122: Chapter 122 A merciful ruler cannot command an army; a benevolent ruler cannot hold power.

Wilderness Suppression Bureau, top floor.

When Su Ming pushed the door open and entered, Chen Zhan was staring blankly at the pile of documents on the table.

Seeing him, he looked up.

"What about the Zhao Family?"

"Gone."

Su Ming pulled out a chair and sat down.

Chen Zhan stared at him for a while, a sigh escaping his throat.

"You slaughtered another Family."

"Hmm."

"First the Lu Family, then the Zhao Family," Chen Zhan rubbed his temples, "Of the three great Families in Pingan City, only the Sun Family is left trembling now."

"The reason?"

Chen Zhan's voice was a bit dry.

"Raising Wicked Beasts."

"Same nature as the Lu Family: exotic beast serum, Wicked Beast rearing cycles, Corrupted One experimental data…"

"The whole set."

Chen Zhan was silent for a moment, then spoke slowly.

"Conclusive evidence?"

"Four original files, plus seven live Corrupted Ones—is that conclusive enough?"

Su Ming tapped his tactical watch lightly.

Casting some of the data onto Chen Zhan's office computer.

Chen Zhan didn't respond.

He knew Su Ming's style of operation; he must have investigated thoroughly before taking action, otherwise, he wouldn't act recklessly.

He always acted prudently.

Except when facing exotic beasts.

"...What about the matter with Qin Yaotian?"

Su Ming looked up at him.

"What Qin Yaotian?"

Chen Zhan's mouth twitched; this kid could play dumb without even blinking.

"Su Ming."

"The Zhao Family is just the Zhao Family."

Su Ming retracted the light screen, "It has nothing to do with the Longjiang Prefecture."

Chen Zhan looked at him deeply.

He didn't say anything more.

He changed the subject.

"How do you intend to handle this?"

"Announce it to the whole city."

"Not handling it privately?"

Su Ming leaned back in his chair, "No. What the Zhao Family did is too filthy; it must be brought to light to warn the others."

Chen Zhan didn't respond.

Turning living people into Corrupted Ones is one of the most unforgivable taboos.

Once this matter is made public.

Public opinion will surely boil over.

Those Families in Pingan City still harboring lucky thoughts might completely give up their delusions.

Su Ming stood up.

Walking to the door, his footsteps paused.

"Deputy Chen."

"Hmm?"

"Why do you think the three great Families have been so arrogant all these years?"

Chen Zhan was silent.

He couldn't say.

"Because they have money, power, and martial Dao resources," Su Ming's voice was very calm, "It's not that they don't know they are doing evil; it's that they think they will never be held accountable."

"After wealth is satisfied, power and martial force are the most intoxicating."

"They don't learn their lesson because they think they can't lose. They aren't afraid of martial force getting out of control; they are afraid of not having enough martial force."

Chen Zhan opened his mouth.

Su Ming didn't give him a chance to respond and left.

The sound of footsteps gradually faded away.

Chen Zhan sat alone in the empty office.

Staring at the computer for a long time.

Finally, he sighed.

"This kid..."

Chen Zhan rubbed his temples, "When will he learn to leave a way out for others?"

Thinking about it, he contradicted himself.

In this world...

He is right.

Mercy does not command soldiers, benevolence does not command power.

Early morning.

The Wilderness Suppression Bureau's announcement spread throughout the city within half an hour.

The format was a standard template.

Concise to the point of being cold-blooded:

[Upon investigation, the Zhao Family of Pingan City is suspected of illegally raising Wicked Beasts and conducting Corrupted One experiments. They have now been raided according to the law.]

[All major suspects involved have been executed.]

The news spread.

The whole city exploded.

The reaction of the ordinary public was the most direct.

"The Zhao Family? Is it that Zhao Family?!"

"My colleague's younger brother was tricked into working for the Zhao Family three years ago. There was no sign of him living or dead. So it was..."

"These animals!"

"Officer, well done! I am irreconcilable with beasts, gambling, and drugs!"

"Wilderness Suppression Bureau is awesome!"

Students from various martial Dao academies were scrolling through their terminals.

The comment section was flying by.

"Wiped out two great Families in less than a month? I suggest lining up the remaining ones too."

"Don't talk nonsense upstairs, the Sun Family is still alive."

"Alive because it's not their turn yet."

"Awesome, you really dare to say that!"

Various factions reacted a beat slower.

They gathered in their respective intelligence rooms, their faces looking worse than the others.

"An eighteen-year-old kid, slaughtering two great Families in half a year."

"What does he want to do?"

"Is he trying to turn the world upside down?"

The Wilderness Suppression Bureau's actions were too ruthless.

Eliminating two great powers in succession.

Killing until heads rolled.

They were waiting, waiting for public opinion to rebound, waiting for superiors to hold them accountable, waiting for public opinion to flip.

Waited all morning.

Waited for nothing.

What they got instead were cheers that grew louder and louder.

"The Zhao Family deserved it!"

"Bring a few more to liven things up!"

"Still not satisfying enough!"

"I suspect the power structure of the Wilderness Suppression Bureau has changed. During this time, the things the Wilderness Suppression Bureau has done are truly heart-warming!"

"Don't know, didn't see any announcement."

No one dared to jump out and cry injustice for the Zhao Family.

The evidence was there, the corpses of the Corrupted Ones were there, and the public's anger was there.

No one dared to move.

Twelve o'clock noon.

The Wilderness Suppression Bureau released a second announcement:

[Effective immediately, a special clearing operation for Wicked Beasts and Mutants will be launched across the city.]

[Anyone who discovers suspicious persons, suspicious locations, or suspicious traders can directly call the Wilderness Suppression Bureau hotline or report to the nearest Wilderness Suppression Bureau duty point.]

[Once verified, there will be a heavy reward.]

In less than an hour, the tip-off line was blown up.

"Abandoned cold storage in the west of the city, strange noises at midnight!"

"Second-hand market in the south of the city, someone is selling live exotic beasts of unknown origin!"

"In the third row of alleys in the urban village, there are chicken calls!"

Three thousand people from the Wilderness Suppression Bureau.

All mobilized.

Three thousand people were divided into thirty squads, spread out, and rushed to every corner of the city.

The public did not hide, but instead lined the streets to welcome them.

"Thank you for your hard work, comrades!"

"Be careful!"

Some elderly people handed hot soup to the soldiers, and even after being pushed back several times, they kept trying to force it into their hands.

It was scalding hot.

This was the first time in three years that Pingan City had mobilized the whole city to clean up the beast disaster; before, they were powerless.

Coping with the beast tide was already difficult enough.

Let alone finding the time to clean up the beast disaster.

The people stood on both sides of the street.

Watching the armored vehicles drive by.

Some clapped, some waved, some had red eyes.

It wasn't because of anything else.

Only because they could finally sleep soundly.

They didn't know who was promoting these things, but they knew life was slowly getting better bit by bit.

Chen Zhan stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window.

Watching the bustling scene all around.

Clenched his fists.

A month ago,

Wicked Beasts began to appear in large numbers, the beast tide was at the city gates, the Wilderness Suppression Bureau was exhausted, the public was terrified, and the whole city was shrouded in suffocating despair.

But now,

They not only defended Pingan City but also created a shocking miracle of 'zero casualties'!

The soldiers were in high spirits.

The public lined the streets to welcome them.

Everything was thriving.

Chen Zhan knew very clearly.

All of this was not heaven's favor.

But someone was carrying the burden forward; he was clearing away the haze over the city and rewriting the fate of this city.

Afternoon.

Su Ming finished handling the matters at hand.

Came out of the Wilderness Suppression Bureau building.

A black official car was parked at the entrance.

A super pretty girl in a hip-hugging skirt stood by the car, respectfully opening the rear door.

"Officer Su, the City Lord's mansion is ready. City Lord Lin asked me to pick you up."

Su Ming nodded and got in the car.

The car started and drove towards the City Lord's mansion.

Not long after.

Another black car drove up.

Sun Liancheng got out of the car, wiping away non-existent sweat from his forehead.

He was fifty-three years old this year, having struggled in Pingan City for thirty years, climbing from a small supplier to the position of one of the three great Families.

A lifetime of following the wind and steering the rudder, his greatest skill was assessing the situation.

The Lu Family was gone.

The Zhao Family was gone.

He knew he had to move.

He stepped forward, pulling a smiling face.

The soldier at the door glanced at him indifferently, expressionless.

"Officer Su is not here."

"Then... then I will wait."

"Officer Su is busy with official business."

Sun Liancheng opened his mouth, wanting to say something.

The soldier was no longer looking at him.

He stood there, holding a sealed black briefcase in his hand.

His younger son's gaze fell on the black box from time to time, his eyes full of longing.

He leaned over and lowered his voice.

"Dad, why don't we..."

"Shut up."

Sun Boyong gritted his back teeth.

"Wait."