"The high-tech system is completely damaged, and the barrier's function is 70% compromised. The barrier is currently paralyzed and is undergoing a self-check to assess the damage. It can recover on its own, but it will be very slow. The high-tech system requires replacement of parts and equipment, and we have no spares. The military factory needs to re-produce a set according to the original design standards. Even if it is repaired, it will take about a year." Hans quickly grasped the extent of the barrier's damage. He licked his slightly chapped lips and said in a somber voice.
"Where are our men?" Wesh asked calmly, his expression returning to its usual placid state, showing no sign of anger.
“They’re all still alive. A small number have sustained minor injuries and are still unconscious, but they’ll recover soon,” Loki said in a low voice, glancing at Wesh.
"That's good. As long as our people are still here, we haven't suffered any losses. Life is always the most important thing. Isn't the value of a barrier for defense? Everything we've done is for this moment, so there's nothing to be discouraged about. Gentlemen, cheer up! I think we still have a lot of tough battles to fight." Wesh said softly. His voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached the hearts of every ability user, like a gentle spring breeze that instantly dispelled the gloom in everyone's hearts.
Including several deputy directors, countless bright eyes turned to the highest-ranking officer of the Superpower Bureau, the legendary strongest man, Mr. Wesh. In him, people saw only confidence, strength, and courage. In that instant, the gloomy emotions were rekindled. Except for the superpowered individuals whose consciousness was sealed, everyone else couldn't help but stand up, clench their fists, and roar. The fervent emotions once again filled the broken barrier space.
roar!
A thunderous roar erupted.
Vish smiled at his subordinates, his hands gesturing as if he were about to offer some words of encouragement. Having suffered such a devastating blow, as their supreme leader, he felt it was his responsibility and obligation to pull them out of their emotional slump. Suddenly, his expression changed slightly, and then several powerful figures, as if sensing something, simultaneously looked towards the irregular exit.
Hans was the fastest; in a flash, he transformed into a streak of silver light and shot out. Neutrino bombs are always long-range attacks, so it's impossible for anyone else to be nearby, unless they're immune to the bomb's power and kill themselves. The barrier faithfully records the location and type of the bomb; by following the records, the person responsible for the attack can be found.
A moment later, Hans returned, carrying a man and a badly damaged UGS launcher in his arms. He slammed the man to the ground and said angrily, "It wasn't a long-range attack, it was a close-range launch. We were almost wiped out by them."
Chapter 381 Political Issues
Everyone's eyes widened in disbelief. A close-range launcher? Could neutrino bombs really be launched this way? It turned out that they, along with their group, had been out of touch with the latest defense technology information for too long, acting like frogs in a well. If it weren't for Hans and the others' quick thinking, they might have already let the tiger return to the mountains, suffering a great loss for nothing.
The man was bound by Hans's mental field, unable to move at all, but his expression was vicious, his eyes filled with a ferocious and hateful look, staring at the crowd like a wild beast ready to devour its prey. His mental field struggled desperately, but because his strength was far inferior to Hans's, he remained unable to move, and finally had to give up in vain, panting heavily as he looked at the crowd.
The powerful figures were taken aback. Although this person was also a superhuman, his strength was extremely weak, only at the level of a private. Moreover, he was completely unfamiliar to everyone present. However, judging from his physical characteristics, he should be of East Asian descent, belonging to East or West Asia. If the scope were narrowed down, he could be a Chinese or Japanese superhuman. However, one cannot simply determine a superhuman's organization based on physical appearance. Even within the Sky Eye Society and the American Superhuman Bureau, there are quite a few superhumans with black hair and black eyes.
"This is the guy who dropped the neutrino bomb?" a deputy director asked incredulously. Neutrino bombs weren't cheap, readily available items like hand grenades. Even if launched manually, they required a launcher. And launching at close range—weren't they afraid the explosion would engulf them? It sounded like a fantasy, and the crowd thought it was child's play.
“They had accomplices,” Hans said, frowning. “There were a few skilled fighters, but I went out too late and only saw the backs of a group of people running away. Only this guy, for some reason, was caught by me just as he was about to escape. I questioned him a couple of times from outside, but he didn’t say anything, just looked at me with this expression.”
“He will talk.” Another deputy director sneered, walked over, and gently patted the man’s shoulder. His mental energy field dispelled the restraints binding him. “Speak, which organization sent you? Why are you targeting the Superpower Bureau? Tell the truth, or we will use the God Searching Technique.”
His mental energy field was ready to be unleashed at any moment. If that person dared to launch an attack, he could instantly re-imprison him. However, that person only moved his hands and feet to confirm that the immobilization was lifted before he sneered and said, "Want me to tell the truth? Sure, I am an ability user from the China Ability Headquarters. As for why I'm targeting you, it's simply because I don't like you and want to take down the Ability Bureau."
...
Everyone exchanged bewildered glances, and several of the super-powerful individuals fell into deep thought. It was possible that the Chinese Superpower Headquarters disliked the American Superpower Bureau, and the American Superpower Bureau was equally disliked by the Chinese Superpower Headquarters, but the problem lay elsewhere.
It would be utterly absurd to think that someone would use a neutrino bomb to wipe out the Superpowers Bureau just because they were unhappy. Even if the two superpowered organizations were strategic partners, and their relationship deteriorated to a certain point, it would be impossible for them to escalate to the point of directly bombing each other's barriers with neutrino bombs. It's like how, no matter how badly the relationship between China and the US deteriorates, they would never exchange nuclear missile strikes.
This is a war, not just a minor incident. If it is confirmed that the Chinese Superpower Headquarters did it, then the problem is quite serious and could very well cause turmoil throughout the world, and even all superpowered individuals could be drawn into it.
At that point, even if it's purely for political reasons, the Superpower Bureau will have to formally declare war on the Chinese Superpower Headquarters; the face of a superpower cannot be compromised. The Chinese Superpower Headquarters' actions are tantamount to a pointless slap in the face to the Superpower Bureau. If the Americans don't retaliate, they'll lose their position as the world's policeman.
The war between two super-powered organizations is undoubtedly extremely brutal, and may even involve ordinary armies. It would not only be a war between super-powered individuals, but could even be a world war. And all of this stems from a single sentence uttered by a low-level super-powered individual.
Wesh and the others didn't believe this guy who was spouting nonsense. In any case, they wouldn't believe that the Chinese Superpower Headquarters would secretly send someone to launch a secret bomb at the gate of the Superpower Bureau, and be so foolish as to leave one alive. Doing so would be like committing murder and arson in front of the police, and then putting up a sign saying "I didn't want to hide it," clearly telling the other party that they were the ones who did it.
Even if the Chinese Superpower Headquarters is immature, it's impossible for them to do something so naive. Moreover, this attempt to frame someone else is too clumsy. This weak superpowered individual was clearly just deliberately allowed to be captured by Hans. Otherwise, if it really was the Superpower Headquarters, the Superpower Bureau wouldn't have any evidence. All of their words were obviously meant for the super-strong individuals at the US Superpower Bureau. However, those who can become deputy directors aren't fools, and naturally, they won't believe such far-fetched theories.
“Use the Searching God Technique,” Wesh said calmly. There was no need to say anything to that person. Even if he wasn’t going to threaten him, he would never say anything. Fortunately, superhumans have many methods that ordinary people cannot use to deal with prisoners. To obtain real information, it is not always necessary to torture them. Although the Searching God Technique is cruel, it is still necessary in certain situations.
"Heh heh, you're dreaming. Nobody can get any real information out of my head. You bastards from the Superpower Bureau, just wait for the bloody revenge from our China Superpower Headquarters!" The man suddenly roared with a cold laugh after hearing what Wesh said.
A flash of silver light suddenly appeared on his body, followed by a violent expansion—a sign of impending self-destruction. His mental energy field was first compressed into a tiny point, then exploded out in the shortest possible time, causing a violent explosion. The greater the power, the smaller the mental energy field would be compressed, and the shorter the explosion time, the greater the power. Therefore, the stronger the superhuman, the more astonishing the power of their self-destruction. The self-destruction of a super-strong individual could be comparable to the explosive yield of a small nuclear bomb, while the self-destruction of someone with low strength would at most ignite a few dozen kilograms of TNT.
A deputy director intervened just in time, and the silver light instantly transformed into a transparent shield, effectively containing the shockwave from the explosion. After a cloud of smoke cleared, the ground trembled slightly before returning to calm. The shield slowly disappeared, leaving no trace of blood and gore. The unfortunate superhuman had been reduced to the finest particles by the self-destruction, dissipating in an instant.
Wish frowned. Although he had anticipated the outcome, he still didn't want to see things unfold this way. Moreover, the man was dead, leaving no way to verify the facts. How would they handle the subsequent troubles? The damage to the high-tech barrier had already occurred. No matter how they tried to remedy the situation afterward, American retaliation was inevitable. The question was, against whom?
Wish suddenly realized that things were getting out of control. First, someone had secretly infiltrated the underground base. Regardless of their purpose, the secrets of the underground base had been leaked, which had seriously affected the internal regulations established by the US Congress. The US Supernatural Abilities Bureau was not a powerful department. Although it was different from ordinary military departments, in this country where the rule of law was emphasized everywhere, even though supernatural beings had various freedoms, they could not go out into the open, otherwise they would be drowned in public scorn. Supernatural beings could choose to ignore it, but could the government choose to ignore it? Wish felt a headache coming on and suddenly envied his Chinese counterparts. No matter what supernatural beings did, as long as they had government support, they would definitely be fine, unlike him who was so restrained.
Even if, hypothetically, the secrets were leaked and the undercover agents escaped, it would only be a loss of face for the Superpowers Agency. Even if the other side later presented a thousand pieces of evidence to prove that the Superpowers Agency was cloning superpowered individuals, the US government would still have ways to deny it. Besides, governments around the world are researching cloning technology, and no one's hands are clean. So who would really put in the effort to criticize them? Apart from those insignificant civilian organizations and associations, no one would really take these things seriously.
However, the issue of neutrino bombs is much harder to conceal. The destruction of the high-tech barrier means the government will have to spend money and energy rebuilding, funds that cannot be transferred through back channels, and Congress wouldn't allow it. Once it becomes transparent, it involves terrorism, which politicians eager to stir up trouble will immediately escalate to a national security issue. The resulting chain reaction would be beyond even the control of those with supernatural abilities. If war breaks out, even the most clumsy frame-up will be labeled a target of war. It's not that the Americans don't know they're being framed, but until the real culprit is found, for the sake of national face and America's status as the world's policeman, they must wage war against the Chinese supernatural headquarters. This isn't a war of interests, but a war of face; America's hegemonic position cannot be challenged.
Vish suddenly felt uneasy, his pupils contracting slightly. It seemed that someone was targeting the American Superpowers Agency. The purpose of this was not to incite a fight between the two super-organizations through clumsy framing, but to use the complex social forces to force the two super-organizations to confront each other. It was a human-made scheme, but it had to be said that such a scheme was very clever. Even knowing that it was a childish framing, they still had to find the person who framed him and ask him for clarification.
Several super-strong individuals also remained silent. Those who could sit in this position were not lacking in intelligence. Whatever Wesh could think of, they could naturally think of as well. Each of them had different thoughts swirling in their minds, hoping to find a suitable solution from other angles. However, for the time being, even with the combined efforts of everyone, they still couldn't come up with a solution.
"Hans, you said that a group of people escaped when we went out just now. Can you sense which organization they belong to?" Wiesch suddenly asked Hans.
Hans thought for a moment, recalling the scene from earlier, and then shook his head, saying, "I can't tell, but I can see that they are definitely Asian. However, their auras are very well concealed. If I chase after them and fight them, I might discover something, but they have already escaped far away."
Wesh touched his nose in disappointment, knowing that he had asked the wrong question. But thinking about it, he realized that if the other party was determined to frame him, how could they possibly let the Special Abilities Bureau find any fault with him? Perhaps they had been waiting for this opportunity for a long time.
“We can make a fuss about neutrino bombs,” Loki said. “Such advanced weapons are not something just anyone can produce. The Chinese may not be entirely innocent either. There’s an old saying in their country: ‘All's fair in war.’ Perhaps this is a smokescreen deliberately created by the Chinese? We could very well fall for it.”
Wish nodded. Loki was right; such a possibility did exist, but it was still unlikely. The Chinese Superpower Headquarters wasn't a private organization; it represented national interests. Therefore, it wouldn't act without a compelling reason. However, this gave Wish an insight: if a superpower organization representing national interests was unlikely, then those private organizations or those representing only their own interests were questionable. And the organizations capable of producing neutrino bombs were extremely limited…
"Let's go settle accounts with the Chinese. Before they know it, let's strike first and catch them off guard. If we can wipe them out, that would be best. If not, we can at least severely weaken them, so they won't have time to retaliate," a tall deputy director suddenly said. He had chestnut-brown short hair, a sharp build, and two bright blue eyes that gleamed with a chilling light.
Several powerful individuals, including Wesh, were stunned by his astonishing remarks. Wesh's reverie was interrupted, but he remained silent, simply observing him thoughtfully.
Hans couldn't hold back any longer: "Mike, what nonsense are you talking about? This is a frame-up. Can't you see through such a simple conspiracy? Maybe the person who framed us is just waiting for us to go and fight the Chinese superpower headquarters?"
Mike shrugged: "Hans, I'm not stupid. I think we all understand what you're saying. You should know what I mean. If Congress forces us to take action, what can we do when the whole world is pointing fingers at us? Wait until the Chinese Superpower Headquarters is prepared before waging war against them? Dear Hans, this is politics. Even if we're being schemed against, we can only grit our teeth and move forward."
Hans said angrily, "I disagree with doing this. We don't know what Congress's attitude is yet, and the Superpower Bureau is not under Congress's leadership. If we rush in like this, it will only cause a strong backlash from the Chinese. The barrier is paralyzed now. If they retaliate, what will we use to defend ourselves?"
Mike said calmly, "I'm just calculating the minimum losses for the Superpower Bureau. Unless the Superpower Bureau is disbanded, it's impossible to remain unaffected by Congress. The president might even be implicated and forced to resign. If the new administration takes a hard line, it might even trigger a world war. I'm just trying to limit my grudges to the superpowered individuals as much as possible, and we don't need to hurt the China Superpower Headquarters too much. Just making a gesture to those politicians is enough."
Hans wanted to say something more, but Wesh had already spoken calmly: "Alright, everyone stop arguing. Mike is right, we have to go find the Chinese headquarters of superpowers. This isn't a matter of retaliation, it's a political issue."
Chapter 382: Internal confrontation
About two hundred kilometers from the superhuman base, several figures in blue stood motionless under the blazing sun. This was still the American West wilderness, where a few tall, dark green cacti stood sparsely on the yellowish-brown soil, exuding a wild and desolate atmosphere.