Chapter 530: Crisis in the Shadows

Under the protection of a special forces unit clad in black combat uniforms, Yenir made his way without obstruction. After passing through several heavily guarded checkpoints, he unexpectedly found himself inside what appeared to be an underground command center.

He had been summoned by Fang Hao.

To be precise, by Li Xuanguo and others.

Seeing several top-level executives already waiting for him in the meeting room, Yenir suddenly realized that he had unwittingly stepped into the upper echelons.

Inside the meeting room, many familiar faces greeted him.

Li Xuanguo, Hu Zhiping, Zhao Hongtu…

Most were high-ranking figures from the Capital system, alongside a few unfamiliar faces.

“It seems that Li Xuanguo’s faction is composed mostly of personnel from the military region surrounding the Capital, plus a few formidable combat units.”

“On the flip side, are the remaining forces in the hands of the old guard of Peak Third-Stage? No… there are also some neutral parties…”

Muttering under his breath, before Yenir could even greet anyone, Li Xuanguo, wearing a grave expression, was the first to speak:

“Yenir, I called you here today because I have something very important to discuss with you!”

“Please take a seat. I’ll introduce our team a bit later.”

After gesturing for Yenir to sit, Li Xuanguo wasted no time. With a rather grim expression, he looked at him and said:

“Just moments ago, we received word: in West China, East China, South China, as well as from Puxin, Chongqing, and Qinghai, all twelve military regions have experienced abnormal personnel movements!”

“Yenir! Frankly speaking, these military regions are our weakest links, so you should understand what I mean!”

No sooner had his words fallen than the recently seated Yenir was suddenly taken aback.

Weakest links?! Sudden redeployment of troops?!

That means…

“Lu Haishan and his group have made a move?! Are they staging a mutiny?!”

“How dare they?!”

Inside the heavily guarded, fully metal-sealed underground meeting room, Yenir’s heart skipped a beat; Li Xuanguo’s announcement was nothing short of explosive!

What on earth is happening today?! Every piece of news is more shocking than the last!

While things with Blood Nightingale are far from over, Li Xuanguo’s side was now embroiled in a major crisis!

A sudden troop redeployment?! Is it because of my presence that internal strife in Huaguo is erupting prematurely?!

Even though Yenir was known for his steely resolve, the mere thought of an imminent internal war sent a shiver down his spine.

All his plans were still in their nascent stages! His strength hadn’t yet reached a point of overwhelming dominance!

If anything were to go wrong with the Military at this moment, it would all be over!

An early outbreak of chaos—without recognizing that a cataclysm is looming—would make this internal war even bloodier than in the previous era!

In the otherwise silent meeting room, punctuated only by his own startled gasp echoing around, Li Xuanguo, his face grim, hesitated a few seconds before speaking in a low, measured tone:

“A mutiny? It shouldn’t come to that.”

“But the situation is far worse than we previously assessed.”

“We still don’t know the exact details, but as soon as our intel picked up these troop movements, Lu Haishan and his associates simultaneously submitted a request to the Committee.”

“This time, they claimed that all personnel at Peak Third-Stage level assigned to the mission were unfit for duty, demanding their dismissal!”

“Moreover, even high-level Awakeners from the border and major zombie defense zones are citing various illnesses!”

With a rare flash of anger in his eyes, after finishing his report, Li Xuanguo clenched his fists and motioned for Yenir to review the Committee’s recent application.

At the same time, Commissar Hu—always known as a gentle soul—suddenly became incensed, slamming his hand on the table with a resounding thud:

“They’re threatening us! They’re pressuring the Military!”

“Third-Stage fighters getting sick?! Even Peak Third-Stage personnel falling ill?!”

“This is nothing but picking the bones of our military regions, set to cripple the entire Huaxia Battle Zone!”

Flipping through the reports in his hand, Yenir listened to Hu Zhiping’s indignant tirade as his own mood grew increasingly somber.

Thanks to his previous life’s experience, he quickly grasped the full extent of the situation.

“Withdrawing all high-level forces…”

“From all military regions on the frontier, from key defensive points to strategic strongholds…”

“If anything goes awry, chaos will erupt in the surrounding Safe Zones—or throughout China!”

“Especially if someone incites trouble in secret and the Military loses its local grip… I fear some Private Faction elements will seize the chance to stir up chaos!”

“No! It won’t just be possible, it WILL happen!”

“Now, although most regions remain relatively peaceful, these are still doomsday times! Under Military control, there are no fewer than a thousand firefights every day! And many Awakeners from Private Factions, once they reach Third-Stage, hardly give a damn about the Military!”

“If the Military’s control wanes any further… the inland regions might become the next Far Frontier!”

Yenir’s reaction was swift; one glance at the sudden ‘resignation’ notices from Third-Stage personnel was enough for him to grasp their intent.

As he set aside the applications submitted en masse by hundreds of Third-Stage fighters, Yenir couldn’t help but feel that the gravity of the situation was on par with a mutiny!

“Prime Minister!”

“Are Lu Haishan and his group planning to contract their forces to intimidate us?”

“Leaving us no choice but to plug the manpower gap while they concentrate their forces to apply pressure?!”

“Aren’t they afraid of playing with fire and risking catastrophic blowback?!”

Reluctantly, Yenir suppressed his anger, thinking that these old-guard Peak Third-Stage leaders were utterly disgusting!

The disastrous events and zombies throughout China are far from over!

The Military’s forces and high-level combat strength have always been in short supply, often scrambling like firefighters to respond wherever disaster strikes!

If a disaster suddenly broke out—even just a zombie horde assault—and the Military, already stretched thin, couldn’t cope, it could lead to massive casualties numbering in the millions!

This isn’t merely a threat; it’s like placing billions of Huaguo survivors on a spit over a raging fire!

“An accident?”

“Hmph…”

Before Li Xuanguo could answer his question, a high-ranking Air Force officer scoffed, his eyes filled with despair and fury.

“What do they fear? An accident?”

“All their forces are based in Huaguo’s core regions, or set up in privately constructed Safe Zones in the best areas!”

“With so many Peak Third-Stage leaders, even if doomsday repeats, they will be among the last standing!”

“Frankly, if something truly goes awry, the losses will be local—the high-risk zones they never bothered to defend properly!”

“What do human lives matter?! They’re setting countless people up to die, forcing us to atone with our blood!”

After his words, the entire meeting room fell into silence.

Everyone present was a top executive and knew all too well the consequences of such a move.

Their struggles with the old guard had always remained in the shadows, never directly affecting the Military. But now, the conflict had escalated…

If too many losses occur locally, or if major issues arise…

Then, like in the East Sea crisis, someone would have to take responsibility—and face the wrath of billions!

Those below had no clue; they only knew that the Military had abandoned their duty to protect them!

Consequently, their only advantage—or the veneer of official legitimacy—would be utterly crushed, leaving them devoid of public support.

This was a silent mutiny!