"Terminal panel."
After continuously receiving Mind Power transmissions for a full day, Guan Tong opened the panel to check the results.
[Na: Guan Tong]
[Nickna: Shadow]
[Title: Civilization Observer]
[Mind Power: 352 (352) (481,710)]
[Ascension Coins: 3,686,120]
[Overall Biotric Rating: Excellent]
After a day of high-intensity transmission and conversion, his current reserve Mind Power was nearly five hundred thousand!
This number was undoubtedly exaggerated, but it was still far from the limit.
According to the information the research office had told him, the total number of Ascendants within Beixing Country was around one hundred million. Mobilizing everyone to transmit was unrealistic, both in terms of ti and scale.
But even if just one percent t the transmission conditions, that would be one million people. It was worth noting that the total population of many small countries within the Human Consortium was only in the millions. From this, one could see the profound strength of Beixing's foundation.
Zhang Minglu told Guan Tong that the authorities were currently preparing more efficient transmission thods, aiming to complete the "total transmission" before the magnitude 10 earthquake.
After all, for Beixing, the truly nation-ending disaster was only the final magnitude 10 earthquake. The preceding magnitude 9 and 8 earthquakes, though equally terrifying, could at most destroy a few cities. They were incapable of completely destroying a superpower like Beixing, with a territory exceeding twenty million square kiloters.
Therefore, as long as the total transmission was completed before the final magnitude 10 earthquake, it was acceptable for the efficiency to be slightly lower in the earlier stages.
The research office originally planned to transmit 24 hours non-stop, only stopping after the magnitude 7 earthquake occurred. But after the first 24 hours, Guan Tong felt very fatigued and temporarily stopped.
He was soone who valued rest highly and didn't want to face the major earthquakes in a tired state, so he stopped for a few hours.
After sleeping, he went online and saw that popular post on his own website's forum.
After reading it, he shared the sa thought as Gao Liangwei, suspecting that soone within the official ranks had leaked the information.
He called Zhang Minglu to inquire, and the latter said the research office was currently investigating the matter, with the person in charge having already interviewed several individuals.
"The authorities should still issue a clarification statent. Not responding might lead to relevant providers potentially refusing to cooperate later."
Guan Tong's judgnt was quickly validated, as many voices appeared online expressing refusal to cooperate with the authorities' so-called "deification project."
mbers from other countries within the Human Consortium were also very concerned about this matter, wanting to know what exactly Beixing was up to.
Finally, the authorities had no choice but to issue a statent, admitting that Mind Power was being transmitted to "Shadow," but the purpose was not deification, but cooperation, leveraging his special abilities to mitigate and reduce the damage caused by the earthquake rules.
Once the statent was issued, it could be said the initial secrecy plan was declared a failure and bankruptcy. Netizens were also half-convinced, half-doubting.
Guan Tong then used the "Shadow Himself" account to post a clarification thread, stating that he had indeed cooperated with the authorities, but it had nothing to do with deification; it was solely for disaster resistance.
So believed it, so questioned it; that was all normal. What was abnormal was, why would soone within the official ranks leak the secret? Weren't the earthquake disasters a threat to all citizens of Beixing Country? Why would they actively engage in sabotage and interference?
Guan Tong didn't understand, and Gao Liangwei understood even less.
He worked through the night talking with Dr. Yu and others, using various questioning techniques to obtain so information. Dr. Yu and the others claid they absolutely did not leak the secret, but admitted they had privately banded together to write a letter of opposition.
After careful questioning, Gao Liangwei discovered these people had all been brought together by the sa individual, that person being the biology expert, Dr. Sun.
"Dr. Sun Hong, these testimonies all point to you being the one who separately found them and persuaded them to band together. Do you have anything to say in your defense?"
In the interrogation room, Gao Liangwei spoke to Sun Hong, who sat across the table.
Sun Hong's expression remained unchanged: "I admit I sought out so people and persuaded them to jointly write sothing. But this doesn't violate any regulations, does it? We were dissatisfied with you as the person in charge and have the right to report the situation to the higher-ups."
"That's not the focus of my questioning. You wanting to report your dissatisfaction with
is completely fine," Gao Liangwei said. "The focus of my question is the leak."
"I did not leak anything," Sun Hong denied. "If Person-in-Charge Gao wants to accuse
of leaking, please provide evidence."
"Dr. Sun, you should know the base has people with 'lie detection' items, right? If you admit it now, we can both save ti."
"No need. Have that person co test ."
"...Go call that person."
Soon, the person with the lie detection item was brought in. The item was a pair of glasses; upon hearing a lie, its lenses would automatically turn red.
Gao Liangwei asked, "Dr. Sun Hong, did you leak the secrets of the Counterasures Research Office?"
"No."
The glasses' lenses did not change color.
Gao Liangwei frowned. A trace of contempt flashed in Sun Hong's eyes.
After a mont of silence, Gao Liangwei asked again, "Dr. Sun Hong, did you act on soone else's orders, which is why you banded the other research office mbers together?"
"..."
Sun Hong remained silent this ti.
Gao Liangwei said coldly, "It seems this is a tacit admission."
"Without evidence, I won't admit to anything," Sun Hong said. "Even if you are the research office's person in charge, you have no right to discipline
without evidence."
"Knowing you were acting under orders is enough for ."
After saying this, Gao Liangwei stood up and left, instructing the security officer, "Escort Dr. Sun back to her room. Until the investigation is clear, she is not allowed to move freely within the base."
"Yes."
"Gao Liangwei! What right do you have to put
under house arrest? I want to report to the superiors—"
Thud.
Gao Liangwei pushed the door open and left, his expression particularly grim.
"The person who could give Sun Hong orders to band people together should be a mber of the higher-level decision-making group... The secret was also likely leaked from soone at that level. This is troubleso."
He could use the lie detection item on Sun Hong, but he obviously had no right to use it on those higher-level decision-makers.
Moreover, if among the decision-makers, soone opposed this operation. Would the opposition only remain at the level of banding together, leaking secrets, and utilizing public opinion, or would it go a step further, materializing into more concrete actions?
A faint unease stirred in Gao Liangwei's heart. He imdiately summoned Zhang Minglu to his office.
"Dr. Zhang, I need to assign you a special task," Gao Liangwei said. "Select so elite Ascendants to form a protection team."
"A protection team?" Zhang Minglu was puzzled. "Person-in-Charge, who is this protection team ant to protect?"
"To protect Shadow. To be precise, to protect Shadow when he is destroying the Geomantic Pillar during the earthquake."
Zhang Minglu quickly understood the deeper aning, his eyes slowly widening. "Person-in-Charge, you an soone might attack Shadow at that ti..."
"I can't say for certain, but what I can confirm is that there is a force secretly stirring, intending to carry out sabotage," Gao Liangwei said. "Do you rember the investigation situation of the Yongzhou providers' base?"
Zhang Minglu nodded. "I rember. That matter seed to involve Li ng and the others investigating the base's previous affiliated departnt, but there's been no follow-up until now."
"Yes. I specifically asked Li ng. He told
the situation is very complex. That forr military base, for so reason over a decade ago, was transferred to the na of a major businessman, but all the transfer docunts were lost... They claid it was due to chaos caused by rioters after the Doomsday Rules descended, leading to the loss of a large amount of data."
"This... that's too far-fetched." Zhang Minglu knew it was just an excuse as soon as he heard it; it clearly seed like they used the rioters' na to deliberately destroy the docunts.
"I suspect the mastermind behind that base has imnse influence. This current incident might also be related to that person. What we can do now is prepare for rainy days. To protect Shadow from interference and allow him to complete the plan, we must arrange specialized personnel to protect him on-site."
"I understand, Person-in-Charge," Zhang Minglu said. "I will select elites to form the protection team. They will not transmit Mind Power at that ti, but will conserve their strength to provide comprehensive protection for Shadow."
"Good, arrange it as soon as possible. The magnitude 7 earthquake will erupt in another day. We must be strictly on guard starting from this one."
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