Kapitel 31: Chapter 31: Su Zhentian
Jiang Yu couldn't help but feel a tinge of emotion as he watched Su Ming's determined attitude. If Su Yuan had shown the same spirit of hard work back then, perhaps the old master wouldn't have disapproved of him so much or relegated him to this remote area.
With genuine sincerity, Jiang Yu said to Su Ming, "Young Master, there's no need to be so formal. Just focus on your studies and aim to achieve results in the city exams that you're satisfied with."
"I will do my best. I won't let you down," Su Ming replied earnestly.
"Good!" Jiang Yu nodded in satisfaction.
Although Su Yuan had been one of Jiang Yu's less accomplished students, his respect and politeness had always left a good impression. Jiang Yu had liked Su Yuan for his demeanor, and now, by extension, he found himself fond of Su Ming as well. Perhaps it was the affection for the father transferring to the son.
"Teacher, please have some tea." Su Ming quickly poured Jiang Yu another cup.
Jiang Yu smiled, gently blowing on the tea to cool it before downing it in one gulp. Then he glanced at his watch and rose from his seat.
"Young Master, it's getting late, and your mother hasn't returned yet. I need to get back to Starlight City to analyze the downloaded data. Once I have results, I'll inform you immediately."
"Understood. Thank you, Teacher. I'll see you off." Su Ming stood up and personally escorted Jiang Yu to the door.
In the spacious and orderly office, Ye Wei held a statistical report, addressing Xiao Lie, who sat sternly at his desk.
Several administrative officials stood nearby, their expressions tense and fearful.
"The casualty count from the Kirami larva attack has been tallied," Ye Wei began. "In the Lower District, 213,420 deaths have been confirmed. In the Upper District, the number is 12,113. Among these, nearly a quarter were students, as the attack affected the first, second, and third intermediate academies. As for property damage, the losses are incalculable."
Xiao Lie's expression grew stormy. He swept a cold gaze across the room, his voice sharp and biting.
"Such a catastrophic event. None of you have anything to say?"
The administrative officials lowered their heads further, as if trying to disappear into the floor. None dared to meet Xiao Lie's eyes or risk being singled out.
"Useless idiots! How could such a disaster happen? What have you all been doing?" Xiao Lie snapped.
The officials remained silent, too afraid to respond. They weren't fools—they knew from the report that this was a massive blunder, one that could cost them dearly.
After a long silence, Ye Wei hesitantly spoke up. "Sir, this incident has already reached the Council. They will undoubtedly hold someone accountable. Our immediate priority should be to formulate a response."
Xiao Lie stood, his hands clasped behind his back as he walked to the window, gazing out at the pitch-black night. His voice was cold and resolute.
"A response? What response do you think we can offer? The guilty party must take responsibility. It's as simple as that."
The tension in the room thickened. The officials began to sweat, their bodies trembling slightly. In desperation, one of them finally spoke.
"Sir, the primary responsibility lies with the manager of the waste facility. It was his negligence in failing to report the missing cases that escalated the situation."
"Yes, exactly. It's his fault," another quickly echoed.
Xiao Lie turned sharply, his piercing gaze silencing the room. The officials averted their eyes, their voices faltering into uneasy murmurs.
It was clear to Xiao Lie what these people intended—they wanted Su Yuan to take the fall. Such a serious incident needed a scapegoat, and they were eager to push the blame onto him.
At that moment, Ye Wei chimed in, "Sir, I believe they're not entirely wrong. Su Yuan, as the waste facility manager, does bear undeniable responsibility. We should hand him over to the Council's tribunal for judgment."
"Where is Su Yuan now?" Xiao Lie asked, his expression inscrutable.
"He's already in custody," Ye Wei promptly replied.
"Hmph. This incident caused severe casualties and created an extremely negative impact. We must not show any leniency to the culprit. Everything must be handled according to protocol," Xiao Lie declared firmly.
"Yes, I'll make the necessary preparations right away," Ye Wei said, relieved.
With a wave of Xiao Lie's hand, Ye Wei hurried out, eager to gather evidence and ensure the Council would accept Su Yuan as the scapegoat.
Moments later, the desk phone rang.
Ding ding—
Xiao Lie glanced at the caller ID, his expression shifting slightly. He picked up the receiver and barked at the remaining officials, "Leave us!"
"Yes, sir!"
The officials quickly exited, wiping cold sweat from their foreheads as they went.
Once alone, Xiao Lie sat back at his desk and answered the call. Before he could speak, a deep, gruff voice came through.
"Xiao District Chief!"
"Old Master Su, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Xiao Lie replied cautiously.
"Cut the crap. Did you arrest my idiot son?"
"Old Master Su, let's not mince words. I didn't arrest him—your son committed a crime."
"I don't care what he did. Do me a favor and let him go!"
"Old Master, if this were a trivial matter, I'd gladly oblige. But this time, it's different. Su Yuan's negligence as waste facility manager allowed the Kirami larvae to run rampant, causing over 200,000 deaths. The Federation is already investigating. I can't just release him."
"Bullshit! My idiot son may run the facility, but it's not like he's there every day. If anything went wrong, it's on his subordinates!"
"Even if his subordinates failed to report the issue, Su Yuan is the manager. The ultimate responsibility still lies with him."
"Stop dodging. You just need a scapegoat, don't you? Well, it won't be my son!" Su Zhentian's voice grew more aggressive.
"Old Master Su, you misunderstand. We're not targeting Su Yuan specifically. He simply has to answer for his actions," Xiao Lie said, feigning innocence.
"Enough games. What do you want to let him go?"
"Apologies, but this matter is non-negotiable."
"Cut the nonsense. Release my son, and I'll give you two second-generation mechs."
"Old Master, I truly can't—"
"Three!"
"This isn't about material compensation—"
"Five!"
"It's a difficul
t situation with the Federation involved—"
"Ten!" Su Zhentian said, his voice unwavering.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
-- Power-
Rangliste 
-- Power-
Stein