Head Xie said gravely, "Those West Coast legislators all said they knew nothing about this. That means there is definitely a plan within the Federation government, and it definitely won't be a small operation."
Chen Chuan understood. If those legislators had wanted to deny it, they would have simply said it did not exist. Saying they did not know meant it existed, but they could not tell him about it.
Head Xie said, "I've already asked the Covert Department to investigate further. We can confirm that the Confidential Operations Division and the Strategic Affairs Department are coordinating with each other on this matter."
Chen Chuan raised an eyebrow. "Is the Federation Executive Government pushing this?"
Head Xie shook his head. "Not very likely. The Strategic Affairs Department has a great deal of independence. Last time, over the Non-Body Faction Dojo, we forced the Affairs Department back. This time, they may be deliberately trying to make things difficult for us by creating the illusion that they are cooperating with the Confidential Operations Division.
"Of course, we cannot rule out their involvement. As long as there are benefits to be gained, they are usually very proactive. But we still need to prepare for a certain degree of interference."
He looked at Chen Chuan and said seriously, "Director Chen, just as we discussed before, the pressure we face is greater than ever.
"After the Federation put forward its conditions, Kavatua has already sent representatives for negotiations. At present, it appears they are willing to accept many of those conditions. Deputy Head Lu and Team Leader Wang have already arrived there and are trying to stop this."
Deputy Head Lu and Wang Tongshan going there was far from enough in terms of military deterrence. But that was not what mattered. What mattered was showing