458: I don’t mind letting my master and elders discuss attitude with you (two in one)

"Too coincidental?"

Que Tian looked at Councilor Zhai Lin, maintaining a smile, and said, "Councilor Zhai Lin, I also think this is truly too coincidental, but I presume Councilor Zhai Lin has heard a saying."

"No coincidence, no story!"

"There are too many coincidences in the world. You cannot assume there's a problem with my report just because things are too coincidental."

Zhai Lin's eyes darkened, and he was about to speak.

But Que Tian didn't give him a chance to speak, preemptively saying, "Councilor Zhai Lin, if you have evidence that I wasn't unconscious at the time, then please present that evidence to refute my words. Otherwise, my report ends here!"

Zhai Lin's face visibly darkened in an instant.

Present evidence?

He had no damn evidence.

If he had evidence, he wouldn't just be talking here.

He had originally intended to make Que Tian self-incriminate. If Que Tian couldn't produce evidence, he would have a legitimate reason to proceed with further questioning and interrogation, but he didn't expect Que Tian to fall for it at all.

And he completely disregarded his status.

This made Zhai Lin somewhat annoyed. His eyes flickered as he pondered how to continue targeting Que Tian.

He simply didn't believe Que Tian's explanation.

Que Tian then looked at Director Kailuo and said, "Director Kailuo, Councilor Zhai Lin is questioning the content of my mission report. I think it should be he who needs to provide evidence, not I."

"The alliance's mission system was not fully online during this exploration mission, so I cannot prove myself."

"If Councilor Zhai Lin still has doubts, then he should provide evidence to prove that I was not unconscious at the time, and I should not be asked to provide evidence that I was unconscious."

"After all, even for a criminal, it should be the police who provide evidence of the crime."

"Moreover, I am not a criminal."

Que Tian finished calmly, bowed slightly to Director Kailuo and Song Qingfeng's projections, and then said,

"If Director Kailuo and Director Song have no other questions, then the above is the entirety of my mission report."

Song Qingfeng naturally didn't raise any objections.

Director Kailuo, on the other hand, gazed deeply at Que Tian and said,

"Que Tian, I must remind you that if you insist you were unconscious the entire time, then you should be aware that if you didn't provide any help to the mission process, you will not receive any rewards for this mission beyond the basic rewards. Do you understand?"

"I voluntarily give up all rewards for this mission!" Que Tian said directly.

Seeing this, Director Kailuo said nothing more, but instead turned to Lin Yang and asked, "Is what Que Tian said true? Can you vouch for him?"

"Que Tian was indeed unconscious; I can fully attest to this and am willing to take responsibility for my words," Lin Yang said directly.

"Are you aware of the consequences of perjury and colluding to conceal information?" Director Kailuo added.

"I fully understand!" Lin Yang nodded.

Perjury?

He had not committed perjury.

Que Tian was indeed unconscious.

And what he had just said was to prove that Que Tian had been unconscious, not to prove that Que Tian had been unconscious the entire time.

This couldn't be considered perjury.

At most, it was playing a bit of a word game.

If it were any other time, it certainly wouldn't be so easy to play such word games.

Language loopholes would be discovered.

But now, as Que Tian had said before, they were not criminals.

Not only were they not criminals, but they were also meritorious individuals who had made great contributions!

So it was impossible to question them as meticulously as criminals.

This gave Lin Yang an opportunity.

This was also what Que Tian had discussed with him beforehand.

Because Que Tian was concerned about a potential accident in the future.

If that time truly came, even if something happened to Que Tian, it wouldn't implicate him too much.

At the time, Lin Yang still felt that Que Tian was overly cautious, but now it seemed that Que Tian understood the people of the Old Monster Faction too well.

Zhai Lin, as one of the councilors of the Human Alliance, held an extremely high status, yet he was now unashamedly targeting Que Tian while listening to the mission report.

He was simply reckless.

The two of them were meritorious individuals who had overfulfilled their mission and returned, not here to be interrogated.

But Zhai Lin was adopting such an interrogative posture, like questioning a criminal.

It was conceivable that if they weren't reporting a mission this time, Zhai Lin would probably treat them as criminals.

This also made Lin Yang intuitively realize how unbridled the people of the Old Monster Faction were within the Human Alliance.

"Director Kailuo and Director Song of the Neutral Faction did not stop some of Zhai Lin's non-compliant actions. It seems that the people of the Old Monster Faction currently have the upper hand in the alliance, and the situation is even more severe than I previously imagined."

Lin Yang muttered to himself.

From the attitudes of Director Kailuo and Song Qingfeng, it could be seen that on issues not involving principles, the people of the Old Monster Faction could indeed act recklessly.

When he had previously heard from Que Tian that the Human Alliance internal structure was a three-faction standoff, he hadn't had a very intuitive feeling.

But the current situation made Lin Yang realize that the predicament of Song Qingfeng's faction within the alliance was probably even more difficult than he had imagined.

As Lin Yang pondered, Director Kailuo spoke, "Since you, Lin Yang, can provide additional evidence for Que Tian's words, then Que Tian's mission report can conclude here."

"Que Tian, you can also go out and sign the non-disclosure agreement first."

"Alright." Que Tian bowed slightly again, glanced at Lin Yang, and turned to leave the meeting hall.

"Hmph."

Zhai Lin, however, watched Que Tian's departing back and let out a cold snort.

Then he suddenly looked at Lin Yang:

"Lin Yang, hehe, since you testified for Que Tian that he was unaware, then now, you, meticulously, recount everything that happened after entering the ruins, without omitting a single word!"

Lin Yang smiled slightly: "It is my duty to give a mission report."

Following that, he recounted everything inside the ruins except for the Heroic Soul Warriors.

Aside from the Heroic Soul Warriors possibly being stimulated and awakened because he brought the Stone Statue, there was no need to conceal other circumstances.

After all, one could see it at a glance upon entering afterward.

The highest realm of lying is nine truths and one falsehood.

He spoke only the truth.

Therefore, Lin Yang was unhurried, completely disregarding Zhai Lin's oppressive gaze during the report, and steadily recounted everything that had happened.

As Lin Yang reported, the expressions of Director Kailuo and Song Qingfeng gradually grew solemn.

After Lin Yang had completely finished reporting, Director Kailuo glanced at Song Qingfeng and solemnly said to Lin Yang,

"Lin Yang, the situation you described has not been encountered within the alliance. Could you elaborate on why that Stone Statue wanted to devour you, and how you used the Stone Statue's power to destroy the Mingye Clan base?"

"Director Kailuo, I also don't know why that bizarre Stone Statue wanted to devour me, even going so far as to attack any other force that tried to attack me to protect me."

Lin Yang answered truthfully.

Zhai Lin instantly let out a cold snort: "Hmph, Lin Yang, you'd better tell the truth! How could the Stone Statue want to devour you without a reason? And even protect you!"

Lin Yang directly turned his head to look at him and said indifferently,

"Councilor Zhai Lin, I truly don't know the reason behind this. If you also want me to produce evidence to prove this point, then I also hope that it is you, Councilor Zhai Lin, who produces evidence to prove that I am lying, rather than asking me to prove that I am not lying."

He didn't use honorifics for this guy like Que Tian did.

He even directly used Que Tian's words just now to retort Zhai Lin.

Que Tian didn't want Zhai Lin to find fault with his attitude.

But he didn't care about that.

After all, it was now common knowledge that he had a powerful master behind him, and an even more terrifying strong individual, who had already clashed with the Old Monster.

So he didn't need to be polite to Zhai Lin.

This guy also dared not pick on him regarding his attitude.

Furthermore, he was now, on the surface, the sole insider regarding the situation within the ruins.

What the situation inside the ruins truly was, depended on what he said.

So as long as he didn't act too arrogant or excessive, Zhai Lin, even if he died of anger, wouldn't dare to do anything to him.

Because, even if those Old Monster behind Zhai Lin wanted to enter the Unknown Space and the ruins to investigate thoroughly, they would have to make full preparations.

If he were to be angered, even a slight concealment of danger could pose a huge threat to the explorers who entered.

Therefore, Lin Yang was now completely fearless.

And Zhai Lin, on the other hand, was instantly so angry that he was practically fuming.

Just now, Que Tian had used words of counter-self-proof to confront him, and now, before he even brought it up, Lin Yang once again brought out this style of speech.

This directly made Zhai Lin so angry he wanted to kill someone.

He had never hated hearing the words "evidence" as much as he did now!

And!

Disrespectful!

Lin Yang was truly too disrespectful to him!!!

Que Tian at least, he was the one who first raised the question!

But Lin Yang, on the other hand, before he even expressed any stance, directly retorted him!

Simply despicable!

Utterly despicable!!!

Zhai Lin roared in his heart.

He reached out and pointed at Lin Yang, instinctively wanting to criticize Lin Yang's attitude.

But, before he could speak, Lin Yang seemed to have read his mind, and immediately smiled slightly, saying,

"If Councilor Zhai Lin thinks my attitude is also problematic, then, again, Councilor Zhai Lin, show evidence that I am lying, and I will apologize to you, Councilor Zhai Lin."

"..."

"..."

Zhai Lin was instantly half-dead with anger.

He wanted to criticize, but hadn't he not even voiced the criticism yet?

Lin Yang had already preempted him!

He couldn't take it anymore!

He absolutely couldn't take it anymore!

Provocation!

This was simply a provocation!!!

Zhai Lin erupted:

"Lin Yang!"

"Don't think that just because someone is protecting you, you can be so insubordinate and reckless!!!"

"I warn you, you..."

However, Lin Yang didn't give Zhai Lin a chance to finish a single sentence, directly interrupting him with a smile:

"Councilor Zhai Lin, what do you want to warn me about?"

"I am currently returning from a normal mission to give a report. I am not a criminal, so I don't quite understand why you, Councilor Zhai Lin, repeatedly ask me and my teammates to self-incriminate."

"This is the attitude and method of interrogating criminals!"

"If there truly is an issue with attitude, I think that issue does not lie with me or my teammates."

"Furthermore."

Lin Yang paused, looking directly at Zhai Lin:

"Since you, Councilor Zhai Lin, also know that my master and elders cannot tolerate others bullying me or me suffering grievances, yet you still use such an attitude to question someone like me who has made immense contributions to the alliance."

"Then I would like to ask you, Councilor Zhai Lin, if you intend to disregard the warnings of my master and elders and bully me, a junior?"

Zhai Lin's face instantly changed.

Lin Yang continued:

"If Councilor Zhai Lin continues to question me with the methods and attitude of interrogating a criminal, then I believe I also have the right to refuse to answer any of your subsequent questions, Councilor Zhai Lin."

"After all, I am not a criminal!"

"Of course, if Councilor Zhai Lin still believes my attitude is problematic and wants to question me like a criminal, then I don't mind informing my master and elders to discuss the attitude issue with you, Councilor Zhai Lin."

Having finished speaking, Lin Yang looked directly at Zhai Lin with a faint smile.

Although these words had a hint of 'the fox borrowing the tiger's might' to them.

But it had to be said.

This feeling was truly quite exhilarating.

Zhai Lin, on the other hand, instantly showed an expression more miserable than if he had eaten rat droppings.

He stared coldly at Lin Yang.

In fact, when he spoke the warning just now, he was also gambling that Lin Yang wouldn't openly contradict him in such a setting.

But he hadn't expected Lin Yang to directly turn the tables on him, giving him no face whatsoever.

This made Zhai Lin feel worse than eating shit!

He was furious.

But he could only forcibly suppress it.

After all, Lin Yang was indeed not a criminal, and conducting interrogative questioning was inherently inappropriate.

He was only doing this because he was already displeased with Lin Yang and Que Tian.

Because in this exploration mission, none of the people sent by their faction gained any advantage or head start.

All the head starts and intelligence within the ruins were monopolized by Lin Yang.

He was somewhat displeased, and also wanted to extract more information about the ruins from Lin Yang through pressure, which is why he questioned him in an interrogative manner.

Because he was absolutely confident that Lin Yang and the others would inevitably conceal something.

It was under this mindset that Zhai Lin's emotions became imbalanced, leading him to engage in non-compliant behavior.

Of course, if it were someone else, his actions wouldn't have been a big deal.

Even if he went a bit further, it wouldn't matter.

Because neither Song Qingfeng nor the Neutral Faction would fall out with them over such a minor issue.

It wasn't the first time he had done this during a report.

But now, no matter how displeased or angry he was, Zhai Lin could only forcibly endure it.

Because if he truly escalated this matter, the Old Monster behind him would certainly not restart a war with Lin Yang's master and elders over such a trivial issue.

Just as Song Qingfeng and the people of the Neutral Faction wouldn't fall out with him over such a minor issue before.

Therefore, Zhai Lin had to endure, whether he wanted to or not!

He glared at Lin Yang coldly, full of murderous intent, and directly left the scene.

Since the conversation had reached this point, his continued presence would not yield any new intelligence about the ruins, and he no longer wanted to see Lin Yang's infuriating face!

Zhai Lin left.

He left very decisively.

Without another word.

His projection directly dissipated.

Upon seeing this, Song Qingfeng immediately gave Lin Yang a thumbs-up.

Even through the projection, one could see that he could barely contain his smile.

Director Kailuo, on the other hand, sighed slightly and said softly,

"Lin Yang, since you have nothing else to report, this mission report concludes here. After signing the non-disclosure agreement, you are free to go."

"On behalf of the Human Alliance, I thank you and your teammates for your immense contributions to the alliance!"

"The rewards for this mission will be issued by the alliance's mission system shortly. I hope you will continue to strive for the prosperity of the Human Alliance and humanity!"

After speaking, Director Kailuo's projection also dissipated.

"Lin Yang, hahahaha, you little rascal, you've got guts! Come find me in my office, I have something to tell you!"

After Director Kailuo also left, Song Qingfeng could no longer contain his smile, laughing and scolding, then also dissipated his projection.