Chapter 140

Seeing that the situation was not going well, the staff softened their previously tough stance.

"Since you all wish to leave, please do so."

He stepped aside to make way for the exit.

Xu Jintang raised an eyebrow and withdrew the spiritual energy that had been gathered in his palm.

"Walk."

Song Tianqi and the others quickly followed.

Xiao Linghe seemed a little hesitant, because even now he couldn't be sure whether what Xu Jintang said was true.

After a moment's thought, he followed Xu Jintang out of the banquet hall.

The sudden departure of the Soul Awakening Team and the Mask Squad surprised everyone.

Why did they suddenly leave together?

"Even if there's an emergency, it shouldn't be that both teams have something going on at the same time, right?"

"What do you mean? What's the point of this dance party today?"

The ballroom became noisy and lively.

Xu Jintang and his companions, who had left early, quickly walked out along the passageway and soon emerged from the Mirage.

Before leaving, Xu Jintang glanced back at the Mirage behind him and casually tossed the badge he had been holding into a nearby trash can.

"Squad leader, shall we just leave?" Yan Yuting asked in a low voice.

Xu Jintang hummed in agreement. "Let's go."

After saying that, she turned around and continued walking towards the exit of the black market.

Shortly after they left, the members of the other teams also left the party early because they were bored.

More and more teams are leaving the scene.

Just as Xu Jintang and his group were about to leave the black market.

A loud explosion came from behind.

Xu Jintang paused, hesitated, and turned around to look in the direction from which the explosion had come.

"Holy crap! The Mirage exploded!" Song Tianqi reacted immediately, his voice filled with shock.

Yan Yuting and the others also turned their heads.

Upon seeing that the explosion site was indeed the location of Mirage, Yan Yuting covered her mouth in shock.

Xue Zhongqi and Jiang Shiyi's eyes also showed a hint of emotion.

"How did you know that members of the Reform Society had infiltrated the ball?" Upon hearing the explosion, Xiao Linghe realized the seriousness of the situation and immediately stepped forward to stop Xu Jintang, asking with a serious expression.

Now that things have come to this, it's impossible for Xu Jintang to completely extricate himself.

"I found the Reform Society's emblem on one of the ball's staff members. I didn't publicize it at the time for fear of causing unnecessary trouble."

Xiao Linghe frowned slightly. "You still have that badge?"

Xu Jintang shrugged. "I just threw it in the trash can when I came out. How could I possibly carry something like that around with me?"

"If the explosion just now was carried out by the Reform Society, then the problem is quite serious." Xiao Linghe frowned even more deeply.

Xu Jintang glanced again at the location of the explosion.

At this moment, Huai Yangxia and several others from the Silver Light Military Academy also walked over with panicked expressions.

"No, what happened? We'd only been out a short while when the Mirage exploded."

Players from other teams also rushed over, their faces showing panic.

What's going on?

When I came out, there were still many people in the lobby; they hadn't left yet. Could they all... have stayed inside?

Xu Jintang glanced at the Mirage that had been destroyed and collapsed not far away, and silently pursed his lips.

An hour later, news of a horrific explosion at the underground black market Mirage topped the trending searches on Star Network.

[Really? I was planning to go to the black market this morning, but something unexpected happened and I couldn't go.]

[I was there when the Mirage exploded! It was real! It really exploded, and it seems there were many casualties.]

[Damn! Our Federation hasn't had anything this bad happen in decades, has it?]

[A rumor circulating online suggests that a black market worker revealed the bombing was likely carried out by members of the Reform Society.]

The online discussion exploded instantly.

Many passersby in the black market also filmed the explosion and uploaded the videos to Star Network, making the incident increasingly popular.

That afternoon, the underground black market was cleared out and taken over by the Federation Administration Bureau.

As soon as Xu Jintang and his group of five emerged from the black market, they were stopped by staff from the Federation Administration Bureau.

Xiao Linghe and other team members were also stopped at the scene.

"Are you contestants invited by the organizers of the Ability User Competition to attend the ball?" Song Yuanlang's cold gaze swept over Xu Jintang and the others, his tone stern.

Xu Jintang nodded, "Yes."

Song Yuanlang's expression turned somber. "At this hour, the ball should still be going on. Why did you leave early?"

He scrutinized Xu Jintang's subtle changes in expression, inch by inch.

Xu Jintang answered truthfully, "I found the reformist badge, and something felt off, so I took my teammates and came out first."

Song Yuanlang's brows furrowed even more, his gaze fixed coldly on Xu Jintang, his expression unfriendly. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

Because I'm not sure exactly what happened either.

Song Yuanlang was about to continue speaking.

At this moment, his subordinate came to report, "Captain Song, the explosion affected the entire Mirage building, but a Ninth Tier ability user was inside and managed to protect everyone. Currently, only the building has been destroyed; there have been no casualties."

Song Yuanlang then withdrew his gaze and looked at his subordinate, "Ninth Tier ability user?"

The subordinate coughed lightly. "It must be the black market boss."

Xu Jintang also glanced at him.

Then I remembered that the black market boss was still inside.

That's even stranger. Didn't the Reform Society know that the black market boss was Ninth Tier ability user?

"Understood." Song Yuanlang turned his head, his gaze sweeping across the room. "This matter is quite serious. To ensure safety, the Administration Bureau will be checking each of you individually. We ask for your cooperation."

After saying that, Song Yuanlang turned and left.

Xu Jintang withdrew his gaze and let out a long sigh.

What happened? Attending a dance and now you're going to the Administration Bureau?

Upon hearing that there were no casualties, Yan Yuting immediately breathed a sigh of relief. "I was so scared! I thought everyone inside... had been in trouble."

Song Tianqi wiped the sweat from his forehead. "What a mess this is. What exactly are these Reform Society members trying to do?"

Players from other teams, who were initially unaware of the situation, gradually learned about the Reform Society's activities and began discussing it in alarm:

How did members of the Reform Society manage to sneak into the ball?

"Isn't it said that the underground black market is strictly controlled?"

"Luckily I got out too. If I had stayed inside, and something unexpected had happened, I wouldn't have had a chance to back out."

Half an hour later, Xu Jintang and his group were taken to the Federation Administration Bureau by relevant personnel.

The staff members were all dressed in dark blue uniforms, with serious expressions and a sharp edge between their brows.

"Please have a seat." A staff member from the Control Bureau gestured for Xu Jintang to sit down.

Xu Jintang glanced at the seats in front of him.

It was a combination of tables and chairs that resembled a small prison cell, with electric handcuffs on the tabletop, supposedly a high-end lie detector that judges whether someone is lying by detecting fluctuations in their heart rate.

Xu Jintang took a deep breath and walked to the front to sit down.

The staff member in charge of the inquiry sat down opposite, "Ms. Xu Jintang, right?"

Xu Jintang nodded, "Yes."

The staff quickly pulled up a surveillance video. "The surveillance footage from the party shows that you and your teammates suddenly and strongly requested to leave five minutes before the explosion. What was the reason?"

Xu Jintang recounted the discovery of the Reform Society's emblem once again.

The staff member nodded, then took out a badge found at the explosion site and showed it to Xu Jintang, "Is this the one?"

Xu Jintang examined it carefully. "It looks the same, but I'm not sure if it's this one."

The staff member took back the badge and continued asking, "Before this, did you notice anything strange at the ball?"

Xu Jintang pondered for a moment, then said, "No."

Soon after, the staff began asking questions about a series of follow-up issues.

Xu Jintang answered all the questions truthfully.

After the questioning was completed, the staff member stood up and gestured, "Hello, you can leave now. Please have your teammates come in."

Xu Jintang stood up and nodded.

After leaving the room, Xu Jintang pointed behind him and said, "Let the next one in."

Song Tianqi and Yan Yuting exchanged a glance and began to decline each other's offer.

"Go ahead," Yan Yuting nudged him with her elbow.

Song Tianqi also declined, saying, "Ladies first, you go first."

It was the first time anyone had been invited into the Administration Bureau, so it was understandable that they were nervous.

When the situation reached a stalemate, Jiang Shiyi took the initiative to stand up and said, "I'll do it."

After saying that, she turned and went into the room.

Xu Jintang crossed his arms and sat down on the bench next to him.

She leaned her head back in the chair and closed her eyes to rest.

The interrogation lasted for three hours. Apart from the Mask Squad, all the other teams that had attended the ball were questioned. Only after confirming that no one was a suspect were they released.

When Xu Jintang and his group of five returned to their dormitory, it was already past midnight.

The night was silent, save for the occasional bird call, but the loudest sound was Zhuang Silin's admonition.

"This explosion was too dangerous. Luckily, all five of you are alright. From now on, you must report to me in advance for any outings like this. We were lucky this time, but we might not be able to next time, understand?" Zhuang Silin emphasized sternly.

"Understood!" Xu Jintang and the other four answered in unison.

Zhuang Silin rubbed her temples, her head aching. "This matter has a huge impact; the leaders at the Federation level are taking it very seriously. Now that you've cleared yourselves of suspicion, don't get involved anymore. Otherwise, it'll blow up and won't do you any good."