Starry Sky Railway: No one understands the Amber King better than me.

Such a long period of silence and darkness can have an irreversible impact on a person's mental health.

"Are you feeling unwell in any way?"

"No...."

Lin Yuan yawned.

"Aside from being a little bored, everything else is fine."

"......"

Everyone present fell silent, though they each had their own thoughts.

In the darkness, many internal auditors who were familiar with the effects of 'confinement' showed expressions of astonishment. In their experience, it was impossible for anyone not to be affected by the process.

In previous cases, those who did not beg for mercy and confess mostly ended up insane and mentally damaged.

But at this moment, they could only suppress their surprise. Some even showed admiration in their eyes.

Lin Yuan stood up, stretched his limbs, and asked Zhou Wei:

"Is the investigation over? May I leave?"

Zhou Wei glanced at Ryder beside him, who then took out his terminal.

"Manager Zhou, let's proceed to the next step of the process as requested."

Zhou Wei ignored him and simply explained to Lin Yuan:

"Minister Spears has intervened and made arrangements. Your case has now been transferred from the internal audit team to higher levels. There will be a high-level joint hearing within the department soon, and I will oversee the schedule on behalf of the minister."

"Yes, Mr. Lin Yuan, please!"

After Zhou Wei finished speaking, Ryder smiled slightly. He then stepped aside, revealing the direction of the door.

The path out was now open for him, but the smile on Ryder's face made it seem as if a dead end lay ahead.

"Brother Zhou, can the internal audit team guarantee that the contents of this submitted report are all true?"

Taking advantage of Zhou Wei's presence, Lin Yuan raised his questions in front of everyone.

Upon hearing this, Ryder's smile widened.

"Mr. Lin Yuan, we guarantee that all the evidence is genuine and verifiable."

Seeing that Zhou Wei did not answer, Lin Yuan pondered for a moment and then walked out of the interrogation room slowly.

After he appeared in the corridor, the guards all took their positions with him as the center.

......

Just then, another person slowly walked over from a distance; it was none other than Kang, the one who had taken him to see Minister Kane earlier.

"Assistant Kang, you've arrived."

Seeing this, Ryder quickly stepped forward to greet them. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Zhou Wei suddenly whispered in Lin Yuan's ear:

"Lin Yuan, remember this: evidence is not important, your value is the most important!"

After saying that, he stepped aside under the watchful eyes of the guards around him.

Lin Yuan listened, his eyes flickering, and nodded slightly.

At this moment, Kang also walked up to him. After looking Lin Yuan up and down, he showed a relieved smile.

"Commissioner Lin, we meet again. Minister Kane is very concerned about the situation here. If you have anything you'd like to report, please feel free to tell me, and we will definitely uphold justice for you!"

"Hey, now that everyone's here, let's go. The leaders are waiting."

Seeing this, Ryder quickly stepped forward and urged the entire group to set off sooner.

Seeing this, Kang gave Lin Yuan a deep look, then stepped aside.

And so the group set off in a grand procession.

......

After traversing several areas, Lin Yuan and his group arrived at a huge conference room.

Upon entering, what comes into view is a lecture hall or tiered classroom similar to those in my previous university, only the seating arrangement is not as crowded.

Led by the guide, Lin Yuan stood on the lowest platform, surrounded by focused lights.

On the high platform above, some figures had already taken their seats.

Lin Yuan couldn't see their faces clearly because of the lighting.

At the very top, there was another row of spaces, which was completely empty at the moment.

As time passed, the seats in the venue gradually filled with people. The previously quiet atmosphere also quieted down.

Under the interplay of lights, everyone's gaze was drawn downwards.

A sense of solemnity and tranquility arises spontaneously.

"Gentlemen, everyone is present. The joint hearing may begin."

In the bottom row, an elderly man cleared his throat. His voice, amplified by the loudspeakers, resonated throughout the hall.

The gate slowly closed, and the guards stood solemnly on both sides, watching the scene.

Ryder and his men were on the same platform as Lin Yuan, facing each other on opposite sides.

At that moment, a beam of light struck down from the sky, illuminating three holographic figures at the highest point.

"I have met the three ministers."

The old man spoke first, rising to bow in greeting.

At this moment, all three deputy directors of the Tver branch who were in charge of all matters related to market development were present, and everyone stood up to welcome them.

After everyone had settled back into their seats, a voice came from above.

"We can begin."

......

Chapter 15: At the End of the Road?

The voice from above signaled the start of the hearing.

All eyes were immediately focused on the scene, and an immense pressure instantly descended upon it.

Lin Yuan, sitting in the audience, squinted and looked up, but he couldn't see clearly under the lights.

At this moment, apart from Ryder and his group opposite them, everything around them was shrouded in shadows cast by the dazzling light.

"Ahem, thank you all very much for taking the time to attend this hearing."

The elderly man sitting on the first floor tapped the table, signaling the start of the hearing.

"This hearing was personally supervised by three vice ministers, and witnessed and served as judges by the year-end review panel members related to the incident, as well as 21 other relevant managers at the P25 level or above."

After a lengthy opening statement by the elderly man, the hearing proceeded into its formal stages.

"On one side of the stage is Lin Yuan, the subject of this investigation and prosecution, a P24-level employee of the Market Development Department of Interstellar Peace Company."

On the other side, the accusing party was the internal review team, represented by its head, Ryder. Both sides were required to provide opinions and evidence at this hearing to provide a basis for consideration by those present.

Lin Yuan listened to the words above and felt completely calm.

Although the gazes of those on the stage were like torches, burning him and making him restless, he still stood upright.

Under the bright lights, Lin Yuan's handsome face was clearly visible to everyone.

The shadows beneath his features made his eyes and brows look somewhat tired.

But this was normal. Since the fleet was attacked, the return journey, interviews, interrogations, and confinement had come one after another, leaving him no time to catch his breath.

This is clearly what the enemy wants to do: wear down his will and exhaust his mind so that he can reveal a weakness.

But Lin Yuan clearly wasn't going to let them succeed.

With the system's support, he took the [Energy Potion] he had won in a lottery while in confinement.

With one bite, beneath his tired face lay a completely fulfilled spirit.

Having reached this point, the underhanded tactics employed by the other side are unlikely to be effective anymore.

The final outcome hinges on this public hearing.

"It's time."

Lin Yuan's eyes brightened as he looked at Ryder, who was about to speak.

"You can find the full details of this incident in the report sent to you. I will just give a brief summary here."

"Lin Yuan was in charge of Project Krim V in this year-end review of the Market Development Department. The task log and report have been submitted to the company by the relevant parties, so I will not go into details here."

Only Ryder's voice echoed throughout the vast venue; the audience was completely silent.

"Subsequently, during the return voyage after the project was completed, the project fleet was attacked. During the attack, two frigates were destroyed, and all company employees on board perished. The massive amount of resources carried on the transport ships were lost, resulting in significant asset losses for the company."

"According to Lin Yuan's report, the fleet was attacked by the antimatter legion, and the loss of a large amount of resources was due to the ships reducing their warp mass."

However, based on the information collected by our Market Development Department's Intelligence and Information Division during the shipboard inspection, the fleet did indeed encounter an attack by an unidentified force, but the relevant records could not be verified.

Our internal audit team and technical department are attempting to fix it. We cannot rule out the possibility of sabotage.

"Lin Yuan, what do you want to say about these things?"

The elderly man hosting the event gestured for Ryder to stop speaking, then looked at Lin Yuan and asked for his thoughts.

"The attack by the antimatter legion is a fact. The ship's systems captured detailed images and other information about the incoming enemy. I don't believe such important data could have been missed."

I request that the company reorganize its technical staff to collect evidence again under supervision, and..."

As Lin Yuan spoke, a cold smile appeared on his face.

“The internal audit team has committed numerous irregularities during the investigation. I request a compliance investigation into the procedures of the internal audit team in this investigation.”

"Don't make things up without evidence."

Upon hearing Lin Yuan's accusations, Manager Ryder's expression turned cold. Whispers arose from the audience.

"Silence! Silence!"