Gu Junwan naturally couldn't hear the private discussions among the junior staff in the Peace Palace. Even if she had heard them, she wouldn't have tried to control such talk.
As soon as she stepped into her office, the soft and helpless Oga who had been in Alpha's embrace last night was nowhere to be seen. The Empress was decisive and efficient. In just one morning, she had summoned all the officials with real power in the Office of the Peace Palace for individual etings.
Due to the corrupt and treasonous actions of Chen Yihe and Sun Xianglong, the entire Office had been in the center of a dia storm recently. Whether high-ranking officials or ordinary employees, everyone was on edge.
Compared to the 'rank-and-file employees' who still had the gossip-minded curiosity to discuss the Empress's daily life, anyone with an official position who had served under two administrations couldn't help but feel anxious and uneasy.
This wasn't to say that all of them had issues. The main concern was that everyone knew the Empress's return would inevitably lead to a shake-up.
Would they be investigated? Would they be implicated? Everything was uncertain.
As people waited with varying degrees of anxiety, nervousness, or indifference, an official notice was finally issued from the Empress's office.
This notice was made public to all functional departnts of the Federal Governnt.
It contained a list of nas, and those on the list were to gather at the conference hall on the North side of the Peace Palace five days later.
There were over a hundred people on the list, including governnt officials and a few military officers.
Ninety percent of them had continued to serve under Gu Yuwei after the division between North and South.
Most of these people had so issues, but Gu Junwan couldn't possibly cut them all out in one fell swoop.
In fact, she had a more precise list in her hands.
The people on that list were all involved in more serious problems and would definitely be subject to strict investigation and punishnt.
The reason she didn't deal with them privately one by one was that Gu Junwan had more far-reaching considerations.
She needed to use this collective punishnt as a way to intimidate others, and she also wanted to test if this move would flush out any hidden 'snakes'.
The five days passed quickly, and soon it was the day of the announced eting.
An hour before the official start of the eting, the vast majority of attendees had already arrived.
Except for the guard teams, all other participants had to go through strict security checks before entering.
Mobile phones and other communication devices were not allowed to be carried in.
Even sharp objects like pens and pencils had to be left outside.
At 10 o'clock sharp, Gu Junwan entered the conference hall.
The crowd, which had been whispering and murmuring, suddenly fell silent. The entire venue beca as quiet as if soone had pressed a mute button, so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Due to the special nature of this eting, all the chairs and benches in the hall had been removed, and the attendees were all standing clustered together below the podium.
Around the hall stood soldiers ard with loaded weapons.
As Gu Junwan entered, the crowd instinctively parted, leaving a nearly one-ter wide aisle in the middle.
The Empress walked slowly forward, like a sharp arrow breaking through the waves.
Gu Junwan was wearing a black suit dress today, with 7-centiter high heels, giving her an overall appearance of being both capable and composed.
Her luxuriant black hair was tied up at the back of her head, revealing a stretch of long, fair neck. Coupled with her exquisitely flawless face, it accentuated her already elegant temperant, making her appear even more noble and dignified.
The Empress's golden phoenix eyes swept lightly around, an invisible aura of authority spreading out, causing all gazes that t hers to avoid her eyes.
At this mont, all the attendees on the list felt as if a heavy stone was pressing on their hearts, making it sowhat difficult to breathe.
Shen Han and Xu Zhao walked on either side slightly behind Gu Junwan, their expressions solemn.
Knowing that today was very important for Gu Junwan, Shen Han hadn't clung to her partner seeking intimacy as usual when they slept together last night.
She had simply held her gently, releasing a small amount of pheromones to help the Oga sleep very soundly.
Now, looking at the woman walking in front of her, cutting a dashing figure and exuding an air of abstinence, Shen Han felt an inappropriate ripple deep in her heart.
Realizing her thoughts had strayed, she discreetly bit her tongue, using the sharp pain to drive away the inappropriate thoughts in her mind.
The three of them quickly passed through the crowd and arrived at the front of the conference hall.
Gu Junwan walked straight to the standing podium, while Shen Han and Xu Zhao stood guard beside the platform, ready to act at any mont.
"Although the previously issued notice didn't specify the the of today's eting, I'm sure everyone has their own guesses about why I've called you all here today," the Empress spoke, her pace unhurried, her pronunciation clear and precise. Her voice, amplified by the microphone, was as crisp as ever.
But to the ears of most officials present, it sounded like the toll of a bell, shocking and terrifying their hearts.
However, just as Gu Junwan was about to get to the point, a ringtone suddenly and jarringly echoed through the venue.
Gu Junwan frowned slightly. From where she stood, she quickly located the source of the sound.
The ringtone ca from a man nad Liu Kunfan, the director of the Federal Economic Committee.
He was also one of the nas on Gu Junwan's list for severe punishnt.
The officials standing around Liu Kunfan reacted quickly, scrambling to move away from him.
It was as if they were trying to avoid so terrible contagion.
Shen Han, while keeping her eyes on the direction of the disturbance, stepped onto the podium and pulled Gu Junwan behind her for protection.
At the sa ti, she called out to Xu Zhao, "Special Assistant Xu, co over here too!"
Xu Zhao first looked towards her Empress, and only after seeing her nod did she run behind Shen Han, sowhat belatedly scared.
The sudden blast of the ringtone had indeed frightened her.
Everyone entering the venue had gone through both machine and manual double security checks. Under these circumstances, for soone to still be able to bring in an electronic device was extrely bizarre.
The guards moved forward with their guns, directly surrounding Liu Kunfan.
If he made any move to reach for a weapon, he would imdiately be riddled with bullets.
The ringtone continued to sound incessantly. Liu Kunfan raised his hands above his head, his lips trembling, repeating only one sentence.
"Don't kill , I don't have any weapons."
At this mont, the ringtone suddenly increased in volu, and the music changed from gentle to intense.
This change made Liu Kunfan sweat profusely. His legs were as soft as noodles just pulled from a pot, unable to stand steady. He simply knelt down on the ground.
"Your Majesty, it's Takeda Tatsuya wanting to connect with you!"
"I didn't want to do this! But my wife and child are in his hands, I... I don't want to die!"
"I was wrong, Your Majesty, I won't dare to do it again!"
At first, Liu Kunfan could still speak coherently.
But as he continued, his speech beca disordered.
Hearing the four words 'Takeda Tatsuya', the faces of all the officials changed in unison.
Several of them even had lips turning pale.
These people knew very well that for that demon-like terrifying person to pull such a stunt at a ti like this, he must be trying to stir up so big waves!
Gu Junwan could also deduce this point, but since the enemy's provocation had co right to her doorstep, she absolutely couldn't back down.
After gently pressing on Shen Han's shoulder to indicate that she needn't worry too much, she stepped forward and looked towards Liu Kunfan not far away: "How do we connect?"
Liu Kunfan's tears and snot were falling together: "They... they implanted a special chip in my palm. Your information officer needs to establish a code connection to complete the communication."
The chip needed to be removed and installed on a device to be used.
A dical soldier gripped Liu Kunfan's wrist and directly dug out a chip about the size of a fingernail with a scalpel, wiped off the blood on it, and handed it to the information officer.
Liu Kunfan pressed a cotton bag against his wound, his body trembling, not daring to say a word more.
His sleeve and the ground at his feet were stained with blood, looking quite pitiful.
But at this mont, no one's attention was on him, nor would anyone feel any sympathy for him.
The connection was quickly established, and it was a holographic video call.
When Takeda Tatsuya appeared in the projection wearing the white martial arts uniform unique to the Sakura Empire, he first greeted Gu Junwan.
"Your Majesty, congratulations on reclaiming your power."
As he spoke, his eagle-like gaze swept across the surroundings, and he smiled, "Everyone's here, it seems I chose the perfect day to send my congratulatory gift."
Gu Junwan didn't rush to engage in dialogue with him, but carefully observed all the details on Takeda Tatsuya's side.
His attire, state, and the environnt he was in.
After quickly storing the captured information in her mind, she then calmly spoke: "Your congratulatory gift is a bit premature. The most appropriate ti for reparations will be when I bring you back to the Federation for trial."
Takeda Tatsuya shook his head indifferently and made a gesture to the side.
Imdiately, the communication equipnt on Gu Junwan's side began to automatically receive information, as if infected by a virus, unable to stop or refuse.
"Don't worry, this information is the gift I specially prepared for you."
"They are all evidence of the transactions I made with your officials within the Federation's borders. So are from the past two years, so from before. I think this should be what you want most right now, Your Majesty."
"You needn't doubt that I'm giving you false information. Just a little verification will reveal my sincerity."
"Oh, and these are all original data. I haven't kept a second copy. If you choose to destroy them, then many of the mysteries in your heart will forever sink to the bottom of the sea."
The data transfer was quick. Almost at the sa mont Takeda Tatsuya finished speaking, a new folder appeared in the communication device held by the information officer.
It was as large as one terabyte!
Videos, pictures, docunts - everything was there.
The information officer held his work tool, his palms already sweating.
It felt as if he was holding a bomb that would explode at the slightest touch.
In a sense, that folder was no different from a bomb.
Moreover, the forr's power might be enough to blow up the entire political landscape of the Free Federation!
Takeda Tatsuya stopped speaking.
The conference hall was so quiet that only the sound of hearts on the verge of collapse could be heard.
Takeda Tatsuya's move was both ruthless and poisonous!
What he gave was indeed what Gu Junwan wanted most.
This information was the answer the Empress had spent great effort trying to find, and also the fatal poison for many officials.
It was like Pandora's box. Once opened, it would release all the evil in the Federation's world.
And its terrifying nature didn't stop there.
It didn't even need Gu Junwan to open it. Its re existence was enough to make everyone who knew about it forever restless.
"Ge Shan, cut the connection."
Gu Junwan's voice echoed in the quiet conference hall, bringing everyone back to their senses.
Ge Shan was the na of the information officer.
Upon hearing the Empress's order, he imdiately began to execute it.
Takeda Tatsuya smiled and nodded to Gu Junwan. Before the video projection completely disappeared, he said one more sentence: "I wish you a pleasant ti."
Everyone thought that today's eting should end here.
Because, in fact, the Empress didn't need to continue.
She could take what Takeda Tatsuya had given her, screen and identify it, and then eliminate those officials who had committed serious cris.
And those who had committed less severe offenses would have their lifelong stains firmly grasped in the Empress's hands.
However, Gu Junwan made a move that shocked everyone.
She said to the information officer who was constantly breaking out in cold sweat: "Ge Shan, permanently delete the folder transmitted by Takeda Tatsuya."
After saying this, she ordered the two guards closest to the platform: "Go find a shallow alloy basin and so fuel. Burn the electronic device used for receiving just now!"
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