The Professional Rankings, in twelve volumes, each bearing the name of my lord.

Although the method of replicating the divine monument is one of the Federation's many secrets, it is theoretically impossible for outsiders to know it.

However, the three major clans have a rich history, and some members of these clans have entered government or the military.

There are probably some things that are hard to explain clearly.

Longtan and Goubi waved their hands repeatedly.

"Chief of Staff, I can't afford to take such a heavy responsibility, and neither can the Long family."

"I am the rising star of the Gou clan! I am the strongest among those below level 50 in our clan! Even if someone were to secretly attempt to clear the Illusionary Realm, it could only be me! My Dream Gu is 100% effective against my peers, and my Frost Leaf..."

Zhang Beihai used a small skill from his fingertips to shut Gou Bi up.

"The Strategy Department does have doubts about you, but we've called you here today not to convict you, but to inform you that the candidate competition has been postponed. Please wait for further notice."

Longtan breathed a sigh of relief.

"This is such a small matter; you could have just had someone make a phone call. Why bother notifying me personally?"

Zhang Beihai stood up, his hands behind his back. Long and Gou felt uneasy and also stood up.

"W-what's wrong? Is there something else?"

Zhang Beihai said in a deep voice.

"Two days ago, a group of bandits caused trouble at Entrance No. 6 of Shangjing. Not two days later, this illusion was cleared. Should I connect these two events?"

Longtan clapped his hands together.

"Yes! It must have been when that group of bandits caused trouble that other bandits took the opportunity to sneak into the illusion!"

Gou Bi nodded repeatedly.

"That makes sense, that makes sense!"

Zhang Beihai shook his head.

"But as far as I know, the bandits that day were imposters, the same group of college students that the Special Bureau had captured before. They weren't the real bandits. The ones who appeared near the Strategic Department three days ago were the real bandits."

Longtan clapped his hands together.

"I understand. The mysterious man who passed through Gate 6 in Beijing is trying to confuse the situation. He deliberately brought in fake bandits so we'd think he was also a bandit and wanted to frame them!"

Gou Bi nodded repeatedly.

"That makes sense, that makes sense!"

Zhangbei Kaido.

"Actually, to this day, apart from Ouyang Dongsheng, no one knows exactly who the people behind those hoods in the bandit organization are."

The federal government has tried to investigate, but these people are too elusive. Even when they succeed, they will simply expose themselves, making it impossible to trace them.

So nobody knows who the bandit is...

At this point, Zhang Beihai's gaze focused on Long and Gou.

"So, is it possible that you two are bandits?"

Longtan was stunned, his lips twitching.

Gou Bi nodded repeatedly.

"That makes sense, that makes sense!"

Longtan kicked him.

"What the hell are you thinking?"

Zhang Beihai didn't just guess; he did a simple analysis.

"Although the bandits were active in the capital, they were basically fake bandits impersonated by Xu Kai's admirers."

However, when Wan Jianyi was trying to capture Ye Chen, a group of real bandits appeared.

They arrived just in time, relieving our immediate crisis.

It's unlikely that no one tipped them off, right?

The next day, a group of fake bandits caused trouble outside the No. 6 Illusionary Gate in Shangjing. They knew they were not allowed to enter, but they insisted on breaking in. However, they didn't persist in going in and ran away a few minutes later, which clearly indicated that something was wrong.

Just the day before, you had listened to my report on the candidate competition and received information about the sacred monument from No. 6 Shangjing.

"What a coincidence!"

Upon hearing this, Longtan couldn't help but exclaim, "That makes sense!"

"No, Chief of Staff, to be honest, I also want to join the bandits! But I can't get in, I'm really not a bandit!"

Gou Bi nodded repeatedly.

"Me too!"

Zhang Beihai remained silent for a while, and the atmosphere in the office became somewhat oppressive.

Then, Zhang Beihai spoke again.

"Whether it's helping Wan Jianyi capture Ye Chen, or somehow obtaining the Divine Stele and clearing the Illusionary Realm, none of these are major issues. At most, they've interfered with our Strategic Department's selection of Transcendent Beings."

I can take full responsibility for matters concerning the Strategic Department. As long as I believe the bandits bear no responsibility for this matter, no one will pursue it.

To date, the bandits have not been included on any wanted list or charged with any crime.

"If you two are truly members of the bandits, just admit it openly. Nothing will happen; I'll keep it a secret."

After careful consideration, Long and Gou realized that they did indeed fit the image of bandits.

Young, low rank, but incredibly powerful in combat.

Given what has happened in the last few days, it's not surprising that Zhang Beihai would suspect them.

Longtan thought of something.

"Chief of Staff, Song Gua and Tong Zhan were also with the Strategic Department that day. They might be bandits too!"

"That's right, all of you were suspects, but in the end, only the two of you obtained the Divine Stele."

"I... I really don't mean it!"

Longtan wanted to cry but had no tears.

Zhang Beihai concluded by saying...

"Whether it is or not is not important. I just want to remind you that if you have really joined the bandits, you should get out as soon as possible. This organization is like a mystery. What kind of path it will take in the future is full of uncertainty. It is best not to have anything to do with them."

Longtan finally understood what Zhang Beihai meant.

He and Gou Bi, one of them will eventually join the Yingtian Division.

If there is any connection with bandits, the Yingtian Division will definitely not accept it.

"Understood, thank you for the reminder, Chief of Staff."

Longtan and Goubi left.

Not long after, Yue Sheng walked in.

Zhang Beihai stood in front of the newly repaired floor-to-ceiling window, his back to Yue Sheng, and spoke.

"Actually, the most suspicious person is Song Gua."

Yue Sheng nodded slightly.

"The bandits came from Yunshan City, and so did he. From an investigation perspective, that alone makes him a suspect for life."

Zhang Beihai frowned.

"But I checked all the information I could find, and every time the bandits took action, he had a solid alibi. There was not enough evidence to even suspect him."

"Why do we have to know if he's a bandit? The authorities may not like bandits, but they haven't been officially designated as an illegal organization yet. Even if he really is a bandit, it shouldn't matter, right?"

"I have a feeling that the bandits will eventually turn against the Federation. The attitude of the Federal Supreme Bureau towards the bandits is just a matter of a moment, depending on how they act next."

Yue Sheng could almost see a faint thread connecting the Federation and the bandits.

This string, if not handled carefully, will snap.

"Actually, Song Gua's background is clear. Even if he really is a bandit, he's probably like Xu Kai—a young man who doesn't know any better and is just a temporary admirer..."

Zhang Beihai interrupted him.

"Do you really think Song Gua has a clear foundation? Where did his resources come from to grow so rapidly? He broke records in solo dungeons multiple times; where did this extraordinary combat power come from?"

"You seem to have an idea?"

Zhang Beihai opened one of the professional data functions, the leaderboard, flipped to the main leaderboard and many sub-leaderboards, and pointed to some names on it.

"Look at these people, they all suddenly appeared on various sub-lists this year, and there's no record of them."