Chapter 119: Thorough Investigation

Guo Yu was the first to shout. From the moment he arrived, he had searched the crowd, but there was no sign of Wu Qihao. He could no longer contain his frustration.

"Commander, Team Leader Wu told us to come and welcome the commanders today, but we truly have no idea where he went."

These men were all from Guo Yu’s team. Seeing him lose his temper, they spoke with extreme caution. Fang Xia stepped forward and patted Guo Yu on the shoulder, signaling him to calm down.

"I will ask this only once, and you will answer honestly. If you lie to me, you know the consequences."

"How many of you knew that Wu Qihao was reporting false numbers for the level-up crystals used to feed the beasts?"

At these words, many were stunned. Such a thing was even possible? They had all wanted to embezzle resources at some point, but it was nearly impossible. With a hundred people in a battalion, everyone saw exactly what was done and what was harvested during the day’s missions. To steal, one had to have the nerve.

Like Fang Xia’s organization, every faction had its own methods to prevent embezzlement, though they were mostly similar. Fang Xia’s system was simple: only the team leader held a space ring. Upon returning from a mission, they had to hand over the ring immediately. Once a specialist counted the haul and removed the loot, the ring was returned. Since they only had one piece of spatial equipment, they couldn't hide anything on their persons. Furthermore, team members were encouraged to monitor and report one another, with a reward of one hundred level-up crystals for any confirmed report. Thus far, no one had managed to pull it off, and the reward had never been claimed.

The only exception would be a situation like Guo Yu’s—where a team of nearly ten went out and everyone died except him. In that case, one could pocket a share since no one would know. But unless it was something precious, you couldn't take much; there was only so much one could carry without spatial equipment. And yet, here he was being told that a logistics worker managing the farm and pasture was somehow embezzling. That job sounded better than being a battalion commander.

Returning to the scene, dozens of seconds had passed since Fang Xia’s question, but none of the fifty men spoke.

"If you don't speak, I'll assume you were all involved. Just kill them all," Fang Xia said indifferently to Guo Yu.

Guo Yu, never one to debate, immediately drew his combat blade.

"Commander Fang, I truly don't know anything about this! My daily task is just patrolling the perimeter to keep others away. I have never once fed the beasts!"

Seeing Guo Yu draw his weapon, someone immediately knelt in terror. Once the first one broke, others followed suit, shouting their innocence.

"It’s impossible that none of you fed the beasts, isn't it?"

The eyes of the dozens of men turned toward the three people at the front, and Fang Xia and his group followed their gaze.

"Commander Fang, we fifty operate on a rotating shift. These two are our small-team leaders; they are the ones who feed the beasts. We only handle patrol."

Fang Xia remained silent, listening intently to the inner thoughts of everyone present. In this situation, everyone was pondering the matter, and if there was a guilty secret, Fang Xia would surely hear it. The two small-team leaders’ legs were already trembling; they were indeed complicit.

"Don't just stare at those two. You lot aren't much better. Last night, I had Liu Rui notify everyone at the rank of battalion commander and above, yet today, Wu Qihao ran off."

At this, everyone understood. Someone had tipped Wu Qihao off, which meant this incident likely involved more than just him. Things had escalated.

Fang Xia’s sharp gaze swept slowly over everyone behind him. Anyone he looked at couldn't help but lower their heads. At this moment, whether they were guilty or innocent, everyone felt the same panic. Someone was going to suffer today, and as long as it wasn't them, they didn't care.

Once he had looked at everyone, Fang Xia had a general idea of the situation. Moreover, he had been prepared all along. His gaze returned to the two small-team leaders.

The two were already kneeling on the ground in terror. Forty-eight people had pointed at them; they had no way out, especially since the mastermind had already fled. They couldn't see any path to survival.

"Tell me everything, and I might consider your fate."

The two heard these words like a divine decree, clutching at the lifeline. Without needing another prompt, they scrambled to confess.

"One at a time. You first," Fang Xia said, frowning as he pointed to the one on the left.

"Commander Fang, it really isn't our fault! It was all that bastard Wu Qihao!"

"Get to the point." Fang Xia’s impatience grew.

The man jumped and quickly reorganized his words. "At first, Wu Qihao called us over and said he had a big deal for us, promising five level-up crystals every day. The task was simple: when feeding the beasts, only I could go in, and I wasn't allowed to reveal the amount fed to anyone else. I thought it was easy money, so I agreed. But I truly didn't know he was embezzling from you, Commander! If I had known, I would have reported it to you immediately."

The man sounded aggrieved, tears and snot streaming down his face. Fang Xia almost believed him.

"Is that why he gave you eight crystals a day to feed them, but you only fed six?"

The crying stopped abruptly. He stared with wide, disbelieving eyes. No one knew about that; even Wu Qihao didn't know he had secretly kept two for himself. How could Commander Fang know? If this weren't the apocalypse, he would have suspected there were hidden cameras in the pasture.

"Nothing to say? Guo Yu."

A combat blade flashed from beside Fang Xia. Before the small-team leader could react, he was cut down. Guo Yu, holding his dripping blade, looked at the other leader. Under the pressure of that aura, this seasoned leader was so terrified he wet himself.

"Your turn. You know what to say, don't you?" Fang Xia’s tone remained steady, which, paired with the presence of Guo Yu, made him seem all the more terrifying.

"Com-Commander Fang." The leader stuttered, taking several deep breaths to steady himself. "I’m the same as him. I was deceived by Wu Qihao. Furthermore, I absolutely did not embezzle anything myself; I fed all eight crystals every day. Also, I know that Wu Qihao was very close with a battalion commander. Wu Qihao only got this management position because that person put in a good word. The two of them met often, but I don't know what they were doing."