"Execution Center".

This is a new department that was separated from the original "Discipline Department" by the shelter under the leadership of Lin Feng, in order to deal with the increasing internal disputes and criminal activities.

Its person in charge is a middle-aged man named He Wei.

On Blue Star, He Wei was once a lawyer with some renown.

He always wore gold-rimmed glasses, was meticulous, and had an almost obsessive fervor and faith in legal provisions.

In his view, the law is the sole criterion for maintaining social order in human society, the highest embodiment of human reason, and is sacred and inviolable.

However, at this moment, the "chief executioner" personally appointed by Lin Feng felt an unprecedented sense of difficulty and predicament.

He stood at the edge of the square, mingling in the crowd, watching the people who were almost completely out of control, and listening to two completely different voices, his brows furrowed tightly.

Qin Lan has already sent someone to inform him that he will be in charge of the public trial of this case.

But how is he supposed to preside over this case?

First, there is the issue of jurisdiction. Chen Mo's criminal acts occurred on Earth.

Can the rules of a shelter trace and govern a citizen's crimes committed before they were admitted to the shelter?

This is a huge gap and paradox in all of He Wei's previous legal knowledge.

Finally, and what made him most uneasy and sweating profusely was the issue of public opinion.

The stark contrast in the square clearly demonstrates that whatever judgment he makes, he will inevitably offend the other half of the population.

Sentencing Chen Mo to death would chill the hearts of the vast number of male citizens who sympathized with him.

A acquittal or lenient sentence for Chen Mo would be utterly insufficient to quell the anger and fear of the female citizens. They would feel their sense of security would vanish and would question the impartiality of the shelter.

This is a fatal problem that could put him, the newly appointed "Chief Executioner," and his still-infant "Execution Grounds" on the fire to be repeatedly roasted.

He Wei took a deep breath, the icy air making his lungs ache.

He knew very well that this problem was far beyond what he, as the chief executioner, could handle.

He lacked both the ability and the prestige to quell this upheaval that threatened to shake the very foundations of the shelter.

He had to, and could only, consult the only person who could make the final decision and quell the storm.

He straightened his black uniform, a symbol of his "executioner" status, and his expression became extremely serious, even carrying a hint of pilgrimage-like piety.

He pushed through the chaotic crowd and whispered to Qin Lan, who was standing guard below the platform, "Minister Qin, this matter is of great importance. I must immediately report to the leader in person and request his final instructions."

Qin Lan turned her head. She didn't say much, but just looked at He Wei quietly for a few seconds with her calm and still eyes, and then nodded slightly.

Having received permission, He Wei dared not delay for a moment. He immediately turned around and almost ran towards the palace, which was already taking shape and growing more and more magnificent, located on the highest point of the shelter.

He walked quickly, even appearing somewhat unsteady due to his inner fear.

The palace sits atop Dragon Head Mountain, overlooking the entire territory.

Even though it is currently just a huge construction site, the magnificent foundation paved with obsidian and spanning hundreds of meters in width, and the towering walls made of white marble, already exude a heart-stopping majesty and an irresistible sense of oppression.

Standing at the entrance of the palace, He Wei looked up at the massive archway, which was thirty meters high and would be named "Gate of Revelation" in the future, and felt as insignificant as an ant that could be crushed at any moment.

Two beautiful maids dressed in long silk gowns led him in through the doorway.

After traversing the long "Pilgrimage Avenue," which was still under construction day and night, he was led to a temporary study located behind the "Chengtian Hall."

The study, though seemingly simple in its furnishings, exudes a level of luxury and extravagance unimaginable to ordinary people.

The floor is made of a single piece of warm jade that was transported from elsewhere. Stepping on it, a warm current flows from the soles of your feet straight through your whole body, invigorating your spirit.

The air was filled with the delicate fragrance of tea brewed with the stamens of "awakening flowers," and just one sip cleared his mind, which had been clouded by anxiety.

Lin Feng, the supreme leader of the shelter, stood in front of a huge sand table that occupied an entire wall.

He had his back to He Wei, dressed in a comfortable yet elegant black silk casual suit.

He did not turn around, but gazed at the ever-prosperous and ever-expanding empire on the sand table with a calm, creator-like look.

His fingers lightly traced the area representing "Central Square," already fully aware of the commotion and disturbance outside.

“Leader.” He Wei stopped about five meters behind Lin Feng, bowed deeply and respectfully, almost at a ninety-degree angle.

His voice was slightly hoarse due to extreme tension and awe.

Lin Feng did not turn around. He reached out and gently touched a small black flag on the sand table that represented "Chiyan Mountain Mine," and asked in a calm and indifferent tone, "He Wei, you came to see me because of that murderer named Chen Mo in the square, right?"

“Yes, leader.” He Wei’s heart skipped a beat.

"Even executioners sometimes feel troubled?" Lin Feng's lips curled into a meaningful, enigmatic smile.

A fine layer of cold sweat instantly appeared on He Wei's forehead.

He mustered all his courage and, in the most concise and respectful language, methodically described the predicament he faced: "Reporting to the Leader, this case... this case is indeed extremely difficult. Your humble servant is dull and humbly requests the Leader's wise judgment."

"This case presents two major challenges. First, jurisdiction is unclear, as the crime occurred on Earth, and our execution center cannot determine whether the sanctuary's laws have retroactive effect. Second, public opinion is divided, and regardless of the verdict, it could trigger significant internal conflicts, which would be detrimental to the stability and harmony of the sanctuary."

After he finished speaking, he lowered his head deeply, not daring to even breathe, and quietly awaited Lin Feng's verdict.

He felt like a humble subject meeting a king for the first time, awaiting the imperial decree that would decide his fate.

A brief silence fell over the study.

Only the clanging of craftsmen hammering stones outside the window and the faint noise from the distant square could be heard from afar.

After a long while, Lin Feng slowly turned around.

At that moment, He Wei felt the temperature in the entire study drop suddenly.

Lin Feng's gaze was calm and profound, like a bottomless abyss covered with millennia-old ice.

He Wei met his gaze for only once, and felt as if his soul was being frozen and seen through by that gaze. He involuntarily lowered his head even further, almost touching his chest.

"He Wei, you're a good lawyer."

Lin Feng finally spoke, his voice not loud, but carrying an unquestionable, authoritative air: "You've considered things very thoroughly. What you've said are all issues of 'legal principle'."

He paused, then abruptly changed his tone, becoming incredibly sharp, like a drawn sword: "But you've forgotten one thing, the most important one. This is my sanctuary. Here, I am the law."

"boom!"

He Wei's mind went blank with a deafening buzz, as if struck by lightning. He shuddered violently, abruptly raising his head to stare at Lin Feng with an incredulous gaze that seemed to have shattered his lifelong beliefs.

"leader……"

"I'll answer your two questions."

Lin Feng held up one finger: "First, jurisdiction. My principle is very simple: as long as he is a citizen of the shelter now, as long as he sets foot on the land I rule, then everything about him, whether in the past, present or future, is under my jurisdiction. The sins of Blue Star will be settled here as well. This is a principle that cannot be questioned."

Finally, Lin Feng's gaze became unfathomable. He slowly walked up to He Wei, whose body was stiff with shock, and gently patted his trembling shoulder.

"As for the second one, which is also your biggest headache, public opinion."

He looked at He Wei's wide eyes filled with fear, and a playful smile, full of absolute control, curled at the corner of his mouth: "Water can carry a boat, but it can also capsize it. This saying applies to mortal emperors, but not to me."

"Public opinion needs to be guided, appeased, and even shaped. But I absolutely cannot, and will never allow, to be held hostage by public opinion."

"Let me teach you a lesson, He Wei." Lin Feng's tone was like a teacher instructing an ignorant student: "When someone kills another, the executioner sentences him to death. That's not power, that's justice at most, that's fulfilling one's duty, something any judge can do, cold and boring."

He emphasized each word, saying, "And I, I pardon someone everyone thinks deserves to die. That's what power is."

“I sympathize with Chen Mo’s plight. An honest man was driven to the brink of despair, and blood was spilled everywhere. In a way, that’s fair. But he also killed seven people, which is an undeniable fact. So he must be punished, and the public’s anger must be vented.”

“Here’s the solution.” Lin Feng presented his final plan, his tone casual yet filled with a chilling, controlling power that viewed all living beings as mere pawns: “You will conduct the interrogation. On the high platform of the execution chamber, you must make sure everyone sees that the laws of the sanctuary are fair, just, and impartial. Based on the undeniable fact that he committed murder, you must sentence him to death in front of everyone.”

He Wei's pupils suddenly contracted to the size of a pinhead.

Sentenced to...death?

“Then,” Lin Feng’s smile became even more unfathomable, like a god plotting something, “I will step in again and personally pardon him.”

"..."

He Wei was completely stunned. His mouth gaped open, feeling as if his brain had completely shut down, utterly unable to process the massive amount of information contained in those few short sentences, like a tidal wave.

Sentencing him to death is meant to demonstrate the majesty of the law, to quell public anger demanding severe punishment, and to satisfy the sense of justice of the "severe punishment faction."

Then the leader personally steps in with overwhelming force and compassion to pull him back from the brink of death, demonstrating the leader's supreme benevolence and compassion that transcends the law, in order to appease those who sympathize with him and reap the gratitude of the "sympathizers".

A social crisis that could have torn apart the sanctuary and shaken the foundations of the regime was thus resolved by Lin Feng in a way that was almost "playing around" and "manipulating" it.

Law, public opinion, human sentiment, morality... everything became a tool in his hands that he could knead and manipulate at will, a prop on a grand stage for him to display his supreme power.

This...this is no longer the law.

This is the art of imperial strategy!