Chapter 334: Shifting Loyalties

A silent exchange of glances.

In the silence, Liang Lie paused briefly and looked into Yenir’s earnest, weary eyes—a rare flicker of hesitation crossing his mind.

Nothing about this warranted his concern.

Trained as a special operative for the Military, his duty was to follow orders without question.

If the highest authorities ordered him to protect Yenir, then he would; if told to act, he would act.

In his view, Yenir was merely a mission objective, nothing more.

The very fact he hesitated even for a moment spoke volumes about everything Yenir had done.

He hadn’t witnessed any arrogance or recklessness—instead, it was clear that the youth always maintained his composure, fully aware of his actions.

Every move had a purpose; the objective was unmistakably clear.

He even thought that if Yenir blew up the East Sea, it could be justified—there might be reasons hidden beneath it all.

Noticing Liang Lie’s hesitation, Yenir let out a quiet sigh and quickly spoke up:

“Uncle Liang, the Capital surely didn’t order you to kill me, did it?”

“Even if they want to take me back, there’s no violent coercion—unless I try to escape or defy orders!”

“Alright, I’ll come with you. But I’m injured and will be slow. That won’t be a problem, will it?”

Yenir clenched his fists as he rapidly rattled off his words.

For him, the only problem now was Liang Lie.

Yes—Liang Lie was his protector, but in a way, he was also the Military’s watchdog over him! The entire plan was up in the air, and the only variable was Liang Lie!

If Liang Lie took him back prematurely, any further mishap at the East Sea—or anything else—would spell disaster!

Moreover, unless he stopped Fang Hao, Ming Luo and the others would also fall under control!

Yenir hadn’t forgotten that the researcher with the surname Sun he’d tracked was still at large!

As for Sun Li Cheng, he had to be brought back to the Capital personally, with not a single slip-up.

Seeing Yenir use a feigned excuse to avoid action, Liang Lie lifted his eyelids, a strange emotion flickering in his eyes.

Indeed.

Under pressure from the Prime Minister, they had indeed demanded that he bring Yenir back immediately.

And ensure that Ming Luo and the others were also kept in check.

The Military’s message was plain: they could no longer let Yenir meddle in the East Sea affair. Even if Yenir stayed idle, Fang Hao would act.

But…

“Fine.”

His voice came out hoarse.

Silently, Liang Lie stood behind Yenir, almost reverting to the slight stoop of a middle-aged man, matching his every step.

Nearby, Ming Luo and several others watching how Yenir had artfully convinced Liang Lie not to act felt a tremendous relief.

Although they knew that if Yenir attempted to run, the middle-aged man would not hesitate to strike, it was still better than being under strict control.

Yet no one noticed that deep in Liang Lie’s downcast eyes, a peculiar emotion was growing heavier.

He had once protected that man.

And he had even killed him by his own hand.

………….

Capital Military District, Lounge.

Behind closed doors, uproarious laughter erupted.

In the smoke-filled lounge, Lu Tianming, seated on a sofa, burst into hearty laughter after hearing his subordinate’s report—a laughter laced with unexpected scorn.

“Idiot! Absolute idiot!”

“How can there be such a fool in this world!”

“Who does he think he is? Does he really believe the Military will always put up with him?”

He laughed as if tears might spill over.

Lu Tianming stretched his legs with satisfaction and took a leisurely sip of tea, as the gloom in his heart dissipated.

“Blow up the East Sea? And do it right in front of the Military!”

“Impressive! That kid almost played himself to death—I never saw it coming.”

Setting his teacup down, Lu Tianming shook his head with a mix of resignation and amusement as his gaze swept over the equally ecstatic others.

What do they mean by fortunes turning around? What is this unexpected delight?!

This is it!

Ten minutes ago, everyone had been worried and irate.

They had believed Yenir was behind blowing up Hu—a coup, forged orders—but then the Sea Beast actually appeared! The Military instantly reversed its stance, ignoring Yenir’s past actions, and hoisted him up as commander.

Meanwhile, they were reduced to clowns—given a resounding slap in the face.

In this situation, who wouldn’t be frustrated?!

Seeing Yenir return to the Capital with immense prestige for ‘saving’ the East Sea, those who had rebelled now faced inevitable retribution. Their position was precarious…

Especially Wang Chu—if not killed, he’d be stripped down to nothing. That ruthless kid would force the Authorities to deal with him.

But for now…

“Committee Member Lu, I heard that over forty officials lost their lives in this explosion.”

“Not only that, but the kid left no room whatsoever—not even sparing a node! The East Sea can’t be rebuilt now!”

“Where did he get the nerve? How can he be so utterly ruthless?!”

Spittle flew as he spoke.

With fear in their eyes, his subordinates expressed their astonishment.

They had never seen anyone pull off such a feat.

Just the thought of Yenir’s even greater arrogance made them shudder. If that kid wasn’t eliminated or neutralized, who could bear the wrath of his revenge?!

“It’s natural. They must have thought that the Military implicitly approved his chaos, assuming he could do anything he wanted.”

“Wasn’t it mentioned in the intelligence? The Military gave him command, though with some oversight.”

“That kid, feeling disrespected, was bound to rebel.”

“Giving him command but not letting him actually command is an insult, Yenir!”

“So he simply went and blew up the East Sea, just to vent his displeasure!”

Lu Tianming shook his head and scoffed; he could already picture Yenir’s entire emotional journey.

“Young, arrogant, and overconfident! He would never tolerate a challenge!”

He probably never realized that the Capital’s command was just a figurehead—to soften the blow of the East Sea disaster.

In truth, how could the Military really let Yenir command? It was merely a title!

“Committee Member Lu, what are we going to do now?”

Suppressing their exhilaration, they exchanged glances and nodded in agreement with Lu Tianming’s analysis.

Indeed, most within the Authorities thought the same, which infuriated the higher-ups. Waves of impeachment orders forced even the Prime Minister to repeatedly command that Yenir be brought back!

“What’s the plan?”

Lu Tianming sneered and replied coolly:

“A meeting will be convened shortly. The Authorities can’t stay quiet any longer.”

“Previously, the Military handled matters alone to avoid escalation. But now, with the East Sea gone, who would dare suppress this news?”

“Now is our chance. Let’s contact the high-ups associated with the East Sea and reach out to representatives from several nearby Safe Zones.”

“After all, didn’t Yenir kill over forty people?”

“I heard those over forty were upstanding officials, left behind to rescue survivors…”

“With such a pretext, if we don’t neutralize that kid now, we might never get another opportunity like this.”

By this point, Lu Tianming’s contempt could not be hidden any longer. He stood abruptly:

“With the East Sea blown up, no matter how many heroic feats Yenir racked up, they mean nothing!”

“The loss of a Safe Zone is as significant as his own worth!”

“If we don’t seize this moment and eliminate him while anger is high, it would be a grave mistake.”

His gaze fixed on the stocky middle-aged man clenching his fists as Lu Tianming murmured:

“Alright, Director Wang Chu, you must be relieved now, right?”

“Dispose of Yenir and no one will ever know what you did. You might not realize that not long ago, Yenir reached out to his family about supplies… you get my drift, don’t you?”

Faced with Lu Tianming’s threats and reminders, Director Wang Chu nodded heavily.

He understood exactly what Lu Tianming was implying.

It was nothing more than a setup for him to launch a full-scale ‘assault’ at the next meeting!

There was a high probability that Yenir knew about his actions. Under this madman’s vengeance, to save himself, he would strike first! With everything at stake, Yenir had no way out!

But still…

A trace of worry flashed in his eyes.

The stocky middle-aged man looked up with a bitter smile:

“Committee Member Lu…”

“Even though Yenir has caused an enormous catastrophe, will the Authorities really execute him?”

“His potential is immense… I’m just afraid someone might be shielding him… and then…”

He couldn’t bring himself to continue.

He hesitated, thinking that when Yenir returned, perhaps he’d only face demotion and forced atonement—surely Yenir wouldn’t kill him, right?

But if they pushed forward, as Lu Tianming intended with a do-or-die approach—if they didn’t eliminate Yenir, his fate would likely be sealed.

To be honest, his own greed had clouded his judgment from the start; he never truly intended to confront Yenir.

He had the gall to bully the dead, yet was terrified of the living Yenir… he was truly afraid…

With a cold snort.

Lu Tianming gave Director Wang Chu a disdainful glance, thinking that such a coward was utterly foolish.

“Director Wang Chu, what are you afraid of?”

“You’re right—Yenir blowing up the City might not kill him. Once the Authorities cool down, he could reappear.”

“But…”

“Don’t you think he resembles that man very much?”

At those words, the expressions of everyone in the lounge shifted dramatically.

Although Lu Tianming didn’t mention any names, they all knew that the only name even he dared not speak was that one!

That was…

The disgrace of the entire China Military…

The ‘demon’ that all top brass were eager to eliminate without mercy!