MCL CH84

Chapter 84: The Judgment Meeting.

It was the same grand conference hall at the top of the International Ability General Bureau, but although the atmosphere was still solemn and dignified, it was a completely different scene from a few days ago.

With the simultaneous outbreak of rifts all over the world, the ability-user domain managers from various countries had all returned to their respective nations. At this time, those sitting on both sides of the long table were almost all holographic projections summoned online, and the atmosphere in the room became even more oppressive after the just-concluded operational report.

Gazes from all directions gathered on Su Qiuyin. Some frowned, some were deep in thought, and some unabashedly expressed disbelief and confusion in their expressions. In such an environment, even a few glints of irrepressible killing intent could be detected.

Finally, an ability management official from Country A slammed the table heavily: “To kill an ability user from a friendly nation during a mission, and to describe it so lightly! Such a heinous incident has never occurred since the signing of the International Ability Treaty, not to mention that Joseph was an X-coded ability user! The significance of X-coded ability users to the global resistance against rifts is immense. This matter absolutely cannot be tolerated! It cannot—!”

Su Qiuyin sat on the black chair in the center. Although his wounds had been treated, his face was still extremely pale.

He sat with his fingers interlaced on the table, the black cuffs on his wrists that restricted his abilities were very conspicuous. He seemed completely unfazed by the confrontational attitude of the officials from Country A, and he lifted his eyelids slightly, still using the same rhetoric as before: “He was the one who tried to kill first. I was just acting in self-defense.”

This official from Country A was successfully enraged by this contemptuous attitude: “Evidence! All statements without evidence are slander! Joseph entered the rift on the director’s orders. What motive did he have to attack you, the operatives from Hua Country?!”

As if hearing a very funny joke, Su Qiuyin finally looked up at him and leaned back slowly in his chair: “He indeed had no motive to attack me without reason. The initial target was not me. As for why, regarding the internal disputes among your Country A’s ability users, I think you should know better than I do.”

The official from Country A was choked for a moment. His face turned green and then white, and his tone became high-pitched and almost sharp with rage: “Don’t think you can muddle through with just your one-sided story. Infighting and killing among ability users is a major crime in itself. This is written very clearly in the ‘International Ability Law’. Not to mention that you have now killed an X-coded ability user from our country… In short, your Hua Country side must give an explanation for this!”

This issue had been debated in the conference room for a long time. As one of the “parties involved,” Lin Xi also sat in a corner of the conference room. Throughout the endless dispute, apart from occasionally observing Su Qiuyin with some curiosity, he had maintained a weary and listless expression after the long battle. It was only when he inadvertently lowered his eyelids slightly that he could see the hand that was silently pinching his fingertips, unnoticed by anyone, and a hint of a smile finally appeared in his cold eyes.

He hadn’t expected that the great CEO Yan would have such a fetish. Since returning from the rift, he had been making these little movements, like a pure-hearted little boy from a campus novel, playing this sticky game of hiding in plain sight, as if afraid he would run away if he wasn’t careful.

There were clearly many people in the conference room who were angered by Su Qiuyin’s attitude. The argument gradually incited public indignation. With a “smack,” the person sitting in the chairman’s seat slapped a file on the table, and the surroundings finally quieted down for a moment as everyone’s gazes fell upon him.

Pu Limo’s brows were also tightly knitted.

He had indeed imagined many worst-case scenarios, but he never expected the final outcome to be so beyond his expectations.

Under everyone’s gaze, he looked towards the Hua Country side: “Executive Gu, do you have anything to say?”

Compared to the indignant emotions on Country A’s side, the Hua Country side led by Gu Beiqiu appeared much calmer. Hearing Pu Limo’s question at this time, he only answered in a business-like manner: “I have always believed in Director Pu Limo’s fairness. This time, I believe you will also be able to give a reasonable verdict.”

If it weren’t for his excellent facial control, Pu Limo would have really been angered to the point of laughing by Gu Beiqiu.

It was obvious that he was planning to completely hand this tricky ball to him to handle.

Not in a hurry to answer, he looked around the room. Seeing his assistant push open the door from outside the conference room and making eye contact, he then spoke slowly: “To give a verdict, we indeed should not listen to only one side of the story. Besides the ability users from the Hua Country side, Samuel was also present at the time. As a fellow ability user from Country A, I believe his words should be more persuasive to everyone.”

Receiving the visual cue, the assistant quickly connected the communication on the side.

A moment later, Samuel’s holographic projection appeared in everyone’s vision.

From the background, he should have just finished treatment and was in an independent observation room. When he saw the solemn conference scene, his gaze paused. He subconsciously looked in Lin Xi’s direction, then very naturally shifted his gaze to Yan Xingzhou and greeted him with a smile: “Yan, I was wondering why you guys haven’t come over yet. When are you planning to come and keep me company?”

The out-of-place flippant tone made one of the officials clear his throat and remind: “Mr. Samuel, please cooperate with us in discussing the official business at hand for now.”

“Official business?” Samuel’s attention also shifted over. His handsome eyebrows raised slightly, and the smile in his eyes actually sank in an instant. “What official business? Do you need me to properly state how Joseph started chasing and trying to kill me the moment we met, and how he treated me less kindly than that contaminant did?”

A few words directly made the faces of the officials from Country A turn red and then white: “Mr. Samuel, you must know that you and Mr. Joseph are both top-tier ability users from Country A. You…”

Before he could finish, he was interrupted rather impatiently by Samuel: “Being a fellow ability user from Country A doesn’t change the fact that he tried to exploit a loophole in Pu Limo’s contract and wanted to cripple me inside the rift. Speaking of which, it’s really heartbreaking. If it weren’t for the timely arrival of our friends from Hua Country, given my exhausted state at the time, the person who wouldn’t have made it out of the rift this time would probably not be Joseph, but me.”

At this point, as if completely unaware of their ugly expressions, he sincerely smiled at Su Qiuyin: “I can only say, thank you very much for Director Su’s righteous assistance.”

Su Qiuyin replied: “You’re welcome.”

The officials from Country A: “…”

This guy Samuel, isn’t he siding with outsiders!?

These people obviously didn’t expect Samuel, a fellow ability user from Country A, to completely disregard his own position. But because of the other party’s status as an X-coded ability user, they who had originally wanted to make an issue with the Hua Country United Administration were now completely speechless.

Pu Limo’s gaze swept around the room. He motioned for his assistant to cut off the communication with Samuel, then spoke: “Then the general facts should have been understood. As for the specific verdict, I will give everyone a satisfactory answer within three days.”

Under the oppressive silence, although some were still unwilling, no one said anything more.

Pu Limo was quite satisfied with this result and slowly stood up from his seat: “The crisis of the super S-class rift has not been completely resolved. So, let’s not all stand around here. Go and attend to your own business for now.”

He glanced in Su Qiuyin’s direction: “As for Director Su, I’m afraid you’ll have to be inconvenienced for a while.”

Su Qiuyin was not surprised by his own imprisonment: “It’s no inconvenience. This result has already far exceeded my expectations.”

As several ability users in black uniforms entered, he very cooperatively left his seat and walked outside under their escort.

As they passed each other, his peripheral vision silently swept over Lin Xi, finally being cut off at the doorway.

From beginning to end, Lin Xi had sat behind Yan Xingzhou as a complete and utter bystander. It was only after watching Su Qiuyin leave that he withdrew his gaze.

Today’s meeting was over. He lowered his eyelids, and couldn’t help but think of the scene before coming out of the rift.

Let alone others, even Lin Xi hadn’t expected Su Qiuyin to suddenly make a move at that time. But he knew very well that for an X-coded ability user like Joseph, even if he died in action, whether out of respect or for the research value of his body to the future of humanity, Pu Limo would definitely send people to retrieve it at any cost. And at that time, any lie would be difficult to conceal the true cause of death.

The moment Su Qiuyin acted, his intention was already very clear—this person was covering for him.

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