Chapter 179: Unsettled Orders

The troops were redeployed once again, but this time the atmosphere was exceptionally grave.

When all radios were silenced and every communication device manually shut down, outsiders would have thought a military coup had taken over the Capital.

Inside the hall, everyone fixed their gaze on Zhang Meng, waiting for him to speak. If he failed to explain himself, they would undoubtedly impeach him later!

What kind of joke is this? They lock us down as if we’re nothing more than pawns!

“Come on, Commander Zhang, what exactly do you have to say?”

Hearing the Prime Minister’s relentless questioning, Zhang Meng’s expression turned steely as he wasted no time:

“Prime Minister, it’s quite simple—this all has to do with Yenir!”

“After Yenir clinched the first two rounds of trials, I kept wondering how, with his Willpower gift, he managed to pull it off!”

“Yes, it’s plausible that his talent is extraordinary – perhaps he really does possess an all-type potential!”

“But… can an all-type really secure the world’s top spot?”

“While SS-Level Awakeners are rare, they’re by no means in short supply globally! Every trial-top Awakener boasts an extreme gift of some sort!”

“Being versatile means being mediocre in everything! I believe every one of you here understands that well!”

“Take General Qin Feng for example! Just ask him about his speed!”

At the mention of his name, a flash of displeasure crossed General Qin Feng’s face.

He had to admit that Zhang Meng’s words were true. Despite his exceptional dual Strength and Body talent, speed was his greatest weakness.

Even with formidable close-combat power, he was least skilled at maneuvering and chasing.

No matter what he tried, he couldn’t overcome this shortcoming. Even third-stage Awakeners known for their speed could give him a run for his money.

Yenir exhibited no weakness in any aspect—practically perfect. This defied all logic.

“Commander Zhang, I don’t know what you’re about to say next,”

“but I can’t agree with a word you just said!”

“What, so you think that because Zhang Yang and Yenir are both SS-Level—Yenir grabs first place while Zhang Yang falls short—you believe Yenir shouldn’t be able to do it?”

“There are always those in this world who surpass all geniuses! Why shouldn’t Yenir be one of them?”

Catching the skeptical tone in Zhang Meng’s voice, Fang Hao retorted bluntly.

In his view, Zhang Meng had abruptly switched topics, his words laced with doubt about Yenir’s performance—as if he were undermining him.

Ridiculous!

No matter how much Zhang Meng doubted, it made no difference. As long as Yenir emerged, Fang Hao would rank him first no matter what he said! With the system’s confirmation of the world’s top spot, how could that ever be false? Zhang Meng’s approach at this moment filled him with deep contempt.

Not for any other reason, but because he too had been the subject of baseless doubts back in the day. There were always people eager to suppress others’ talents! Military warlord factions are nothing but a cancer!

They can’t stand genius, nor can they bear to see someone outshine them, fearing even a slight loss of power. He had once ignored such petty moves, but to see them executed right before his eyes?

Do they really think I’m a pushover!?

Listening to Fang Hao’s rebuke, Zhang Meng casually smiled as if he’d expected this:

“Chairman Fang, that’s a bit harsh.”

“You underestimate my tolerance, and you’ve painted me in a far worse light than I deserve.”

“I do admire Yenir, even feel proud of him! If Zhang Yang loses to him, it’s simply a matter of inferior skill!”

“It’s just… I’m not questioning the authenticity of Yenir’s achievements, but something else…”

Furrowing his brows, Li Xuanguo, witnessing the heavy tension between the two, was forced to raise his hand to silence Fang Hao.

“Chairman Fang, let’s hear Zhang Meng finish speaking first.”

“I’m sure Commander Zhang wouldn’t speak out of turn; he must have discovered something amiss.”

After speaking, Li Xuanguo silently glanced at Zhang Meng, urging him to stop wasting time. Every second of lockdown increased the risk to the entire Capital Military District’s stability. If mutated beings suddenly attacked the Safe Zone, it would spell disaster!

Feigning gratitude by casting a quick look at Li Xuanguo who had spoken on his behalf, Zhang Meng hurried to speak:

“Here’s the thing.”

“I believe Yenir’s talent is truly unique. His world-leading achievement wasn’t due to overwhelming ability—it was purely because he exploited a system loophole!”

“Be it the Strength Trial or the Physical Trial, he didn’t clear them by his own merit!”

“That would also explain why, despite his smooth run-up in the earlier trials, he stumbled during his signature Willpower Trial!”

“His talent is restricted—even rather weak!”

“Chairman, I swear to you—neither I nor the other high-ranking officials have concealed Yenir’s true talent! When he was tested, his results clearly confirmed his Willpower Type!”

“Imagine if he truly had a multi-type talent that was overwhelmingly powerful… then why wouldn’t we have openly spoken of it?!”

“The only possibility is…”

“He didn’t dare to say it, and he couldn’t speak of it!”

Before anyone could express their astonishment, Zhang Meng swiftly offered his own theory:

“Don’t think it’s impossible, everyone!”

“Remember? Sixteen years ago, there was an Awakener whose talent allowed him to temporarily replicate a system tool! Even though the duplicates were ineffective, they were enough to fool the replica NPCs!”

“With that ability, he almost exploited every replica to the extreme! He amassed a staggering amount of resources, and the North American Battle Zone gained nearly two hundred third-stage Awakeners overnight!”

“It wasn’t until that Awakener attempted to complete a system task that the system ‘detected’ him and triggered his erasure immediately!”

“Do you all remember that global announcement?”

As his words faded, shock and contemplation rippled through the crowd. Many instantly recalled the time when a system-wide announcement echoed globally. During that erasure, the system unleashed a beam of light that obliterated that third-stage Awakener before millions of witnesses. The sheer terror of the moment nearly shattered the resolve of every Awakener present!

That was the only time a system loophole had been publicly exposed to survivors, reminding everyone that while the system might be almost godlike, it was not infallible.

Of course, nothing like that had ever happened again—not publicly, at least.

Thus, no one had ever considered this angle before.

Did Yenir really exploit a loophole? Is that why his performance is so abnormal, rather than relying solely on his own strength?

After a long breath, Zhang Meng, satisfied, looked around at the stunned and deep-thinking crowd.

He had to clear his own name. In truth, he hadn’t done much wrong. If Yenir indeed achieved the world’s top rank by exploiting the system instead of sheer power, then who really deserved first place? The answer was still up in the air.

To put it bluntly, if Yenir ever emerged, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him imprisoned!

Remember how that Awakener who discovered the loophole met his fate? He was forced by the North American Battle Zone’s high-ups to constantly test the loophole. The resources from replicas alone couldn’t satisfy their greed, and in the end, the poor guy was compelled to farm task resources until he met a grisly end!

When absolute interests are at play, any pretense of morality crumbles!

If a loophole truly exists that can be exploited…

“Then, excuse me…”

“Yenir, please…”

“Sacrifice yourself for the country!”