Sir! Don't close the net!

"Branch leader, are you going on a business trip?"

"It's less of a business trip and more of a pre-trip notification to some people," Dela Pal said calmly, her legs crossed and her hands firmly on the armrests. "Becoming an executive involves a lot of handing over responsibilities and powers, so I'll be leaving Guoweiton for a while. I'll be departing today."

"Oh~ So last night was a farewell party?" Li Yili suddenly realized.

“When I return, everything will be settled. You can first… manage this sheep village, and the entire Gowerton, in your own way,” Dela Pal said with a mysterious smile.

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Speculation

Yile Moses peeked out and, after confirming that the other Cloud Clan members were tacitly preventing unsuspecting people from approaching the compartment, breathed a sigh of relief, closed the door, and jokingly patted Al-Qiong on the shoulder.

"What's wrong? You look so distracted."

“If you found that your enemy was your own boss, and possibly a God’s Chosen One who had gone mad and out of control, you would be just like me,” Al-Jiongno said, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed and letting out a long sigh.

"Ah~ you've already found it?" Yile Moses suddenly realized, and put one hand on his waist as he complained, "Do you have any evidence?"

“Not yet, but… if we follow this line of reasoning, we’ll likely find a lot of evidence. Have you found any?” Al-Qiong raised an eyebrow.

“Of course~ you know I love making friends. I just asked a few questions and I found out a lot of juicy stuff,” Ele Moses teased El-Jonor, rubbing his fingers together. But seeing El-Jonor’s tired face, he stopped teasing him and became very serious.

“Della Par is reselling contaminants that were allocated to the young black goats by headquarters. The offerings you collected earlier were not transferred to headquarters, but were secretly transported to other departments. This situation has lasted for five years in my department alone, and it may have lasted even longer in other departments.”

"Della Parr did this because..."

Before Yile Moses could finish speaking, El-Jonor interrupted him with a long sigh, “All the remaining ministers have agreed that Dela Pal’s becoming a cadre is now a foregone conclusion, the youngest cadre in history. So what if we find evidence that he’s smuggling supplies of black goat calves? That’s just a drop in the ocean compared to the supplies that a cadre can mobilize. The cadre has only used his own supplies ahead of time.”

After opening his mouth, Yile Moses raised his hand and slapped his forehead. El-Qiong's dejection was within his expectations, which was why he had come over in person.

“Della Pal, who has always been the highest-ranking chosen one of God, should have become the best executive ten years ago. All he needed to do was complete the promotion to become a true chosen one of God, and he would have naturally become the youngest executive. Why do you think Headquarters would throw such a promising chosen one of God into Guoweiton, a place where no legacy can be found?” Ele Moses raised his finger.

Al-Chonno was taken aback, recalling the conclusion he had drawn at the Guoweiton clinic: "Because he was close to madness as a Chosen One, and there was no hope of him advancing to become a true Chosen One, so he was left in Guoweiton to prevent him from getting out of control and affecting headquarters?"

Yile Moses blinked. "You were able to find this out?"

El-Chonno opened his mouth, then raised his hand to cover his forehead. "It was a deduction made by chance. I don't know if I should know the truth, but it doesn't matter anymore. With the support of all the ministers of life, it's a foregone conclusion that Dela Pal will become a cadre."

"Do you really think that you can become a cadre by bribing other ministers and gaining their support?" Ele Moses lowered his voice. "Those are cadres."

"The old cadres, our entire lives were essentially for the convenience of a few people. This isn't an election where you can squeeze into that level just by voting."

"In the end, don't you know what kind of people those ministers are? They're all insatiable bastards. No matter how much you offer, they'll just keep taking it all and keep you hanging on. De La Parr probably started bribing them when he came to Guoweiton ten years ago. Why is he only now getting the support of all the ministers?"

El-Qiong's eyes widened. "Della Pal has absorbed enough power and knowledge from the ancient heritage to become a true chosen one of the gods?"

Along with the shocking truth came an overwhelming despair. He had previously harbored a self-destructive thought of simply blowing up Dela Pal, taking advantage of the fact that Dela Pal was in the most dangerous period as a chosen one of God. Now, all he felt was despair.

"Yes, because Dela Pal has the strength of an executive, it is only natural for her to become an executive, which is why those ministers quickly took sides."

Yile Moses shook his fingers left and right. “But! This is a strange thing. I’ve heard that to become a true chosen one of God, one needs to absorb a massive amount of the same type of heritage, and at least three to five pieces of first-level heritage or above, known as gamma-level heritage. The more diverse the types of heritage absorbed beforehand, the more difficult it is to become a true chosen one of God.”

"Della Pal, who was deemed unsuitable to become a true chosen one of the gods, has not had the opportunity to absorb the same type of inheritance as before for ten years, let alone come into contact with gamma-level inheritances. Therefore, he cannot become a true chosen one of the gods!"

“For some reason, Dela Pal overcame the problem of not being able to become a true chosen one of God. It was only a matter of time before Dela Pal became a cadre, so those ministers took sides in advance,” El-Jiong concluded.

“That’s right!” Ele Moses snapped his fingers. “You know, he can’t become an officer until Dela Pal becomes a true chosen one of God.”

“But… since those greedy ministers have already taken sides, it’s only a matter of time before Della Pal becomes a true chosen one,” El-Jiong said, his chin resting on his hand and his brows furrowed deeply.

“We are just a group of ordinary people. We don’t need to understand the thoughts of those favored by God. Ordinary people have their own ways of doing things,” Jireh Moses said, spreading his hands, somewhat resigned. “Even if there is only one in a thousand, it is still one in a thousand hope.”

“Ha…then you must have information that can turn a one in a thousand chance into a one in a hundred chance, right?” El-Jiong rolled his eyes.

“That’s right, this is just the beginning. The real bombshell is coming,” Ele Moses said in a low voice. “While investigating Dela Par’s resale of supplies for black goat calves, I discovered something strange. Since March of this year, Dela Par has stopped reselling any supplies to the other ministers in the Life and Death Department.”

Al-Jonor blinked and tilted his head. "Any?"

“Yes, not a single penny. I even went out of my way to seduce our minister’s mistress and overheard our minister cursing her in private, saying that Dela Parr didn’t know what was good for her. You know, our minister is a veteran in writing, but he’s a long-time employee in reading, so when he realized that Dela Parr had recovered, he was incredibly quick to fawn over her,” El Moses casually spoke ill of his superior.

“March…March…No, the performance of the black goat’s offspring has been consistently poor, the worst of all the months. It would be understandable if Dela Pal were to be reselling supplies.”

Al-Chonno covered his mouth and paced back and forth.

“Since Dela Pal stopped feeding the unfortunate black goat calves starting in March, then… where did all the contaminants and offerings go? A large amount of resources were mobilized this month to complete the séance, and if they weren't resold, where did they go? Were they transported out? But those are contaminants; their movement would leave traces. In Guoweiton, the only thing that can be transported outwards is the black goat calves, and all the routes for the black goat calves are connected to other departments besides life…”

Al-Qiong suddenly stood up straight, raised his head, and his eyes gleamed.

"The pollutants are still in Guoweidun!"

Moreover, it's not just the pollutants that mysteriously disappeared this month, but all the pollutants that have mysteriously disappeared since March!

Chapter Thirty: Li Yili's Background

Al-Chonno's heart burned with excitement. Although the situation was still overwhelmingly unfavorable, he saw hope—the hope of completing the séance. The black goat's offspring had always received very little contaminant due to performance issues and the problems with Guo Weinton, but that was only compared to other departments that were not involved in the life-saving ritual.

Since March, all the mysteriously disappeared pollutants, if added together, represent a truly luxurious resource. If they could find those pollutants, they…

The séance could even be extended to the entire Gowerton! In that case, whether or not there are human sacrifices becomes irrelevant.

Even if it leads to repercussions by the Crusades and Valhalla, it doesn't matter. A séance of God, as big as the one in Guoweidun, is enough to change the entire world order. As long as it can be completed, there is no need to cover it up.

Even more fortunately, he already knows who hid this lavish gift package.

Levi Strauss, Estée Richard!

"Heh heh—that's the look on his face, like he's won an ace. That's the kind of expression I recognize."

"I know Al-Jonor," El-Moses waved his arms stylishly, then shrugged helplessly. "The most troublesome thing is the attitude from above. Black Goat is the only leader who hasn't been cultivated into a leader. Legend has it that Black Goat will stifle all subordinates with the potential to become leaders. Dela Pal wasn't previously under Black Goat's command. Whether Dela Pal will side with Black Goat after becoming a leader is hard to say. The distribution of power at the leader level has become an unknown."

"I dare not inquire further, after all, those are the chosen ones of the gods."

“Well, thank you for your help. I understand the general idea, but there’s one more thing,” Al-Jonor said, resting his chin on his hand and flashing his eyes, “Have you investigated the background of this man, Levi-Isti Richard?”

Jireh Moses' relaxed smile gradually faded. He placed his left hand on his waist and tapped his forehead with his right index finger.

Al-Chonno raised an eyebrow. "Is his background unusual?"

If that's really the case, then it's terrible, because he's certain that Li Yili hid that lavish gift package.

After carefully considering his words for a while, Ele Moses spoke with a look of uncertainty on his face.

"Well... I'm not sure how to say. Li Yili is a graduate of a well-known university in the wasteland, and she also held a position in some foundation there, right?"

“Yes, but I don’t know which university it is, which is why I asked you to investigate. Is it difficult to find out?” El Moses’ tone made Al-Jono frown subconsciously.

"No, quite the opposite. There's not even a need for investigation. Reeves Est. Richard was a celebrity two years ago," Ele Moses quipped. "He graduated from Arkham University, the undisputed number one university in the wasteland capital of Millennium, as the fastest genius in history to accumulate enough credits to graduate. What important position he held in that Arkham Foundation, no one discusses, and then this peerless genius who was the focus of everyone's attention suddenly disappeared without causing any more trouble. Then he appeared in Gowerton."

Al-Jeanor felt his eyebrows were practically reaching his hairline.

However, if that's the case, he can understand why Dela Pal treats Li Yili as one of his own. The fact that Li Yili is the fastest to graduate from Arkham University is enough to make Dela Pal look at him with high regard. And the fact that he was relegated to being a lowly smuggler of pollutants in Guoweiton can indeed make Dela Pal, who could have become the youngest cadre, feel a sense of sympathy for him.

Seeing El-Jonor deep in thought, and with a conflicted expression, Ele-Moses hesitated for a long time before finally gritting his teeth and speaking, "Actually, Li Yili is very likely to be with the group—"

Before Yile Moses could finish speaking, the door to the cubicle was violently kicked open. Al-Jonor was startled, and Yile Moses, who was near the door, was so frightened that he jumped back and instinctively turned up his collar to cover his face.

But they were overthinking it; it was none other than Abu Jean who broke down the door.

“Ah, El-Jonor Executive Officer—”

Perhaps due to the rush, Abu Jean couldn't catch his breath. He leaned against the door, lowered his head, and gasped for air.

El-Qiong glanced at the door. The other Cloud Clan members continued to move about in unison, some even deliberately arguing loudly to avoid Li Yili noticing Abu Rang's loud banging on the door.

"Abu, come in first," El-Jiong breathed a sigh of relief and pulled Abu Jean into the cubicle, nodding gratefully to the other Cloud Clan members before closing the cubicle door.

“Hey, hey, hey—El Chonno, didn’t you ever teach your men how to knock?” El Moses pulled down his collar and complained. “I thought my career was over.”

“Sorry,” El-Jonor nodded sheepishly, patted Abu Jean on the back until Abu Jean calmed down, and then asked, “Abu, is there something you need?”

"Cough cough cough—Executor, I think I've found a clue!" Abu Jean excitedly pulled a stack of crumpled papers from his satchel. "Last night I checked the grain trading ledgers of Guoweiton over the past few years and found many people who don't exist. They've been buying grain regularly over the past few years, and their names only appear in the grain purchase ledgers! I guess those are people that Minister Dela Pal has prepared for us to keep! That grain must be used to feed those sacrificial offerings that are being smuggled out!"

“They disappeared in March, but Li Yili started making large purchases at the grain market in March, buying more than those who disappeared. Although Li Yili has a large ranch and raises all kinds of animals, she not only buys grain but also a lot of meat. Considering Li Yili’s relationship with Minister Dela Par, the lost offerings must now be being raised by Li Yili.”

"Because of the large amount of pollutants that were previously transferred, the scrutiny of our logistics routes has increased significantly. It's impossible for them to have moved those offerings out at this time! So we have every opportunity to recover those offerings!"

"You've got some skills," said Jire Moses, his face full of surprise. Just the fact that they had investigated to this extent, knowing that their enemy was a chosen one of God, and that Dela Pal was about to enter the ranks of true cadres, and that they still intended to get to the bottom of it and take back what Dela Pal had swallowed, was enough to earn Jire Moses's heartfelt admiration.

"you

"Are you sure you want to go on?" El-Jonor looked into Abu Jean's eyes with utmost seriousness.

Abu Jang paused for a moment, then clenched his fist and nodded vigorously.

“Thank you. Your investigation has given me hope. This is the trump card that can help our black goat cubs turn the tide. I will try my best to attract Li Yili’s attention. You must retrieve the lost offerings within this time!” El Qiaonuo grasped Abu Jean’s shoulder with a solemn expression.

"Ok!"

Abu Jean felt a surge of excitement and nodded vigorously.

Standing to the side, Ele Moses raised an eyebrow, glanced at Al-Jonor with an expression that said, "I'll leave everything to you," and then at Abu Jean with an expression that said, "Leave it to me." He smiled helplessly and patted his forehead.

Chapter Thirty-One: Yes, it was a temporary worker who did it!

Although Dela Pal appeared calm, she was actually incredibly excited to finally become a cadre. Unusually, she did not take a special car but instead boarded a steam train used for logistics that was about to depart.

"Li Yili, I'm entrusting the black goat cubs to you while I'm away."

Dela Pal, standing at the door of the central carriage of the steam train, slightly raised her chin.

“Leave it to me,” Li Yili waved her hand.

Dela Pal nodded slightly, turned and stepped into the train carriage. With the orderly surge of the train, the seemingly all-powerful metal behemoth moved along the laid tracks toward the boundless distance. After the train had completely disappeared from sight, Li Yili's shoulders relaxed.

Although Dela Pal treated him well, who can understand the thoughts of the chosen ones? Ultimately, they were on different sides. Dela Pal's kindness to him was based on the premise that he had been helping him. If she knew what he was doing behind the scenes, he would probably have become fertilizer for the land of Guoweidun.

Now that Dela Pal is gone, he can finally relax and make some moves.

“Next, we’ll go to the Guoweiton Grain Store,” Li Yili said, waving her arm and snapping her fingers lightly at Yoran.

“I understand,” Yolan pushed his hat up slightly, his smile still reserved but his movements much more natural. “Is Mr. Richard out of food?”

Li Yili raised an eyebrow. To be honest, he really didn't understand Yolan. She had a different face every day, but it wasn't all a bad thing.

"I suppose so. We need to go buy some grain. We can't keep letting those cattle and sheep fend for themselves by eating weeds. We need to improve their diet so we can sell fresher goat milk and cow milk, and the meat will be of better quality and more nutritious," Li Yili shrugged. To avoid accidentally stepping on some landmine of Yolan's and getting all wrinkled again, Li Yili added, "Of course, the price will still be raised a little bit. We have to make some money, you know. And also, Mr. Li Yili."

“Yes, yes, I understand, I understand,” Yoran nodded vigorously and pulled on the reins.

Considering the issues of export and purchase, the largest grain store in Guoweidun was not far from the logistics train station built by the black goat's calves. It only took about seven or eight minutes for Li Yili to arrive at the largest grain store in Guoweidun. Dressed in a formal suit that only a sheep village executive would wear, Li Yili was received into a special reception room, where she enjoyed snacks and hot tea while waiting for the person in charge to arrive.

Soon, a man with a large belly walked in with a big smile on his face and rubbing his hands together.

"It's been a long time, Mr. Richard."

“I was here not long ago,” Li Yili put down her cup and waved her hand. “Same as before, but this time I need more vegetables, fish, chickens, ducks and the like. I want them all alive, and I’ll have them all transported to my ranch.”

After saying that, Li Yili put down her crossed legs, straightened her clothes, and prepared to leave.

“I understand, I understand,” the pot-bellied man nodded as he followed behind Li Yili. His small eyes darted left and right before he swallowed and lowered his voice. “Um, Mr. Richard.”