Winter Lord: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 156 Undercurrent
"Then play music, then dance."

As Louis spoke, the music began.

The entire banquet hall became a bizarre theater, where everyone was forcing a smile, and every sip of wine felt like it was seven parts poison.

No one mentioned Joseph anymore.

It was as if that person had never been at the banquet, as if his shrill cry of "How dare you!" was just an illusion.

Edward was also pretending to laugh, but his eyes were already unfocused, and a fine layer of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

He mechanically echoed the pleasantries around him while secretly rejoicing, "Thank goodness... thank goodness I didn't agree to Joseph's offer that day."

He remembered that meeting clearly. Joseph pulled him aside to talk about land rights and fiefdoms, and even said with certainty that they would "join forces to take control of the parliament and sideline that idiot Louis."

He was tempted at first, but due to his cautious nature, he ultimately did not agree.

At that moment, he suddenly felt as if he had dodged a decapitation blade hanging over his head.

But that feeling of relief was quickly swallowed up by another kind of panic.

"But what if Louis thinks I'm involved too? If I had said a few more words, would I have been the one taken away?"

A mixture of relief and fear tore at my heart.

Even he himself couldn't tell whether he wanted to escape from this strange banquet or from the young prefect who sat in the main seat with a gentle expression.

But Jon, sitting not far from him, was a completely different person.

He had long disliked Joseph, who was all pretentious and always talking about self-interest.

Watching the man being forcibly dragged away by the knight, he was overjoyed, his mouth practically stretched to his ears.

He laughed like a mischievous spectator, sipping his drink and muttering under his breath, "Tsk tsk, this time they really messed up."

As he spoke, he deliberately nudged Willis with his elbow, his eyebrows flying: "See? I told you he was too pretentious, too affected... Did he really think the boss was easy to fool? Well, now he's landed in jail for his pretentious act."

Veris, however, was not so relaxed.

He didn't retort, his gaze passing over the cups and landing on his brother, who sat at the head of the banquet table, always smiling gently as if nothing had happened.

"Did he set up this whole thing all along, waiting for Joseph to fall into it? Or did he just make a last-minute decision and launch a sudden attack?"

Veris considered himself to have met many "ruthless people".

But he had never seen anyone like Louis who could blend calmness, authority, and performance so seamlessly.

He even had some doubts: just how many cards did this unfamiliar younger brother still have up his sleeve?

And so, amidst the barely persevering music and the awkward atmosphere of forced smiles, the banquet, which was originally intended to celebrate, finally came to an end.

When the last piece ended, the musicians put down their instruments with a sense of relief, each with sweat beading on their foreheads.

But no one dared to leave first.

They simply looked toward Louis in the main seat, waiting for his move.

He slowly stood up, gently waved his hand, and said softly, "Alright, everyone, that's enough for today."

That shout of "Dismissed!" was like a warhorse released from its reins.

The group was finally able to move, but they dared not move too quickly, for fear of showing any fear or disrespect.

They left the banquet hall in an orderly fashion, like a tide, their steps hesitant and their expressions complex, as if a single misstep would lead to their capture by Louis.

Only after returning to their respective temporary lodgings did they finally shed their "happy and harmonious" facade.

Small groups quietly formed under the cover of night, gathering in twos and threes, each discussing their own affairs.

Some people frowned and whispered, some whispered among themselves, and some just looked blank.

"Tell me... what exactly happened?"

"On what grounds... did he take Joseph away? What crime?"

"Has he gone mad?"

"But if he's crazy, why does everything seem so meticulously planned?" They searched for a way out like ants in the dark, but they couldn't find the answer to that question: "Louis...why did he do this?"

But nobody knows the truth, and nobody dares to ask publicly.

They simply realized a terrible reality:

That seemingly gentle and mild-mannered young prefect, whether or not he was insane, was far more terrifying than any of them could have imagined.

…………

Louis, at the center of the vortex, remained as calm as an ancient well.

Not long after the banquet ended, he summoned Veris and Jon.

The two entered one after the other, and as soon as Jon entered, he excitedly said:
"Louis, that move you made was so cool! I almost burst out laughing. That arrogant guy actually got taken down like that!"

Veris, however, did not have it so easy.

He glanced at the direction where the door had closed with a complicated expression, and asked in a low voice, "Louis...aren't you afraid something might happen? After all, you're taking Joseph away directly. Won't that cause any problems later?"

Upon hearing this, Louis simply smiled faintly: "His arrest has nothing to do with me."

"What?" They were both stunned.

Louis tapped the table lightly, his tone calm: "It was Duke Edmund who gave the order. He's probably already on his way to the governor's mansion. I'm just using this to establish my authority."

Yorn and Veris looked surprised.

“I didn’t tell you beforehand,” Louis continued, “because the intelligence wasn’t certain at first. But now the evidence is there: he betrayed his country.”

This afternoon, a knight from the Governor's Office came to Red Tide Territory and explained the matter to me.

I quickly thought of using this incident to establish my authority, and it was thanks to the cooperation of these knights that I was able to complete the charade.

Then, to the astonishment and confusion of the two men, Louis succinctly recounted the entire story:

Joseph Carradi had secretly established contact with the Silver Disk Guild of the Emerald Federation more than six months ago.

He provided the other party with confidential information about the Karadi family in the southwestern defense zone of the empire, including the changing of the guard at watchtowers, the calculation of the garrison's food and fodder consumption, and even the deployment rhythm of the cavalry forces on the southeastern front.

In exchange, he received a large amount of gold coins, medicinal herbs, food, and "technical slaves" from the Federation.

He happened to stop the informant who was heading to the Silver Plate Guild in his territory, and then sent him to the governor's mansion, which is how he finally understood the whole story.

“What’s more serious is that the evidence includes not only detailed records of his transactions with the Silver Plate Guild, but also his own signature.”

Veris stared wide-eyed, while Jon's mouth remained agape for a long time.

There was silence.

Jon clicked his tongue under his breath: "So that's why he dared to jump around like that, he was planning something big..."

“But now,” Louis smiled casually, “everything about him is over, and it might even involve his family.”

Veris turned pale and muttered, "He's gone mad..."

After discussing Joseph's matter, the atmosphere fell silent for a moment.

Louis didn't waste any words and got straight to the point: "Alright, I plan to do some things at tomorrow's meeting, and I need the two of you to cooperate."

Jon stood up and said, "Of course, please do."

Willis nodded: "No problem, we'll follow your instructions."

Louis briefly explained their respective roles.

Jon is responsible for stabilizing the situation on the field, expressing his position when appropriate, and suppressing any potential agitation.
Veris, on the other hand, wanted to rationalize the new policies for him from the perspectives of system, efficiency, and security, and to lay the groundwork for public opinion that he was "for the people and for the public good".

Both of them agreed immediately.

The three then continued their discussion in a small group about how to handle several key issues, and quickly reached a consensus.

(End of this chapter)