With a heavy heart, Carius walked to the elevator entrance and saw his most trusted adjutant standing quietly.
"What's the situation?"
"Most of the councillors have arrived, and the Mirage System has been distributed," the adjutant replied calmly, a faint mocking smile on his lips.
"It's too low to hide at this point."
"Identity is their best disguise. These bigwigs don't want to expose their weaknesses."
Carius nodded. This was to be expected. As long as you're human, you have loved ones and friends. It would be a headache if someone used that against you.
Ding.
The elevator doors opened, and Carius strode inside, lowering his voice. "Any good news?"
"They should have sent reports back by now, but the Herrscher is uncontrollable. There's no way to predict things logically, but you might be interested in this report."
At that moment, Carius didn't have time to speculate. He took the document and glanced at it. His angular face showed joy for a moment, then confusion.
"Australia? What's he going to Australia for?"
"Maybe to see Dr. Mobius. This trip is dangerous for Dr. Ryan, after all."
It's definitely dangerous. Whatever his reason for coming to New York, the timing will make those who fear death uneasy. It's one thing to hide behind the scenes and manage things from afar, but who dares face a human-shaped beast when it's in front of them? After all, there's only one life.
"Do you think he'll come? If the parliament orders it, I'll have to go all out." The general said with a melancholic tone, yet the smile never left his lips.
"We don't have an arrest warrant. If we act recklessly, it will be unjust. If we use Dr. Mei as a hostage, the research department will be in an uproar."
Not just an uproar, but a storm—one that could pull in a lot of people.
Carius didn't say anything, just sneered and leaned back.
What a coincidence. I want them to be in an unjust position.
The Fire Council takes action without evidence, that's unjust. Ryan acts with arrogance, defying the Council, and he's a traitor.
One is unjust, the other a traitor. It's easy to see who the good guy is. The Fire Council is the one that destroyed the Great Wall. Even Elysia can't find the right person to hold accountable.
The script has already been written—borrow a knife to kill and let the oriole take the fall.
Ding.
Arriving at the underground administrative floor, Carius walked out of the elevator and noticed a group of black-armored warriors standing at the door, with the symbol of double swords and moths on their shoulders.
This was the Cocoon Squad, directly under the parliament. This was why the parliamentarians were rushing to hold offline meetings. If this continues, they'll soon become the general commander's personal guard.
He nodded slightly as a greeting, then proceeded to the massive underground building under their watchful eyes, taking the elevator to the fifth floor. The large alloy doors, engraved with the Fire Moth symbol, were half-closed.
It's my turn to perform.
Carius took a deep breath, waved his hand to signal his chief of staff to wait outside, and strode inside. The conference hall was a massive circular space, spanning thousands of square meters.
The dim light made everything in the room blurry, except for the huge Fire Moth emblem on the wall, which seemed to glow with a dim, fiery red light.
With heavy steps, Carius walked beneath the giant emblem, turning his head as a strange scene reflected in his eyes.
The stairs spiraled upwards, and there weren't many seats on each floor. Forty-six tombstones were arranged in numbered order, spaced several meters apart, with no communication between them.
The tombstones were actually part of the Mirage System, disguising the fact that men and women were sitting there. This was the first time that real people had sat in these seats since the Fire Moth was established.
They were being careful. Even now, at this point, everyone still hadn't arrived?
In the silence, Carius had to suppress all his emotions, picked up the gavel from the table, and tapped it gently.
Snap.
"Everyone, although a few of the Excellencies have not yet arrived, according to the organization's rules, we can begin the resolution meeting. I now—"
He paused, suddenly pressing his communicator, and his face quickly grew serious.
"Yes, I understand. I'll report back immediately."
Carius placed his hand on the table, raised his head, and looked at the silent tombstones, then smiled.
"I have some bad news that needs your decision."
"Dr. Ryan has returned to New York to face questioning, as per the earlier notice!"
The cafe hummed with soft music as Ryan sat by the window, resting his chin in his hand, watching the office workers rush by on the street with a smile on his face.
New York was the most ordinary city on Earth. Nothing seemed different from before the third collapse. The bond brokers, in their suits and leather shoes, hurried along, always glued to their phones.
The traffic was a steady stream, and the skyscrapers loomed like scales. Looking southeast, Ryan could even see the roof of the Fire Moth headquarters.
I didn't expect it. I'm actually here so openly.
Ryan took a sip of coffee. To the outside world, he looked no different from the elite professionals on the street, with a certain elegance cultivated by a prestigious background.
"Didn't the Fire Moth issue an inquiry order? Now that I'm here, do they have the courage to ask?"
Probably not. Otherwise, they wouldn't have issued that veiled inquiry order earlier. Ryan chuckled to himself. These guys are a bit like keyboard warriors, hiding behind screens and typing harsh words, but when face-to-face, they're timid.
Right now, the Fire Moth is in an awkward position. Ryan is here as ordered, but they dare not meet him. They won't even let him get close to the headquarters. What if Ryan suddenly gets angry?
Dinglingling—
The doorbell rang. Ryan glanced up and saw an acquaintance walk in. It was Coleman, with his usual mischievous grin.
When Coleman saw him, he was visibly surprised, then smiled wryly and walked over slowly.
"Waiter, give him a cup of cappuccino."
"Okay, sir." The waitress hurried over, glancing at the two men. She thought both of them were handsome, especially Ryan, who had a kind of intellectual elegance typical of someone with a higher education.
Normally, Coleman would have asked for Ryan's phone number by now, but not today. Instead, he sat down and stared at Ryan, unsure of what to say.
"Do you want a body search and handcuffs?"
"Uh, Dr. Ryan, don't be ridiculous. Who would dare to handcuff you?"
"Do you think I'm joking? Major, just do your duty. I'll go with you after I finish this cup of coffee."
Ryan's blunt statement left Coleman uneasy. He didn't even touch his coffee, just licked his lips.
"Don't play with me. I was sent to negotiate. I hope you can wait a few more days."
"Wait for the group of people to leave New York? Since the order was given, it must be carried out. I'll tell you everything I know." Ryan pulled a document from his jacket and spread it out on the table. "Look at the time. Today is the last day."
The major looked down at the paper and saw that it read: "Dr. Ryan must report to the Supervisory Headquarters by November 1 to face questioning. If he fails to comply, necessary measures will be taken."
BYD must have calculated it, right!
Coleman's face flushed with embarrassment. This had clearly been planned from the start, waiting for the perfect moment to turn the tables. The central server intrusion had to be connected to him.
What bad luck. I can't escape this, even after going to Neon. Who wants to negotiate with him?
"Ah, this is a different time."
"Major, I don't understand what you mean. Did the Fire Moth change its commander, or did the order from the parliament become invalid?" Ryan looked up, showing no intention of backing down.
This was a serious matter. If the orders kept changing, would the parliament still have any authority in the future? Originally, the situation seemed simple: Ryan was arrogant and domineering, while the parliament managed things according to the rules. The inquiry order was already a concession. Now that he had arrived, they wouldn't meet with him. Did this mean that in the Fire Moth, whoever had the bigger fist had the right to make decisions?
And if he had the bigger fist, why should the fusion warriors listen to ordinary people?
Coleman's forehead began to sweat. Ryan was cornering him. Why couldn't he escape this? He leaned forward and lowered his voice.
"Doctor, you're pushing them. For personal reasons, I hope you won't be so hasty."
"No, they're pushing me. How can I fight against the collapse with these insects?"
"I know, I don't like them either, but if you kill them, the Fire Moth will fall apart."
"Look at what you're saying. I didn't do anything. The choice is theirs. From start to finish, all I wanted was to talk to them. These people are guilty, and they won't face me."
Ryan's tone didn't change. He sounded almost unreasonable, but as he said, all he wanted was to talk.
But the congressmen were afraid of his arrogance and dominance. Carius didn't want to back down, and the believers would fan the flames.
No one believed that Ryan was only there to talk, just as Ryan didn't believe it himself.
The two men stared at each other for several minutes before Coleman sighed and looked away. At least from his point of view, Ryan hadn't done anything wrong.
It was just questioning. Bring a group of fusion warriors to watch him. It wasn't certain that Ryan would start killing people. If not, they could talk elsewhere.
Why did the general manager want to provoke conflicts? With his wisdom, he should know Ryan wouldn't back down.
Coleman felt the situation was deep and lowered his voice even further.
"Dr. Mei is in their hands. She's your friend. If she disappears, how will you explain it to Kevin?"
"Don't worry about that. I've already arranged it."
"But..."
Ryan raised his hand to silence him and gently picked up his coffee.
"No need to say more. Go back and report: either the parliament revokes the order or they talk to me."
"You want to start a war? Fine. I know you're strong, but the Fire Moth is fully prepared. Even if you use all your strength..."
"Wait." Ryan interrupted him again, his head raised, the coldness in his eyes reflecting off his slightly reflective glasses.
"Major, have you seen my full strength?!"