Kallen carried two bowls of noodles to the entrance of the Detention Center, where several Clerics from the Security Section stood.
When they saw Kallen approach, they immediately exchanged hesitant looks. They must have received some news or caught wind of something. Even setting all that aside, they were no fools. Wasn't Director Neo being held inside for investigation?
The original departmental framework of the Headquarters building had always remained in place. With the restoration of the Whip of Order's functions in the local Districts, and York City District among the first to undergo that restoration, quite a few Clerics had been transferred in or newly recruited. The place was no longer as deserted as it had been at first.
In other words, Minister Bernie was no longer a commander without troops who had to assemble his own team. Though improving their quality would not be so easy for the time being, he had at least scraped together sufficient numbers.
Power struggles generally took this form. The departmental leadership remained deeply secretive about them, even actively denying their existence, while deliberately presenting a united and harmonious front;
the people further down, on the other hand, were not particularly affected, yet always liked to crane their necks like rows of giraffes, swaying with the slightest breeze to create a strong sense of personal involvement, as though they stood at the heart of the storm.
Kallen stopped and said calmly,
"Open the door."
The Clerics guarding the entrance were visibly struggling, but most of that struggle was merely laying the groundwork for a face-saving compromise.
The door opened. No one stopped Kallen.
After Kallen went inside, they closed the door again.
"Weren't we supposed to report to the Minister's office? Those were our orders from above."
"Exactly. Shouldn't we at least notify