!... The gentle sound of the full alarm bell echoed throughout the Charter Bureau, surprising the staff in black suits who looked up and stared at the crystal screens in various directions within the building. Besides the sudden attacks from the Empire, it had been a long time since the Charter Bureau issued a Level 1 order. What could have happened?
Amidst the alarm, the images on the central computer's light screen began flashing again. The printout of the paper and its analysis appeared directly on the desk of the Chief of the Charter Bureau. Despite the ringing alarm bell that startled the entire Charter Bureau, the elderly Chief's facial expression remained unchanged as he indifferently looked at the contents of the document, the corner of his lips curling slightly.
"Disappeared for 12 years, and finally, the tail shows itself," the Chief of the Charter Bureau muttered to himself. In his long life, he had encountered numerous significant events, so he wasn't easily shocked. He handed the document to a civil official and stood up, saying, "Inform the President's office and the Ministry of Defense."
The civil official, a middle-aged person, took a windproof coat from the rack and put it on, feeling a slight sense of shock. The resonating alarm bell within the Charter Bureau was sufficient proof that the current situation, as judged by the central computer, was of utmost importance. However, the Chief seemed unconcerned. If he truly didn't care... why did he still want to inform the President's office and the Ministry of Defense?
Leaning on his walking stick, the Chief of the Charter Bureau walked towards the exit along a lonely and quiet corridor. The middle-aged civil official silently followed behind him, quickly scanning the contents of the document, until his gaze fell upon a particular name.
Yu Feng? Yu Feng!
The pupils of the middle-aged civil official immediately constricted as he recalled the war more than ten years ago and the most shocking event during that time. It turned out that the central computer had located the whereabouts of Yu Feng. No wonder the Chief wanted to inform the President's office and the Ministry of Defense immediately.
Back when the former President made the pledge on federal television, promising to collaborate with the Empire and bring to justice the traitor who had betrayed more than 10,000 elite federal soldiers, the Ministry of Defense faced immense pressure due to the lack of any rebel soldiers within the army who could be granted amnesty. If they were to learn that the machine repair master Yu Feng was still alive and living comfortably in some block of the Eastwood Area, it was likely that the entire military would be furious.
Using his portable communication device, the middle-aged civil official immediately informed the President's office and the Ministry of Defense. He took a few steps forward, reaching the Chief's side, and whispered, "The conference is scheduled for 2 o'clock in the afternoon."
"I have a golf game in the afternoon," the Chief waved his hand, continuing to lean on his walking stick and walk forward without stopping. "Regarding the retrieval of that machine repair master Zhao from the Charter Bureau and the involvement of the Ministry of Defense sending troops and the President's office dispatching secret service agents, what does it have to do with us? Attend the conference on my behalf this afternoon."
The middle-aged civil official stared, momentarily taken aback. His current position was only the Chief's assistant, and according to the Charter Bureau's hierarchy, he didn't have the qualifications to represent the Charter Bureau in a Level 1 classified meeting. However, he didn't dare to object or criticize the Chief's decision. He replied calmly, "Yes, understood."
As he watched the Chief's tall and straight figure respectfully disappear around the corner, the middle-aged civil official straightened his posture. It wasn't surprising to him that Chief Sir would display such calmness and indifference, even in the face of the joint conference scheduled for the afternoon. As the Chief of the Charter Bureau, he possessed enough qualifications to overlook the staff and officials from the President's office and the Ministry of Defense, as well as the esteemed figures behind the scenes from the Seven Great Families. Not to mention, he was the oldest and most respected among them all.
Meanwhile, the senior Chief of the Charter Bureau continued his journey on the electric car, leaving the construction area behind. He handed his walking stick to his secretary and gazed at the long-standing construction sites, suddenly feeling a sense of anxiety and unease. That machine repair master named Yu Feng was indeed the most notorious traitor in the past 300 years of the federation's history. Dealing with this matter had already caused the angry Ministry of Defense, which had harbored resentment for over a decade, to store up tremendous pressure. But why would the central computer issue a Level 1 order now?
A faint hint of inquiry flashed in the Chief's deep and tranquil eyes, but he quickly suppressed any thoughts related to this matter. Yu Feng, regardless of his past dishonorable deeds or earth-shattering events, was still just an insignificant person in the eyes of these influential figures in the federation's upper echelons. The Chief didn't want to waste any more thoughts on this matter; he would no longer dwell on it.
Shortly after leaving the Charter Bureau, within the control room where the most stern central monitoring took place, the light screen continued to flash. In the empty room, a peculiar atmosphere lingered. At the bottom of the light screen, a line of small characters appeared without being recorded anywhere. The words read:
"Level 1 objective: Re-enter the field of vision."
...
...
At 12:15 noon, a convoy of black vehicles entered the suburbs of the capital and arrived at the 17th research institute. Researchers wearing glasses watched in astonishment as the Federal Bureau of Investigation personnel sealed the storage warehouse. Among them, Researcher Chen, who had recently graduated from university, returned to the scene and carefully sealed the exhibit with the serial number AW3278, while the deputy director in charge of the matter could only helplessly watch from his black car.
At exactly 2:00 pm, a small-scale conference commenced in the third building of the Charter Bureau. The middle-aged civil official attending the conference, on behalf of the Chief of the Charter Bureau, distributed documents to each department's commanding officer, then spoke calmly, "The central computer has issued a Level 1 order. Although it is a machine's analysis, there is some truth to it. Although more than ten years have passed, the federation will not allow any criminals to escape the reach of the law. Let alone the crimes committed by Yu Feng, which amounted to treason."
A colonel from the Ministry of Defense, his face gloomy, stated, "This is a disgrace to the army. The Minister will take responsibility, and the Ministry of Defense will handle this matter."
"It doesn't matter who takes the lead," responded the official from the President's office with a somber expression. He looked at the colonel from the Ministry of Defense and said earnestly, "The key is to apprehend that person. Currently, Mr. President is unaware of the details of this matter. The security advisor believes that since this machine repair master was once an outstanding student at the military academy and had many connections within the military, which helped him evade capture in the past... this arrest should be carried out by the secret service, with assistance from the Ministry of Defense."
"Our goal is the same, so there's no need for further debate. Why don't we take a look at the plan the Charter Bureau has proposed?" The middle-aged civil official of the Charter Bureau calmly pressed a button, and the plan appeared on the large screen on the wall.
"While this machine repair master may be insignificant, capturing him and bringing him back to the capital for trial won't be an easy task. The central computer's recommendation is... to carry out this operation with the assistance of the Fourth Military Region in Westwood and support from the Eastwood Police Headquarters."
"The Fourth Military Region?" The colonel from the Ministry of Defense nodded, satisfied with this arrangement. Since it was the Charter Bureau's suggestion, the President's office wouldn't have any major objections. "What if there is resistance?"
The official from the President's office, his face still gloomy, said, "This machine repair master is not just a disgrace to the army but to the entire federation. If he resists violently, he should be summarily executed without hesitation."