Chapter 218: 217 News and Star Palace

「Olivia! 」

Seeing that the red-haired Director seemed to be ready to give up, Beverly glared:

「He is clearly talking nonsense! Besides him, there is basically…」

【Stop talking, it's useless.】

After giving her a look to keep calm, the red-haired Director communicated mentally:

【I know you are not reconciled, but our Cleaning Bureau is a relatively loose organization. Although the regulations are very strict, the mandatory force in execution is insufficient. Whether we can drag Aquarius to read his memory in the end depends not on who is right and who is wrong, but on how many people are willing to stand on our side.】

【Aquarius has made friends with many branch bureau directors over the years, and there are quite a few supporters. No one came out to speak for him before because Taurus, who is about to ascend to the palace, stood on our side, and Aquarius's suspicion was indeed quite large. They didn't want to get into trouble.】

After glancing at the branch bureau directors in the venue with different expressions, the red-haired Director sneered:

【But now it's different. Although people with discerning eyes know that Aquarius is likely talking nonsense, he did give an explanation that can be justified. And among other branch bureau directors, compared to the large number of casualties caused by Aquarius over the years, those who value his ability to manufacture anomalous objects are clearly more.】

【Additionally, Aquarius has met quite a few people in these two days. Privately, he likely promised I don't know how many benefits. In the face of solid interests, even if they know in their hearts that Aquarius likely violated regulations, if a vote is really initiated, quite a few people will stand on his side.】

【If we could take Aquarius down in one breath, these people wouldn't say anything. But now that Aquarius has produced an excuse that can be justified, it gives them room to play. Even if we insist, it will just be endless bickering in the end.】

【As for the Director, if he were here in person, in order to maintain the rules of the bureau, he would likely forcibly take Aquarius down. But now that he is in the Old Land and cannot return, compared to maintaining the rules of the bureau, he will value the stability of the situation here.】

【Based on my understanding of him, the Director will likely stand out and smooth things over first to ensure that there is no chaos in the bureau, and then record this matter and find a way to settle accounts with Aquarius after he returns… Just endure it for now. Regardless of what happens to Aquarius in the future, we have indeed lost today.】

……

「In my opinion… this matter still needs long-term consideration. 」

The subsequent development was indeed not much different from the red-haired Director's guess. After glancing at the expressions of a group of branch bureau directors, the Director, who had a plan in mind, looked at the Aquarius Director meaningfully and took the initiative to smooth things over:

「The 'copy' of the Aquarius Director has indeed caused many problems, but in the final analysis, it was to avoid 【Twin Mirror Lake】 causing greater damage. Merits and demerits offset each other, so let's not mention the resignation. 」

「However, although all twelve directors have the power to decide on the disposal of anomalous events, they should report them in cases where they are unable to solve them. Those who conceal them without reporting must be punished… Aquarius Director, do you have any objections? 」

Hearing the Cleaning Bureau Director's words, Beverly could not help but clench her fists and glare at the Aquarius Director who was sitting calmly opposite.

Objections… what objections could he have? Compared to the process of being licked by a god-tier brain-eating demon when being dragged to read memory, this little punishment is a fart!

「I have no objections. 」

After smiling at the Leo Bureau Director who glared at him, the Aquarius Director bowed slightly toward the phantom in the middle:

「Your judgment is very appropriate. Additionally, please don't be too harsh on the few branch bureau directors. 」

「They initiated an inquiry against me without clarifying the truth, although reckless, it cannot be considered groundless, so they don't need to accept punishment from the bureau, right? 」

「……」

Relying on the backhand left many years ago, he lightly broke the foundation of the entire inquiry, and after forcibly reversing black and white, he even hypocritically took the initiative to plead for the other side, proposing to exempt the punishment that was impossible to have in the first place.

Facing this kind of top-tier humiliation, except for the Gemini branch bureau director who was indifferent, the other five branch bureau directors who stood out were furious, and even the red-haired Director could not help but narrow her eyes.

It was a pity that although Olivia's brain was very clear, her means were still slightly immature, and she was drilled by Aquarius.

After glancing at the red-haired Director regretfully, with the intention of settling things, the Cleaning Bureau Director nodded:

「Okay, then let's… hmm… wait a moment. 」

Just when he was about to announce the end of the inquiry and Aquarius was about to pass safely, the stone slab beside the Cleaning Bureau Director shook slightly, and then a line of strange symbols that kept squirming appeared.

After rubbing these symbols a few times and interpreting their meaning, the Cleaning Bureau Director's brow could not help but furrow.

This was a complaint message delivered through the 【Same Text Slab】, 90 percent of which was complaining about the cleaners of the Virgo branch bureau being disrespectful, breaking into the Royal Palace and beating the Prince, and requesting the Cleaning Bureau to punish them.

However, after complaining about the multiple beatings he received from the cleaner named Liang, the Prince who was beaten seemed to have been coerced and had to pass some news to the General Bureau along the way…

……

「Aquarius Director! 」

After interpreting the meaning of all the symbols, the Cleaning Bureau Director turned back suddenly, staring fixedly at the Aquarius Director sitting in the eleventh seat, and asked almost word for word:

「Neisen… do you know this person? 」

Noticing the subtle change in the Director's expression, the Aquarius Director's brow could not help but twitch, then nodded:

「I know. He is the leader of the rebels and seems to have had contact with 'the other me'. 」

「Yes, he has had contact with 'the other you'. 」

Emphasizing his voice on 'the other you' and repeating this sentence whose true meaning was unknown, the Cleaning Bureau Director narrowed his eyes:

「Aquarius Director, before you came to attend the year-end review, a cleaner from the Virgo branch bureau successfully caught the leader of the rebels and obtained some interesting news. 」

「After reading the news he passed over, I feel that this news is very helpful for catching 'the other you'. I don't know if you are willing to help gather the twelve star palaces for the sake of catching your copy, and move Neisen and those two cleaners over? 」

So… Neisen didn't run away and was caught by the Virgo branch bureau's cleaner? And also exposed some news unfavorable to me?

After hearing the Cleaning Bureau Director's request, the Aquarius Director could not help but frown, feeling that the situation seemed a bit wrong.

In order to maximize the protection of dangerous items stored inside, besides excluding most anomalies, the core part of the Cleaning Bureau's General Bureau was specially set up in an asteroid 70,000 kilometers away from the ground, and it circled the world all year round like the moon.

And even the most advanced flying airship in the Mechanical City of Kewangguo could only fly at an altitude of eight or nine thousand meters, and the highest unmanned probe would not exceed 400 kilometers. Compared to the distance of 70,000 kilometers, it was just an insignificant fraction.

Therefore, it could be said that except for the high-level Cleaning Bureau members who could borrow the star palace to move, and a very small number of people holding special anomalous objects, no one could arrive here quickly.

The only exception is to gather twelve Directors or board members of the Zodiac Branch Bureaus, and with the help of the partial Solar Authority pieced together by the Zodiac Star Palaces, forcibly refract a person up from 70,000 kilometers away using sunlight.

And even so, the people who came up could only stay for one day. When the Cleaning Bureau headquarters turned to the other side of the world and the influence of the sun's power was weakened, they would be instantly squeezed back to their original positions by the repulsion of the headquarters…

So what exactly was written in the message just now? It could even make the Director propose to gather the twelve star palaces and want to move people up to confront him face to face? ===== CHAPTER 219 =====