At exactly 8:00 PM, in the Vermilion Bird Academy Dean's office.
The heavy curtains had long been drawn completely shut.
A soundproof barrier constructed from spiritual energy enveloped the entire office, ensuring not a single sound from inside could leak out.
Wang Mingyuan stood outside the office door with a grave expression, forbidding anyone from approaching.
Inside the office.
Ye Hongyu walked over to what appeared to be an ordinary bookshelf, her fingers touching specific books in a particular sequence.
The bookshelf slid silently to one side.
Revealing a tal door behind it.
After passing both iris and spiritual energy fluctuation verification.
The tal door quietly opened.
The space behind the door wasn't spacious.
But it was filled with a sense of cutting-edge technology.
The walls were made of so special sound-absorbing and detection-proof material, with a circular control console in the center of the room surrounded by several large, precision instrunts.
Ye Hongyu sat down at the main position of the control console and activated the system.
Soft blue light illuminated.
Above the control console, several precise beams of light interweaved and projected.
Quickly sketching out four holographic 3D projections in the center of the secret room that were almost indistinguishable from real people.
These projections were incredibly detailed, as if real people had crossed space to appear here.
The eting officially began.
Participants in this highest-level encrypted eting appeared one by one through projections.
Including.
The Aberrant Purge Division, Military Departnt, Council, and Supervision Departnt.
Each departnt sent two to three high-ranking officials, with Director ng from the Supervision Departnt among them.
These rarely-seen VIPs had now gathered through this highest security level thod for a student nad Su Zhan.
All eyes eventually focused on Ye Hongyu, who was presiding over the eting.
"Dean Ye, let's skip the pleasantries."
Director ng spoke first, his tone serious: "Regarding your academy's student Su Zhan, Qin Bai's report pointed out nurous suspicious points, suspecting his connection with Aberrants. Please explain the situation."
"I have nothing special to explain. Su Zhan is a student of my Vermilion Bird Academy who was just injured in a border mission and had his cultivation completely destroyed."
Ye Hongyu's phoenix eyes swept over every projection present: "As dean, protecting my students from baseless suspicion and persecution is my duty.
I'm rely fulfilling my responsibilities. As for anything else, I know nothing."
Another high-ranking official from the Aberrant Purge Division continued: "You know nothing? The suspicious points listed in Qin Bai's report didn't co from nowhere.
We've repeatedly verified them, and those suspicious points do exist. We have reason to suspect he possesses Aberrant characteristics."
"I said, I know nothing."
Ye Hongyu remained unmoved, repeating: "I only know he possesses an SSS-grade Life Soul, is an academy contributor, and is now an injured person needing protection.
A middle-aged politician from the Council smiled: "Dean Ye, protecting students is good, but if you blindly shield him and he really is... you understand the consequences, don't you?"
Ye Hongyu played dumb: "I'd like to hear the details."
The Council politician paused, then began explaining the stakes:
"Awakened individuals and Aberrant identities cannot coexist—this is the iron rule maintaining our society's trust system.
Because of this iron rule, Awakened individuals are considered absolutely good people, worthy of important responsibilities and the people's unreserved trust.
Ordinary people need to be guarded against because they have the potential to mutate, but Awakened individuals don't—this is the cornerstone of our entire social structure.
If Su Zhan's identity as an Aberrant is confird and made public.
It ans this cornerstone is shaking!
People will think... if even an SSS-grade genius could be a monster, what about other Awakened individuals? Military officers? Comrades beside them? Even... everyone present here?
Suspicion will spread like plague.
The people will no longer trust the forces protecting them, and Awakened individuals will suspect each other.
Unity is our most important reliance against the Mist.
If even internal trust collapses, what will we use to resist external enemies?
The damage caused then would be thousands of tis more severe than losing ten SSS-grade geniuses!"
The scar-faced general from the Military Departnt said sternly: "Exactly! I lead troops in battle, so I understand trust's importance best!
If people below suspect each other, fearing comrades behind them might be monsters, we've lost before the battle even begins!
Dean Ye, we cannot afford this risk."
The elderly man from the Aberrant Purge Division slowly summarized: "Therefore, regardless of whether Su Zhan is or isn't, once there's major suspicion, for overall stability and to prevent the consequences we fear.
The safest handling thod is... secret execution, with all related information completely sealed.
We absolutely cannot leave any hidden dangers that might detonate the trust crisis, absolutely cannot give humanity's enemies any opportunity.
For example, the Transcendence Society—once they learn about this, if Su Zhan's identity is exposed, Daxia... is finished.
No human wants him to be an Aberrant. Even if he is, he must not be. Making him silently disappear from this world is the safest solution."
All projections' eyes focused on Ye Hongyu again.
Waiting for her response, or rather, forcing her to make a choice.
Ye Hongyu emphasized: "But he is still an SSS-grade Life Soul Awakened, he has shed blood for Daxia at the border. Moreover, Aberrants hunt humans, but Su Zhan definitely doesn't—you can investigate this easily and confirm it."
She couldn't say she knew the fact that Su Zhan was an Aberrant, because that would an she knowingly shielded him despite knowing he was an Aberrant.
She also couldn't reveal Su Zhan's secret of absorbing Mist Creatures' Life Essence as an Aberrant.
Only reforrs like her could accept this.
From her understanding, these people were all more conservative than the next, absolutely wouldn't support her, and this would even confirm Su Zhan's identity as an Aberrant, making protecting him even more difficult.
A general from the Military Departnt waved his hand forcefully, his voice like a great bell: "Dean Ye, you're confused! What does his personal achievents and bloodshed amount to compared to Daxia's entire safety?
On the battlefield, necessary sacrifices happen daily for the greater good.
Bla the suspicious points about him.
What you ntioned can't clear his suspicions at all—anything is possible, and those suspicious points alone are enough to kill him a hundred tis over.
In such matters, our principle has always been.
Better to wrongly kill than to let go!"
The elderly man from the Aberrant Purge Division slowly added: "Moreover, never mind that he's now disabled.
Even if he were still that infinitely potential SSS-grade Awakened, how could he compare to Daxia's safety?
Individual value is insignificant compared to racial survival.
We cannot plant a ti bomb for Daxia that could explode anyti because of temporary rcy!"
The smiling politician from the Council now wore a serious expression: "Dean Ye, Su Zhan's very existence is a mistake."
Director ng finally summarized: "Dean Ye, after all this, you should understand the stakes better than any of us.
The premise of protecting a student is that he cannot beco a potential threat subverting the entire order.
Their words completely blocked Ye Hongyu's avenues of defense.
Su Zhan's personal fate had reached heights concerning the nation's foundation and racial unity's survival.
Personal sacrifice seed so insignificant and inevitable.
The pressure rested entirely on Ye Hongyu's shoulders.
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