482: Chapter 417: Reporting Obstructed, Direct Supervisor Suppresses Report

The day after returning to the fortress, Lin Zhou did not rest.

He organized all the evidence investigating Karon—patrol time comparisons, Divine Power growth curves, Void energy fluctuation records, and the overlapping schedule between Karon's seclusion and the Void Sect's actions—into a complete report, ready to submit to General Rex.

However, according to regulations, internal investigation reports of the Seventh War Zone must first be reviewed by one's direct superior before being submitted to the commander.

Lin Zhou's direct superior was the direct superior of Karon, the Seventh War Zone Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Zhou Mingyuan.

Zhou Mingyuan had served in the Seventh War Zone for thirty years and had a close personal friendship with Karon; it was said that the two had fought side by side many times.

Lin Zhou did not hesitate and walked into Zhou Mingyuan's office with the report.

Zhou Mingyuan sat behind his desk, his hair graying, his face gaunt, and his eyes as sharp as an eagle's.

He took the report, flipped through it page by page, his face expressionless.

Lin Zhou stood before the desk, his gaze calm, waiting for his response.

The office was so quiet that one could hear the ticking of the clock on the wall.

[Report Content · Summary]

- Investigation Subject: Seventh War Zone Deputy Commander, Lieutenant General Karon

- Suspicion 1: Disappearance time completely overlaps with patrol gaps, probability less than 0.01%

- Suspicion 2: Karon's Divine Power advanced 250 Rank in three years, far exceeding normal speed

- Suspicion 3: Karon's seclusion time perfectly matches the Void Sect's action times

- Suspicion 4: Void energy fluctuations detected within Karon's defense zone

- Evidence Source: Patrol records, Divine Power Cultivate records, Rule detector data, Karon's seclusion schedule

- Conclusion: Karon is suspected of colluding with the Void Sect to attack supply lines; recommend arrest and interrogation

Zhou Mingyuan finished flipping through the last page, closed the report, and looked up at Lin Zhou.

His gaze was complex—there was scrutiny, displeasure, and a hint of profound meaning that Lin Zhou could not decipher.

"Brigadier General Lin Zhou, do you know who you are accusing? Lieutenant General Karon, Deputy Commander of the Seventh War Zone, a veteran who followed the Expeditionary Force since the Old Universe era. He has saved General Rex's life, saved my life, and saved the lives of countless comrades."

"I know," Lin Zhou said in a steady voice, "but the evidence is right here."

Zhou Mingyuan pushed the report back.

"This evidence does not prove that Karon colluded with the Void Sect. The overlapping patrol times could be a coincidence; the rapid Divine Power growth could be due to his high talent; the matching seclusion times could be luck. As for the Void energy fluctuations, perhaps it was a natural leak from the Abyss. Your evidence will not hold up in a military tribunal."

[Report Status · Rejected]

- Rejection Reason: Insufficient evidence, suspicion unsubstantiated

- Reviewer: Lieutenant General Zhou Mingyuan

- Disposition: Not to be reported, destroy internally

Lin Zhou frowned.

"General, the data on the Void energy fluctuations was collected by the Fire of Civilization detector. The detection precision of the Fire of Civilization far exceeds conventional equipment. Those fluctuations cannot be natural leaks."

"Your Fire of Civilization can only be verified by you. Others cannot see or touch it. The tribunal will not accept it."

Zhou Mingyuan stood up and walked to the window.

"Lin Zhou, I know you are eager to make merit. But Karon is a veteran of the Seventh War Zone; to move against him, you need ironclad proof. What you have is not enough."

"I will continue to investigate."

"Do not," Zhou Mingyuan turned around, his gaze as sharp as a knife.

"This matter ends here. Leave the report; I will handle it. Return to the front line and continue your reconnaissance mission."

Lin Zhou was silent for a moment, then nodded.

"Yes."

He walked out of the office and closed the door.

The moment the door closed, he heard the sound of a lighter from inside—Zhou Mingyuan was lighting a cigarette, and his hand was trembling.

Lin Zhou did not return to the barracks but instead went to Li Mo's laboratory.

"Li Mo, help me investigate someone—Zhou Mingyuan."

[Zhou Mingyuan · Personal Profile]

- Name: Zhou Mingyuan

- Rank: Lieutenant General

- Position: Seventh War Zone Chief of Staff

- Divinity Rank: LV1200 (high-tier divine power, early stage)

- Divine Realm: Space-Time Divine Kingdom

- Resume: Old Universe era, fought side by side with Karon many times

- Recent Divine Power growth: Stable

- Medical report: Normal

"Is it possible that he has also been corrupted?" Lin Zhou asked.

Li Mo pulled up Zhou Mingyuan's Divine Power fluctuation records.

"No. His Divine Power fluctuations are very stable; there are no traces of Abyss energy. But his relationship with Karon is indeed very close. The two have worked together for thirty years, and Karon saved his life. He suppressed the report possibly out of personal friendship, or perhaps…"

"Or perhaps there is someone behind Karon."

Lin Zhou was silent.

He remembered the trembling hand of Zhou Mingyuan when lighting his cigarette. That wasn't nervousness; it was fear.

What was he afraid of? Was he afraid of Karon? Or was he afraid of the person behind Karon?

"Captain, should we continue the investigation?" Qin Qing walked in.

"Investigate. But he must not know." Lin Zhou put away the report.

"Karon is dead, but the person behind him is still there. Zhou Mingyuan suppressing the report means that person is more dangerous than Karon."

"Who do you suspect?"

"In the Seventh War Zone, people with a higher status than Karon. There are only three—Commander General Rex, Karon (deceased), and Chief of Staff Zhou Mingyuan."

Lin Zhou paused.

"Zhou Mingyuan suppressing the report means he might not be the mastermind himself, but he knows who the mastermind is. He dares not investigate, nor does he dare let anyone else investigate."

Qin Qing's expression changed.

"Are you saying there are still corrupt individuals among the military high command?"

"Not corrupt individuals, but followers of the Void Sect. Karon was just one of them."

Lin Zhou stood up.

"I need a list of Zhou Mingyuan's communication records, itinerary, and all personnel who have had private contact with him over the last three years."

"Three days."

"I will come back in three days."

Lin Zhou walked out of the laboratory and returned to the barracks.

Wang Meng was polishing his battle axe.

"Captain, was the report suppressed?"

"Yes."

"Then what do we do?"

"Investigate it ourselves."

For the next three days, Lin Zhou did not go on any missions.

He locked himself in the barracks, analyzing the evidence of the Karon case over and over, trying to find overlooked clues.

The Temple of Civilization's criminal deduction System ran at full capacity, searching for contradictions among thirty thousand data points.

On the fourth morning, Qin Qing walked in with a thick file.

[Zhou Mingyuan · Communication Record Analysis]

- Last three years, communication frequency between Zhou Mingyuan and Karon: Three times per week (Normal)

- Last three months, communication frequency between Zhou Mingyuan and Karon: Once per week (Decreased)

- After Karon died, Zhou Mingyuan made an encrypted call, lasting three minutes

- Recipient of encrypted call: Unknown (Signal went through seven layers of encryption, unable to trace)

- After the encrypted call, Zhou Mingyuan made another call: To a high-ranking official at the Expeditionary Force headquarters

"Expeditionary Force headquarters?" Lin Zhou's brows furrowed.

Qin Qing pulled up the record of the second call.

"The number is encrypted, unable to determine exactly who it is. But the signal direction points to the Star Domain where the Expeditionary Force headquarters is located."

"High-ranking officials at the Expeditionary Force headquarters… there are three Generals and twelve Lieutenant Generals. When Karon had an accident, he contacted the headquarters high command immediately—not to report, but to ask for instructions."

"Ask for instructions on what?"

"Instructions on how to handle the investigation."

Lin Zhou stood up.

"Zhou Mingyuan dared not investigate Karon not because he had a close personal friendship with him, but because someone would not let him investigate. That person has a higher status than Karon, perhaps even higher than General Rex. Karon was just a pawn; there is someone behind him."

"Then what do we do now? The report has been suppressed; we cannot directly investigate the headquarters high command."

"If we cannot investigate openly, then we will investigate covertly."

Lin Zhou put away the document.

"I need to make a trip to the Expeditionary Force headquarters."

"Captain, that is too dangerous. If that high-ranking official is also a follower of the Void Sect, going there is like walking into a trap."

"Therefore, we will not take too many people. You, me, Wang Meng, Chen Xuan. Four people. Dragon Vein Golden Scale will accompany us, and the projection of the ark of civilization will be compressed to the minimum."

"When are we leaving?"

"Tomorrow."

The next morning, the four-person team set out.

Through the teleportation Formation, they traveled from the Seventh War Zone fortress to the Star Domain where the Expeditionary Force headquarters was located—the core area of the New Universe.

Here, there was no Chaos mist, no Abyss energy, only Order and civilization.

[Expeditionary Force Headquarters · Environmental Data]

- Location: New Universe core area

- Defense: SSS Rank (Multi-layer shields, patrols, early warning Formations)

- Troops: Approximately 100,000

- High Command: Three Generals, twelve Lieutenant Generals

- Goal: Find the high-ranking official who spoke with Zhou Mingyuan

Lin Zhou put on casual clothes, removed his Rank insignia, and disguised himself as an ordinary logistics officer.

Su Yueyao disguised herself as his adjutant, Wang Meng as a guard, and Chen Xuan as a clerical worker.

The four entered the headquarters and settled in the accommodation Qin Qing had pre-arranged.

[Disguised Identity · Data]

- Lin Zhou: Logistics Department Major (Forged credentials)

- Su Yueyao: Logistics Department Captain (Adjutant)

- Wang Meng: Logistics Department Lieutenant (Guard)

- Chen Xuan: Logistics Department Clerk (Intelligence analysis)

The first clue was Zhou Mingyuan's encrypted call.

Although it could not be traced back, all encrypted communications within the headquarters had to be routed through the central communication node.

The logs of the central communication node recorded the sender and receiver of every communication—even if encrypted, it was possible to find out who made the call and who it was made to.

However, only a few high-ranking officials at headquarters had access to the central communication node.

Lin Zhou needed to find a reliable high-ranking official to help him check the logs.

A reliable high-ranking official… he thought of one person—General Rex's old friend, the head of the Expeditionary Force headquarters Military Law Department, Lieutenant General Zhao Tieshan.

Zhao Tieshan had fought side by side with General Rex for decades in the Old Universe era; he was selfless and impartial, earning the nickname "Iron Face."

He had personally executed a General who had been corrupted by the Void Sect during the Old Universe era and held immense prestige.

[Zhao Tieshan · Personal Profile]

- Name: Zhao Tieshan

- Rank: Lieutenant General

- Position: Head of Expeditionary Force headquarters Military Law Department

- Divinity Rank: LV1500

- Divine Realm: Judgment Divine Kingdom

- Resume: Old Universe era, executed one General and three Lieutenant Generals who were followers of the Void Sect

- Credibility: Extremely high

Lin Zhou decided to go find Zhao Tieshan.

Through General Rex's introduction, Zhao Tieshan agreed to meet Lin Zhou in the Military Law Department office.

Zhao Tieshan sat behind his desk, white-haired, with sharp, angular features and eyes like knives.

He read through the copy of Lin Zhou's evidence and was silent for a long time.

"General Rex told me about the Karon affair," Zhao Tieshan's voice was low.

"You suspect that the headquarters high command also has issues?"

"Yes. After Zhou Mingyuan suppressed the report, he made an encrypted call to a high-ranking official at headquarters. That person might be more dangerous than Karon."

Zhao Tieshan pulled up the logs of the central communication node and entered Zhou Mingyuan's communication record.

On the screen, an encrypted communication record appeared—Recipient: Expeditionary Force headquarters Deputy Commander, General Chen Tianchou.

[Chen Tianchou · Personal Profile]

- Name: Chen Tianchou

- Rank: General

- Position: Expeditionary Force headquarters Deputy Commander

- Divinity Rank: LV4000 (high-tier divine power, Peak)

- Divine Realm: Heavenly Punishment Divine Kingdom

- Resume: Old Universe era, led the Expeditionary Force to fight against the Abyss, distinguished military service

- Recent behavior: Abnormal (opposed the Military Law Department's investigation into the Void Sect multiple times)

Zhao Tieshan's expression changed.

"Chen Tianchou… he is the number two figure in the Expeditionary Force headquarters, second only to the Commander."

"What is his relationship with Karon?"

"Karon was once his adjutant. Karon was able to rise to Deputy Commander of the Seventh War Zone because he recommended him."

Lin Zhou's pupils contracted sharply.

"He is Karon's supporter. He likely knew that Karon was corrupted. Or even, he might have been corrupted himself."

Zhao Tieshan was silent for a long time, then stood up and walked to the window.

"Chen Tianchou… he fought against the Abyss for thirty years and killed countless Chaos Beasts with his own hands. How could he turn to the Abyss?"

"Perhaps he didn't turn to the Abyss, but was consumed by it. The corrosion of the Abyss is silent and imperceptible. Even a veteran like Karon was corrupted, so it is possible for Chen Tianchou as well."

Zhao Tieshan turned around.

"You want to investigate Chen Tianchou? He is a General, the Deputy Commander of the Expeditionary Force headquarters. Without concrete evidence, you cannot move against him."

"Therefore, I need evidence."

"I will help you. But we can only investigate in secret. If Chen Tianchou finds out, both you and I will die."

Lin Zhou nodded.

The two secretly formulated an investigation plan.

Zhao Tieshan used the Military Law Department's authority to retrieve Chen Tianchou's communication records, itinerary, and Divine Power Cultivate data.

Lin Zhou returned to the Seventh War Zone to wait for news.

[Investigation Plan · Phase 1]

- Task: Collect evidence of Chen Tianchou's abnormalities

- Person in charge: Zhao Tieshan (Headquarters), Lin Zhou (Seventh War Zone)

- Time: One month

- Risk: Extremely high

After returning to the fortress, Lin Zhou sat in his barracks, looking in the direction of the Chaos Star Domain.

The threat of the Void Sect was closer than the Abyss.

The Abyss was a natural phenomenon; the Void Sect was man-made madness.

They could wait, they could lurk, and they could infiltrate.

"Captain, what are you thinking about?" Qin Qing walked over.

"I am thinking about when this will end."

"When the last follower of the Void Sect is brought to justice, it will end."

"And then?"

"Then, there will be no then. There will be peace."

Lin Zhou shook his head.

"It won't. As long as there are people who fear death and fear the Void, the Void Sect will be reborn."

"Then what should we do?"

"Defend the New Universe and develop the Way of Civilization. Let more people understand that living itself has meaning."