Hong Quansheng silently watched Sikinkov, his eyes reflecting the candlelight, seemingly focused on nothing.

Sikinkov was completely bewildered.

Vice President of Hegemony Company Branch.

City Council President of New Moon City.

Public Security Bureau Chief of New Moon City.

Head of the Borderland violent group Crow’s Nest.

He simply couldn’t imagine what kind of tea meeting would bring these four people together.

Amir tugged on Sikinkov’s sleeve and whispered, “You’re out of line, sit down quickly.”

The man with a square face lifted the chair, pressing his hand on Sikinkov’s shoulder.

Sikinkov felt an irresistible force pressing down on him, making him sit back in the chair.

He looked warily at the person in front of him, whom he had threatened to kill, his gaze somewhat wavering: “President Zhao, what does he mean by this?”

Zhao Yiming joked, “Mr. Chief, why are you tense? You are the Public Security Bureau Chief; show some backbone against the head of the mob, don’t lose your presence in front of such a person.”

Amir also spoke in a calm tone, “President Zhao called everyone here because there’s a misunderstanding between us and Crow’s Nest; let’s sit down and resolve it together.”

Sikinkov furrowed his brows, coldly staring at Hong Quansheng: “I don’t see any misunderstanding. Crow’s Nest committed atrocities at Xinghai Cinema, that’s an undeniable fact.”

“Hong Quansheng isn’t going to say that his subordinates acted on their own and he wasn’t aware, is he? How come, the mighty King of the Borderlands dares to act but not take responsibility?”

“Ha ha, the new chief is indeed bold, you can just call him Xiaohong.” Zhao Yiming smiled, speaking earnestly, “It’s like this, Xiaohong is my man.”

Sikinkov was shocked, and Zhao Yiming slowly supplemented, “But to clarify, I really wasn’t aware of what happened at Xinghai Cinema, it was entirely Xiaohong’s own plan.”

“Xiaohong has always been a capable person, I think highly of him. But in recent years, perhaps due to age, his work has been increasingly unsatisfactory.”

“Xiaohong, I’ve always taught you, the most important thing about managing a team is recognizing and utilizing people. But look at the people you’re using in Crow’s Nest.”

“Muto Dongying? Someone who has no dedication to the group, cries desperately when his family is caught, a soft person, and you promoted him to the seven-member group of Crow’s Nest and gave him big tasks. What were you thinking?”

Zhao Yiming picked up the boiling kettle, poured the hot water into the teapot, and scraped the tea foam off the top with the lid.

“If you had succeeded at Xinghai Cinema, and through it won the king election, then I wouldn’t say much; you can cause as much trouble as you like.”

“But the thing is, you didn’t succeed, overturned by an unknown mercenary, causing Crow’s Nest to lose face, and the entire border is mocking you.”

Zhao Yiming used the tea tongs to place a cup of boiling tea in front of Hong Quansheng, his smile full of dangerous signals.

“I allocate hundreds of billions of funding to you every year, if you need blood codes I provide blood codes, if you need Blood Circulation Factor I provide it, all kinds of weaponry are ample, yet you can’t handle a lone wolf without background.

“What, am I the Chief Fool of New Moon City, spending money to support incompetents? Is my money blown by the wind?”

Hong Quansheng said nothing, picked up the scorching tea cup, and downed the boiling water in one go.

He pressed his lips tightly, muscle jerking uncontrollably in pain, yet he bore it without making a sound.

Zhao Yiming saw this, slightly softened his tone: “Apart from taking money from the company, you get quite a lot every year from Iron Blood and Black Domain as well, you should be glad they agreed to let me discipline you.”

“Had those few bad-tempered executives from Iron Blood come forward, they wouldn’t sit down to drink tea with you, you’d be waiting for the mechanical execution platform.”

Hong Quansheng’s throat was full of blood blisters from the burn, he couldn’t speak, just clamped his mouth tightly and lowered his eyes in acknowledgment.

Zhao Yiming poured another cup of tea and placed it in front of Sikinkov with a tone of admiration: “Mr. Chief, I watched your speech at the press conference today.”

“So bold! With someone like you as the Public Security Bureau Chief, it’s really a blessing for the citizens of New Moon City.”

At this point, Zhao Yiming’s tone shifted to a more profound one: “However, there’s a phrase, called — ‘Harmony is valuable’.”

“Starting a war leads to deaths. So many excellent warriors rush to the border to fight fiercely, sacrificing, causing broken families and ruined lives, Mr. Chief, can you bear it? I, for one, cannot.”

“Look, Xiaohong also admitted his mistake today, why don’t we put this matter behind us? Everyone like before, not offending each other, peacefully, what do you think?”

At this point, Sikinkov understood the reason behind everything today.

He really hadn’t known before that Crow’s Nest had such powerful backing, let alone someone like Zhao Yiming supporting them.

At any other time, he would definitely have given Zhao Yiming face.

But the problem is, the press conference was held, and harsh words were spoken, from the Anti-Violence Fourth Section to the militia reserve units, everyone is eager for revenge.

Suddenly say it’s off now?

Not to mention how restless all the departments’ soldiers would be when they find out.

If they withdrew at this point, New Moon City’s entire law enforcement system would become a joke, the chief would forever be infamous, and whatever he says would be dismissed as nonsense.

Sikinkov’s expression was grim as he spoke in a low voice, “President Zhao, I’m afraid this is not appropriate. The City Council has already passed the vote, all departments’ work is coordinated, this…”

Amir quickly cut in: “There’s absolutely no problem with the City Council. Votes can be changed if there’s an issue, haven’t proposals been overturned before? It’s most important to recognize mistakes and correct them.”

“If we clear out Crow’s Nest now, what if other groups rise up to invade the Inner City later? Fight back again? How long should the cycle of revenge continue?”

“President Zhao’s perspective is very long-term, emphasizing harmony. Xiaohong is our own man, in the future if something happens at the border, let him represent us, it can save a lot of trouble, don’t you think?”

Zhao Yiming clasped his hands under his chin, looking at Sikinkov with a gentle smile: “Mr. Chief, you are the initiator and commander in chief of Operation Crow Hunting, call off the operation, just as a favor to me.”

Sikinkov clenched his teeth, a wave of dizziness washed over his consciousness.

At this moment, he thought of many things.

Thought of the eager and fervent eyes of his subordinates when initially drafting the action plan.

Thought of himself standing in the square facing the cameras, the powerful words he spoke.

Hong Quansheng’s face continuously twisted in his view, as if mocking him.

He also thought of the small corpse hanging outside the Moonlight Mansion, and Nannan’s parents crying heartbreakingly.

Finally, Sikinkov tightened his fist, face taut, answering almost instinctively.

“Such crimes cannot be tolerated, Hong Quansheng and his Crow’s Nest must be brought to justice…”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep