669: Chapter 669 Secret Meeting of the High-Level Officials of the Xiapu Galaxy Cluster

The Speaker sat in the very center, his fingertips lightly tapping the tabletop, creating a dull and unsettling rhythm. He slowly looked up, his gaze sweeping across everyone present, his voice as low as ice.

"Everyone, the latest news. Because of the announcement released by the Inspection Team regarding the protection of whistleblowers, the entire Galaxy Cluster is now in an uproar. Another large group of people has taken the risk to report us to the Inspection Team using their real names."

These words were like a giant boulder crashing into stagnant water, causing the faces of everyone present to change drastically.

They knew better than anyone that the crimes they had committed were already too numerous to record.

It wasn't just the Ministry of Energy's corruption, bribery, and oppression of merchants; they were also involved in the buying and selling of official positions, smuggling prohibited interstellar materials, illegal mining of planetary resources, embezzling special Imperial grants, framing the loyal and upright, and treating human lives like grass...

If even one or two of these charges were proven, it would be enough for all of them to be sentenced to death. It wouldn't even be excessive to involve their entire Family in the punishment.

Once the Inspection Team obtains complete evidence, not a single person present can even think about surviving.

"Damn it!"

The Deputy Commander of the Guard Division slammed his hand on the table, his eyes fierce as he growled uncontrollably.

"These things that don't know the meaning of death! How about I immediately mobilize an elite squad right now to secretly deal with all the whistleblowers before they're taken away by the Inspection Team, and end this once and for all!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he prepared to stand up and give the order.

But before the Speaker could speak to stop him, the General Commander of the Guard Division sitting beside him immediately changed expression, shook his head violently, and interrupted in a sharp yet calm voice.

"No! You absolutely cannot move!"

He took a deep breath and looked at everyone, his tone solemn to the extreme.

"Setting aside the fact that moving against so many citizens at once would immediately trigger even greater panic and directly expose our intentions, given the speed and alertness of the Inspection Team's actions this time, I'm afraid they would have already sent people to safely escort all the whistleblowers away before we could even react!"

The Aideva father and daughter, who were rescued in public by the Security Assurance Division not long ago, are the bloodiest and most realistic example.

The other side has already set an inescapable net, just waiting for them to walk right into it.

The atmosphere in the conference room had become suppressed to the extreme. The Minister of Finance sighed with deep regret, his tone full of helpless frustration.

"Sigh, we really are having the worst luck in eight lifetimes, happening to run into an Inspection Team like this..."

These words seemed to strike a chord with everyone's thoughts. The expressions of the high-level officials present instantly became exceptionally complex—there was fear, indignation, and also a deep sense of powerlessness.

As powerful figures in the Galaxy Cluster, they naturally had inside information that the Empire would be sending an Inspection Team down for an investigation this time.

However, the composition of the Inspection Team, the personnel leading it, and the timing of the operation were all top-level Imperial secrets. Let alone local officials like them, even higher-ranking officials had no right to know in advance.

In the Supercluster where they were located, the Empire had stationed over a hundred Inspection Teams in total. Most were just ordinary, routine Inspection Teams; as long as preparations were made in advance, one could basically pass safely.

But as fate would have it, they had run right into the line of fire.

They had encountered the strictest, most cold-blooded, and most uncompromising The 33rd Inspection Team in the entire Supercluster.

The configuration of this team alone was enough to make their scalps tingle.

The Deputy Head was Sa Deli, a Secretary known throughout the entire Supercluster's disciplinary inspection System for being iron-faced. He never showed mercy when handling cases and could not tolerate even a speck of dust in his eyes.

And the Head, Li Yang, was a legendary figure with a resounding reputation throughout the Empire, known for his iron-fisted suppression of corruption and lightning-fast case handling. No matter how deep the other party's background or how high their official position, as long as he caught wind of their misdeeds, a thorough investigation would follow without exception.

The 33rd Inspection Team, led by these two men, was the "Nightmare Team" that made all corrupt officials turn pale at the mere mention of it—a presence they would normally pray to avoid at all costs.

But now, there was no way to avoid it.

Seeing everyone immersed in panic and regret, the Speaker at the head of the table coughed heavily, drawing everyone's attention back to himself.

His face was ashen, his eyes holding a final shred of composure as his low and cold voice cut through the group's negative emotions.

"Saying these unlucky words now is meaningless; complaining cannot change the current situation."

"The priority now is to think about how we should respond to and settle this Inspection Team. The reason I've risked summoning all of you here is to discuss this matter."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the room, each word as heavy as a piece of iron striking everyone's heart.

"Our affairs have basically been completely exposed. Next, we either find a way to survive together, or we wait to go to Hell together."

As his voice fell, the entire conference room became completely silent; even the sound of breathing became cautious.

Everyone understood that they had no room left to retreat and were about to face their final moment of madness and desperation.

The silence in the conference room was so heavy it was suffocating. Everyone kept their heads down, their faces as pale as paper, not even daring to breathe loudly.

In this near-desperate silence, a slightly chubby department minister suddenly stood up from his seat. His forehead was covered in cold sweat, his eyes panicked and crazed, as he lowered his voice and urgently proposed.

"Everyone... how about we just... directly dispatch people from the Guard Division to take forceful action?"

He was only halfway through his words, his tone carrying a desperate ruthlessness, but before he could finish.

The General Commander of the Guard Division sitting on the other side of the conference table suddenly had a drastic change of expression. He immediately glared at him fiercely and interrupted sharply in a very low voice that carried a bone-chilling coldness.

"Are you crazy?! If you want to die, don't drag us all down with you! Using the Guard Division to go head-to-head with the Inspection Team? I can't believe you'd come up with such a foolish move!"

The General Commander clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white, his heart filled with lingering fear.

He knew the stakes involved better than anyone.

The Inspection Team is an imperial envoy team dispatched directly by the Empire's center. They are accompanied by the most elite Security Assurance Division, and their equipment, training, and authority all crush local Galaxy guard units like ours.

Not to mention whether we could even snatch someone from the Inspection Team's station if we went all out; even if we did dare to mobilize the army, the chances of winning would be almost zero.

The other side is equipped with the Empire's latest standard-issue weapons, while our Guard Division is still using conventional equipment that is two generations behind. If a conflict truly broke out, it would be like hitting a rock with an egg—there would be no chance of victory.

Even more fatal is that once they use force against the Inspection Team, the nature of the situation completely changes.

From corruption and disciplinary violations, it would escalate directly to rebellion, treason, and opposing the Central Government. At that time, let alone saving our lives, our entire Family and all associated factions would be uprooted, with no chance of ever making a comeback.