Chapter 148 Waiting for the Early Morning
The more information you can release, the higher your position will be.
If we can catch the biggest fish, it doesn't matter if the military academy missions fail repeatedly. In other words, it is a necessary sacrifice.
How can you lure a big enough fish to bite if you don’t throw out enough bait?
***
Sikong Tan woke up from the silence.
Looking back on everything that happened in the past period of time, I feel a little emotional and a little scared.
The sacrifice made for the ultimate goal was not just a simple failure of the military academy mission, but it almost led to the surrender of the entire imperial capital.
Oh, it has been given away.
In any case, it is definitely not a small sacrifice, but a gamble.
Mr. Huo did dare to bet on Lin Guantang... However, he also bet everything on it, so there was nothing to say about others.
He tapped his fingers on the table intermittently, then looked around thoughtfully.
It is not an exaggeration to say that Quan O Academy is the least threatening place in the entire imperial capital. What's more, it has long been taken into the hands of the enemy. Even if Jing Maoxun came in person today, the defense would not be very tight.
They were suddenly shot at just now. Even though there was no hope of rescue, most of the protection was transferred over and escorted all the way to a nearby trustworthy hospital. Another part was sent to find the so-called sniper killer - although they also knew that it was impossible to find him, they still had to put in the effort to show it.
In other words, among the people left in O Courtyard now, except for the nobles mentioned above, there are only a few people with fighting power, and they are easy to deal with.
The omegas in the other rooms were no longer under guard, and the doors and windows were simply locked to prevent them from coming out. At a time like this, perhaps being locked in the house was the safest option.
Sikong Tan quickly recalled all the deployments, including those at the O Academy and the Central Military Academy, and then asked:
"What are you going to do next?"
He asked this question because he really didn't know what the next arrangements were.
Lin Guantang did not tell him the entire plan, but only hypnotized him to forget the things that must not be leaked, and then gave him a hint -
He can provide a lot of information, his position is very important, and he can definitely contact the top leaders.
Then, he needs to do his best to help the boss achieve the final victory.
Finally, it is suggested that after the leader's great victory, he should offer a cordial greeting to the public, at least to the nobles who supported him.
At QuanO College, or at some other school, at some square, at some conference hall...
Sikong Tan thought about the choices he would make in his mind, and quickly created a topographical map in his mind, and finally came to the conclusion -
No matter which location he ultimately suggested Jing Maoxun choose for his public speech, he would be able to find a suitable sniping point... This was even though he was not good at this skill.
In fact, there are more opportunities to take action. With Yin Zhiyou's marksmanship, hitting the target is no problem.
After removing the influence of the system, the imperial capital ultimately belongs to their territory.
So everything that happened today was not a coincidence, but something that had been anticipated long ago.
Even if Jing Maoxun didn't die here, he would have died in a public speech later.
——As for why I didn’t tell Sikong Tan all this in advance, the reason is very simple.
What if...if the hypnosis is discovered in advance, it will be very bad.
But at present, the estimate is correct.
The Fugan District had been immersed in its own world for too long, and had long developed a disdain for the Imperial Capital. They felt that without the need for System X to evolve more and faster, they would forever surpass the Imperial Capital.
But the imperial capital is not static... They don't know how far the imperial capital's Y system has developed.
So everything went as expected.
But, Xi and he...
A flash of worry passed through Sikong Tan's mind, but then he calmed down. If Lin Guantang could even foresee this, then Xihe could definitely be rescued.
All in all, let’s take care of the present first.
He thought that Lin Guantang's next goal was obviously to resolve the crisis in O Academy and the Central Military Academy, which required knowing the guard deployment.
There is no need to worry about this, Sikong Tan knows it all, but to be on the safe side, he will wait until he confirms Lin Guantang's thoughts before making any statement.
——Lin Guantang indeed thought so.
After hearing the secret signal from the knocking sound on the table, Lin Guantang realized that he had recovered his memory and felt relieved.
Before opening his mouth to speak, Lin Guantang gave a soothing look to the students from College O who were still in the corner and other classrooms, signaling them to stay calm.
Then, he turned to look at the nobles behind him who were still at a loss, and said:
"Aside from surveillance, all external communications within the O Institute have been completely severed. You all should be aware of the gravity of this matter, and it's best not to act rashly. I believe everyone should know the right thing to do and the wrong things to do, which could lead to even greater sins."
This immediately caused a commotion, with many people raising questions:
"So what exactly is to be done?"
"What the hell is going on!"
"What do you want to do..."
…
“If you really don’t know what to do, just be patient and wait.”
Lin Guantang was too lazy to say any more nonsense and just said:
"Everything will be over after dawn."
Who could have imagined what would happen tonight? Of course, some people didn't want to stay here any longer, but Lin Guantang would never let them leave until everything was settled.
"Jing Maoxun stole the Empire's system and forced human trafficking. It's no exaggeration to call his crime treason. Even if he wasn't shot by righteous men today, he would have died. Does anyone among you really want to be his companion?"
"If so, you can leave now. If you are suspected of being an accomplice and are subsequently investigated, don't say I didn't warn you."
But in just a few words——
In fact, the first sentence he said caused the whole audience to fall into dead silence.
I wanted to refute, but I didn't dare to speak. I just looked at each other, then lowered my head and wanted to contact relatives, friends or lawyers to discuss the best way to deal with it next.
But the block was already on and they couldn't send a single message.
Sheng Fenghua looked at him, sneered, and said:
"Is he a righteous man, or is it your doing, as Hermes says? Even if there is any guilt involved, it is no excuse for you to act on your own."
Lin Guantang blinked, seemingly confused as to why she said that:
"What do you mean? Since I came back from Fugan District, I haven't set foot in the imperial capital until this performance. This is a well-known fact. If you insist on saying it was my handiwork, you must provide evidence. Could it be that I am so powerful that I can actually break through so many defenses?"
Sheng Fenghua really wanted to roll her eyes - she wondered how many people had the same idea as her.
Just based on Lin Guantang's calm reaction, it's easy to guess that it must have something to do with him.
But how exactly it was done is something that is impossible to guess.
Unless the person who fired the gun can be found and proven to be related to Lin Guantang.
But——even if they have successfully killed someone, is it really possible to find out who it is? Is it really possible that they didn’t plan an escape route in advance?
I'm afraid it will remain an eternal mystery.
Under Sheng Fenghua's silent gaze, Lin Guantang said calmly:
"So, why not find the murderer first? Now, someone has to step up and handle everything. Since this is O Hospital, I'll handle it. I think there should be no objection."
Of course, the students from College O nodded repeatedly, and the others were so intimidated by Lin Guantang that they didn't dare to say anything more.
Before Sheng Fenghua spoke, Lin Guantang said:
"I think it would be best if Miss Sheng kept quiet. I forgot to inform you that the system permissions have been forcibly revoked, and to avoid alerting the enemy, we cut off external communications without prior notice. I think you can understand this, but I'm not sure if your message was delivered in time."
——Discovered.
But it doesn’t matter. Is he going to shoot himself again?
Sheng Fenghua withdrew his gaze and refused to answer the question.
Now that things have come to this, what else is there to say?
It's not that I can't fight to the death and force my way out, but——
Another wrong decision was...
Lin Guantang's voice sounded again, and it was even more serious, reminding the cadets of a very familiar voice:
"All cadets, assemble outside the hall, quick!"
The fact that Lin Guantang is Ling Chen has already spread among the military academy students. Even if they were skeptical before, there is nothing to be unconvinced about now.
And hearing his firm and relaxed words, it was clear that he already had a plan for a complete turnaround.
Then there is nothing to worry about.
As he was speaking, the military cadets in the audience had already stood up spontaneously and gathered outside the door as quickly as possible.
That's it.
Originally, some cadets were called here to participate in the performance in order to split the Central Military Academy, but now, these cadets have obviously become the biggest threat.
These cadets have no weapons, but they are from noble families and live a life of luxury. Who would fight?
Not to mention that their relatives and friends were also in the audience, so they couldn't rush out even if they wanted to.
My grandfather is dead and everything has become a mess.
Sheng Fenghua closed her eyes.
Lin Guantang let Sikong Tan go first. He looked at the audience and gave a final encouragement:
"I believe many young alphas were tricked or even forced into participating in this performance. This is evident from the protests of those alphas just now."
"I think everyone doesn't want to be slandered as being in cahoots with Jing Maoxun, taking pride in bullying omegas. Instead, everyone will choose to stand up and protect everyone in times of crisis. The innate strength of alphas isn't limited to cadets; you can trust them as well."
"I think everyone is more or less aware that the person I love deeply is an alpha. I have truly experienced from him the determination of an alpha to give everything for his lover. I believe that we should not generalize and accuse everyone of his crimes. I also believe that in this time of crisis, you can protect all the vulnerable people here, whether they are omegas or their relatives and friends."
"Please."
He bent down and bowed, and everything he did was sincere.
Then someone immediately stood up and responded to this call.
Everything went smoothly after that.
The person who takes the lead is always important. If someone takes the lead in protesting, it will easily lead to more people protesting.
But if someone takes the lead and acts as a hero, it will inspire everyone to be brave in times of crisis.
But within a dozen minutes, almost all the young alphas present came out, and the omegas in the conference room also took the initiative to stand up -
The cadets went outside to wait for orders, while the other young people followed the omegas in the conference room and went to the various places where the omegas were imprisoned to guard them in batches.
At least on this eventful night, the relationship between AOs was not tense, but rather they were united and cooperated to get through the night.
In less than half an hour, more than half of the auditorium was empty.
Of course, those who left also included Shao Qingbai and Jian Yinglai.
However, after the latter stood up, he was stopped.
"Jane Yinglai."
Sheng Fenghua - Hermes was obviously no longer reliable, and the other nobles did not dare to speak, but she was the only one who refused to remain silent.
Nor can we remain silent.
She called out Jian Yinglai's name, her tone calm, and stated an obvious reality:
"You betrayed us."
She was not surprised by Hermes' betrayal, but she was disappointed by Jian Yinglai's choice. When she opened her eyes, she just looked at the ground.
“…I was never given the opportunity to choose.”
Jian Yinglai also did not look back at her, but just stopped and whispered:
"Born with sinful blood, I cannot be free. If I have the chance to choose to walk towards the light again, I am willing to pay any price."
Then he left without looking back.
After stepping out of the door, it was the dark night, with a hazy moonlight above my head, which was very similar to the dinner party that day.
***
Before leaving for Fugan District, Lin Guantang and Huo Shizhen took advantage of their wedding and their decision to leave the imperial capital for a pre-wedding trip, so they held a banquet under the name of a farewell party for the O Academy and the Military Academy.
During the banquet, Jian Yinglai found an opportunity to be alone with him and said straight to the point:
“Don’t go to Fugan District.”
"Why?"
Lin Guantang asked:
"Everyone knows this news. Otherwise, there wouldn't be this banquet today. Without a good reason, there's no way to cancel the scheduled itinerary."
Jian Yinglai's eyes were deep and full of confusion:
"You really don't know the reason?"
"I've been waiting for you to speak up."
Lin Guantang did not deny this, but said:
"Wait until you make your final decision. Which side will you side with? Or are you going to be like the author of Heart of Smog, struggling to make a decision until the end, only to end up taking the most disadvantageous path and being abandoned by both sides. No matter which side wins, you'll end up as a traitor."
"I've watched the surveillance footage on the ship that day many times. I haven't had time to ask anyone about some of my doubts, but I could take this opportunity to ask you—"
"The rumor that Lin Guantang and Ling Chen might be brothers is probably just a small-scale discussion. To be more precise, only a handful of people know about it. It can barely be considered important information. Who passed it on to those people in the Garden of Eden? Can you give me an answer?"
"Also, how can information be continuously leaked? Military academy students shouldn't have that much contact with the outside world, except for the External Relations Department."
The answer is obvious.
Jian Yinglai was silent for a long time before he whispered:
"You've guessed more than I thought... So you've already figured out my identity, yet you've let me go until now instead of planning to arrest me?"
"That decision to wait was made after assessing the level of intelligence leaks."
Lin Guantang shrugged and said:
"I'm not stupid. You've hinted so clearly, and I still can't see it. Wouldn't that be stupid of me? That's why I want to ask you, are you stopping me today just out of kindness, wanting to keep me from dying, or have you already decided to give up everything you've gained from the darkness and return to the realm of light?"
"Since you've come to stop me from going to Fugan District, you should know that we can't wait any longer."
Lin Guantang has already read the book about the Heart of the Mist.
He had already understood Jian Yinglai's hint.
The author of Heart of the Mist was not as perfect as later generations said, and his life was made up of various uncertain entanglements. His final death was also due to his constant indecision.
The same goes for Jian Yinglai. Compared to others - just talking about the S-class alphas of the same class, he is more perfect than the other three. If his cousin is a perfect omega, then he can be called a perfect alpha.
Although he appears to be perfect on the surface, his heart has long since turned to darkness.
In other words, he was born in darkness, and wanted to turn to the light but could not make the determination to completely escape from the darkness, and sinking into darkness tormented his soul.
So he subconsciously wanted to find someone to share the pain and torture that made him want to commit suicide to end it all, or he wanted to find someone to save him, but he couldn't find that person - until Lin Guantang appeared.
At the beginning, Jian Yinglai was just trying to find someone who could understand him and share his pain with him, but he had no hope that anyone could save him.
It was not until Lin Guantang gradually revealed his talent that Jian Yinglai began to have this hope.
But... does he really want to drag Lin Guantang into this?
Jian Yinglai smiled bitterly:
"Maybe you should stay away from me. It will bring you harm."
"I thought you hinted so many times because you didn't want to continue sinking and wanted me to save you."
Lin Guantang frowned. He was not worried about the dangers he would encounter when he went to Fugan District, but at this time he heard Jian Yinglai say words that seemed like retreating, and he felt a kind of powerless anger.
Then his tone became serious, with a hint of sarcasm:
"So you just want me to watch you fall into an irreversible hell."
Jian Yinglai fell into a long silence and finally realized that this matter was no longer dominated by him, but by Lin Guantang.
"You going to help me?"
Lin Guantang said:
"Anyone who truly wants to be redeemed should be given a chance."
Jian Yinglai looked at him with a complicated expression. After a while, he said with some relief, some relaxation, and some sadness:
"Has anyone ever told you that you are too kind and that you are completely different from the senior?"
Lin Guantang shook hands:
"That's why you chose me instead of him for help, right?"
Jian Yinglai really couldn't refute it.
If he had dared to confess to Huo Shizhen, he wouldn't still be struggling with it. He didn't even dare to test Sikong Tan's thoughts.
Now that we have come to this point, we can no longer retreat.
Jian Yinglai took a deep breath and said:
"How are you going to save me?"
After thinking about it, I changed the wording:
"What do you want me to do?"
Lin Guantang shook his head:
"No, you don't have to do anything, and you don't have to tell me what secrets you know. No matter what you say, once you reveal it to me, if someone asks about the relevant matters, it will be easy to discover your abnormality."
Jian Yinglai smiled bitterly:
"My acting has never been good."
"Your intentions are too obvious."
Lin Guantang said:
"So you just have to do nothing and say nothing, and that's it."
Jian Yinglai pondered for a moment, then realized what he meant:
"I see."
That doesn't just mean that you shouldn't tell Lin Guantang any secrets, it also means -
Even if you have doubts about the changes in the military academy and the imperial capital, keep silent and don't mention it too much.
For example—
The Hexi Duanyuan that was placed in the basement of the military academy has long been moved. Although the old one can still be used, it is only a backup.
The old man ordered him to bring System X into the military academy and replace the system directly from the source. He was genuinely confused and nervous at the time.
After all, he was not sure how big the impact would be if the backup source was replaced.
But then again, he didn't even know where the new source was stored.
Then he had no choice but to do as he was told and replace the old system source.
***
Sheng Fenghua watched them all walk out of the door, sneered, and said meaningfully:
"Uncle and aunt, you are such a well-educated alpha."
The person next to him lowered his head and had nothing to say.
Lin Guantang suddenly spoke:
"Miss Sheng, do you really believe in the afterlife of a free soul? Or do you know that everything is just a lie fabricated to cover up the real purpose, yet you still insist on going forward?"
"It's fate."
Sheng Fenghua laughed, looked at Jian Yinglai's departing figure, then looked at Lin Guantang and said:
"This is my fate. I have nothing to say if I lose to you. But just like you won't give in, I won't change my position. So you don't have to say anything to shake my mind. I am not the same as him."
She and Jian Yinglai have completely different views on their innate destiny.
Jane Yinglai thought it was a sinful shackle, but she also thought it was a responsibility she would have to bear.
For freedom or for inheritance, it is just a matter of choosing different paths.
Lin Guantang also knew that it was impossible to convince her, so he didn't waste any more words.
***
When Shao Qingbai left, his parents couldn't help but stand up to see him off.
He waited until Jian Yinglai, Sheng Fenghua, and Lin Guantang finished their conversation, and seeing that Lin Guantang had already walked to the door, he walked over and asked if he needed any help.
Lin Guantang thought for a moment and said:
"Tonight's mission is incredibly demanding. Perhaps the Central Military Academy has overlooked something. Could the police station cooperate with tonight's mission?"
Then there is absolutely no possibility of being rejected.
Mr. Shao nodded repeatedly, and after a little thought, he gave a rough layout plan.
He looked at him hesitantly, and his wife pushed him, whispering something...
Lin Guantang knew what they were worried about and took the initiative to say:
"Senior is being held captive somewhere outside the city. We've already sent people to track and monitor her. Once our plan is complete, we'll be able to break through and rescue her immediately. I've already sent the action signal, so the rescue should be almost complete by now—"
Before he finished speaking, his terminal received a photo and a video sent by Ding Ruize - all signal sources were cut off, of course excluding his own terminal.
The photo was a group photo of Ding Ruize and Shao Qingzhu, and the video was of Shao Qingzhu reporting that he was safe - he looked much thinner and in a dishevel, but his face was full of relief and excitement for surviving the disaster, which was not fake.
Seeing that he was curious about what he was watching, Lin Guantang simply let him see the content.
Now that this hidden danger had been eliminated, there was nothing to worry about. He immediately left in a hurry with his wife to set up defenses and carry out various coordination tasks.
His departure made the eyes of other nobles who were still in the hall brighten - it turned out that they didn't have to sit there all night!
The message couldn't be clearer - as long as you can provide help to the best of your ability and choose to surrender, you can leave like the people of the Shao family.
Life and death have been decided, victory and defeat have been determined. If you don’t show your loyalty now, when will you?
They all stood up at once, expressed their gratitude, and told him to just ask for any support he wanted.
Lin Guantang simply thanked them for their kindness and asked them to wait in the hall. He would definitely ask for help if they needed it.
Then he walked out of the hall.
Sikong Tan has begun to tell them the detailed distribution of the enemy. Obviously, many people are still confused and don’t know which side Sikong Tan is on... But now it seems that he should be on their side.
After Lin Guantang and Sikong Tan had finished their instructions, he told them where they would go to carry out their missions. Then, he asked them to go to the basement of O Hospital to get their combat uniforms and weapons.
This was something that surprised everyone. No one had expected it to be calculated to this extent.
That’s not the case. Lin Guantang is not that powerful yet.
The combat uniforms and weapons were not prepared for this incident, but were emergency reserves made by the school a long time ago. They have always been just decorations and no one has ever thought about them.
It's even outdated.
But it does not prevent us from wearing some protective clothing first so that we can carry out the mission smoothly.
Of course, this did not prevent these military academy students from lamenting how terrifying he was.
It wasn't just these cadets who received orders - rather, the original mission plan didn't include this step, but rather orders were issued directly to all cadets through the system.
However, the entire O Academy signal is now blocked, and their terminals are ineffective, so they can only communicate face to face.
***
Central Military Academy.
That was something no one expected. Jian Yinglai issued an order to let some of the military academy students go out of the school gate, and then directly closed the gate, allowing no one to enter but not leave.
Later, the cadets realized that the system had been completely replaced overnight.
The good news is that both the forum and the task system have been automatically locked and closed, and no access is allowed.
The bad news is that the enemy knows all of their movements and locations.
And they are not allowed to remove the positioning. Otherwise, if one person's positioning is lost, the life of one of the students outside (inside) the military academy will be in danger.
It’s not that they don’t want to resist, but all the S-class soldiers also lost contact overnight, even Jian Yinglai, the person who issued the order, disappeared.
So even if they wanted to follow the arrangements to break the crisis, there was nothing they could do, so they could only stay put for the time being.
——That is a rule that was left behind long ago:
In case of an accident, unless you are on the verge of death, wait for the opportunity and wait for orders.
After waiting silently for nearly a week, they finally received the order on this hazy moonlit night.
The lights, terminals, and various smart devices all dimmed in an instant. A few minutes later, they restarted one after another and almost at the same time.
The task system and forum section have also been reopened.
Almost at the same time, all the military academy students' terminals received system task push notifications.
【——System updated——】
[The system has the highest authority to issue school-wide tasks. Tonight's joint task is S++, the highest level. Everyone must be present. No one must be absent. It must be carried out unconditionally.]
[Huo Shizhen]'s ID has been deemed invalid. Supreme authority has been transferred from [Huo Shizhen] to the backup ID [Lingchen]. Please follow Lingchen's assignments.]
It was a stunned scene. The person with the highest authority in the system, who was almost assumed to be eternal and unchanging, was changed from Huo Shizhen to Lingchen in front of everyone's gaze.
The author has something to say:
I believe everyone should have a premonition...
Anyway, a preview~the main text will be finished in the next chapter or the next one.
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