Volume One Mutation Chapter Fifty-Three Execution

At night, Jiang Wen arrived alone at Conference Hall No. 1, only to be stopped by the guards at the entrance.

“Comrade, no weapons are allowed inside. We need to search you,” the guard at the door announced without emotion.

Jiang Wen smiled and raised both hands, allowing the two guards to thoroughly pat him down.

“Inspection complete! You may enter,” they said, stepping aside and unblocking the door. Jiang Wen straightened his attire and walked in.

The hall could accommodate over three hundred people; it was nearly full, with heads filling the seats. Jiang Wen made his way to the front row and found his place. As he walked, not a single person approached him for conversation. Even those who had been chatting animatedly fell silent and stared straight ahead as he passed, refusing to meet his gaze.

Everyone treated Jiang Wen as if he were invisible.

All had arrived except for the two main figures whose seats remained empty. From the back came a commotion; a crowd escorted two leaders to the principal seats. Jiang Wen watched attentively and noticed the second leader glance at him furtively.

“Comrades, this meeting has two purposes. Let us begin by discussing the first matter,” Leader No. 1 said, getting straight to the point. “Jiang Wen, the delayed missile launch in support of G15 nearly cost thousands of frontline soldiers their lives, not to mention the potentially catastrophic losses for the nation. Have you prepared your explanation?”

The second sentence was already an accusation, immediately intimidating those present. No one expected Leader No. 1 to attack so directly; the entire hall fell silent, all eyes fixed on the figure in the front row, minds racing.

Jiang Wen stood and spoke into the microphone, “I accept full responsibility for this incident and am willing to accept any punishment.”

A commotion spread below.

“Jiang Wen’s negligence this time is serious. He knows he’ll be punished, but he’s taking it like a man.”

“Old Jiang really lost his head here. The organization gave clear instructions—he should’ve just followed them. It’s not like he had to do anything personally, just pass orders down. He had to stir things up.”

“That’s right. If it weren’t for the G15 incident, it’d be fine, but now he’s got a reputation for disobedience. His career is finished!”

Jiang Wen had not revealed to anyone that a traitor had hacked the system and tampered with the data. Outwardly, he claimed a misjudgment, believing G15’s defenses were strong enough, so he neglected to prepare in advance, causing the delay in missile launch.

Thus, the public saw this as a simple case of negligence, while those lurking in the shadows knew the truth. They had been ready to distance themselves from the incident, but since Jiang Wen did not expose the real issue, they felt regret yet stayed quiet, avoiding attention.

Leader No. 1 laughed in anger. “Punishment? Do you realize your negligence nearly sacrificed the G15 defensive line, built with national resources, and thousands of soldiers? If G15 had fallen, over ten safe zones in the rear would have been endangered. Can you bear the consequences of this punishment, Jiang Wen?”

Jiang Wen bowed his head and said nothing.

“Very well! Since you won’t offer even a word of explanation, we’ll do as you wish. You’ll be punished!” Leader No. 1 surveyed the hall. “Jiang Wen holds a high position but has failed his responsibilities, with numerous suspicions surrounding him, and now a major mistake! I have decided to suspend him, detain him for thorough investigation, and only then determine his punishment! Any objections?”

Leader No. 1’s attitude was unexpectedly tough, leaving Jiang Wen no room for maneuver. Everyone was taken aback, reminded of the leader’s authority. They bowed their heads, silent, fearful the flames might reach them.

Seeing their reaction, Leader No. 1 was secretly pleased. Few had brought Jiang Wen’s case to his attention; he himself had raised its importance, partly to suppress Jiang Wen’s influence and wash away his reputation for rebellion, and partly to set an example for the others.

Times had changed; the system was no longer what it was in the era of peace. The status within the safe zones now directly affected the allocation of scarce resources. Moreover, there were fewer positions than needed, resulting in idle “cadres” who often carried themselves like nobles in the apocalypse.

Leader No. 1 had long wished to curb this unhealthy trend. Jiang Wen’s case provided the perfect opportunity.

Today, through this meeting, he intended to show everyone that in times of national crisis, unity was paramount; only one voice should be allowed in the nation. If anyone disobeyed, he would not hesitate to strip them of their rank.

“Since no one objects, I hereby announce that this resolution takes effect immediately!” Leader No. 1 declared sternly.

As soon as the resolution was announced, several guards entered from both sides, escorting Jiang Wen out of the hall. The silence was so profound one could hear a pin drop; all eyes followed Jiang Wen’s departing figure, each person inwardly warning themselves not to make mistakes.

Once deprived of their official positions, these special individuals would return to ordinary life, forced to work for their daily bread, or worse, sent out with the troops to gather supplies, their lives hanging by a thread. Compared to such risks, obeying orders seemed far simpler. In that moment, everyone weighed their options carefully.

“Jiang Wen’s matter is shelved for now; all subsequent actions depend on the investigation’s outcome. Now, let us discuss the second issue. Each of you has a dossier on your desk—open it now, but you may not take it with you!” Leader No. 1 intoned.

A sealed dossier had been placed on every desk before the meeting. Though curiosity abounded, the bold “Top Secret” mark on the cover kept hands at bay. Now, at the leader’s command, everyone eagerly tore open the seals and scanned the files.

“This dossier is Japan’s offer. They have poured all their resources into a single request—that our Sword Immortal travel to aid the Japanese government. Most of Japan has already fallen, with only a few areas holding out. The island is overrun with mutated creatures, mostly marine monsters that have come ashore. Japan seeks to evacuate government personnel and civilians, with the evacuation point being our country. But their defensive strength is weak, barely enough to hold their position, and they cannot move. Thus, they have turned to us for help,” Leader No. 1 explained.

“In this matter, Old Li and I do not agree. The resolution will be decided democratically, by vote,” Leader No. 2 said with a smiling tone.

“You have five minutes to discuss, after which we will vote!”

During those five minutes, the hall buzzed with debate. Opinions varied wildly, and attendees tried to sway those who disagreed, filling the hall with a low hum.

“Old Zhang, how will you vote?”

“Definitely against. The Sword Immortal is our nation’s guardian—we haven’t even met him yet. If he’s sent abroad and tempted, what if he never returns?”

“I agree. We need him here; sending him abroad makes no sense.”

“We both vote no, but others might agree. The resources in the dossier are tempting, especially for those in relevant departments. If it benefits them, their status will rise immediately—they’ll rush to agree!”

“Exactly. Do you think Leader No. 1 wants to send out the Sword Immortal for resources? Otherwise, he’d have refused outright, not brought it to the meeting.”

“Hard to say! Let’s split up and try to persuade more people to vote no.”

“Agreed!”

Scenes like this unfolded in countless corners, like ants gathering and dispersing, exchanging information.

“All right, time’s up. Begin voting,” Leader No. 1 commanded.

Female attendants carried ballot boxes down the aisles. Each person deposited their vote, and soon all three hundred were collected.

The tally began. In the vast hall, only two people alternated reading the votes aloud, and it was quickly clear that the “no” votes outnumbered the rest. Even before the count was finished, the outcome was no longer in doubt.