Thunder from the Undercurrents

The elder who had arrived was none other than Tao Changru, the Prime Minister of the Great Shun Executive Administration. As he walked over, Qiao Dingguo stepped down from the head seat and moved forward two paces to greet him. "Prime Minister." Tao Changru nodded in acknowledgment. He walked naturally to the head seat, raised a hand, and made a pressing-down gesture to everyone. "Be seated, all of you." Only after he sat down did the others take their seats. Tao Changru said to Qiao Dingguo, "Dingguo, sit a bit closer. I have a few things to ask you." "Very well." Qiao Dingguo stood up. Immediately, internal affairs staff stepped forward, helped move his chair closer beside Tao Changru, and under everyone's gaze, he sat down once more. Tao Changru looked at the dossiers resting on the desk. "I heard on my way here. Are these the evidentiary materials?" "Yes." Just as Qiao Dingguo was about to transmit detailed files to him via boundary credential, Tao Changru waved his hand. He drew a pair of spectacles from his chest pocket, put them on, picked up the materials on the desk, and held them slightly far off to read. He focused straight on several reports that carried greater impact, with clear witnesses and explicit targets. Everyone kept silent. Tao Changru had served as Prime Minister for twenty years. He held immense prestige in everyone's eyes, and over that time, he had essentially maintained a balance among the various interests. Personally, his relations with the Advisory Group were quite good, and he had even established private friendships with several of them. No one present could tell which side Tao Changru's stance favored at this moment. While it was true he was about to step down and had gradually ceded authority to Qiao Dingguo over the past few years, who could say for sure in a situation like this? It was said that many advisors in the Advisory Group openly supported him, hoping he would continue to occupy this seat. To remain in official office until the nation's centenary was a political honor very few politicians could resist. Throughout his tenure, he had always pursued stability above all, and He Shugang had been promoted and appointed during his term. Was this elder truly willing to see such an upheaval unfold now? A subtle flicker passed through several people's eyes. This affair might involve a clash between the new guard and the old guard, or even a contest between the first-in-command and second-in-command of politics; how events would unfold was truly hard to predict. Many began calculating in their hearts how they ought to state their positions in a moment. After reading for a good while, Tao Changru took off his spectacles. "From what I see here, Minister He secretly had contact with the Federation's intelligence agencies. The evidence on paper is substantial. If true, regardless of the justification, it cannot be tolerated. "However, if there is no issue with him, we cannot allow a minister-level official to be smeared. Therefore, this matter must be investigated thoroughly and clarified beyond doubt." As he spoke, everyone below wore solemn expressions, each sitting rigid and upright. "In extraordinary times, crucial departments like the Ministry of National Security cannot grind to a halt. We will have the department's deputy assume concurrent charge for now." Tao Changru looked toward Qiao Dingguo. "When the operations command center was established, who was responsible for coordinating with it?" Qiao Dingguo said, "The one handling departmental communications was Vice Minister Ren Xinshan." "Good. Then let him shoulder the department's responsibilities for the time being." Tao Changru turned back to the room. "Colleagues, although we are in a period of wartime, the war has ended after all. The command center has not been dissolved only because the aftermath requires coordination. "Invoking wartime regulations to deal with a senior official may be justifiable in name, but it will hardly win over the public." At his side, Qiao Dingguo did not speak. He kept his usual stern demeanor, making his thoughts impossible to read. The others listened intently as well, though in truth everyone sharpened their focus, knowing that all the preceding remarks were mere prelude; what came next was the core. "In my personal view, jumping straight to a final conclusion remains improper, and it is unfair to our administrative officials." Tao Changru paused, his tone taking on added weight. "We will convene a meeting right now to complete all relevant procedures." He looked toward Shen Changbin, the head of the Inspection Commission responsible for internal discipline. "Commissioner Shen, how does the procedure run?" Shen Changbin answered with a solemn face, "For a department head like He Shugang, normal procedure requires our Disciplinary Inspection Commission to investigate, submit materials, and obtain approval from the Administration Council before proceeding with a formal review. "Although the materials were submitted externally this time, they came from an advisor of the highest Advisory Group, which falls under instructions from a superior body. Hence, this part is legitimate, and we must respond to it. "Given the gravity of the situation and its impact on national security, the highest level of inquiry should be initiated. Administrative officials of appropriate rank should be seconded from major government departments to form an ad hoc disciplinary review panel. "Under the supervision of the panel and our Inspection Commission, the evidence will be presented to him, and he will be permitted to offer his defense and explain each point one by one." Tao Changru gestured toward the materials on the desk. "Is all the evidence here?" Shen Changbin answered, "I have already examined them. Everything currently submitted is here, though we cannot rule out further supplements during the trial process." Tao Changru nodded. "Then second department heads immediately to form the review panel." Shen Changbin hesitated slightly. Tao Changru asked, "Is there an issue?" "Yes," Shen Changbin stated plainly. "Because among the evidence just reviewed, the personnel who may be implicated are of considerable rank and span multiple departments. It is difficult to say that no department head is involved. We therefore request that they refrain from any interference or inquiry throughout the process." Tao Changru looked at everyone seated. "Those present who are connected to the relevant personnel will recuse yourselves shortly on your own." Several people felt a surge of relief. This gave them a chance to settle things quietly on their own. It avoided widening the blast radius, but at the same time, it signaled to them that this investigation would definitely be pursued to the end. "Report!" a confidential secretary below suddenly called out. Qiao Dingguo looked over and asked in a low voice, "What is it?" "The military has submitted a report concerning the death in action of a military commander, which may also be linked to He Shugang." The confidential secretary added, "Furthermore, a covert department has provided intelligence that corroborates this." Tao Changru remained noncommittal. He looked toward the military representative present. "Chief of Staff Xu, are you aware of this matter?" Chief of Staff Xu replied immediately, "Prime Minister, I am aware of it. We have investigated it for a long time." "If you had evidence, why present it only now?" Chief of Staff Xu said without batting an eyelid, "The military previously submitted evidence once, but upon review, it was ultimately dismissed by the Inspection Commission on grounds of insufficient evidence. "Certain individuals within our ranks refused to accept that and continued gathering information in secret. Those actions breached regulations, and the personnel involved have already been disciplined, but the evidence remained. We thought it could serve as a supplement this time, perhaps aiding this inquiry." Tao Changru studied him for a few moments. "Since the military is involved, you will not participate in this investigation. There is no need for you to voice opinions, either; merely sit in as observers." Chief of Staff Xu said, "Understood!" Tao Changru instructed the confidential secretary, "Collect the investigative files and evidentiary materials as supplementary evidence." The confidential secretary acknowledged the order and went down at once to process it. Tao Changru turned back to Shen Changbin. "Is there anything else?" Shen Changbin said, "Next is following standard review procedure. At He Shugang's rank, suspension requires a sixty-day buffer period. If within sixty days the alleged offenses are confirmed true, he will be dismissed according to state law and taken into custody. If evidence is insufficient or unfounded, the Administration Council must issue a clarification. During this time, no department may interfere or leak information." "Then let it be so." Tao Changru turned his head. "Dingguo, the rest is left to you. Handle it well." Qiao Dingguo gave his assent. Tao Changru stowed his spectacles and stood up. A secretary immediately shouted, "All rise!" The rows on both sides rose simultaneously. Now, however, they understood Prime Minister Tao's intentions. They knew full well who backed He Shugang. Doing this was guaranteed to offend many people. Tao Changru had juggled his balancing act for twenty years, yet right as he was about to step down, he had abandoned it. Many could not help sighing inwardly. Precisely because he was handing over his seat, this elder was proactively shouldering the thankless task of offending others, paving the path for his successor. A few perceptive individuals also noted that although everyone had been discussing He Shugang's case from beginning to end, not a single person had asked where He Shugang himself was. Should it be said that everyone sitting here was intelligent? Watching Tao Changru's figure depart and the assembly hall doors close once more, Qiao Dingguo returned to the head seat, sat down, and said in a grave voice, "Be seated, everyone. Let us discuss the subsequent panel." *** Word of He Shugang's suspension pending investigation spread swiftly to the principal leaders of the Convergence Faction and the Refined Practice School. For the Advisory Group, there were no barriers to information, so the upper echelons of both factions learned of the situation almost instantly. Consequently, the leadership of both factions immediately convened a coordination meeting. They brought in informed personnel from the military and government departments, including several who had just recused themselves from the assembly. Feng Ziheng, Vice President of the Refined Practice School, asked, "Where is He Shugang right now?" The contact across from him replied, "Unclear." "Unclear?" The contact said, "He should have been brought under control, very likely by the military. Otherwise, I don't believe a department head could vanish without a trace." Everyone fell into contemplation. The operation to seize He Shugang had been nearly seamless throughout; not even biological monitoring or information field feedback had detected any anomaly. This had to be the work of an advisor from the Advisory Group exercising their clearance. There was nothing they could do about that, as it was a privilege enjoyed by members of the Advisory Group. Yet judging from current information, He Shugang had likely been abducted on his way back to the ministry. What everyone had seen at the end—including the figure returning to the ministry for a meeting—had probably been an exceptionally realistic illusion. This was Zhongjing. Even with advance coordination, once martial artists bound by esoteric rituals made a move, they could not possibly avoid leaving some commotion. The answer was simple: martial artists from the outside had struck, and their level was extraordinarily high. At that moment, someone asked, "What about Huang Quji? Where was he when it happened?" Someone in the know replied, "Before the incident took place, he had already departed for the southern border to handle an international security matter." Someone remarked, whether intentionally or not, "Looking at the timing, quite a coincidence, isn't it?" The room lapsed into utter silence.