Zhao Yifeng's Defection

Seeing Director Li blame himself so deeply, the Southwest Bureau investigators present all began offering words of comfort:

"Director Li, this isn't your fault. The criminals were simply too cunning."

"Exactly, Director Li. Who could have imagined that the anomalous infection source would appear right inside our Bureau? You and Director Gao reacted so quickly—we could never hope to match that."

"That's right, Director Li, you mustn't dwell on it. Out with the old, in with the new. We can just have the Central Bureau allocate funds for us to rebuild later. Besides, we suffered zero casualties this time! That was all thanks to your foresight in forcing everyone in the Bureau to go home and rest. That's an enormous achievement!"

Hearing such utterly shameless flattery, Li Fan raised an eyebrow and snapped:

"What nonsense are you talking about? That's complete garbage! This is the bureaucratic practice of turning a funeral into a celebration, and that is precisely what our Anomaly Administration cannot tolerate!"

Seeing Li Fan speak with such righteous indignation, the investigator who had just been flattering him immediately began criticizing himself on the spot:

"I was wrong, Director Li. I really hadn't thought that through... But you truly don't need to blame yourself too much for what happened today. After all, even Director Zhen of the Night Watchers failed to take down those anomalous infection sources..."

At the same time, Zhou Ye, who had been conducting an on-site investigation, walked over and reported to Li Fan:

"Director Li, every building in our Southwest Bureau has been completely destroyed... Even the corpses of the anomalous infection sources contained in the basement were badly damaged... I think our Bureau needs a temporary office location."

At that moment, Zhou Ye felt nothing but profound admiration for the High Shepherd before