418: The arrival of the Imperial Inspectorate

Several days slipped by quietly, but the Empire Direct Inspection Team remained silent, with not even a single message coming through.

Li Yang sat in his office, his fingertips unconsciously tapping on the desk, his brow furrowed with a difficult-to-dispel anxiety.

According to the Xili Empire's usual decisive style, they would never drag things out this long.

He repeatedly checked his communication terminal; the State Council's response still showed “dispatched,” with no further updates on their progress.

Could something have gone wrong along the way? Or could it be… those people secretly interfered?

But after a moment of thought, Li Yang himself chuckled; how could Wang Wen and his associates possibly tamper with the Empire Direct Inspection Team? They didn't have the qualifications or the capability.

As he pondered, the air in the office suddenly rippled with a strange fluctuation, as if stirred by an invisible force.

Li Yang abruptly looked up, only to see the space in front of him warp without warning; a deep rift tore open in thin air, its edges shimmering with a faint blue energy glow, carrying an oppressive sensation not belonging to the mundane space.

Before he could react, two figures stepped out from the rift.

They wore crisp black uniforms with subtle patterns flowing on the fabric, and bright red armbands were prominently displayed on their shoulders, embroidered with the Xili Empire’s golden emblem, glinting with a cold luster under the indoor light.

Even more striking was that both individuals wore matte black masks, revealing only a pair of sharp, hawk-like eyes, fathomless and completely obscuring their features, making their identities impossible to guess.

“Who are you…?”

Li Yang’s heart tightened, then he noticed the Xili Empire emblem on the armbands—that was the highest-grade insignia directly affiliated with the Xili Empire.

He let out a slight sigh of relief, stood up, and asked with a hint of caution in his tone.

“Are you comrades from the Xili Empire Inspection Group?”

The spatial rift slowly closed behind them, leaving faint energy aftershocks that intertwined with the chilling aura emanating from the two, making the air in the office seem to solidify slightly.

“comrade Li Yang, we are the Fourth Inspection Group directly under the Xili Empire Central Command.”

The leader of the black-clad individuals spoke in a deep voice with a metallic, hard-edged quality. Both of them simultaneously raised their hands and performed a standard Xili Empire salute to Li Yang, their white-gloved hands cutting crisp arcs through the air.

“Now, in accordance with the Xili Empire Direct Inspection Team procedural regulations, we request your immediate cooperation by accompanying us for investigation.”

Li Yang paused slightly, suppressing his surprise, and nodded.

“Please wait a moment, I need to retrieve some personal documents.”

The two did not stop him, standing firm as pines, their sharp gazes sweeping across the office.

Li Yang quickly gathered some important documents from his desk into his briefcase. As he turned around, he saw the spatial rift had reopened in the corner of the wall.

“Please.”

One of them gestured with a side-step.

The moment Li Yang stepped into the rift, he felt a gentle yet irresistible force envelop his entire body. His vision suddenly went white, as if he had fallen into a brightly lit tunnel.

In just a few breaths, the sensation of weightlessness faded, and he found himself standing in a brightly lit circular conference room.

Crystal chandeliers hanging from the dome refracted a cold light, illuminating several people seated around the conference table.

Li Yang’s gaze quickly swept over them, and his heart jolted again—seated in the center was Chairman Ou Ben, whose usually meticulously groomed hair was now slightly disheveled, his brows tightly furrowed.

Beside him sat several familiar faces, including An Cheng and Wei An.

“Chairman Ou, everyone…”

Li Yang walked forward, his voice betraying unconcealed surprise.

“Why are you all here too?”

Ou Ben looked up at him, gently tapping his fingertips on the table, his tone slow and deliberate.

“Secretary Li, like you, we were all ‘invited’ here.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the tightly closed conference room door.

“It seems this matter is far more complicated than we anticipated.”

Hearing this, Li Yang’s confusion deepened, but then he considered that the Empire Direct Inspection Team was a special department newly established during the crackdown, and its operational procedures differed from regular agencies, so perhaps such direct and efficient processes were their characteristic.

He subtly glanced around, only then realizing that within the conference room, there were also many Imperial Soldiers in battle armor. He squinted, identifying the battle armor’s insignia; they were all B-grade configurations or higher.

After all this time, it was Li Yang’s first time seeing Imperial Soldiers wearing B-grade battle armor, let alone a corridor full of Imperial Soldiers. Just standing there, they exuded a formidable pressure.

He walked over to a member of the Inspection Group, trying to keep his tone calm.

“comrade, may I ask where we are right now?”

The other person turned their head, their voice carrying a hint of coldness.

“This is inside the Empire Direct Inspection Team’s Action starship. Please wait patiently here for instructions.”

Having said that, he turned back, resuming his perfectly still vigilant posture, and said nothing more.

Li Yang was met with a rebuff but wasn’t embarrassed, silently retreating.

He brought up a light screen, tapped his finger on the display, and entered the words “Empire Direct Inspection Team Action starship.”

What he found astonished even himself—the data showed that these Action starships were actually Xili Empire-class starships, the highest-grade starship model in the current Xili Empire hierarchy, equipped with the most advanced weapon systems and defensive arrays.

No wonder even ordinary Soldiers were equipped with B-grade battle armor; it turned out to be standard for Xili Empire-class starships.

Li Yang couldn’t help but feel a pang of curiosity; the internal structure of such legendary starships must be even more complex and exquisite than the Xili Empire’s administrative center. If he could explore it, even just glimpsing the Command Room, it would be an eye-opener.

But judging by the layers of guards, he clearly wouldn’t get that chance.

He had no choice but to suppress his curiosity, found a seat, and waited for the next arrangements… In less than half an hour, the conference room was packed, with over a hundred people.

These individuals were all core leaders of This Galaxy Cluster, at least at the Vice Minister level of various departments. Normally dispersed in different office areas, they were now gathered together, and an unusual solemnity permeated the air.

Li Yang sat in a back-row seat, and as his gaze swept over the crowd, he couldn’t help but be slightly startled—Vice Speaker Wang Wen, Deputy Presiding Judge Jiang Xin, Deputy Commander Yao Qiao… these key figures on the list had also been brought in.

As for that director, unfortunately, his current rank was not high enough to be seated here; after all, he was just a director, not a Vice Chairman.

They were arranged on the other side of the conference room, their expressions varied, yet all revealed unconcealed defeat and tension.

Wang Wen’s knuckles were white, clearly clenching tightly. Jiang Xin stared down at the table, while Yao Qiao sat with a straight back, but couldn’t hide the panic in his eyes.