Su Zhan nodded without speaking.
Qin Bai continued the introduction: "Du Shanhe, one of the founding members of the Transcendence Society, oversees all mist incidents in Jiang City and the three surrounding cities."
Su Zhan stared at the authoritative ID photo on the screen.
The man in the photo had perfectly combed-back hair and wore a suit, looking every bit the successful entrepreneur.
Who could have guessed his true identity?
"Over the past six months, all mist incidents within his territory required his approval from the Transcendence Society."
Qin Bai continued: "During this period, there were 103 mist incidents in his territory, with death tolls exceeding nearly one hundred thousand people."
Wang Mingyuan coughed: "The mist incident we encountered last time was probably orchestrated by him too."
Su Zhan already understood this point.
A complex network of financial connections appeared on the screen.
"Over the past decade, he bribed officials across four cities through Du Corporation with more than twenty..."
Qin Bai's finger traced across several highlighted names, "...including Bureau Director XX, Director XX, and even two XX from the Aberrant Purge Division."
Su Zhan saw one transfer of five million with the remarks reading "Jiang City Daily Annual Cooperation Fee."
"He bribed one-third of the media across four cities."
Qin Bai sneered: "They've been downplaying the impact after every mist incident."
The next page displayed Du Corporation's industry layout.
"Surface-level real estate and pharmaceuticals, but secretly all serve the Transcendence Society."
Qin Bai opened several subsidiary pages: "Construction material companies transport aberrations, pharmaceutical factories refine prohibited drugs, even their chain hotels are used to house aberrations.
With the protection his money bought him, he's never had any accidents all these years."
Qin Bai said this with two cold laughs: "Unfortunately today... he met me."
"So this operation must be clean and precise."
Wang Mingyuan added: "Uproot the entire network before they can react."
At that moment.
The off-road vehicle slammed its brakes.
Su Zhan looked up to see a luxurious office building outside the window.
Displaying the "Du Corporation" logo.
They weren't just dealing with an aberration, but a web of evil woven with money over twenty-plus years.
"Exit the vehicle, lock down the building immediately!"
Qin Bai kicked open the car door and issued commands instantly.
As the words fell.
Doors of several off-road vehicles swung open simultaneously.
Over a hundred black-clad purge division members emerged.
Their movements perfectly synchronized.
"Team One secure the east exit!"
"Team Two control the high ground!"
"Team Three secure the parking lot entrances/exits!"
...
Commands rapidly transmitted through comms.
All personnel operated like precision gears.
Snipers quickly took positions on nearby rooftops, infrared scopes already sweeping across the building's windows.
Yes, actual snipers.
These firearms were specially made, extremely powerful.
But these thermal weapons only worked against lower tiers.
Once targets reached Stream Realm or Medium Danger level.
These firearms became useless scrap metal, no matter how specially made.
However, because they could inflict damage against lower-tier aberrations without spending any spiritual energy, these thermal weapons appeared among purge division members.
"Teacher Wang, let's go."
Qin Bai called to Wang Mingyuan, taking the lead into the building.
"Su Zhan, watch here, don't let anyone exit."
Wang Mingyuan gently patted Su Zhan's shoulder, following Qin Bai's footsteps into the building.
Su Zhan now understood his role alongside these purge members.
Just prevent anyone from exiting.
Even if he couldn't stop them...
The worst outcome would be using his life to alert everyone that someone escaped.
That would still achieve the objective.
Such a massive operation caught everyone in the building's attention.
Immediate commotion erupted.
"What's happening?!"
"What the hell? It's the Aberrant Purge Division!"
"Our corporation is perfectly fine, why are they here?"
The first to react were the entrance security guards.
Several guards raised their hands with pale faces.
One older guard directly knelt down: "Sir! I'm just a gatekeeper! I only make four thousand monthly!"
He knelt toward Su Zhan.
Probably because Su Zhan's dark red combat uniform stood out among the black-clad purge members, making him seem like the commander.
"Step back, no exiting permitted."
Su Zhan immediately made hand signals.
Several guards trembled in place, not daring to move.
"Sir! I truly know nothing!"
The old guard's voice trembled, raising his hands higher: "I'm just a gatekeeper, I never even see corporate executives..."
Su Zhan frowned, raising his hand to signal silence: "Step back, no exiting permitted."
"But, but..."
The old guard tried to explain further.
"I won't say it again."
Su Zhan's voice turned cold: "I didn't accuse you of anything, but everything must await investigation. Now, immediately step back, or I'll detain you for obstructing official duties."
The old guard's pleading abruptly stopped as he shakily stood up, stumbling backward.
The other guards quickly followed, retreating into the security booth, not daring to make another sound.
Su Zhan glanced at them.
Confirming they wouldn't cause more trouble, he continued guarding the main entrance.
Every window of the entire Du Corporation building filled with employees.
Dark masses of heads moved about as discussions rose and fell.
Su Zhan could faintly hear nearby front desk staff's conversations.
"Oh my god, this scale... must be at least shareholder level?"
"Maybe even the chairman!"
"Are you crazy? Want to lose your job? How dare you speculate about the chairman? Besides, the Aberrant Purge Division deploying this many people only means the target is powerful, what does position have to do with it?"
"Can't say for sure, my cousin works in purge division logistics. He said the stronger the aberration, the higher their surface status usually is..."
This statement immediately caused an uproar.
"Finished, finished! If executives all get arrested, won't the company collapse? We'll all lose our jobs!"
"Exactly, exactly."
Several colleagues nearby quickly agreed: "Our livelihoods matter! In Jiang City, no similar job pays as well as Du Corporation."
"My friend says our conditions here are much better than his place."
"If I lose this job, at my age now, finding new work will be really hard."
"Bullshit!"
Someone immediately retorted: "Aberrations are right beside you! They might eat you all any day! I'd rather the purge division arrest them all!"
"Keep your voice down!"
Someone nervously looked around: "What if, what if executives really are that..."
The front desk area's atmosphere instantly grew more panicked.
Su Zhan smiled faintly upon hearing this.
Listening to these discussions was quite interesting.
Even knowing executives might be aberrations, some still couldn't bear to see them being taken away.
Why?
Fear of unemployment.
Compared to work, even safety could be sacrificed.
It felt like the charcoal seller's dilemma - "worrying about cheap charcoal yet wishing for cold weather."
Su Zhan couldn't really judge this behavior since he wasn't ordinary but an SSS-grade Life Soul awakener.
He knew these people had their difficulties to varying degrees.
If he mocked them further.
It would feel like saying "why not eat meat porridge instead."
Right at that moment.
A massive boom came from the top floor!
The entire building shook!
All discussions abruptly ceased as hundreds of eyes simultaneously looked upward.
Su Zhan's heart tightened as he immediately looked up.
This wasn't an aberration's self-destruction sound, but pure combat noise, destruction sounds.
This made him even more uneasy.
Du Shanhe, you absolutely must not get captured by Qin Bai!
If you can't win, immediately self-destruct!
Isn't that what you Transcendence Society aberrations excel at!?