When Cui Lingfeng walked out of the prison cell, he was greeted by nothing but silence in the surveillance room nearby.
21
He regained his calmness immediately, too. His face seemed to be covered in a thick ice shell, not revealing any of his real feelings. He simply stared at Li Yao and asked, "Professor Luo De, what's the result?"
"Well …"
Li Yao browsed through the operation manual of the polygraph clumsily, comparing the physiological parameters and brainwave changes that he had just collected with the 3D icons on the operation manual. "Judging from the data we collected, Captain Tang's performance has been normal from beginning to end. The odds that he told the truth were 81%, the odds that he lied were 12%, and the remaining 7% were indiscernible."
"So," Cui Lingfeng said, "Captain Tang is probably telling the truth?"
Li Yao nodded and thought for a moment. "Not necessarily. The polygraph is just a piece of magical equipment after all. As long as it is a piece of magical equipment, there are always loopholes. As long as Captain Tang's Cultivation is high enough that he can manipulate the activity of his brain cells and the amplitude of his brainwaves at will, or that he has mastered certain skills of speech that allow him to say something that is neither true nor false but highly misleading, it is possible that he can fool the polygraph."
"Enough. Those are the questions that I am supposed to answer. All you need to do is to show me all the parameters."
Cui Lingfeng's face was as gloomy as a dam that was about to collapse. After only one second of consideration, he looked at Cheng Xuansu next to Li Yao and said, "Xuansu, how many troops can be gathered in secret in half an hour? Troops are not valuable. What matters most is' secret '! "
The head of the secret police pondered for a moment and said, "Two rapid response squads of the Internal Affairs Division, the guards of the Speaker, and the two battalions in the third brigade of the Republic Guards that are absolutely loyal to us."
"Alright!"
Cui Lingfeng waved his hands and said quickly, "Summon the officers and experts above the Building Foundation Stage from those troops and ask them to come here in half an hour. Also, inform acting captain Ding Zhengyang that we have made a breakthrough in the interrogation and found critical intelligence. Ask him to come here in person!"
"Yes!"
The air in the surveillance room was so intense that it was about to explode. Cheng Xuansu did not ask anything else but stood at attention quickly. Then, she turned on the tactical crystal processor and began the operation quickly.
However, hardly had she triggered more than ten light beams, and before she had the chance to send a message, explosions each louder than the last burst out from the outside. Then, the quakes were so strong that a lot of crystal processors and magical equipment in the secret chamber fell to the ground in spluttering noises.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
They felt as if they were in a fragile fortress that was being bombarded crazily by the enemy. Many of them felt that their internal organs were about to be shaken out of their throats!
The illumination rune arrays in the secret chamber were flickering. The crystal processors and magical equipment that were still connected to the circuits of spiritual energy were all uttering cracking noises!
The light beam of the crystal processor that Cheng Xuansu triggered twisted and perished without a sound. Then, new, chaotic pictures popped up!
Cheng Xuansu's face turned ghastly pale immediately!
"What happened?"
Cui Lingfeng strode forward, his voice stern.
"Insurrection!"
Cheng Xuansu turned on more than ten light beams in a row. Inside every light beam was a dense crowd, a red-faced crowd, and armed men of unknown backgrounds. Many of the armed men were even wearing Crystal Suits, instigating trouble and sabotaging Firefly!
"They seem to be Tang Dingyuan's supporters. They are rioting everywhere on Firefly at the same time. They have occupied quite a few critical cabins, blocked the traffic, and captured a lot of people. We are too scared to attack them. They are not easy to deal with!"
"Not good. An elite force is assaulting this place. They are trying to break out of prison and rescue Tang Dingyuan!"
"Pa!"
As Cheng Xuansu exclaimed, all the illumination rune arrays in the secret chamber suddenly died off at the same time, leaving them in total darkness. A moment later, the darkness was driven away by the emergency lights, but the red lights that were as red as blood made everybody who was immersed in them even more uneasy!
"This is a prison break that has been planned for a long time. It is even aimed at the Speaker directly!"
Gnashing her teeth, Cheng Xuansu grabbed Cui Lingfeng. "Hurry up and protect the Speaker. Let's go to the 'No. 1 Fortress'!"
The explosions, roars, and noises of metal being torn apart outside were more and more shrill. Tides of spiritual energy each higher than the last were even bombarding the gate of the secret chamber. The previously solid gate was now like a thin metal plate, with bumps that were collapsing inward. It seemed that it would be blown up in the next second!
"Vermillion Bird Squad, protect the Speaker and retreat with me! Azure Dragon Squad and Black Tortoise Squad, defend this place! White Tiger Squad, break out of the siege with the fake Speaker through Exit B and distract the enemy's attention! "
Leading four bodyguards that looked like giant bears, Cheng Xuansu surrounded Cui Lingfeng in the middle. "Speaker, let's go now. This place is not safe anymore!"
Li Yao blinked and observed everything. He was of a mind to scratch his messy hair without caring about his image.
It shouldn't be … Long Yangjun and the rest of them, right?
In terms of time, they couldn't have been so fast. In terms of style, they shouldn't have been so crude, either.
Also, riots were happening everywhere on Firefly at the same time? Such a chaotic situation could not have been initiated by Long Yangjun and the rest of them in a hurry, either.
Then, the conclusion was obvious …
Li Yao thought of something. He shouted at Cui Lingfeng, somewhat pitifully, "Speaker, what — what should I do?"
Surrounded by four bodyguards, Cui Lingfeng glanced at Li Yao quickly. "Bring Professor Luo De with you."
Cheng Xuansu frowned. "But —"
"No buts," Cui Lingfeng said stiffly.
"Professor Luo De is my guest," Cui Lingfeng said stiffly. "I have to be responsible for his safety. Come on, professor!
Li Yao and Cui Lingfeng, protected by four giant bears in black combat suits, passed through a zigzagging pathway and got on another fully-enclosed vacuum shuttle, which was driven by Cheng Xuansu in person.
"Gather all the troops that are loyal to us in the No. 1 Fortress. Then …"
Cui Lingfeng's lips trembled for a long time. His face that had been frozen since he left the prison cell finally broke. He seemed to have aged fifty years all of a sudden, and all the vitality inside his body leaked out through the 'cracks' on his face. He pondered for a long time but still failed to come up with a result. After thinking for a long time, he closed his eyes in pain. "Then, draft a telegram for me. If there is no other choice, ask — ask for help from the Xing Yao Federation!"
Cheng Xuansu was silent for a moment before she said softly, "… Yes, Speaker."
The decision seemed to have drained all the blood inside Cui Lingfeng's body. He was like a completely different person from when Li Yao met him a moment ago. Slumping on the seat, he stared at a nonexistent fly in the void for a long time before he suddenly asked, "Professor, you heard the entire conversation between me and Captain Tang just now. Tell me, do you and the people around you think that the 'Star Ocean Republic' is long dead, just like Captain Tang?"
Li Yao was slightly dazed. Pondering for a moment, he shook his head and said, "I don't know. I only care about technology and never consider such questions."
"Then, think about it carefully right now."
Cui Lingfeng stared at Li Yao in a daze. "Professor Luo De, the answer of an outsider who does not care about politics such as yourself is perhaps very important for me and for the entire Star Ocean Republic."
Li Yao was truly scratching his head. How would the real Professor Luo De react when he was faced with such a question?
He thought for a long time and said, "I'm a refiner, I don't know anything about politics. In the eyes of people like us who are in the field of technology, 'what I think' is not important. Facts are more important. If you can successfully refine artifacts by relying on 'what I think', then all kinds of divine artifacts will be flying everywhere!"
"I don't really care about the affairs of the outside world, but I do know some of the fundamental issues. Right now, both the Xing Yao Federation and the Star Ocean Republic are faced with the threat of the Imperium of True Human Beings. Everybody says that we will only have a slim chance of survival if we join hands. Otherwise, even if the Star Ocean Republic is not dead yet, it will die without a burial very soon!"
Cui Lingfeng heaved a long sigh, as if he had nowhere to vent his frustration and finally found someone to talk to. With a bitter smile, he said, "I don't object to the alliance with the Xing Yao Federation, but there is a question of who is the leader and who is the subordinate here.
"You must not think that I am greedy for the pitiful power in my hands. No. I only want to keep the great and proud name of the Star Ocean Republic. For the name, I can do anything and give up anything!"
"Well …"
Blinking his eyes, Li Yao asked tentatively, "Are you suggesting that, as long as the new country keeps the name 'Star Ocean Republic' after the two parties are merged, you will be willing to retire at home even if the parliament on Firefly is dissolved?"
"Yes!"
Cui Lingfeng's eyes were bloodshot. Thick veins were popping up on the back of his clenched fists, too. He declared resolutely, one word after another, "It doesn't matter whether or not I am the Speaker. The rebirth and renaissance of the Star Ocean Republic are the key! Our ancestors have sailed for a thousand years. The blood and lives of countless people have been frozen in the dark sea of stars. Isn't it exactly for this purpose? "
Li Yao was rendered speechless.
If Speaker Cui Lingfeng was greedy for the power in his hands, Li Yao could come up with a hundred ways to deal with him.
But as it turned out, he was such a fanatical fundamentalist of the Star Ocean Republic. Then … Then …
Li Yao scratched his hair and thought for a moment. Then, a light suddenly lit up in his head. He extended his hand into his pocket.
The few bears nearby immediately grew anxious.
But what Li Yao took out from his pocket was only a green, diamond-shaped crystal the size of a fingernail.
The crystal revolved slowly inside Li Yao's palm, releasing bright green mist that made it look like a mini dancer.
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