It wasn’t even nine o’clock yet, but the conference room at the prosecutor’s office was already packed.
Some of those present had made key contributions to the investigation into the Lightwing Society. Others were only nominally in charge of the case, barely involved at all, but had shown up purely to watch the drama unfold.
It seemed true that humans were inherently drawn to chaos. Normally, even pushing back a meeting by half an hour would result in empty seats, yet the moment word spread that they had uncovered the organization’s core hideout, people—whether involved or not—flocked in just to witness the spectacle.
“This morning, Prosecutor Luo Hai led the first criminal police unit in a raid on the Lightwing Society’s hideout at Nantes Square. Through this operation, we have identified five additional locations they’ve established in Nantes, as well as their next planned actions.”
Director Kliman stood at the front of the conference room, with a large screen behind displaying the report from the operation.
“Districts 1, 3, 5, 7, and the Central Special District—their hideouts are scattered throughout almost all of Nantes. Not only are they extremely well-hidden, but their locations are also strategically placed, mostly near areas with high Omega populations. This makes it easier for them to brainwash and infiltrate other Omegas. For all this time, we haven’t been able to determine how many Omegas they’ve recruited, but at the very least, Oddis seems to believe they now have the power to challenge the government.”
Kliman tapped a section of encrypted text on the report with a laser pointer. “This is a cipher message found at Nantes Square, used by Lightwing members to communicate. We’ve already deciphered its content—they’re planning to assassinate eight government officials simultaneously in five days.”
The moment Kliman finished speaking, the conference room erupted into an uproar. Some were shocked by the audacity of the Lightwing society, while others were astonished by their meticulous planning.
Of course, some were questioning something else entirely.
“How could a group of Omegas possibly pull this off?” Bray flipped through the report in disbelief. “Protests and riots are one thing, but investigating government officials? Coordinating simultaneous assassinations? How could a bunch of Omegas—”
“But the fact remains,” Colin interjected firmly. “Not only did they investigate, but their findings were completely accurate. Every government official’s name, address, private phone number, family members, daily schedule, and even their frequently visited restaurants—nothing was missed.”
“Despite the Lightwing society being composed of low-ranking Omegas, don’t forget that their leader is a brilliant and cunning Alpha,” Kliman said coldly. “Without Eugene Oddis’s command, Lightwing never would have grown to this extent. In fact, Oddis’s execution was supposed to take place a month ago. I believe that if we had put him to death back then, Lightwing wouldn’t have been able to rise again and become the threat they are today. Prosecutor Luo Hai, what do you think?”
As soon as Kliman spoke, the entire conference room turned their eyes to Luo Hai.
As the lead prosecutor on the Lightwing case, Luo Hai had positioned himself in the back corner of the room for some reason. His gaze remained calm, his expression unbothered, and his tone was utterly natural.
“If we had executed Eugene Oddis a month ago, we wouldn’t have discovered his old residence or the Lightwing’s hideouts. We wouldn’t have seized the stockpile of explosives capable of destroying the government building, nor would we have uncovered their assassination plans. Omegas may be weak, incompetent, and ignorant, but they’re not stupid—not so much that they’d fail to light the fuse when they already have explosives in hand.”
“Fine, let’s say you’re right,” Kliman said sharply. “But as of now, Oddis no longer has any value. I propose that his execution be carried out as soon as possible—preferably today.”
Luo Hai said nothing, but the room quickly filled with murmurs.
“He really should have been executed by now. Wasn’t the sentence already decided?”
“People were even protesting at the prosecution office the other day, demanding to know why Oddis is still alive.”
“And it’s not just that he hasn’t been executed—he’s not even being held in prison…”
Luo Hai placed his pen down and looked at Kliman expressionlessly. “Are you suspecting me?”
“Then give me a reason not to,” Kliman retorted, her tone sharp. “You not only postponed Oddis’ execution, but you also took him out of prison and kept him by your side. And ever since then, the Lightwing society—who had previously gone silent—have started moving again. Rumors about you and him having an inappropriate relationship are spreading all over the prosecution office.”
She leaned forward, pressing both hands against the table to exert pressure. “Tell me the truth, Prosecutor Luo Hai. Did you delay his execution for the sake of the case—or for personal reasons?”
For a moment, the conference room fell into a tense silence. Countless eyes bore into Luo Hai—some doubtful, some displeased, some shocked, and others simply there to enjoy the spectacle.
But Luo Hai remained unaffected by their scrutiny. Instead, he let out a soft chuckle.
Most people in the room had never seen Luo Hai smile before, which only made this moment feel unsettlingly eerie.
“First, if I were colluding with Oddis, and if I had complete control over his freedom, why wouldn’t I have simply let him escape from the very beginning? If I had, the prosecution office itself would likely be nothing but rubble by now. Second, if I were a member of the Lightwing, then why, after Oddis was captured, did none of their operations succeed? Why did they lose their most important leverage, and why were all of their hideouts exposed? Third, and most importantly…”
Luo Hai met Kliman’s gaze directly and said evenly, “If I had a secret relationship with Oddis, why would I have arrested him in the first place?”
Kliman, momentarily caught off guard by the sharp and methodical reasoning, looked visibly frustrated. She glared at Luo Hai and raised her voice. “Fine! Let’s say I misjudged you. Let’s say you endured all this for the sake of justice and successfully uncovered key intelligence to take down Lightwing society. Then that means you have even less of a reason to oppose Oddis’ execution, doesn’t it?”
The argument circled back again.
Colin shot his superior a concerned glance.
The situation was turning against Luo Hai. He had been able to logically refute the previous accusations, but there was no justifiable excuse for opposing Oddis’ execution now.
The prosecution office had already obtained the crucial intelligence necessary to eliminate Lightwing society. Keeping Oddis alive no longer served any purpose—if anything, he posed a risk to their next steps.
But Luo Hai was far too shrewd to openly oppose an execution that carried no downsides… right?
“I’m not against executing Oddis,” Luo Hai’s voice was as steady as ever—neither loud nor soft, just enough for everyone to hear. “I’m against executing him ‘right now.’”
Colin’s eyes widened in shock. “Boss—”
But before he could finish, Kliman, seething with anger, cut him off.
“What are you saying? Are you openly shielding a wanted criminal? Once wasn’t enough, so now you’re trying to protect him a second time?”
For the first time, a flicker of darkness crossed Luo Hai’s eyes. “We may have obtained intelligence, but we haven’t planned our next steps. Lightwing society hasn’t been completely eradicated. Until they are, we can’t rule out the possibility of unforeseen events—or the chance that the enemy is deliberately misleading us. If something goes wrong, Oddis will be our only hope of breaking the stalemate.”
“Unforeseen events? Deliberate deception?” Kliman scoffed. “You just want to use this baseless speculation to save your little lover! If Oddis stays alive, who knows—you might even run off to Fuba Port with him!”
“My reasoning is entirely valid!” Luo Hai snapped, barely restraining his fury. “I understand him better than any of you. Underestimating him and the Lightwing society will only lead to disaster!”
“Listen to yourself!” Kliman slammed her palm onto the table. “‘Understand him’ and ‘underestimate him’? Deep down, you’ve already joined their side, haven’t you? Someone like you, who can’t tell right from wrong and abuses public power—how did you even get into the Prosecutor’s Office in the first place?!”
Just as the tension in the meeting room reached its peak, a deep voice suddenly rang out.
“I was the one who let him in. Is there a problem with that?”
A tall, middle-aged man in a gray coat walked into the meeting room with steady steps. Kliman immediately fell silent, and the entire room went quiet.
“Apologies, I was caught up with another case and couldn’t get away sooner.” Doyle casually pulled out the nearest chair and sat down, looking at Kliman with a faint smile. “We’re discussing the Lightwing case today, right? Where were you all in the conversation?”
As soon as Doyle sat down, his female secretary promptly handed him a report, with key points already highlighted in marker for quick reference.
Kliman’s stiff expression relaxed slightly, but her gaze and tone remained sharp. “We were just discussing the necessity of executing Eugene Oddis immediately to prevent any further complications or threats to our operation. But Prosecutor Luo Hai opposes this obviously beneficial proposal. I believe his stance has clearly wavered, and the Prosecutor’s Office should no longer allow him to handle the Lightwing case.”
Doyle lowered his eyes and flipped through the report and records in front of him. For a moment, the only sounds in the meeting room were the rustling of paper and the faint scratching of the marker. One second, two seconds… Just as the silence started to become uncomfortable, Doyle finally spoke, though his gaze remained fixed on the documents.
“Are you that scared?”
Kliman barely controlled her voice. “What?”
“Are you afraid that a group of Omegas will throw a bomb on your head, or are you worried that a powerless Eugene Oddis—who would die if he stepped more than three meters away from Luo Hai—will somehow break into your house and stab you?” Doyle said leisurely.
Despite the tense atmosphere, many people in the meeting room couldn’t help but chuckle. Kliman’s face instantly turned an ugly mix of pale and flushed.
“If I recall correctly, Luo Hai is the lead prosecutor on the Lightwing case. If he believes keeping Oddis alive is useful, then he must have his reasons.” Doyle closed the report and smiled at Kliman. “Or… do you want to take over the case yourself?”
