Chapter 897 - 384: Transformation Ritual
Connor’s revenge came swiftly. Just two days later, an article about the major malaria outbreak appeared in the Bright Lamp Report.
The extraordinary influence backing him provided plenty of intelligence. The material for this report had no involvement from the Secret Magic Knight Order, yet the evidence chain was particularly robust.
Wu Chang and Raventon were sitting in the Secret Security Department, flipping through the morning edition of the Bright Lamp Report.
The front-page headline in the Bright Lamp Report was a tracing report about the spread of the major malaria outbreak.
According to the investigation by Bright Lamp Report’s journalists, this outbreak is not a simple infectious disease but a premeditated arrangement.
The main culprit behind this malaria’s generation and spread is named Hall Pharmaceutical Company. Coincidentally, the most famous medicine from this pharmaceutical company is antimalarial drugs.
In Stilan’s colonies worldwide, whenever malaria breaks out, over 60% of the antimalarial drugs are produced by Hall Company.
Through a long-term undercover investigation by Bright Lamp Report’s journalists, they discovered Hall Company has been adding a special ingredient to the wastewater they discharge, causing the wastewater, even after entering the Hills River, to continue releasing a peculiar miasma.
This miasma is the source of the major malaria outbreak.
Hall Company’s actions suspect them of screening a special malaria strain that has a smaller mortality rate but wider spread, longer duration, and causes higher suffering.
They plan to artificially spread this malaria to other Stilan colonies, and then sell antimalarial drugs to these colonies, thereby securing profits.
The Bright Lamp Report has reported this matter to the Police Hall, and the Police Hall has currently sealed Hall Company for further investigation.
If one only looks at the initial report, it doesn’t differ much from previous exposés published by Bright Lamp Report.
But the difference in this malaria outbreak report lies in Connor’s deep investigation into Hall Company.
Hall Company’s actions towards Grimland weren’t beneficial to the public or at least can be said to be universally hated.
Such level of wrongdoing from a mere pharmaceutical company, even if given ten times courage, wouldn’t be possible.
Thus, the Bright Lamp Report’s journalists followed the clues to discover that Hall Company was part of an organization called the Industrialist Association.
Previously, the Sloan Textile Factory used drugs to control textile workers, causing them to die from overwork. Sloan, the owner of the factory, is also a member of the Industrialist Association.
The actions of Hall Company and Sloan Textile Factory are not considered unusual within the Industrialist Association.
Among all the malicious cases occurring in factories throughout Stilan, more than half are associated with the Industrialist Association.
They can be so reckless because the vice president of the Industrialist Association is part of the Conservative Party’s industrial reform faction.
This vice president is also a staunch supporter of Chief Justice Gascogne and was previously intimate with Gascogne at a banquet held by him.
Though the Bright Lamp Report doesn’t explicitly state it, the entire series of reports leaves people with the impression.
That in the industrial issue, the Conservative Party and the Liberal Party are cut from the same cloth, just belonging to different camps.
And even if regulatory power for the industry is genuinely established, it should never be in the hands of the Conservative Party.
The Industrialist Association backed by the Conservative Party has already reached such levels even before being publicized. If supported by regulatory power, they would indeed become utterly lawless.
Coincidentally, the day before Connor’s report was published, Randy was persuaded by Wu Chang to announce through the Hills Newspaper his intention to run for the next Prime Minister.
After the new issue of Bright Lamp Report was released, within just half a day, it directly exploded a prosperous base of the Conservative Party.
Having orchestrated all of this, Connor should, in theory, receive the most furious retaliation from the Conservative Party, yet he is not worried at all now.
Because Connor is currently sitting in the Secret Security Department, right across from Wu Chang and Raventon with an open confession attitude, allowing them to ask any questions.
Wu Chang put down the Bright Lamp Report and exchanged glances with Raventon. They wanted to ask so many things that for a moment they didn’t know where to start.
Wu Chang harbors no doubts about the authenticity of the report and whether Hall Company is indeed the culprit.
Because just last night, he received news from Julie requesting assistance and, together with Julie’s secret police and the Liberal Party-controlled Police Hall, surrounded Hall Company.
Due to the extensive involvement, the Alchemy Association and Clock Tower Magic Association also joined the action.
It’s not exaggerated to say that last night half the players completed their second main quest by storming Hall Company.
Also, because the new Extraordinary Steam Engine was acquired by players, Grimland’s steam rules further intensified.
For most Transcendents, especially native Plane Transcendents, Grimland has become the "Forbidden Demon Realm," and they can no longer use A-Level Skills.
However, during last night’s action, he thought it was players under Julie who discovered a setup by the Steam Council or Peace Church, but it was only after seeing today’s Bright Lamp Report that he realized it was Connor’s handiwork.
He was even more surprised that Connor arrived at the Secret Security Department early this morning and proactively confessed.
Wu Chang sighed and asked the question he was most concerned about first.
"Mr. Connor, since you’ve found me now, have you prepared to tell us which side your Transcendent backing belongs to?"