"What if Hu Jiu doesn't accept it and even falls out with Headquarters because of it?"
Lu Mou a last-ditch effort.
Zhang Hongwen smiled and said, "Whether he accepts it or not is his business; whether you're willing to tell him is your business."
"This is a chance for you from Headquarters to redeem yourself; if you miss it, it'll be gone."
"Furthermore, we have already contacted Hu Jiu's relatives, so there is absolutely no need to worry about him turning against Headquarters."
Hearing Zhang Hongwen's confident assertion, the others present temporarily felt reassured and thought the plan was feasible.
Anyway, it was Lu Mou who went to offend people, and Zhang Hongwen was the one who would cover for them; everyone else could just wait for the outcome.
What else could Lu Mou do?
He had no other choice but to hope that Hu Jiu was as described in the file—gentle, kind, and responsible.
Seeing that Lu Mou had agreed, Zhang Hongwen urged, "Contact Hu Jiu immediately and resolve this matter on the spot."
"Immediately? Right here?" Lu Mou was surprised, a sense of foreboding rising in his heart.
The other high-ranking officials also seemed thoughtful; was there really a need to rush?
Zhang Hongwen, however, said, "This matter should be handled sooner rather than later; a swift resolution is best."
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Lu Mou had no choice but to dial Hu Jiu's number as requested.
The call was answered quickly.
Lu Mou spoke first, "Hello Mr. Hu, I am the Minister of the Resources Department National Supernatural Control Bureau. I have some important matters I would like to discuss with you."
"What is it? Speak." Hu Jiu's calm voice came through the microphone.
Under Zhang Hongwen's expectant gaze, Lu Mou mechanically stated, "Due to the loss of a large amount of resources previously delivered to you, Headquarters has decided to issue this incident to you as a mission, requiring you to personally retrieve the resources."
After a few seconds of silence, Hu Jiu's voice came from the other end of the phone. "Do I look like a sucker? Headquarters is completely baffling. Is this a method a normal human being could come up with?"
Lu Mou's face turned bright red, but he still forced himself to continue:
"Headquarters is currently facing internal and external troubles, and simply doesn't have the manpower to help you track down the whereabouts of that resource."
"After all, the delivery personnel absconded while the resources were being delivered to you. If you don't investigate, Headquarters won't want to, and doesn't have the resources, to bear such a risk and loss for you."
"There's a lot of Supernatural activity happening all over the country right now, and resources are limited. Under these circumstances, I hope you can be mindful of the bigger picture and not put Headquarters in a difficult position."
When Lu Mou said these words, his tone was very stiff. He couldn't be as confident and assertive as Zhang Hongwen, as if Hu Jiu really should bear the responsibility.
To be honest, if the other party were an ordinary Ghost Tamer, there wouldn't be any problem with Headquarters doing this. The Minister of the Resources Department personally communicated with them, which already gave them enough face.
Unfortunately, the opponent was not an ordinary Ghost Tamer!
After a moment of silence, Hu Jiu asked, "Did you come up with this suggestion by yourself, or were other senior executives at Headquarters involved?"
Lu Mou blurted out, "Of course, it's the result of discussions at Headquarters."
The atmosphere in the meeting room froze instantly.
"That lost resource is yours. If you don't actively pursue it, it's gone. I advise you to obey orders and not act rashly, or don't blame Headquarters for being ruthless!"
Lu Mou spoke these words very hastily.
"Heh~" Hu Jiu sneered and ended the call abruptly.
After hanging up the phone, Lu Mou cautiously asked Zhang Hongwen, "Did I successfully complete my mission?"
Zhang Hongwen's face turned grim. The next second, fully armed men entered the conference room to take Lu Mou away for questioning.
During the investigation, your personal freedom will be restricted and all contact with the outside world will be cut off.
Lu Mou was naturally unwilling to be taken away like this, and said bluntly, "Even if I am to be investigated, it should be done according to the proper procedures, and the decision should be made by the higher-ups. Vice Minister Zhang, you have no right to convict me on your own."
"Besides, I've done exactly as you instructed. Didn't you say this was a chance to make amends?"
Zhang Hongwen said with a mocking expression, "But you didn't convince Hu Jiu at all! He didn't give a clear answer, so your mission failed."
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Lu Mou had no choice but to be taken away. He did not make any undignified gestures such as shouting, crying, or sobbing.
Because he knew very well that he was powerless to resist.
At that moment, he seemed to understand why some people would willingly embrace the Supernatural.
Ordinary people, living in a group, can only silently accept the judgment and treatment of the group when they suffer injustice or are wronged.
Ghost Tamer embodies the power of the masses, placing individual strength above that of the collective. Lu Mou reasoned that if he were Ghost Tamer even more powerful than Hu Jiu, even if Hu Jiu had indeed stolen those resources, Headquarters certainly wouldn't say much, right?
Immediately after Lu Mou left, someone subtly raised questions to Zhang Hongwen.
Zhang Hongwen glanced at the skeptics, his attitude firm:
"The Ghost Tamers ultimately rely on Headquarters. Without the resources supplied by Headquarters, what are Ghost Tamer?"
"So what if Ghost Tamer solves an S-class Supernatural event? Ultimately, this special group is limited by their lifespan and needs to rely on Headquarters."
"No matter how powerful a single Ghost Tamer, he still has to obey orders from Headquarters. Otherwise, would he dare to storm the Capital?"
Yes, Hu Jiu not only has guts, but also seems to have a criminal record.
A serious Supernatural incident previously occurred in Capital, which may be related to Hu Jiu.
But Fu Youhua and Shen Jiliang suppressed the matter, Zhang Hongwen was unaware of the inside story, so no one reminded him at this time.
After all, no matter how big that incident was, it wasn't these high-ranking and powerful people who were killed or injured.
Moreover, they have no evidence whatsoever; it's merely suspicion.
Hu Jiu's subsequent behavior has largely dispelled such doubts.
They simply didn't believe anyone would dare to touch the top Headquarters. Although the top management were ordinary people, their identities were extraordinary; they symbolized authority.
Anyone who dares to target senior management at Headquarters, no matter how legitimate their actions may seem, will absolutely be held accountable afterward.
After giving a few more brief instructions, Zhang Hongwen calmly and composedly adjourned the meeting and returned to his office with trepidation.
The Secret Peeker have been waiting for a long time.
The usually confident and spirited Vice Minister Zhang Hongwen bowed his head before this young woman, asking, "What should we do next?"
A sinister smile crept across the girl's face. "The chess piece has lost its purpose and become a discarded piece, so it's time to make the most of its remaining value."
Zhang Hongwen's face suddenly turned ugly, and he subconsciously raised his voice:
"Are the high-ranking members of Headquarters merely pawns used in the power struggle among Ghost Tamers in your eyes?"