"Not exactly like that, but these things, although they seem unrelated to Miss Bai, can actually be attributed to her," Liao Jun said, sensing something as things progressed. "The evil dragon appearing in Country Z without immediate containment, and the resulting destruction of cities, can all be blamed on the Shadow faction, as they have some connection to it.
With the Winter Olympics approaching, this period is quite sensitive. The Shadow faction has mobilized almost all its forces. Although the location of the evil dragon is different, the destruction in other cities will still be framed as the Shadow faction's incompetence. And it will undoubtedly be Miss Bai who steps forward to protest."
"Precisely," Bai Cha said, tapping her chin and nodding with interest. "However, they likely expected the cities not to be destroyed. He knew I had the ability to prevent cities from being destroyed. In fact, his goal was to wear me down a bit."
"There must be someone pulling the strings," Bai Cha mused, a strange smile playing on her lips. She was finally a little intrigued. "After all these years, someone has finally surfaced."
"Someone pulling the strings?" Gong Yuechen was baffled. "Perhaps they orchestrated it themselves?"
"Unlikely, the style is different. The more greedy those old guys are, the more conservative they become. This is also why I was able to establish myself initially," Bai Cha shrugged, seeming much more relaxed. "They wanted to move against me when I was twelve, but I frequently took considerable risks, which made them too afraid to follow. And I always managed to control the situation, which is why I stabilized the Shadow's power in such a short time. Now I've shifted from risky to conservative, and we've been maintaining a delicate balance. But their approach this time is completely different. I wouldn't say it's overly risky, but it's a method they would never have chosen before."
She sat in her seat, no longer exhibiting her usual detached demeanor. Instead, a pleased smile graced Bai Cha's lips, and anyone could tell she was in surprisingly good spirits. If Bai Cha's guess was correct, there had been someone directing the Light faction from the very beginning, but perhaps that person had been delayed by some matter and had been missing for a long time.
"Wait, Bai Cha, you're saying the Light... they have a boss behind them!" Not only Gong Yuechen but everyone else was stunned. "Isn't the Mo family their leader?"
"Does the Mo family manage affairs?" Bai Cha's sarcastic remark silenced everyone. Everyone knew the Mo family was dedicated to research, and their leader was merely a figurehead. If that weren't the case, the Bai family and the Mo family wouldn't have had such a cordial relationship.
"This matter needs to be taken seriously."
A deep voice resonated through the conference room. At its utterance, even Bai Cha immediately fell silent, her mocking expression vanishing as she became serious.
"The Mo family was merely an observer during the last crisis. I believe everyone has noticed that," the elder stated, after a long period of thought and a furrowed brow. "During the previous incident, some people and I detected interference, but we lacked evidence at the time."
"Regarding that incident, Bai Cha, I owe you an apology." The elder stood up and said to Bai Cha with utmost sincerity.
For the top leader of Country Z to bow and apologize was a tremendous show of respect. Five years ago, Bai Cha would have been both touched and alarmed. Now, however, there was only a calm, even a sense of helplessness and weariness.
Bai Cha sat at the table, pressing her forehead, her eyes clouded with weariness. After a long silence, she finally spoke, "No need. You did nothing."
You did nothing, so there's no need for apologies. It was the same before, and it's the same now. Even though you stood by and watched, Bai Cha knew she had no right to blame them. After all, Bai Cha didn't entirely agree with the saying "bystanders are guilty." Everyone had no obligation to force anyone to get involved in unwarranted events. Stepping in was a favor; not stepping in was their right. Now that it had happened, Bai Cha no longer wished to pursue the matter.
"Even if you don't apologize, I will help you to the end," Bai Cha lowered her eyes, shifting her focus to the current matter. "The fact that they have a superior behind them now is merely my speculation, without evidence. Everyone should also keep silent about this, consider it my overthinking. As for containment... you are not allowed to. Until I can no longer suppress them, you will have to handle it."
In truth, the elder's apology was neither light nor heavy. Its implication was clear: she should not hold grudges about the Light faction's past actions, essentially asking her to "consider the greater good." After all, constant factional turmoil within a country would be disastrous; someone had to compromise and make sacrifices.
Since the top leader had apologized, what else could she do? Ultimately, she was merely an executor, following orders and executing them. It was that simple.
Bai Cha fell silent, gazing at the people around the conference table who had begun to discuss the matter animatedly. She sat among them, yet it felt as if they were worlds apart. It was like sitting amidst rocks in the sea, feeling the chill from the crashing waves.
Near the door of the conference room, a large screen dominated the long table. Her father must have watched them chatter about future affairs in a similar manner, silent and resigned. Back then, these same people had silently watched her parents sacrifice themselves, then remained silent, with no further action taken, until everyone forgot the past.
"It's been almost six years..."
Bai Cha lowered her head and sighed softly, closing her eyes. Her eyes felt a little sore. The conference room was somewhat noisy, with everyone offering their grand pronouncements, some solemn and serious, others passionate. Bai Cha held her left eye, feeling weary. In a daze, she seemed to return to that night, that cold and desperate night.
...
[Latest intelligence report on the front lines: Country Z's Dragon Knight has lost control and attacked...]
As a result, Bai Cha had to painstakingly extract the fragmented crucial information, which might only amount to a few hundred words. As expected, after the meeting, several more tasks were added. Usually, tasks were completed one after another before the next was accepted. Every time a meeting was held, those who could finally see her would rush to dump troublesome matters onto her.
Bai Cha wished she didn't have to spend another second there. She walked quickly to the front and pushed open the conference room door, only to be met by a delicate thermos and a face of exquisite beauty.