A Formal Report

Investigation Bureau headquarters.

The Phenomenon Response and Tactical Command Center, abbreviated as the "Action Department."

The air here was always thick with a sense of gravity.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the office of the Deputy Minister of the Action Department was slightly stagnant.

The Deputy Minister sat behind his desk, his fingers unconsciously tapping the surface.

Standing before him was a woman with striking features. She wore a perfectly tailored uniform, and a sharp, aggressive aura clung to her brow.

She was Su Qingqian, a tactical commander responsible for receiving emergency reports from local Investigation Bureau branches.

Right now, Su Qingqian was in the middle of a passionate, non-stop presentation.

The Fluorite Valley Investigation Bureau had reported an emergency: the S-rank wanted criminal Yue Shi had appeared in Fluorite Valley and brutally murdered dozens of people. Currently, Yue Shi's whereabouts were unknown, and he was suspected to have already left.

However, Su Qingqian had subsequently received a whistleblower call from a grassroots investigator in the Fluorite Valley Investigation Bureau named Li Hua.

Li Hua claimed that after committing the major crime in Fluorite Valley, the wanted criminal Yue Shi had not left but was still hiding there.

Li Hua also reported the leadership of the Fluorite Valley Investigation Bureau, accusing them of being irresponsible and failing to act out of fear of Yue Shi's strength. He requested that headquarters immediately deploy troops to surround and suppress the criminal.

Upon hearing this news, Su Qingqian immediately sought out the Deputy Minister of the Action Department, her words heavily embellished with her own bias.

Her voice was crisp and her speech rapid, like a machine gun barrage bombarding the Deputy Minister's eardrums.

"Deputy Minister, the situation is perfectly clear. The S-rank wanted criminal Yue Shi committed a horrific bloodbath in Fluorite Valley. The local Investigation Bureau is actually trembling with fear, using excuses like 'avoiding conflict' and 'ensuring city safety' to let him go free. This is simply a disgrace to the Investigation Bureau!"

"What is even more intolerable is that, according to a reliable report, Yue Shi never left Fluorite Valley at all. He's lurking there right now, mocking our incompetence!"

"Yet the leadership of the Fluorite Valley Investigation Bureau has turned a deaf ear to this. I reasonably suspect they might even be in some kind of unspeakable collusion with Yue Shi!"

"I strongly recommend that the relevant personnel in the Fluorite Valley Investigation Bureau be immediately suspended for investigation. Simultaneously, headquarters should deploy elite forces to Fluorite Valley at once to wipe out the criminal with thunderous force."

"This individual is a brutal, anti-human monster—a massive tumor destroying social stability. If we don't eliminate him now, the consequences will be endless."

Every word Su Qingqian spoke was aimed at Yue Shi, and she didn't forget to drag the Fluorite Valley Investigation Bureau into it, pinning a heavy label on them.

The Deputy Minister listened quietly, his face betraying no obvious emotion.

He didn't need to hear too many details to guess the general sequence of events.

Yue Shi was cleaning up the peripheral minions of the Glory Association and happened to pass through Fluorite Valley.

The people in Fluorite Valley had weighed the pros and cons and chosen an appeasement policy that best served their practical interests: protecting the city first.

The Deputy Minister was an old bureaucrat, well-acquainted with all sorts of filth and compromise.

Many things in this world weren't black and white. The actions of the Fluorite Valley Investigation Bureau couldn't be strictly called right or wrong; it was just that such things couldn't be spoken of openly.

As for Su Qingqian?

She was the eldest daughter of the Su family's direct line.

The Su family had been slapped in the face too hard this time. It was only natural that this young lady was desperate to kill that wanted criminal.

Her claims about the Fluorite Valley leadership colluding with the criminal were pure alarmism. She was just using the incident as a pretext to apply pressure.

On the other hand, the whistleblower named Li Hua was somewhat unexpected.

A glimmer of amusement flashed in the Deputy Minister's eyes.

Had this Li Hua been bought off?

Or did he want to take down his superiors to climb the ladder himself?

Or was he simply a naive hothead?

Thinking of this, the Deputy Minister coughed softly, interrupting Su Qingqian's continued passionate speech.

"Xiao Su, I understand what you're saying."

The Deputy Minister's tone carried a hint of impatience. "There are currently two options."

Su Qingqian immediately fell silent, looking at him with burning eyes.

"The first option: in your capacity as a tactical commander, you draft an application report. Detail Yue Shi's confirmed movements in Fluorite Valley and the extreme danger he poses to public safety, emphasizing the necessity and urgency of an immediate suppression operation."

"Once the report is submitted, I will sign and approve it for you and present it directly to the Minister of the Action Department."

"In my judgment, given Yue Shi's hazard level, there's a high probability this application will be approved. At that time, the Action Department will mobilize elite units to Fluorite Valley to carry out a targeted elimination of Yue Shi."

Hearing this, joy appeared on Su Qingqian's face.

The Deputy Minister shifted his tone, reminding her, "Yue Shi is no ordinary person; he possesses the strength to destroy a city. Surrounding and suppressing him is not a team-building exercise."

"Even if we ultimately succeed, the Action Department will inevitably pay a price. There could be casualties among transcendents or the loss of strategic-grade objects. You must consider these losses carefully."

The joy on Su Qingqian's face faltered slightly, but she quickly said with disdain, "The Deputy Minister worries too much. He's nothing more than a clown who can't stand the light of day."

"Anyone with eyes knows that the destruction of Chijing City was primarily caused by the movements in the forbidden zone. It wasn't as if Yue Shi destroyed it with his own hands."

"I believe in the strength of headquarters and the power of our captains. If a few losses can bring this monster to justice and maintain social stability, it is entirely worth it."

The Deputy Minister remained impassive and continued, "Why don't you listen to my second option first?"

Su Qingqian asked, "What is the second option?"

The Deputy Minister said, "Naturally, it's to follow standard procedures. First, we send a reconnaissance team to Fluorite Valley to verify the contents of Li Hua's report."

"Li Hua's one-sided story might not be true. This is a major matter, so it's better to be cautious. Once the situation is clarified and it's confirmed that Yue Shi is indeed still in Fluorite Valley and the conditions for suppression are met, we will then formulate a detailed plan and take action."

"No, absolutely not!" Su Qingqian immediately protested loudly.

"Sending people to investigate first—how much precious time would that waste? What if we alert the enemy and Yue Shi senses the danger and slips away? Wouldn't we have missed a golden opportunity for nothing? I do not agree with this plan!"

The Deputy Minister understood perfectly. He offered one last, lukewarm piece of advice: "Xiao Su, this is no small matter. You'd better think it through carefully before making a decision. There's still time."

"There's no need for further thought!" Su Qingqian's tone was resolute.

When had the Su family ever lost face like this?

The video of Su Yuanhe being abused on the internet had already made the Su family a laughingstock!

For a family like theirs, reputation was of paramount importance.

No member of the Su family could swallow this insult!

Seeing this, the Deputy Minister smiled with satisfaction. "Very well. Since you insist, go and draft the report immediately. Bring it to me as soon as it's finished. I'll approve it for you and send it up."

Su Qingqian was finally satisfied. She turned and quickly left the office.

After the office door closed, the smile on the Deputy Minister's face vanished. He reached for the phone on his desk and dialed a number.

As Su Qingqian walked out of the office, a hint of gravity appeared in her eyes.

Although she had verbally expressed contempt for Yue Shi and belittled him as worthless just now...

In reality, she knew he was very strong. Being able to destroy Lab 0, even if he had taken advantage of its weakened defenses, was enough to prove his power.

However, as an official organization, how could headquarters not have its own experts?

Which of the nine captains of headquarters wasn't legendary?

Returning to her own office, just as Su Qingqian was about to draft the report, she suddenly sensed something was off.

The Deputy Minister's words had seemed like reminders, but every sentence also seemed to be subtly pushing things along.

Perhaps the Action Department itself really wanted to move against the S-rank wanted criminal and just needed someone to take the fall afterward?

She shook her head, tossing the doubt aside.

Forget it, it didn't matter.

What mattered was that to reclaim the Su family's honor, Yue Shi had to die—and he had to die soon!