Chapter 18
In the suffocating silence, someone tremblingly shouted: "Sniper, sniper—there's a sniper!"
In these brief moments of a few tenths of a second, all the images seemed to be shot in slow motion by the hand of God.
Pollitt and his cronies were frozen in place, with identical dull expressions on their faces, like statues with nothing but substance.
In horror, Zhong Man and Cheng Chi each protected one of the twins and covered the children's eyes with their hands at the same time.
Lin Zhen covered his mouth, bent down and began to retch uncontrollably. Yi Laizhe quickly supported him.
Morris and the alliance soldiers drew their guns and weapons as quickly as possible, and protected Jiang Yun and other diplomats behind the bunker in an orderly manner.
"Level 1 alert—all personnel, get down, sound the alarm, and seal all exits!" Ian commanded calmly, "Send someone to search for the sniper, now, immediately!"
The Royal Guards of Orin rushed to the nearest bunker, while the Imperial soldiers, under Ian's command, dispersed in all directions like a tide - to search for the culprit who was hiding in the dark and gently pulled the trigger.
The shrill sound of sirens tore through the sky.
In the institute's laboratory, researchers in white coats held test tubes, their faces looking at each other in confusion revealed through their masks.
In the messy mining area, the busy miners stopped their work, looked up blankly into the distance, but saw only a sky dyed red by searchlights.
Fear spread like a plague.
On this planet, which is still in its development stage, there are no modern scientific and technological equipment, no high-rise buildings or skyscrapers, but only countless low temporary buildings and endless flat snowfields.
No one knows where the sniper who carried out the mission perfectly is hiding.
But Jiang Yun inexplicably felt that he could sense where he was.
He knows where he is.
Jiang Yun seemed to be able to see him, seeing his slender fingers sliding across the gun body, calmly and smoothly returning the safety to its original position, and removing the shoulder stock.
Then he stood up.
His sight passed through the vast snow curtain and fixed on the interstellar port from top to bottom.
He did not look at the dazzling blood scene he had drawn on the snow, nor did he look at the noisy crowds that were frightened and panicked because of him, nor did he even look at the reconnaissance planes that were rising rapidly in the wind and snow, which was enough to put him at risk of being exposed.
He—he was looking at me.
Jiang Yun hadn't felt his heart beating as violently as it did now for a long time.
The overcrowded crowd, the heart-wrenching roar, the shrill alarm.
In the most extreme chaos, Jiang Yun suddenly turned around and looked in the direction indicated by his heartbeat.
The cloak fluttered in the strong wind, and the running crowd formed blurry shadows behind Jiang Yun. The corner of the mouth of the Alpha who died tragically at his feet was still frozen in the last arrogant arc of his life.
But he seemed to be a step too late.
He saw the falling snowflakes, the sky dyed red by the red light of the alarm, and the imperial flag fluttering in the wind.
Other than that, he had nothing left for him.
"Willikoff?" Polit finally reacted, his pale lips trembling constantly, as if he had aged ten years in an instant: "Willikoff... my child..."
The old Alpha threw away his cane and, ignoring the advice of his confidants, walked tremblingly towards the red and white filth, but because his legs became weak, he knelt down in the snow with a thud.
Polit stretched out his hands in vain towards his son's body, and a heartbreaking cry came out of his mouth: "...Willikoff!"
Ian walked on the snow to Paulette's side, and for the first time stood in a position where he could look down on the prince and the royal power.
The red-haired Alpha didn't choose to support Paulit as he had just done. Instead, he looked down at him and said with a very regretful tone, "Please accept my condolences, Your Highness Paulit. I will definitely find the murderer for you as soon as possible and avenge Your Highness Willykov."
"Murderer... revenge..." Politt's face suddenly twisted in sorrow, as if waking from a dream. "Who did it? Who did it?"
Politt seemed to have thought of something. He looked at Jiang Yun suddenly, his eyes bloodshot as he said, "It's you...it's you who killed my son!"
Pollitt completely lost his mind. His vicious insults were like venom, and his red, frozen fingers pointed at Jiang Yun: "Evil, despicable Alliance diplomats, you killed my son!"
Before he finished speaking, more than a dozen guns from the Alliance were pointed at Pollitt.
Ian's expression changed slightly, and he said to Jiang Yun, "Foreign Minister Jiang, our prince has obviously lost his mind due to excessive grief. I apologize to you on his behalf, and I hope you will forgive me."
Jiang Yun forced himself to regain his composure and calm his gaze. He calmly asked Paulette, "So, you're accusing me of murdering your son, right?"
Pollitt's finger, which was pointing at Jiang Yun, trembled constantly: "You..."
Jiang Yun said calmly, "Think carefully before answering."
"What are you pretending for!" Pollitt said angrily, "It's obviously..."
Ian interrupted Pollitt sharply: "Your Highness!"
Yi Laizhe sneered, "What kind of unreasonable logic is this? The Rescue passed your security check when it entered the Orin border space station, and all the weapons were registered by you one by one. Now, a well-equipped sniper suddenly appears on Orin's territory and shoots Willykoff Lu, who was only a few steps away from Foreign Minister Jiang, in public. And you think we arranged this murder? Then can I also accuse Orin of wanting to assassinate Foreign Minister Jiang, but because of the sniper's mistake, Willykoff was killed by mistake?"
Zhong Man followed up Yi Laizhe's words and launched an attack: "I also ask your country to give us a reasonable explanation: where did that sniper and that sniper rifle come from?"
Cheng Chi's eyes lit up: Oh, this is great, I want to learn it!
"For a major diplomatic occasion like a meeting between two countries, your security measures were so lax," Cheng Chi said, trying to make his tone sound as steady and precise as his predecessors. "Was this an unintentional mistake or an intentional one?"
Under the continuous attacks of several people, Ian the Fool had to admit: "Indeed, this was an oversight on our part."
Paulette was not listening to any of this. He stared at Jiang Yun with eyes that looked a bit like his youngest son's, and kept shouting the same words over and over again: "Kill him—kill that Omega! Give me the gun, I want to kill him!"
"Shut up, Your Highness. Do you know what your actions mean? You publicly threatened to murder a high-ranking official of the Interstellar Alliance—you are declaring war on the Alliance." Ian lowered his voice and issued the most serious warning to a prince: "If this matter gets back to the cabinet and the Lierna Palace, what do you think our Prime Minister and His Majesty the Emperor will think?"
Hearing the words "Lierna Palace" and "His Majesty the Emperor", Polit's shaking body suddenly froze, but the light in his eyes supported by hatred did not disappear.
"It's him, I know it's him." Pollitt kept repeating in a low voice like a curse, "It must be him..."
Ian sighed and raised his hand to signal Pollitt's confidant to help the man down to rest first.
Polit was supported and staggered towards the camp, but his neck was always twisted towards Jiang Yun, and a terrifying dark light seeped out of his turbid eyes.
"It seems our deal today has to come to an end for now, Minister Jiang," Ian said with a sad face, "Everyone, please..."
"That's it?" Jiang Yun interrupted Ian coldly, "Why should it stop here?"
Ian spread his hands and said helplessly: "You have seen the current situation. Such a big thing just happened to Olin..."
"Whatever happens in Orin has nothing to do with us. We have followed the agreement and let Prince Pollitt personally confirm Wycliffe's safety in the Alliance. Now it is time for you to fulfill the agreement." Jiang Yun's tone was strong and cold, leaving Ian no room for rebuttal. "I want to see Colonel Lu's body now. Please lead the way."
Ian had to ignore the flashing of his communicator and continued to apologize to Jiang Yun: "I'm sorry, I can't be responsible for the handover of the body right now."
"Unable to take responsibility?" Jiang Yun smiled. "With Willykov dead and Polit unconscious, who else can make the decision on Ice Wasteland Planet besides you? Your Excellency, the Minister of Foreign Affairs?"
"For example..." Ian finally looked at his communicator and showed Jiang Yun a communication command that read "Prime Minister of Mountain City": "Our Prime Minister?"
Jiang Yun's dark eyes narrowed slightly.
In front of all the alliance officials, Ian directly presented the order of Prime Minister Olin Yamashiro Hiroshi: Please ensure the personal safety of diplomat Jiang Yun before the sniper is caught.
Cheng Chi was a little puzzled when he saw Shancheng Bo's order, and thought to himself, does that old Prime Minister Olin actually care so much about our Foreign Minister?
But an experienced diplomat like Yi Laizhe could see the hidden meaning of Yamashiro Hiroshi at a glance.
A brilliant sniper has not yet been apprehended, and in the chaotic situation, the possibility of the sniper striking again cannot be ruled out.
Normally, high-ranking officials would suspend all activities and immediately retreat to a safe area after an assassination attempt. Foreign Minister Jiang, however, disregarded her own safety and insisted on seeing her husband's body immediately. Does this mean that Foreign Minister Jiang can confirm that the sniper will not harm anyone in your alliance?
Ian put away the communicator and said, "You and your team have come a long way. It is the responsibility of the Orin side to ensure your safety on the Ice Wasteland Planet. The sniper could strike again at any time. If anything were to happen to you, wouldn't those Alphas in the Alliance who adore you be ready to eat me alive?"
Jiang Yun was silent for a moment, then gave an ultimatum: "You have one night."
After saying that, Jiang Yun turned and walked towards the Rescue.
Ian seemed relieved and said behind Jiang Yun, "Thank you for your understanding. Please do not leave the Rescue without permission, as this will interfere with our search for the sniper. The Empire will also provide your alliance with the most comprehensive security services."
Jiang Yun paused, turned his back to Ian and said, "Your performance today is surprising, Ian the Fool. I must admit that my previous evaluation of you may have been biased."
The red-haired Alpha lowered his head slightly, his expression hidden in the invisible shadows: "I would like to hear the details."
"Ian Tang actually cares about three things. Money, energy, and—" Jiang Yun gave Alpha a faint glance back, "his dignity."
Everyone returned to the Rescue. Most of them had not yet recovered from the assassination. They were still in shock but also a little excited.
Although the situation is still unclear, it is so cool to see the perverted Alpha being shot in the head!
Yi Laizhe whispered to Jiang Yun: "Foreign Minister, Olin obviously still wants to delay time."
With Willy Koff dead, this deal was meaningless to Olin. Every day they had Lu Huai's body was another bargaining chip they had.
"I know." Jiang Yun untied his spotless cloak and casually handed it to Cheng Chi beside him: "But no matter what, I must see Colonel Lu's body tomorrow."
Yi Laizhe asked: "What are your plans?"
"Connect Miyazawa," Jiang Yun said, "I want to submit an urgent proposal to Congress."
——
The planet rotates away from the star, and night falls.
The red light representing the warning was still on, and vague alarms could be heard from the distance from time to time, like the sobs of an old man, constantly striking in everyone's heart.
In the public lounge on the third floor of the Rescue, the accompanying doctor Renee had just conducted a comprehensive examination on Lin Zhen.
"Don't worry, Dr. Lin, you and the baby are fine." Leni told Lin Zhen with a smile, "I even doubt that you were frightened at all. The dry heaves were just morning sickness caused by nausea."
Lin Zhen touched his belly in surprise: "Is this actually the case..."
On the sofa at the other end, Zhong Man handed each of the twins a cup of hot milk: "Are you two okay?"
Jiang Mu smiled and nodded: "Not bad."
"No, I'm not okay at all!" Lu Chao said indignantly, "Why didn't you let me see how that pervert died? You all saw it, but I was the only one who didn't see it!"
Jiang Mu said coldly: "Please be careful with your words, classmate Lu Chao, I am not a human being?"
Cheng Chi followed Jiang Mu and said, "Please be aware of your identity, Lu Chao. You are still a minor. You cannot watch scenes that are not suitable for children."
In front of the floor-to-ceiling windows of the conference room, Morris and Jiang Yun were unifying their reports on Wycliffe's death to the Presidential Palace.
"Where did you find such a talented sniper?" Morris asked Jiang Yun with great curiosity. "I thought your plan was still the same as before - wait for Olin to make the first move, and then we will take the initiative."
It has to be said that the plan Jiang Yun finally implemented was even more brilliant than the one he had planned before.
Wycliffe died on Olin's own territory. Not only could Olin not hold the alliance accountable, but he had to bow and apologize to them for his negligence in security.
Morris believed that Jiang Yun must have considered this plan before, but Jiang Yun could not find a sniper who was lurking on the Ice Star and could guarantee that he would not miss, so he had to find other ways.
How did Jiang Yun find it again later?
Through the floor-to-ceiling windows, Jiang Yun looked at the five Olin warships docked around the Rescue.
Although Olin is short of energy, the Olin military always has priority in energy distribution.
The five warships were like five pairs of eyes of giant beasts that could block out the sun and sky. Countless signal devices and searchlights formed their cold pupils, watching every move of the Rescue at all times.
Ian's seemingly polite request was just a warning to them to stay on the Rescue and not run around.
From the moment they set foot on Olin's territory, the alliance was destined to be at an apparent disadvantage in someone else's territory, and even Jiang Yun could not completely avoid this.
Although everyone knew that the Orin side would not dare to do anything blatantly against the Alliance Foreign Affairs Corps - that would be tantamount to seeking death - the deterrent effect brought by the Orin warships and troops should not be underestimated.
Anyone entering or leaving the Rescue during this special alert period would be immediately exposed to the sight of the Orin side.
"Lieutenant Colonel Morris," Jiang Yun said slowly, but his answer was irrelevant to the question: "Excuse me, under the circumstances at that time, under such poor visual conditions, and with the Olin army on the most stringent alert, to accurately and accurately kill Wycliffe with a single strike...what exactly does that mean?"
"You don't know?" Morris was a little surprised. "Hasn't Lu Huai talked to you about this before?"
Jiang Yun glanced at Morris and said, "Of course not. As everyone knows, we don't chat at night."
Morris was a little surprised why Jiang Yun emphasized the second half of the sentence, but his mind was full of the sniper who amazed him, and he didn't think about it too much.
"This shot was..." Morris paused. He wanted to explain it to Jiang Yun from various professional perspectives, but when the words came to his lips, they turned into two words: "Dazzling."
Jiang Yun's expression changed slightly.
"What's his name? Is he from the military?" Morris' tone couldn't help but be filled with longing and yearning. "Do I know him?"
Jiang Yun turned around and looked directly at Morris: "What if I tell you that my plan has never changed."
Morris's expression suddenly changed: "What do you mean...?"
"I didn't arrange that sniper." Jiang Yun said, "He's not my man."
Morris gasped, as if he had just heard a horror story: "Whose is he?"
Jiang Yun told the truth: "I'm not completely sure yet."
"'Not entirely sure'?" Morris's expression was extremely heavy, and a chill ran down his spine, as if he were being stared at by a monster hiding in the shadows. "Jiang Yun, you must tell me, how much do you know about this sniper? Is he a member of the Alliance? This is crucial to our situation on Ice Wasteland Planet."
"You want an answer? Sure." Jiang Yun said crisply, "Next, please don't interrupt me before I finish."
Once Foreign Minister Jiang begins a long and sustained speech, he does not allow others to interrupt him. This is his habit.
Morris couldn't help but stand at attention: "Yes."
"Based on my preliminary assessment, there are three possible identities for the sniper who shot Wycliffe in the head."
"The first possibility is that he is Ian Tang's man."
"I'm sure you can tell that the Fool is not as docile and respectful to the Pollitts as he appears to be."
"Politt has repeatedly denounced, insulted, and personally attacked Ian Tang. He also replaced Ian Tang as the most influential Olin official on the Ice Wasteland Planet."
"Once Wycliffe dies, Pollitt will definitely lose interest in government affairs. Ian Tang is likely to be reused by Yamashiro Bo."
"Ian Tang had the motive to attack Wycliffe."
"But based on my understanding of Ian, I believe that Ian, who advocates solving problems through conspiracy, would not choose to use a simple yet effective murder method like sniping."
"So, the possibility is only about 30 percent."
"The second possibility is the Intelligence Bureau and the puppet."
Jiang Yun retrieved the encrypted file from his personal brain computer and checked some of the puppet's files for the second time.
At his request, Agatha has unlocked all permissions for him.
File status: Fully activated
Codename: Puppet
Gender: Male Alpha
Age: 28
Educational background: Ovett Military Academy, [Special Enrollment]
Current rank: Major
Affiliation: Intelligence Bureau, Division 6
Security Level: Top Secret
Skill Assessment: Long-Range Shooting [Excellent], Ballistic Calculation [Excellent], Network Infiltration [Excellent], Stealth Escape [Excellent], Demolition Techniques [Excellent]
Current status: Lost contact
Last reported location: Planet Belloc, Orin Imperial Capital
Risk of rebellion: Very low
Supervisor: Agatha May
…
"The puppet is lurking in the logistics team of the Olin military and is currently out of contact with the Intelligence Bureau."
"Perhaps he learned of the CIA's assassination plan against Wycliffe from some source I'm currently unaware of, and chose to carry out the plan today for some reason."
"As far as I know, the puppet himself is also an extremely good sniper."
"The sniper who killed Wickliffe was a puppet—that's a 69 percent chance, the highest probability."
At this point, Jiang Yun paused, his dark eyes looking out the window again, as if he was staring at someone through the snow and the night: "...The last one percent."
Morris was waiting for Jiang Yun's third possibility, but Jiang Yun seemed to be thinking about other things and did not continue.
Morris couldn't help but ask, "What's that one percent?"
Perhaps he felt that 1% was too insignificant to be worth mentioning. This time, Jiang Yun did not give Morris an answer.
Jiang Yun's eyelashes drooped, and his eyes were deep and dark, as if he was completely immersed in his own thoughts.
No one knows what he is thinking now.
Morris looked at Jiang Yun's quiet profile, his eyes gradually losing focus.
——
The Olin military's search for the sniper continued all night.
Paulette Lu's condition was so poor that he had to rely on tranquilizers to maintain his condition. Naturally, Ian was once again entrusted by Shancheng Bo to take on the important task of commanding all matters on the Ice Wasteland Planet.
Alphas always have surprisingly good energy.
Foreign Minister Olin, who had been busy all night, did not show any signs of fatigue on his face, and his steps as he walked into the Rescue were even light and cheerful.
Compared with his state at the border space station a few days ago, it is no exaggeration to say that Red-haired Ian is now reborn.
Ian followed Cheng Chi and Zhong Man and met Jiang Yun who was in an online meeting in the conference room.
The red-haired Alpha was initially confused as to why Jiang Yun invited him in during a meeting. But when he saw the Alpha wearing gold-rimmed glasses in the holographic image, he understood everything.
"...Although the process was somewhat difficult, Foreign Minister Jiang's request has been approved." Miyazawa told Jiang Yun in his usual gentle tone, and at the same time told Ian: "Half an hour ago, three S-class CY6 battleships took off from the capital's military port and will arrive in the common star field of Olin and the Alliance in half a day to conduct 'military exercises'..."
Ian couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Prime Minister Shancheng asked him to delay as long as possible. Although he knew he couldn't delay for long, he didn't expect Jiang Yun to be more powerful than he expected.
Jiang Yun's power in the alliance has long surpassed his position itself.
This may not be a good thing for an extremely beautiful Omega.
Jiang Yun nodded: "I understand."
Gong Ze wanted to say something else to Jiang Yun, but Jiang Yun said, "I have a guest, please excuse me."
Miyazawa paused and said with a smile, "Okay, then be careful on Ice Desolate Planet..."
Jiang Yun unilaterally hung up the video call, sat in the large leather office chair, folded his hands on the desk, and told Ian with raised eyes: Speak.
Ian smiled warmly, "The weather on Ice Wasteland Planet is nice today. It's rare that it's not snowing. Minister Jiang, would you like to go out for a walk with me?"
Jiang Yun raised his eyebrows lightly.
Ian smiled and said, "For example, go to the research institute to see your late husband who passed away young."
Jiang Yun finally spoke to Ian for the first time today: "Did you find the sniper?"
"Not yet," Ian said sincerely, "but as you said, no matter what happened to Olin, the agreement between the two parties has already been signed, and now it's time for us to fulfill the agreement."
Jiang Yun leaned back in his chair and said calmly, "You cooperate with my work more than I thought."
"Ah, that's probably because..." Ian bent down beside Jiang Yun and said in a voice that only he and Jiang Yun could hear: "You gave me a big gift, so I should give you a big gift in return, right?"
Jiang Yun's heart moved slightly.
From this point of view, the 30% possibility can be ruled out.
"I don't quite understand what you mean." Jiang Yun turned aside, avoiding Ian's long hair that fell in front of his eyes, to prevent it from touching him: "What do you mean by the great gift?"
Ian smiled, straightened up, and said meaningfully, "It's a great gift for you to let me stay in the same room with a beauty like you."
Jiang Yun chuckled lightly, stood up and walked towards the door: "There are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests - power is indeed the best nourishment for you Alphas, Sir Ian."
"You're joking." Ian strode after him, opened the door of the conference room sideways, and his red eyes flickered towards Jiang Yun's face: "Power is also the best tonic for a beautiful and intelligent Omega like you."
As Ian said, it was rare that there was no snow on the Ice Wasteland Planet today.
The light of the stars shines on the ice layer that has existed for billions of years, and the scattered layers of color create a wonderful rainbow-like light and shadow.
All members of the Rescue have already prepared for today.
The black, stretched limousine drove steadily toward the research institute. The sixteen-star Alliance flag on the hull fluttered in the wind like an awakened flame.
Lu Chao and Jiang Mu were wearing identical black suits and sitting on either side of the third row of windows.
Jiang Mu held a bunch of pink roses in his arms, while Lu Chao held a mecha model that he bought with his meager pocket money. After his brother's almost crazy persuasion, Lu Chao finally gave up the idea of using his math test paper as a gift for his father.
Along the way, everyone remained silent tacitly, and the atmosphere was solemn and silent.
Lu Chao felt that he might need to say something to liven up the atmosphere.
Although he had never met his colonel father, he always felt that his father would not want to see the scene of the three of them going to pick him up home with miserable faces.
But even he, who loves to talk so much, seems to be speechless now.
His Alpha father?
Lu Chao looked down at the mecha model he had assembled by himself, feeling an indescribable complex feeling in his heart.
There was something he had never told his father. In fact, he sometimes thought that it would be great if his father was as interested in mechas as he was.
Although his father would accompany him to do things that interested him as long as he asked, he also didn't want his father to feel bored when he was with him.
The boy shook his head to himself, driving the imagined scene out of his mind, and looked at his father sitting in the front row.
Jiang Yun was resting with his eyes closed, his arms folded but empty, and there didn't seem to be anything in the pockets of his suit.
My dad is still angry with my father, Lu Chao thought. In the end, he didn't prepare any reunion gift for his Alpha.
The special car stopped in front of the institute's gate.
Lu Chao came to his senses and was the first to get off the car as usual, and then went to help his father and brother get off the car.
Jiang Yun stretched out his gloved left hand and handed it to Lu Chao, then used a little leverage to get his body out of the special car.
"...Hmm?" Lu Chao felt some thin, ring-shaped bumps on Jiang Yun's fingertips and asked curiously, "Dad, are you wearing something on your finger?"
Jiang Yun didn't answer and walked straight towards the gate of the institute.
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