Chapter 571 Notification of Evacuation

"However, I did find a clue."

Minister Duan, completely unaware that Minister Bai was daydreaming, said calmly, "Back then, the Fire Phoenix burned down the farmers' market, openly damaging the base's facilities and property, almost causing a major disaster."

Minister Bai's thoughts returned, and he remembered this matter.

Last winter, law enforcement officers abused their power for personal gain and got into a dispute with people from Qingshan Town at the farmers' market.

Fire Phoenix attacked law enforcement officers, burned down surrounding stalls and rooftops, causing quite a commotion and seriously violating the base's management regulations.

If it were anyone else, they would probably have been arrested and detained on charges of "picking quarrels and provoking trouble".

But it was Fire Phoenix who caused the trouble.

It is merely a spiritual entity, and its physical form is not present, so the punishment mechanism is ineffective against it.

We can't imprison it, as that would affect the mission.

Afterwards, Minister Duan summoned Xie Tu to his office and gave him a severe dressing-down, but the matter was dropped after Yun Zhao was ordered to compensate for the market losses.

"After thinking it over and over, I felt that something was not right."

Minister Duan said slowly, "Given Yun Zhao's status in the base, she has countless ways to handle things, and she doesn't need Fire Phoenix to stand up for her at all."

As a valuable guide, she can reveal her identity directly.

Or report it to higher authorities.

Or, just like when Cheng Dongshu was assigned to the operations department, you could directly make a phone call and explain the situation.

In short, she has countless ways to seek justice for the people of Qingshan Town.

"Afterwards, I summoned the sentries who were present at the time, and according to their recollections, nothing unusual was found at the scene."

The temperature was very low that day, and it was snowing.

The market was bustling with people. Yun Zhao was wrapped up like a rice dumpling, with only his eyes showing.

At the time, everyone's attention was focused on the argument between Qingshan Town and the law enforcement team, and she was inconspicuous standing in the crowd.

However, after reviewing the surveillance footage, Minister Duan still discovered something unusual.

Although it was just a scene, one could sense the killing intent in Yun Zhao's calm gaze.

She stood at the edge of the crowd, without anger, without impatience, without even the slightest emotional fluctuation. Yet it was precisely this almost indifferent gaze that sent a chill down one's spine.

It wasn't ordinary hostility, nor was it the violence commonly seen among sentries.

Rather, it was a kind of...judgmental coldness.

"Yun Zhao gradually returned to normal only after Huo Feng suddenly attacked the law enforcement officers."

Minister Duan calmly analyzed: "Yun Zhao's personality is such that she would not use violence to solve problems. She herself has no fighting ability. Before the Dark Guide incident was exposed, I always thought that I had misjudged her."

After the Dark Guide was announced to the public, Xie Tu and Yun Zhao did not return to the base immediately, but instead took a detour to find Jiang Mu.

After they returned together, they did not go back to the operations department, but went straight to the home of the base commander.

With the base chief's overt and covert hints, and everything connected, it would be hard for Minister Duan not to guess.

Minister Bai paused for a moment, then said, "Since you had suspicions all along, why didn't you tell us?"

“She is my subordinate, and I have an obligation to protect her privacy before I have evidence.”

Minister Duan had his own concerns and said calmly, "Besides, the base needs Yun Zhao more than Yun Zhao needs the base. Once some things are made clear, there is no room for maneuver."

This is also why Minister Duan did not speak with Yun Zhao.

Just then, the elevator arrived.

Minister Duan unilaterally ended the conversation. She stepped out of the elevator, turned around and pointed to the camera inside, saying, "Remember to have it deleted."

Minister Bai nodded, "Don't worry, they're all on our side, they won't spread this around."

Minister Duan grunted in acknowledgment. She had barely stepped out of the elevator when the head of the intelligence team rushed over.

"minister!"

Team Leader Huo's face was tense. After seeing Minister Bai, he nodded slightly and whispered something in Minister Duan's ear.

Minister Duan's expression changed slightly upon hearing this.

The two left in a hurry.

Minister Bai watched the disappearing figure, lost in thought, before pressing the elevator button and returning to the sixth-floor conference room.

It seems something happened in the contaminated area.

*

Within contaminated zone 4.

Yun Zhao and Xie Tu have arrived at the foot of the western mountain.

The mountain's outline looked particularly menacing under the moonlight, and countless dark shadows writhed on its slopes.

The entire mountain seemed to come alive, its surface undulating like the breath of some enormous beast.

Yun Zhao stopped and turned to ask, "Should I do it or will you?"

Xie Tu stopped, slowly drew his Tang sword, and calmly replied, "You come."

He felt no shame whatsoever for his "living off a woman" behavior.

Finding the gatekeeper amidst the monsters roaming the mountains is no easy task.

A direct assault would be too time-consuming.

"Alright, then you'll be in charge of cheering." Yun Zhao slightly raised his hand, intending to use his mental threads to conduct a comprehensive search.

Her mental threads can control mutants, but not gatekeepers; they can quickly screen and identify monsters on the mountain.

The bluish-green fluorescence quickly spread.

At that moment, a violent tremor suddenly came from the south, followed by a deafening roar.

"It is a Bixi."

Xie Tu had barely finished speaking.

Deafening gunfire erupted from the north immediately afterward.

The Gatling gun's roar instantly tore through the night sky, startling the mutants on all sides of the mountain, whose hoarse howls rose and fell.

The contaminated area was completely boiling over.

Hearing the noise, Yun Zhao raised the flashlight in his hand.

The sight before me was chilling.

Countless dark shadows tumbled down the hillside, surging in like a tide. Some crawled on all fours like spiders; others had bony spikes protruding from their bodies, hissing and lunging.

The first few had their limbs bent backwards and crawled extremely fast. Some were covered in bone spurs, and some had their heads split open into petal-shaped mouthparts.

The little bluebird flapped its wings and used its incredible speed to control the surging monster.

Xie Tu drew his Tang sword, the blade flashing with a cold light, instantly severing the necks of three mutants.

The bluish-green fluorescence began to spread up the mountain.

The riot in the north, which the two were in charge of, was quickly brought under control. Countless dark figures stood motionless, waiting for the sharp Tang swords to fall.

Yun Zhao ignored the commotion of the others.

With her eyes closed, she continuously released her spiritual energy, attempting to find the uncontrollable, peculiar creature on the mountain.

And at that very moment.

The two groups of reinforcement sentries who were notified to retreat have entered the contaminated area and landed on the back side of the eastern hill in Wuji Third Village.

It was the middle of the night in the contaminated area.

It was pitch black all around, with only mountains, fields, and the vague outlines of low farmhouses in sight.

The group had just entered when they heard a deafening roar.

They all come from the other side of the mountain.

The two groups, totaling fourteen people, found their direction and quickly headed towards the foot of the mountain.

But soon they discovered that monsters covering the mountains and plains had completely blocked the road, making it impossible to pass.

"what to do?"

"We must force our way out and notify them to evacuate as soon as possible!"

Unbeknownst to everyone involved, the edge of the contaminated zone was expanding, and an unfamiliar, dark aura was encroaching upon Contaminated Zone 4...