When Kong Yi heard the door being pushed open, he asked,
"When do you plan to open the door?"
"Let's wait a little longer." Qi Yuan shrugged.
"I was almost killed by them in the interrogation room. I have to show them my attitude. I can't let them think I'm easy to bully. Otherwise, I might encounter such a troublesome situation next time."
Kong Yi laughed. "That's true.
When Department Head Mo first entered the Black Steel Shelter, people like us who made a name for ourselves in the wilderness had a very low status and were often bullied. During one of our missions, they deliberately went to a dangerous place in an attempt to kill Department Head Mo. In the end, only Department Head Mo returned from that mission. Since then, no one in the Wilderness Exploration Department dared to do anything to Department Head Mo. "
Qi Yuan nodded.
"If it weren't for Department Head Mo's rise, the situation of us wilderness hunters who entered the shelter later would've been even more difficult."
Listening to the two chatting, Ji Jun didn't dare to interrupt. She stood in the corner with her head lowered and didn't make a sound. However, from her slightly trembling hands, one could see the fear in her heart.
Kong Yi glanced at the surveillance camera in the corner and said, "The laboratory just suffered such a huge loss, and something like this happened to the Order Department. I'm guessing they're having a headache over what kind of price they should pay to appease your anger."
Kong Yi's words were a clear indication that he could demand an exorbitant price and extort the Order Department.
Qi Yuan smiled. He was forced to play dead to stall for time. Making the Order Department bleed was a basic move. However, compared to his true goal, making the Order Department bleed wasn't the most important thing.
Taking advantage of the opportunity presented to him by the Order Department, he could do more things.
For example, check-in!
Among all the departments, the Order Department had the highest level of authority. This meant that except for a very small number of places, the members of the Order Department had unimpeded access.
Moreover, with such a huge accident happening in the laboratory, it should've been the Risk Management Department that got involved. However, it was the Order Department that got involved. This meant that the Order Department would definitely set up a special investigation team to investigate and deal with this matter. If he could take the opportunity to sneak into the investigation team, then he could openly check-in at various places.
Other than the board of directors' check-in point and the laboratory's check-in point, the other check-in points wouldn't pose any obstacles.
The Public Order Department, second floor.
A one-eyed man with an eye patch stood in front of a silver-white door for a few seconds. Then, the door slowly opened.
The one-eyed man appeared a little nervous because this was Xia Shixun's office. As the person in charge of the entire Public Order Department, although Xia Shixun was not a tyrant in the eyes of others, he was definitely not a benevolent person. A benevolent person would never be able to sit in this position.
After stepping through the door, the one-eyed man swept his gaze around and quickly found the owner of this office.
Xia Shixun's back was facing the door as he stared at the projection in the middle of the office.
The one-eyed man stood behind him respectfully, not daring to disturb him until a gentle voice came from the front.
"Shikun, there's no need to be so reserved. Come and take a look!"
"Yes!" The one-eyed man walked to Xia Shixun's side and glanced at the virtual projection.
He realized that the projection was showing an interrogation room of the Order Department.
However, the three people inside were a little strange. As the owner of the Public Order Department, they were like children who had done something wrong. They lowered their heads and stood in the corner, not daring to speak.
Of the other two, one was completely charred and had an indistinguishable appearance. The other was wearing the badge of the Desolate Detective Department. He seemed to be Mo Sheng's assistant.
Seeing this, Le Shikun quickly connected the dots.
"That person is Qi Yuan?" Le Shikun asked.
Xia Shixun nodded.
"Take a look here."
Xia Shixun pressed a button, and the projection changed to the scene outside the door. A group of Public Order Department staff stood outside the door, seemingly at a loss.
Xia Shixun sighed.
"Someone wants to use our Public Order Department to kill Qi Yuan. Xue Hong and Tian Wei did some stupid things out of greed. In the end, Tanqiu, Mo Sheng, and Pang Jiuchuan joined forces to pressure me. They even reported the matter to Director Xue. Qi Yuan also wants an explanation from us. If this matter isn't handled well, our Public Order Department's reputation will be ruined."
When Le Huaizhou heard this, he quickly guessed why Xia Shixun called him over.
The core of this matter was Qi Yuan. If they wanted to settle this matter, they had to get Qi Yuan to let go.
The Public Order Department and the laboratory had always been on bad terms. Therefore, it wouldn't be easy to persuade Qi Yuan to let go unless they could find a suitable middleman.
For example, his son — Le Huaizhou!
"I'll think of a way to deal with Qi Yuan!" Le Shikun decided to accept this mission.
Xia Shixun nodded.
"The situation is special now. As long as Qi Yuan's conditions aren't too excessive, we can agree to them even if they are a little harsh."
After leaving Xia Shixun's office, Le Shikun first sent a message to his son, Le Huaizhou, and called him over.
Le Huaizhou hurried over to the Public Order Department. After the two of them met up, Le Shikun briefly explained what had happened. When Le Huaizhou heard this, he was shocked.
"I thought Qi Yuan had been sent away for treatment. I didn't expect him to be brought here for interrogation."
"How confident are you in persuading Qi Yuan to not blow this matter out of proportion?" Le Shikun asked.
Le Huaizhou thought for a moment and said, "Qi Yuan isn't the kind of person to pester endlessly. However, once someone crosses his bottom line, Qi Yuan will definitely get back at them.
Previously, Xiao Yu had consecutively snatched three of Qi Yuan's project applications. In the end, Qi Yuan snatched three of his projects back and even forced him to be promoted from a third-level researcher to a second-level researcher. "
"Qi Yuan was almost forced to his death in the Public Order Department this time. It won't be easy to get him to let things go."
"As long as Qi Yuan is willing to let go, you can state your conditions!" Le Huaizhou said.
Le Huaizhou nodded.
"I'll give it a try."
The two of them went to the door of the interrogation room and dispersed the people surrounding the door. Only Tian Wei was left behind.
Although Tian Wei was an M6, one level higher than Le Shikun, he consciously kept his mouth shut. Xia Shixun and Director Xue were both involved in this matter. If he didn't handle it well, his M6 could become worthless at any time.
Le Huaizhou pushed the door of the interrogation room and found that the door was still locked.
Then, Le Huaizhou tried to send a private message to Qi Yuan. However, he didn't get a reply.
"Did you guys take away Qi Yuan's private communicator?" Le Huaizhou asked.
Le Shikun's face stiffened. Only then did he realize that when Qi Yuan walked into the interrogation room, Xue Hong was already prepared to let Qi Yuan die in there. He took away Qi Yuan's private communicator to cut off Qi Yuan's communication with the outside world so that he couldn't ask Tanqiu and the others for help.
"This damned guy!" Le Shikun couldn't help but curse.
He did have a way to use his authority to force open the door of the interrogation room from the outside. However, Qi Yuan had locked the door from the inside. Moreover, Qi Yuan was in a fit of anger. If he forced the door open, it would only add fuel to the fire.
"I'll think of something."
Le Shikun said. Then, he found a name in his contact list and sent a private message to the other party.
In the interrogation room, Kong Yi was chatting with Qi Yuan when he suddenly realized that he had received a private message. He opened it and immediately smiled.
"Looks like Xia Shixun is feeling the pressure too. He called Le Huaizhou over and is ready to work for you."
"Since he sent you a private message, it seems like it's time to open the door," Qi Yuan said.
Closing the door was a way to express his attitude. However, if he kept it closed, the public order department might not continue to indulge him. After all, he was only a second-level researcher. The people from the public order department were willing to wait outside not because of him, but because of Tanqiu and the others.
Kong Yi nodded. He was originally worried that Qi Yuan would make a mess out of things because of his resentment. However, it seemed like he was overthinking. Qi Yuan had already controlled the situation very well.
Kong Yi stood up and said, "Sit here and don't move. I'll go open the door."
"The public order department must be prepared to bleed a lot. This is what you exchanged for with your life. When we talk about the conditions, don't be too stingy!"
Kong Yi put away the smile on his face and put on a serious expression. He then opened the locked door.
Le Kunshan and the others immediately filed in. Tian Wei walked at the back with his head lowered.
Looking at the charred Qi Yuan, Le Huaizhou couldn't help but shake his head.
"How's your injury?
Do you need to go to the infirmary for treatment? "
"No need. I can still take it," Qi Yuan said.
"How's the situation in the lab?" Qi Yuan asked.
"The situation isn't good." Le Huaizhou sighed.
"Including your lab, a total of eight labs exploded."
"Councilman Cao was seriously injured and unconscious in the explosion. We don't know if he'll wake up. Seventeen level three researchers died. Twenty-seven level two researchers died. Fifty-two level one researchers died. Thirty-seven assistants died."
Qi Yuan's heart sank. A total of eight labs exploded. The financial losses were astronomical. However, the most serious blow to the lab was the death of the researchers.
With Cao Yansheng's position, he should have received the best medical treatment after being injured. However, he still hadn't woken up. This was enough to prove that he was seriously injured.
Level three researchers were considered the backbone of the lab. The entire Biological and Mechanical Research Laboratory only had fifty-one level three researchers. The death of seventeen level three researchers caused the lab to lose one-third of its level three researchers.
In addition to the death of the level two and level one researchers, the lab could be said to have suffered a great loss. It would take a long time for them to recover.
After a moment of silence, Qi Yuan glanced at Tian Wei.
"Who's the one who tried to take advantage of the situation and kill me?"
Tian Wei raised his head and squeezed out an ugly smile. He was about to push the blame to Ji Jun when he heard Qi Yuan say, "Don't use such a small person as a scapegoat.
"Don't push this kind of small fry out to take the blame. She doesn't have the guts or the right to decide the life and death of a second-level researcher."
Tian Wei's smile froze. He glanced at Ji Jun who was silent with her head lowered. He gritted his teeth and said, "It's Xue Hong. Ji Jun works for Xue Hong."
Ji Jun heard this and looked up at Tian Wei. She then lowered her head again and didn't refute.
Kong Yi also glanced at Tian Wei and explained in a low voice,
"Xue Hong is the son of the board member, Xue Yuanqing."
Qi Yuan frowned. He originally thought that Ke Shoulin or Feng Qian were trying to take advantage of the situation. He didn't expect a board member to suddenly appear.
"I can guarantee that Xue Hong doesn't know anything about this. Xue Hong acted on his own accord." Le Shikun said.
"Xue Hong has already contacted Minister Xia about this matter. He asked us to punish Xue Hong severely and banish him to the wilderness!"
Kong Yi said in a low voice, "Xue Hong has always been fair. Among his children, Xue Hong is the most disappointing one."
Qi Yuan nodded. He understood what Kong Yi meant. As long as Xue Hong wasn't killed, Xue Yuanqing wouldn't interfere.
Since Xue Hong was Xue Yuanqing's son, Qi Yuan naturally wouldn't want to kill him. Killing such a second-generation heir would only offend Xue Yuanqing and wouldn't bring him any benefits.
Just as Qi Yuan was thinking about how to deal with Xue Hong, the door to the interrogation room was suddenly pushed open and Xue Hong walked in.
Le Shikun knew that this was bad. He knew Xue Hong's personality very well. He would only ruin things if he barged in at this time.
Without waiting for Xue Hong to speak, Le Shikun went up to him.
"Young Master Hong, we're discussing the compensation with Qi Yuan. If you have anything to say, we can talk privately later."
Xue Hong glanced at Le Shikun. He obviously didn't take him seriously. What right did an M5 agent have to talk to him like that?
Xue Hong pushed Le Shikun aside and walked directly in front of Qi Yuan. He said arrogantly:
He said arrogantly, "You're Qi Yuan?"
Qi Yuan sat on the chair and looked at the person who came in. He could vaguely guess the other party's identity. However, Qi Yuan still said calmly.
"I'm Qi Yuan. Who are you?"
"Who am I?" Xue Hong was stunned. Then, he laughed out loud. This was the first time someone had asked him that.
"I'm Xue Hong. My father is Xue Yuanqing, a director. You can call me Young Master Hong like the others!"
'This idiot.' Le Shikun cursed in his heart. Tian Wei, on the other hand, almost laughed out loud.
With this idiot Xue Hong at the front, it should be enough to attract all the firepower.
Xue Hong glanced at Qi Yuan, who was still sitting on the chair without moving. His expression was clearly unhappy.
How dare a Level Two researcher act so arrogantly in front of him?
"Do you know that I was scolded by my father because you pretended to be dead today!" Xue Hong said in an unfriendly tone.
Qi Yuan faintly glanced at Xue Hong.
"What's the connection between me pretending to be dead and your father scolding you?"
Xue Hong was stunned. If he said the reason, wouldn't he be admitting that he was deliberately picking on Qi Yuan?
"Don't ask what the connection is. You just need to know that I was scolded because of you," Xue Hong said loudly.
"So, you're here to denounce me?" Qi Yuan said with a half-smile.
Xue Hong sensed that something was wrong from the way the others looked at him. However, as soon as he thought of the mutated energy weapon, Xue Hong quickly threw this thought to the back of his mind.
"I won't make things difficult for you," Xue Hong said, pretending to be generous.
"As long as you tell me who the mutated energy weapon in your laboratory belongs to, I'll let this matter rest."
This time, Qi Yuan couldn't help but shake his head.
Since Xue Yuanqing was able to become a director, his methods and intelligence were definitely not bad. How could he have such a stupid son?
"I'm sorry, but I can't reveal the other party's identity," Qi Yuan said.
Xue Hong's eyes flickered. He didn't expect Qi Yuan to be so unappreciative and embarrass him.
Under the watchful eyes of the others, Xue Hong glared at Qi Yuan.
"Keep that thing in my … in the public order department. No matter who it belongs to, tell them to look for Xia Shixun!"
"I'll definitely pass on the message!" Qi Yuan said with a smile.
Xue Hong felt embarrassed. Just as he was about to leave, he heard Qi Yuan say, "I'll leave the mutated energy weapon with you for now. Remember to send the four tons of Asterite in my laboratory back to me today."
Xue Hong stopped in his tracks and suddenly turned to look at Qi Yuan.
"Where did you get the four tons of Asterite from? It's clearly only two tons!"
"Only two tons?" Qi Yuan looked at Tian Wei with a smile and asked.
"How many tons of Asterite did the public order department take from me?"
Under Qi Yuan's gaze, Tian Wei opened his mouth and finally said in a low voice, "I remember … I think … they took four tons."
Qi Yuan then looked at Le Shikun.
Le Shikun coughed and said, "Don't worry, the four tons of Asterite will be returned to you today."
"Master Hong, hurry up and send it back to Researcher Qi. Otherwise, your father will be angry again!"
Although two tons of Asterite wasn't a small amount, it was an acceptable price as long as Qi Yuan let go of it. Since Xue Hong took the initiative to speak up, the Asterite naturally had to come from Xue Hong's pocket.
Hearing Le Shikun mention his father, Xue Hong finally realized something. He pointed at the few of them and said with a trembling voice, "You … you … you're extorting me!"
With Xue Yuanqing's position, Xue Hong had always been the one extorting others. He had never encountered such a situation where someone dared to extort him so openly!