Chapter 354: Crumbling Allegiances

In the eerie silence, a chill deepened in He Zhengbang’s eyes.

“Why do you say that!”

“Talk is cheap—you’ve got no proof!”

Unfazed by the icy bluntness in his own words, the elder slowly stood up, his gaze fixed on Yenir.

It was obvious: he harbored intense hostility toward Yenir’s response!

Without much outward emotion, Yenir subtly sensed the elder’s aura and quickly spoke up:

“Of course I have proof!”

“While investigating the Sea Beast disaster in the East Sea, I uncovered extensive troop movement records within the Donghai Military Region.”

“From the mobilization logs, I deduced that the area around the East Sea must have seen multiple Sea Beast attacks and fierce battles, resulting in heavy casualties.”

“Yet in the reports, Fang Teng intentionally concealed this information.”

“So I suspected he was scheming something—and by tracking the supply records, I located the East Sea Research Institute!”

“Inside the institute, I discovered that Fang Teng was secretly researching methods to enhance himself using Sea Beasts, along with numerous records of Sea Beasts going berserk!”

“That’s why I concluded that the mad Fang Teng, chasing an impossible project, had already unleashed a tremendous threat on the East Sea!”

“With abnormal readings from monitoring devices and tremors beneath the sea floor, I believe a crisis has erupted in the Coastal Region—those Sea Beasts have been hidden underwater for quite some time!”

“Once I pieced everything together, I couldn’t just stand by and let disaster unfold!”

“But Fang Teng bore a personal grudge against me. He believed I had ruined his plans and targeted him, so he struck first in a bid to silence me!”

“Cornered, I had no choice but to fight back and take control of the East Sea!”

After finishing his confession, Yenir raised his head and stared directly at the elder.

No one knew that at this very moment, he was prepared to risk everything.

In truth, ever since uncovering the Mother, he had been pondering which figure in the Capital truly embodied the Mother—and how he should respond.

Fang Teng might be within reach, but the other Mother was far beyond his current grasp!

Moreover, he had no idea who exactly this elusive Mother in the upper echelons was or what secrets she harbored in the Capital.

If she were aware of her identity as the Mother, it would mean she was no longer “human”—pushed to the brink of madness.

Thus, Yenir could not afford to reveal even a hint of his knowledge about the Mother!

Otherwise, she would surely kill him—there’d be no escape, unless he cut himself off from the Authorities before reaching his Third-Stage peak!

If this high-ranking individual was unaware of her own nature and of the looming Sea Beast threat, then all Yenir needed to do was locate her and silently eliminate her!

Likewise, he couldn’t leave the Capital Circle if he ever hoped to uncover her identity!

After much deliberation, Yenir decided to reveal part of the truth—skewing the narrative so that Fang Teng’s demise would be attributed to a different cause.

At least, to outsiders it would come off as an internal dispute between him and Fang Teng—either as a result of Fang Teng’s madness or of his own actions against him.

To cement this, Yenir had even arranged for three former committee members to vouch for him.

The only potential flaw lay with Liang Lie…

If Liang Lie turned out to be one of the Mother’s underlings, it would spell doom—a situation with no easy way out. After weighing many possibilities, Yenir decided to take a gamble!

He needed to verify his hypothesis—a choice that would determine whether he’d flee abroad or seize control of the Military!

Though his heart pounded with nervousness, Yenir maintained a calm façade, waiting for fate’s decision.

Now, the elder seemed hostile, yet for some reason, Yenir sensed no aura of the Mother emanating from him.

That lack of a Motherly presence was one key reason why he dared to speak so openly.

If he could prove his case, the greatest crisis since his rebirth would be averted.

After a few long yet fleeting seconds, the elder cast Yenir a deep, assessing look:

“Since you claim those three committee members can corroborate your story, contact them now.”

“I’ll personally ask them what you witnessed…”

His words dripped with hidden meaning.

As soon as he finished speaking, Yenir promptly activated his communication panel for an on-the-spot confrontation.

He wasn’t afraid of having his secrets exposed.

At the moment Fang Teng had set his trap, Yenir had already established his barrier—and spoken no unnecessary words.

Moreover, he had already hinted to the three committee members that if they wished to avoid blame, they should follow his instructions.

Though he had effectively cornered them, they all knew that failing to uncover the truth about the East Sea Sea Beast tide was a serious dereliction—so the only solution was to pin everything on Fang Teng.

In silent accord, Yenir trusted that the trio knew exactly what needed to be done.

And sure enough, they did.

Within half a minute, as the three confirmed that at the Research Institute they’d only seen certain documents—not any fleeing embryos or Awakener figures—the elder’s expression lightened into a strangely relieved smile.

“You could conclude that just by looking at the documents?”

“Impressive… a promising youth indeed.”

“If Fang Teng has indeed lost his sanity, he deserves nothing less than death.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Tianming—who had assumed the elder was there to assist him—wore a shocked expression.

“No!”

“Old Commander! You can’t trust him! That kid is troubled—there’s something off about him!!”

Like a man possessed, Lu Tianming stared in terror at the elder, who no longer acknowledged him. In that instant, overwhelming despair crushed him.

He couldn’t understand—despite sensing high-level suspicions against Yenir, how could such an explanation allow the charges to be dropped!?

“Kill Yenir!”

“That little brat is nothing but a disaster waiting to happen—a true menace!”

Yet no matter how much Lu Tianming pleaded for the elder to reconsider, He Zhengbang’s steps remained unyielding.

As the elder left, the atmosphere in the hall lightened, while the other high-ranking officials looked at Yenir with complex, shifting expressions.

No one had expected that in the wake of Lu Tianming’s outburst, Yenir would manage to defuse every situation flawlessly, leaving no detail to be faulted.

In fact, it was they who had made mistakes.

Especially as they looked at the visibly distraught Lu Tianming with a hint of pity, while others who had once opposed Yenir now wore solemn gazes at his profile.

“What a terrifying youth—ostensibly arrogant yet truly ruthless, methodically planning every step.”

With such a temperament and tactics, he was not someone to be trifled with…

By the end of today’s meeting, even Lu Tianming—with his lofty status—would likely face accountability…

It all ended like a farce.

On the dais, Hu Zhiping looked at Yenir with mixed feelings, quietly sighing to himself.

He finally understood why Li Xuanguo had insisted on protecting Yenir.

It was almost unimaginable that, regarding the East Sea incident, the entire Military had proven less effective than Yenir himself. Inwardly, Hu even felt a twinge of regret.

“Since everything has been clarified, I now announce the meeting’s conclusions.”

“First, Yenir is reinstated as a top-tier honorary committee member and will be rewarded accordingly.”

“Second, all charges against Ming Luo, Chen Kailai, and the others are dropped, and their original positions restored, with the Military providing appropriate compensation.”

“Third, in external statements, this East Sea Sea Beast tide will be credited primarily to Committee Member Yenir, who is hereby awarded the title of First-Class Combat Hero. Specific details will be determined by the Political Department…”

“Fourth, once the meeting adjourns, an investigation into Committee Member Lu Tianming’s conduct will begin, and his military and committee positions will be suspended.”

“Fifth, relevant departments shall immediately review Wang Hong’s corruption case and hold the responsible parties accountable…”

“Sixth…”

“…”

As one cold command after another rang out, Lu Tianming crumpled in his seat, his face drained of color.

He had lost—completely.

From now on, he would no longer be a high-ranking executive; he was now a criminal under investigation.

All of this was thanks to Yenir.

In a mix of sorrow and fury, under the derisive stares of those around him, he lifted his head and glared at Yenir, his eyes burning with venom, as if he wished to devour him whole.

“Yenir… I’ll remember you!”

Clenching his teeth, Lu Tianming forced himself to stand, desperately trying to regain his former composure.

He refused to let that little bastard continue to ridicule him!

A temporary setback meant nothing—it was merely a bribery scandal. Once he was duly punished, he was convinced the Military would never truly abandon him. His supporters would restore his status sooner or later! Even on his own merits, he’d redeem himself!

“Just wait and see…”

In the steely glare fixed on Yenir, Lu Tianming desperately concealed his limitless murderous intent.

He vowed to personally slaughter that beast! Even if he had to flee afterward, he would wash away today’s disgrace!

“Just wait, you little brat!”

“One day, you’ll end up in my hands!”

During the meeting, several high-ranking officials who were about to leave seemed to sense Lu Tianming’s murderous intent, and they couldn’t help but steal glances at Yenir.

Though Yenir’s performance today was indeed fearsome…

becoming lifelong enemies with Lu Tianming was perhaps unwise…

After all, Lu Tianming held immense power, and the Military would never act against him lightly… Yenir might look dominant now, but who knows what the future holds? Even a powerhouse is only a Third-Stage Beginner.

Yet, as Lu Tianming bowed his head, fighting to contain his murderous fury, Yenir—who should have resumed his seat—showed no sign of concluding the meeting.

“Prime Minister, is this the justice the Military has delivered?”

With a cold, indifferent look at Lu Tianming, Yenir sneered, enunciating each word deliberately:

“Isn’t there something you’ve forgotten?”

“During the counter-assault, the Military experienced a traitor!”

“I believe that person is none other than Lu Tianming!”

“Root out the traitor completely.”

After saying that, Yenir looked down contemptuously at Lu Tianming, who had suddenly raised his head in anger, and silently muttered under his breath:

“Pathetic wretch…”

“I said I’d kill you… so I will!!”