Chapter 208: Myriad Stars Group Under Lockdown
Outside the Myriad Stars Group office building.
Warning light curtains formed from divine power materialized inside and outside the building, not only sealing all entrances and exits but also enveloping the entire structure.
Within the security department, all members, including the security chief, were gathered in the main hall, watched over by two armed officers from the patrol team.
Although there were over a hundred security personnel from Myriad Stars Group on site, not a single one dared to act out of line in front of the two armed officers.
The two patrol officers were confident; between the two of them and their two military-grade flying swords, managing a few hundred people was no issue at all.
But just then, the crowd of company employees suddenly began to stir.
An armed officer shouted, “What do you all think you’re doing? Don’t move!”
“Don’t move! If you move again, I’ll release the flying swords…”
Just then, an employee pointed to the countdown timer above his head and said, “Sir! We’ve been away from our posts for too long. We’re going to get docked!”
Another person yelled, “If this keeps up, I’ll have to borrow money just to come to work again!”
Someone else asked the person next to them, “If a flying sword runs you through, do you get compensation?”
The others also grew restless, all clamoring to return to their workstations.
At that moment, the security chief raised his hands and appeased the crowd, “Everyone, don’t worry. The company understands your situation. For the duration of the investigation, this will all be counted as off-duty time. It won’t be calculated as work hours or be part of your performance reviews. Any missed work hours can be made up later with overtime.”
Hearing that they would be investigated during their off-duty time, everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Yue Jincheng was also standing in the crowd. He glanced at the divine power notices floating in mid-air outside the floor-to-ceiling glass windows, shimmering with a cautionary glow.
Yue Jincheng wondered in shock, What on earth happened? To think they’ve surrounded the entire office building?
Could a company executive have been caught for tax evasion?
Is our company about to go under?
In his view, only something as major as tax evasion would startle the righteous gods into sealing the entire building.
And at the thought of the company possibly disappearing just like that, leading to his own unemployment, a wave of anxiety washed over Yue Jincheng.
Then, Yue Jincheng heard voices from the front. He turned his head and saw the security chief, the same man who had kicked him not long ago, now bowing and scraping before one of the armed officers.
The security chief was saying politely, “Sir, our Myriad Stars Group has always had a great relationship with the Songyang City Patrol Headquarters. We’ve been a cooperative partner in copyright enforcement for years.”
“May I ask what this investigation is about? Is there anything we can do to help?”
The other man merely gave him a cold glance and did not answer.
However, the other armed officer standing nearby spoke up, “Don’t bother asking. Even we don’t know what this operation is about, so you certainly don’t have the clearance to know.”
The armed officer who had remained silent until now frowned and said, “Don’t say anything unnecessary.”
He then turned to the security chief and said coldly, “Go back and stand properly. Someone will be here to investigate your situation shortly.”
Seeing that he couldn’t fish for any information, the security chief could only return to the crowd, a trace of unease on his face.
He worried internally, Could it be that the company has been secretly pirating other companies’ cultivation techniques? Or has the company been smuggling from other cities?
Looking at the grand scene before him, the security chief felt that something must have hit the fan.
He could only comfort himself, Sigh, it surely has nothing to do with us grunts down here. It must be one of the top brass who went too far to increase profits.
A moment later, accompanied by a descending divine light, Huang Zichou’s projection materialized before the crowd.
His gaze swept over everyone present, and countless related files flickered through his sea of consciousness via the network.
Upon seeing the arrival of this ninth-rank minor Duty God, the expressions of everyone present turned solemn as they bowed in unison to worship the god on the spot.
Yue Jincheng was secretly alarmed, A righteous god is investigating in person? Could it really be a tax evasion case? But what does that have to do with our security department?
Meanwhile, Huang Zichou had already locked his gaze onto Yue Jincheng and Si Zhouyu, saying, “You two, come with me. I have some questions for you.”
Yue Jincheng and Si Zhouyu exchanged a glance, a flash of astonishment in their eyes.
The two followed Huang Zichou’s projection into a nearby office, their minds racing, trying to think of anything they had done recently that would warrant an investigation by a righteous god.
Yue Jincheng thought to himself, Other than tailing Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen these past few days, Si Zhouyu and I haven’t done anything else, have we?
Could they be looking for us because of the Zhang Yu matter?
How could a minor issue between the two of them possibly cause such a huge commotion?
Glancing at the warning light curtains sealing the entire building outside the window, Yue Jincheng shook his head, dismissing the thought.
Similar thoughts arose in Si Zhouyu’s mind beside him, both wondering if they had unwittingly stumbled into some major incident.
However, Huang Zichou’s next sentence shattered their illusions.
Huang Zichou said, “How long have you two been monitoring Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen?”
Yue Jincheng was slightly taken aback and slowly replied, “I don’t understand what you mean.”
Huang Zichou let out a cold laugh and flicked his fingertip. A light screen appeared to the side, displaying surveillance footage of Yue Jincheng and Si Zhouyu in different disguises, riding the subway, entering the protected area, and visiting the breeding base.
Huang Zichou’s voice was faint as he said, “Although you constantly changed your forms and appearances along the way, your payment records don’t lie.”
“Don’t even think about denying it, and certainly don’t think Myriad Stars Group can protect you.”
Waves of divine power swept over them like a tide, pressing the two firmly against the wall with Huang Zichou’s words.
Huang Zichou continued his threat, “This matter has blown up. It has already attracted the attention of a sixth-rank high god. One wrong move and the entire Myriad Stars Group could go bankrupt…”
Yue Jincheng and Si Zhouyu were shocked to hear this, but they couldn’t figure it out. How did Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen, those two poor students, manage to attract the intervention of a sixth-rank god?
After waiting for a long while and seeing that the two had no intention of pulling out any talismans, Huang Zichou thought to himself, Sigh, they don’t even know to use a Favorability Talisman. And they call themselves university students? What kind of people are these companies hiring nowadays?
As the righteous god’s lockdown and investigation of Myriad Stars Group began, the entire group’s operations came to a grinding halt, causing immense losses with every passing second.
Numerous shareholders, executives, and directors began to use their connections to gather information, wanting to know what had happened and what the righteous gods were investigating.
But the more they inquired, the more surprised they became.
They discovered that no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t find out the reason for the righteous gods’ actions.
They couldn’t get a shred of information even when they inquired with other divine officials, or even other righteous gods.
The level of secrecy involved was far beyond their expectations.
But they were not entirely without gains.
From the information collected and the personnel interrogated by the righteous gods…
“Zhang Yu? Bai Zhenzhen? Who are these two? Why do the righteous gods keep investigating matters related to them?”
“This whole mess is related to these two?”
As the investigation into Myriad Stars Group continued, various powers, big and small, in Songyang City gradually received the news.
As one of the captains of Songyang City’s many patrol teams, Yun Ni naturally learned some of the intelligence.
It must be because of the Foundation Establishment exam, right?
After all, Yun Ni had long suspected the timing of Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen’s recent departures from the city. Hearing about Myriad Stars Group’s situation, she thought to herself,
But no matter how bold the Zhou family is, they shouldn’t dare to interfere in the Foundation Establishment exam.
This time, it’s likely that the sixth-rank righteous god seized an opportunity to take a bite out of Myriad Stars Group and the Zhou family.
So what roles are Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen playing in all this?
Even with the excuse of the Foundation Establishment exam, for a single conflict to attract a sixth-rank righteous god, could it be that the two of them, like Zhang Pianpian, have the backing of some major deity?
The more she thought about it, the more possible it seemed, and the more unfathomable Zhang Pianpian, Zhang Yu, and Bai Zhenzhen became in Yun Ni’s mind.
At the same time, Yun Ni had already guessed the subsequent impact this matter would have on Songyang City.
During this investigation, the righteous gods will inevitably focus on the incident involving Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen, and will unavoidably back these two Foundation Establishment exam candidates.
To those who don’t know about the Foundation Establishment exam, in their eyes… it will look like a sixth-rank righteous god has made a move to support Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen, making Myriad Stars Group and the Zhou family bleed.
And for those who do know about the exam, if they are so inclined, they will quickly guess the possibility that Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen are participating. However, at this critical juncture, they will certainly keep their mouths shut and not reveal a single thing.
If insiders are asked, they will at most say that Zhang Yu has the backing of a righteous god and has a powerful background, right? Only by doing so can they prevent the leakage of information about the students in the Foundation Establishment exam.
Yun Ni thought of the Zhou family again, What will they do?
They will definitely do their best to prove they had no intention of investigating the Foundation Establishment exam.
Since they’ve been caught this time… they will have to frame this move against Zhang Yu as a common public security incident.
Thinking of this, Yun Ni smiled faintly, Then the key to the matter, on one hand, is to satisfy the righteous gods who have come this time, and on the other hand, it depends on whether Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen will cooperate with them, and what their asking price will be. The Zhou family is probably already working on both fronts.
Inside Songyang High School.
Zhou Chechen was meditating in a quiet room, slowly performing a breathing exercise with spiritual energy to refine his magic power.
But he couldn’t stop thinking about Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen.
The company made its move, and just like that, those two were sent straight to the station.
Sigh, an individual is so insignificant in the face of a corporation…
As he was lamenting inwardly, his phone suddenly vibrated.
Zhou Chechen, who was in the middle of his cultivation, originally didn’t want to answer, but as the phone continued to vibrate incessantly, he picked it up.
Looking at the caller ID, Zhou Chechen’s heart skipped a beat, Father?
As one of his father’s many sons, Zhou Chechen rarely received messages from him, even though his academic performance was already quite good.
And now, looking at the message from him, Zhou Chechen felt as if one bomb after another was exploding in his face, shaking him to the core with astonishment.
Myriad Stars Group has been sealed by a righteous god?
The family is also being investigated by the divine ministry?
A sixth-rank righteous god?!
Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen’s backer?!
Seeing his father’s final warning, Zhou Chechen still found it hard to believe, Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen’s backer is actually a sixth-rank righteous god?
No wonder, no wonder those two rose so quickly, no wonder they always acted so fearlessly.
It’s probably not just Zhang Yu and Bai Zhenzhen; this sixth-rank righteous god is likely the one behind Zhang Pianpian as well.
At this moment, Zhou Chechen felt a sudden sense of clarity, which was quickly followed by worry—worry about what would become of him, now that he was embroiled in this struggle.
Just then, Zhou Hao, who had recently been in charge of his security, came to Zhou Chechen’s side and said, “There are some things that are inconvenient to say over the phone, so your father asked me to relay them to you.”
“He knows that your uncle was the one behind this matter, and that it has nothing to do with you.”
“But since we’ve been caught this time, there are still some things that you need to do…”