"Ten years ago, it was you who abandoned me; it was the nation that abandoned me!" Xiao Qing, his eyes bloodshot, yelled. "I could have defended the borders for the nation; I could have died in battle for the nation. But why did you deceive me? It was clear you wouldn’t come to my rescue; clearly, there were no reinforcements. Yet, you told me to cover the retreat, to wait for support. Thirty brothers! Until their deaths, they kept hoping, hoping for reinforcements. They always believed the reinforcements would come, but you had no plan to send them at all. We held on for three days; with Jade Country’s reaction speed, they should have arrived long ago. "Later, it was Hellfire that saved me. My faith in the nation had already collapsed. Now, I am but a ghost living solely for money. I was placed in Modu City to make a profit through black market trades; it’s that simple." "Since you’re a man of Hellfire, why do you still keep those people’s secrets?" "I’ve said it before: I have a woman here, and I have children. Though I sent my woman and children abroad, the moment I reveal the people behind all this, Hellfire will not let them go. I tell you, even if you get those trading details, it’s useless. Nearly all the prominent Star Martial families in Modu City have traded with me. If you really want to dig to the bottom of this, then you’ve got to have the guts to take down all the Star Martial families in one sweep." "Director Ming!" Just then, the interrogation room door was pushed open. "The Evidence Department has finished downloading; all the transaction details are here." "Good! Take him away. Wang Lan, let’s go!" Following Ming Baiye to the Evidence Department, people were rapidly organizing these files behind a dozen or so computers. "Chief Ding, how are things?" "Your subordinate truly has the ability to turn the tide; he got his hands on such crucial evidence in advance. One wouldn’t know without looking, but a single glance is shocking. All the well-known Star Martial families in Modu City have been secretly trading Soul Beads. While the individual number of Soul Beads isn’t large, added up, they’re enough to become the largest source of goods on the black market." "Did you find the goods that suddenly impacted the black market prices?" "Not yet, still searching." "Found it!" Suddenly, a short-haired woman raised her hand. "Director Ming, Chief Ding, look! On September 5th, Xiao Qing acquired one hundred thousand Soul Beads in one go." "One hundred thousand? He really handled that many! We only confiscated about that amount in total, and he acquired that much in a single transaction?" "One hundred thousand Soul Beads. No wonder it caused such a huge shock to Soul Bead trading. What about the source of the Soul Beads?" "The ledger records a man named Liu Xiao, but apart from the name, there are no other details. Are there any Star Martial families with the surname Liu in Modu City?" "Wait! Liu Xiao?" This name... why does it sound so familiar... Wang Lan’s mind raced. "There seems to be a teacher named Liu Xiao at the Modu Star Martial Academy." As soon as he said it, Wang Lan couldn’t help but draw a sharp breath. If these one hundred thousand Soul Beads came from the Modu Star Martial Academy... that would be a major incident. Soon enough, Ming Baiye checked the employee list of the Modu Star Martial Academy and indeed found the name Liu Xiao in the finance department. Liu Xiao, Head of the Finance Department, peak Star Cloud Stage cultivation level. Due to injuries sustained on the battlefield, he had been assigned to miscellaneous tasks at the Modu Star Martial Academy. Thanks to his dedication, he was promoted, eventually becoming Head of the Finance Department after twelve years. This guy... he was patient for twelve years, all for this one big score! Damn impressive. A ruthless man. "Director Ming, shall we make the arrest?" Wang Lan asked hesitantly. "Considering he’s from the Star Martial Academy, let’s not cause too much of a stir. We’ll start with routine questioning. Wang Lan, will you take your team this time?" Three cars arrived at the Star Martial Academy. It was noontime, and the students had all gone to the cafeteria for lunch. Speaking of which, Wang Lan realized he hadn’t eaten anything since Ming Baiye had summoned him to the Tianjian Bureau that morning. "Everyone, shall we grab something to eat at the cafeteria?" Wang Lan suggested to his team. One of them replied, "Wang Lan, how can you think about eating at a time ? Let’s confirm this quickly so we can rest easy. The mere thought that these one hundred thousand Soul Beads might have come from the academy sends shivers down my spine." "What’s there to worry about? Even if the sky falls, our superiors will handle it." Seeing that none of them were in the mood to eat, Wang Lan didn’t feel hungry anymore either. When they reached the finance office, only a female senior student was there, helping out. One of his men started to say, "Tianjian..." as he reached for his credentials, but Wang Lan quickly stopped him. Check latest chapters at 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡⁂𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔢⁂𝘯𝘦𝘵 "Senior Sister, is Director Liu in?" Wang Lan asked. The student looked up. Seeing Wang Lan’s sunny smile, her eyes immediately brightened. "Director Liu called in sick today; he didn’t come to school. What do you need Director Liu for?" "He called in sick? Where does Director Liu live? Or do you have his cell phone number?" "He lives in the school dormitory. I have his number, but you have to tell me why you need Director Liu. Otherwise, I can’t give it to you." "Wang Lan, what’s going on?" a voice sounded from behind. Yu Ruoyun approached with two students wearing Student Council armbands. "Senior Sister Yu, I didn’t expect to alert you so quickly." "The Student Council isn’t just responsible for assisting with school order; it also maintains school security. The entry of six non-school personnel naturally triggers an alarm. If you weren’t leading them, the Student Council would have intercepted them long ago. Who are these people, and what are you doing here with them?" "They are my colleagues from the Tianjian Bureau. We’re looking for Director Liu from the finance office." Yu Ruoyun took out her phone, quickly scrolled through her contacts, and after a moment, dialed a number. As she waited, Yu Ruoyun’s brows furrowed tightly. "No one’s answering. Wang Lan, what happened to Director Liu?" "Either he’s already fled, or something has happened to him. Let’s go to his dormitory!" Under Yu Ruoyun’s guidance, Wang Lan and the others quickly arrived at Liu Xiao’s dormitory. After calling out and receiving no response, Wang Lan kicked open the dormitory door. Sure enough, the room was empty. The wardrobe was open, and drawers were pulled out, all suggesting a hasty departure. "Search the place!" Wang Lan ordered his men. They were professionals when it came to finding clues. After several meaningful glances from Yu Ruoyun, Wang Lan followed her out to the balcony. "What exactly is going on?" Yu Ruoyun asked. "The Tianjian Bureau eradicated an underground Soul Bead trading network and seized a large quantity of Soul Beads," Wang Lan explained. "From the network’s transaction records, we discovered a massive shipment volume. A person named Liu Xiao sold one hundred thousand Soul Beads in one go. One hundred thousand Soul Beads! Even the Duanmu family probably couldn’t casually produce that many, right? So, we suspect the Soul Beads came from the academy. And coincidentally, the academy’s Head of the Finance Department is Liu Xiao; he would have the means to access the stored Soul Beads." "Impossible!" Yu Ruoyun retorted. "Even if it were him, he wouldn’t have the authority to withdraw Soul Beads, much less transport so many out of the academy. Although he’s in charge of finance, he needs to submit an application for anything he handles." "But currently, that’s the only explanation I can come up with," Wang Lan said. Just then, an exclamation came from inside. "Found something!" Wang Lan paused and quickly re-entered the dormitory. "Wang Lan, we found a finger under the desk." "A finger? Take it back for DNA comparison." Turning to Yu Ruoyun, he added, "Senior Sister Yu, you see? It seems the situation really is as we suspected." Yu Ruoyun’s brows were tightly furrowed. Although she wasn’t as strikingly beautiful as Jiang Xinyu, she would still be rated above an 85 out of 100 by conventional standards. And some women, though not possessing top-tier looks, have an exceptional bearing. Her slight frown exuded a dignified authority. Yu Ruoyun had a tall figure, comparable to Xie Sisi’s. She lightly beckoned Wang Lan over. Surprisingly, Wang Lan was only a little taller than her. "What’s the Tianjian Bureau’s stance on this matter?" Yu Ruoyun asked. "Recently, a flood of Soul Beads on the black market has caused their prices to plummet. If this continues, the Soul Bead Exchange will become meaningless. That’s why the Tianjian Bureau is determined to investigate the murky dealings of the Soul Bead trade," Wang Lan explained. "The Tianjian Bureau wants stability in the Soul Bead market, not necessarily to hold any specific party accountable. Of course, a thorough investigation would be ideal. But now, it seems Liu Xiao is likely just a scapegoat. The real culprit tried to stage Liu Xiao’s escape due to guilt but didn’t expect a single finger to expose their ploy. At this point, even if the Tianjian Bureau hadn’t initially intended to investigate thoroughly, they must do so now." "Only a few people have the authority to secretly transport stored Soul Beads—only high-level officials of the academy. Whether they are current or former high-level officials, if this is exposed, it would bring indelible shame to the academy," Yu Ruoyun stated. "Senior Sister Yu, do you also consider the academy’s reputation your personal responsibility?" Wang Lan asked, surprised. "My great-grandfather is the Dean." "With Elder Di’s prestige and reputation, could he possibly be tainted by scandal? Even if a cesspit is uncovered, not a speck of filth would tarnish Elder Di. No one would dare let him be stained!" Wang Lan declared. Although the metaphor is unpleasant, it’s apt! Elder Di’s reputation has reached a level akin to spiritual faith. No one would believe this matter could be connected to him. So... even if the investigation tarnishes the reputation of the Modu Star Martial Academy, it definitely won’t tarnish Elder Di. "Besides, Senior Sister Yu," Wang Lan continued, "this matter isn’t just about the simple sale of Soul Beads. The suppliers of Soul Beads to the black market exchange include almost all the Star Martial families. The Tianjian Bureau could overlook all that. But the one hundred thousand Soul Beads from the Modu Star Martial Academy must be thoroughly investigated. We should go see the Dean now, without delay." "Alright!" Yu Ruoyun agreed. Soon, Wang Lan and Yu Ruoyun were once again in Elder Di’s office. Vice President Nangong Meng was also present. "Ruoyun, you’re here." Elder Di then turned to Wang Lan. "Wang Lan, good timing. The patent Professor Zheng Gong helped you apply for has been approved by the state. Here is the authorization document. If you authorize the patent to the state, they will definitely not treat you unfairly. Moreover, if other countries want to use this technology, they’ll have to pay you patent fees, and the state will negotiate the best possible terms on your behalf." "Thirty years?" Wang Lan looked at the document. "Dean, actually, I’d be fine with giving it away for free. I can grant permanent authorization to the state." "Let’s start with thirty years for now," Elder Di said. Wang Lan promptly signed the authorization document. "We’ll keep the news about the Soul Bead grenade under wraps for now, probably for about half a year," Dean Nangong continued. "The nation needs some time to prepare. Once the news spreads, it will cause a huge worldwide impact. By the way, have you made any Soul Bead grenades during this time?" This Dean Nangong is quite the chatterbox, and rather exasperating, Wang Lan thought, noticing Yu Ruoyun hesitate several times, wanting to speak but stopping herself. "Nangong," Elder Di interjected, "I think Ruoyun and Wang Lan are here to discuss something important with me. You should head back first." "Ah... alright then. I’ll take my leave, Dean," Nangong Meng said, slightly flustered. Once Nangong Meng had left, Elder Di’s expression turned serious. "What is it? Speak." "Great-grandfather," Yu Ruoyun began, "someone might be trafficking the academy’s Soul Beads." "Oh?" Elder Di raised an eyebrow. "Did the Student Council find this out? Is it students or teachers?" "No, the Tianjian Bureau discovered it. The amount is huge—one hundred thousand Soul Beads."