Chapter 1172: Chapter 337: The Unexpected Mastermind (Part 2)
Wen Long continued, "The second possibility is that besides forming an extremist faction at the lower levels, Deputy Chairperson Jing also formed one at the federal higher-ups. However, this high-level faction is very well-hidden and has no connection to the lower-level faction, so we are unaware of it."
"If that’s the case, then everything makes sense."
After listening to Wen Long, Fang Ze nodded slightly, then looked at Director Pang, "Old Pang, what’s your opinion?"
Director Pang was captured by the federation during the crackdown on [Rejuvenation Society]. He had originally schemed confidently, believing that Fang Ze would either visit or release him. In the end, he waited over half a year.
During this time, he contemplated abandoning his clone and just leaving. However.... over the past half year, the Eastern Administrative Region was volatile: Jiang Family’s empress died, Jiang Family’s monster achieved demigod status only to be exterminated the same day, Old Mr. Bai perished along with Tuoya State’s demigod, Dahei Jialuo went missing, several demigods fell, and several military bases were destroyed....
In this terrifying storm, even demigods found it hard to control their own fate, let alone someone like Director Pang, who hadn’t even reached the Mortality-Shedding stage of Awakening.
So, after much contemplation, Director Pang felt.... jail was actually quite nice: at least it was safe.
Thus, he stayed there for over half a year until Fang Ze arrived.
Only, after coming out of prison, he found that the world had changed too much. Fang Ze, originally just a director of the Judicial Department, had become a giant who could now arm wrestle with demigods and venerables in such a short time.
The gap between them now could be measured in miles.
So..... the ever-savvy Director Pang immediately switched sides.
His reasoning was simple: if you’re going to latch onto someone powerful, why not? Not embracing this golden opportunity would be foolish!
Therefore, for the first case that Fang Ze asked him to handle, he was very diligent: after all, how he handled this case could very well determine if he could really latch onto this opportunity.
So, when he heard Fang Ze’s inquiry, he smiled amiably and said, "Chairperson Fang, since you’ve asked me, I’ll offer a humble opinion."
After speaking, he changed his tone and, with a laugh, said, "Actually.... my thoughts are somewhat different from Director Wen’s."
Upon hearing Director Pang, everyone present turned to look at him.
The old fox Director Pang was not fazed: after all, his true body was held by Fang Ze, and not here. Even if those present were annoyed with him and attacked him, he would still be able to resurrect.
Squinting, he smiled and said, "Don’t look at me like that. You all are public employees, while I’m a member of an anti-federation organization. Our ways of thinking are certainly different."
"These days, as I’ve been looking over the interrogation reports and materials, there’s been an absurdity that keeps coming to mind: because..... this method feels so familiar."
"Isn’t this precisely the method we used to try to infiltrate the federation back then?"
"Investigate the low-level public officials in key positions, and then identify their inclinations. Entice with beauty if they desire beauty, offer money if they desire wealth, and if they have ideals, guide them with noble reasons...."
"Then, use them to accomplish certain goals and achieve the outcomes we desire."
Upon hearing his words, everyone’s brows furrowed slightly, while Fang Ze’s face also showed a thoughtful expression.
Director Pang chuckled again and said, "And applying this to the current matter, based on this organization’s actions in recent years, I think their goal is very simple: to drive a wedge between the federation and the demigods of the Human Race. To sow discord between them."
"This perfectly explains why they would use Deputy Chairperson Jing’s identity."
"Beyond using Deputy Chairperson Jing’s identity to easily attract those fools, there’s also the fact that even if things are exposed, it would only serve to further exacerbate the discord between the demigods of the Human Race and the federation."
"After all, Deputy Chairperson Jing is one of the federation’s five elders. Who has the courage to investigate him? Who can investigate him?"
"Can the demigods of the Human Race trust an investigation conducted by the federation?"
"Can the federation trust an investigation conducted by the demigods of the Human Race?"
"This is a blatant open conspiracy blocking both sides!"
After speaking, he paused and chuckled as he concluded, "So, it’s become very clear by now."
"It’s the External Realm demigods who stand a 99% chance of orchestrating all this from behind the scenes, aiming to create conflict between the federation and the Human Race demigods. Moreover, from the fact that this demigod can impersonate Deputy Chairperson Jing, we can see their methods and power are not trivial."
Hearing his words, the conference room fell into silence for a moment. Fang Ze also couldn’t help but exchange a glance with Lan Bing beside him. They both saw the gravity in each other’s eyes.
Recently, Lan Bing’s power had notably increased, exuding an icy aura. Upon hearing Director Pang’s words, she slowly spoke, "If what you speculate is true."
"Then the implications of this matter are immense."
Upon hearing Lan Bing’s words, Director Pang didn’t immediately grasp her meaning. He couldn’t help but look at Lan Bing.
Lan Bing, her face frosty, slowly said, "Wen Long’s analysis wasn’t wrong. This extremist faction, capable of repeatedly undermining the relationship between the federation and the demigods of the Human Race, must have a premise: they have clearance to access relevant activities in advance."