“Show some respect, Qing Luan.”
Flower Demon cast a warning glance at Qing Luan before turning back to Chu You with a smile.
“This is Commissioner Chu. The fact that communication for this search and rescue mission has remained stable is entirely thanks to her.”
“We’re all comrades; there’s just a slight disagreement on procedure.”
“Besides, Commissioner Chu is the personal assistant to Director Lin Mo of the Binhai Branch. Speak more politely.”
It would have been better if she hadn’t mentioned Lin Mo.
The moment his name came up, Qing Luan’s eyes turned visibly cold.
She stared straight at Chu You with an unfriendly expression.
“Lin Mo’s personal assistant?”
Qing Luan lowered the Barrett sniper rifle from her shoulder to the ground, bracing the barrel with one hand.
“Heh, a dignified branch commander actually arranged for his mistress to enter the front line through the back door?”
Gu Qiancheng’s face darkened instantly upon hearing those words.
He had originally intended to keep the peace and avoid a direct confrontation with the Night Hunt Team.
After all, Chu You’s identity was sensitive, and they needed to avoid attracting too much attention from the Northern Capital Headquarters.
However, that did not mean he was afraid of the Night Hunt Team members standing before him.
As a seasoned commander of the Northwest Special Action Group within the Sword Bearer organization with many distinguished service medals, Gu Qiancheng was usually easygoing and lacked pretension.
But once his stubborn streak was triggered, he wasn’t someone easily handled.
Qing Luan’s insulting use of the word “mistress” not only tarnished Chu You’s reputation but was also a direct slander of Lin Mo’s character.
This was something Gu Qiancheng could not tolerate.
He took half a step forward, his previously casual stance turning upright.
His eyes, sharp as a hawk’s, locked onto Qing Luan’s disdainful face.
His tone was calm, yet it carried an unquestionable weight of authority.
“Watch your phrasing, Specialist Qing Luan.”
He spoke each word with deliberation.
His voice wasn’t loud, but it reached the ears of everyone present with perfect clarity.
“In the two major joint operations recently conducted by the Sword Bearers in the Binhai region, Commissioner Chu You personally participated in front-line support and performed meritorious service at critical moments… She is no one’s subordinate or accessory. She is a soldier who has proven herself through action and results.”
Gu Qiancheng’s gaze swept over Blacksmith, who stood silent as a mountain, then flicked toward Flower Demon, who still wore a smile though a hint of surprise flashed deep in her eyes.
Finally, his gaze settled on Qing Luan, whose expression had shifted slightly.
“I can interpret your earlier remarks as… a blatant slander of a decorated comrade and a questioning of the character and decisions of the Binhai Branch’s highest commander. Is that correct?”
The moment he finished speaking, the atmosphere plummeted to freezing.
Gu Qiancheng hadn’t become hysterical or flown into a rage.
However, his calm and powerful interrogation had elevated a personal spat to the level of slandering a war hero and questioning a branch commander.
If that label stuck, the nature of the situation changed entirely.
Qing Luan clearly hadn’t expected Gu Qiancheng to counterattack so forcefully.
Moreover, he had seized upon the most fatal flaw in her words the moment he opened his mouth.
“I—I didn’t mean it like that…”
Qing Luan stammered, her momentum instantly weakening.
“Regardless, that guy Lin Mo isn’t anything good.”
The smile on Flower Demon’s face faded slightly.
She gently tugged on Qing Luan’s arm, gesturing for her to stay calm.
She then looked at Gu Qiancheng.
Her tone remained soft, but it lost its previous casualness and gained a touch of solemnity.
“Commander Gu, you’re overstating things. Qing Luan is young, impulsive, and speaks without thinking. She absolutely did not mean to slander a hero. I apologize to Commissioner Chu on her behalf.”
“You don’t need to apologize for me!”
Qing Luan pulled her sleeve away from Flower Demon and took a proactive step forward, tilting her head up to look at Chu You.
“I’m sorry, Commissioner Chu. I didn’t mean to insult you… but regarding Lin Mo, please forgive me for not taking back what I said. He is an absolute bastard and a piece of shit!”
As she spoke, the rims of her eyes turned slightly red.
Qing Luan didn’t know why she couldn’t control her emotions; she was simply feeling the injustice on behalf of her captain.
In the past, that bastard Lin Mo had been like a piece of sticky candy, constantly clinging to their captain’s side.
Many people at headquarters even said he had a crush on her.
Yet, the moment something happened to the captain, Lin Mo had backstabbed her without hesitation.
He had even formulated the plan to trap her and personally served as the commander of the capture operation.
For such a rotten person, mere insults were too light!
Seeing this, Flower Demon sighed softly.
Her initial combination of diplomatic maneuvers had nearly checkmated the opposition, but with Qing Luan’s outburst, both sides had returned to their previous state of confrontation.
However, the silent Blacksmith suddenly spoke at that moment.
His deep voice sounded like grinding stones, dragging the topic back by force.
“Merit and necessary inspection procedures are not in conflict.”
He looked at Gu Qiancheng, his gaze steady and filled with a stubborn sort of purity.
“Commander Gu, I understand how you feel. But because of that, we should ensure our procedures are flawless to avoid any potential hidden dangers. This is being responsible to everyone.”
Blacksmith dragged the conversation back to the original point of contention, maintaining an attitude of official business that allowed for no personal feelings.
He acknowledged that Chu You might have merit, but that was no reason to waive the inspection.
Gu Qiancheng’s brow furrowed.
Just as he was about to continue the argument, he felt a gentle tug on his sleeve.
He turned his head and saw Chu You shaking her head slightly at him.
Chu You took a deep breath, stepped forward, and met Blacksmith’s gaze calmly.
“Captain Blacksmith, if you insist on procedure, fine.”
Her voice regained its composure, carrying an unquestionable resolve.
“But I will also insist on my principles and dignity. I will personally bear all conflicts and consequences arising from this.”
She offered an extremely forceful final solution — don’t think you can use wartime regulations to pressure me.
If you want to search me, we’ll have to fight first.
Blacksmith’s brow furrowed tightly.
The smile on Flower Demon’s face finally vanished completely.
She looked at Chu You, and for the first time, a look of scrutiny and gravity appeared deep in her eyes.
This Chu You was far more difficult and headstrong than she had anticipated.
The deadlock on the field seemed even harder to break.
Bzzzt…
Just then, Jade Cicada’s voice suddenly crackled in the Night Hunt Team members’ earpieces — “This is Jade Cicada. The capture operation failed; the targets have escaped.”
Jade Cicada’s voice came through the communicator with a hint of suppressed panting and obvious frustration.
Flower Demon’s pupils contracted sharply.
She jerked her head to look toward the ruins of the silent high-rise buildings in the distance.
Her lowered voice betrayed her disbelief.
“What happened? You and Mongoose were working together, and you still failed?!”
“A gross error in assessment,” Jade Cicada replied with a tone of exhaustion and helplessness.
“There are two targets, one man and one woman. They are by no means simple Oracles or high-level intelligent aberrants. That female target… I’ve seen her image in the secret archives at headquarters. If I’m not mistaken, she is one of the primary culprits of the Neon Islands Sinking Event—the renegade Divine Servant from the Hanyu Clan, Hanyu Ayane.”
She took a deep breath before stating a terrifying figure.
“Based on the records, Hanyu Ayane is at least… over 500 years old!”
The other end of the communicator fell silent for a moment.
Then, Jade Cicada’s voice became so heavy it was almost thick.
“But the feeling that male target gives me… is even more eerie, or rather, terrifying.”
“He doesn’t have any energy fluctuations — no glow of an Oracle, no stench of pollution, not even a trace of demonic power. But he only used… one strike to heavily injure Mongoose. We didn’t even see how he moved.”
“The strangest thing is…” Jade Cicada paused, her tone filled with confusion.
“After Mongoose was seriously injured, they didn’t take the opportunity to finish him off. Instead… they just left, without a hint of hesitation.”
Hearing this, Flower Demon quickly checked the reactions of the people around her.
After realizing that no one noticed anything unusual, she quickly organized her thoughts and issued orders.
“I understand… Bring Mongoose back first. We’ll discuss the rest when we return to Binhai.”
“Understood,” Jade Cicada replied quickly.
After cutting the communication link, Flower Demon looked up at Blacksmith again.
After giving him a meaningful look, she turned her gaze toward Chu You.
“My apologies, Commissioner Chu.”
She didn’t even wait for Chu You to respond, continuing at a rapid pace, “The identity check will be put on hold for now. Our teammates encountered an accident while executing another urgent mission.”
Before Flower Demon could finish, Chu You suddenly stepped forward and asked anxiously, “Who? What happened?!”
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