Standing under the large umbrella in the garden, a somewhat tall elderly man stretched out his hand, touching the raindrops outside. the middle-aged military officer nodded gently, his words filled with a certain disbelief, "In fact, it was Mr. Mayor who rescued the First Mecha Squad, "He first took care of Lika’s mecha by himself, then before the Mecha Squad, he discovered the camouflaged high-energy guided missile and gave the Mecha Squad a hint, allowing them to adjust their cannon. Without that tip, the First Mecha Squad would probably have been completely wiped out." "Then they intercepted the guided missile?" The elderly man withdrew his hand, looking at the middle-aged military officer beside him, and asked hoarsely. "According to the report from the Mecha Squad, the entire process had some twists and turns. The speed of that guided missile seemed to be higher than the normal data, which caused the auto-assist aim of the Blazing Angel Mech to not keep up with the speed of the missile. So theoretically, even if they discovered the missile early on, there would still be casualties," said the middle-aged officer, pausing for a moment, "However, at that time, Mr. Mayor was safe himself. He could have just used the Mecha Squad as a shield and escaped unscathed." "But he didn’t do that?" The elderly man lifted his head, his gaze piercing through the night sky to the dark city far away. the middle-aged officer’s tone rose slightly, "He piloted the Floating Warplane himself as a lure, through several high-mobility maneuvers, he changed the direction of the missile, creating an ideal opportunity for the Mecha Squad to attack. He also set up the targeting data himself, allowing the Mecha Squad to make a predictive attack and, in the nick of time, intercepted those missiles." "It’s like something he would do," the elderly man nodded slightly, then, as if realizing something, he asked with a hint of confusion, "Did you say he flew the Floating Warplane himself?" the middle-aged man said, his entire tone filled with disbelief, "At first, the Mecha Squad thought it was his Guard Captain flying the Floating Warplane, but later they found out it was him controlling it. "Honestly, from the report sent by the Mecha Squad, this kind of Floating Warplane piloting skill is probably unmatched in the whole of South City. "And judging by his familiarity with the Mecha controls, he must also be a highly skilled mechanical driver." At this moment, a look of surprise appeared on Corvey’s aged face, and finally, he sighed slowly, "It doesn’t sound like a bureaucrat, but more like a brave and strategic warrior." "Yes, your choice was correct," the middle-aged military officer also sighed, "Before I had any contact with this Mayor, I thought he was a bit indecisive. But now it seems we were too one-sided. His actions today, if reported back to the City Defense Army, are likely to earn him a large number of supporters. I am starting to feel that he exudes more of a heroic aura now." "Half an hour ago, didn’t you privately tell me that you thought this Mayor was still not reliable? You said his courage to come to South City tonight might be temporary and we needed to observe further." A slight smile emerged on Corvey’s aged face as he glanced at the middle-aged military officer. the middle-aged officer gave a small cough, "I have observed, haven’t I? Don’t tease me anymore." Speaking this, he paused slightly in tone and asked in a low voice, "Do we need to keep tonight’s events a secret from the First Mecha Squad? If the Mayor’s prestige within the City Defense Army becomes too great, could it affect our subsequent decisions?" Corvey glanced outside at the rain curtain, watching the dark city beyond, and slowly shook his head, "Since we are cooperating, we must show our sincerity. With a storm on the horizon, being uncertain will only invite trouble." The middle-aged officer looked at the rain curtain ahead, seemingly puzzled, but he nodded solemnly, "Yes." "Did the First Mecha Squad extend an invitation to the Mayor?" Corvey did not continue on this topic but slowly asked. "He declined our invitation," the middle-aged officer replied softly, "He seems to want to return to the Mayor’s Mansion." Corvey gave a light acknowledgment, his eyes and brows lowered in thought. "General, why is he so adamant about returning there? It’s obviously safer here with us." The middle-aged officer hesitated, then asked softly. "If he truly hid here with us, then he would not be himself," Corvey said with a smile and a shake of his head, with a slight sigh. "With the current situation, won’t it be dangerous for the Mayor to return to the Mayor’s Mansion now?" The middle-aged officer asked softly. "What do you think was his purpose in coming here tonight?" Corvey looked back at the middle-aged officer. "To ease our relationship, to prevent us from staging a coup?" The middle-aged officer was taken aback. "That’s under the premise that we are not staging a coup and have the option to reconcile," Corvey asked lowly, "But what if we were completely against him? What if he couldn’t reconcile with us? Why didn’t he go north to find Scott?" The middle-aged officer was stunned. "Because the Mayor’s Mansion is in the south," Corvey lifted his gaze, looking ahead, "From the beginning, his plan was to return to the Mayor’s Mansion. "The more chaotic the situation, the more he will stand in the center of the storm, telling everyone that he is there and has always been there, which will give his supporters immense confidence." "Most of the Mayor’s Mansion should still be under his control; otherwise, he wouldn’t have just been the target of an assassination today." Corvey lifted his head, his murky eyes looking ahead, "As long as no one stages a military revolt, he should be safe in the Mayor’s Mansion. "As long as he is alive, as long as the City Council’s motion to impeach him has not succeeded, he is still the Mayor of Ilan, the nominal supreme ruler of the entire Ilan. "What he seeks is not just to survive the imminent crisis but to continue the reforms he has not finished yet. "So he must stabilize the South City Defense Army; once South City is stable, his Mayor’s Mansion will be stable, "Then he can rely on the military strength of South City as support, and with the legal authority of the Mayor, he can proceed to the next confrontation with the Consortium." "Having come this far," the middle-aged officer said with a hint of emotion, "he’s actually still thinking of going further against the Consortium?" He paused slightly, as if something had just dawned on him, "Can he truly succeed? Are we really going to place all our chips on him? Although he demonstrated such strong personal ability today, the impact of an individual’s strength on the overall situation..." He admired the Mayor’s personal abilities, yet when making decisions, he still had to consider the situation of the entire South City City Defense Army. "Once you’ve made a choice, don’t be of two minds about it," Corvey looked back at him, "His calm return to the Mayor’s Mansion tonight is a statement of his trust in us." The middle-aged officer gazed at the Elderly’s serene expression and lowered his head. Corvey turned to look at the middle-aged man’s face and, without further explanation, began to speak slowly, "We should also take action to show our stance," His speech halted for a moment as if in thought, "Dispatch a reconnaissance squad near the Mayor’s Mansion to provide peripheral intelligence support," Then he looked at the middle-aged officer, "Is the First Mecha Squad still with him?" Corvey’s mention of this brought a hint of embarrassment across the officer’s face. He cleared his throat and spoke slowly, "The First Mecha Squad sent me a message saying that, if needed, they wish to remain by Mr. Mayor’s side, serving temporarily as the Mayor’s personal guard." "This old guy goes out once and manages to take my most elite Mecha Squad with him, huh?" Corvey, upon hearing this, was initially startled, then let out a resigned chuckle, "Send a message back to them, agree to their request, let them serve temporarily as Mayor Linen’s guard, and follow Mayor Linen’s orders. "Tell them to use all their abilities to ensure the Mayor’s safety. "Also, dispatch the Second Mecha Squad to be stationed at the East City Gate nearest to the Mayor’s Mansion." He then withdrew his gaze to the falling rain and whispered, "Go, and don’t let your guard down, this too is a battlefield." The middle-aged officer’s body tensed sharply as he nodded vigorously, saluting Corvey. Then he turned and walked out from under the umbrella, crossing the pattering raindrops to enter the nearby corridor, quickly disappearing down its length. Corvey’s gaze lingered on the drizzle, he turned his eyes forward, stepped out from under the large umbrella shielding him from the rain, and walked to the edge of the garden, gazing out at the dark and silent city under the night sky. The wind seemed to be growing stronger at night, caressing the Elderly’s weathered cheeks and stirring the large, cold raindrops as they swayed in the night sky. With the deepening night, the rain from the sky also became more intense, the clouds covered the firmament, completely concealing even the faintest starlight. Standing amidst the swaying wind and rain, the Elderly slowly retrieved a metal cigarette case from his pocket and pulled out a silver-grey filtered cigarette. He placed the cigarette in his mouth and pulled out a black matchbox from his pocket, taking a single match from the few inside. As the fiery head of the match sparked against the brown-black striking paper, the bright flame lit up in the darkness. The Elderly brought the flame to his lips, lighting the cigarette, and as tiny sparks of light kindled on the cigarette, his gaze converged on the flame. He extended the frail flame, reaching out into the obscure darkness. It seemed as though he illuminated a brightness, yet seemed to illuminate nothing at all. The wind and rain buffeted the fragile light, as if they could snuff it out at any moment. Standing in the darkness of history, every person is but a vulnerable gambler, unsure if the paths they’ve chosen are truly correct, unsure if their own flames can genuinely spark a wildfire. Perhaps when the wind and rain came, they would even be torn apart by the raging darkness along with their bodies. The frail match in the rain was still burning, looking down from above, the flickering flame seemed to have merged with the city in the darkness. Saint Ilan District · Mayor’s Mansion Eight gigantic Blazing Angel Mechs hovered in the air, forming a narrow ’sky corridor’ above the sprawling palace-style buildings. Beneath this corridor was a vast garden square composed of pure white flowers and lush green grass. The violently trembling Floating Warplane with cracked surfaces descended from the sky, heading toward the center of the garden square. The swaying white flowers rippled in the wind, as if welcoming the return of the palace’s master. As the Floating Warplane came to a complete stop, members of the Mayor’s Guard, who had been waiting here, immediately rolled out a wheeled metal staircase. On the periphery of this vast garden square, reporters who had been stopped outside by the Mayor’s Guard and had already been waiting there immediately raised their cameras, aiming at the hatch of the Floating Warplane. In addition to these reporters, some citizens, wearing simple clothes and holding smart bracelets, also gathered around the garden, craning their necks as if they wanted to get a closer look at the Floating Warplane. With a light sound, the hatch of the Floating Warplane suddenly opened, and an elderly man dressed in a gray suit, holding a delicate brass cane, with an upright posture and a calm face, stepped out from the Floating Warplane. He looked up and glanced at the reporters with cameras in the distance, raised his brass cane, and smiled in greeting to them. Then, amid flashes that twinkled like stars, he withdrew his gaze and descended the metal staircase. A member of the Mayor’s Guard opened a black umbrella above his head to shield him from the raindrops in the sky. He glanced at the guard in black and reached out to take the black umbrella himself. With a composed gait and a self-assured demeanor, impeccably dressed in his upright gray suit, he stepped toward the doors of the Mayor’s Mansion, escorted by the Mayor’s Guard. The eight towering Blazing Angel Mechs in the sky slightly bowed, blocking the scattered rain, and their long shadows cast across the jasmine flowers, creating a grand path before the elderly man. At the end of this path, the doors of the Mayor’s Mansion swung open with a bang, and the poised elderly man stepped onto this grand path and walked through the Mayor’s Mansion’s doors. The night was so silent, with only the crisp electronic sound of camera shutters snapping and the low murmurs of excitement and confusion from the surrounding citizens. As the elderly man fully entered, the surrounding Mayor’s Guard departed their positions and returned to their posts in front of the garden. A member of the Mayor’s Guard entered the Floating Warplane, drove it, and left the garden in front of the Mayor’s Mansion. The pure white jasmine flowers swayed under the night sky, with crystal droplets falling on the porcelain petals. As the doors of the Mayor’s Mansion closed completely, He Ao put away the umbrella and looked toward the brightly lit hall in front of him. Most cities in the Federation follow an official residence system, with the Mayor as the highest executive official of the entire city. The Mayor’s Mansion is not only where the Mayor lives but also the office for the Mayor and the City Cabinet, serving as the administrative center of the entire city. However, it was now evening, and most officers of the City Cabinet had also finished work and gone home, leaving the hall mostly empty except for a few people and members of the Mayor’s Guard. Leading them was a middle-aged woman with blonde hair. She looked at He Ao and quickly walked over, "All the news has been disseminated according to your arrangements. Many reporters want to understand the situation more clearly. Do we need to hold a press conference or deliver a live speech?" He Ao looked at the blonde woman in front of him, Linen’s chief of staff, and shook his head, "Let them stew overnight." "There is one more issue," The blonde woman looked at He Ao, "The Deputy Mayor called."