60: Section 60

Jing Nan possessed high psychological resilience. She quickly adjusted her emotions and said casually, "It's just the routine work of the Navigation Control Room."

Charles glanced at her and did not press further.

After parting with Charles, Jing Nan fell into hesitation once again.

After careful consideration, Jing Nan walked back.

Inside Morgan's residence, Jing Nan returned.

Morgan felt it was strange to see Jing Nan again. "Why have you come back?"

"Lord City Owner, the matter I wish to speak of is very important, so..."

"Then why didn't you say it just now?"

How shrewd was Morgan; Jing Nan hadn't spoken because Charles was present.

She returned only after Charles left, clearly indicating that this matter was related to him.

Jing Nan remained silent, not knowing how to begin.

Seeing Jing Nan's hesitation, Morgan seemed to have a premonition.

"Go ahead! I'm listening."

"Lord City Owner!" Jing Nan spoke with difficulty, "Captain Mark's recent mission failures are related to the intelligence obtained by our Command Center. Given the situations Captain Mark encountered on The Surface, there is no reason we shouldn't have detected the movements of Phage Beasts of that level."

"An intelligence error?" At this point, Morgan still held onto a shred of hope.

"It wasn't an error. Someone tampered with the information, concealed key details from the Wasteland Hunters, and issued false intelligence!"

Morgan's expression remained calm, but anger was already brewing in his heart. "Who!"

Jing Nan was silent for a moment. "Everyone involved in the reconnaissance, collation, and transmission stages participated."

"You mean the entire department was providing false information to the Wasteland Hunters?"

"Yes," Jing Nan said. "When the Wasteland Hunters returned last time, they noticed something was wrong. I launched an investigation immediately and disciplined the personnel responsible for collating information at that time. However, I didn't expect problems to arise again this time. As I continued to investigate, I found that the entire department..."

Morgan looked at Jing Nan. "You manage this department. The entire department makes a collective mistake, and you, as the head, didn't even know!"

Procedurally speaking, Jing Nan was indeed to blame.

"Who is the mastermind?"

Jing Nan did not answer; she was in a difficult position.

Actually, even without Jing Nan saying it, Morgan had already guessed.

To be able to subvert an entire department to do one's bidding, especially for something as significant as the Wasteland Hunters descending to The Surface for collection.

With the slightest oversight, the Wasteland Hunters could be wiped out. What a massive loss that would be for the Lighthouse!

To dare to order subordinates to do such a thing, the mastermind must be someone of high status and power.

And how many such people are there in the Lighthouse?

Jing Nan had said enough; she knew that Morgan knew.

Morgan certainly knew, but he hoped it wasn't the case.

"It's Charles!"

Jing Nan's words shattered Morgan's last shred of hope.

"Bastard!" Morgan slammed the table in rage.

Morgan's outburst even startled Jing Nan.

"Lord City Owner, please mind your health!" Jing Nan immediately showed concern for Morgan's well-being.

Overcome with rage, Morgan clutched his chest and sat down.

"Lord City Owner! Charles won't listen to me. In the past, his petty schemes against Mark were one thing. But this time, Mark went to The Surface to retrieve medicine for you, and he still did this! He truly has no sense of priority!"

"What does Mark say?"

Jing Nan looked at Morgan in surprise. At a time like this, he was actually concerned about what Mark had to say?

"Mark doesn't know these things yet. He only has some suspicions because of the intelligence errors in several missions."

Morgan calmed his emotions.

Since it had already happened, there was no point in dwelling on responsibility.

If he really had to hold someone accountable, what could he do? Punish Charles according to the law?

"Dismiss everyone in the Intelligence Room and have the Human Resources Department assign them to the hardest and most exhausting departments."

Morgan began to issue punishments.

"And the charge?"

The charge was very important—whether it was "intentional design" or "dereliction of duty." Whether they were the "mastermind" or "accomplices."

Different charges represented the level to which Morgan was prepared to handle the matter.

"Dereliction of duty!"

"Understood!"

Morgan's words already made it clear that he would not touch Charles.

But Jing Nan was still worried because Charles was the primary issue.

If not dealt with, there was no guarantee that another problem wouldn't arise next time.

"Lord City Owner, as for Charles..." She paused, not continuing.

"You re-establish a new Intelligence Reconnaissance Department under your direct control. If you're worried about the workload, transfer a few people from the Wasteland Hunters to help you. As for Charles, I will speak to him personally."

"Yes!"

The matter concluded there.

Jing Nan understood this, so she didn't say another unnecessary word and silently left the room.

After Jing Nan left, Morgan stood up and walked to the window. Looking at the Lighthouse floating in the air, he sighed first, then shook his head and said, "It's time to make a decision."

...Jing Nan walked all the way back to her residence, her mind filled with many thoughts.

Born on the Lighthouse and raised in the City Owner's family.

With a father like Morgan and a brother like Charles, what could she not understand?

This father of hers appeared selfless, always talking about the future of humanity.

In reality, the Lighthouse was his word alone.

Charles's current state was entirely thanks to him.

In the old world, it was perfectly normal for a son to inherit his father's business.

Jing Nan didn't see any problem with Charles inheriting the position of City Owner.

But now, the way Charles handled things showed a complete disregard for the big picture.

Is such a person really fit to lead the Lighthouse?

Jing Nan was thinking about these things when she soon reached her residence.

She looked up and saw a middle-aged woman standing at her door.

"Lady Jing Nan!"

"Melissa!"

This middle-aged woman named Melissa was the personnel in charge of mission management at the Hall of Dawn.

"Are you here for me?" Seeing Melissa, Jing Nan instantly had a bad premonition.

"Yes. Lady Jing Nan, I need to notify you of something!"

Melissa used the word "notify" rather than "discuss."

"Is it a mission from the Hall of Dawn?"

Melissa nodded. "Yes. According to Lighthouse law, every Lighthouse Upper Citizen must go to the Hall of Dawn to complete Breeding Missions. This is the great task arranged for us by the lord of light and shadow."

Jing Nan smiled disdainfully. As a high-ranking member of the Lighthouse like Charles, she naturally didn't believe in that lord of light and shadow nonsense.

Those were all used to fool the people below.

"As a high-level talent of the Lighthouse, I am not required to participate in Breeding Missions."

"Yes," Melissa said unhurriedly. "Except for special circumstances."

Jing Nan was taken aback. Wasn't this just the organizer having the final say on interpretation?

"Lady Jing Nan, you are a high-level talent of the Lighthouse with excellent genes. How could such excellent genes not be passed down? According to Lighthouse law, you must still carry out Breeding Missions, though not as continuously as ordinary Upper Citizens."

"Based on female physiology, if you don't carry out a Breeding Mission soon, you will miss the optimal childbearing period! Therefore, you must carry out a Breeding Mission."

Jing Nan's expression darkened.

This "must" meant Melissa was going to make it a matter of principle. Once it became a matter of principle, under the deterrence of the three great laws, Jing Nan would gain nothing from refusing the mission.