Professor: The situation was even worse than imagined

Lin Yu and Yin Lan's judgments were both correct.

First, the mystery raised by Fu Luo was indeed marked as a rather suspicious "point of doubt" in the report.

Even during the public announcement phase, many members of "Order" still expressed their amazement in the discussion group after learning that this was a riddle created by the famous "Sherlock" and solved by the "Director".

"This is absurd! Is this a puzzle that humans can solve?"

Even if I knew the answer and worked backwards, I still find it a bit hard to understand...

"The Director is truly admirable."

"Because this isn't a puzzle at all; it's a 'one-to-one encrypted' message that 'Sherlock' is sending to 'the Director.'"

While many were shocked by the mystery and its solution, this did not affect the final outcome...

Lin Yu is still innocent.

So, while the mystery itself has garnered much attention, what's even more shocking is that the "Secretary" was actually an accomplice of the "Emperor" and an undercover agent for another Hidden Organization.

In his report, Lin Yu did not conceal anything and fully explained the reasons behind the "Secretary's" self-report—from the very beginning, he was a member of the "Copper Furnace" whose Memory were sealed, and a confidant of the "Emperor".

The shock and impact of this event on the internal "Order" was no less than that of everything that happened in Shenzhen itself.

"To be honest, I thought that at this 'critical moment' and 'special period,' given my position as 'Secretary,' my report would be partially omitted and the public announcement would be 'not made public for some reason.'"

At two o'clock in the afternoon, inside the hotel, Lin Yu looked at Yin Lan and the intellectual and refined man beside her, and said calmly.

Yin Lan did not answer Lin Yu's question, but looked at the man beside her and echoed Lin Yu's words.

"Professor... actually, I'm also a little curious, why make all of this public?"

"With so many people dead, the organization is already facing challenges. Is it really a good idea to reveal the Truth about the 'Secretary' so immediately?"

Sitting next to Yin Lan...

It was the "professor" who personally came to Shenzhen.

Hearing Lin Yu's question, he straightened his collar and cleared his throat. "You asked me why I made this public? Of course, it's because we are 'Order,' and within the framework of 'Internal Adjudication,' even though now isn't a good time to reveal the Truth, since that's the rule, we must strictly enforce it."

The professor spoke with impeccable precision.

"I understand that. Procedural justice is indeed the best course of action for a large organization," Lin Yu said in a low voice. "But... that's just talk. Professor—I know you're definitely not the kind of person who blindly follows the rules. As a member of the 'Decision-making Level,' I've observed that 'Order' comes directly from the highest level, most likely from your decisions... You should understand that there are no absolute 'Principles.'"

"When you make decisions, you always consider the actual and specific circumstances and make appropriate analyses—in fact, although 'procedural justice' sounds nice, this is the most 'appropriate' way to make decisions and plans."

"So, you're keeping the 'Truth' hidden without any concealment... what's your real purpose?"

Lin Yu stared at the "professor" and said without any tact.

The professor listened to Lin Yu's words and said in a low voice.

"As expected, there's a reason why Comrade Li Hua and the 'Administrator' both chose you..."

"Your specialness is definitely not just because your relatives were important Player in the Previous Version of the 'Death game'; you yourself also possess great potential and extremely high Wisdom."

The professor paused for a moment, then continued.

"I did consider concealing the fact that the 'Secretary' was an undercover agent, because even if I chose not to fully disclose it, it would still be legal according to regulations—I have that authority."

"Because quite a few people were recruited into 'Order' by the 'Secretary,' directly revealing that he is an 'undercover agent' and that he betrayed the organization could not only cause Rift in the faith and beliefs of many people, but could also make them question you."

"But... this is exactly the outcome I hoped for—as you said, 'Order' is currently in a special period."

"What happened in Shenzhen has a far more profound and significant impact than imagined—the ecosystem of the 'Player' community is actually more fragile than most people realize."

"The weakening of the vital forces and core members of various organizations, the deaths of high-level 'Player,' all occurring within the same event and almost transparently and openly... the impact is immeasurable."

"While no sudden changes will occur immediately, the Player community will enter a period of upheaval over the next week, two weeks, or even a month," the professor analyzed. "And during this period... with the two regional leaders missing, and the 'Secretary' dead and confirmed as an undercover agent, revealing the 'Secretary's' undercover identity will indeed exacerbate the organization's current burden."

Lin Yu looked at the professor. "But you still did it."

"Yes, because I believe that 'Order' won't be crushed by this; on the contrary, it will... become more cohesive," the professor said earnestly. "I, the 'General,' the 'Grandmaster,' and even the 'Secretary,' we all knew from the beginning what 'Order' would ultimately have to face."

"I don't understand why the 'Secretary' underwent such a drastic change after gaining his experience and Memory of 'experiencing the apocalypse,' but I won't let his change shake my beliefs."

Ultimately, the "Order" must Protection all the "Player," and everyone in this world.

"Based on this, in this 'turbulent' and 'transitional' period, 'Order' absolutely cannot reduce its own pressure—we must make all comrades vigilant and aware that our Struggle is 'brutal'."

"These still sound like platitudes, but... this is truly what I think."

The professor then paused, and added, "This is also what the 'General' was thinking."

Yin Lan seemed somewhat encouraged upon hearing this.

"Well said, Professor... These ideas are very much in the style of a 'general'."

The professor nodded, looked at Yin Lan, and gave her an encouraging look.

Then, he looked at Lin Yu.

"Of course, there's also... I know you need 'public disclosure'."

Lin Yu looked at the professor, but did not reply immediately. Instead, he looked at the professor and remained silent.

Yin Lan asked with some curiosity.

"The Director needs to be publicly announced? Oh, I see, because of 'Sherlock,' right...?"

Lin Yu said in a low voice, "Yes, I promised him I would catch the undercover agent and the murderer."

The professor looked at Lin Yu and said, "You did it—now you can trust 'Order' and me again, Comrade 'Director'."

"I don't want to say that all 'sacrifices' are worthwhile. If I could, I would hope that there were no sacrifices at all... But now that things have come to this, the sacrifices of both Comrade Fu Luo and Comrade Li Hua have not been in vain, and I will not let their sacrifices be in vain."

The professor said seriously.

"At the same time, this announcement... is also closely related to your task tonight."

"That's why I'm here," the professor said, handing Lin Yu a black [Team-up Card]. "You said you had some things to do on your own later, so I came here personally to give you this [Team-up Card]."

"The 'Ren Gu' and 'Loquat Candy' from South China, the 'Good Night' from Central China, and the 'Paper Kite' from East China —they've all obtained [Team-up Card]. You've worked with them many times before, so you know them well. However, because they were all injured and exhausted in Shenzhen this time, their condition isn't very good. I've also provided you with an extra force to ensure your success on this trip—who is also a regional 'manager.'"

Hearing this, Yin Lan, who was standing nearby, was somewhat surprised, but then replied earnestly, "I will certainly live up to your expectations, Professor."

The professor glanced at Yin Lan, hesitated, and ultimately didn't speak to her, instead looking directly at Lin Yu Yin Lan.

"Xiao Nian, the head of the North China Region —she also has a long history of activity in the Barren Realm, so she can not only serve as a guarantee of Combat Power, but also as a guide to some extent."

Upon hearing the professor's words, Lin Yu glanced at Yin Lan, who, although she had almost sobered up, still had a flushed face as if she had been drinking, and coughed lightly to defuse the situation.

"Ahem... I think it would be good to bring Comrade Yin Lan along in terms of combat strength."

"Although you may be concerned that she has just overdrawn her energy and activated her 'Heart Domain' multiple times, I think even without the 'Heart Domain,' Comrade Yin Lan would be the first choice."

"Moreover, although this is my first time working with Comrade Yin Lan in Shenzhen, I feel that we get along quite well."

As Lin Yu spoke, Yin Lan nodded quickly.

"That's right, that's right. My collaboration with the 'Director' is excellent, and I believe we can maintain a good working relationship... Besides, I also have a history of working with 'Xiao Nian' and 'Ren Gu'."

The professor listened to their conversation, thought for a moment, nodded, and lowered his voice.

"Well, that's fine... Actually, 'Director,' I've given you a lot of freedom in this assignment."

"You can replace any of the people I mentioned above at will—including adding one or two extra accompanying personnel if you wish."

Lin Yu listened to the professor's words, which became less formal, and relaxed his tone slightly as well.

"Really? Then how much freedom do I actually have?"

"Besides Yin Lan, I'd like to add another helper outside of 'Order,' is that alright?"

Upon hearing Lin Yu's words, the professor vaguely sensed something was amiss.

"Members of the 'Night Watcher' or 'Player Mutual Aid Society' are fine... 'Hunter Society' or other cooperating local organizations... are also acceptable."

Lin Yu shook his head.

The professor was silent for a moment, then cautiously spoke, "As for members Expelled Organization, I'm afraid it's a bit..."

Lin Yu said, "Don't worry, he hasn't joined any organization."

Yin Lan asked bluntly, "Oh, who is that?"

"It's 'Schreiber'."

Yin Lan and the professor fell silent.

"The candidate you mentioned is even worse than what I had in mind..."