180: Chapter 180 Investigating the Root Cause and Communicating with All Parties

The morning light pierced through the corridor outside the Council Hall, casting long, slender shadows across the bluestone floor.

Chen Wuwang stood under the corridor, the chill from the star map of last night still lingering on his fingertips.

He did not wear the translucent spiritual energy armor that the Head of the Chen Family usually wore, but was dressed in plain black combat attire, his dagger still sheathed at his waist, looking like a common patrolman.

Yet he knew that this "patrol" was not for the clansmen to see.

It was for those hiding in the shadows who wanted to bring the fire out into the open.

The first stop was the Chuanyun Sect station. A deacon was practicing swordplay in the courtyard; seeing him arrive, the deacon paused, deliberately making a sharp clanging sound as he sheathed his sword.

"What brings the Head of the Chen Family to my humble place today?" The tone was neither soft nor hard, laced with probing.

Chen Wuwang did not take the bait, but instead raised a finger to point at the old spiritual energy pump in the corner of the courtyard: "Still using this? The three new models distributed by the Alliance last month, you didn't collect them?"

The deacon was stunned, his expression shifting slightly: "We did. But... they were held back by those above, saying they had to be prioritized for the border defense combat cultivators."

"Oh." Chen Wuwang nodded, took out a light board from his chest, swiped it lightly, and pulled up the data stream, "Let me see..."

"The Chuanyun Sect's entitled resources for this month: three hundred catties of spirit crystals, two hundred scrolls of talisman paper, and a quota of seven sets of mecha parts."

"Actual received: one hundred and eighty catties of spirit crystals, talisman paper out of stock, and not a single set of parts issued. Correct?"

The deacon's pupils constricted: "How... how do you know all this?"

"I am the leader of the Eastern Wasteland Alliance." Chen Wuwang's voice was as flat as water, "If I don't watch the ledger, who will?"

He paused and took a step forward: "You say resources are skewed, I acknowledge that. But you say it's unfair—then tell me, how should they be divided to be considered fair? Should I let the brothers on the front lines defending against the insect tide receive less supplies to give to you? Or should I dump all the star-patterned stone I just captured into the Alliance public treasury and have everyone draw lots?"

The deacon opened his mouth but could not speak.

Chen Wuwang stared at him: "I can understand your dissatisfaction. But the methods you chose are wrong. Secret meetings, collusion, using the Leiyin Pavilion delegation as a bargaining chip—"

"This isn't fighting for benefits; this is tearing down the foundation. If the foundation collapses, no one will be able to stand and divide anything."

The wind swept across the courtyard, fluttering the corners of both their clothes.

After a long time, the deacon said in a low voice: "We just... don't want to be treated like ornaments anymore."

"Then don't be ornaments." Chen Wuwang handed over the light board, "This is the detailed breakdown of material allocation for the last three months, and every item is based on evidence. You can question it, you can curse, but don't do things behind my back. If you have an opinion, put it on the table and talk."

The deacon took the light board, his fingers tightening slightly.

Chen Wuwang turned and left, leaving behind one sentence: "At the next meeting, I want to hear your voices. Not as mouthpieces, but the truth."

The second stop was the residence of the Deputy Commander of Chiji Ridge. The man was sitting on the threshold wiping his blade; seeing him arrive, he didn't even stand up, just glanced up briefly.

"I heard you checked our communication records last night." The tone was direct, leaving no room for negotiation.

"I did." Chen Wuwang admitted it straightforwardly, "Not just yours; the Sand Clan, the Chuanyun Sect, I checked them all. The signals cut off conveniently and reconnected closely, as if rehearsed."

The Deputy Commander sneered: "So you've come to hold us accountable?"

"No." Chen Wuwang crouched down beside him and pointed to a wear mark on the blade, "This damage, it was left from the last insect tide, right? You were guarding the southern pass at the time, and seven brothers died."

The Deputy Commander's hand froze.

"I haven't forgotten." Chen Wuwang's voice deepened, "The defensive line you fought to the death to hold is now being used as a bargaining chip by some. Do you think it's worth it?"

The Deputy Commander lowered his head, no longer wiping the blade.

"I know you feel ignored." Chen Wuwang looked at the distant mountains, "Whom does the Chen family give mecha to first? The border tribe combat cultivators. How many layers of Artifact Refining Workshop blueprints are public? Three. Are your names on the technology sharing list? Yes. But you always feel it's too slow, too little, and that we eat the meat while you drink the soup."

He stood up and brushed the dust off his knees: "But I have to ask one thing—if the insect race attacks again tomorrow, are you willing to be the first to charge up?"

"If you are willing, then I will listen to the demands you raised today, one by one. If you only want to sit and wait to share the spoils, then I'm sorry, the Chen family doesn't have such rules."

The Deputy Commander finally looked up, his eyes complex: "It's not that we don't want to fight... it's that we're afraid that after fighting, we still won't get anything."

"Then don't be afraid." Chen Wuwang reached out his hand, "From today on, all resource allocation plans will be announced three days in advance, and you can send people into the verification team. Disagree? Fine, write down your reasons, and I will answer you face to face. But don't do those underhanded things."

The Deputy Commander remained silent for a long time, then finally reached out and slapped palms with him in a vow.

The last stop was the residence of the young leader of the Sand Clan. The door was not closed, and sounds of an argument came from inside.

"...The Chen family is completely unreliable! Now that they are strong, how can they still remember who helped them withstand the first wave of the insect tide!" It was the voice of the Sand Clan youth.

Then a more elderly voice pressed down: "But you must also admit, in these years, they haven't embezzled a single grain of spirit rice, and war casualty compensation has never been delayed a single day."

The door opened, and Chen Wuwang was standing at the threshold.

Both people in the room were stunned.

"Perfect." Chen Wuwang walked in, his gaze sweeping over the two, "I heard a couple of things outside. Everything you said is correct, but also not entirely correct."

He pulled a thin sheet of paper from his sleeve and spread it on the table: "This is the comparison table of contributions and gains of each clan over the past three years that I just organized."

"The Sand Clan: second in frequency of dispatching troops, third in casualties, and ranked sixth in resources received. You say it's unfair, but the data is right here."

The elder squinted to look closely, his expression gradually changing.

"I'm not here to make excuses." Chen Wuwang looked at the youth, "You feel wronged and want to fight for your dignity. That's not wrong. But the path you chose is wrong."

"Establishing a 'Technology Supervision Committee'? It sounds like supervision, but in reality, it's seizing power."

"Once this precedent is set, tomorrow Elder Zhao could also establish a 'Financial Review Committee', and the day after, Clan Chief Li could start a 'Military Tribunal'—how would the Alliance still be able to fight a war?"

The youth's lips moved, but he didn't refute.

"If you want a voice, take it fair and square." Chen Wuwang pointed outside the window, "The insect race may counterattack next month, and the defensive line needs people for reconstruction. If your Sand Clan can lead the southern section construction, I will supply the Materials, you organize the manpower, and after it's done, the project leadership will belong to you. How about that?"

The room went silent.

After a while, the elder nodded slowly: "This condition... is fair."

The youth gritted his teeth and finally said in a low voice: "We... can try."

Chen Wuwang smiled, didn't say anything more, and turned to leave.

At the end of the corridor, the sunlight had shifted a few inches.

He stood outside the Council Hall, holding a newly organized light board in his hand, which recorded the core demands of the three clans: transparency of resources, participation in decision-making, and prior approval for technology sharing.

The wind blew up his silver-white hair, and his Mechanical Prosthetic Eye flickered slightly.

He knew that what these people spoke of was interest, but what they hid in their hearts was dignity.

And the real storm had not yet begun.

But he had already seen the direction of the wind clearly.