Chapter 670: Base
Xu Wuyi was silent for a few seconds before saying, "Yes."
Fang Xiaoxiao took a deep breath, a smile appearing on her face.
But she quickly thought of another problem. "However, Li Mingyuan is a Quasi-Grandmaster, the deputy director of the Celestial Swallow Battle Group, and a member of the Li Family. Even if we have evidence, what can we really do to him?"
Xu Wuyi didn’t answer immediately. He looked at the distant skyline, watching the last touch of dark red vanish below the horizon as night slowly descended upon the city. After a long while, he spoke, "No matter who he is, if he breaks the law, he must pay the price."
His voice was soft but carried an unquestionable certainty.
Looking at him, Fang Xiaoxiao suddenly felt that this masked man was even harder to read than before. It wasn’t that he was ignorant of Li Mingyuan’s identity or the difficulty of the situation. Yet, he still went through with it—and did so without a moment’s hesitation. Was it because he had enough confidence to back it up, or was he truly just that pure-hearted? She didn’t know the answer. But she suddenly felt a wave of relief, glad that she was his teammate rather than his enemy.
The convoy drove out of the villa district, disappearing into the night.
In a distant high-rise, a figure stood by the window, watching the cars drive further away. He lowered his binoculars, picked up his personal terminal, and dialed a number.
A few seconds later, the call connected. The man’s voice was low. "Director Li, the Inspection Department took something from Wang Haidong’s villa. Judging by Wang Haidong’s reaction, they likely got their hands on something compromising."
There was a long silence on the other end of the line, followed by a soft sigh. "Understood."
The call ended.
The man put away his terminal, turned around, and faded into the darkness.
Night had fallen in the provincial capital of Celestial Swallow Province, at the Celestial Swallow Battle Group’s headquarters.
Li Mingyuan stood before the floor-to-ceiling window in his office, looking out at the brightly lit Training Ground. Many warriors were still undergoing extra practice; the howling of their punches and their battle cries echoed through the air.
His personal terminal lay on the desk, its screen still glowing with the message he had just received: the Inspection Department had taken something from Wang Haidong’s villa.
Li Mingyuan didn’t turn around; he simply stared out the window in silence. His back appeared calm, but if anyone had stepped closer, they would have seen his hands clasped behind him, his knuckles white from gripping so tightly.
Wang Haidong, that idiot. He had reminded the man long ago that all transactions needed to be routed through secret accounts and that all records must be destroyed. But Wang Haidong wouldn’t listen, insisting on keeping a trump card. And now, that trump card had fallen into the hands of the Inspection Department.
Li Mingyuan closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and slowly exhaled.
He didn’t regret cooperating with Wang Haidong; if it hadn’t been him, it would have been Li Haidong or Zhang Haidong. The man was just one of his many channels. Over the years, the military-grade materials and High-Energy Weapons smuggled out of the Celestial Swallow Battle Group had brought him a massive fortune. Part of that wealth was used to grease the wheels of his connections, part to cultivate his trusted subordinates, and the rest sat in his secret account, waiting for the day it would be put to major use. He only regretted that he hadn’t eliminated Wang Haidong on the very first day things went south.
Now, it was too late to say anything.
Li Mingyuan opened his eyes, turned back to his desk, and picked up his terminal to dial a number.
A few seconds later, the call connected.
"Old Li, calling so late?" a gruff voice answered, tinged with teasing. "What, got your eye on another project?"
Ignoring the joke, Li Mingyuan said gravely, "Old Zhou, do me a favor. Wipe the accounts of the companies under my name clean. Destroy what needs to be destroyed, and transfer what needs to be transferred. Be quick about it. Ideally, get it done tonight."
There was a brief pause before the gruff voice turned serious. "What happened?"
"The Inspection Department is investigating me," Li Mingyuan replied. "They got Wang Haidong’s ledger, which probably contains records of my dealings with him."
"Wang Haidong? The smuggler? How did you get involved with him?"
"Now isn’t the time for explanations," Li Mingyuan interrupted. "Just help me scrub everything clean, the sooner the better. Also, those funds I had you handle previously were routed through a secret account. I still have the key to that account, so they won’t be able to trace it."
"Alright, I’ll get to it right away," Old Zhou agreed. He paused before asking, "Old Li, are you confident you can handle the Inspection Department?"
Li Mingyuan was silent for a few seconds before answering. "I am. I’m heading back to headquarters right now, and I won’t be going anywhere else for the time being. I’ll stay put within the Battle Group. No matter how bold the Inspection Department gets, they wouldn’t dare storm the base to arrest someone."
"That’s good. Be careful."
The call disconnected.
Li Mingyuan put away his terminal, walked over to the coat rack, and took down his jacket. After putting it on, he picked up a small metal box from his desk. It was just the right size to fit in his palm, and inside lay the key to his secret account.
No matter how detailed Wang Haidong’s ledger was, it could be dismissed as a forgery. It had to match Li Mingyuan’s own accounts to be considered hard evidence. As long as this item remained in his possession, the Inspection Department couldn’t touch him. He stuffed the metal box into his inner pocket and strode out of the office.
The Celestial Swallow Battle Group’s headquarters covered a vast area, divided into inner and outer sectors. The outer sector served as the training and living quarters for ordinary warriors, while the inner sector was the stronghold for the Battle Group’s upper echelon. It was heavily guarded and entirely inaccessible to regular people.
As deputy director, Li Mingyuan had his own independent courtyard in the inner sector. However, he didn’t return to it tonight; instead, he headed straight for the three-story building in the center of the base. It was the meeting place for the Battle Group’s Quasi-Grandmasters, and the safest location in the entire headquarters.
Two on-duty warriors stood at the entrance. Upon seeing Li Mingyuan approach, they immediately snapped to attention and saluted. Li Mingyuan nodded and walked straight into the building.
The lights were still on in the first-floor lobby. A white-haired elder sat on a sofa, reading a document in his hands. Hearing footsteps, he looked up, and his brow furrowed slightly when he saw Li Mingyuan.
"Mingyuan, what brings you here so late?"
This elder was Zhou Tieshan, the head instructor of the Celestial Swallow Battle Group and a level-forty-eight Quasi-Grandmaster. He held the most seniority and prestige within the Battle Group. His relationship with Li Mingyuan was strictly average, but they had no bad blood and would usually nod in greeting when their paths crossed.
Li Mingyuan walked up to him and said gravely, "Mr. Zhou, something has come up. I’d like to stay here for a few days."
Zhou Tieshan put down the document and looked at him. "What could be so serious that you don’t even dare stay in your own courtyard?"
Li Mingyuan was silent for a few seconds before answering. "The Inspection Department is investigating me, and they’ve gotten their hands on a few things. I’m going to lie low for a few days until this blows over."