Chapter 452
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
Chapter 452: Punishment
The night deepened.
Lin Qiye stepped up the stairs and reached the top floor of the villa. At the edge of the railing, a figure leaned against it, staring blankly at the bright moon in the sky.
“Can’t sleep?” Lin Qiye walked over to his side and spoke.
Baili Pangpang turned to look, silently nodding, “A bit.”
“What are you thinking about?”
Baili Pangpang gazed at the villa, now shrouded in darkness, and sighed deeply. “This villa was personally chosen by me back then. I had to persuade Captain Wei Xiuming to accept it, and it took quite a bit of effort. At that time, the other members of Team 010 were reluctant to move out of that small underground garage because they believed that the Night Watchers shouldn’t live such a luxurious life.
But who would have thought that just over a year later, they would end up like this…
I wonder, if I hadn’t persuaded them to move out back then, would all of this have happened?”
Lin Qiye shook his head decisively. “You simply wanted them to have a better life; there’s nothing wrong with that. The mistake lies with them for not resisting the subsequent temptations, and the corruption comes from the Baili family.”
Baili Pangpang fell silent for a moment before slowly asking, “Qiye, do you think… all Night Watchers are good people?”
Lin Qiye looked into his eyes and shook his head. “To say that all Night Watchers are good people is a bit idealistic. In a large forest, there are all kinds of birds. There are thousands of Night Watchers, each with different thoughts. Who can guarantee that every single one of them is a good person?
But what can be confirmed is that the vast majority of them are good people.
Captain Chen Muye, Hong Ying, Wen Qimo, Leng Xuan, Zhao Kongcheng, Yuan Gang, Wang Lu, Fang Yanghui, Li Deyang, Qin Kai… We have encountered so many Night Watchers, and only a few can be considered bad.
Moreover, people cannot simply be categorized as good or bad.”
Lin Qiye raised his head, looking at the bright moonlight in the sky, and slowly said:
“Good people are not necessarily all good; bad people are not necessarily all bad.
This world is just that complex.”
…
On the other side of the city.
Shen Qingzhu carried the drunken Ninth Seat and opened the door to a shabby rental apartment.
He placed the Ninth Seat on the bed, who turned over, murmured a few words, and fell into a deep sleep.
Shen Qingzhu watched him for a moment at the door, then turned and walked out of the room, returning to his own room.
He entered, locked the door, and did not turn on the lights. Instead, he pulled up the curtains, allowing the bright moonlight to spill into the room, illuminating the floor tiles in a bright white.
Shen Qingzhu slowly sat down in the corner.
His right index finger gently tapped against the wall behind him, where an inconspicuous black ring glimmered slightly.
On the other side of the wall was the bed of the sleeping Ninth Seat.
As long as Shen Qingzhu infused a bit of mental energy into the “Soul Severing Blade,” the black soul blade would pierce through the Ninth Seat’s body, completely extinguishing his soul, leaving no chance for resistance…
He would die in his sleep without any awareness.
But Shen Qingzhu hesitated.
Images of the past few days spent with the Ninth Seat flashed rapidly through his mind, and he struggled internally.
To kill, or not to kill?
The bright moonlight bathed him, making him appear like a statue, motionless.
After a long time, he turned his head to look at the bright moon in the sky, taking a deep breath.
The finger wearing the ring left the wall.
“You are an exception…” he murmured to himself.
…
A few days later.
At the former base of Team 010 in Guangzhou-Shenzhen.
“Captain Lin Qiye of the Fifth Reserve Team, team members An Qingyu, Cao Yuan, Jialan… Now, on behalf of the higher-ups of the Night Watchers, I announce the verdict regarding this incident.”
Zuo Qing stood at the entrance of the villa, speaking solemnly.
In front of him, Lin Qiye and the others stood straight, as if back in training camp, waiting for the verdict.
Baili Pangpang swallowed nervously and raised his hand cautiously, “Then… what about me?”
“Stand there and listen carefully,” Zuo Qing glanced at him and continued, “After the intelligence department’s investigation and the military tribunal of the Night Watchers, the former chairman of the Baili Group and honorary high-ranking member of the Night Watchers, Baili Xin, is removed from his honorary position for altering confidential Night Watcher documents, murdering Night Watcher Baili Tuming, and bribing members of Team 010, among other charges. He is banned from all commercial activities under his name and sent to the fasting facility for life imprisonment.
Since Baili Xin is already deceased, the imprisonment is canceled.
As for the members of Team 010, excluding Miao Su, who accepted bribes and abandoned the principles of the Night Watchers, they are stripped of their Night Watcher identities and sent to the fasting facility for life imprisonment.
Miao Su, the former vice-captain of Team 010, will take over as the new captain of Team 010 and will immediately rebuild the team.”
After finishing, he looked up at Baili Pangpang. “Victim Baili Tuming, do you have any dissatisfaction with the verdict regarding Baili Xin and Wei Xiuming?”
“I am no longer Baili Tuming,” Baili Pangpang shook his head. “However, I am satisfied with this result.”
Baili Xin was already dead, so he naturally had no objections to the outcome.
As for Wei Xiuming and the others, they had been his teammates and had treated him relatively well, so there was no need to go to extremes. Life imprisonment in the fasting facility seemed like a decent result.
Zuo Qing nodded and continued, “Next, I will announce the verdict for the Fifth Reserve Team…”
Everyone’s hearts immediately tightened.
“The entire Fifth Reserve Team, without cause, triggered a large-scale terrorist attack in the city, killing thirteen individuals including Baili Jing, destroying numerous buildings, and causing extremely adverse social impacts…
However, considering the humanitarian perspective, the actions of the Fifth Reserve Team can be understood as self-defense to a certain extent. Since the incident did not cause social impact and public assets were not damaged, the following punishment is decided:
The qualification for the Fifth Reserve Team to become a special team is temporarily revoked, all mission actions are canceled, and all rights of the reserve team captain are revoked, but the personnel composition is retained, and the right to act freely is preserved. They will immediately go to Huaihai City for comprehensive education, with an indefinite duration.”
After reading the verdict for the Fifth Reserve Team, Zuo Qing looked up at Lin Qiye.
Cao Yuan and the others sighed silently, their expressions somewhat dejected.
In the end, they still lost the qualification to become a special team.
Only Lin Qiye and An Qingyu exchanged a glance, their brows slightly furrowed, as if pondering something.
Zuo Qing noticed their expressions and a faint smile flickered across his face as he slowly spoke, “Captain Lin Qiye, do you have any questions regarding this punishment?”
