In the manor’s meeting room, Sigaochin stood behind Yelanka. Both of them looked at Guan Tong with unmistakable curiosity in their eyes.
Earlier, after waking up, Guan Tong had contacted a few people to let them know he was still alive. Yelanka was among them.
But exactly what he had gone through, he hadn’t made clear. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to explain; it was that, at the time, even he couldn’t make sense of it, so how could he explain it to others?
Only after reading the private message Gill sent him did he start to get a clue, confirming some of his guesses.
The reason he came to see Yelanka now was simple. She was currently caught in the whirlwind of public opinion in Xisiya, bearing tremendous pressure. Guan Tong felt it was necessary to tell her what he knew, to lighten her burden a little.
"Guan Tong... Teacher, is what you said in your statement really true?" Yelanka couldn’t help but ask first.
Guan Tong nodded. "It’s true. Take a look at this."
He took a tablet he always carried with him from his storage ring. Inside were images he had downloaded from the forum to his device. The images showed exactly the expose letter Gill had sent him.
Yelanka took the tablet. At first glance, her face showed shock, then the anger on her face grew more intense. By the time she finished reading, her eyes were reddened, and her pupils were faintly misted with a layer of moisture, looking very crystalline.
She handed the tablet to Sigaochin behind her, letting her read it too. Lowering her voice, she said, "From the looks of it, all those Ascendants from Xisiya who took part in the operation were sacrificed in vain..."
As she spoke, she couldn’t hold back a single tear rolling down her cheek.
As the Administrator of Xisiya, she had deep feelings for her people. The thought that those fallen Ascendants had died because of lies and betrayal—how could she not feel heart-wrenching pain?
Guan Tong couldn’t bear to see it. He handed her a tissue. "Yelanka, I know you’re heartbroken, but..."
Yelanka shook her head and didn’t take it. She raised her hand to wipe the corner of her eye, and flames of fury surged from her pupils.
"If I don’t avenge these innocent Xisiya Ascendants who were sacrificed in vain, I’m not fit to be this Administrator!"
Sigaochin, having finished reading the expose letter, also looked outraged.
But she still suppressed her anger and spoke to Yelanka seriously. "Administrator, I know you must be burning with fury right now. But I must remind you that this letter alone is not enough to serve as evidence."
An individual is different from a nation. If a person acts out of anger, they bear the consequences alone. But if a nation goes to war in anger, the consequences are borne by all its citizens.
Yelanka understood that principle. She took a deep breath, doing her best to calm herself, and asked Guan Tong earnestly, "Teacher, do you have any other evidence? Solid proof that can confirm this matter!"
"Sorry, not yet," Guan Tong said. "This expose letter is the only evidence we have. I haven’t made it public because I’m not sure whether Gill is alive or dead. Releasing it rashly might get him killed directly."
Yelanka’s expression darkened. Sigaochin added, "To get evidence, we can only start with the participants in the operation. For example, Joiessen, Andrew, and the others mentioned in the letter."
"...It probably won’t be that simple," Yelanka said, not optimistic. "If Gill was under secret surveillance, then every participant in the operation must also be under surveillance. For all we know, they’ve all been strictly restricted in travel and speech by now. There’s not much we can do."
"Exactly," Guan Tong said. "I came this time just to let you know this, Yelanka. To let you know that your decision not to participate in condemning Beixing was the right one. I don’t want you to fall into self-doubt."
"Thank you..."
Yelanka could naturally feel Guan Tong’s sincerity. But at this moment, she was both sorrowful and furious, her emotions a complete mess.
Guan Tong knew she needed time to process it all. He stood up to leave. "I’ll be going now."
"Teacher, you’re leaving just like that?" Yelanka was slightly startled as she also stood up. "Aren’t we going to discuss how to get the evidence of crimes from Suroma’s top brass?"
Sigaochin also said, "Wouldn’t cooperating make it more efficient?"
Guan Tong looked at the two of them, thought for a moment, and said, "To be honest, I don’t think we can find conclusive evidence. Given Bruce’s personality, he will definitely destroy all the evidence before public opinion erupts. If you want to expose him by proper means, it will be very difficult."
"But if that’s the case..."
"That doesn’t mean they can just pretend it never happened and get away with it," Guan Tong said coldly. "Since these people wanted to kill me, and actually tried and nearly succeeded, then I and they cannot coexist in this world."
Yelanka’s heart sank.
Sigaochin raised an eyebrow. "Are you thinking of assassination?"
It wasn’t unreasonable for her to say that. Guan Tong’s strength was already among the world’s top tier, and his ability was exceptionally suited for assassination. If he were to start a campaign of assassinations, it would be the most terrifying nightmare for his enemies.
"I’ll decide how to act based on the situation. I don’t belong to any department. I only represent myself," Guan Tong said, neither confirming nor denying. "But I will not allow these people to get through this smoothly and without consequence. That’s certain."
"...I will have Xisiya’s intelligence agency go all out to gather evidence and coordinate with Beixing’s official channels. Even if the chances are slim, we have to try," Yelanka said resolutely. "I swear in the name of the Administrator of Xisiya that if we get solid proof, I will make these conspirators and traitors pay the price!"
......
July 16, the Mind Power Development Academy.
In the grand auditorium, Dean Zhou Qinfeng’s pre-graduation speech was coming to an end.
"...Students, next month you will graduate and go to your respective posts to shine. I sincerely wish you all the best. I hope you will always be brave, smart, and hardworking, and fight for the dawn of Beixing and all of humanity!"
Clap clap!
A tidal wave of applause flooded the auditorium. In a corner, Guan Tong, wearing a trench coat, a mask, and a baseball cap, also clapped a few times.
Graduation was in August. After mid-July, there were almost no classes left—just some final graduation tasks.
For instance, students who were close would gather together a few more times, cherishing the little time they had left.
And during this period, various official departments would come to recruit, much like a job fair. The students could learn about them and sign agreements based on their interests.
Additionally, the top few students from this graduating class would be directly assigned to key departments, including the Countermeasures Research Office. Of course, they could refuse, but few people would.
Guan Tong watched the students with some interest. Quite a few of them had attended his classes, and he still remembered them.
Compared to the lifeless, rigid, and numb temperament of most people outside the academy, the mental state of these students was indeed much better.
It seemed that the campus in peacetime wasn’t the only ivory tower. Under Beixing’s strong protection, even though some students still died because of the Doomsday Rules, compared to the terrifying outside world, the academy in the age of the Doomsday Rules was also an ivory tower.
Guan Tong thought, after they graduate and leave, they would definitely look back on their year here with mixed feelings...
After the assembly ended, each class organized gatherings, while the teachers barely had a moment’s rest. Students kept coming to thank and say goodbye.
Among them, Shi Jingyi was undoubtedly the busiest. Almost every student who had learned Mind Power Flow from her came. The line of people thanking her stretched all the way outside the auditorium.
Guan Tong sat in a corner watching quietly, thinking that since she was so beloved, she must be enjoying the boost of "Faith Power" to the speed of increasing her Mind Power upper limit.
Even though Shi Jingyi’s natural rate of Mind Power growth was already far ahead of others, no one would complain about having more, just like no one complains about having too much money. If she could become even faster, she certainly wouldn’t object.
With two consecutive large graduating classes, plus the huge number of external students who couldn’t get into the academy but learned from her online courses, the amount of Faith Power she had received must be considerable.
Guan Tong recalled that he had once thought Shi Jingyi was above worldly strife, living a simple life between the academy and her residence day after day. He had worried that over time, she might fall behind the top Ascendants... Now it seemed he had clearly been overthinking.
After a while, Shi Jingyi finally sent off many students and managed a rare moment of rest. She walked straight toward the corner of the auditorium where Guan Tong was.
She had sensed he was there long ago.
"Why are you hiding your face today?" she asked, looking at his fully disguised figure as she approached. "How are the students supposed to recognize you like this?"
Guan Tong pulled down his mask helplessly. "I didn’t plan to come like this, but you know about the recent storm. If I show my face at the academy, it might cause a commotion. I figured it was better to just watch them quietly."
"...That makes sense."
Although Shi Jingyi didn’t surf the internet much, she could always hear about major online events indirectly from her students.
The bombshell statement released by "Shadow" a few days ago had naturally sparked heated discussion among the students.
And the identity of "Shadow" was no longer much of a secret by now.
Although Guan Tong had never personally admitted it, rumors from various sources had long claimed that "Shadow" was actually Guan Tong, who had once been a guest lecturer at the academy. The primary source of this rumor was Suroma.
Given the situation, if he showed his face at the academy, he would definitely be surrounded by layers and layers of students. Guan Tong thought it better to just forget it. He wasn’t used to that kind of scene.
"These past few days, has Shadow been acting up?"
"No. As long as my emotions are stable, it doesn’t change."
"That’s good. So, what’s next for you?"
"I’m going to Liruo’an tomorrow with Ye Dang," Guan Tong said. "So I came back today to see the students. I just happened to catch the graduation speech. Lucky timing. If I waited until I came back from Liruo’an, the students might all have graduated and left by then."
Hearing that he was going to Liruo’an, Shi Jingyi looked puzzled. "What are you going there for? Wasn’t there news that after multiple rounds of bombing by the Human Consortium, the remaining forces of the Fire Thief Worship Cult had fled the city?"
"I thought so too, but Ye Dang and I went to see Moon Key. Her prophecy was that Your Holiness is still in Liruo’an. That means the so-called escape is probably false intelligence. These cultists are hiding in plain sight."
Shi Jingyi nodded at this. "Be careful, then. I won’t say anything else."
"That’s more than enough."