Enforcer Manual
Chapter 322: The Right to Choose_1

Chapter 322: Chapter 322: The Right to Choose_1

Having obtained crucial information, Song Lan controlled the Horn Bug warrior to a safe place, then severed the neuronal link.

As his vision returned, he saw Lu Xiang sitting beside the sofa, waiting.

"Good news, your teacher is alright, and she’s even planning a jailbreak."

This must be what they mean by the boldness that comes with mastery.

By a stroke of chance, he had also learned the secret of Neutral Country Number Four; Veirdo was still alive, and their mentions of the sudden action by the United Government were all connected to something called "the Sun."

Combining this with Lu Xiang’s earlier conjectures, Song Lan suspected that the "Sun" mentioned by Veirdo was the source of Neutral Country Number Four’s energy supply, possibly some kind of energy not yet mastered by the United Government.

The reason Aljom created the intelligence agency and sealed off any possibility of moving from the Deep Area to the surface was to prevent this secret from falling under the United Government’s scrutiny.

And now...

The Horn Bug warrior had overheard the conversation between Veirdo and Teacher Lu Xiang.

The moment Song Lan cut off the neural link, he relayed the information he had gathered to Lu Xiang.

At the same time, the Devourer would certainly know the situation in Neutral Country Number Four, and under the influence of the Queen’s Nest thinking, this secret rapidly spread to all entities that had established a connection with the Queen’s Nest.

So, rounding up, everyone now knew the secret of Neutral Country Number Four.

"But what should we do now?"

Song Lan fell into contemplation. He always felt that in this matter, helping either side seemed unsatisfactory. If he were to thwart Teacher Lu Xiang’s plans, it would indirectly aid Aljom in consolidating his power. However, it was obvious that the measures taken by the intelligence department in various places could now be described as terrifying.

For the residents of Neutral Country Number Four, it was quite possible that you could be targeted by the intelligence department for misspeaking and become one of the many who disappeared.

However, if he were to help the teacher with her jailbreak, that would be tantamount to informing the United Government about the secret of "the Sun." Now Song Lan understood that the meeting between Esinvig and Aljom was just a smokescreen, and their true objective was the energy hidden in Neutral Country Number Four.

"Based on your understanding of the United Government, what would happen if Veirdo were brought back to the core area?"

"The Review Meeting has many ways to extract memories about ’the Sun’ from his mind if he refuses to cooperate, and they can warp his thinking, turning him into a puppet politician."

Since getting to know Song Lan, Lu Xiang felt that she had become quite bold in her statements.

These were not things one could idly talk about.

"Helping him regain his reputation may not be a lie. If Veirdo is sent back to the core area, they could wage a war under the guise of ’justice’ to help Veirdo reclaim his rule."

Lu Xiang had never doubted the military power of the United Government, even though Esinvig and Aljom were both in Neutral Country Number Four at the moment. If the United Government resolved to win a local war, they would surely triumph in the end.

The only question was whether there were sufficient interests to prompt them to wage a war.

The emergence of a new energy source changed that.

If the secret about "the Sun" were indeed conveyed to the United Government, they would have ample motivation to help Veirdo regain power, helping the people of Neutral Country Number Four return to the surface, and then, under the guise of alliance and cooperation, lawfully and justifiably reclaim the underground energy sources that were no longer needed.

By that time, Veirdo would be very "willing" to facilitate the cooperation between the two parties.

"...What’s wrong with you?"

Lu Xiang’s analysis came to an abrupt halt as she looked in puzzlement at Song Lan, who had sprawled out on the sofa, hands circling his abdomen, staring at the ceiling as if he had entered a midlife crisis ahead of schedule and lost all hope in life.

Isn’t this what you wanted me to analyze?

"I just suddenly feel like I’ve lost my dreams."

"I know."

Lu Xiang expressed her understanding. Back in her school days, she had gone through such a process. For people living in this era, the options didn’t always include a good choice, and for the most part, they had to pick the lesser of two undesirable ones.

"This is the consistent practice of the United Government and they will also take their own image into account. After they leave, the local residents often retain a sense of gratitude towards them. For instance, for the people of Neutral Country Number Four, they might actually return to surface life, and after the alliance, the United Government would invest heavily in rebuilding the country’s infrastructure, a boost to employment, filling their lives with hope."

At least on the surface, that’s how it appeared.

As for the energy hidden underground, so long as it had no impact on the lives of the local residents, they wouldn’t care much about its ultimate fate.

"So what you’re saying is, this is a win-win deal?"

"No."

Facing Song Lan’s query, Lu Xiang shook her head, "No matter the process, the eventual winner is always the United Government. We’ve reached this point by following this pattern... but regardless of the outcome, you still have to choose one."

"Can I choose to lie down?"

"You can, even lie on my knees if you want."

Lu Xiang knew this was indeed a difficult choice.

Because even if Song Lan disrupted the teacher’s plan, it would merely help Neutral Country Number Four maintain stability for a short period. As long as "the Sun" existed, the United Government would wage war sooner or later.

"You’ve been busy all night. You should rest for a bit."

"Wait a second."

Less than a minute into the scalp massage, Song Lan suddenly opened his eyes, sitting up so abruptly it startled Lu Xiang and nearly hit her chin, "What if we help Veirdo restore his reputation?"

Lu Xiang had mentioned that the United Government would at least need to maintain face, so if Veirdo, not Aljom, controlled Neutral Country Number Four, they would have a hard time finding a reason to deploy troops in the short term.

"You want Veirdo to regain his reputation?"

Lu Xiang thought Song Lan never ceased to amaze with his outlandish ideas, "Are you going to send the entire Bug Swarm over?"

"Of course not."

He was self-aware. With the current strength of the Bug Swarm, directly confronting the elite forces of two Rebel Armies would be a suicide mission, and initiating a large-scale conflict would no doubt put the cart before the horse, "We need to play to the strengths of the Devourers and start from within their ranks."

"...How did you suddenly come up with all this?"

"Maybe because a knee pillow and scalp massage really do work?"

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