The security situation in Adelaide is still not entirely peaceful, but it has improved a lot compared to before, thanks to the efficient work of the patrol team: no matter what the crime is, they are locked up first.

This has led to overcrowding in the detention centers of various police detachments in the city. What used to be two-person cells now typically hold seven or eight, or even ten, prisoners, leaving them standing in the cells as there are simply not enough beds.

Many prisoners began to protest by banging on the bars of their cells all day long, making a loud banging noise that could be clearly heard in the patrol officers' office, seriously disrupting their daily work.

The guards in each prison block began using violence to quiet the prisoners. This method was effective at first; as long as one of the noisy people was dragged out and beaten, the others would quickly quiet down.

But a storm is brewing beneath the calm surface.

Some patrol officers were unaware of a serious problem: as the number of prisoners increased, the power balance between prisoners and patrol officers was quietly shifting. In some patrol station locations, the number of prisoners already outnumbered the number of patrol officers several times over.

The city of Adelaide has become safer because criminals have all been concentrated in the patrol police force.

"Your Highness, our people are all in place and await your command."

Inside the villa in Helenburg, "Raven" was reporting to Reinhardt.

“You’ve done very well.” Reinhardt sat high on the chair on the platform in the secret chamber, his gaze cold. “Relying on others is unreliable; only the strength in our own hands is trustworthy!”

“Continue to contact the contact person on Phos’s side,” Reinhardt said, looking at the audience. “As long as you help me ascend the throne, everything is negotiable. I will give them the planets and compensation they want!”

“But Your Highness…” someone in the audience said with some concern, “Wouldn’t it be too… too inappropriate for us to agree to those conditions?”

No one dared to utter the words "traitor to the country and loss of sovereignty."

“If I can’t ascend the throne, I have nothing,” Reinhardt said fiercely, glaring at the audience. “Do you think I’d still care about any of this?”

If he couldn't obtain the throne, then nothing would belong to him, so Reinhard would naturally do such a thing—giving away other people's money—without batting an eye.

"I don't care about the Ryan National Army or the Fashan Army. As long as Ferlinan is dead, I am the sole heir to the throne! He will have to give it to me whether he wants to or not!" Reinhardt's eyes were bloodshot. He was blinded by power and couldn't listen to anything.

If Adelaide is a powder keg right now, then the police station is where the powder is concentrated, with all sides waiting for that spark to ignite it.

And Mars soon followed—Grand Duke Ryan's "Critical Illness Notice".

This notification was received by only a small, limited number of people throughout Ryan, but that was enough.

Inside the detention room at the patrol team's station, the prisoners continued to shout and cause a ruckus. As usual, the patrol officers dragged out a few prisoners, beat them half to death, and then stuffed them back in.

But this time was different. As a patrolman was leaving, his eyes drifted to a tall prisoner in the cell, and he winked.

The burly man nodded knowingly. After the patrolman left, he squatted down, took a key from the beaten prisoner, and immediately hid it.

After the death of the previous chief inspector, Reinhardt planted many of his own people in the patrol force. Although the new chief inspector launched a purge, the patrol force was already rotten to the core, with many places where corruption and filth were hidden, so how could it be cleaned up?

Around midnight, during the shift change at various patrol stations, sirens suddenly went off—not just at one or two stations, but at all the patrol stations throughout Adelaide.

The prisoners poured out at the same time, catching the guards off guard. After shooting and killing a few of the leading prisoners, the guards were beaten to death by the mob.

The patrol team's headquarters building was mostly staffed by civilian employees, most of whom were unarmed and no match for the ruthless and desperate criminals.

By the time the patrol team reacted, the prisoners had already opened the patrol team's armory, and the armed prisoners had the advantage in numbers.

The entire city of Adelaide has turned into a huge battlefield, with gunfire echoing through the streets and scenes of police officers clashing with prisoners everywhere.

The situation has become a complete mess.

The overwhelmed chief inspector of the patrol team kept asking his superior, the Marquis Ferlinan, for instructions, but he couldn't get through on the phone.

The gang leaders from various branches had been trying to get Prince Reinhardt's instructions on their next steps, but had received no response.

The prisoners who flooded the streets have begun to vandalize and loot shops along the way, with gold and silver jewelry stores and luxury goods stores being their primary targets. Some of the more cunning prisoners have started to target upscale residential areas such as villas...

Amidst this chaos, the noblemen living in the villas felt their personal safety was seriously threatened, but they were also unable to contact Marquis Charles of the Senate.

Without instructions, the prisoners, already bloodthirsty, were unlikely to stop, and the patrolmen were not going to stand idly by. It was a fight to the death, and the aristocratic class was caught in the middle, living in constant fear.

Amidst the storm that swept through Adelaide, the royal palace, situated at the eye of the storm, remained unusually calm.

At this moment, more than thirty people have gathered in the council chamber of the Ryan Palace.

Grand Duke Ryan sat on the throne on the high platform in the center, coughing occasionally while covering his mouth. From a distance, bright red bloodstains were visible on his white handkerchief.

The Queen, sitting beside her, looked at her husband with a worried expression. Lady Qiu Wanyan stood beside her, gently supporting the Queen's shoulder to comfort her.

Everyone knows that Lady Qiu and the Queen are like sisters. Lady Qiu has been staying in the palace with the Queen these days and is an important pillar of support for her.

Prince Reinhardt sat on the left side below the platform, staring at the person opposite him with bloodshot eyes.

The Marquis Ferlinan across from him had a grim expression. He knew there was chaos outside, but Grand Duke Ryan had said that even if the sky fell tonight, no one in the council chamber was allowed to leave.

Below, Marquis Charles was looking down, deep in thought.

In addition, there were Marshal Zhu Yifu, who had changed into his regular clothes, Dean Erwin, and so on. There weren't many people in the council chamber, but these were the thirty-odd people with the highest authority in Ryan.

"Cough, cough." Grand Duke Ryan on the throne gently wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, looked at the people below and smiled, "There is no doubt that the 'Inspection Report' we gave you before was falsified, but the 'Critical Illness Notice' is real."

"I most likely don't have many days left to live." Grand Duke Ryan still smiled, looking at the director of the Central Hospital beside him. "Seven, don't you think so?"

“Your Majesty, you should be resting in your hospital bed now, not sitting here,” Dean Seven advised, frowning.

A young doctor and nurse were standing next to Dean Seven, changing the Grand Duke's IV drip.

"It's alright," Grand Duke Ryan waved his hand and said with a smile, "I don't have many days left, so I can't waste them in bed."

"I've called you all here today to determine the next heir to the throne," Grand Duke Ryan said with a smile, looking at the people below. "Haven't you all been eager to know? I'll tell you today."

The council chamber fell silent instantly, and everyone looked up, even Marquis Charles couldn't help but look up at Grand Duke Ryan.

“Reinhardt, let’s start with you, since you are first in line.” Grand Duke Reinhardt’s expression suddenly turned serious. “But to be honest, you are not suitable to inherit the throne.”

“In my heart, your deceased father and my kind brother are the most suitable candidates for the throne.”

"You are stubborn, arrogant, and intolerant of differing opinions. You are often vindictive over trivial matters and will stop at nothing to achieve your goals. Don't think I don't know about your shady businesses!"

Reinhardt blushed deeply, his face turning bright red all the way to the roots of his neck, after being reprimanded by the Grand Duke in front of everyone.

“But I believe these things can be changed. As long as they are changed, they are still good children. But there is one thing you cannot forgive!” Grand Duke Ryan’s gaze suddenly turned as cold as snow. “That is, after your father fell ill, you isolated him for treatment, allowing his condition to worsen!”

“My father had an infectious disease at the time…” Reinhardt said with a look of panic.

Bang!

Grand Duke Ryan slammed his fist on the armrest of the chair and pointed at Reinhardt's nose, cursing loudly.

"I never assume the worst about others! If I had known this earlier, I would have brought my brother to the palace for treatment instead of leaving him with you, my unfilial son!"

"An infectious disease? A terminal illness? Why can't I find any medicine for treating infectious diseases on the prescription! They're all tonics!"

"Don't you know what illness my brother has? You're giving him health supplements now, are you trying to make the virus spread faster? Are you trying to make him die faster?!"

"You didn't kill him with your own hands, but he died because of you! Do you still want to deny it!"

Reinhardt stood there, pale-faced and speechless, his fingernails scratching the chair.

Marquis Ferlinan closed his eyes to rest, a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth.

Marquis Charles lowered his head again, lost in thought.

Marshal Zhu Yifu and Dean Erwin exchanged a glance, their attitudes completely those of bystanders.

The surrounding ministers were abuzz with discussion, their gazes toward Reinhardt becoming increasingly complex and varied.

"Don't you find it strange? Since I already knew all this, why did I still put you in the first place of succession?" Grand Duke Ryan patted his chest to calm himself down and said calmly.

The council chamber fell silent once more, all the ministers listening intently, which was precisely what puzzled them.

"Because of your father, my kind-hearted younger brother!" Grand Duke Ryan glared, "On his deathbed, he still begged me to forgive you and give you a chance!"

“He held my hand and said, ‘As long as a person knows their mistakes and can correct them, that’s enough. He believes your nature is still good.’” Grand Duke Ryan was lost in painful memories. “He doesn’t need you to have any earth-shattering achievements. As long as you behave yourself and at least don’t make any big mistakes, I will agree to pass the throne to you.”

"But look!"

"What have you been doing all these years?!"

How could you do this to him?!

Under Grand Duke Reinhardt's reprimand, Reinhardt's face turned red and white in turns, and finally he was so ashamed that he wanted to disappear. His clenched fists dug his nails into his flesh.

“Therefore, I will not hand over the throne to you,” Grand Duke Ryan concluded calmly.

Reinhardt was instantly struck as if by lightning, his body trembling, his lips tightly pressed together, and he remained silent.

Upon hearing this dramatic turn of events, some of the ministers below the stage turned ashen-faced, while others beamed with joy. However, none of them dared to make a fuss. They exchanged glances with each other, and finally, some looked at the Marquis Ferlinan.

Marquis Ferlinan closed his eyes and smiled. Reinhardt had lost his right to inherit the throne, so it was now his turn.

"Ferlinan, don't be too happy yet." Grand Duke Ryan, who had seen everything, said coldly, "Even if you were chosen, it wasn't because you're so outstanding; it's just that we picked the best of a bad bunch."

"I will heed your teachings, Your Majesty." Marquis Ferlinan opened his eyes and bowed respectfully to Grand Duke Ryan in apology.

He doesn't care about other people's opinions. As long as he can obtain the throne, he doesn't care who slanders him now, since there will be plenty of opportunities to punish these people in the future.

Bang!

With a loud bang, the council chamber door was suddenly kicked open. A man covered in blood, dressed in black, appeared at the entrance.

"who?"

Where are the guards?

Where did the Imperial Guard go?

As the ministers stared in disbelief, the man in black walked into the center of the council hall, leaving bloody footprints with each step.

A careful observer quickly noticed that although the man in black was covered in blood, he had no obvious wounds, meaning that the blood belonged to someone else.

“Master.” The man in black walked up to Reinhardt and knelt on one knee.

Hahahaha—

Reinhardt, who had been lifeless just moments before, suddenly burst into a fit of maniacal laughter.

"Crow, you did a great job! Well done! Hahaha—"

The Marquis de Fremannan, standing nearby, was terrified and immediately cried out:

"Where are the guards? Is the council chamber a place you can just barge into?!"

"Call the patrol team! Patrol..."

Marquis Ferlinan's voice abruptly stopped, his eyes bulged, his pupils dilated, and he looked down at his chest.

There, a dagger entered from his back and exited from his left chest, piercing his heart.

*Pfft*

Blood gushed out, and the Marquis Ferlinan, like a tattered sack without its skeleton, slowly collapsed to the ground.

Reinhardt slowly drew his dagger from behind, licked the hot blood from the tip of the blade, and stepped on the corpse of Marquis Ferlinan on the ground as if it were an ant, grinning maliciously at the high platform.

"Alright, now you have no choice."