his desk, an encrypted call came in from Deputy Bureau Chief Wang Hai.

"Bureau Chief, the senior expert sent by the Provincial Hall has arrived. Director Liao is currently with him, surveying the terrain at the Port District site. After reviewing the blueprints and the location, the expert said the geological conditions are more complex than he anticipated. He needs to conduct some preliminary analysis, so the official start of the reconstruction is now set for three days from now. Also..."

Wang Hai’s voice carried a hint of inquiry. "For the first phase of the strategic reserve warehouse project, the Civil Affairs Bureau has scheduled a groundbreaking ceremony for ten in the morning. Director Liao wanted to know if you’ll have time to attend?"

Yang Wenqing mulled it over. ’The groundbreaking ceremony is mostly symbolic, and it’s the Civil Affairs Bureau’s show anyway,’ he thought, then responded:

"You and Director Liao should coordinate to provide full support for the ley line expert. However, make sure not to disturb his private cultivation. I won’t be attending the groundbreaking ceremony. You can go represent the bureau. Just be sure to emphasize our commitment to security and future cooperation."

"Yes, Bureau Chief," Wang Hai replied.

Just as he ended the call with Wang Hai, Yang Wenqing turned back to the files on his desk. But as he was about to start on them, the distinct sound of an argument erupted from outside his office. It sounded like Du Hong, the chief of the Mining District’s Public Security Post, was in a dispute.