Chapter 96: Accountability

An officer trotted quickly in front of Zhang Donglai, standing at attention and saluting.

"Report, General!"

"Except for the examinees eliminated ahead of time, all remaining examinees on the island have been accounted for!"

"Not a single person is missing!"

Zhang Donglai's tense body visibly relaxed.

He let out a long breath of foul air, and the boulder weighing on his chest finally dropped.

Turning around, he looked at Gandalf with undisguised gratitude in his eyes.

"Gandalf."

He stepped forward, his voice solemn.

"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Zhang Donglai, and I am the chief person in charge of this National Examination."

"You have truly given me an enormous surprise."

He reached out and heavily patted Gandalf on the shoulder.

"You didn't just defeat a mad and ruthless villain."

"You also saved the hopes of dozens of families!"

"I will report this merit word for word to the highest echelon of the military."

"Just wait for the good news."

Zhang Donglai withdrew his hand, his expression turning a bit more serious.

"In addition, I must remind you of one thing."

"The Dawnbreaker Guild has always been unscrupulous in its actions and holds grudges."

"Since you ruined their plans, they likely have already set their sights on you."

"During this recent period, try to keep a low profile and don't be too flamboyant."

He paused and continued,

"I will immediately notify the governor of Dongning Province."

"I will have him send people as soon as possible to escort you to the imperial capital."

"Only when you reach the imperial capital can your safety be guaranteed to the maximum extent."

Zhou Huai controlled Gandalf, nodding calmly.

"Thank you for the reminder, General."

This poise and calmness made Zhang Donglai appreciate him even more.

At this moment, Ye Xi, Yuan Kai, and Shen Fuhai also cautiously ran over from a distance.

They converged by Gandalf's side, not daring to even breathe heavily as they looked at the powerful general before them.

Zhang Donglai smiled warmly at them and then waved his hand.

"Alright, you guys go back first."

"The teleportation array has been reopened."

After saluting the general, the few of them walked toward the silver portal under the guidance of the staff.

Watching Gandalf's figure disappear into the light,

the warmth on Zhang Donglai's face instantly faded, replaced by a chilling murderous intent.

He looked toward his adjutant, his voice as cold and sharp as a knife.

"That student named Lu Qi, find out what his background is!"

"Even though he was merely Zuo Daolin's Puppet."

"That ghostly mask would never have appeared in his hands for no reason."

"If I find out that he has even the slightest collusion with the Dawnbreaker Guild—"

A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

"No matter who is standing behind him, I will definitely not spare him!"

…

Jiangning City, Examination Center.

The light of the teleportation array flickered.

The figures of Gandalf, Ye Xi, Yuan Kai, and Shen Fuhai walked out from within.

In the waiting room, Li Gang was pacing back and forth anxiously like an ant on a hot pan.

He had long since received the news that something happened on Triple Island.

He contacted headquarters repeatedly, but people there were overwhelmed and the phone simply wouldn't go through.

This made him burn with anxiety, yet he was utterly helpless.

Seeing the four of them return safely at this moment, the heart he had hanging finally dropped halfway.

"You guys are finally back!"

Li Gang rushed forward in a single stride, sizing up the few of them from head to toe.

"Are you alright? What on earth happened on the island?"

He swept his gaze around, his brows furrowing.

"Eh? Where is Lu Qi?"

"Why are only the four of you back?"

Shen Fuhai glanced at Gandalf, and seeing that he had no intention of speaking, braced himself and stepped forward.

"Chief Examiner Li…"

"Lu Qi… seems to have been taken away for investigation by military personnel."

He stutteringly retold the news he had heard from Gandalf.

Li Gang's complexion sank bit by bit along with his narration.

By the end, his face had darkened to the point where ink could drip from it.

"What did you say?"

"The mastermind behind this riot… is Lu Qi?!"

Li Gang's voice was even trembling.

He only felt the world spinning, and almost failed to stand steady.

Lu Qi?

Isn't that a scion of the Zhou Family in Donghai City?

How could he do such a stupid thing?

How could he dare?!

Li Gang's back was instantly soaked in cold sweat.

Such a huge mess happened in the National Examination, and the source turned out to be an examinee from their Dongning Province.

As the chief person in charge of Dongning Province, his tenure was probably at its end.

It wasn't just him.

Once this matter is verified that the examinee colluded with the Dawnbreaker Guild, I'm afraid even the governor of Dongning Province will be implicated.

He didn't dare to think further.

Forcibly suppressing the raging waves in his heart, he squeezed out a smile that was uglier than crying toward Gandalf and the others.

"You guys… you guys go back and get a good rest first."

"You've worked hard this time."

He waved his hand, as if he had exhausted all his strength.

Watching the few of them leave, Li Gang picked up the phone.

He had to report this matter to the governor immediately and right now!

…

That very night.

Several pitch-black military off-road vehicles, like silent steel beasts, silently drove into Donghai City.

On this night, the entire Zhou Family—from the head of the family down to collateral relatives, everyone related to Lu Qi—was taken away overnight for questioning.

Donghai City's upper class was shaken by this.

Yet Zhou Huai, who was also a member of the Zhou Family, happened to evade it.

Suburban villa.

The bedroom was dead silent.

Zhou Huai lay on the bed with steady breathing, having long since entered dreamland.

After a whole day of fierce battle, his body and mind were utterly exhausted.

Now, the top scorer of the National Examination was already in hand, and the System's challenge mission was also about to be completed.

He was in a great mood and slept exceptionally well.

…

The night was as dark as ink.

The corridor was long, and the pale light dragged human shadows into distorted shapes.

Leather shoes stepped on the floor, producing hollow echoes, one after another.

Liu Yuru's heartbeat sped up along with this rhythm.

She clenched her hands tightly, her nails digging deep into her palms.

Zhou Feng beside her had a face as gloomy as water, showing no emotion.

Two men wearing crisp military uniforms led the way without saying a word.

Finally, they stopped in front of a thick metal door.

One of the officers pushed open the door and stepped aside sideways.

"Please come in."

The lighting inside the office was dim, and the air was permeated with a chilling aura.

Opposite the huge, pitch-black one-way glass was another interrogation room as bright as day.

Liu Yuru's gaze penetrated the glass and instantly froze.

On the interrogation chair, a figure was frantically struggling and roaring.

It was Lu Qi.

His wrists and ankles were bound by sturdy shackles, and his skin had been chafed until it was bloody and mangled.

Yet he seemed unable to feel the pain, still writhing his body in vain and letting out beast-like wails.

"Wuwuwu, let me go! I want to go home!"

"I want to find my mother!"

An officer walked into the interrogation room and walked expressionlessly in front of him.

"Snap!"

The crisp sound of a slap was exceptionally harsh in the silent space.

Lu Qi's roars came to an abrupt halt.

He was hit so hard his head turned to the side, stopping his struggles as his shoulders began to heave violently.

Suppressed, fragmented sobbing came over.

Like a severely injured little beast.

"Qier!"

Liu Yuru only felt the blood in her whole body instantly rush to the top of her head, and her vision went dark for a moment.

She rushed in front of the glass, forcefully slapping the cold mirror surface with both hands.

"What has happened to my son?!"

"How dare you treat him like this?! You are lynching him!"

"Let him go! Let my son go quickly!"

A cold voice rang out from the shadows of the office.

"Why did we treat him like this?"

Li Gang slowly stood up from his chair and walked into the light, his face bearing undisguised anger and sarcasm.

"Ms. Liu, you ask this question so well."

He stared at Liu Yuru, his eyes as sharp as knives.

"To think that our military trusted your Zhou Family and trusted Lu Qi so much."

"Allowing him to represent our Dongning Province in the National Examination!"

"But what was the result? Your Zhou Family actually dared to collude with the Dawnbreaker Guild, almost causing a catastrophic disaster!"

"What?"