Chapter 278: Tensions Over the First Sequence

He was suddenly frozen in place.

Cheng Yuan stood there, mouth agape, as an unnamed fury surged in his mind.

He had expected his opponent might exploit the failed mission to come after him—after all, the Special Operations Group enjoyed the best gear—and many within the Military had long had their eyes on him.

But he had never imagined that these people would not only seize the opportunity to attack him but also plot against Yenir!

“You guys are going too far!”

“We still don’t know if he’s dead! Discussing the First Sequence at a time like this—isn’t that excessive?”

He exploded in anger.

Cheng Yuan clenched his fists tightly, glaring furiously at his accusers.

In his heart, he believed that Yenir’s joining the Special Operations Group was his own idea! They’re his subordinates—if he doesn’t protect them, who will?!

Sure, in theory, if Yenir were to die, the new First Sequence slot couldn’t just be left empty.

But doing it this way was utterly demoralizing!

If Yenir died as the First Sequence, his family would still receive the promised benefits, and the Military wouldn’t likely reclaim what had been given out—in fact, special protection would be arranged.

But stripping him of his First Sequence status would downgrade his death to that of an ordinary Third-Stage mid-level case!

“General Cheng, please calm down.”

“The First Sequence is our rising star—it represents the Military’s honor in its own way.”

“Don’t you think we should replace him while this news is still under wraps? Would you really want to wait until it spreads?”

“Think about it—how will the public react? How will neighboring Battle Zones ridicule us?”

“So, the Huaxia Battle Zone’s First Sequence died on his very first mission? After we held that genius in such high esteem, he was just taken out like that?”

“Have you any idea what a blow to our morale that would be!”

“And as far as I know, once Yenir was promoted to the First Sequence, he drew in massive resources from the Military—many were rare supplies!”

“Are we really just going to let him keep them?”

“In my view, we should recover them immediately and use the time to groom the next candidate!”

“I believe Wang Kai, the son of the Military Supply Department’s deputy director, is ideal. He was already in the Second Sequence.”

He said this with an expression that showed no trace of fear.

Those seated opposite, led by Lu Tianming, calmly expressed their stance.

What a joke.

If we don’t finalize the new sequence now, many will be jockeying for position later. As members of the same faction as Wang Chu, they naturally wanted to seize this opportunity!

Inside the conference room, as many high-ranking officials watched the meeting digress into factional disputes, a heavy silence fell over everyone.

Lu Tianming’s faction was acting by the book—exactly as the rules dictated.

It was just a bit unscrupulous.

But that was none of their business.

Chances were that Yenir had already gotten into trouble. With no personal stakes involved, they saw no need to speak up for him and risk stirring up more issues.

Cheng Yuan sat there, mouth agape, his face twisted in dismay.

The silence from everyone, as if in tacit agreement, filled him with a deep sorrow.

He pounded his fists on the conference table. Though he had a lot to say, facing Lu Tianming and the others left him with no justification to counter their points.

After a long pause, he gritted his teeth and managed to force out a few words:

“Ladies and—”

“The mission isn’t over yet!”

“Are you all really that certain?!”

“What if they show up?! Won’t that be utterly demoralizing?”

Listening to Cheng Yuan’s challenges, everyone lowered their heads awkwardly, as though it wasn’t their concern.

At the head of the table, Commissar Hu, silent until now, sighed internally before speaking in a somber tone:

“Enough.”

“Let’s put this matter on hold for now.”

“Once Yenir dies, we will indeed need to reconsider the First Sequence—but only when we are absolutely sure!”

“And let’s stop blaming this mission’s failure on anyone!”

“Don’t forget, Yenir went on the mission on the Prime Minister’s orders! Do you really think it’s the Prime Minister’s fault?!”

Hu Zhiping cast a cold glance at Lu Tianming and the others, his eyes laced with discontent.

Yes, we can squabble!

But when it comes to assigning blame, under no circumstances can the Prime Minister be implicated!

Yenir was highly regarded by the Prime Minister, and the First Sequence had been designated by Li Xuanguo! To use Yenir’s case to attack political opponents, you’d have to avoid implying that Yenir himself was at fault. Otherwise, wouldn’t that be an insult to Li Xuanguo?

With Hu Zhiping setting the tone, Lu Tianming casually smiled, signaling that he had no such intentions.

Yet as the meeting continued, he discreetly nodded toward a woman attending as an observer.

Unnoticed by the others, Wanrou’s eyes flashed with a hint of malice.

Her still slightly swollen face radiated a twisted satisfaction.

…………….

“Director Wang, allow me to congratulate you in advance.”

“I’m sure your son, Wang Kai, will shine brilliantly once he regains the First Sequence!”

After the meeting, in the corridor.

Lu Tianming, smiling, casually congratulated a stout middle-aged man.

“Oh, not at all, not at all.”

“It was also Committee Member Lu who spoke in my favor. Otherwise, this matter would have been a real headache.”

He was in high spirits.

The man known as Director Wang beamed broadly and couldn’t help but pull his beloved son aside, urging Wang Kai to show his gratitude.

Ever since hearing that Yenir might have encountered trouble during the mission, he had immediately leveraged his connections to get the top brass to back him up.

And judging by the results, it had worked perfectly.

He never imagined that Yenir had made so many enemies—so many that several high-ranking officials even willingly sided with him.

Unable to contain his excitement, Wang Kai, following closely by his father’s side, felt his heart surge with exhilaration.

He never expected to have the chance to secure the First Sequence!

Yenir was dead. Zhang Yang was dead.

And yet, he managed to climb to the top! The oppressive weight of the past days vanished instantly, leaving him ecstatic.

But then…

A trace of worry clouded his eyes.

“Uncle Lu, is Yenir really dead?”

“What if he isn’t? If he comes back and finds out what we did—knowing his temperament, wouldn’t that be catastrophic?”

A faint unease still lingered in his heart.

Instinctively, Wang Kai recalled a fleeting moment from the deathmatch.

That madman was not only insanely powerful but also vindictive to a fault! He couldn’t forget the moment Zhang Yang died! He was desperate for the First Sequence! But if Yenir isn’t truly dead, then he’s in for a world of trouble!

Letting out a soft laugh, Lu Tianming nonchalantly patted the still-tense Wang Kai on the shoulder:

“What are you worrying about?”

“Even though everyone keeps saying Yenir might not be dead and that we should wait, deep down we all know the guy is as good as dead!”

“Seventy high-level Third-Stage ambushes! Not to mention, even a seasoned Third-Stage officer would be done for if he went in!”

“If that guy could have come out, he would have by now.”

As he spoke, Lu Tianming shook his head with a hint of disdain:

“A genius? He’s nothing special… Doomed or not, he’s dead. What a pity about the equipment he was about to secure.”

“High-ranking officials pinning their hopes on a newly minted Third-Stage kid to perform miracles—isn’t that a bit naive? I wonder what those elders were thinking.”

Unrestrained in his discontent, Lu Tianming let out a bitter laugh.

Here he was—a senior Third-Stage officer who had never even managed to secure a full set of gear—and he had clawed his way up to this position through countless trials and hard work.

He had long resented Yenir’s meteoric rise.