Chapter 49: Post-Incident Investigation (Part 1)

Breaking the Void Space No Pop-up Window

Zhao Li was still immersed in cultivation, unaware that anyone had come and gone. The old prison warden arrived first, seeing Zhao Li unharmed and practicing. He did not disturb him but continued to the others' areas instead.

Including the colonel who had temporarily taken over the prison, the other guards were settled in a large room. The atmosphere was gloomy, however, and no one spoke. Higher command had ordered them to wait for an investigation team and prepare detailed reports.

"Attention! Salute!" The old prison warden's figure appeared. Everyone rose to salute. Seeing all were safe, he set aside his worries. But his face soon darkened with anger.

"Who gave the order to abandon the prison?" The unprecedented heavy tone revealed how terrible the officer's mood was. No one dared provoke him, and no one spoke up.

"Very good, you lack even the courage to admit it?" The old prison warden roared louder. "My old troops seem to be declining generation by generation. They dared to make such a decision and carry it out, yet now even the courage to stand up is gone."

"Reporting to the commander, it was my decision, and none of them had any part in it. They were only following orders!" The temporary colonel stood and shouldered all responsibility alone.

"Your order?" The old prison warden remained furious. "Very good, so among our people there is now a little fellow who disobeys commands."

The colonel alone accepted blame, but this isolated Zhao Li. Since it was an order, Zhao Li's decision to stay behind was outright insubordination, a crime that could warrant immediate execution in battle.

"Reporting to the commander, it was the unanimous vote of all of us. No individual gave any order." Another man stepped forward and stated the facts. Though everyone feared punishment, they could not erase the miracle Zhao Li had created through sheer life-and-death effort.

A collective decision meant the fault belonged to none of them individually, so Zhao Li was not insubordinate. The old prison warden's expression softened a little, yet the anger lingered.

"You are now prison guards, and the prison is your battlefield. No matter what happens, you must fight to the death alongside it! The prisoners, no matter what their identities were, are your comrades and brothers in this situation. I will not allow any of you to abandon your brothers and flee alone!" Standing there, the old warden's majestic presence made the room fall silent, cold sweat dripping down spines, no one daring to reply.

"You disappoint me!" The old prison warden finally said only this: "You are even inferior to a young recruit who has just completed three months of basic training." With that, he left, and the room's heavy door was sealed once more by military personnel.

"All prisoners must be questioned individually to confirm their stories are consistent." After leaving, the old warden quietly instructed his accompanying officer: "I'll go see that little guy again."

Zhao Li's actions during this crisis were surprisingly refreshing. While everyone else fled, he alone stayed and evacuated all the prisoners. Apart from two minor injuries, everyone emerged unharmed, a relief to the old warden.

The prisoners' identities were highly sensitive; the old warden knew this, though others did not. Without Zhao Li, the consequences would have been far worse.

Zhao Li remained in deep cultivation, still asleep. The old warden watched him briefly, then continued with his duties without lingering.

The prison had been destroyed and would need rebuilding, along with accident reports, temporary prisoner arrangements, guard handling opinions, and whether Zhao Li should receive commendation. All these weighed on the old warden's mind. Unexpectedly, just two days away had caused such chaos.

Involuntarily, the warden wondered what measures he might have taken if he had stayed. Yet this was purely hypothetical. Had he not left, the warship would never have been seized, giving ample time to board everyone and depart safely.

This also indicated that Montbatten Planet possessed only one warship, clearly inadequate for emergencies. A situation like this could easily result in total annihilation.

Of course, the earthquake prediction department must be held accountable. Yet it was strange that no such event had occurred in over a century, only happening in the exact two days he was gone. Did he possess the ability to ward off disaster, so that nothing would go wrong while he remained? The instant he departed, everything turned dire?

Those prisoners were extreme societal threats wherever they appeared. Their experiences, however, carried major implications for military operations and could not be casually discarded. If abandonment were possible, their crimes alone would warrant execution, why maintain them here in this barbaric land with food and shelter? Only that he had never clearly explained this, leaving subordinates unaware of the stakes. Fortunately, there was Zhao Li, this silly yet endearing and responsible little fellow.

That said, Zhao Li's performance this time was truly commendable. Unafraid in crisis, dutiful, quick-witted, and calm under pressure, he was an excellent cultivable talent. In such circumstances, reacting swiftly and resolving the issue successfully was something ordinary soldiers might not manage. No wonder he had been cultivated toward an officer path from the outset.

Moreover, Zhao Li appeared to have overcome the cultivation bottleneck that had troubled him earlier. In just a few days, he had achieved so much. He was worth cultivating well, for this little one's future was limitless!

Proud that he had not misjudged the man, the old prison warden finally turned to the specific tasks at hand. Before the investigation team arrived, at least they needed a detailed report ready. The military headquarters had many who wished to find flaws to attack him, but he would not allow their wishes to come true.

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