Before long, remote projections of Han Xiao, Clottey, and Sherlock appeared in the office.
Your Excellency the President.
The three nodded in acknowledgment.
Urranrell nodded, pointed to the report on the virtual screen, and said bluntly, "This is the result of your work over the past few days? I'm not very satisfied. You know I don't want this kind of evidence to fool outsiders."
Sherlock stepped forward, forcing a smile, and said, "Your Excellency, we have been trying to track down the True Culprit, but the enemy has left no trace, and we have no leads. Just then, we discovered the Super Star Cluster Alliance and Manison's mutual sabotage, so..."
He explained the task force's recent work, which, in short, meant they had no real leads, but had collected a large amount of fabricated evidence to confuse the public.
Seeing increasing skepticism from the outside world, coupled with pressure and hints from higher-ups, Sherlock had no choice but to extract a portion of these fabricated clues and use his reasoning and analytical skills to construct a self-consistent chain of evidence. Although it was fake, after his analysis and organization, it sounded just like the truth.
Urranrell frowned. "Give me a definite answer. How long do you think it will take to find the True Culprit?"
"... It seems like that's a long way off, unless we find a breakthrough." Sherlock shook his head helplessly.
"You two have the same idea?" Urranrell turned his head.
Clottey's face was ashen; she didn't speak, but slowly nodded.
Han Xiao shrugged, making a gesture that indicated "I'm powerless to help," and said:
"The people who attacked Gaud were very cunning, leaving no loopholes. Even I am completely clueless. Given the current situation, I think the Empire can only look at the problem from a different angle and consider it from a profit perspective. They need to find a suitable scapegoat to temporarily quell the storm, and the Supercluster is the most suitable... Moreover, they are eager to get away with it, so there must be something fishy going on. It's not entirely unfair to them."
Urranrell shook his head and said, "But there will definitely be people outside who see through our plans, and the Super Star Cluster won't easily admit guilt, which will be detrimental to the Empire..."
"I know your concerns, but that's not important." Han Xiao interrupted her, speaking eloquently, "When Gaud was attacked, the Empire lost. It was already at a disadvantage and could only try its best to recover. What the Empire needs most now is results, to demonstrate its attitude and strength. We can't silence people's mouths, but we can silence their courage. In this way, even if some people mock us, those who should be afraid will still be afraid, and our goal will be achieved."
"But if that happens, wouldn't the True Culprit be laughing their head off when they see that the Empire has wrongly accused someone? Won't some people with ulterior motives think that the Empire can be used against them?" Urranrell said in a deep voice.
That's exactly what she's worried about. Once the outside world sees through the empire's methods, some people will think that the empire is easy to fool, which will also reduce the empire's prestige.
"Well, there's no other way. We have to choose the lesser of two evils. We can't always act on our whims, right?" Han Xiao, thick-skinned as armor, chuckled. "Besides, this might not be a bad thing. It might lull the True Culprit into a false sense of security, giving him a chance to slip up. Who knows, one day it might provide us with a breakthrough."
A high-ranking Intelligence Department official who was listening in echoed, "Lord Black Star is right, we always have to make a choice."
Urranrell sighed, signed the order, and said, "Let's do it this way."
In fact, as soon as this proposal appeared on her desk, Urranrell understood that it represented a silent consensus among the highest levels of the Empire, and all that was left was for her to sign it. Even the head of state could not act arbitrarily; he too was caught in a web of compromise and checks and balances. She was about to step down and could no longer act unilaterally.
Having signed the order, Urranrell felt inexplicably relieved and shook his head.
"It seems the task of finding the True Culprit can only be handed over to the next head of state. Well, that's fine, it'll make things much easier for me."
At this moment, Han Xiao's eyes flashed, and he said, "Actually, we've fallen into a trap of conventional thinking. There's another possibility regarding Gaud's disappearance. I wonder if the Empire has considered this?"
Everyone immediately turned to look at them.
"Oh? Tell me about it." Urranrell became interested.
"Do you think it's possible that this was Gaud's own doing, deliberately faking its death and disappearing?"
Upon hearing this, a Intelligence Department official couldn't help but laugh, "Lord Black Star, we've already made this assumption, and our final judgment is that it's impossible. Gaud has no such motive."
"I don't think so," Han Xiao shook his head. "Even the most loyal followers aren't necessarily completely loyal. Is it possible that he just wants to use the Empire's resources to reach the Beyond Grade A, then fake his death to escape the faction's boundaries and live in anonymity?"
After speaking, he glanced subtly at the crowd, noticing their dismissive expressions, and immediately added:
"Of course, this is just a logical judgment on my part. I don't know Gaud's background or origins, so naturally I won't completely believe him. Anyway, in my eyes, this kind of thing is not impossible. Haven't there been examples in history?"
Sherlock seemed thoughtful. "Hmm, your suspicions are valid. Gaud has served the Empire for far too short a time."
Urranrell glared at him, then spoke in his usual bureaucratic tone, "You don't need to worry about that. The Empire has its own system for vetting its loyalists, and it won't accept anyone with questionable credentials. The Empire absolutely trusts the loyalty of its loyalists..."
Han Xiao glanced at the expressionless Clottey and understood that Urranrell didn't want to continue this topic.
He shook his head and smiled, feigning casualness, and said, "Okay, I was just mentioning it offhand."
Sherlock pressed on, "I'm more curious, why did you think Gaud faked his death? There must be some factor that made you think this way. Did you feel that he showed something suspicious?"
Han Xiao was taken aback and looked at him in surprise.
This guy with thick eyebrows and big eyes actually enjoys being a straight man? I don't know whether to say you have a strong thirst for knowledge or that you don't pay attention to the occasion when you speak. Didn't you see that the high-ranking imperial intelligence officer next to you was already giving you a meaningful look?
Han Xiao suddenly realized this was an opportunity to set the pace. His eyes darted around, he coughed lightly, and said:
"On the one hand, there wasn't a single clue; it was too clean, unlike an attack by outsiders. On the other hand... it wasn't that Gaud showed any suspicious signs, but rather that I happened to know someone who successfully faked their death, which is why I made the connection."
"Who is that?" Sherlock asked curiously.
"This person is quite famous; you all definitely know him. He's Sorokin from the Infinite Financial Group."
Before anyone could ask a question, Han Xiao continued speaking:
"I discovered his little secret by chance. He's not as weak as he seems. I felt threatened by him; his strength might be no less than mine, but he always presented himself as weak, and I don't know what he's plotting. Moreover, his soul's true age seems to be far beyond his current age. I tested him and discovered that he might be Beyond Grade A in history, who seems to have faked his death and been hiding his identity until now..."
He withheld some crucial information, revealing Sorokin's true colors with ambiguous words, leaving the group somewhat skeptical.
"How did you know?" Urranrell asked, puzzled.
"This involves a Universal Treasure I recently acquired, which has miraculous effects in the realm of the soul." Han Xiao smiled, offering no specific explanation, and adopting an air of profound mystery.
Urranrell knew Han Xiao didn't want to talk about it, so he didn't press the matter. Recalling Sorokin's past behavior, he thoughtfully said, "If this is true, then Sorokin has grand ambitions. We need to adjust our attitude towards him..."
She wouldn't believe it immediately, but Han Xiao had considerable Political Asset, and even the peculiar bonus of being a [Civilization Leader Assassin], so the information he revealed was taken seriously.
Urranrell plans to investigate Sorokin privately; compared to Black Star, Sorokin is the outsider.
Seeing this, Han Xiao stopped there, not wanting to reveal too much; he only wanted to pique the Empire's interest in Sorokin.
This is the advantage of having one's ears heard by the Sorokin; today, the opportune moment has come, and he has directly sown discord between himself and the empire.
After all, the Empire's decision to make the Supercluster take the blame was merely a stopgap measure. The real culprit would still need to be found, and the matter was far from over. Therefore, Han Xiao wanted to take this opportunity to deal with Sorokin.
This guy is a master of the art of yielding and maneuvering, he's too good at hiding his true intentions. I wonder what he's plotting. If we can expose him and stop him from pretending to be a noob, it would be a good thing.
With the Gaud incident, once Sorokin's strength is exposed, he will become a suspect.
Although Master Han didn't think Little Sorokin had any motive for the crime, at least it would annoy the bastard... Hmph, let him scheme against me behind my back every day, does he think I'm just keeping track of everything for nothing?!
"Okay, that's the situation. I have no further questions. If there's nothing else..."
Urranrell was about to end the call, but before he could finish speaking, he heard Han Xiao speak again.
"Wait, there's one last thing."
"... You say it." Urranrell gritted his teeth secretly.
She thought Han Xiao was going to tattle on her again, but she saw Han Xiao suddenly straighten his expression, become serious, and speak in a deep voice.
"Your Excellency, I am speaking to you now in my capacity as the Vice President of the Beyond Grade A Association. I support the Empire's actions against the Super Cluster, but I hope this matter will not Implicated the members of the Association."
Upon hearing this, the people present perked up, glanced at Han Xiao in surprise, and their expressions turned serious.
"Go on," Urranrell said, narrowing his eyes.
"We all know that the Superstar Cluster's direct descendants are hidden among the neutral Beyond Grade A. I fully support the Empire's actions against the Superstar Cluster, but I don't want the Superstar Cluster's Beyond Grade A Beyond Grade A to be included in the Empire's retaliation. I'm not protecting the culprits, but I'm asking the Empire not to take its anger out on some neutral members and those suspected to be from the Superstar Cluster. Perhaps there are culprits among them, but until the True Culprit is proven, they are protected by the Association."
Han Xiao's expression was solemn, showing an attitude of arguing his case even at the cost of offending the empire.
Urranrell and the others immediately understood his meaning. Black Star knew the ins and outs and understood how the evidence was obtained. Although he supported the Empire's actions, he did not want it to become an excuse for the Empire to target Beyond Grade A. He was taking precautions.
One thing at a time. Fighting the Super Star Cluster is fine, but we can't Implicated other unrelated Beyond Grade A!
The transition of identities was seamless; one second he was an ally working for the empire, and the next he became the vice president of the Beyond Grade A Association, fulfilling his duties in his position.
"You really are meticulous." Urranrell's eyes held a complex expression.
"If I don't speak up for the association, what will happen to my position as vice president?" Han Xiao said dismissively.
"... Alright, I understand. The Empire's targets are limited to the Super Star Cluster Alliance's forces. Before obtaining sufficient evidence, they won't target their hidden elite Beyond Grade A members. After all, the Association has also expressed its willingness to assist us."
Urranrell sighed.
Seeing this, Han Xiao finally smiled again, thought for Tu Shu, and chuckled:
"Alright, if the Empire doesn't mind, please cooperate with me in spreading the word. Say that the Empire originally wanted to track down the whereabouts of the neutral Beyond Grade A members, and even conduct forced interrogations, but I argued with the Empire on reason and defended the association members, and finally persuaded the Empire to abandon its idea. Highlight my role in this."
"..."
Although none of them spoke, their eyes conveyed the same message.
Wow, you're really rude, and you're fucking shameless!
"... OK."
Urranrell took a deep breath to calm herself down, otherwise she was afraid she would grab the thermos on the table and smash it at Han Xiao.
Despite her inner turmoil, she still decided to promote Black Star to enhance his influence and prestige within the association. Black Star's leadership of the association would be more beneficial than detrimental to the empire, and who else would benefit from such prestige if not their own?
Having received a definite answer, Han Xiao smiled and took his leave.
He deactivated the remote projection, and the view returned to his own office, finally letting out a long sigh of relief.
"My move has finally completely swayed the Empire's path..."
Han Xiao felt much more relaxed.
Fortunately, he had enough Political Asset to make it easier for the empire to accept his opinions.
If it weren't for the mutual destruction between Manison and Supercluster, he would have had to put in more effort. But now he's just reaping what he sowed, taking advantage of the situation. It's fair to say that both sides helped him out, making things much simpler. He can directly grasp the main contradiction without needing any fancy maneuvers.
Furthermore, it can boost the association's reputation, allowing members to see the vice president's "responsibility" in standing up to the empire to protect the association's interests. As the saying goes, a leader who doesn't fight for the interests of his subordinates is not a good leader. This move will likely convince more people and show them the benefits of wielding power.
Han Xiao couldn't say how many birds were hit by this stone. He only knew that he had mitigated much of the negative impact of Gaud's attack, and that things should be temporarily over once the Empire announced its action against the Supercluster.
As for other unknown chain reactions, he can only wait and see.
On the other side, only Urranrell and Clottey remained in the head of state's office.
Urranrell unconsciously clenched his fingers, his face hesitant. After a long while, he finally spoke in a low voice:
Do you think he will be the next Mechanic Emperor?
Clottey glanced at her and shook her head.
He is a hundred times more dangerous than the Mechanic Emperor.