Chapter 571: Shadows Over the Battle Zone

Huaxia Battle Zone, Prime Minister’s Office.

It was late at night, yet the brightly lit office still held many people inside.

Some stood nearby, visibly nervous.

A host of military-clad awakeners maintained silence, though their eyes kept drifting toward Li Xuanguo, who sat silently behind his desk.

In front of Li Xuanguo lay a simple report, one that had been scrutinized time and again.

A gentle breeze stirred the white paper.

What puzzled them wasn’t why the Prime Minister was so fixated on the Japanese Battle Zone’s latest Divine Warrior selection—it was how his expression wildly shifted after reading the new update.

It was as if he had seen something utterly absurd, something that left one almost at a loss for words.

His expression was, frankly, bizarre.

“Prime Minister?”

“The Japanese Battle Zone’s newly selected First Divine Warrior is said to possess extraordinary strength and innate talent. They even claim he’s the strongest on Earth beneath the peak!”

“They’ve even dubbed him the ‘Four Thousand Year First: Chosen of the Gods.’ Should we take action or respond in some way?”

The question was asked cautiously.

The officer responsible for the briefing dismissed the news casually, though deep down he took it seriously…

He remained extremely wary.

The Japanese Battle Zone was notorious for its boastfulness, especially when it came to ‘creating gods’—elevating even the slightest talent within their ranks to divine status.

Yet after reviewing the complete report, he had to admit that if the rumors were true, the awakener known as Ye Ze Ming was indeed a formidable opponent!

Especially considering the opponent appeared to specialize in small-scale burst combat with phenomenal one-on-one prowess!

Such abilities posed an enormous threat to border security and countercombat dungeons alike.

“For now, no measures will be taken, and no operations will be launched.”

“Just keep a close eye on the situation.”

Regaining his composure, Li Xuanguo forced aside his swirling emotions and spoke hesitantly.

No one knew that after absorbing the latest intelligence, he felt profoundly uneasy.

What a joke… If that guy really was Yenir, this would be the biggest scandal in the history of the Japanese Battle Zone.

An awakener from the Huaxia Battle Zone not only clinched first place but also snagged the prize on the side.

Under the official deification, he could only imagine how ecstatic the top brass of the Japanese Military must have been…

“If that kid’s identity is exposed… the Japanese top brass might get so furious they’d literally spit blood and even leap into the sea on the spot…”

Admittedly, even as a high-ranking official with dignity, the news brought him a grim sort of satisfaction.

Yet, despite a faint chuckle and a shake of his head, Li Xuanguo couldn’t shake off an unsettling feeling.

“It must be him—his combat skills and fighting style are unmistakable… That kid hasn’t even replied, only saying he’d return to the Capital in a while.”

“If not him, then who else could it be…”

If word of this were to spread, hardly anyone would believe it.

It was an astonishing sentiment indeed.

Perhaps those in the dark really would think a genius had emerged in the Japanese Battle Zone.

Yet, prejudices aside, Li Xuanguo quickly zeroed in on Yenir.

What he hadn’t expected was that Yenir had managed to stay under the radar until the very end.

Having been astounded by Yenir’s earlier performance, he could only imagine the kind of treatment Yenir would receive in the Japanese Battle Zone.

To be honest, he was truly shocked once again.

“This kid has guts like no other…”

After his remark, Li Xuanguo casually shot a message to Fang Hao—whose cool-headed demeanor was a stark contrast to his stunned colleagues.

The reason? The disguise gear taken by Yenir was one of the spoils he had handed over to the Military.

Had he known it was this effective, he would have dashed over to snag a bunch for himself.

Yet, both he and Li Xuanguo couldn’t fathom how Yenir managed to orchestrate a mass identity forgery in such a short time…

According to their intelligence, Yenir’s identity remained impeccable—largely due to an entire echelon of Safe Zone officials backing him, giving him a spotless record.

“Prime Minister, will we not issue any statement?”

As Li Xuanguo, in his own peculiar way, signaled his intent to hold off any response, a middle-aged man from the external strategy department couldn’t help but chime in.

“Those veteran Peak Third-Stagers received the news not long ago.”

“Yet they… chose to offer congratulations. In fact, some of the high-ups they controlled within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs even praised the Japanese Battle Zone, claiming that a new super-strong human had emerged—a cause for celebration.”

Hmm?

He paused, and as another piece of information from a subordinate reached him, Li Xuanguo’s expression turned icy.

“Who offered the congratulations? Was it issued officially?”

Reacting swiftly, Li Xuanguo felt a surge of anger rise within him.

It wasn’t that he was angry about the infiltration of official departments—it was those old-timers’ actions that infuriated him!

Congratulations? He knew that Ye Ze Ming was none other than Yenir, so he wasn’t bothered by a genius emerging from the Japanese Battle Zone. But as a citizen of Huaguo, those veteran Peak Third-Stagers had made a mockery of Huaguo!

Not to mention the pre-apocalypse grudges and hostilities—considering the losses and fallen soldiers Huaguo suffered post-apocalypse, such behavior was tantamount to kowtowing to the enemy and currying favor with foreign powers!

Congratulations on what? On increasing border pressure?!

Sensing Li Xuanguo’s sudden burst of anger, the man let out a bitter chuckle, a flash of indignation crossing his eyes.

“Prime Minister…their actions seem clearly aimed at Yenir, or perhaps even against us.”

“They probably believe the world is full of geniuses, and that plenty more could outshine Yenir.”

After a brief nod, Li Xuanguo suppressed his rare burst of anger and said no more.

Any further discussion could easily lead to conflicting voices within the nation—a scenario that would unsettle survivors abroad and shake public confidence.

Moreover, he suspected that this was nothing more than a test by Lu Haishan and his cohorts.

If nothing out of the ordinary occurred, further maneuvers were inevitable.

National war isn’t that simple!

The tensions and conflicts between the two sides had reached a point where a resolution was unavoidable.

First, isolate the box. After a moment of thought, Li Xuanguo turned to Chen Sheng and ordered:

“Notify the First Air and Space Corps to return to the Capital in phases, and monitor the movements of the military regions around Beijing.”

“There are threats that must be guarded against.”

“Yes, Prime Minister.”

Hearing the order, the officers grew solemn, as if they could sense an impending storm brewing.

………….