Chapter 140

Chapter 140

Wu Yuanbai was dealing with internal matters and arranging new personnel when she received Ark's communication.

Two days had passed since the Dangang incident, and she had officially taken over some of Jiang Ou's authority, transitioning from the head of the special squad to the acting director.

Her position's confirmation was subject to an observation period of one to three months, during which she could be formally appointed if she demonstrated notable achievements.

Despite being termed an observation, Wu Yuanbai knew this was a period for the Zhong family to monitor her before deciding to officially hand over the director's authority.

The nameplate on the director's office desk that once read "Director Jiang Ou" had been replaced with a new one, stating: "Acting Director Wu Yuanbai."

Wu Yuanbai gazed at it somewhat absentmindedly.

This was a far better turn in her life's path than she had initially planned. Before Ark's appearance, Wu Yuanbai's path was shrouded in mist, with the Jiang family looming over her like a mountain, leaving her with seemingly only two options: stagnation or death. Now, a third option had emerged.

Despite the risk of falling under the control of another family, the recent Dangang incident had shown her a glimpse of the Tower's upper echelons experiencing a rare moment of instability, despite their usually unbreakable unity.

The uniform response of the higher-ups and Wu Yuanbai's keen observation of Zhong Peiling's reaction during the incident hinted at an internal division in their decision-making regarding significant matters.

For someone like her, aspiring to climb higher, the collapse of the top tier was the moment she could become a new pillar of support.

Wu Yuanbai sincerely hoped that Ark was still alive, as only her survival could further complicate the situation.

"Congratulations, Director Wu. I look forward to your guidance in the future," said Zhong Shuqi, pulling Wu Yuanbai back to reality with his voice. He smiled, handing over some documents that were previously Jiang Ou's responsibility.

"Of course, Minister Zhong. In the future, we shall fight side by side for the Tower and the amusement park," Wu Yuanbai replied with a smile, exchanging pleasantries and accepting the documents from him.

Wu Yuanbai was aware that the Zhong family's initial doubts about her didn't stop them from promoting her, partly because Zhong Shuqi was in the United Defense Bureau.

Should she show any weakness, Zhong Shuqi, with his ability to "amplify suspicions," would be the first to notice.

"Director Wu, a new recruit will be transferred from the Tower today. Here is the file on that individual," Zhong Shuqi handed over another set of documents.

"I have been informed about this and will make arrangements. Thank you for your effort, Minister Zhong."

"As you said, we will be fighting side by side for a long time. This is part of my duty. The rest of the electronic data will be sent to your authority system by the relevant personnel in the Tower."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Zhong Shuqi left the director's office.

Wu Yuanbai's gaze lingered on the second set of documents. She had been promoted, leaving the positions of head and deputy head of the special squad vacant.

Normally, these roles would be filled by promoting from within the special squad, but with its reduced numbers and the new members lacking qualifications, and with Geng Yi being too new, only Pei Liangji met the criteria.

Wu Yuanbai intended to promote Pei Liangji to squad leader. His file had already been sent for evaluation. Unless something unexpected occurred, the position would be his, as she was the main decision-maker.

As for the deputy leader's vacancy, she had reported it upwards, leaving the decision to higher authorities.

The special squad of the Mingang City United Defense Bureau was a coveted position, mainly because it was the best stepping stone to enter the Tower. However, the squad leader, a positional role, was ranked higher than most personnel in the Tower and had access to more central and sensitive information.

Surprisingly, they sent someone from within the Tower. Given this person's original position, Wu Yuanbai wouldn't have lasted so long under Jiang Ou's leadership without understanding their intentions.

—They were eyeing the position of squad leader.

With her decision made, Pei Liangji's file was quickly approved in the system. Wu Yuanbai reviewed it and summoned him to her office using the central system's calling device.

Soon, three knocks sounded from outside the door.

Wu Yuanbai: "Come in."

Pei Liangji entered from outside, his demeanor calm, slightly bowing his head: "Director Wu, did you need me for something?"

"No need to be so formal, have a seat," Wu Yuanbai said.

Pei Liangji sat down on a chair to the side, looked up at her, and showed a sincere smile: "Thank you, Director Wu, and congratulations on your promotion."

Wu Yuanbai smiled as well.

Pei Liangji had a hunch about why Wu Yuanbai summoned him, but he wasn't sure of the exact position he would be assigned to.

"A new member will be joining the special squad, transferred from the Tower," Wu Yuanbai said. "I need you to help with the reception and guide them through the squad's induction process."

Pei Liangji was momentarily stunned: "Transferred from the Tower?"

"Yes, and while you're at it, also take care of the deputy leader's promotion procedures."

Hearing this, Pei Liangji's eyes widened slightly, a weight lifting from his heart. He took a deep breath, quickly stood up, and bowed to Wu Yuanbai: "Thank you for the promotion!"

He then asked, "Is the new squad leader the one being transferred?"

"Yes. Are you disappointed?"

"Disappointed? Not at all," Pei Liangji hurriedly denied. "I'm being promoted. I couldn't be happier."

Wu Yuanbai certainly trusted him more than any other newcomer. If it were feasible, she would have promoted him directly to squad leader without hesitation.

Unlike the previous direct appointment of Jiang Huai'an, it was rare for the Tower to make such external personnel changes. Pei Liangji guessed that the new person must be someone who could only fit the role of squad leader and had no objections to this arrangement.

"How are things in the squad? Are the two members transferred from other teams adjusting well?" Wu Yuanbai had been too busy with the handover to pay much attention to the special squad’s situation.

"Not bad. The two are originally from the bureau and have collaborated with us before. Geng Yi and I are quite familiar with them."

"That's good to hear."

After a brief conversation, Wu Yuanbai received a new message that the person transferred from the Tower had arrived at the United Defense Bureau. Pei Liangji promptly went to welcome the new member.

It wasn't long before Pei Liangji brought them to Wu Yuanbai.

"Director Wu, hello. I am the new member of the special squad transferred from the Tower, Xie Zhun," the newcomer introduced himself.

He was still in his Tower uniform, with a somewhat delicate facial structure. He observed Wu Yuanbai discreetly upon meeting her.

"Hello," Wu Yuanbai said, standing up to shake hands with Xie Zhun. "I'm surprised the Tower would transfer someone of your caliber."

Xie Zhun was the captain of the third team in the central elite forces, previously working under Colonel Agatha on exploration missions outside the amusement park. An A-level transcendent, he had extensive experience in combat against alien creatures.

She had no choice; someone of this rank joining the special squad could only be appointed as the squad leader.

After confirming the identity and assigning the position, Pei Liangji led Xie Zhun to complete the induction formalities.

After the two left, Wu Yuanbai formally began to go through the information and documents previously handled by Jiang Ou. Now, she would have to communicate directly with the Tower, and even as an acting director, she was accessing far more information than when she was just the squad leader.

After reviewing the paper documents, Wu Yuanbai accessed the internal information through the office terminal, finding that the Tower had updated her access privileges.

Wu Yuanbai began to review the information, her expression growing increasingly solemn.

“Buzz—”

The communicator vibrated on the desk, startling Wu Yuanbai. She picked it up and saw a new message.

As Wu Yuanbai opened it, her heart skipped a beat the moment she absorbed the content, which disappeared in the next second.

The message was an ambiguous meeting address and time. Given the ability to delete the message so swiftly, Wu Yuanbai knew without a doubt who sent it.

—Indeed, she hadn't died.

……

Wu Yuanbai's residence was located in the heart of Mingang City, just a street away from the United Defense Bureau, making it a short walk. The security was tight, requiring identity verification for entry and exit, and surveillance cameras were installed in the corridors.

Ark did not know the specific floor of Wu Yuanbai's residence, so she couldn’t have Xi Xiang open a direct passage inside. Instead, they chose to relocate to the exterior of the residential area.

Ark walked a short distance along the street outside the residential area, from where she could see the United Defense Bureau's building. Instead of approaching it, she turned into a nearby commercial street and entered a bar that had just opened for business.

Ark was already familiar with the layout and distribution of the shops in all the streets near the United Defense Bureau from her time there.

This bar had many regular customers and was usually crowded at opening time with people coming in to drink, meet for gatherings, or watch live performances.

Located under the officials' watchful eyes, the bar maintained lawful operations. Its advantage was its bustling crowd, making it easy for Wu Yuanbai to arrive and leave unnoticed.

It was now 5:50 PM, ten minutes before the end of the workday at the United Defense Bureau.

Ark knew Wu Yuanbai enjoyed a drink and occasionally visited this bar after work. Although Ark didn't give Wu Yuanbai much time to prepare, her chosen time and place were considerate of Wu Yuanbai's need to avoid drawing attention.

Upon entering, Ark quickly located the hidden surveillance cameras and estimated their coverage area. She chose a discreet spot to sit, ordered a drink, and released her line python to observe the incoming and outgoing crowd.

Like the others around her, she took out her communicator and appeared to be engrossed in it.

About ten minutes later, the bar was fully occupied.

Browsing some insignificant news from the amusement park, Ark began pondering questions she hadn't had time to consider. This visit was to verify Wu Yuanbai's identity and inquire about any internal changes in the central authorities, though she had mostly guessed the answers.

According to Li Baizhi's timeline, the player descended into Scholar Mouse's body yesterday afternoon. Based on the time and number of new posts on the forum, he must have been among the first to enter.

Thanks to Li Baizhi's sharpness and the player's eager actions in his assumed identity, Ark discovered the anomaly swiftly. In contrast, the central authorities, with their complex personnel, would need time to report and verify any irregularities.

A thousand people is not a large number.

In another world, a nation with a population of hundreds of millions, a mere thousand people would hardly cause a ripple.

In this world, things are different due to the apocalypse, with safe zones shrinking and human numbers already pitifully low. Many players have descended into the bodies of official personnel, infiltrating core institutions, making their presence more conspicuous. Even if there are no anomalies now, they will soon arise.

Regardless of the hacker's purpose, Ark, with her assistance, benefits greatly from being able to see the players' discussions. She can gauge the players' overall situation through this forum.

Therefore, Ark periodically checks the third section to stay updated on any new developments, ensuring she doesn't miss anything.

While waiting for Wu Yuanbai, Ark casually checked the forum and a title at the top caught her eye, causing her pupils to constrict.

—[Topic: Has everyone who entered the game received their first faction mission? How do we do this?]