LSDWTWHA chapter 63

Qi Hanyi was busy inspecting a new batch of starships when Jian Cheng hurried over to his side, pulling up a video on his terminal and whispering, “Today, the officials invited several players from the semi-finals for an interview, and somehow it involved [White-scaled Shark]. Now people online are implying there’s some sort of cover-up, and we need to clarify this, right?”

Qi Hanyi pressed his finger against the sturdy starship’s surface with slight force, his expression unchanged as he said lightly, “I understand.”

However, as he walked away, a fingerprint was left on the solid starship coating. Jian Cheng was secretly shocked, thinking that their general truly was a human weapon who could single-handedly take on the insectoids.

Qi Hanyi continued methodically overseeing his subordinates as they finished the inspections of the new starships. Once he had some free time, he returned to his office to watch the video.

Skipping through some irrelevant parts, it took him less than ten minutes to finish watching the sections mentioning the White-scaled Shark.

The three individuals’ interaction with Su Su was merely the refusal of a team invitation before the second match began.

He had watched every match of the preliminary rounds, and he had some impression of the dispute between Su Su and these three at that time; he didn’t feel there was anything wrong with Su Su’s actions.

By the time he saw the three’s performance in the semi-finals, Qi Hanyi was already certain that their accounts were not operated by them personally. In “Star Wars,” each individual had a unique account, making it theoretically difficult to switch players, but if there were relevant internal personnel helping to open backdoors, it might still be achievable.

Qi Hanyi called Jian Cheng over, “Investigate the login situation of these three accounts, especially during the semi-finals.”

The military had the highest authority over various data in “Star Wars,” and Jian Cheng was efficient. Before long, he discovered a problem: “During the semi-finals, the accounts did indeed show signs of login transfers, confirming there was a case of account boosting. We tracked the transfer addresses and identified the account boosters as three retired starship pilots, who are now employed as technical consultants at Mo Lin’s gaming company.”

“Prepare the evidence and send it to me,” Qi Hanyi lightly tapped on the table, his icy demeanor deepening.

“Understood… General, as for the online questioning, should we issue a clarification or suppress it?” Jian Cheng asked, uncertain.

“Prepare this information, and I’ll clarify in an hour.”

“You’ll handle it personally?” Jian Cheng was surprised. To him, this was entirely a misunderstanding; their fair and just general might have some fondness for [White-scaled Shark], but that was just because of his discerning eye. General Qi had maintained fairness throughout the competition, with no hint of bias whatsoever. Even using the SS-32 map might have been perceived as excessive. Besides, the strength of [White-scaled Shark] was evident to anyone with a bit of expertise; it was clearly not a product of cheating.

Therefore, the clarification was not a major issue. As long as the military made a statement, and a starship pilot provided a professional analysis, there was no need for Qi Hanyi to handle it personally.

But upon seeing the list of materials Qi Hanyi provided, Jian Cheng was even more astonished: “This is… are you saying…?”

“Correct, I know him; he indeed is the one I ‘designated’ as the first.”

“Get on it.”

“Yes!”

Meanwhile, in a technology company’s office at Freedom Island, Yan Bai was angrily berating his subordinates, “Didn’t I say to wait? Who told you to sell Su Su’s personal information to Mo Lin’s family?”

A group of subordinates lowered their heads, utterly silent.

The office door was pushed open from the outside: “It’s me.”

Yan Bai froze at the sound: “Adoptive father?”

His subordinates felt like they had just received a pardon: “Boss.”

“You’re too indecisive,” Yan San expressed his disapproval, his eyes filled with disdain. “White-scaled Shark has no loyalty to us. If you keep siding with him, we will only lose our advantage. Right now, Mo Shan and Qi Hanyi are in conflict over the distribution of benefits from ‘Star Wars’; this is the best time to take advantage and completely extract ourselves from this chaos, while putting Qi Hanyi in trouble, leaving him unable to pay attention to our movements.”

“But if Su Su’s identity is thoroughly exposed, he might be sentenced to death,” Yan Bai clenched his fists, his expression grim.

“What are you afraid of? If he does not experience the grievances and helplessness of being a mermaid, how will he understand?” Yan San comfortingly patted Yan Bai’s shoulder. “I’ve already made arrangements in the Imperial Capital; if he’s willing to submit, my people will find a way to rescue him. If he isn’t, I advise you to give up early.”

Yan Bai still looked unwilling, wanting to continue arguing.

“Qi Hanyi has been investigating the Dark Tide organization, and has already caught wind of us. If we do not take action soon, we will be completely passive,” Yan San’s expression dimmed, lowering his voice. “Yan Bai, I have given Su Su numerous opportunities for you. You should also consider your brothers in the Dark Tide.”

Yan Bai bit his lip, unwilling to concede. “I understand.”

“Next, the military will likely deny any relationship with [White-scaled Shark] to completely distance themselves from him. We just need to wait for Mo Lin’s family to expose that [White-scaled Shark] is Qi Hanyi’s partner. His reputation among the public will surely plummet.” Yan San satisfiedly retracted his hand and discussed his future plans.

“At that time, Mo Lin’s family will still hold the card of Su Su being a substitute mermaid, leaving Qi Hanyi with only two choices.”

“Either he bears the indignity and lets Mo Lin’s family control him. The various mermaid training centers in the Empire are all properties of Mo Lin’s family, which are the strongholds of the conservatives. Being with them, Qi Hanyi’s previously false benevolent policies will likely backfire.”

“Or he abandons Su Su and breaks with Mo Lin’s family. The news of his mental force collapse not being treated will also spread, and not only other families but even other branches of the Qi family might not tolerate him.”

“No matter which choice Qi Hanyi makes, it will alienate Su Su from him. If you truly want Su Su to live, you should take advantage of this time to persuade him.”

“Boss.” The person at the door was Zheng Hui.

“What’s the matter? Come in and talk,” Yan San sat down on the sofa, gesturing for the newcomer.

Zheng Hui glanced at Yan Bai first: “Young Master is here too.”

Yan Bai was in a bad mood, especially since he thought Zheng Hui probably knew about Yan San’s plans while he was the only one in the dark, making him even angrier; he turned away and ignored him.

Zheng Hui’s expression darkened as he looked at Yan San, discussing the matter at hand: “The military has announced they will use a live broadcast to explain this matter to netizens; it’s scheduled for an hour from now.”

The military’s announcement immediately attracted considerable attention. Even before the broadcast started, there were already millions of people waiting in the live stream, with supporters of White-scaled Shark and those convinced he had cheated arguing violently.

The broadcast began as scheduled, and Qi Hanyi’s stern face appeared on the screen. The previously shouting factions fell silent instantly, and ten seconds into the live stream, the bullet screen remained blank.

It was simply that Qi Hanyi’s aura was too strong; even through the screen, people felt a sense of fear, as if saying something wrong could lead to their doom.

Moreover, the netizens originally thought the military would send someone responsible for publicity to explain a few points. They never expected that a small matter in a game competition could actually require the supreme commander of the expeditionary force to clarify.

On the other hand, those tuning into the live stream had some special feelings towards starships; many had idolized Qi Hanyi since childhood. Unfortunately, Qi Hanyi was too mysterious, rarely showing up online; when he did, it was usually distant shots taken by reporters. This face-to-face live broadcast was definitely a one-time occurrence.

“I am the commander of the expeditionary force, Qi Hanyi.” Without any pleasantries, he delivered a blunt opening statement, like starting a fire on a calm ice lake, causing the surface to boil immediately.

【Idol!!! Wow, in my lifetime series, I never dreamed I could see my idol’s divine face up close!】

【Thank you, White-scaled Shark, for letting me see General Qi live. I don’t even care about the truth anymore.】

【Alright, alright, now that I’ve seen General Qi, I absolutely believe White-scaled Shark is not at fault!】

【That’s right, General Qi is known for his impartiality; with him representing the military, White-scaled Shark definitely didn’t cheat!】

【Unlike you all, I just see General Qi’s face and have forgotten why I even came here.】

The bullet screen’s focus completely shifted. Qi Hanyi had made remarkable achievements over the past ten years, becoming a hero known for protecting the planet from being invaded by insectoids, earning considerable public esteem.

A large influx of people rushed into the live stream, quickly pushing the number past ten million and still rising rapidly. Many of them didn’t even understand what had happened; they were merely there to see Qi Hanyi.

Qi Hanyi remained focused and began his clarification.

“Some people have inquired on the military’s official website about White-scaled Shark’s identity and whether there are any connections to the military or cheating issues. I will now answer each of these queries.” Qi Hanyi did not have a script; he maintained a cold and composed demeanor throughout, looking straight ahead without a hint of restraint in front of the camera, his strong presence causing the viewers to subconsciously sit up straight.

“Firstly, this is the SS-32 map training record and participant list. The SS-32 map can only be used in military training rooms; every time it is opened, it is recorded, and there is absolutely no possibility of giving White-scaled Shark any advance answers or special privileges.”

“As supporting evidence, here are the communication records from the day of the third preliminary match between the military and the operators of ‘Star Wars.’ They can prove that Player [White-scaled Shark] killing the mother bug was entirely an unexpected situation outside of the game’s design. To remedy this, the military temporarily decided to open the SS-32 map.”

While Qi Hanyi spoke, he methodically presented his evidence.

As expected, the direction of the bullet screen instantly shifted to overwhelming support. The specifics of the evidence seemed irrelevant to many viewers; for them, Qi Hanyi personally stepping up was the most compelling proof of all.

However, the live stream soon experienced an unexpected twist. The audience only heard Qi Hanyi say, “Secondly, regarding whether the military’s competition was paving the way for [White-scaled Shark], I can state clearly: Yes.”