Chapter 179: District Six
The thirty-one personnel files now lying before Yu Lanfeng and Nan Yu were the individuals the local base had personally investigated and confirmed as suspicious.
However, after comparing the records with Yu Lanfeng's database and the Empire's highest-level classified archives, they discovered that the number of people whose identities had been completely fabricated far exceeded thirty-one.
Not to mention those whose records contained partial discrepancies, altered information, or files that had been modified by half or more.
In total...
There were 19,631 suspicious personnel.
How many of them had been infiltrated by the organization?
How many belonged to organizations outside the Empire?
And how many had been planted by other factions within the Empire itself?
None of that had been sorted out yet.
The only thing they could say with certainty was that among those nearly twenty thousand suspicious identities, the person holding the highest position had to belong to the organization.
To conceal himself, he had deliberately continued recruiting people whose identities were obviously questionable.
On the surface, it looked careless.
In reality, it was the perfect smokescreen.
If anything went wrong, there would be countless scapegoats.
And since every one of those scapegoats truly had questionable identities, even if they denied everything after being arrested, the evidence would still point toward them.
They would be treated as the masterminds.
Meanwhile, the real members of the organization could continue operating safely without attracting suspicion.
Although allowing so many infiltrators into the military base inevitably caused chaos and leaked countless military secrets, the organization clearly didn't care.
Even if the entire base became nothing more than a sieve, it made no difference to them.
Yu Lanfeng carefully reviewed all thirty-one files.
In the end, he discovered that every one of those individuals appeared to have been sent either by other Imperial legions or by the organization itself.
Nan Yu exchanged a glance with him.
Yu Lanfeng looked toward the base commander.
"You may leave."
"Handle the attack on the soldiers immediately."
"Those who need treatment should receive treatment."
"Those who deserve compensation should receive compensation."
"This kind of incident should never have happened."
"But since it did, as the commander of this military base, you must take responsibility."
"I don't have time to deal with you right now."
"I'll speak with you again after I've finished handling this matter."
"Yes, Marshal!"
"I'll take care of it immediately."
The man in military uniform—the greasy, overweight officer—quickly left.
Nan Yu first spread his Mental Power throughout the surroundings.
After confirming there were no surveillance devices, listening equipment, or hidden eavesdroppers nearby, he finally spoke.
"Does that man actually have real ability?"
"How can a soldier let himself become this fat?"
Normally, simply maintaining daily training was enough to keep a healthy physique.
Yet this man was obese and looked greasy.
More importantly...
When they first met, Nan Yu had noticed an unpleasant look in his eyes.
It had only been a subtle glance.
If Nan Yu's Mental Power hadn't been exceptionally sharp, he probably wouldn't have noticed.
But he had noticed.
Unfortunately...
He had no evidence.
Judging from Yu Lanfeng's expression, it didn't seem as though he had seen it.
Did he really have to swallow his dissatisfaction for now?
Yu Lanfeng answered calmly,
"He's under partial control."
Nan Yu paused.
"Partial control?"
"That's right."
"If he weren't being controlled, he wouldn't look like this."
"But if he had been completely controlled..."
"...this military base wouldn't still maintain such a delicate balance."
"It would already have become a paradise for spies."
Nan Yu blinked.
So...
The gaze he had noticed earlier hadn't belonged to Yao Anyang himself.
It belonged to the person controlling him from behind.
Well...
Then he had misunderstood him.
"So you're saying..."
"Not only did the commander refuse to defect..."
"...he's been relying on his own incredible willpower and self-control to resist whoever is trying to control him."
"And with the freedom he still has, he's managed to maintain this base in its current balanced state?"
Yu Lanfeng nodded.
"Exactly."
"He's outstanding."
"I personally selected him."
"And..."
"I'll need your help."
Nan Yu smiled confidently.
"Treating a Mental Sea?"
"Leave that to me."
"I can even restore him to his peak condition."
Yu Lanfeng reached out, pulled Nan Yu down beside him, and sat him on the sofa.
"Take care of yourself first."
Nan Yu smiled.
"I know."
"I won't let anything happen to me."
"Don't worry."
...
After leaving the office, Yao Anyang's humble expression instantly disappeared.
His face became cold.
As he walked down the hallway, his expression slowly twisted into something almost ferocious.
His eyes bulged as though they might pop out.
Then...
In the blink of an eye...
Everything returned to normal.
No one could tell which side had won that internal struggle.
When he arrived at the area where the damaged starship was being processed, he asked,
"Have the casualties been counted?"
"Yes, Commander."
"Everything has been completed."
"The death compensation has already been transferred to every soldier's family."
"These are the payment records."
"The lightly and moderately wounded are currently receiving treatment."
"Most of them are recovering well."
"Twenty-some soldiers remain seriously injured and are still undergoing treatment."
"But according to the doctors..."
"They're very likely to recover."
Yu Lanfeng's legion had never lacked funding.
The medicines, medical equipment, and treatment facilities were all the very best available.
If they couldn't save someone...
No one else in the Empire could either.
Yao Anyang continued,
"Have you investigated exactly how this happened?"
"The Marshal is here now."
"We have to give him an explanation."
"If victorious soldiers return to base only to suffer heavy casualties from an attack right outside the entrance..."
"...and that gets out..."
"The entire Sixth District will become the Empire's laughingstock."
"This isn't about one or two people."
"Understand?"
The lightly and moderately wounded soldiers were gathered in a large ward with dozens of beds, recovering while receiving basic treatment.
Yao Anyang personally questioned every survivor one by one in front of everyone else.
Throughout the interviews, he repeatedly spoke about the honor of District Six.
He reminded them how many children dreamed of joining the legion like their fathers and older brothers.
Little by little...
Many people became convinced.
Eventually, they recounted exactly what had happened.
The biggest problem wasn't the battle itself.
It was that they had celebrated too enthusiastically after returning victorious.
No one even knew who had produced the alcohol.
Everyone drank heavily.
Many became completely drunk.
Even those who remained conscious were dizzy.
As a result...
No one remained on watch.
When danger approached, there was nobody to issue an immediate warning.
Since they were already close to the military base, everyone had lowered their guard even further.
To be fair...
They had celebrated this way several times before.
Nothing had ever happened.
Who could have imagined that this time they would suddenly be ambushed by Ability Beasts?
And judging by everything afterward...
It had been a planned attack.
Normally, even drunk Ability Users would regain their senses almost immediately after being attacked.
But this time...
After the attack began...
They had been completely unable to resist.
The Ability Beasts overwhelmed them.
That was exactly what every survivor found impossible to understand.
Had someone tampered with the alcohol?
The remaining bottles had immediately been sent for testing.
Nothing unusual was found.
Which meant...
The problem probably lay with the Ability Beasts themselves.
Perhaps, just like the mutated species that had appeared at another military base not long ago...
A new mutation had appeared here as well.
One capable of keeping Ability Users trapped in a constant dazed state.
Unable to fight back.
Only able to wait for death.
Of course...
Those were merely guesses.
There was no evidence.
Officially...
Responsibility still rested with them.
The incident was simply too humiliating.
Their public explanation claimed that the Ability Beast assault had been exceptionally fierce, resulting in unusually heavy casualties.
The families of the dead immediately received generous compensation.
Only then was public opinion successfully suppressed.
Even so...
If they failed to discover the truth...
Something similar might happen again.
After all, although mutated Ability Beasts were extremely rare...
They weren't impossible.
Yao Anyang organized all the investigation materials before heading to Nan Yu's temporary office.
The moment he entered, he noticed something unexpected.
The faint hostility Nan Yu had shown him earlier had completely disappeared.
Nan Yu no longer looked at him with prejudice.
Yao Anyang nodded politely before handing the documents to Yu Lanfeng.
Yu Lanfeng casually flipped through them while asking,
"By the way..."
"How long have you been serving under me?"
Yao Anyang answered without hesitation,
"About three years, Marshal."
Nan Yu blinked in confusion.
Three years?
Who was he trying to fool?
Yu Lanfeng's legion had existed for decades.
Yao Anyang had clearly been commanding this base for at least ten years—possibly much longer.
Was this some sort of code?
After hearing the answer, Yu Lanfeng stood up.
"Come over here."
"Lie down."
"Let Xiaoyu examine your Mental Sea."
Without the slightest hesitation, Yao Anyang walked over to the sofa, lay down, closed his eyes, and completely entrusted himself to them.
Nan Yu was caught off guard.
He looked questioningly toward Yu Lanfeng.
Yu Lanfeng nodded.
"Go ahead."
"If possible..."
Nan Yu looked at him for a moment before nodding.
"I understand."
"I'll examine him first."
"If I can treat him immediately..."
"I'll begin right away."
Someone personally selected and promoted by Yu Lanfeng to command Border Region Six had to be exceptionally talented.
Yet...
Such an outstanding person was about to be destroyed.
Perhaps...
Nan Yu could still save him.
Someone this capable was worth paying a small price for.
Nan Yu's Mental Power slowly entered Yao Anyang's Mental Sea.
At first glance...
Nothing seemed wrong.
But while probing around the outer edges...
Something felt strangely off.
So he gradually extended his Mental Power deeper.
From nearly every direction, thin streams of Mental Power slowly converged toward the center of the Mental Sea.
Roughly one-third of the way in...
Nan Yu suddenly sensed something.
Unfortunately...
It moved far too quickly.
The single second he lost reacting was enough.
Whatever he had detected vanished completely.
Since it had disappeared...
He simply continued searching.
After all, he already controlled the outer third of the Mental Sea.
If the object had hidden itself...
It could only have fled deeper inside.
It couldn't possibly have escaped.
With Nan Yu's extraordinary sensitivity...
That brief contact had been enough.
He instantly recognized what it was.
A tiny sphere of Mental Power.
A fragment separated from another Mental Power User.
Placed inside Yao Anyang's Mental Sea specifically to control him.
Fortunately...
Yao Anyang's Mental Sea was unusually special.
That was the only reason he had resisted until now.
His Mental Sea was significantly larger than that of ordinary Ability Users.
As a result...
It could naturally contain far more Mental Power before reaching the point of complete domination.
As long as Yao Anyang retained enough control over himself...
His Mental Sea couldn't easily be seized.
He truly had been fortunate.
After gradually tightening the search area...
Nan Yu located the tiny sphere again.
But...
It escaped a second time.
Apparently...
The original Mental Power User wasn't controlling it directly.
Instead...
The sphere itself instinctively fled whenever stronger Mental Power approached.
Because it was acting on instinct...
Its speed was astonishing.
Ironically...
If someone had been controlling it personally, it probably wouldn't have moved nearly so quickly.
Still...
No matter how fast it ran...
It remained trapped inside this Mental Sea.
Sooner or later...
Nan Yu would catch it.
He wanted to know exactly who had planted it.
Since nobody seemed to be actively controlling the sphere anymore...
Nan Yu quickly cornered the tiny ball of Mental Power that had been frantically darting back and forth.
This time...
It couldn't escape.
He wrapped it completely within his own Mental Power before sealing it inside a special containment device Yu Lanfeng had prepared earlier.
They could study it later.
At the very least...
They should be able to identify its original owner.
The instant Nan Yu extracted the sphere—
Yao Anyang's entire body convulsed violently.
Even the sofa shook twice.
Then...
Still with his eyes closed...
He remained unconscious for nearly ten minutes.
Finally...
He slowly opened his eyes.
His face looked exhausted.
His gaze shifted toward Nan Yu...
Then toward Yu Lanfeng...
Before he quietly closed his eyes once more and fell into a deep sleep.
Still worried, Nan Yu examined his Mental Sea again.
This time...
Everything was completely different.
Earlier, his Mental Sea had appeared flawless.
Now...
After the sphere's removal...
It looked damaged.
Not completely ruined...
But many areas had become fragmented.
Fortunately...
The damage wasn't severe.
A little repair work would be enough.
It wouldn't consume much Mental Power.
That was excellent news.
Three hours later...
Nan Yu finally withdrew his Mental Power.
Yao Anyang awoke again.
He still looked somewhat tired...
But no longer appeared as though he might fall asleep at any moment.
Nan Yu took a deep breath.
"How do you feel?"
Yao Anyang rubbed his forehead.
His slightly chubby face broke into a grateful smile.
Combined with the determined, clear eyes full of sincere gratitude...
Nan Yu finally relaxed.
"Thank you, Doctor Nan."
"I knew if it was you..."
"...everything would be fine."
"I've finally waited long enough."
Then he turned toward Yu Lanfeng.
"Marshal..."
Yu Lanfeng raised a hand.
"Enough."
"Skip the emotional speeches."
"Tell me the important part."
"Exactly how many moles are inside this base?"
Yao Anyang inhaled deeply.
"If my calculations are correct..."
"There are over fifteen thousand moles inside Border Region Six Military Base."
"Many were deliberately admitted despite everyone knowing their identities."
"And quite a few organization members were personally brought in."
"They were never reported to me."
"So..."
"I only know the approximate number."
"I never dared write everything down."
"I can only reconstruct it all from memory now."
Yu Lanfeng shook his head.
"That won't be necessary."
"I already have a list."
"It contains 19,631 names."
"Review it."
"If there are no problems..."
"We'll arrest and execute them according to this list."
Over the years, Yao Anyang had memorized every suspected mole's name and background.
The instant he saw the list...
He knew it couldn't be wrong.
He recognized nearly eighty or ninety percent of the names immediately.
Even the remaining names looked familiar.
Because of his position, he knew almost everyone at the base.
As he continued reading...
His expression became increasingly painful.
He had never imagined the military base under his command had become so thoroughly compromised.
It was utterly humiliating.
Fortunately...
Not many people knew yet.
And almost everyone on the list had neither family nor close relatives.
Even if they all died...
There would be no compensation to pay.
No grieving relatives would come demanding explanations.
The military could act without hesitation.
Then...
His eyes stopped on the final name.
"This..."
"This is a Mid-Tier Mental Power User."
"One of the two strongest Mental Power Users in the entire base."
"He's always worked diligently, treating every Ability User who needed help."
"Could there be some mistake?"
Nan Yu frowned.
"What?"
"If there weren't a powerful Mental Power User among the moles..."
"...did you think planting a Mental Power sphere inside someone else's Mental Sea would be that easy?"
"First..."
"They have to be a Mental Power User."
"Second..."
"They must be at least Mid-Tier."
"And finally..."
"They need highly offensive Mental Power."
"The only thing we don't know yet..."
"...is exactly what's going on with this person."
Right now, Nan Yu wanted nothing more than to meet that Mental Power User.
Perhaps...
The one who planted the sphere wasn't even the person listed here.
Perhaps it was someone else.
Regardless...
Everyone on the list had to be arrested.
Not a single person could be overlooked.
Every suspect had to wear suppression restraints.
Ability Users would receive suppression anklets.
The Mental Power User would wear a Mental Power suppression device on the wrist.
That would make things much easier if Nan Yu needed to act personally later.
Yao Anyang twitched helplessly.
He truly didn't want to arrest that Mental Power User.
The man was simply too popular.
Nearly everyone in the base had received treatment from him.
A handful of people had complained of discomfort afterward.
But everyone assumed it was simply a normal reaction caused by Mental Contamination being purified.
After resting for a while...
They all recovered completely.
Nobody ever suspected the Mental Power User himself.
Nan Yu said calmly,
"If his name appears on the list..."
"...then there's definitely a problem."
"If you trust him..."
"Find evidence proving he isn't responsible."
"If you think the truth is more complicated..."
"Then investigate it."
"The truth can always be uncovered."
Yao Anyang finally nodded before turning and leaving.
He had to prove his own judgment was correct.
Nan Yu watched the office door close.
"He's too deeply involved."
"According to what he said..."
"In this base, aside from himself..."
"...that Mental Power User probably has the greatest influence over everyone else."
After all...
The man was exceptionally skilled.
Almost every Ability User in the entire military base had been treated by him.
And his results had always been excellent.
Although he held no actual authority...
Countless people willingly shared bits of non-classified information with him.
Separately...
Those pieces seemed insignificant.
Together...
They could reveal many of the base's true secrets.
Even now...
When Nan Yu looked toward him from a distance...
He realized he had underestimated him.
Unexpectedly...
The Mental Power User was now acting even more attentive toward Yao Anyang, who was leading the group at the front.
This first batch consisted of only one hundred people.
Before leaving...
Every one of them had already been fitted with suppression restraints.
One person received special treatment.
Instead of an anklet, he wore a Mental Power suppression cuff around his wrist.
If Nan Yu needed to intervene later...
Things would be much more convenient.
Yao Anyang escorted everyone toward the underground interrogation chambers.
Yu Lanfeng and Nan Yu were already waiting there.
"Huh..."
"Marshal Yu?"
"When did you get here?"
Nan Yu quietly let out a sigh of relief.
He had almost called him "Brother" in front of everyone.