694: Chapter 694 will be added tomorrow.

But if there really were such a big shot who wanted to protect someone or suppress him, they wouldn't have waited until now.

Take the investigation of the Xiapu Star Cluster as an example; when taking down Rowan and clearing out the nest of corruption in the Galaxy Cluster, if Rowan had been the man of such a big shot, the other party would only have needed to say a single word to suppress the case, transfer him from his post, and easily fish those major criminals out of his hands and protect them to the end.

With energy of that level, even if Li Yang held the power of inspection at the time, he would have been completely powerless to resist.

But the fact was that during the entire comprehensive inspection period, not a single top-tier figure had intervened, and not a single case had been forcibly halted; all the cases he investigated had been given the green light, with ironclad evidence and smooth trials.

This was enough to prove that no one was secretly messing with him, suppressing him, or targeting him.

Excluding all malicious possibilities, the only explanation left was the one Cang Xi mentioned.

The high-level Officials of the Empire were preparing some special, heavyweight, and unconventional arrangement for him, but the timing was not yet ripe, so they had temporarily not issued the appointment, keeping his destination a secret until the very end.

Having figured this all out, the last trace of doubt in Li Yang's heart completely vanished.

He was no longer anxious, no longer confused, and no longer making wild guesses.

The only thing to do now was to calm down and wait for the news Cang Xi would gather using his military connections.

He believed that before long, all the unresolved questions would have a clear and significant answer.

...

The three-day deadline arrived in a flash. According to the formal instructions of the General Commission for Discipline Inspection, the Xili Empire's Imperial Center's 33rd Inspection Team completely finished its dissolution process today.

The drafted Officials, military officers, technical personnel, and law enforcement Team Members packed their bags, boarded their respective return starships, and after bidding farewell to Li Yang, left the Finlanduo Star Cluster's spaceport one after another to return to their original posts.

The massive Inspection Team Base starship, which had been bustling and busy day and night, now became empty and quiet, leaving only the original Nineteenth Division led by Li Yang.

Namely the Security Assurance Division that had accompanied them throughout, it still remained moored in the pitch-black cosmic star orbit, like a homeless fleet floating quietly in the starry sky.

During these three days, Li Yang's AI brain remained terrifyingly quiet; there wasn't a single new instruction from the Imperial Center, no personnel appointments, no job arrangements, not even a single word of symbolic reassurance.

With the formal dissolution of the Inspection Team, his position as the Head of the Inspection Team also automatically expired. Overnight, he seemed to have become a "three-no" Lieutenant General—no position, no post, and no task.

The only thing that made him feel fortunate was that although the high-level Officials of the Empire hadn't clarified his destination, they hadn't revoked his command of the Security Assurance Division.

This Nineteenth Division, which he had personally raised, still had its organization, command authority, and armed mobilization rights firmly held in his hands; it hadn't been transferred, split up, or brought under the direct jurisdiction of the Military Department.

For Li Yang in his current awkward situation, this was truly a blessing in disguise.

At least he still had power and confidence, and wouldn't fall completely into a passive state.

Just as Li Yang stood before the command cabin window, silently pondering while looking at the deep starry sky, his private communication terminal suddenly lit up, and an emergency call request popped up.

Caller—Homeland Security Force Army Commander, Cang Xi.

Seeing this familiar name, the anxiety and gloom that had built up in Li Yang for three days were swept away instantly. A joy he couldn't hide immediately appeared on his face, and he accepted the call almost without hesitation.

The light screen quickly unfolded, and Cang Xi's resolute figure appeared in the image. This usually steady and majestic Army Commander also had a few hints of excitement and urgency on his face that were hard to conceal.

As soon as the light screen stabilized, Cang Xi spoke impatiently, his voice filled with obvious joy.

"Good news! Li Yang, I pulled some strings and finally figured it out! The real reason why your appointment has been delayed and why you seem to be getting 'cold treatment'—I've found it!"

These words were like a thunderclap, instantly striking the chords of Li Yang's heart.

He leaned forward slightly, his eyes locked onto Cang Xi in the light screen, and he pressed with an irrepressible urgency and expectation in a low voice.

"Army Commander Cang, what exactly is the reason?!"

Li Yang stared fixedly at the light screen, his heart skipping a beat as he waited for Cang Xi's answer.

Seeing this, Cang Xi stopped keeping him in suspense. He slowed his tone and said with a bit of relief.

"I specifically went to ask an old friend who has served in the core organs of the Military Department for many years, asking him to help me find out through internal channels. The reliable word he gave me is that the higher-ups aren't trying to give you the cold treatment; rather, they are in a high-level meeting specifically discussing a new appointment plan for you."

He paused and continued to explain.

"As for why they've been discussing it for so long without a final result, my old friend didn't go into too much detail. He only revealed that the specifications for this appointment are extremely high, involving several heavyweight departments, and it needs to be finalized by both the Military Department and the Supreme Political Council, so the process is much slower than usual."

"But you can rest assured; all your previous worries were completely unnecessary. The higher-ups not only have no intention of suppressing you, but they've also placed you in the most core position for careful arrangement. You can just wait with peace of mind now. Anyway, the command of your Nineteenth Division is still in your hands, and there are no urgent tasks, so just take this window of time to rest properly—think of it as a long-overdue vacation."

By the end, Cang Xi couldn't help but laugh, feeling particularly refreshed.

Besides Li Yang's good news, he had also discovered a result that made him even more joyful.

The Security Assurance Division that had followed Li Yang in battle for many years, namely the original Nineteenth Division, had its organization automatically transferred back to the Homeland Security Force's sequence after the inspection mission officially ended.

This meant that the Nineteenth Division he had been longing for was finally back.

With one joy on top of another, Cang Xi was naturally beaming.

After hearing this, Li Yang's long-suspended heart finally settled completely. He let out a long breath, his tone full of gratitude.

"So that's how it is... I finally understand. Thank you so much, Army Commander Cang. If you hadn't helped me find out, I would have kept overthinking things."

"Eh, it's just a small matter."

Cang Xi waved his hand and laughed heartily.

"I have a meeting at the Military Department to attend, so I won't chat with you any longer. You just rest steadily and don't overthink it; just wait for the Official notification from above!"

With those words, the light screen flickered slightly, and the call officially ended.

Silence returned to the command cabin. Li Yang stood before the massive window, looking at the slowly flowing nebula outside, and his shoulders, which had been tense for days, completely relaxed.

The huge stone weighing on his heart had finally, completely dropped.

As long as he wasn't being given the cold treatment, targeted, or marginalized, everything was fine. As for waiting a bit longer, it didn't matter to him at all.

Thinking back over the past two and a half years, he had led the Inspection Team through a hundred Galaxy Clusters, working day and night, pitting his wits against countless corrupt Officials, and had almost never truly relaxed for a moment.

Now was the perfect time to use this window to rest with peace of mind and give himself a long-overdue vacation.

The corners of Li Yang's mouth curled up slightly, revealing his most relaxed smile in a long time.

All the waiting would be worth it.