Chapter 232
Why do you say that?
"The Apostle Organization will not make investments that yield no return indefinitely."
Efnir shook her head.
After all, "Whale" isn't something cheap to invest in; you can't just invest whenever you want.
"Or rather, Xijing City is not important to the Apostle Organization; it's dispensable."
In other words, the Apostle's ambitions are not limited to the Xijing City; on a larger scale, they could even extend to the entire already collapsed world.
"Is that so..."
"By the way, Nami, there's one more thing. How's your investigation going regarding the private organizations and companies that have done business with ICS?"
"This report is here."
Siyejian took out another thick document. "There's one thing to pay attention to on this list: the Huachao Consortium. It used to be one of the largest sponsors of ICS."
153. Emergency
"The Huachao Consortium?" Efnir paused, pondering for a moment. "I feel like I've heard of it somewhere before."
"Of course you've heard that the Huachao Consortium has some business dealings with our organization."
Shinomiyami Nami began to explain.
Only then did Efnir realize that the Huachao Consortium, a business behemoth, controlled numerous companies and institutions and was one of the sources of funding for the Orderkeepers Organization and the Special Disaster Division.
It generally does not operate under the name of "Huachao Consortium," but rather appears in the public eye through the names of the companies it actually controls. Therefore, most people are probably more familiar with its companies than with the name "Huachao Consortium."
As the actual controller of those companies and enterprises, the Huachao Consortium is very large. The companies it controls are mainly engaged in various industries, including urban transportation, media, entertainment, finance, and industry. Most high-end consumer goods are also under its control.
Telecommunications, politics, culture, religion, scientific research, food, medicine, energy, education, and city defense are controlled and managed separately by the Orderkeepers Organization and the Special Disaster Division and its subordinate departments.
Under the institutional framework of Xijing City, some very important areas are strictly restricted, and private enterprises cannot get too involved. This means that private enterprises have limited influence on the direction of urban development and cannot influence the overall decision-making of urban planning and the direction of major events. Even so, the Huachao Cai troupe holds a pivotal position in Xijing City.
In short, the actual controllers behind many well-known companies in Xijing City are the Huachao Consortium. Efnir generally doesn't pay much attention to this kind of thing, so she has only "heard of" it. However, those who are familiar with the finances of Xijing City will certainly know the influence of the Huachao Consortium.
"Looks like a big shot in finance... I don't know much about this."
Efnir shook her head. She was genuinely rather slow to catch up on these kinds of things, ever since she was a child. She was completely unaware of the topics that were popular among her classmates, and this became even more true Efnir became an agent. Unless it was someone or something that happened in an "incident," she would almost never bother to find out about it.
The Huachao Consortium has always operated in a semi-behind-the-scenes manner, so Efnir naturally knows very little about it.
Efnir thought for a moment and then asked, "So I just want to know—how difficult would it be to investigate such a large corporation?"
"Easy."
Shinomiyami Nami smiled casually, "Even if it's the largest 'conglomerate' in Xijing City."
But it is insignificant in the face of the absolute dominance of the Orderkeepers Organization.
"Although there is no concrete 'evidence' yet, in the face of the greater good of 'maintaining urban stability,' this kind of issue is nothing. As long as you speak up, that is 'evidence,' and they cannot stop you."
"Of course," Shinomiyami Nami added, "We'll have to wait until you get there in the next few days. You don't have the authority to make any decisions right now."
"Yes, I think so too..."
Efnir fell into thought.
Indeed, in the major cities of the Human Federation, the Orderkeepers Organization naturally maintain a transcendent status.
Because the organization is the city's only shield, if the organization does not act with "protecting the city" as its fundamental purpose, or if the execution of its functions and powers is hindered by other forces, then hidden dangers will follow closely.
Excessive authoritarianism may bring hidden dangers, but it is better than leaving such danger in the hands of others who cannot be controlled.
After all, the Orderkeepers Organization are the only "army" to resist external enemies. Under external pressure, the stability of the Orderkeepers Organization can be guaranteed to a certain extent. Of course, it can be said that the stability of the Orderkeepers Organization relies too much on this natural resistance to external pressure and too much on the members' own sense of crisis. Therefore, in a sense, this system itself is very fragile.
The Apostle infiltrated the Orderkeepers Organization through this method—the information obtained from the traitors dug out by Masaki Hina was mostly about the Apostle Organization offering them irresistible benefits or threatening them and their families, forcing them to comply.
Because the Apostle are also a "human" organization, compared to the Erosion Entity, compromising with the Apostle might not be considered betrayal—this self-hypnotic thought can easily ferment in their minds, and under coercion and enticement, it can shake their will.
In short, the existence of the Apostle, along with the technology and power they wield, has shaken the foundations of the Human Federation's rule.
The foundation built on "fear and resistance" is no longer solid, and is being shaken by the Apostle Organization, which can bring about another possibility. This is the Apostle Organization's greatest reliance when it operates in various cities.
Speculators will consider the risks and rewards, while others will be subject to the powerful and ruthless methods of the Apostle.
For this reason, Efnir was also somewhat hesitant about the "investigation".
She worried that this would backfire.
"Forget it... these are just baseless guesses right now. It's better to find some evidence before taking any action—that shouldn't be too difficult for you, right?"
"I can give it a try. We might find something if we start with the files we've kept, but only if the Huachao Consortium itself is 'clean'."
Otherwise, the Huachao Consortium would have kept all the evidence tightly under wraps, and it would have been impossible for Shinomiyami Nami to easily uncover it.
"It's alright. We can use this opportunity to test their attitude. In short, I'm leaving the investigation of those companies and groups, including the Huachao Consortium, to you," Efnir thought for a moment. "Conduct a preliminary investigation over the next few days, and let me know if you find anything new."
"Okay, then I'll be leaving now. Take good care of yourself these next few days... oh no, I mean, get some rest."
"Well, thanks... but I'm doing fine now. Oh, by the way, how's Maesakagawa doing lately?"
"Maesakagawa... it seems the commander has made some new discoveries, right at the location of the water tower you marked. We haven't received any specific details yet, but I suppose they're still investigating."
"Is that so... I hope everything goes well." Efnir paused. "Also, if possible, could you send someone to protect Yukina these next few days? She's at school for the school festival, and the situation is rather uncertain lately, so I'm worried about her."
"Yukina... the school festival?"
Shinomiyami Nami blinked, then gave a meaningful smile.
School festival? (laughs)
So that's how Yukina fooled Efnir? Well, it makes sense. Efnir has been confined to headquarters for the past few days, which is a perfect opportunity for Yukina to take advantage of the situation.
Although she found it amusing, Shinomiyami Nami's face remained impassive. "Okay, I'll keep an eye on things here."
Thank you for your help.
"Fine."
Shinomiyami Nami got up to leave, just as her phone rang.
"This is Shinomiyami Nami."
"Captain... we... Boundary Stele has received some unusual energy fluctuation signals... The Special Disaster Division has sent an emergency contact request... Bushiyuan Baron..."
Efnir stood to the side, unable to hear clearly, but she could vaguely sense that the voice on the other end was somewhat anxious.
Soon, Shinomiyami Nami hung up the phone, her brows furrowing slightly. Her gaze drifted hesitantly to Efnir. "Efnir, I may need to leave immediately."
"What happens?"
"Have no idea."
It is precisely because we don't know that it is worrying.
"But the Boundary Stele received signal fluctuations similar to the Codename H," Shinomiyami Nami solemnly, "And Yukina and 'Shadow' are nearby."
154. Codename H or Apostle
"The target was spotted near the shopping street of the Yousumi Academy."
And Yukina happened to be at school today—at least that's how Efnir's perception was.
Codename H, the hooded girl who was the one who brought Yukina into the world of agents.
Efnir's most profound impression of her was her power, which rivaled that of Angel.
The unseen force field could easily overturn an armored vehicle, and the eerie and mysterious power she displayed when she disappeared was also intriguing.
In Efnir's view, in terms of the power displayed by Codename H and the Angel alone, Codename H is slightly inferior to the Angel. In terms of threat, Codename H has not brought much substantial threat or harm to Xijing City.
However... the biggest difference between Codename H and the Angel is that Codename H possesses complete cognition and independent thinking abilities. The Angel's actions have been proven to rely on command and pre-set plans, making her essentially a "puppet without thinking ability." This inevitably makes her appear rigid and mechanical, and the Angel's power cannot be fully displayed. However, Codename H can use her power completely and flexibly—and because of this, her potential threat is even greater.
Because we don't know the purpose of Codename H's actions or understand Codename H power, her existence is all the more important.
"The energy fluctuations we've seen this time are very similar to those of Codename H, but not exactly the same. We can't determine whether it's Codename H reappearing, or whether an entity with the same power has appeared in our city."
Shinomiyami Nami said, "In short, we need to find out exactly what happened."
"It's still uncertain whether this special target is indeed Codename H," Efnir frowned slightly. "Nami, go and find out what's going on—also, call Shadow and Yukina back; the two of them can't handle that guy."
This was partly due to concerns for Yukina's safety.
"Should we contact the commander?"
"Yes, let me handle this. I need to request my temporary action and decision-making authority... You just need to send her the relevant information. Without further ado, let's split up and confirm the situation."
"Um."
Shinomiyami Nami left.
Efnir thought for a moment, then turned and walked toward the soldiers—she needed to regain control of her actions as soon as possible and retrieve her Beacon in case of any unforeseen circumstances.
This is undoubtedly a state of emergency.
If Codename H, or something similar to Codename H, reappears, only Efnir herself and Anilas among the agents currently remaining in Xijing City have the power to fight back. Although lifting the restraining order now will bring hidden dangers, it is the best solution after weighing the options.
Ten minutes ago, on the other side--
Yukina said goodbye to Saori simply nodded. The alley was dimly lit in the evening, and Yukina couldn't see Saori's expression.
"Be careful on your way back."
She gave him a word of advice, then turned and left.
After taking a few steps, she stopped and said softly, "Also, please give my regards to Senior Efnir..."
She didn't linger, as she still had an investigative mission. Fushihara Ayaka sent people to retrieve surveillance footage and tracked down several suspicious targets, while Saori was responsible for investigating these individuals.
Before meeting Yukina, Saori had already worked with the other team members to subdue three of them. This time, the target was a girl wearing a baseball cap, who was also the most suspicious target so far. Among the suspicious targets listed by Fushihara Ayaka, she was the only one who kept wandering around the various alleys and streets. During this time, a second murder occurred in the area she passed through, and the victim was also a member of the black organization that Fushihara Ayaka and her Special Disaster Division were targeting.
Once might be a coincidence, but twice would definitely raise suspicion. Moreover, the girl's body type perfectly matched the physical characteristics of the bloody footprints Saori found in the underground passage. Therefore Fushihara Ayaka immediately used various surveillance cameras to pinpoint the girl's approximate location, which was currently somewhere in this area.
Saori came here to investigate this girl, but she happened to run into Yukina. After saying goodbye to Yukina, Saori reconnected with the Special Disaster Division headquarters.
"The target appeared near the marked point one minute ago, about 300 meters north of your location."
Saori's actions deviated by about a minute, Fushihara Ayaka's voice came through her earpiece, indicating the target's location to Saori.
"My men haven't arrived yet. Be careful. Since 'that guy' is here, she might make her move on her next target. If things don't go well, retreat and wait for my men to rejoin you before we move again."
Two people are suspected of dying at the hands of the target girl.
One was a member of the Black Organization who was found dead in an underground passage, discovered by Saori; the other was a target of another special forces unit who was also found dead in his home at the same time as Saori's operation.
The two people died in strikingly similar ways: their bodies were twisted and contorted by some immense force, ultimately resulting in their skulls being crushed.
"Furthermore, if the target shows no unusual activity, monitor them and wait for an opportunity to act, while awaiting clues from the Orderkeepers Organization."
Because of this phenomenon, Fushihara Ayaka and Saori's first suspect was the "Apostle"—the power of the Apostle could cause such a death.
But...
If the other party truly was Apostle, how could the Orderkeepers Organization have given no warning whatsoever?
Therefore, Fushihara Ayaka sent a request for assistance in the investigation to the Orderkeepers Organization, requesting the Orderkeepers Organization's Boundary Stele management department to retrieve monitoring records of all abnormal energy fluctuations in the city over the past two days.
She needed to confirm her suspicions.
The Apostle's methods are endless. Now that some clues have been discovered and suspicions have been raised, Fushihara Ayaka will naturally investigate further.
--After all, you never know what might happen.
The Boundary Stele records all abnormal energy fluctuations within the city. Generally, the Boundary Stele management department records at least hundreds or thousands of data entries every day, but only a very small portion of them are selected for secondary verification. For example, abnormal fluctuations in Corruption Energy may indicate the arrival of an Erosion Disaster, but it may also simply be the effect of an abnormal activity of a White Hole on the change in energy levels.
Other fluctuations, such as those caused by the Order Force, are only kept for observation. Records that match the wavelength of the Apostle will be backed up and analyzed separately. If any suspicious situations are found, agents and soldiers from relevant departments will be dispatched immediately to investigate or engage in combat.
Fushihara Ayaka wants is all the data.
By comparing the location where the data was recorded with the locations where the two victims appeared, it can be determined whether there is a correlation between the two.