Li Chen didn't bother to acknowledge him.

"Director, we received a notice from our superiors that the headquarters building is unable to function properly and important items cannot be properly secured. They want us to submit a series of weapons and equipment for record... including the mithril."

Xiao Zheng suddenly looked up. "What do you mean? Hand over the mithril and let us be taken down when necessary? Do you know that Wang Ze just called and said someone was distributing mithril bullets at the screening point? Captain Yan doesn't know what to do now. What about our frontline brothers?"

Li Chen smiled bitterly. "My Director Xiao, at this critical moment, if we don't hand over the mithril, how will the organization and the masses think of us... will we confirm the charge of being 'dangerous elements'?"

Xiao Zheng angrily exclaimed, "But the mithril..."

A broad hand held him down.

"Little Xiao, go with your Sister Dan to Chiyuan and bring back the defectors. You Thunder-fire types aren't the types to just sit in the office answering phones." Chief Huang looked deeply at him. "Leave it to me. Don't worry, child."

Xiao Zheng said, "But the mithril..."

"Since the mithril has already ended up in the wrong hands, what's the point of hiding it? It's better to hand it over cleanly."

"I know, I'm not clinging onto it like a worthless broom!" Xiao Zheng's eyes were starting to turn red. "Weapons like mithril aren't unique to us, other countries have them too. It's not a big deal. The technology is constantly improving, and the earlier generations have already passed their confidentiality period. That useless thing doesn't need to be kept secret. But they can't force us to hand it over at a time like this! What do they take us for? Potential terrorists?"

"Little Xiao," Chief Huang interrupted him, "The mithril is our pride, not our shame."

Xiao Zheng's eyes welled up with tears.

"I'll take care of this." Chief Huang took off his coat hanging in the corner and draped it over Xiao Zheng's shoulders. "Ordinary people can't control the weather, but they still have their uses... Go quickly."

Xiao Zheng wiped his face in distress.

"Chief Huang, I have a question for you. Did you and former Chief Xiang choose me to be the chief dispatcher because my background was simple enough and I was stupid enough?"

Chief Huang was stunned.

"I've made it this far because I was a rare thunder-fire ability user and because of my father... Did my father sponsor the bureau?"

Before Chief Huang could answer, Xiao Zheng, as if unable to hear the response, turned and picked up the birdcage, striding towards the door.

"What do you think?" Huang's four words pinned him in place.

Xiao Zheng hastily turned his head and saw the middle-aged man neatly tying his scarf.

"Even if it is, so what?" he said, walking up to Xiao Zheng. "Now you're standing here, and everyone is waiting to hear your instructions, Little Xiao--"

Xiao Zheng instinctively stood at attention.

"Director Xiao!" Chief Huang pounded him hard on the back and left with a flourish.

Xiao Zheng stood frozen in place for a while, then suddenly came to his senses and ran out with long strides.

Before he could board the helicopter to Chiyuan, Ping Qianru chased after him, panting, "Director Xiao, our aftermath department... has a plan..."

The word "plan" was stuck in her mouth, as if she were too embarrassed to say it.

Xiao Zheng stopped in his tracks.

Ping Qianru felt like she was choking on her own saliva. The courage she had mustered up to come here was almost punctured by his piercing gaze.

Her legs were on the verge of giving up, trembling uncontrollably under her pants. She dreaded dealing with people like Xiao Zheng. One doubtful look from others and she would feel like she had done something wrong. She wished she could just hide in a corner where no one could see her.

But the unreliable director of the department had actually handed over this hot potato of a task to her.

On one hand, it was a heavy responsibility, on the other hand, it was this terrifying director. The pressure was so intense that it made her feel five centimeters shorter.

But she had to say what needed to be said.

She gritted her teeth and said, as if confessing, "I know that because of the suspect Luo Cuicui, the field agents now think that we are...yes, he is from our department, so we also want to..."

Xiao Zheng interrupted her, "Stop talking nonsense."

As soon as he scolded her, Ping Qianru tensed up and blurted out, "The Echo Sounds from the plants have mostly disappeared. Now the range has narrowed down to a few Echo Sound sources. After discussing it as a group, we all think that setting up echo devices in these locations and counteracting them in reverse... might have some effect."

Xiao Zheng raised an eyebrow.

Ping Qianru's courage was depleted: "It's just a suggestion, maybe we can try it. Even if it doesn't have any benefits, it won't do any harm... When we were making the Echo Sound radios, we had a spiritual-type senior musician customize a dozen tracks to help relieve the stress of the field agents. But everyone avoided spiritual-types and refused to come. Director Xiao, at that time in Jiangzhou, Senior Sheng used music to penetrate the heart demons... We were inspired by him."

Xiao Zheng listened and sighed. For a moment, he understood the anger and fear of ordinary people - it turned out that even special ability users avoided the Echo Sound radios.

Ping Qianru felt discouraged after hearing his sigh, feeling like she had said something foolish and was about to cry.

She didn't know why the unreliable temporary director chose her to be the spokesperson - was it because she had once boldly served the Emperor a steak without knowing it?

"Ping Qianru," suddenly Xiao Zheng spoke up.

Ping Qianru's shoulders stiffened.

"You have been responsible for nearly 80-90% of the field tasks in the aftermath department for the past five years," Xiao Zheng said. "Your name accounts for 70% of the applicants for the Echo Radio. Although your director is not a good person, he is not stupid. Do you think he randomly chose you to be the temporary leader?"

Ping Qianru was stunned.

"Your opinion is your opinion. Tell me what you think is right and don't waste time with useless talk like 'group discussion', 'maybe', or 'which big shot did it before'. Can't you express your opinion?"

"I..."

Xiao Zheng picked up his phone and logged onto the internal network, signing his electronic signature on the permit for the Echo Sound radio: "Hurry up and go!"

Fifteen minutes later, the plane carrying the Echo Sound radio and the special ability talents flew towards various parts of the country.

The night grew even darker.