Chapter 363 Plea for Forgiveness
Crystal Bay Residential Area.
North of the ancient palace.
An invisible red line marks off 250 acres here.
This was once the summer palace of the Veridiania emperors.
Now, it's been converted into several unremarkable small courtyards, with five main rooms and two side rooms.
In the core area, within one of the small courtyards.
An elderly man with a weathered face but an unusually strong physique stands at the entrance.
It's Jeffery!
Earlier, members of the X-ApexGuardians went to Wavehaven to lend Elbert a hand.
But Jeffery took a plane directly to Crystal Bay.
Before entering the courtyard, he picked up a bunch of twigs from the flower bed at the entrance.
Now.
He's tied the twigs to his back with a rope, his hands pressed against his thighs, standing straight and expressionless, waiting quietly outside the main room of the courtyard.
The door to the main room is open.
Through the bamboo curtain, a dignified elderly man can be faintly seen sitting behind a desk inside.
He's wearing a simple gray suit, without any shoulder patches or medals.
He's copying the poems of a former president with masterful calligraphy.
After putting down his pen, he glances at the old-fashioned watch on his wrist.
He sighs deeply and says in a low voice, "Jeffery, you've been standing outside for two hours, still carrying those twigs. What's the meaning of this?"
Jeffery straightens his posture, looking ahead with a serious expression, "Sir, I'm here to admit my fault."
At that moment.
Another man in a black suit rushes into the courtyard.
He's young and handsome, but walks with a commanding presence.
The man in the black suit nods at Jeffery and walks straight into the room, whispering in the dignified elderly man's ear.
The elderly man's brow furrows, "Jeffery, come in and sit."
Jeffery steps inside but doesn't dare to sit.
The elderly man picks up his calligraphy, studying it closely, "Jeffery, you've learned to test the limits."
Jeffery's face tightens, his head slightly bowed, the twigs on his back rustling, "Sir, I was wrong."
The elderly man continues to gaze at his calligraphy.
He speaks calmly, "Do you think I established the ApexGuardians as an X-file, only for my command, to keep it hidden?"
"This…"
Jeffery hesitates slightly, "I have no right to speculate."
"Then why did you give them extended leave?"
The elderly man sets down his calligraphy and looks at Jeffery.
Sweat begins to form on Jeffery's forehead, "Sir, you must already know the situation. Elbert, I owe him two lives, and everyone in ApexGuardians owes him one. When he asked, I couldn't refuse. I'll take full responsibility for all consequences."
"Consequences?"
The elderly man sighs slightly, "If the entire X-ApexGuardians team took action, they could flatten BioGen Innovations a hundred times over! Who would dare question it? What consequences could there be?"
"BioGen Innovations, I've never considered them a threat."
Jeffery lowers his head again, "I know, you're concerned about Victoria behind BioGen Innovations."
"Victoria?"
The elderly man shakes his head slightly, "Veridiania and Victoria have been at odds for a century, without incident. Why would I worry about this conflict escalating?"
Jeffery's brow furrows. He senses trouble. The elderly man is clearly angry, but he doesn't care about BioGen Innovations or Victoria. So what does he care about?
"Jeffery, there are two types of enemies in this world. The ones you can see are the lesser threat," the elderly man begins, his voice steady but intense. "The hardest to deal with are those hidden in the shadows."
"And today, the most powerful weapon isn't fists or bullets, it's technology!"
The elderly man stands with his hands behind his back, "We've taken down many international cyborg organizations, and they all have one thing in common—they follow something called the ‘Apocalypse Treaty.'"
"And with it comes a name, the Apocalypse Association."
The elderly man paces slowly, deep in thought. "It doesn't belong to any country, has no public statements."
"But various clues tell us that this Apocalypse Association's technology is far superior to our current society's."
"Cyborg technology included."
"They're like a hidden devil, watching everything, controlling everything."
"A few days ago, BioGen Innovations' cyborg technology advanced rapidly, mastering C-level technology in five days."
"Logically, this is impossible."
"The only explanation is they made a deal with the Apocalypse Association."
The elderly man's eyes flash with intensity. "The Apocalypse Association supports certain forces but maintains a balance. They periodically release advanced technology, but only a little at a time."
"It seems they're controlling a balance."
"They're like an endless black hole, causing unease."
Jeffery listens, increasingly shocked.
The elderly man continues, "I hid ApexGuardians to prepare for unforeseen events, and ordered Dragon Might to contact BioGen Innovations to uncover the Apocalypse Association's secrets."
"Now."
"Everything is in chaos."
"Not only you, but even Alaric has started acting impulsively."
The elderly man slowly turns, "Now, do you understand the mess you've created?"
Jeffery's eyelid twitches uncontrollably.
"Of course, I also know the root of all this."
The elderly man ponders slightly, "Recently, a name has repeatedly appeared before me. A young man, quite brave."
"If he learns restraint and considers the bigger picture, he'll be a blessing to Veridiania. Otherwise, he'll be a curse."
"I'll find time to meet him personally."
Jeffery's thoughts whirl.
"As for you."
The elderly man sighs again, returning to his desk, "Two choices. First, you resign from your position and retire, serving as a warning to others that in these times of hidden enemies, rash actions are unacceptable."
"Second, Veridiania will no longer hide its strength, directly exposing its capabilities, alarming the Apocalypse Association, and possibly leading to confrontation with unpredictable consequences."
"Jeffery, we were once comrades. Tell me, what should I choose?"
The elderly man's gaze is calm and steady.
Jeffery's forehead is now drenched in sweat. He never anticipated the complexity behind this issue. He's caused a major problem.
After a moment of thought, Jeffery exhales slightly, reaching into his pocket. There, he has the general's shoulder patch he prepared earlier. He never expected that this visit would mean returning it.
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