"Lieutenant Colonel Lu, if we really have to proceed this way, we might need to consult the council," Lu Xun informed the interrogation personnel and Lin Yi, and considering the interrogation room was too cramped, he directly moved the meeting to the multifunction hall at the Administrative Center.
According to military rank, Lin Yi was one rank below Lu Xun, so Lu Xun sat in the center, with Lin Yi sitting to his right-hand side.
Someone like Xia You, a Junior Sergeant, could only sit at the very end, lost among the taller and stronger members of the Armed Department.
"Is it really necessary to inform the council just to summon the Holy Daughter of the David Sect? It’s not as if we are inviting Saint Father David himself," Lu Xun stated dismissively, basing this on Li Zhen’s recollection; the last thing she remembered clearly was seeing a few strangers, the same riffraff she had seen on Sundays.
Based on descriptions, Xia You also confirmed that Li Zhen’s account was accurate. The question remained: how could Li Zhen, a completely self-sufficient person, fall into such a dazed state? The analysis concluded it was due to a psychological suggestion more powerful than hypnosis, and without a certain trigger, Li Zhen might never wake up again.
When Lin Yi first heard that there was new progress in the case, he was quite surprised. His reaction became unavoidably intense when he learned that Lu Xun had, without his permission, privately deployed Xia You to participate in the interrogation, an interrogation that ultimately pointed to Xianxian.
"I have already consulted with the Public Relations Department; they will send someone to coordinate on the relevant issues," the tension between Lu Xun and Lin Yi was nothing new to those from both departments. Thus, besides Xia You, everyone else was busy with their own work, leaving the tiger and the fox to stare each other down.
"Xia You, you joined an operation from another department without approval from your superiors. Write me a written self-criticism afterwards," Lin Yi quickly turned his fire toward Xia You.
Sitting at the very end, Xia You felt helpless, once again becoming cannon fodder despite her contributions.
"Why do I smell gunpowder as soon as I walk in?" The woman who walked in not only failed to ease the atmosphere in the meeting room, but as soon as she entered, Xia You felt a new sense of oppression, equally intense but with a cold, feminine chill, unlike the pressure from Lu Xun and Lin Yi.
"The three young titans of our faction have all come together; at least today’s scolding won’t be for nothing," a colleague kindly comforted Xia You. However, it was as if Xia You didn’t hear his comfort; her back remained against the chair, while her eyes quickly shifted towards the newcomer.
No wonder she reacted this way, her colleague mused with amusement. Typically, female military personnel in the military region are assigned to civilian roles, and someone like Wuyue, in her early thirties reaching the position of Lieutenant Colonel, was rare. Moreover, given Wuyue’s reputation within the military region, most women looked up to her upon seeing her, and Xia You appeared to feel the same.
"Lieutenant Colonel Wu, please take a seat," the space to the left of Lu Xun was reserved for the newly arrived woman.
"It’s rare to see both Lieutenant Colonel Lu and Lieutenant Colonel Lin present at the same time," Major Wu nodded to everyone in attendance.
Perhaps it was an illusion, but Major Wu’s gaze seemed to linger a bit longer in the direction where Xia You sat.
The prominent young talents of Rand Military District were now just dozens of seats away from Xia You.
Judging by appearance alone, Lu Xun looked the most like a soldier, Lin Yi appeared the most eloquent, and the newly arrived Lieutenant Colonel Wu... Xia You silently gave her evaluation of each.
Wuyue indeed had the qualities to make female soldiers cheer. Her height, even among the male soldiers, didn’t pale in comparison, and she didn’t get lost in the crowd like Xia You.
She did not express her own opinions while listening to Lu Xun and Lin Yi; however, when she presented her own views, she made it a point to face everyone in the hall, her gaze briefly pausing on each person as if seeking their support.
While Wuyue was not strikingly beautiful, her demeanor and speech made up for any deficiency in appearance. Her thin face could easily leave a first impression of harshness, but when she spoke, her deliberately slowed pace and precisely controlled rhythm would quickly disperse any such impression like smoke.