571 Opportunity
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Although the quality and source of the video were quite questionable, the audio included remained loud and clear. And with a certain organization fanning the flames, it quickly spread throughout Carmen like an uncontrollable wildfire.
Naturally, while some people were quick to praise the police chief who brought the criminals to justice as the protector of the public and an ideal heroine, most were fully focused on being outraged at the ‘shockingly insensitive’ response of the commissioner and other higher-ups in the meeting.
“I can’t believe that the police chief who arrested the gangsters was actually reprimanded by these idiots! How is that any different from endorsing the criminals?!”
“It’s one thing to not do anything themselves, but even when someone else tries to do it, they can’t let that happen?”
“They probably don’t even realize how many lives these scumbags ruin every day they continue to roam the streets freely, safe as they are in their own well-protected mansions.”
“True.”
“At this point, I’m starting to wonder what their true purpose is, because it can’t possibly be protecting and serving their people like it is in every other country.”
This wasn’t the first time this kind of outrage happened, and no one expected it to be the last. With the frequency of tragedies and mishandling by the law enforcement and officials in Carmen, such an ‘outrage’ was considered ‘on schedule’ if it happened every other year, and usually, it had few if any lasting effects.
At most, certain officials or politicians would be ‘forced to retire’ to calm the people, which was a small price to pay for their continued control over the populace, especially considering that even these ‘friends’ who had been blacklisted would only just need to stay away from the limelight in the future.
But even if the government officials weren’t panicked, they were still annoyed at the fact that someone managed to leak one of their confidential conversations like that.
If this wasn’t done by some malicious enemy, then it could only be the work of a traitor!
Leaving such a ‘tumor’ alone, wouldn’t they just be seeking death?
“Investigate! Investigate immediately!”
Of course, with how heavily scrambled and modified the video was, it soon became clear just how impossibly hard to accomplish such a task was. Let alone trace back its original source, Carmen’s experts couldn’t even tell if the video was obtained through the interception of their secured channel, or one of the participants.
Naturally, in absence of ‘real evidence’, the first one to come under scrutiny was the police chief who was now being touted as a heroine and a protector by the public, but her previously docile attitude made many of them hesitant.
If they shot at one of their own while their real enemy watched from the shadows, wouldn’t that only make them happier? Not to mention, if such a thing was to be revealed later, it would definitely shake the will of many otherwise loyal subordinates, which was the last thing they needed right now.
Being the one given the responsibility of overlooking this ‘crucial task’ by the president, the home minister couldn’t help but curse in his heart after receiving the report from his assistant. “The representative denied our request?”
The nervous man in front of him immediately stepped back while shaking his head. “N-Not at all, minister! H-He just mentioned that the Gray Wolfe’s resources were all tied up right now, and they can only get back to us about it, uhm… l-later?”
The home minister paced back and forth in front of his table in thought as he frowned. “I see… I see… and how long would that be?”
‘I knew it was coming!’ The assistant groaned in his heart, but still bowed his head somberly. “H-He said it would be at least three weeks, minister.”
His previous calm demeanor immediately collapsed as the home minister looked pointed his finger at the door, his expression twisting hideously. “Out! Get out immediately!”
The poor assistant didn’t dare to stay a moment longer as he scrambled away in a hurry, inwardly rejoicing that he hadn’t been fired, at least.
The moment the door closed, the home minister kicked the base of the heavy mahogany table in fury. “Shit! If only those stupid idiots at Gray Wolfe weren’t busy fighting each other, it would be so much easier to smoke the mole out!”
The pain that shot up his leg only made his mood worse, and he quickly made up his mind. “Ungrateful little swine… would they be where they are now if not for us? I asked them for such a little favor, but they’re too busy quibbling among themselves… Don’t blame me for taking the matter into my own hands, then!”
Inwardly praising himself for having the foresight to get in touch with the leader of the Nightingale clan when he had the opportunity, the home minister quickly dialed up the man’s number with secret expectations in his heart.
He’d long since thought that the Nightingale clan, which was docile enough to be controlled by the morons at the Gray Wolfe, yet ferocious enough to act as their dog who bit whoever they pointed their finger to, was much more pleasing to the eye!
The bell rang within moments, and the home minister smiled. ‘Maybe I can even take this opportunity to cut off the Gray Wolfe, which only seems to be going down the path of decline anyway.’
Just imagining how he might have the credit of being the one who helped the state finally have direct and full control of the most powerful weapon in the Gray Wolfe’s hands, he felt so giddy that all of his previous anger was almost immediately extinguished.
Thinking like this, wasn’t this annoyance a ‘fateful reminder’, instead?
Of course, he knew that all of this was easier said than done. But now that the Gray Wolfe had such massive internal conflicts, and their relationship with the Nightingale clan was also stressed to its limits… wasn’t this the opportunity of a lifetime?
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