Chapter 556 - 358: Conscience Not Yet Extinguished (Part 2)
"Acting all fake, where were you when the beasts came? Where were you when everyone was fighting desperately on the front lines? Now that so many people have died, you come running out to play the hero? Bah! Get lost!!!"
Although the border people didn’t dare to curse directly like Dongdong, their eyes showed the same hatred.
The renowned Anti-Violence Fourth Section, how intimidating they are when killing people, every time they act, it’s a scene of carnage, the border people they kill could circle the Rusted Wall several times.
Especially the elite Alpha Squad, reputed as "unmatched below the giant heads" in New Moon City, each individual with the power comparable to an army.
But when disaster struck, where were they?
If the Alpha Squad had entered the Northern Border District battlefield in time, with their strength, it might have been possible to collaborate with the wolf attack and mercenaries to control the situation, slaying all beasts charging out of the passage and securing ample time for the rear to evacuate.
Even if they didn’t go all out, they could have at least contributed a bit elsewhere.
Even just coming over to clock in for duty, firing a few random shots, would count as doing their surface work.
But what actually happened? They didn’t even pretend to help; they ran straight to the no-danger-at-all Inner City Airport to serve the nobles, moving furniture, walking dogs, and taking care of cats, not even glancing at the border.
Now that it’s all over, Gordon sacrificed himself for the border, and they come to offer flowers for the send-off?
Sorry, the border people might be considered inferior, but they will never accept this insulting "viewing."
Without any verbal exchange, and not knowing who moved first, the surrounding border people stood out one by one, grouping into threes and fives to form a human wall before the Alpha Team Members, refusing these aristocratic lapdogs’ eyes from defiling the already departed king.
Dongdong beat Ivan vigorously, pushing him and the Alpha Team Members back, shouting with reddened eyes, "Get out! You lapdogs have no right to be here! Get out! Get out!!!"
As Dongdong continued to beat and curse, an astonishing event occurred.
Ivan, the strongest force of New Moon City’s Public Security Bureau, renowned captain of the Anti-Violence Fourth Section, knelt directly on the ground before everyone’s eyes.
His forehead heavily pressed against the muddy ground, his fists clenched tightly, water droplets continuously dripped down his cheeks, whether rain or something else.
Ivan’s lips trembled, regret and sorrow made it hard for him to speak, only his chest heaving continuously, each breath seeming to carry the weight of a thousand pounds.
Finally, he choked up, almost grinding his teeth to spit out the words:
"The authorities... have let you down..."
Meanwhile, behind Ivan, all 24 Alpha Team Members knelt down on the muddy street, their well-trained bodies unable to stand straight anymore.
They hung their heads, eyes empty and void, left only with confusion after faith was shaken and an irreparable sense of guilt.
Dongdong was momentarily stunned, the anger causing her to lose rational judgment, clenching her fist ready to hit.
Her wrist was seized by someone just as the fist swung halfway.
Su Mo steadily grasped Dongdong’s hand, shook his head at her, and said softly, "They are not the decision-makers. How things should have been done was not something they could decide."
Dongdong ground her teeth, looked fiercely at Ivan and the others kneeling, withdrew her hand, silently wiped away tears, took the portrait of Gordon, and continued to move forward.
The funeral procession resumed its journey, people slowly passed by these kneeling government soldiers, some glaring at them angrily like Dongdong, others just shaking their heads in helplessness.
While Ivan was kneeling in remorse, he suddenly felt someone come before him, a magnetic deep voice sounded: "Stand up."
Ivan instinctively lifted his head to see Fenrir’s towering figure standing in front, his dark purple eyes gazing at Ivan through the rain curtain.
"Stand up, you are a warrior, don’t let anything break your spine."
Something inside Ivan seemed hit, he stayed silent for a long time, the disoriented eyes slowly regaining focus.
He wiped his tears and stood up again, deeply looking toward the direction where Fenrir and others had left.
In those eyes, something never seen before was added.
...
With the beasts being eliminated and suppressed, the originally chaotic situation was brought under control, and the order of New Moon City began to gradually restore.
Yet even though the crisis has passed, the impact it caused is becoming increasingly intense.
After all, during the entire crisis handling process, the New Moon City authorities’ heaven-defying operations came one after another.
Starting from the initial extraction of public security forces to assist major enterprises in fleeing, abandoning the city entirely.
To later ordering the shooting of border refugees, not a single beast had been killed yet, but they first killed a thousand of their citizens.
Millions of living people were blocked outside the Rusted Wall, anytime potentially slaughtered by beasts, finally having to rely on some conscientious officials to pave the way with their bodies, blocking the gunfire, barely getting the refugees safely inside.
Any one of these matters alone could incite a public opinion crisis, and now all kinds of heaven-defying ordeals were done by the New Moon City authorities, whose resulting public opinion frenzy cannot be suppressed.
Playing dead no longer works; the City Council must hold a press conference to offer a unified response to the previous events.
At the Municipal Center District press conference site, City Council President Amir personally attended, standing on stage being questioned by reporters.
It’s unmistakable, politicians are not average people; they must have thick enough skin.
The previous chaos under New Moon City’s administration, nearly all related to Amir, yet now he is impeccably dressed, smiling calmly, looking unaware of the role he played as a mighty hero turning the tide.
A reporter is presently holding a booklet asking, "Mr. President, regarding the beast attack affecting New Moon City some time ago, has the cause been identified?"
Amir slowly replied, "About the cause of the beasts, there’s currently no definitive conclusion. According to experts’ speculation, it might be some unpredictable geomagnetic field changes causing this unprecedented event."
The reporter urgently asked, "Does this mean we currently cannot guarantee such situations won’t happen again? Is there a huge security risk involved?"
Amir pressed his hands reassuringly, "There’s no need to worry about this at all. Based on the information I received, the previous management at the Celestial Gate Patrol Station, including Commander Xie Zongchang, has been entirely replaced with reliable personnel. The reconstruction work at the Patrol Station is proceeding orderly, to be completed within the month."
"The defense at other Patrol Stations throughout the World Government Territory has been significantly reinforced, the garrison size has increased to over five times the original, equipped with specially designed enemy warning systems against beasts. Even if a second attack occurs, it will absolutely not be like New Moon City."
Another reporter raised a hand, got permission, and loudly asked, "We are all currently concerned about one piece of information; the City Council stated that Public Security Bureau Director Sikinkov was suspended yesterday."
"We want to know the reason behind this, why has such a heroic director who gave his life at a critical moment been suspended?"
Amir’s face became stern, saying seriously, "The reason is simple: Sikinkov disregarded the law, initially using his position to break into the Rusted Wall Defense Command Center, arbitrarily shutting down the Rust Wall M6 District’s operating system, nearly causing a city-wide disaster."
"He later abandoned his duties and privately went to the border, taking personal threats against the M6 District commander, and under unlicensed circumstances, incited border refugees to illegally break into the Inner City, causing severe disruption to order."
"Such self-promoting fame-seekers affecting disaster resistance for personal gain will not be tolerated by the City Council!"
"We have already suspended all his duties according to the law; as for future handling, we have requested a court consultation and will receive a response shortly."