Chapter 75: Reasons for the Assassination

"Thank you, General!" Zhao Li politely thanked the General before taking a seat opposite him.

"Lieutenant!" General Thomas skipped the pleasantries, showing a stark contrast to the old Warden. "You performed exceptionally well during the prison break. Our subsequent investigation has confirmed that everything you reported is factual."

"Furthermore, your conduct during the investigation clearly demonstrates that you are a competent and professional prison administrator." It was evident that the General was highly satisfied with how Zhao Li had insisted on the General's authorization during questioning by military intelligence and the special investigation team. This was a clear sign of loyalty; without the General's nod, no one could have extracted a single word from him. Especially since the Lieutenant Colonel who sat in on all three sessions had confirmed that Zhao Li’s statements were perfectly consistent, never once tarnishing the military district's reputation.

"Thank you for the praise, General!" Zhao Li had to resort to a formulaic response. The General watched him, seemingly scrutinizing him as if trying to discern something different about him.

"Your excellent performance has earned you a Medal of Meritorious Service!" The General gently pushed a sealed box across the table toward Zhao Li. Since they were on the same side, there was no need for cumbersome, ritualistic formalities.

"Thank you, General!" Zhao Li had lost count of how many times he had said thank you; he had said it at least three times since sitting down.

"As for the reason behind the assassination attempt on you, it remains unclear," General Thomas said, sounding somewhat troubled. "For now, you will stay in the military camp to recuperate. You don't need to take on any duties until we have uncovered the full truth and can make further arrangements."

Faced with this, Zhao Li had no choice but to comply. At the very least, he knew General Thomas was aligned with the old Warden and would not act against him. However, he worried about whether Christine and Li Mengdie might face trouble. After all, they were from the Genius School and lacked protection here.

To Zhao Li's surprise, he met the two women shortly after. It seemed the people here hadn't made things difficult for them, only requiring them to describe the assassination attempt in detail.

All three had experienced the attack in public, so there was nothing to hide. Once they had given their statements, the women were left alone.

While it was framed as a period of rest for Zhao Li, it was essentially a form of house arrest, albeit one where he could move freely within the military camp. Consequently, a Lieutenant strolling through the camp accompanied by a beautiful Lieutenant Colonel military doctor and a beautiful Major military officer became the most eye-catching sight in the barracks.

The two women were polar opposites: one exuded an irresistible, lethal charm, while the other was cold and distant, appearing utterly unapproachable.

Zhao Li had never appeared in the camp before, and the men watched with envy as he moved effortlessly between the "ice" and the "fire."

Before long, Zhao Li grew uncomfortable under their gaze and returned to his assigned room. The room was well-equipped, including a military terminal where he could browse the news.

Truth be told, since entering the high-security prison, Zhao Li had been largely cut off from the outside world. Aside from knowing about a rebel alert on his first day and later learning that the rebel forces had gained significant momentum, he had received no other notifications.

Catching up on the news seemed like a good idea, but what he saw was alarming. The rebels seemed increasingly unstoppable, their influence growing by the day. They were winning victory after victory on the battlefield, to the point where the government forces had been forced to abandon control of another planet.

On some fringe planets, various small factions were beginning to stir. Terrorism, fundamentalism, and restorationism were sprouting up like mushrooms after rain.

"Has our government really reached such an uncontrollable state?" Zhao Li frowned, muttering to himself.

"Don't be misled by the propaganda," Christine said, walking over and sitting beside him. Her fair arm rested on Zhao Li's shoulder without the slightest hesitation. With a mere turn of his head, he could have kissed her milk-white, smooth skin.

"Hmph!" Li Mengdie, sitting in a chair nearby, let out a cold snort. Yet, as if in response, Christine seemed to lean even more heavily against Zhao Li, her body appearing soft and devoid of strength.

"Christine, what is actually going on?" Zhao Li asked, feeling puzzled. Was the distribution of these factions not as simple as it appeared?

"In fact, it's worse than what you see in the news reports," Christine said, pointing to the headlines on the screen. "This one, this one, and these—the reality is much more severe than what you're seeing." As she spoke, she pressed her beautiful body even closer to his.

Faced with such temptation, it was hard for Zhao Li to remain indifferent. However, with the "ice beauty" watching them, he had to suppress his impulses.

He cleared his throat unnaturally and frowned again. "Cough, well, isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?" He made a natural movement to distance himself from Christine's advance. Even that small gesture felt like it took all his strength, and he felt a cold sweat breaking out on his back.

The movement, however, seemed to satisfy Li Mengdie. Though she still stared fixedly at the pair, her tone softened slightly. "Don't believe her. Everything is under control."

"Look!" Christine showed no restraint. "Another poor soul brainwashed by propaganda, just like you." She glanced at Li Mengdie and then flicked a look at Zhao Li. "The Federal Government has never truly had full control over those regions. They’ve just been whitewashing the peace to satisfy the public. When have you ever seen detailed news or videos of what's really happening over there?"

Thinking about it, she was right; he hadn't. Even Li Mengdie couldn't find a reason to refute this. But how did Christine know all this, and why was she telling him?

"I've spent many years in the military and have heard this from more than one or two people," Christine said, turning to look at Li Mengdie. Whether she was addressing Zhao Li or Li Mengdie, she continued, "I just want you both to wake up. Don't let yourselves be sold out while you're still helping the others count the money."

They didn't dwell on this unpleasant topic, shifting their focus back to the assassination attempt. Zhao Li didn't see the need to withhold anything from the two women and explained his analysis.

After hearing him out, both women fell silent. Zhao Li's reasoning was sound. By this stage, attempting to silence witnesses seemed too late and unnecessary. So, what exactly drove the assassins to act?

Michael's body was soon recovered, and the Genius School was contacted. As students, Christine and Li Mengdie were entitled to pay their final respects. Besides, Major Michael had died protecting Zhao Li, so both out of duty and personal obligation, Zhao Li felt he should see him off.

Following military protocol, Christine removed Michael's dog tags and kept them. The body was placed in cryo-storage, awaiting the arrival of the logistics team from the Genius School.

When they emerged, all three were somber and remained silent for a long time. They returned to their room in silence, the heavy atmosphere lingering.

"Zhao Li, come with me!" an observing officer called out. Zhao Li quickly acknowledged and followed him out of the room.

"General!" To Zhao Li's surprise, they were headed to the General's office. The General was waiting inside. Upon seeing him, Zhao Li reflexively saluted.

"Sit!" The General was courteous, and Zhao Li thanked him.

"Within a single day, there were twenty-one assassination attempts against military personnel," the General said, getting straight to the point. "Twenty were successful. Only yours failed."

The General's face was grim. Twenty-one attempts was no minor matter. Wondering what connection he had to the other twenty, Zhao Li waited for him to continue. "All the assassinations were concentrated within the three hours surrounding your attack," the General added, his tone brimming with barely concealed anger.

"Military investigators received reports, but because their clearance levels were too low, they couldn't see the connection between the victims," the General said, looking at Zhao Li as if unsure how to proceed.

"It was only cleared up a short while ago," the General said, hesitating before continuing. "All the victims had served at the special prison, including the fourteen prison guards from the former Mountbatten Prison and the six special forces soldiers from the new facility."

What did this mean? Zhao Li was stunned. Targeting everyone who had served at the special prison? He felt a surge of concern. "What about the old Warden? Is he all right?"

"Don't worry, the old man is fine!" The General sounded almost dismissive. "If those people dared to provoke him, they'd truly be tired of living!" His tone left no doubt about his absolute confidence in the old Warden.

It was clear this was a targeted strike against those who had served at the special prison. But what had they done to warrant such a campaign?

"We don't know the specific reason yet," the General admitted, relaying the current status of the investigation.

Just then, a knock came at the door. It was the officer who had observed them earlier. Zhao Li now knew he was the General's aide and his most trusted confidant. The aide entered and handed the General an encrypted storage device, casting a strange look at Zhao Li as he did so.

The General was in the middle of talking to Zhao Li, so the aide wouldn't have interrupted for anything trivial. The General inserted the device into the terminal on his desk and began to read the document. Within moments, his brow furrowed.

After a while, the General looked up. "Lieutenant, are you familiar with the specific identities of the prisoners at that special prison?"

"General, those are recorded in the prison's top-secret files. They can be retrieved at any time," Zhao Li replied, not understanding the intent behind the question.

"It's too late," the General sighed heavily. He stood up and paced the office. "When the prison was attacked, the files there were wiped, and the equipment was destroyed." He looked at Zhao Li, as if deciding he needed to know this. "I just received news that the records of those individuals in the military's top-secret database have also vanished."

"What!" Zhao Li was shocked, his mouth agape. Were they killing all the guards who had served there just to cover up the identities of those prisoners? That seemed far too extreme!

"Isn't there a record anywhere else? That was a maximum-security prison!" Zhao Li persisted. Surely a facility of that level wouldn't have only one set of records!

"Precisely because it was the highest-security prison, and they were the highest-security prisoners, there was only one copy, and it required specialized clearance to access," the General said, studying Zhao Li's eyes. "Only the Warden, a few top military commanders, and a very small number of clerks could view it."

It was the first time Zhao Li realized he had possessed such high clearance, and he felt a pang of regret that he hadn't utilized it properly during his time there. He couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

The General kept watching Zhao Li's reactions. Once Zhao Li regained his composure, the General continued, "I think we now know why they tried to assassinate you."

It was a staggering motive—to go to such lengths just to conceal the identities of a few individuals seemed incredible.

"Among the last ones imprisoned, there was a political prisoner named Kang Hongyuan. He was a well-known figure in politics. Surely his identity couldn't be covered up just like that?" Zhao Li asked, noting the flaw in the logic.

"Kang Hongyuan? I know that old man. But it's not Kang Hongyuan they're trying to hide," the General frowned. "Can you still remember their names? I think you and the old Warden are the only ones left who know them all."