688: Chapter 688 will be added tomorrow.

Xikufu led the fully armed Soldiers as they strode to the General Commander's office, the door being gently pushed open by the accompanying Soldiers.

What met their eyes was Kova's corpse lying quietly on the floor, with charred wounds and wet blood, causing a faint scent of energy burns mixed with blood to permeate the office.

On a nearby sofa, Haran sat upright with a calm and indifferent expression, showing neither panic nor guilt, as if he wasn't the one who had just fired the shot; he simply waited calmly for Xikufu's arrival.

Seeing this scene, Xikufu's expression remained steady without a hint of surprise; he merely raised his hand slightly, signaling to those behind him.

Two Soldiers immediately stepped forward and knelt beside Kova's corpse, taking out portable detectors to conduct a meticulous injury examination and identity verification from head to toe with professional and rigorous movements.

According to the Inspection Team's operational guidelines, Kova was the top military target in this Xiapu Star Cluster Anti-Corruption Operation; even though he was dead, his body had to be recovered, verified, and brought back for archiving according to protocol as key evidence for the case, without any negligence.

A moment later, the Soldier responsible for the examination stood up, holding a data pad, and reported loudly to Xikufu.

“Reporting to the Regiment Commander! The identity of the deceased is confirmed as Kova, Commander of the Guard Division of the Xiapu Star Cluster. The fatal injury is a penetrating energy burn to the chest. Wound trace comparison shows it was caused by a close-range energy weapon strike from behind, resulting in instant death with no other defensive trauma.”

After hearing the report, Xikufu nodded slightly and walked straight to Haran, sizing up the Deputy Commander who had turned on his superior and killed him with a sharp gaze, his tone flat yet carrying a hint of scrutiny.

“Deputy Commander Haran, I truly did not expect that you would take action against Kova, your superior whom you've worked with for many years.”

Haran slowly raised his head to look at Xikufu, his face showing a timely expression of helplessness and being forced by circumstances. He sighed softly, his tone full of the “unavoidable” hardships he faced.

“To be honest, I didn't want things to come to this, let alone take action against him. But as you saw, Kova had gone completely mad. Even though he knew you held official orders from the Inspection Team and solid evidence for his arrest, he not only refused to submit to the law but insisted on ordering the entire Guard Division to Level 1 combat readiness, attempting to incite all officers and Soldiers to join him in an armed rebellion against you.”

He paused, deliberately emphasizing his tone and adopting a posture of someone considering the bigger picture.

“Once a firefight truly broke out, not only would countless innocent officers and Soldiers at the Base lose their lives for nothing, but the entire Guard Division would be dragged into the abyss of treason. At that time, the implications would be broader, casualties greater, and the consequences unimaginable.”

“I really had no choice. To stop this meaningless bloody conflict and prevent more people from being implicated by him, I could only resort to this last resort; it was truly out of necessity.”

Haran kept his posture extremely low, emphasizing in every word that he acted to settle the matter and consider the overall situation, without mentioning his selfish desire to make up for his crimes and reduce his punishment. He packaged his behavior as reasonable and legitimate, attempting to gain the approval of Xikufu and the Inspection Team.

Xikufu's expression was cold as he interrupted Haran's defense, his tone crisp and without any hesitation.

“Enough. Save your reasons, hardships, and the whole story to tell Team Leader Li and the Inspection Team in person later. However, I will report your actions of killing Kova and stopping the armed rebellion today to the Inspection Team truthfully and exactly as they happened, without exaggeration or intentional concealment.”

These words sounded like a reassuring pill to Haran, and his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, instantly relaxed by more than half.

He could clearly hear the room for maneuver in Xikufu's words.

Reporting without distortion or blackening meant his “merit” would not be erased; he still had a chance to make up for his crimes and receive a lighter sentence, rather than being treated directly as an accomplice.

Haran said no more and cooperatively extended both hands.

Two Soldiers stepped forward and followed standard procedures to put official handcuffs on him. They didn't treat him roughly but weren't lax either, gently flanking him on both sides and steadily escorting him out of the office.

With the highest-ranking Commander of the Guard Division, Kova, killed and Deputy Commander Haran captured and arrested, this armed conflict that could have erupted was completely quelled without bloodshed.

Without the top mastermind, the remaining mid-to-low-level officers involved in the case were leaderless, possessing neither the courage nor the ability to resist.

The officers and Soldiers of the Security Assurance Division checked the arrest list one by one, cleared the area, and took people away; the entire process was incredibly smooth, with almost no obstacles encountered.

In just over half an hour, the hundreds of involved officers and confidants on the arrest list were all controlled and assembled.

After Xikufu confirmed the scene was handled and evidence was properly sealed, he gave the order, and a large number of Soldiers escorted the involved personnel to board the Security Assurance Division starship in an orderly fashion.

The engines roared softly as the starships took off one by one, turning around to head back toward the Inspection Team's Base.

Inside the Base, the remaining Guard Division officers and Soldiers looked up at the receding starship formation, all letting out a long sigh of relief in unison as their tense expressions completely relaxed.

The departure of the Security Assurance Division group meant they were not on the arrest list and were safe for the time being; they didn't have to be taken away for interrogation, let alone be branded as accomplices in a rebellion.

But they also knew that this matter would not be easily forgotten.

This landslide of corruption in the Xiapu Star Cluster Guard Division had almost wiped out the high- and mid-level officers from top to bottom; the leadership was completely rotten, and the credibility and organization of this Base unit were now fundamentally compromised.

According to Empire custom, the entire Guard Division would soon be broken up and reorganized, with officers and Soldiers redistributed to garrison units in other galaxies, no longer stationed together.

Especially for lower-level officers and small leaders, even if they weren't involved in the case or arrested, their resumes would bear the stain of “formerly of the Xiapu Guard Division, a Base of systemic corruption.” In the future, their promotions, performance evaluations, and transfers to core positions would be severely restricted, and their prospects were essentially shrouded in a thick shadow.

Many people gazed at the empty starry sky with complex expressions.

As a storm concludes, some face the law, some are dead, and some are taken away for trial, while those lucky enough to remain will also have to pay their own price for this corrupt unit in the long days ahead.

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